Chapter 8
A Way Out
Somehow Kerri and Anakin survived their first week of work. Kerri got used to getting up at five in the evening to get ready for work that lasted till sometimes three in the morning. The first time Anakin came home with a bruised back Kerri freaked but he got used to working hard conditions. Anakin sometimes helped the prisoners when he wasn't supposed to but always when he knew he could get away with it. It didn't even bother her that she had to share the bed now as long as Anakin stayed on his side.
Then a week and half later Anakin bought some exciting news home from the mine. "I found my mother and father! Tomorrow when the prisoners go I shall be waiting and free them from the line. I have my Lightsaber." Anakin said. "Please be careful." "I want you to meet me at the Falcon. If I am not back by the time you need to go to work you will have to leave me." Anakin said. "What? I cannot! No Anakin I won't." Kerri whispered hugging him. "I shall be careful and we shall escape. Actually we'll come back here to be safe I'll knock on the door three times." Anakin whispered. "Okay." Kerri let him kiss her on the cheek.
Kerri, Anakin, and Ilethena did not talk much on the way home from the night club. A man came out of the shadows and attacked Ilethena. Anakin pulled out his Lightsaber and killed the man. "Are you a Jedi?" Ilethena whispered. "No. A Jedi I once knew saved my life but ended up being to hurt to heal. So he gave me this weapon. I've had to teach myself how to use it." Ilethena nodded. Kerri could see the hope dying in her eyes. Kerri patted her friend on the back. "My husband gets together with the men folk you see. Divorce is not an option so we must stay together even if we do not like one another." Ilethena said explaining why her husband didn't walk her home. Anakin made sure she was safely in her apartment. "My lady." Anakin led Kerri inside apartment D12.
"Anakin thank you so much." Kerri said hugging him as he shut the door. "For what?" Anakin asked her. "For taking care of me." "Doing what a best friend is supposed to do?" Anakin asked smiling gently both of them sat on the bed. "Kerri I have to talk to you before certain events take place." Anakin said. Kerri looked up at him in surprise and nodded. "You're my best friend but I want us to be more than that. I keep forgetting this whole scene is just pretend. I want you to be my wife." Anakin said. "Aren't Jedi's not supposed to get married?" Kerri asked. "We can though it is unusual." Anakin said with a sly grin. "I love you too though I don't know how quite to show it." Anakin leaned forward and kissed her. Kerri let him. Even though both of them had to work the next day staying up a little later than usual that night seemed to be no problem.
Anakin bent over Kerri's sleeping figure and kissed her before he set off for the mines. He had half an hour to get there and he would. As soon as he stepped into the Lobby four Storm Troopers came and surrounded him. "Does this belong to you?" Anakin gasped it was his Lightsaber.
Kerri woke up at noon this time humming quietly to herself. She got ready for the day and went to go knock on Ithelena's door way but to her surprise it was open. Papers were strewn everywhere and no one was to be found. Kerri burst into tears. Never mind the rules now she'd have to go to the mines to find Anakin.
Kerri paid a Taxi driver double to the mines. "I'm looking for my husband Tylift?" Kerri asked the man who was letting workers or prisoners pass through. "Go on through hon." The guard said. Kerri tripped down the stones steps that led deep below the earth. Minors in chains and some not in were looking for gold. Kerri searched until she reached the bottom layer. She didn't see Anakin but someone grabbed her from behind. "AHH!" Kerri screamed but a hand went over her mouth. "It's me Han kid, don't blow our cover." Han said letting her go. Kerri stared at the thin changed figures of Han and Leia. "Oh god I'm getting you out of here right now." Kerri picked up Han's hammer and smashed the locks on their feet open. "Come on this way and I think they've got Anakin!' Kerri shouted. "They do!" Leia replied. Leia and Han ran after her.
One of the over seers came to see what the commotion was coming from the bottom was. Kerri darted passed him picked up a hammer just as he pointed a gun at Leia and Han. "I know you're better to us alive rather than dead for ransom purposes but I'd dearly love to shoot you." The bald man said. "You won't get the chance." Kerri said hitting the man in the back of the head. With a loud thud he fell to the floor. Several of the prisoners cheered. Kerri raised the hammer in a salute return. There was still the boss in his office to get pass and the security men.
