Hello! I bet you thought I'd died or something. Well, I start off every chapter with a really lame excuse as to why it took so long. This chapter will be no different. I tend to worry about Mrs. Gable's biology "exams" than about Anakin's predicament. Plus, I am an obsessive creature, and I either obsess or don't write.
Sorry. I'm boring you to death, aren't I?
Leia felt as though the Force has taken her fine little world and deliberately flipped it up-side down.
She gazed at Mon Mothma, the woman had been sadly explaining that Luke Skywalker was now a criminal. Unwelcome surprises were routine in Leia's life, but this was simply devastating. Luke, a criminal?
Han, sitting beside her, maintained supportive silence. Leia felt his hand open for hers. She grasped it, and clenched it like it was her only link to reality.
"……so I regret that we are forced to use whatever means to regain control of the situation." Mon's voice was covered in a layer of helplessness. But, Leia caught the slight, tight upturning of the lips. Ever since Palpatine, Vader, and a host of other bad apples, Mon had never trusted Force-users.
"Mothma, Luke's behavior is completely unacceptable," Leia began, "but we can't just assume that he's gone bad. Perhaps Vader is using some sort of mind-control, but whatever the reason, Luke is devoted to the Republic. He would never intend to harm it." She forced herself to debate rationally. But the hurricane of anger and fear and a dozen other things churned and boiled inside her. She knew they would all come out in thunderous fury.
Mothma shook her head, "I don't know if we can risk it. But Skywalker must be stopped somehow. If Vader manages to get loose it would undermine all we've tried to build."
"But to hurt Luke?" Han suddenly spoke, and leaned forward. "That's crazy. And just think of how that would sound- shooting a hero of the rebellion. Not like that stable government the people were promised."
"It would be better, then, to allow them to escape?" Mothma bristled. Han tried to say something but she plowed on, "To simply smile and look the other way? How would that sound, Solo? We allowed the Empire's second-hand man to walk out of the palace. No, the galaxy's safety must be maintained."
Leia shut her eyes and raised her hand to her forward.
"Mon," she moaned, appealing to their friendship, "Mon, please. Luke's my brother, my twin. Give me time to talk some sense into him."
Mon Mothma blinked. "I'm not sure it is possible. Luke Skywalker is famous for his stubbornness."
Leia slowly felt her bitterness creep up. "Mon. I am not going to sit around to watch Luke get hurt. But I am going to reach him whether I have your approval or not."
Mothma and Leia locked gazes in a battle of will. Finally, Mon Mothma let out one long sigh. "There is nothing, within reason, I can do to stop you."
"Darn right," Han responded. The twosome gave Mothma a slight bow before exiting in a hurry. The door sliced through the air and clinked shut, leaving Mothma alone in the big office.
She counted a few seconds. Then she pushed an intercom.
"Madine here," a voice croaked in the static.
"Crix," Mothma ordered in a subdued tone, "Have Senator Organa and Solo monitored. I want their general location known at all time. Perhaps they can lead us to Vader and his confused son."
"That was way too easy, Princess," Han commented as they marched down the passage, "nowadays everybody has an agenda."
"That's right," Leia acknowledged. She lowered her voice, "they're trying to find Luke, right?"
"Yeah," Han looked grim, "Or at least Mon is. Ever since Endor she's been acting like a Sabacc player whose won too many games."
Leia slowed her pace and took in a breath. "I'm going to try to contact Luke."
"Good luck,' Han said. Leia focused down the hallway. Her eyes focused on the end of the hall. In reality, her gazed traveled far beyond the hall into infinity, while she was only looking into herself.
"So let me get this straight," Anakin said for about the fifth time, "I've gone into the future, about twenty or more years. There's been a horrible war in that time. A bunch of Jedi turned Sith during the war. They're afraid I may be one of those Jedi. Right?"
"Right," Luke confimed, uttering one of the galaxy's biggest understatements.
The twosome were still in that hidden passageway inside the palace. It was oily dark except for the humming glow of the lightsabers. Luke oddly noticed what funny shadows the lights threw.
"And you aren't telling me anything more because you're afraid it might screw up the past with my knowledge of the future."
"Right," Luke said again. After a lot of gentle explaining, Anakin had adjusted to his situation.
"Do you have any idea how you got here?" Luke asked.
"I don't have an idea," Anakin countered darkly, "I know. It was my ship."
Jedi insight or no Jedi insight, Luke was completely confused. "Your ship? You were found in a piece of drifting junk, not a ship." Anakin didn't move, but Luke felt a shift in his attitude.
"No, no, it's not the ship itself. Its……it's……" He paused, and seemed to gather his resolve, as if wondering how to explain something. "Have you heard of the Manasi Laris?"
