Chapter 8 – Up In Smoke
Slush sprayed through the air as Anakin roared down the streets of Salt Lake on the borrowed motorcycle, his body low to cut wind resistance. An added advantage of clearing out this part of town – no traffic to dodge. He would be relatively unhampered on his mission.
He swung the Harley to the side and stopped just before the Tabernacle. To a casual observer, it was merely a domed edifice where the famed choir performed regularly. But Anakin spotted what most others would miss – a disturbance in the snowed-over soil in one of its front flowerbeds. He knelt before the spot, pulled up a winter-blackened plant, and unearthed the first ion charge.
Just as I thought – it's on a timer. And it's part of a master-chain cycle. It was tricky to time explosives to detonate at the same instant, so many who used them keyed them to a master-chain cycle, where a single "master" bomb would send signals to the others, telling them when to ignite. If he was to interrupt the cycle, he would have to disarm the master bomb.
That begged the question – just where was the master bomb?
The illuminated spires of the Salt Lake Temple seemed to answer his question for him. He leaped aboard the motorcycle and was off once more.
Once on the actual temple grounds he strode through the lighted trees, keeping his senses peeled for anything out of the ordinary. This edifice was huge; an explosive could be anywhere! Stang, Xizor's men could have planted it on one of the spires where no one could reach it!
The Force stabbed through his thoughts with a warning, and he turned around. There was a stone bench behind him, and something beneath it gave a suspicious flash of reflected light.
"Xizor, you hired lazy slobs to do your work for you," he noted aloud, kneeling and prying the master bomb from the underside of the bench.
After examining the bomb in detail, he allowed himself to relax a little. The master was set to go off at two-thirty AM – in forty-five minutes. That gave him more than enough time to disarm the device. He drew out his tools from the Harley's sidecar and set to work.
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"Emma!" shouted Hyrum, plowing forward through the thickening storm. "Chris! Wendy! Where are you?"
"Trapper!" Austin cried. "I can't believe this is happening. I thought I'd lost him once. If I lose him for real this time…"
"You won't, Austin," Liberty told him fiercely. "We won't lose him!" She seemed to be trying to convince herself at the same time.
Mr. Pratt's van pulled up, and the passenger side window rolled down.
"No sign of them," Cody reported. "Any luck?"
"No," Hyrum replied in a strained voice.
Felix's car pulled up, almost hitting the van. Opal practically fell out the door trying to reach the others.
"Find anything?" asked Austin.
She bit her lip and held up an ice-encrusted pink Snow White slipper. Hyrum snatched it from her and examined it.
"Doesn't belong to any of my kids," he concluded. "Must be Lexus'."
"Where was it?" asked Cody.
"Down by Seagull Monument," she replied.
"Everyone in a vehicle!" shouted Austin. "Now!"
"Luke said to stay away from Temple Square!" Cody protested.
"I don't care! My son could be down there!" Austin bellowed. "Let's go now!"
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A veritable mob had gathered to witness what had to be the most exciting Christmas Eve ever in Salt Lake. There wasn't much to see – police, Guardsmen, and just-arrived Republic soldiers herding bewildered citizens out of the vicinity of Temple Square, empty streets, and concrete barricades. But the prospect of something happening on a galactic scale here was too tantalizing a concept for many people.
Once Luke was sure the planetary and Republic forces could handle the evacuation and blocking-off of the area without him, he set off at a sprint to find Xizor.
How could anyone be so evil? he
wondered. To destroy a religion and half a city in the name of
intimidation and wealth? What kind of monster would do or condone
such a thing?
A sudden premonition brought him to a sliding halt – Xizor was in Temple Square. So was his father. Xizor hated Anakin and now had him right where he wanted him.
This wasn't just a plot against the Mormons. This was an act of vengeance against the man who had once been Vader.
He ran for all he was worth, the frigid air searing his lungs as he panted for breath.
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Anakin disconnected a final wire, sealing the end to prevent a spark from detonating the device accidentally. There. The chain cycle had been broken. None of the other charges would go off. Now to disarm this one.
"Good work, Vader."
He leaped to his feet. "Xizor!"
The man strode easily down a lighted walkway, a smug smile on his face. His green skin was given a ghastly amber tint by the Christmas lights of the square. In place of the shield medallion, he now wore a pendant bearing the crest of Black Sun.
"So you couldn't resist playing the hero again, could you?" Xizor went on smoothly. "Even though it will now mean your death."
"No one will die today, Xizor," he replied. "The chain cycle has been disrupted. All the charges save this one have been deactivated, and I'm moments from disarming this one as well. Your plot against the church has failed."
Xizor's smile didn't fade. "Ah, the church's destruction would merely have been a token victory. True, it would have been simple for Black Sun to step in and absorb the church's wealth once its leaders and headquarters were gone, but even that gain would have been trivial. You, on the other hand, are a prize worth far more than some fanatical religion's assets."