Kerri managed to get two more hammers for each of them though she didn't know what use they would be should Storm Troopers surround them. And surround them they did. They were just about to being taken to the Empress when a shot rang out and storm trooper fell dead. An army of Naboo men were coming their way. The Queen of the Naboo was leading them into battle with her many supporters of the Republic. Kerri saw some of the men go down into the mines. She hoped they would free the prisoners there were after all some who shouldn't be prisoners.
Kerri went in search for Anakin. She saw Ithelena dying shot on the side of the street next to the night club. "Ithelena my god who did this to you?" Kerri whispered. "Our boss. He saw Anakin save me from his brother and reported him in saying I knew who he really was. I didn't tell them anything willingly so they shot me after they tortured me. Anakin is being taken up to the top building the home of the old Senate to die." Ithelena closed her eyes for the last time. Kerri swallowed back the tears and ran in what she hoped was the right direction. "Hey Kerri it'll be a lot faster if you take an heir taxi." Jacen said grinning at her from the cockpit of a Taxi. "Thanks Jacen!" "No problem any time." Kerri hopped in the car and this time Jacen headed in the right direction.
The Empress had Anakin strapped to a chair and was using the Dark Side of the Force to kill the young Jedi slowly. Soon Naboo would be hers all hers! Her mother would be proud. "You know where the little wench is!" She cried. "You might kill me but you will not kill her." "Anakin I already told you I wasn't going to loose you." Kerri said she had ignited his Lightsaber. Anakin looked up weakly in surprise. Kerri was now wearing Jedi robes of grey and her long hair was tossed in a pony over her shoulder. "Kerri please save yourself!" Anakin cried. "Anakin if you die I would kill myself anyways." Kerri said. "Who are you?" "I am the Queen of Naboo the child you sent out of this earth here to avenge my cousin whom you did kill." Kerri said. She rushed at the other woman who ignited a dark black bladed Lightsaber. "You have no skill." "As long as I live I don't give a shit how pretty or cool my fighting looks like." Kerri growled. The Empress stood back in surprise. "Exactly what I was going to say." Kerri said smirking.
When Kerri wasn't looking a Storm Trooper had snuck over to the chair Anakin was in and turned it on to full throttle. Anakin shook in the chair in pain. "AHHHHHHHH!" Kerri whirled around but a few seconds later the screaming stopped. Master Luke had killed the Storm Trooper and was there to help Kerri if she needed it. Along with Jacen, Jaina, Tenal Ka, Melissa, Stacy, Han and Leia. "You tried to kill my boy!" Han yelled. "You did not destroy me last time we shall not make it a first." The Empress snarled. "The Shadow Academy approaches with their students. There are not enough of you." "Oh I don't know when the other students from Yavin four who know how to fight will be here and oh we have the Naboo army helping fighting against you isn't that ironic." Kerri muttered. Kerri took an almighty swing and cut off the woman's head. "AHHHHHHHHH!" To Kerri's surprise and horror the head grew back but this time it was only the size of a wall-nut. Luke came forward and used his Lightsaber to cut a circle in the woman's stomach. Guts and heads fell out. Kerri flinched as the woman's intestines burned in the heat of day.
Kerri helped Leia untie Anakin. "Anakin please answer me. I need you please wake up." Kerri cried. "Son." Leia sobbed. "That was the most disgusting death I have ever seen." Anakin said standing up though rather shakily. He hugged his mother and then he hugged his family. He turned to Kerri. "I mean sure we had to borrow my mom's engagement Ring but you wouldn't mind really being married to me would you?" Jaina gasped. "I accept besides the ring is kind of stuck on my finger. It wouldn't come off." "Anakin are you going to have to replace my ring?" Leia asked her eyebrows raised. "Yes mum." With that Anakin kissed Kerri. Gently Luke pulled them apart. "Guys I hate to break it to ya but we've got to get rid of all the Storm Troopers before Shadow Academy gets here so we're kind of short on time." Luke said. Kerri handed Anakin back his Lightsaber and Han threw her a spare Blaster. "Let's go save the world again." Han said. "Excellent." Leia said whipping out her own Blaster. "Now this is how every family should spend quality time together." Everyone laughed including Tenal Ka. "Wow Jacen you got her to laugh I'm impressed." Jaina said. "I did not laugh before this is a Fact." Tenal Ka smiled shyly at Jacen who had the world record set for the biggest smile even as they ran down the stairs to meet whatever danger they would.