Chapter 6
Tapping a couple of keys on her data pad, Leanna quickly pulled information up on the screen. Skimming through it briefly, she mentally held back a curse and sighed. In a thoroughly grumpy mood, she thought, Great, just great. Can't they ever stay out of trouble once when on Ord Mantell?
Setting the data pad aside she quickly gave in a command to the scanner, mumbling, "Of course not, that would be too easy. They attract trouble like a magnet." Looking at the green dot she quickly jotted the location down on a piece of flimsi. Looking up she said, "Well, dear friends, you're on your own for a while.... Besides, you're not in any immediate danger, unless you consider spending the night in a holding cell in danger. But knowing you two, you probably do."
Tapping a couple of commands in she studies the places Boba Fett's ship has been. Several minutes later she noticed it was time to drop out of hyperspace and swiftly pulled her ship out. Upon exiting hyperspace, Leanna noticed a red blip near a planet before it disappeared. Writing the globe's name down on a small corner of the flimsi she thought, Boba boy, you sure don't like holding still for very long. Oh well, right now I have bigger fish to fry. But don't worry I'll probably be after you next if everything goes according to plan. But, knowing my luck it probably won't.
Narrowing her eyes, she let her thoughts go. Gracefully she guided her ship into the atmosphere of Coruscant and into a lesser populated area. Landing her ship, she pulled her cloak around her, covering her black jumpsuit. After walking down the boarding ramp, she locked her ship up. Looking around, she noticed a crowd of people talking in hushed whispers. Raising an eyebrow, she made her way towards one of them and asked, "Sir, what's going on?"
Turning around from the crowd in surprise the young man asked, "Don't you know?"
Shaking her head she thought, If I knew, I wouldn't be asking now would I?
"Hope Skywalker has been kidnapped!"
Furrowing her brow Leanna thought, So, that's what Boba Fett was doing.
Thanking the young man, Leanna added to the mental list of, 'What to hurt Boba Fett for,' and walked a little ways away thinking, Ok, I have three choices. One, I go the relatives, preferably the parents and tell them the possible, but small, lead I have. Two, I can check this lead out myself, or three, I can go back to my own quest of finding my sister.
Stopping, she sighed, switched direction, and headed towards the Imperial Place with a single thought, Why do I always get involved in other people's problems?
*
"Callista?"
Her father poked his head into her room. Callista looked up from her desk--she had been working on her Chemistry homework--and smiled up at him. "Hey, Papa," she said, unable to control the grin that widened across her face. Seeing her father always made her day even better.
"Could I speak with you for a minute?" he asked.
Callista nodded. "Sure."
He nodded as he came into her room and sat down in the chair next to hers. "So, what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, not much," she said as she focused back on her schoolwork. "My Chemistry teacher expects us to turn in a three-page essay describing the nucleus of an atom," she said, clearly irritated. "I think sometimes she forgets that we're only six-year-olds, not teenagers."
Her father chuckled softly. "I envy you, sweetheart. I never had anything like this when I went to school at your age."
"Why? I hate this stuff!" Callista whined. "I mean, I'm just a kid, and our teachers expect us to do work that my older sisters couldn't do."
"But think of all the benefits," her father said. "You're going to be a very bright girl when you grow up, Callista. I can see you being a doctor, or a nuclear physicist, or..."
"But I don't want to be any of those things," she cut in. "I want to be a Jedi. I want to be able to use a lightsaber, and fight the forces of evil. That would be so wizard!"
Her father smiled as he ruffled her brown curls. "You would make a fine Jedi, Callista," he said. "But I'm afraid only people who can use the Force to become Jedi. But you would make the ideal Jedi, my little angel."
Callista blushed. Her father's compliments meant more to her than anything else in the world. "Thanks, Papa," she said. "So...what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Oh, yes," he said. "Callista...why didn't you let your mother help you with her project?"
Callista looked up at him, startled. This was definitely unexpected. "Um...well..." she said, unable to think of an answer. "I just didn't need her help, that's all."
Her father nodded. "But, why?"
"Because I know that if I ever need help with something, I can just ask you," she said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "You're my hero, Papa, and I love you more than anything else in the galaxy."
Her father smiled down at her, but Callista could sense a layer of sadness underneath the facade. Something really must have been bothering him. "But...don't you love your mother as well?"
Callista nodded. "Of course I do. Why would you think I wouldn't?" He sighed. "It's just that you two don't spend much time together. I mean, most of the time, you're either doing something with me or Uncle Claine. Never with your mother. And she's lonely because of that."
"But what about Josef? Or Arkna, or Maya? She can spend time with them, can't she?"
"True," her father said, "but she already has. Many times. I don't want you to be offended by this, Callista, but...you always seem to be pushing your mother back. Like you're trying to avoid her."
Callista drew back from him, feeling her temper start to rise. "Why, just because I didn't need her help on a project? If you ask me, Papa, I think Mama's overreacting just a little bit."
"Maybe so...but with your life day approaching tomorrow, it would mean a lot to her if you spend some quality-time with her," her father said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I think she'd really appreciate that."
Callista felt her anger instantly evaporate when she felt her father's comforting touch, and she offered him a good-natured laugh. "Okay, Papa, if it makes Mama happy, I'll spend the entire day with her tomorrow. Oh, and that reminds me..." She opened one of the desk drawers and took out a small bracelet made from a rainbow of colorful clamshells.
"I made this for her," she said. "I'm planning on giving this to her tomorrow, after the party. I know that I'm the one that's getting all the presents, but I think she deserved something too."
Her father smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. "I'm sure she'll love it," he said. The little girl nodded in return. "I hope so..."
"Awwww, how touching."