"Forget your quest for vengeance, Xizor. I deeply regret destroying your family, but it is the past. Nothing you can do can alter it."
"Perhaps not, but your blood will be a fair price for their blood." A vibroblade slid out of his tunic sleeve.
Anakin extended his arm, and his tools hurled themselves out of the tool bag and at Xizor, pummeling him savagely. While the Falleen was distracted, he jumped back on the Harley and sped away. A deadly hum told him Xizor wasn't far behind – he'd had a speeder bike parked behind a hedge.
What I wouldn't do to have my lightsaber back, he thought, tearing around a curve.
Blasts of green light carved apart the asphalt around him as Xizor opened fire on his opponent. On impulse Anakin leaped from the Harley and hit the street, rolling to his feet in time to see a bolt catch the motorcycle's gas tank. The vehicle went airborne in a fiery conflagration, landing heavily on its side. The speeder bike had to veer wildly to avoid the blazing wreck.
An ominous beep alerted Anakin. He was still carrying the master bomb! And it was set to go off in ten minutes! He cast about for a place to dispose of it.
"And I thought you to be an intelligent man, Anakin," Xizor noted sarcastically, nodding at the ion charge. "It appears that if I wait a few more minutes, I'll have my vengeance."
"I'll be no Darwin Award winner today," Anakin informed him, and he flung the bomb through the darkened window of a nearby fast-food restaurant, spraying glass everywhere. It ricocheted off the register and landed with a clatter on the linoleum floor. Seconds later the wail of the franchise's security alarm filled the air.
"Not bad," Xizor acknowledged. "Not bad at all." He dismounted. "But you still have me to deal with."
"Xizor, let this end," Anakin ordered. "It's Christmas, for star's sake. Can there not be peace between us?"
"You actually buy that Earth garbage?" A cold laugh. "'Peace on Earth,' so the songs go. And while humanity preaches Peace on Earth, wars rage and murders are committed. Even the Pratts are at war with one another. Admit it, Anakin – peace is but a foolish dream, an unattainable goal. There has always been war in the galaxy, and until the stars burn out and the worlds crumble there will always be war."
"True, Xizor. There will always be conflict and war – so long as we let there be. But if we can let our differences go, if you can truly change and not pursue this ridiculous quest for vengeance, we're one step closer to abolishing war."
"Never," he snarled. "Not until you are dead at my feet. Only then will it end."
Xizor's foot caught him in the ribs. Fire exploded through his torso. He dropped to the ground and kicked Xizor's legs out from under him. As soon as he hit the ground Anakin grabbed for his arms, only for a knee in the gut to drive the wind from him.
Father! Luke was on his way.
Don't come by yourself, Luke, Anakin admonished. Bring the police!
You don't think I'd come unprepared, do you?
Sirens blared in the distance. Xizor grinned and drew his blade again, slashing for Anakin's throat. Anakin grabbed his weapon-arm and twisted, the blade clattering to the asphalt. Something snapped in the crime lord's wrist, and he gave a hoarse cry of pain.
"Give it up," Anakin advised. "The police are on their way. So is the Pratt family. Your plots have both failed."
Xizor's free arm came up, a blaster clutched in his claws. His face twisted into a mask of pain and rage as he jammed it into the intake vent of Anakin's mask.
"I didn't come this far to see you escape me now!" he hissed.
Anakin didn't reply, though a chuckle threatened to bubble out of his throat.
Gideon launched himself at Xizor, sinking his teeth in the alien's buttock.
Xizor' yowled in agony. The blaster jerked in his arm, and the bolt meant to kill Anakin went awry, blasting a crater in the sidewalk nearby. Before the crime lord could turn to rid himself of his attacker, the entire Pratt household was upon him, wrestling him off of Anakin. Even Alzina was there, whaling on the unfortunate Falleen with her handbag, all the while screeching words most unbecoming for a lady.
Luke ended up coming in last, and he and Austin hauled Anakin to his feet.
"You okay?" Austin demanded.
"I'm fine." He gestured to Gideon. "Thanks to his quick actions."
"He insisted on coming," Brigham told him. "Now I'm glad he did."
The police wrestled cuffs onto Xizor's wrists. Republic soldiers and National Guardsmen fanned out through the city in search of the ion charges. The Pratts pummeled both Anakin and Xizor with questions, demanding to know if either of them had any clue where the children might be.
"What did you do with my brother and sisters?" cried Gideon.
"How should I know, brat?" Xizor retorted.
"Father, the explosives," asked Luke. "Did you get them all?"
"All but one," Anakin replied.
"Well, where is it…" Luke began.
At that precise moment, the Dairy Queen nearby went up in a fountain of flame.
"Oooohh," breathed Cody. "Pretty. Get some marshmallows."
"Wow, awesome!" Gideon agreed.
"Not exactly blowing up the temple, is it, Xizor?" asked Mr. Pratt, smirking at the crime lord.
