Author's Note:
Here I go, again, until I run out of chapters.
Falcona! :) Glad to see you still like this enough to be a quick reviewer, even after two months' leave. & I'm on your "Author Alert Watch List", now! Does that mean your "siblings" are reading this, too? • So you like Yni, huh? She's meant to be amusing. There wasn't any conscious connection to Jar Jar... I was just thinking with Jedi & Padm's grace & Obi-Wan's being considered a clutz when younger, it would be highly amusing to have someone who actually was extraordinarily clumsy. • I see you like Tahiri, too. [breathes a sigh of relief] I have almost as much trouble writing her as I do Siri... • I hate to break it to you, but I have a decent amount of ground to cover before I can return to Anakin1. I'll do my best to get that father-son time in there, for you; but no promises. Exactly how long it will be before it will depend on how the chapters work out. This is still a work-in-progress. It's the first time I've had an end in mind, though...
If anyone would please tell me what their favorite scene types & characters are [ex. Anakin/Tahiri scenes; Benji] & which ones they can hardly (or can't) stand, I would be most obliged.
Why Luke & Leia's older brother's never contacted them is indirectly referred to in this chapter. Obi-Wan learns that someone he once knew is among the powerful of his captors. There's more, too; but to refer to it would ruin its impact.
Enjoy! :)
TWENTY-FOUR
• • • • • • • • • •
A dark cavern.
He entered cautiously, checking to make sure they weren't following, and entered.
They? Who's they?
His dream self didn't answer, intent only on escaping their notice. He curled himself up inside the foul hole, hiding...
Why am I hiding?
...lest they find him. They already had his sister.
Oh. That 'they'.
Did they have his brother, too?
Uh... What brother?
He hoped Mom had made it out in time. She would've been delerious as soon as they killed Sis.
Huh??!!
Sis's death was bad enough—but if they killed his brother, too...
Will this make sense?!
His brother was too important, in charge of too much to go. Sis had retired a while back. Things would move on. But his brother was helping his group keep on the New Republic's good side.
Is this talking about who I think it is? 'Cause it's really freaking me out.
They didn't know who Mom was... yet. If they found her, they'd use her against Dad. Maybe even get him to lose control.
Okay. This has lost me.
He had to keep them from Mom. He had to distract them so she could get away. Alone. Tiara De would be provided for. The Jedi would see to it.
Uh... Where's Pooja in all of this?
He readied his lightsaber in his palm.
Since when did I have a lightsaber?
He rubbed the cold metal. Its hodgepodged appearance came from the variety of scraps he'd made it from. Mom had helped him with it. His nephew—
What nephew? I have a grandnephew...
—had checked the crystals for him.
Uh...
He avoided Dad. His brother and sister were already being used as collateral. He didn't need to be.
He reached out to the Force to Tiara De, giving her life-energy a farewell caress...
Caress?
Momently extending it even farther to the other—
Other what? What other?
—he then muffled his midi-chlorians and plunged into the nightmare.
• • • • • • • • • •
"I thought you were a nightmare!" he complained as he awoke.
He looked around the the dark cavern. Silent, but for snores and nightly sounds...
Benji shook his head. "Whatever."
He settled down and went back to sleep.
He groaned, grateful all Luke sensed was his presence, not his pain or the repeated death-revival cycle.
"Obi-Wan!" Siri darted to his side. The observing guards laughed. She took him in her arms, supporting him as he found his weak Force-connection and used it to help the pain.
"You got a nice girl, Jedi," drawled the brawny one who'd punished the boy who'd given them a meal. He reached for Siri's cheek. "Maybe I could borrow her, awhile."
She snapped at him, teeth clacking together, glowering.
Laughter rewarded them.
"Karak!" a female's sharp voice whiplashed. "That's it! You're getting assigned!"
Karak whirled on the petite woman—Oh Force, Ryoo!—and spat. "I don't answer to you, you—"
"But you do answer to me."
A chill ran down his spine. A petite female adolescent stepped into the doorway. Her coffee-colored hair had two ecru stripes centered in the hair on either side of her face.
Her skinsuit was black—a dark, shimmering, jet. Although it fit snugly, what the smooth fit revealed only seemed to detract from any possible appeal. Her body was hardened muscle; but hard in an intimidating way, more fearsome than seductive. Her face, even, was a study of detachment—emotions showed, but were held under a tight reign. The eight-centimeter heels on her boots made up for her lack of height.
Obi-Wan knew he'd never seen this figure before. He also knew her Force-presence and voice were alarmingly familiar.
He grabbed Siri's arm, keeping her close His brow furrowed, he watched the woman. She was dangerous, but where in the galaxy did he know her from?
"Dismissed."
All the guards scrambled to obey, Ryoo included. His concern leapt up, and he felt Siri stiffen.
The woman hadn't moved, but now she came forward. "Obi-Wan. It has been far too long." Ice still filled her voice.
He thought fast through all the many people he'd gotten on the wrong side of over the years and couldn't match this woman to anyone. Someone's kid, maybe?
She helped Siri up and passed her three lightsabers.
Three?