Callista gasped as her eyes fluttered open. She looked around and saw that she was standing in the prison bay of the Imperial Palace. The lights were darkened, giving the corridor a dim, menacing appearance. And there, standing right in front of her, was Kara.
"Where am I?" Callista demanded. The apparition gave her an amused look.
"Where do you think, Mother?" she said. "You were the one who told me to come here before you leave for Anasazi. You wanted to bring the Cray droid with you."
Callista blinked her eyes as she tried to remember. For some strange reason, she had completely forgotten about that. She turned back to Kara and tried to regain her composure. "So, what now?" she asked.
The demon smiled. "With the denizens of Coruscant evacuating in the next two hours, you'll be able to free Cray with little interference. Take the fastest ship you can find and go to Anasazi. You will find your daughter and nephew there."
"How do I know that you haven't already killed them?" she snapped.
"You don't," Kara replied. "You'll just have to trust me." She reached forth with one clawed finger and traced it lightly over Callista's cheek. Callista couldn't feel her finger as it slowly ran down her skin. Even so, she still backed away, glaring at her daughter. "See you soon, Mother," Kara said, as she vanished into nothingness.
Callista looked around the corridor to make sure that no one was around. She took a deep breath--I am so not ready for this, she thought--and took out her lightsaber. With a snap-hiss that reverberated in the dark hallway, the weapon sprung to life-- --and cleaved through the prison door.
Almost immediately, a cacophony of alarms poured into Callista's ears, nearly deafening her. She tried to ignore it and rushed into the brig, blocking her eyes from the smoke that rose from the charred metal.
Seconds later, she saw Cray.
The Human Replica Droid was crouched against one corner, a faraway look in her pale eyes. She seemed frighteningly human...and Callista knew that Cray probably had no idea of who she truly was. Callista could sense a squad of armed soldiers heading their way.
The droid slowly stood up, wary. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
Callista pursed her lips. "You're coming with me."
Reaching the Imperial Palace, Leanna saw a guard standing by the door and thought, Well, it makes sense that they would tighten security up. Only an idiot would make the mistake not to. Walking toward the man, she pulled her cloak around herself tightly.
"Excuse me, sir, but I need to talk to Luke or Callista Skywalker. Are they here?"
Eyeing her suspiciously he replied gruffly, "Why do you want to see them?"
"It's about their daughter, Hope Skywalker."
Seeing the surprise in his face she continued. "I have a possible lead as to where she might have been taken to."
Taking in Leanna's attire, the guard slowly took one step back, pushed a button on a device concealed in one of his pockets as his other hand held his blaster at her and said, "How do I know you're here for that reason and not to kidnap the other Solo children?"
Furrowing her brow in confusion she asked, "What are you talking about?"
Keeping his weapon pointed at her chest he snarled, "A couple people dressed similarly to your, attacked the Solo family in their home and kidnapped their youngest son, Anakin."
"What?" She asked in shock while thinking, What's going on?! First Skywalker's daughter is kidnaped and now Solo's kid is captured... What's next, Palpatine raising from the dead?
Looking the guard straight in the eyes she said, "Listen, I not sure what's going on, but a do have a possible lead for Skywalker, so let me through. Now!"
"Can't do that," the guard said pushing a switch on his blaster. The small movement, however, didn't go unnoticed by Leanna's keen eyes. She kicked the blaster to the side a mere second before a stun blast was shot. Spinning on her heel she delivered a roundhouse shortly followed by a sweeping kick, sending the guard to the floor. Quickly she moved around the surprise guard and through the door, while thinking, I admire you for doing your job, but I have a job of my own to do and getting shot at is not part of it.
Rounding a corner she briefly glanced behind her and notice a couple of guards coming down the corridor towards her. Putting more energy behind her flight, she thought with a twinkle buried in her ice blue eyes, Here we go again.... Idiot guards tangle with Weapons Master, take two.
Leia and Han watched through the window of her office as over a dozen Republic transports lifted out of Imperial City and headed up into orbit, leaving Coruscant behind for Black Sun to take over. They gripped hands together as they watched the chaos that unfolded before them.
From the window, Leia could make out the blurred shapes of millions of people crowding the streets, waiting impatiently as they were taken off the planet. The entire city had been in an uproar ever since Xizor's announcement, and there was no calming them down until the entire city was evacuated. Leia shuddered as she could only imagine what it felt like down there, and she was grateful to be inside the Palace at that moment.
"Leia, are you sure this is the best thing to do?" Han asked, holding his wife's hand tighter. "I mean, to give Coruscant to that slime..."
Leia returned to squeeze, and gave him a smile that attempted to hide her true feelings. "Trust me, Han. I know what I'm doing."
Han could easily see through her facade, and he sighed. "Don't hide your feelings, honey," he said. "It won't do you any good. Just tell me what you're feeling right now."
Leia finally released all the pent-up emotions she had been holding within her for the past few days and leaned her head against Han's shoulder. "It's everything, Han," she said sadly. She knew that she would soon start crying, but didn't bother to stop it. "Our entire world has been turned upside-down. Our son is kidnapped, Hope is gone, my daughter's in the hospital, Callista is getting closer and closer to the dark side, Xizor is back and wants Coruscant, and on top of all that, I have no idea where to begin searching for him." She felt her husband's strong arms encircle her waist, and she let out a huge, frustrated sigh. "I just hope this plan works. If we can just find Xizor...everything will turn out all right."
"You'll find him, Leia," her husband whispered in her ear. "You just have to trust the Force, that's all." Leia smiled as she rested in her husband's arms, and for a brief second, she felt more content than she had been ever since Hope and Anakin had disappeared. For a few minutes, all of her problems vanished. She knew it wouldn't last long, and reality would eventually rear its ugly head again, but for now, she was willing to relish the few seconds of peace.
