Hearts are Meant To: Chapter 26

By KnightMara

A/N: Sorry about the ridiculously long delay between the last post and this. I hate it when real life gets in the way of posting. . . . don't you? And for those of you who have been sticking through all my long delays to finish this story, thank you SO VERY MUCH for all your reviews! Yes, this story will be finished, and I will hopefully stay on top of the updates. But for now, here's Chapter 26.

It was ten minutes past the scheduled meeting time, and Genna was getting anxious. Alone in the small officer's lounge, she sat on the couch, waiting for Laire's arrival. He was supposed to have been there when she arrived, but so far there was no sign of him. The room had been powered down as he'd said, however; it was dark but for a blinking terminal that had most likely been intentionally left on. She hoped that Luke was in place by now, for he had headed toward his post long before she'd arrived, with instructions to wait in the tiny utility closet until 0110, just in case Laire chose to enter through the rear door as well. As of yet, there had been no sign of anyone, and all Genna could do was to hope that Laire would arrive soon and that this whole plan would go off quickly and smoothly.

She started as she heard the rear door open.

Hope fled the instant Laire stepped in the room. He wasn't alone. A very captive Luke was with him.

Her heart froze in her chest as she saw the muzzle of his blaster pressed into Luke's neck. How had Laire been able to find him? Had he known? Were there more spies than she realized? Unable to move or speak, Genna stared at the pair, seeing the sheer malice in Laire's eyes, and the silent apology in Luke's. Somehow, someway, Laire had turned the tables, trapping them instead of the other way around. How? How had he done it?

"As you can see, Miss Cage," Laire sneered, "your foolish attempt to betray the Empire has failed. Once again." For emphasis, he shoved the blaster harder against Luke's neck, scowling when the young man refused to even flinch. "Now, I'm afraid, you will both pay for your transgressions."

Genna was frozen, seized by paralyzing hopelessness. She couldn't even speak. She was startled when Luke did.

"You can't kill me," he said softly. "You said yourself, the Empire wants me alive."

With another jab of the blaster, Laire turned his gaze on Luke and spat, "Preferably unharmed. But there are always unfortunate circumstances that could arise!"

"A blaster shot to the neck would be pretty hard to explain, wouldn't it?" Luke pressed, his gaze fixed on Genna. She saw in his gaze an urgency coupled with a silent plea to escape while he had Laire's attention. In an instant, she realized the cause of Luke's desperation. She was the one in danger, not him. Laire would not intentionally damage Vader's prize, but Genna was vulnerable. Taking her cue from Luke, she shifted imperceptibly toward the main door to the lounge. Laire did not seem to notice. "After all, that would be rather difficult to survive, wouldn't it?" Luke went on.

"Depends on the shot, boy," Laire retorted.

Luke's eyes widened a split second before Laire's finger pulled the trigger. As Genna watched in horror, Luke dropped bonelessly to the floor in a twitching heap. Shock hit her like a blow to the stomach, robbing her of air as she watched Laire survey his handiwork with a feral grin. Before she could even gasp another breath in reaction or make another move toward the door, the blaster was leveled at her.

"Move away from the door, my dear," he hissed. "I assure you, this isn't set on stun anymore."

A small tendril of relief penetrated her shocked mind. Stun. Her eyes fell on Luke's crumpled form. As his body slowed its convulsive spasms, she realized with profound satisfaction that he was still alive. Stunned at point-blank range, but still alive. As she looked back up at Laire, however, she stared into the barrel of the blaster and wondered if she'd fare as well.

"I'm surprised at you, Cage," Laire admonished in menacing tones as he closed the distance between them. "Trying to trap me?"

Seeking to appease him, she held out the datacard. "Here, this is what you wanted."

Laire's eyes seemed to blaze in anger as he advanced several steps. "Don't try to work your way out of this one! How am I to know the data is even on this card?"

Genna pointed shakily to the blinking terminal a few feet away from him. "You can verify it there."

