Chapter 2

Lisa, Nicole, and Rhonda stared at each other and at their surroundings. Rhonda frowned slightly. "What is this place?" she said as she looked around the Trade Federation battleship at the enormous amount of battle droids. And wondered for the thousandth time why stuff like suddenly finding themselves transported from a nice, safe computer chair to a hostile-looking battleship only happened to Labyrinth Listians.

"I don't know, Rhonda, but I'll go out on a limb and say it is not a good location to be in," Nicole said quietly, though her green eyes danced with curiosity.

Lisa sighed, "Of course it's not good. When do we listians ever find ourselves somewhere that is?" The others had no arguments against that statement.

Nicole nodded and spoke softly, "I think we better get out of here. Those… droids patrolling this place might see us, and then something tells me we'll be in…"

"You're under arrest!" said a mechanical voice from behind them.

"Trouble," she finished as they turned to look at the strange, blaster-bearing droids. Rhonda's eyes widened in surprise. "By whose orders?" she asked conversationally.

"Prisoners do not ask questions," the lead droid said. "Take them," he ordered the others.

The three women found themselves seized and dragged along the ship's corridors. "I'm getting a feeling today isn't going to be the greatest day," Lisa said dryly as she struggled against the droids' grip.

They stopped to allow a set of doors to slide open and entered a spacious meeting room with a large table and seats and a spectacular view of a planed nestled among a huge star field. Two figures cloaked in black stood looking out; their backs turned to the confused listians and the droids. One of the droids spoke. "We found them, Master."

"Very good. Go patrol for more- they should be arriving soon," the taller figure said, and his voice was instantly familiar to the women.

Rhonda glared at the figure. "Jareth! I should have known you were behind this! If you think for one second the other List Members will…" her voice trailed off as the figures turned to face her. Jareth's face was covered with a massive black and red tattoo. And were those horns? She didn't really want to know. She blinked. The red and black was gone, replaced by Jareth's familiar face. Reluctantly her eyes slid off of the Goblin King and to his companion. Her jaw almost hit the floor. Selah stood beside him, swathed in the same matte black robes, her brown hair loose, her eyes gleaming emerald green in the light.

Lisa gaped. "Selah? What's happening?" Selah smiled and sat in one of the seats.

"Well, Lord Jareth is on the brink of taking his final step to ruling the galaxy. But when he used the Force to bring himself here to begin training to master the ways of the Force, it brought several of us along. Not that that is a bad thing at all," she laughed and grinned at the other ladies, "except we know several of them will interfere because they wish to keep his Lordship as the Goblin King forever."

"Well, that doesn't sound at all like a… Listian thing to do," Nicole said. "But why are we here?"

Jareth laughed. "Why because the Force brought you here, my dears. Obviously to help stop those that would keep me from changing. You must understand that being the Goblin King for so long was… not pleasant," he said, managing to smile without looking wolfish for once, moving his hand in a very odd gesture as he spoke. "Will you help us get them to understand?" he asked.

The three listians looked at each other and back to Selah and Jareth. Three heads nodded in agreement. "We'll help you, Lord Jareth," Rhonda said solemnly.

"Good," Jareth's ice blue eyes glittered, "come and have a seat. I have already sent Silver Songstress and Jeanna to fetch some of your friends who will be arriving on Tatooine." Before any of the newcomers could voice a question he explained amusedly. "I long ago looked into the Force to show me where and when you would all appear. Though I could not detect faces I found where you would be. Now for even more pressing matters…"

Lonespirit shook her head and looked again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Nope, I think you're seeing it," she said, her eyes still on Bib Fortuna talking to Sebulba.

Afton turned slowly, taking in the full impact of Mos Eisley. "I think I could get used to this… as long as I don't have to stay on Tatooine," she said with a grimace. She gasped as her gaze met an all-too familiar sight. "Lonespirit! Look, it's Watto's shop!" Lonespirit laughed.

"Awesome! Maybe we can…" Their eyes met and both girls' faces lit up

Jeanna's green eyes scanned the vast desert wasteland of Tatooine's landscape, lighting on the speck of Mos Eisley in the distance. A smirk played across her porcelain doll face. Soon, very soon, her probe droids would locate the Listians and any Jedi helping them, so she could deliver the wayward children to Lord Jareth, her hand touched the pommel of the lightsaber at her side, aching to ignite and use it against a hapless opponent. She turned and boarded her ship once more, resisting the urge to use a passing group of Jawas as practice, to report back to her Master of her arrival on Tatooine.