It was quickly interrupted when Admiral Ackbar burst into her office. "Madame Chief of State," the Calamarian said. Leia pulled away from Han and nodded at the commander of the New Republic fleet.
"Yes, Admiral?"
"I think it's time for you and your family to be leaving," Ackbar said in the deep, grave voice that was the trademark of most Calamarians. "It's too dangerous for you to remain here on Coruscant. We have a shuttle waiting for you on the roof."
Leia nodded. "Thank you, Admiral. It's probably a good idea. Besides, I need to be heading for the Verpine System as soon as possible." She looked over at Han. "Go find Luke and Callista and tell them that we'll all be leaving as soon as possible. I'll go to the MedCenter and pick up the kids."
"No problem," said Han as he headed for the door, then stopped. "Where is Luke, anyways?"
Suddenly, as if on cue, the door slid open, and Luke entered the room, a haggard expression on his face. "Luke!" Leia exclaimed, sensing his panic. "What's wrong?"
"Callista's gone," her brother said. "I went to our apartment, and she left a note for me. She said that she was going to look for Hope, but didn't tell me where she was going."
Leia and Han exchanged concerned glances. As if things couldn't get any worse... she thought bitterly.
"And there's something else, too," Luke continued. "Cray's escaped."
"It's started," Xizor quietly observed as he watched the evacuation of Coruscant begin. Armenia stood next to his side--her fellow Kerash soldiers waited behind them--as they watched through the massive window in his office, silently gazing as transport after transport lifted from the Imperial City Airport, heading for the depths of space. "Everything is going according to plan."
Armenia nodded, her face expressionless save for a fiery look in her emerald eyes. "Interesting..." she whispered. "I must hand it to you, Prince Xizor, Black Sun may be the hammer that will shatter the New Republic once and for all."
The Prince of Black Sun chuckled. "Why, thank you, my dear. It wasn't easy, either. This took years of planning, years of hiding from prying eyes...but it has all finally paid off. I shall finally have control of Coruscant. I shall finally have my revenge."
As he spoke, he found that he couldn't take his eyes off the Kerash leader. She had a certain beauty about her that he had not seen in a woman for years, as well as a fiery spirit. Gorgeous, yet deadly...much like Guri. Xizor liked that in a woman, and he made a mental note to spend more time with Armenia.
One of the Kerash warriors stepped forward. "I hate to break this up, and this is all very fascinating, but where is the child?"
Xizor turned his head back and flashed a dangerous glare at the man. "Patience," he hissed. "Guri will be here soon...with Hope." He turned to Armenia, who was still viewing the activity outside the transparisteel. "I'm just curious, why do you want the girl?"
A sneer cracked at the corners of Armenia's lipsticked mouth. "You will all see soon enough," she said ominously, not meeting Xizor's gaze.
Xizor briefly pondered what the white-skinned woman meant by that, but he brushed it aside and continued watching the evacuation, waiting for Guri to arrive. Seconds late, the Human Replica Droid burst into the office. She was bleeding from a small cut on the left side of her forehead, as if someone had slammed her against a wall..
"My lord," she said brusquely. The Prince turned to her.
"Yes, Guri. Where is Hope?"
"Skywalker's daughter has escaped," Guri snarled "I went to her room to apprehend her, but she used her powers to attack me. She threw me into the closet and ran out."
Armenia's eyes met Xizor's, and she did not look pleased at all. "So much for delivering the child to us," she snapped, looking over at her warriors. "Go find her! She couldn't have gone far."
"I'll send every man I have," Xizor said. "We'll comb the entire place for her." Armenia nodded, and the Kerash warriors silently left the room like an army of droids. The white-skinned woman started to follow them, but Xizor stopped her with a hand. "Would you care to remain here with me?" the Prince of Black Sun offered. "I could use a little company."
*
Oh, great, Hope thought as she ran down one of the numerous hallways in Xizor's headquarters. It was still fairly dark, with only a few glowbulbs shining dim light from the ceiling, and Hope could barely see five feet ahead of her.
She had been running like this for quite some time now, and she still had no idea where to go. At least she hadn't run into any guards yet, but she knew that wouldn't last for long. What was I thinking that this place wouldn't be so bad? Hope thought angrily to herself. I should've known that Xizor guy was up to something. I hope Mommy and Daddy beat him up when they find him...if they find him. She considered calling her parents through the Force. She had done it before; she could surely do it again. As she stopped in her tracks, and began to concentrate, she heard a loud buzz bursting through the speakers in the ceiling. The little girl cried out in pain and covered her ears. What the heck was that sound? An all-too-familiar voice poured through the corridor, drowning out the deafening buzz. It was that butt-hole, Xizor.
"Attention. Attention. Hope Skywalker has escaped. I repeat, the daughter of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker has escaped. All personel, be on alert, and bring her to me in my office, unharmed. Repeat, do not kill her." Hope groaned as the voice poured through the speakers and banged painfully against her eardrums.
"Too LOUD!" she shouted over the growing din. "Someone, turn the volume down!" Of course, no one listened to her, and the alarms continued their annoying buzzing. Boy, this is worse than listening to Jacen's singing... As Hope tried to concentrate and summon the Force--which was extremely difficult due to all the noise--she could hear a succession of footsteps hammering down the dark corridor. Accompanied by shouting.
Aw, crud, she thought. Busted. Panicking, Hope looked around the corridor, wondering how she was going to get away from all this. But there were no doors, except for-- A garbage chute. Hope could hear the guards closing in on her. She quickly thought of her options. It was either go down in the garbage chute, or get captured by Xizor's goons.
"There she is!" one of the guards cried out, and they doubled their speed. Hope uttered a desperate groan, took a deep breath--
--and launched herself into the chute. What did I do to deserve this? she thought bitterly as she slid down the slimy tunnel.