Luke felt a warning bell go off in the back of his mind. "Vaguely."
Anakin snorted cynically and turned away from Luke.
"Ok, the Force is energy, it thrives of life. Well, the Manasi Laris is this rare plant. Its like a cross between a fly trap and a rose. It lives only one season out of a hundred. It's a seed the rest of the time. But, when its in bloom, its just soaking in life. Like it was living hundreds of years at once. The Force around it is just stronger. More concentrated around it."
"A Jedi could be more powerful using less energy." Luke's blue eyes, deep in wonder, focused on Anakin's profile. It sounded like a cheap infomercial, "The Manasi Laris will make you more powerful using less energy. Guaranteed or your money back!" The comparison only sickened Luke the more. Sharp blue eyes, bathed in lightsaber glow, fired back at Luke. Anakin looked almost guilty.
"I stole it. I stole it from the temple. 'Why' doesn't matter," He shouted, sensing Luke's question, " 'why' doesn't matter-it's too late. I stole it-don't ask how, that would take too long. But that Laris is in my ship, I know it must've caused the Force to rip time. I need to get the Laris back!" Anakin was raising his voice dangerously high.
Luke found this sudden emotion unnerving. He doubted his wisdom for a moment. Could the council be right? Was his father just a ticking time bomb, set to explode into the Dark Side?
Anakin's feelings radiated, for a moment he had no shields. Luke read those feelings. No, there was more to Anakin than it seemed. He wanted power; the power the Manasi Laris could give him. But it wasn't power for its own sake. Wait, there was something else……Anakin didn't want that power for himself! He wanted power for some other reason. Luke felt sweet relief flood him. No, his father wasn't gone. Just confused. He didn't have the dark selfishness most Sith carried. Abruptly, Luke felt his father through up shields again. Anakin must've realized he was broadcasting his emotions.
"Luke," he said quieter, "do you know where my ship is?"
Young Skywalker sighed, "I heard it was in heavy security. That mean's in a facility on the other side of Coruscant."
Anakin smiled, "That's not to bad. We'll just get us a ship. Are you a good pilot, Lars?"
Luke couldn't help saying it ran in the family. "But it won't be easy."
"Come on, Luke, we're Jedi. Now, this tunnel goes somewhere," he said waving his lightsaber into the dark, "I can find my way to a hanger through these passages."
The two Jedi started off. Luke wasn't blind to Anakin's moodiness.
//Still, he's good. That's what matters now.//
That's when Luke felt a familiar brush on his mind.
//Luke?//
//Leia!//
//Who's this?// Came a third mind. Anakin. Luke belatedly remembered Leia's mind shields were still weak. And it was too late for Luke to put up his own without Anakin getting upset.
//I'm Leia. Wait, this can't be……//
//Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi time-traveler.//
Leia's disgust would break their connection unless Luke did something fast.
//Leia, we're going to get him home. Its for the best.// Luke hoped that didn't sound too lame.
//Ma'am, as soon as I get to my ship I'll be gone. I know how to get home.// Anakin broke in. There was a very long pause. Then Leia was gone.
"Han, this is crazy!!" Leia suddenly belted. Han jumped.
"Whoa, easy. What happened?" Leia started walking faster in her anger, her feet clip-clapping on the marble floor. Han did his best to stay meek. There was no telling what Leia might do in a situation like this.
"I reached Luke. But who was eavesdropping? Him!" she fumed, "Now they want my help to get him to his ship, which means helping him steal a ship so he can get to his ship." Leia nearly growled this last part.
"Shh, your highness," Han gently cautioned, "Mon's up to something. She might be the one eavesdropping now."
Leia sighed tiredly. "Oh Han, what now? I don't want Luke to get hurt but he's as stubborn as a Bantha. And I don't want to help him free this man."
Han furrowed his brow, then brightened as an idea struck him.
"Ok, so how's this. Mon's assuming where we go Luke and Anakin are. So, we go where they aren't. She sends the troops to our locale as Luke and your old man go the other way. See, Luke's not getting hurt and you're really not helping him."
It was so simple an idiot could've thought it up. (*A/N- yeah, I know. No sarcasm, you!*)
Leia focused for a second time--to tell Luke to head to bay C59 while she and Han went to bay L22.
"That's the plan?" Anakin shook his head as they broke contact with Leia.
"So it's simple-but simple plans are the hardest to mess up," Luke declared confidently.
"Well, yeah. It sounds like fun in a stupid way."
Luke smiled and shifted his lightsaber. "So, which way to bay C59?"
"I have these passages memorized, Lars," Anakin said confidently as he marched on, "besides, the Force'll guide us."