Keeping the blaster pointed squarely at her chest, Laire flicked his eyes in the direction that she pointed. Looking back at her he ordered, "You." He cocked his head in the direction of the terminal.

Genna moved tentatively across the room, practically feeling the blaster track her movements. When she reached the terminal, she slipped the card in. Instantly, the medical records flashed on the screen. "I don't know what you hope to accomplish. There's nothing on this screen that isn't already common knowledge, I'll have you know," she commented in an attempt to sound glib. She was rewarded with a sharp pain in her side as Laire pressed the blaster hard against her skin and leaned over to access the data.

"Is that so?" His tone was almost mocking. He keyed the terminal.

"Yes, most of the Alliance knows of his talents and abilities, as well as their origins," she replied.

Laire seemed to physically start in surprise. "Who would have thought the rebellion would be so open-minded?" he remarked softly.

"Why wouldn't they be?" she shot back, cocking her head so that her eyes met his.

"And who would have thought that you'd fall for this son of a Sith?" Laire snarled, his lips curled upward as he jabbed her again with the blaster. "Doesn't he frighten you?"

His words hit a chord. Yes, she'd been afraid of him once. But not anymore. "Why should he?"

Laire grinned in a manner both threatening and incredulous. Continuing to stare at the screen, he paused a moment, an eyebrow arching. "If it's such common knowledge, why don't his records proclaim the truth to the galaxy?"

"What are you talking about? Why would anyone publicize Jedi heritage in this day and age?"

"Hardly Jedi heritage, my dear," Laire chuckled a mere second before he met her eyes. There was something in them she couldn't quite understand, and he recognized the confusion in hers. "Ah," he intoned as though struck by a revelation. "You really don't know the whole truth, do you?"

Genna stared at him guardedly. "What truth?"

In reply, a thin-lipped, self-satisfied smile spread across his features. "The truth about your Sith-spawned boyfriend," he replied in a dark whisper, emphasizing the word "sith" as he spoke and indicating the screen before her.

Icy tendrils of fear shot through her as she stared at the screen. "I don't know what you are talking about," she breathed, although a small part of her brain seemed to be registering what he was hinting at, a part she wouldn't acknowledge.

"Then I doubt he does either," Laire quipped almost mockingly, indicating the unconscious youth on the floor. He leaned in closer to Genna. "However, I did a little investigating on my own. After all, I still have unlimited access to certain Imperial records, and friends in some pretty high places. This whole mission was laden with too many questions for my taste. Following a hunch, I used the resources at my disposal, and what do you know? My hunch might very well be right after all." He slipped another data card into the terminal.

"What's that?" Genna asked.

Laire chuckled. "The final piece of the puzzle, I presume."

Genna watched as he keyed the terminal and data scrolled across the screen, a part of her dreading the results of his twisted little search. What was he trying to prove?

Laire himself was engrossed in his project. He rubbed his chin and made small comments to himself in an amused fashion. "Hmm, midichlorians? What are those? Ah, look at these. My, my, isn't this intriguing?" He continued with his pseudo-monologue for a time before returning his gaze to her and asking, "Isn't it interesting that a man who claims to have Jedi heritage and states that his father was a famous Jedi Knight has no real proof of this claim? After all, what does it say here under father and mother? 'Father Unknown (possibly Anakin Skywalker?), Mother Unknown.' Possibly Anakin Skywalker? Does anyone really know? Could this be wishful thinking on his part, perhaps? Claiming the last name of a famous Jedi during the Clone Wars?"

"Do you have reason to doubt the possibility?" Genna shot back, angered at his insinuations.

"Only the fact that his data seems so much more closely related to that of another famous figure, although certainly no Jedi," he replied with a touch of amusement. "See for yourself."

Genna did as instructed, looking at two records listed side by side on the terminal screen, blinking at the similarities between them. Laire was right. Whoever the second person was, it was clearly a relative of Luke, there was no doubt in her mind. But who was this mysterious person, and why didn't anyone else know about it?

"You see it, don't you?"

Genna nodded. "Who is it?"