Rushing after the cloaked person the tallest of the three guards, complained "How could you allow him to get passed you!"
Growling, the second guard corrected him. "Her. It was a girl." Running harder, he continued, "And she surprised me. I didn't think she could react that quickly."
Shaking his head, the Bothan guard said, "That was where you went wrong. What I want to know is, why she has to be so darn fast?"
"Well, this should slow her down." Replied the medium human guard, raising his blaster he shot a stun blast at her, only to have it miss by a hair's width as she skidded around the next corner.
"BLAST IT," shouted Markaio, the second guard. Moments later something small sliced through the air and implanted itself in his blaster's power pack. Looking down in shock, he saw that the object was a metal blade in the shape of a...star?
Noticing where the blade was, he quickly threw the blaster, grabbed the other two, and hit the deck. Seconds later it was followed by a small explosion. Picking himself up, the Bothan guard half observed, half joked, "I think she doesn't like stun rays."
"Shut up, Royio!" Growled Markiao while he started after Leanna.
"Here we go to get our butts kicked. Yeah, here we go to get defeated by a cloaked woman and I'm going to be so sore in the morning. Oh joy." The tallest guard jokingly sang while following his fellows in the chase.
"Knock it off, Tailen!" snapped Markiao as he rounded the corner. "Grouchy. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," replied Tailen with his usual sense of humor. Suddenly, they spotted the cloaked figure and the two other guards raised their blaster and shouted, "Stop or we'll shoot!
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I surrender!" shrieked a familiar metallic voice as the 'humanoid' turned around, arms up.
Seeing the golden coverings Tailen asked in shock, "C-3PO? What are you doing here, and why are you wearing that cloak?"
"Sir, I was one my way to the roof when a strange woman came and put this cloak around me. She told me that she was on an important mission to give Master Luke a message. She seemed in quite a hurry and said to keep this cloak on, though a droid wearing clothing is rather absurd. Don't you think so? She explained that it was one part of the mission and that a little girl might be in danger if I didn't follow her orders. And I don't want anyone to be hurt because then I'd be melted down for scrap metal! She also said that three guards would be coming and to do as they as long as it did not contradict her instructions. I must say humans have such strange behavior!"
"Which way did she go?" Asked Royio.
"I can't tell you that, sir." Replied C-3P0. "Why not?" demanded an enraged Markiao. "Why, she told me not too, sir."
*
Meanwhile in another corridor, Leanna turned around another corner and thought, Now to find Skywalker. Golden-boy should keep the guards busy for a while. Protocol droids are good for that.
Callista's ship streaked past the garrisons that orbited Coruscant, weaving through the escaping ships that were fleeing the planet in the wake of Xizor's threat.
"Where are you taking me?" Cray asked from the copilot's seat. Callista had bound her hands together, in case she ever tried to make an escape. "You still haven't told me anything about where we are going."
"You'll find out when we get there," Callista said, perhaps a bit too harsh. She added, voice softening, "I'll need your help, Cray. I can't do this without you."
Cray laughed, her voice tinged with a layer of anger. "You expect me to help you? That's the funniest thing I have ever heard. Thank you, Callista. You have just made my day."
"Cray, what is your problem?" Callista snapped as she pulled back the hyperspace lever. The stars on the viewscreen transformed into long white lines as the ship went into lightspeed. "Why do you feel so much hate toward me? What have I ever done to you?"
"Figure it out, Callista!" Cray shot back in a tone so scorching that Callista was taken aback. "You killed Nichos. Remember the Eye of Palpatine, dear? You set off the self-destruct system and destroyed the entire battle station. My lover--the best thing that ever happened to me-- died in the blast. Master Skywalker and I barely escaped with our lives." She sat back in her seat, finally having vented her fury, and muttered, "Makes me wonder what drugs Skywalker was on when he married you."
Callista swallowed a lump in her throat. None of the events Cray had just described were true in any way, shape, or form. How was she going to tell her the truth about what had happened, that she was not even human anymore, that she was a... "Cray, I need you to listen to me for a minute," Callista said softly. "And listen good."
The other woman nodded, mock-bored. "I'm all ears."
"Cray, none of that ever happened. Nichos did die, yes, but it wasn't by my hand. He sacrificed himself to destroy the Eye, so that it could not complete its mission to exterminate the Jedi. He was a hero, Cray, in the best way imaginable. And...you were there by his side, as the explosion swallowed you both into oblivion." Callista risked a glance over at Cray, and saw that the woman was now listening attentively. She had now Cray's full attention. Was she believing her, or was it just an act? "Before you died, you gave me your body, so that I could have another chance for life...so that we could both be with the men we loved." She allowed herself a brief smile as she thought back to Luke. "I'm in your body still, Cray, up to this day." Cray nodded as she took all the information in, doubt and puzzlement still coloring her features. "But...if you're in my body now, then...how am I still here?"
"That's because..." Callista hesitated, dreading how she was going to put this into words. She reached forth with one hand and placed it gently on the other's shoulder, offering her some comfort. "...you're a droid."
Callista could feel Cray's body go limp with shock as she said those worse. The other woman--the woman whose body Callista now inhabited--rested her head on the leather seat, suddenly drained of energy.
"A droid," she whispered, and looked down at her bound hands. Her left hand had been severed by Callista, and the stump was bandaged up to stop the bleeding. But there was no blood. No blood at all.
"A droid," she repeated, and laughed humorlessly. Callista wished there was more she could do for Cray, but she pulled back and took the controls.
"I'm sorry, Cray," she said. "I truly am. The Kerash constructed you after your death, and put false memories into your central processing unit. Everything they have ever told you has been a lie. And now we have to stop them. Together."
"What are you going to tell your husband?" Cray asked from the copilot's seat. Callista didn't favor her with a glance. "I'll tell him..." she shook her head. "...when I know what to tell him. As it is, I don't know myself."
