MistiWhitesun: Really? You think so?
I try, but I keep forgetting the other terms. I have a bad memory.
Princess-Aiel: Thanks. :) Here's the next one.
Chapter Eleven
"I Kept Them Safe"
"Where's Jacen?" Anakin asked as they started to walk away. His brother was not with his family. Was he on a mission of his own or was he badly hurt from their last one? That last thought made his stomach turn flip-flops.
"Oh, he's, ah, somewhere else, I guess," said Ladora. She knew where Jacen was. She had to. She was avoiding the question.
Anakin felt his angry rise up to the surface at having information kept from him. He did a couple of breathing exercises as Ken told Ladora, "Might as well tell him. I don't think it would distract him now."
Anakin was about to ask what the Jedi Prince was talking about when Ladora answered briefly, "Fine then! Jacen got captured by the Vong during your mission. It was after you went in your coma/trance."
"WHAT?? Why didn't you tell me?" Worry as well as angry swirled in his head; worry for the welfare of his brother and anger that he was not told about it.
"Because we wanted you focused on your training, not worrying about Jacen," answered Ladora in a tone that sounded like her answer explained everything.
Anakin was dumbfounded. That did not explain it. Jacen was his brother. He deserved to know right away if something bad had happened to his brother or any member of his family. When he got back to Naboo, he was going have a talk to two people. Why would they, of all people, keep this from him?
But then, as Anakin thought it over more, they were deeply concerned for him and it was true that he would have worried over Jacen. He might have ventured out to find him like he did with Tahiri. No doubt that they would have wanted to keep him from doing that.
He felt his angry fade. While he did not like having this kept from him, he could not find Jacen if he was angry at the very people who could help him. "We're going to find Jacen," he said, in a voice that was calm and determined to find his brother.
"Fine with me. I'm hoping that we'll come up on him while we're fighting, his Force signature is being difficult to reach." Ladora looked at her broken lightsaber she had retrieved. "Rene, bring the ship to these coordinates."
Rene's voice came back, through the comlink, a lot brighter than they last heard her, "Sure! So....we're not blowing up the compound?"
"You're not. I am. Blasted Vong's going to pay for destroying my lightsaber!"
Rene sighed and she reluctantly said she was coming.
Ken shook his head. "I can't believe you ran out of darts. And you're going to get in trouble for that lightsaber; you're not supposed to build one until you're sixteen."
"I have to have a lightsaber for this so it won't matter if I get in trouble. Besides, it would be a miracle if I didn't get in trouble."
Anakin stopped and watched his three friends disappear behind a rock. He turned and looked at his family. They were staring at him with curious, yet fearful expressions. He wanted to run back, tear off his mask and be welcomed back with open arms, but something kept him from doing that. It was the same something that happened when he first woke up and realized what had happened.
Anakin whispered, more to himself than anyone else, "I'll never see them again!"
The man withdrew his arms and took his hand to raise Anakin's face so that their eyes would meet. "Anakin, what does your heart tell you?"
"Huh?" What was he talking about? What could his heart tell him?
Anakin," he said in a gentle, but persistent voice, "Does your heart tell you that you will see your family again?"
Anakin reluctantly complied. He closed his eyes. So he had to listen to his heart? "Yes," he opened his eyes, tears slowly running down his cheeks. "I will." Then added uncertainly because he was not sure if that was his heart speaking or his own wishful desire, "I think."
"Then you will. You will see the ones you know and love again," he said and then smiled. "Perhaps you will see your family sooner than you think."
His grandfather was right. He would see them again and nothing would tear them apart. When that happened, his family would be whole for the first time, he was sure of this. He took his lightsaber and, unlit, raised it to his head, saluting them. It was the only thing he knew to ease their fears.
He turned around and walked around the rock. He had a job to do, one he had to finish if he wanted his family back, and a promise to keep, despite the fact he had already fulfilled it once, just now. He walked into the black hole that was waiting for him. I kept them safe, he thought. As he stepped on the metal floor that was the Probe, the black hole closed behind, leaving his old family behind and reunited him with is new friends...and family.
I kept them safe, Grandmother.
I kept them safe.
End Part One
Well, Part Two is next. At this rate, I'll be at the spot where I'm at the JC. You guys will be so used to the semi-regular posts here, you'll come after me! :p