Mothma had stealthily opened her little box of comfort food when the com rang. Guiltily hiding the chocolates, she pushed the answer button.
"Mothma, Solo and Organa are now setting a definite route to the bays on the L level."
//Ah, ha! The trusting little heroes fell for it. Poor things, I hate to burst their bubble like this.//
"Very good Madine. Keep monitoring them, and have your troops ready."
"Yes ma'am. Madine out." The com went dead. Mon Mothma let out a sigh and sunk back into her chair and felt her hands grip the armrests. It was hard, yes, to trick Solo and Organa and that Jedi so. However, such sacrifices had to be made for peace. Vader wouldn't live out the day.
Luke was surprised how short the journey in the dark was. They found the end when Anakin didn't stop quickly enough and his saber point went through the wall.
"Sith."
While Anakin composed himself, Luke examined the basically bare walls and ceiling.
"How do we get out?" He asked as his green lightsaber illuminated the ceiling in a faint light. Anakin felt the walls and pulled open a nearly invisible key pad. The letters were almost illegible with dust.
"Its so weird," Anakin commented, " they put in new ones only a month ago."
He punched in a code. Almost silently, the door slide open. It opened onto a modestly sized Bay painted grey-blue. Coruscant rose huge and impressive out the bay doors, and several medium ships sat around with no one to drive them. Interestingly enough, a bunch of busy workers and droids were unloading a large freighter only 100 meters away.
Anakin and Luke uncomfortably found themselves in plain view.
"Sith."
"Lars, quick, behind those."
Quickly as cats, the two Jedi leap out of the tunnel and sprinted along the wall. They finally dived behind some fuel tanks. Even with using the force to partly mask them, it had been a rather long dash. Thus, they anxiously peered out, hoping they hadn't been seen.
A few workers glanced around. But nobody seemed to have noticed anything.
Anakin let out a happy sigh of relief. Luke, however, found their cover lacking.
"Anakin, we're way too open. Anybody can see us from the Bay entrance."
"So, let's make a dash for it. Which ship do you want? That Jashrish model looks pretty good. I wonder what year it is."
Before Luke could say anything the most shocking things came walking into the Bay: Han Solo and Leia Organa.
"What the son-of-a-Sith!"
Yup. They were sort of far away, but that petite women and that guy walking with a swagger……only could be Han and Leia.
Anakin turned to see a couple people walk in.
"Is that women Leia? Isn't she supposed to be at Bay L22?"
Luke was too confused to say anything. Why would Anakin lead him wrong? There wasn't any reason that he should. So, did Leia betray them……Luke slapped himself for even daring to think such a thing. But how did they end out at the same Bay? Luke felt a gentle prodding. He turned to see Anakin pointing to the sign engraved above the Bay entrance. "Docking Bay L22."
"Of course," Luke murmured bitterly.
"What?"
Luke turned to Anakin. "You knew the Bay numbers from almost 30 YEARS AGO!! Of course they've been changed with the wars and the emperor!"
They looked at each other and almost laughed with chagrin. Of all the bad things that could happen, of all the jokes the Force could pull on them, this had to be it. THE WORST COINCIDENCE THAT THE GALAXY HAD EVER SEEN!
"Quick, let's go now while we have the chance." Anakin advised, already getting up.
"Good idea." Luke leaped up, and the too of them sprinted across the Bay towards the nearest ship. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw Leia. She was running towards him. She was shaking her head and screaming his name. Luke slowed and stopped, and turned towards her. Belatedly, he cursed his selfishness. Leia needed her friends and family now, and off he goes, running away. He felt her fear and anger pumping out of her.
"Luke!" She said and finally reached him. So looked so angry but so glad in a weird way, "Luke, have you gone completely insane?"
Han began to jog up to him.
"Leia, I-" Luke began to say.
Suddenly, he felt a rush of adrenaline from Anakin. Luke looked past Leia to see troopers pour into the Bay like murderous fire ants out to kill something. The hundreds of them came in recklessly, blasters zipping and buzzing into a deadly drone. Luke yanked Leia behind him and pulled out his lightsaber. With an echoing snap-hiss, two brilliant beams gleamed through the already rising smoke.
Wahahaha! Mon Mothma is a big evil person I know I know!!!!!!
But on the sane side I doubt I can churn out another chapter before May 9. Stupid AP History, stealing away whatever skeleton of a life I had.
REVIEWS MAKE ME FEEL WARM AND FUZZY! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OR ENCOURAGEMENT GLADLY ACCEPTED, BUT NOTHING ALONG THE LINES OF "YOUR STORY IS S***"
THANK YOU. (*shyly bows and timidly makes her way offstage*)