"You're close, then? You and Skywalker?" Cray pressed. Callista felt a little unnerved by the personal questions.
"Yes..." she said hesitantly.
"Ah. I see," the droid said, and was silent for several minutes. Then she muttered, ever so quietly, "Then why haven't you told him you're pregnant?"
Callista whipped around and looked at the droid. "How did you know that?" she demanded.
Cray chuckled. "I'm a droid, Callista dear. I could tell from the minute we meant, though I couldn't explain why, until now."
Callista sighed. She didn't know why she hadn't told Luke. She felt like she didn't want to trouble Luke with more burdens. If he knew of her "condition" he would lock her in their bedroom before letting her actually go and fight for their daughter herself. And she wasn't about to let that happen. "Let's get one thing straight, dear. You don't involve yourself in my personal affairs, and I don't involve myself in yours. We only share what is necessary. Got it?"
Cray looked at her a beat, then nodded. "Stars help us when business becomes personal, then." She muttered.
Ewwwwwww! was Hope's first thought as she sailed out of the garbage chute and flew headfirst into a pile of trash large enough to pass for a small mountain. She groaned as she impacted the muck, nearly drowning in it, and pushed herself to her feet.
"Oh, no," she moaned as she surveyed the damage. She was covered head to toe in slime, from her arms to her legs, and even in her hair. She could feel tiny pieces of goo and scrap metal stuck in her brown hair. "How am I ever gonna get this out of my hair? Could this day suck any more?"
As Hope stood up, she accidentally slipped and tumbled uncontrollably down the mound of garbage. She landed none too gently into a filthy puddle of battery acid. "I spoke too soon," the little girl said as she spat some of the liquid out, careful not to swallow any of it. As she stood up--more slowly this time--Hope looked at her surroundings. She was in a garbage chamber, about as big as Anakin's bedroom. A few glowbulbs from the ceiling provided some light, but the room was still pretty dim. Daddy had told Hope numerous times about his near-death in a garbage masher on board the original Death Star. He, Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, and Chewie had almost been crushed to death if not for the assistance of Mr. Threepio and Mr. Artoo. As Hope dug her way through the garbage, she briefly wondered if the walls would start closing in on her as well.
They better not, she thought. Or I'm gonna hurt someone. Hope's eyes continued exploring the room, and found a small hatchway ten or twelve paces up ahead. It seemed to be bolted shut, but it was her only way out. It was either that, or wait to be crushed into a bloody pulp. The little girl grunted as she practically swam through the brownish-black muck that barred her from the door. Several times, she tripped and fell right back into the garbage. As if I wasn't dirty enough, she thought bitterly as she wiped the grime off her arms and legs. The first thing I'm gonna do when I get outta this yucky place is have a nice, hot bath...
Moments later, she reached the hatchway and hit the control panel next to it, hoping against hope that it was unlocked and would slide open. Although, with my luck, I wouldn't bet on it...
Much to her surprise, the door opened. Hope stepped back in mild shock, then started laughing with joy as she dashed out of the garbage chamber. "Hey, cool!" she said. "Maybe things are looking up..."
"Cray's escaped?" Leia could not believe what she was hearing. "But...how? How could she have--?"
"She's a droid, Leia," Han said. "It wouldn't be that hard."
"But this palace is covered head to toe with security guards," Leia pointed out, looking at both her husband and her brother. "Even if Cray did manage to escape her cell, there is no way she could have fought through our entire security. Someone would have caught her."
"Unless she had help," Luke said, as he met Leia's eyes. They both were thinking the same thing.
"No..." Leia immediately said, shaking her head. There was no way...she refused to believe that..."It can't be Callista." Han's face remained expressionless, but she could see the shock in his eyes. "You guys think Callista's behind this?"
"There's no other explanation," Luke said. "I mean, both Callista and Cray are gone. And with Callista's recent outbursts of anger..." "There's gotta be another explanation for this," Leia desperately said. Although she still felt betrayed--and perhaps even a little angry--at what Callista had said to her and Han, she would never believe that her own sister-in-law would set an assassin free. "Maybe Cray kidnapped her."
Luke went over to her and laid his hands on her shoulders. "Leia, you know as well as I do that Callista can take care of herself. There is no way a droid can beat her in a fight." There was a great sadness is his voice as he spoke. "As much as I hate to admit it, it looks as if Callista has embraced the dark side." Leia looked away from her brother. She refused to believe it, but deep down inside, she knew he was right. And she couldn't convince herself otherwise.
"Where did you think they went?" Han asked. "Are they still on Coruscant?"
Luke shook his head. "I can't feel them anywhere on the planet," he said. "But I have no idea where they could have gone."
Admiral Ackbar stepped forward. "Leia, with all due respect, you need to leave Coruscant as soon as possible. We can't ignore the threat of Black Sun."
Leia barely nodded, not really hearing the Calamarian's words. So many things were happening all at once, and she had no idea where to start. "Okay," she said in a hushed whisper. "I guess the first thing we need to do is..." Before she could finish, the door slid open with a loud whoosh, disturbing the conversation. All eyes turned as a humanoid woman entered the room. She was tall--much taller than Leia, and even Han--and muscular, and wore a dark blue jumpsuit. Her skin was beyond pale, almost as pure white as milk, with ice-blue eyes that focused on the four people in the room. Her hair was tied in a twist, with a small, deadly knife place through it. Leia had never seen this woman before, but she could tell that she was deadly. And yet, Leia could also sense that her intentions were not hostile.
"Who are you?" she asked in a calm, commanding voice.
The woman nodded. "Madame Chief of State. My name is Leanna Kai. I have some information about the missing children."