"You'll have to be quick about getting out of here." She yanked him to his feet with more strength than a female of her size should possess, even with her muscle definition. "If you get caught, say Minor Mistress wanted to see just how much trouble two Jedi could be and released you."
"And when you're caught faking orders?" Siri asked stonily.
A flame passed through the nameless woman's eye when she looked at Siri. "Faking? I am Minor Mistress."
"May we at least have the name of our assistant?"
For some reason, she found that deleriously funny. She grinned and laughed—albeit quietly as she guided them down the hall. "We were the Young. We were everyone." When he didn't make the connection, she raised an eyebrow. "Don't you remember your little helper?"
"...Roenni?" he asked hesitantly. He remembered the cheerful little girl who'd helped him those years ago. And she held power, here? Surely not—
"Yeah, I'm a Sith witch," she said lightly. "Sent to Melinda/Daan to kill any Jedi who showed—and the government if they worked with you—but no. All that preparation on Melinda/Daan and I didn't see one Jedi."
Obi-Wan started. He knew as a fact that Roenni had possessed full access to all three Jedi who had been on Melinda/Daan, and to the Jedi-supporting government.
She smiled like one who's used to dealing out death. "Don't feel bad about being fooled." She patted him on the shoulder, mischief in her smile and eyes. Siri bristled, but Roenni then put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a slight wink. "It runs in the family."
Siri scowled, about to ask; but suddenly realization flashed in her eyes and her jaw dropped. "You don't mean..."
"I am a member of the Fallanassi royal line. I'll never rule, though. I'm too aggressive; and besides, there are enough potential heiresses from..." She gave Siri a quizzical glance. "What was that name you came up with for her? Commander..."
He frowned as Siri nodded slowly, a conspiring quirk to her lips.
"Misti Whitesun."
"Tee!"
Queen Mother Tenel Ka kept working, ignoring the guards' shouts, as she always did.
Something bashed into the back of her head. She landed hard on her face, stunned.
The guard kicked her over and hefted her by her tunic's front. "You!"
After a moment of searing pain, Tenel Ka was able to focus on the guard. His shaggy flaxen hair nearly hid his unnaturally dark blue eyes' leer. "What're you doing here?"
Removing his hand, she shrugged, turning to return to work.
He moved forward, pinning her, back to the wall. "Wanna leave?"
Tenel Ka stonily met his gaze, her voice frigid. "No." Not in the way he meant, at least.
The guard pressed closer, undaunted. "No?" he asked, insulted. "Who's your man?"
Even had she wanted to, she couldn't reply. The guard pressed closer—
Tenel Ka struggled. "Unhand me!" she demanded, her one hand not enough to stop the guard.
"Karak!" a sharp voice interrupted.
Karak shoved her back as he pivoted to face the speaker. Her head's lump met the wall. Dizzy pain kept her from looking at the speaker, but she recognized the voice.
Benji's other sister.
"If you want a prisoner, take her properly."
"But she's—"
A crack rang out. "She's mine, boy!" snarled Karak. He turned, smiling expectantly at the haggard Tenel Ka.
"Oh, Karak. I just remembered."
He looked resentfully at the other sister.
"Minor Mistress forbade you."
The twosome left. Tenel Ka staggered over to Benji. "Thanks," she choked, her head throbbing fiercely.
Benji intently got up, frowning. He carefully turned his head, his blue gaze scanning for his sister. He murmured, "Maybe some slugs..."
"The guards are immune," Pooja said softly, dropping from the ceiling. She looked at Tenel Ka and smiled slightly. "Guess who's here."
The boy snorted, tossing his hammer away. "It's about time!"
"You three. With me." A slim cloaked form gestured for them to come after her.
For being so short, the mystery woman strode swiftly. She stopped by a small room. "In there."
Tenel Ka was the last to enter and turned around as she did so. The door locked in her face. She scowled. "Trap."
A man groaned behind her. "Do you have to fly?"
The Queen Mother pivoted, spotting the prisoners she'd helped feed arguing before a ship's open hatch. The blonde scowled. "First of all, Gundark, like you'd be able to manage in a cockpit—and even if you could, who's the better pilot, here? I am! Now shut your trap and get aboard before the reinforcements get here!"
"Too late!" shouted Pooja, shoving Benji and Tenel Ka foreward as the door blew up.
Grabbing the boy as he stumbled and yelped, Tenel Ka carried him up the ramp as the couple also scrambled in and headed immediately for the cockpit. For some reason, Ben was fighting her.
She turned around as the docking hatch closed and saw why. Pooja had received a lightsaber in the chest, and now used her life-senstivity to keep the guards' snarling carnivores at bay, sparing them the razor talons that could shred a hole in the ship.
The girl looked back and smiled wanly. "Take care of... Ben!" she hoarsely choked out, but that took all her strength. She dropped to her knees, losing her hold on the creatures which immediately ripped her to shreds. Benji started screaming, collapsing from the pain eveloping him from the Force.
Tenel Ka stayed staring at the hatch as it sealed and they took off, blasting their way out of the hangar bay doors. A child had sacrificed herself for her.
Not a fact, her mind reminded her. They're much older than they look.
But even that couldn't help the guilt.