"Eat poodoo, Mr. Pratt," Xizor snarled. "You and your tramp of a daughter…"
"Oh, that reminds me," said Ruth, turning to Xizor with a sweet smile. "I forgot to give you your Christmas present."
"You're STILL in love with him?" shrieked Cody. "Of all the…"
"This is for playing with my heart," Ruth told Xizor, and she slapped him hard enough to rattle his brain. Everyone, even the police, broke out in cheers.
"Go girl!" shouted Liberty.
"This is for brainwashing my family," Brigham added. His fist collided solidly with Xizor's jaw.
"That's enough," Luke ordered. "I don't want to give him cause to sue for brutality…"
"Oh, can I give him my present next?" Cody asked. "Pretty please?"
"I thought you didn't want to give him a gift," Anakin teased.
"I just wanna tell him thanks," Cody told him, "for turning out to be the same rotten old crime lord as always so I didn't look like a complete idiot to everyone." And he planted a huge kiss on Xizor's cheek. From the look on the alien's face, Cody's action caused much more pain than either the slap or the punch.
"This isn't the end, Skywalker!" Xizor bellowed as he was shoved into the police cruiser. "We'll meet again, and this time you will suffer far more before I kill you!"
"And a merry Christmas to you too," Anakin replied.
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Brigham and Cody watched the police cruiser go.
"So he was still the same old Xizor," Brigham noted.
"Yup," Cody replied.
"You were right all this time."
"Yup." He had expected to feel some sort of triumph that he had been right all along, but curiously, all he felt was relief – relief that this part of the ordeal was over. And a healthy sense of regret, too, for the damage done to his relationship with Brigham. They'd been friends since the start of college, and thanks to Xizor's interference that friendship had pretty much been destroyed.
"Cody?"
"Yeah, Brig?"
"Look, I'm sorry…"
"Forget it."
"But I'm really…"
"Forget it." He forced a smile across his face. "Look, we were both jerks, okay? And we let our own egos come between us. If anyone needs to apologize, it's me. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you, Cody. I really do."
"Well, I forgive you too."
Brigham extended a hand. "Friends again?"
"Friends." He clasped the proffered hand. "At least until the next psycho villain who wants to join your church comes along."
Brigham laughed. "Don't worry; I think our family's done with trying to convert psycho villains."
Gideon's shouting attracted their attention, and the two of them jogged off to investigate.
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While the adults were busy dealing out blows to Xizor, Gideon found his attention mysteriously drawn to a bank nearby. In front of the building was a replica of a stable, no doubt used just hours before to reenact a live-action version of the nativity. A dark shape stirred inside the rough wooden structure – had a donkey or camel been left behind? Was a homeless person seeking shelter inside?
Gideon decided to check it out. He made sure his slippers were on snugly before shuffling across the icy street. It didn't take him long to realize that there were more shapes inside the stable than just the shadowy creature.
He broke into a run, losing his slippers on the way. Lying in the tiny building, bodies curled up in balls, were the other kids. For one terrifying moment he thought they were dead, but once he reached them he saw that they were only asleep, huddled together to share their warmth. Some Good Samaritan had covered each of them with a thermal cape, keeping them safe from the elements.
"Mom! Dad! Uncle Brigham! Everyone! I found them! They're okay…"
A snort cut him off, and he looked up to see the dark creature in the stable staring sleepily at him. He froze, puzzled.
The creature lay on its belly next to the other children as if using its body heat to keep them warm. Its huge brown eyes regarded him with an almost amused expression, and steam plumed out from its fur-lined nostrils.
A reindeer? What was a reindeer doing here? It must have escaped from some Christmas show. Things like that had happened before…
"Donner, up boy," a deep, soft voice ordered.
The deer slowly got to its feet, groaning in protest. It stepped delicately over the sleeping children and paced out to meet its master.
The man scratched its nose affectionately before smiling at Gideon. He had a kind face, with penetrating blue eyes and long, snow-white hair styled like Qui-gon Jinn's. His clothes were red, yes, but more resembled robes than a fur-lined suit. He thought he saw a lightsaber glinting at the old man's waist, but he couldn't be sure.
The man winked at Gideon, then led his beast away.
"Gideon!" shouted Dad. "You found them!"
The clamor of the adults shocked him out of his trance. Everyone was fussing over the other kids now, checking for any damage done by the cold, and plying them with questions. The only response they got was sleepy groans and requests to let them go back to sleep please.
"Gideon?" Luke knelt down before him. "You okay? You look a little stunned."
"Did you see him?" asked Gideon.
"See who? Xizor?"
"No, him…" But as he turned to point, he saw the man and the reindeer had vanished in the night. And the wind and snow had obliterated their tracks – if there were any to begin with.
"Are you sure you're all right, Gideon?" Luke asked.
"Yeah," he replied unsurely. "I'm fine."
But for the rest of his life Gideon Pratt would never be exactly sure just who – or what – he had seen that fateful night.