"Whoa, check it out," Jacen said as he viewed the evacuation from the enormous window in Jaina's MedCenter room. Wave after wave of ships numbering in the hundreds lifted off from the numerous ports in Imperial City and left Coruscant, like a pack of fleeing tauntauns, heading for the fringes of the system. "This is so cool!"
"Yeah, whatever," Jaina said without any interest. "In case you forgot, Jacen, I am in bed, you know. And I'm very, very sick. I'm dying here, and you're over there admiring a bunch of transports in the sky, rather than attending to my needs. So, people are evacuating Coruscant. Oooooooh, big deal."
"Give me a break, Jaina!" Jacen said with a laugh. "You're not dying, and you're gonna be back on your feet within two days."
"You never know," Jaina said. "Haven't you ever heard of a relapse?" Jacen shook his head in exasperation, wishing for the billionth time in his life that he was an only child, and continued watching the evacuation. He had never seen so many starships in one day before, and it was a breathtaking sight. The Senate must really afraid of Black Sun if they're gonna evacuate the entire planet, he thought. As he thought of the Senate, he wished Mom and Dad were here.
"So, Jacen," Jaina said from her bed as she dug into a bowl of green and red gelatin cubes. "When are we gonna go rescue Hope and Annie?" Jacen looked away from the window and went over to sit next to his sister.
"Not sure," he said. "Probably when the grown-ups aren't watching us, and when you're able to walk again. So the plan will have to be delayed for at least two days."
Jaina nodded as she ate. "Are you sure you wanna go through with this?"
"I'm sure," the little boy said, and he meant it. Hope and Anakin were his family, and anyone who messed with them were messing with him as well. And when Jacen was mad, no one was safe. He watched as Jaina chomped on the hospital food and grimaced. "Do you actually like that stuff?"
Jaina shook her head, tossing her long brown hair side to side. "Of course not! What do you think I am, a dork? It's just that I'm starving, and this point, I'd probably eat a granite slug, and wouldn't even care."
As Jacen began pondering what a granite slug tasted like, Doctor Poshkal entered the room, trailed by Threepio and Chewie. "How's my patient doing?" the Calamarian asked.
"Fine," Jaina said, giving him the thumbs-up. "Great view, but the food only gets a one out of five." Doctor Poshkal chuckled--or at least, Jacen thought it was chuckling; it was hard to tell with Calamarians, it sounded like they were coughing--and then grew more serious.
"Your mother called me half an hour ago, and wished for you two to leave the planet as soon as possible. We have a ship waiting for you in the MedCenter's hangar bay."
Jaina groaned. "Do we have to?" she asked.
"I apologize, Jaina, but your mother was very insistent," the doctor said. "My nurses will bring you a hoverchair, so you won't have to walk. But we have to hurry."
"A toast?" Xizor said as he held up his wine glass in the air. It was filled almost up the brim with orange-red Corellian wine. He was in his personal quarters, the most decorative room in his domain, located deep underground, and protected by layers upon layers of durasteel walls, and his company was none other than the leader of the Kerash warriors. "What shall we toast to?" Armenia said as she mirrored Xizor's gesture.
"To the end of the New Republic," the Dark Prince said, "and the birth of the new Black Sun."
"And to the success of the Order of Kerash," Armenia added. "And the rise of Arak."
Xizor nodded, and the two clinked their glasses together, and drank. The wine tasted sweet and soothing in Xizor's mouth, and he relished every second of it. He finished his glass within seconds and set it down on the table. His eyes wandered over to Armenia, admiring her cold beauty.
"I wish you well in your goals, Armenia," he said, as he reached out with one clawed hand and traced it gently across one milk-white cheek.
"Hopefully, yours will turn out to be as successful as mine." Armenia nodded in return, not a trace of emotion on her face. "I thank you, Prince Xizor," she said, as she turned and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" he called after her.
"To find the child," was all she said as she left the room without waiting for an answer. Xizor blew out a deep breath as he filled himself another glass. "She was too cold for me, anyway," he said to himself.
Leaning against the smooth wall, a child of ten scanned the corridors with her emerald eyes. The alarms had long since been silenced--thankfully, because her ears were still ringing from the harsh discordance that had been blaring from the speakers--and as far as she could tell, she was all by herself, the only sound being her quiet breathing, and her own echoing footsteps.
But she knew that she would soon have company.
Suddenly, just as she had predicted, a small child came running around the corridor. She was much younger--probably around two or three years old--and very beautiful, despite the shape she was in. Grime and pieces of trash clung to her disarrayed brown hair, and her bare arms and legs were caked with slime. Her dress--which had once been a creamy pinkish-white color-- was now torn apart and filthy. Her eyes were wild with fear and desperation, obviously unknowing of where to go. She ran past the older girl, not even giving her a second glance.
"Take it easy, munchkin. Running from the guards, are you?" she asked in a friendly voice. The only answer to her question, however, was Hope heading down the corridor behind her. "Don't go that way! Guards will be heading down that corridor any second," the child warned. Hope finally skidded to a stop, and turned to face the older girl.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"And what the heck are you doing here in Xizor's place?"
"I'm a fellow prisoner, just like you," the older girl replied, taking a few prudent steps toward Hope. "Don't be afraid of me, little girl. I mean you no harm. I just wanna help you get out of here."
"Why should I believe you?" questioned Hope.
"You don't have to believe me. But if you trust me just this once, I'll help you hide from the guards, I promise. But it's up to you, whether or not to trust me," she said as she tucked her black, mingled with silver, hair behind her ear.
Biting her lip, Hope looked from the corridors to the older girl, and back again, thinking, She looks friendly and seems to want to help, but can I trust her? Hearing footsteps coming from the distance, she quickly made her mind up. She started to make her way to the left corridor when a hand snatched her wrist and pulled her closer.
Struggling, Hope shrieked, "Let me go!"
Pulling her closer, the emerald-eyed child said, "Hush, little one, or they'll hear." Seeing that she had Hope's attention, she continued, "You won't get far enough if you go that way. It's a dead end; they would catch you in minutes. Hide behind my cloak until the guards pass. It's your best chance."
Weighing her options, Hope quickly hid behind the older child's black cloak. As the guards came up, the child glared at them and said coldly, "Before you even ask, the girl went that way." She pointed to her left.
"Why didn't you grab her?" demanded the taller guard.
Rolling her eyes, she replied with no small amount of sarcasm, "And do your job for you? No thanks; I'm having too much fun watching you two make fools of yourselves."
"Why, you little..."
"Get lost before you regret it...or did you forget how much it hurt when you tangled with me last week?" she commented, cutting his remark off.
Glaring at the girl one last time, they headed off into the next corridor, muttering. Once the guards were out of sight, she whispered, "It's safe."
Coming out from behind her cloak, Hope said, "Thank you. I'm Hope Skywalker."
Giving her a friendly smile, the child replied, "Llia. Glad to meet you." Pointing at the corridor ahead of them, she continued, "That corridor shouldn't have any more of Xizor's guards in it. It also leads to a docking bay with a ship that should be leaving this world. Where it's going, I'm not positive, but it probably will be one of the few tickets out of here." Smiling brilliantly, Hope replied, "Thank you, Llia." She immediately set off down the poorly-lit hallway, thinking, Now we're getting somewhere! Mommy and Daddy, here I come...
After walking a couple of paces, she heard Llia say, "I wish you the best of luck." Turning around, her brow furrowed in confusion, she asked, "Aren't you coming?"
Looking at Hope with soft emerald eyes, she explained, "I have some things to take care of first, but I'll be heading there soon. Now hurry." Nodding her head, Hope took off running.
Now to leave this stupid place...
Once the child was out of sight and hearing range, Llia said flatly, "You can come out now, cousin."
Stepping out of the shadows, Armenia snapped angrily, "You let her go! Why?"
"Yes, I let her go, so she would trust me. Because of that trust, she'll do what I'll say more willingly, and she will be less suspicious if she thinks of me as a fellow prisoner who is trying to help her out."
Taking a deep breath, she looked her cousin straight in the eyes and said evilly, "So, you see, cousin, I have her exactly where I want her."
Admiral Ackbar immediately stepped forth and addressed the mysterious woman who had just entered Leia's office, a stern tone in his guttural voice. "You are not supposed to be here, Miss," he said. "How did you get past our security?"
Leanna Kai offered the Calamarian admiral a mocking smile. "A word of advice, sir," she said. "Hire better guards, ones that can actually fight." Ackbar seemed taken aback by her comment, and moved forth as if to bind her, but Leia held a hand up.
"Don't worry about it, Admiral," she said softly. "I can sense this woman's intentions. She didn't come here to hurt anyone." She locked eyes with Leanna, and offered a nod of acceptance.
"You said that you have information about the disappearances of my son and niece. Tell me what you know." Leanna gathered herself together and took a few steps toward the Chief of State, all business-like.
"Madame President, the two children were taken by the bounty hunter Boba Fett--"
"We all know that already, Han said, exasperated. If that's all you came to tell us about, then--"
"--and I know where Fett is," Leanna added in a sharp tone that silenced Han in a heartbeat. Leia looked over at her brother, feeling a small surge of hope. She then looked back at Leanna Kai, who now had her complete attention.
"Where is he?" she demanded in a cold-layered voice.
"I have been tracking Boba Fett for quite some time now," Leanna explained as she started pacing back and forth in front of Leia's desk. "I hold a personal grudge against that masked bastard...but that's another story, entirely. I tracked him halfway across the galaxy and finally to Ord Mantell. It was there that I learned of the kidnappings of Hope Skywalker and Anakin Solo."
She took a deep breath before she continued, and looked Leia square in the eyes. "I just missed him, unfortunately, so I wasn't able to encounter him face to face."
"So, what good will that do us?" Han said. "Fett's gone, and for all we know, he could be somewhere in the Unknown Regions."
"Han, stop," Leia whispered as she laid her hand on his shoulder, quelling the anger she felt burning from him. "Calm down. Leanna has more to tell us."
"Do you have any idea where he could have gone?" Luke asked.
"I have some theories," Leanna answered as she stopped pacing. "Ord Mantell is located in the Bright Jewel System. There are many other planets and moons in that solar system that Fett could have gone to."
Leia thought about that for a moment. "There is an Imperial outpost located on Garkonis, which is in the core of the Bright Jewel. Maybe he went there to get another job."
"It would make sense," Luke agreed. "After all, Fett has worked for the Empire numerous times before."
Leia nodded as she remembered Fett--and many other bounty hunters hired by her father, Darth Vader--going after her and Han after the famous battle of Hoth. "That's probably our best shot. If we can find Fett, we might be able to figure out where Hope and Anakin have been taken."
"So, what exactly is the plan?" Han asked. Leia turned to face her brother. "I'm not going to be able to do this, since Han and I are going to the Verpine System. Luke, you could take a group of Jedi students and go to the Garkonis. Fett's a formidable bounty hunter, but not even he can stand much of a chance against a group of Jedi Knights."
"No problem," Luke said in a confident voice.
"I shall accompany you," Leanna Kai added. "I have a score to settle with Fett." For a brief second, Leia wondered what Leanna meant by that statement, but she brushed it aside and offered the other woman another nod.
"Then it's settled, then," she said. "I wish you two the best of luck."
"Leia," Han said, "are you sure this is the best thing to do?"
"I'm positive," Leia replied. "Han, I'm willing to do anything if it means finding my son again."
"And my daughter," Luke said. He went over to stand by Leanna. "Callista took our ship, so could we borrow the Falcon?"
"Go right ahead," Han said. "But bring her back without a scratch. Got it?"
Luke grinned. "Check. No scratches."
"Leia," Ackbar interjected, "we must leave Coruscant now. We only have two days before the time is up. And it will be too late."
Leia nodded. "I know, Admiral," she said. "But first, I have to make an announcement."
Within twenty minutes, Leia's face appeared on every holovid throughout Imperial City, as well as all the transports leaving the planet. The Chief of State was standing on her hovering platform in the Senate Hall as she delivered her final speech before she joined the evacuation.
"Citizens of the New Republic, I have an important announcement to make. Another tragedy has occured here on Coruscant. The prisoner Cray Mingla-- who and several others had tried to assassinate my family--has somehow escaped from her prison in the Imperial Palace.
"Even worse, my sister-in-law, Callista Ming Skywalker, has been reported missing for the last two hours. Sources believe that she helped free the prisoner. From what we know, they have left Coruscant for parts unknown."
As she spoke, two holographic images appeared on the screen next to her: one of Cray, the other of Callista.
"I am offering a reward of a hundred thousand credits if anyone captures these two women and bring them to Coruscant, unharmed. Be very careful of these two; they are both unpredictable and dangerous.
"May the Force be with you."
Xizor had been watching the announcement on his holovid as well, mildly amused. As he watched the Chief of State's beautiful face blossom on his screen, he remembered when he had tried to seduce her, all those years ago, when Vader and the Emperor had still been alive. He had almost been successful, but Leia's strong will--and perhaps the Force as well--had defeated his charms.
Now, as he watched her speech, only really half-listening, something caught his attention, as soon as the images of Cray Mingla and Callista Skywalker appeared on the screen next to Leia. He wasn't interested in Cray, for he had seen her before, and, although beautiful, did not exactly appeal to him.
Rather, it was Callista that enamored him. Xizor had only heard of the infamous wife of Skywalker, had never actually seen her face before. But now that he had, he could scarcely believe his reptilian eyes. She was even more beautiful than Leia herself. Her long, dark malt-brown hair that hung in small curls around her shoulders, her smoke-gray eyes that displayed confidence and strength, her almost-pale, smooth, perfect skin, her muscular, well-built body...
Xizor realized that he had been staring at her image for almost five minutes now. Never before had he been so captivated by a woman. He wanted her. As the Chief of State's speech drew to a close, Armenia entered the room. The sound of the door sliding open brought Xizor back into reality, and he turned his head as the Kerash woman burst into his personal quarters.
"I have found the child," she said quickly. "It will only be a matter of time before she is in our grasp."
She offered the Prince of Black Sun a bow. "I appreciate your hospitality, Lord Xizor. But it is time for me and my warriors to be going."
"A moment, please," Xizor said, as he pointed one clawed finger at Callista's image on the holovid screen. "What do you know about that woman?"
Armenia's eyes rested on the Jedi woman, and she growled. "That is Callista Skywalker, the wife of the Jedi Master. She defeated me in combat when we were searching for her daughter in the Underworld. She is now on her way to Anasazi...with Cray."
Xizor nodded, and looked over at the white-skinned warrior. "I would like to accompany you to Anasazi, if that is fine with you and your comrades." Armenia seemed surprised by the Dark Prince's demand, then nodded.
"As you wish. Meet me at the Fallen Moon in ten standard minutes." She turned and left the room. Xizor looked back at Callista's image, a smile curving across his lips.
As the Doctor left in search of a hover-chair for Jania, Jacen flopped down next to her on the bed. "Now what are we going to do?" he asked, his brown eyes troubled. "Once we're on that ship, there's no way we'll be able to help rescue Annie and Hope."
Jania pushed herself up, wincing as little bolts of pain ran through her legs. "Yeah, you're right." Jania glanced around the room, "Unless..." she let the thought hang in the air.
"Unless what?" Jacen keeped staring out the window at the fleeing ships.
"Jacen, where did Chewie go?" Jania was craning her neck to see out of the door, into the hall.
Jacen shrugged, "I think he said something about calling Mom. Probably to say he's coming with us on the Med-ship. Why?" He glanced at her.
"Because what if we find our own way off world?" Jaina was getting excited.
Her brother looked at her, puzzled, "Hun? I don't get it." Jacen had no idea what his sister was talking about.
Jania sighed, "What if we sneak out of here," she indicated the MedCenter, "And programmed a ship to take us to Hope and Annie!"
"But we don't know where they are!" Jacen pointed out.
Jania groaned, "Jacen, you aren't thinking!"
She tapped her head, "You can normally sense Hope through the Force, right?" She watched as Jacen finally figured out what where she was going with this.
"Yeah. So I can lead us to them through my connection with Hope!" He grinned at her. Suddenly his smile faded, "Hold the Wookie! How are we going to get there? You don't know how to fly a ship."
Jania shrugged, "I've seen Daddy and Chewie fly lots of times. How hard could it be?"
Jacen jumped of the bed, "Alright!! Let's get out of here before that Doctor comes back!" Jania threw off the covers and Jacen helped her out of her medical gown and into a dress that Leia had left for her. Jania's legs were wrapped in bandages, but she nodded when Jacen started to help her out of bed. The second her feet touched the floor, she cried out as sharp needles of pain raced along her legs. Her knees buckled and she would have fallen if Jacen hadn't caught her.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Jacen asked, worry written all over his face as he slung Jania's arm around his neck, taking most of her weight. Jania nodded, forcing herself to ignore the pain. Leaning heavily on her brother, she took another step, biting her lip to keep from crying out again.
Slowly, the Solo twins made their way out of the room.