"Only the one man who could make it as difficult as it's been for me to find out the truth," he replied. "The one man who has spent the last several months trying to learn as much as he could about our mysterious Death Star assailant. The one man who dispatched a small handful of intelligence officers to track Skywalker once he was identified without explaining why he was being tracked and not captured, or why he was not to be harmed in any way."

Time seemed to stand still as Genna processed his words, her blood turning to ice in her veins. What he was saying could not be true. Was not true.

"Yes, my dear. It's none other than Lord Vader."

"No," Genna whispered, her voice a breathy sob. There was no way the young man she'd become so attached to could have anything to do with that masked monstrosity. It was not possible! Yet her own words came back to her. Hadn't she herself accused Luke of being like Vader because of his Force abilities? Hadn't she feared him because of what she'd seen Vader do with those same talents? Luke had put her fears to rest, though, claiming that he had nothing in common with the Sith Lord. He had appealed to her heart in sharing the tales of what had become of those closest to him at Vader's hands. He had seemed so honest. Surely, he had been telling her the truth. "You're deranged!"

"You seem so surprised," Laire sneered.

"Vader…Vader couldn't be," she stammered. "Vader killed his father."

Laire seemed amused. "Is that what he told you?"

"That's what he believes to be the truth!" Genna cried. "And it is!"

"Come, come, now," Laire admonished, "don't be so naïve. Think about it. It all makes sense now, doesn't it? Why else would Vader want him alive?"

Genna's mind searched frantically for holes in his argument. "If it's true, why isn't Luke with him? Why is he fighting for the Rebellion instead of standing at Vader's side? And why doesn't anyone know about this? Why doesn't Luke know?"

"Are you certain that he doesn't?" Laire countered in a tone so insidious that Genna found herself glancing at Luke as if to find the answer there.

"No," Genna said, shaking her head, still looking at Luke's prone form. "He doesn't know because it isn't true." Feeling anger and revulsion, she wheeled on Laire. "This is some sick ploy of yours to move yourself up through the Imperial ranks! Claim you found the long-lost son of Lord Vader and see what it gets you! Has it ever occurred to you that there might not be a conspiracy? That maybe Vader wants him because he wants to finish the job he started in eliminating the Jedi once and for all, and Luke's a threat? That maybe all your snooping and sniffing around fooled you into finding what you wanted to see, even if it isn't really there?"

There was silence a moment. Then Laire laughed, a deep menacing cackle that rattled her to her very core. "Ah, love is blind, isn't it?" he taunted. "You're allowing your heart to get in the way of what is clearly right in front of your eyes."

"Nothing is clear!" Genna retorted. "Of the two datacards in your possession, I know of only one that is accurate. The other, the one you claim belongs to Vader, is questionable!"

Laire continued to chuckle as he removed the datacards from the terminal and pocketed them in his jacket. "It's moments like these that make all the sacrifices I've endured on this mission worthwhile. It hurts you to think that the man you love might be the son of the very man who destroyed your home, sent you on this mission, and then betrayed you by executing those you thought you were working to save."

It was as though all the blood rushed from her body at his words. She had been betrayed. Her friends were already dead. All of this had been for nothing. She felt lightheaded, sick, cold, and empty.

"Ah yes," Laire went on, "now you know the truth. And I must say, it pleases me to see you like this. To watch you suffer in your knowledge of how you've been used and manipulated. You see, you are a traitor of the worst kind, and therefore must suffer in the worst way. Vader was ingenious in giving you this assignment, though I doubt even he could have predicted that you'd have fallen in love with Skywalker. And now of course, you know the truth about him, which hurts you even more."

Genna stared at him, a vague feeling of numbness creeping over her, as if her body was reacting to the shock of the emotional pain by shutting out all sensations. "So you've won," she said dully. "Congratulations." She looked away and walked toward Luke, aware that Laire's blaster was following her every movement. "What will happen to him?"

"Loverboy here is going with me," he responded glibly. "I don't foresee him dying any time soon, which is more than I can say for you. As much I'd love to prolong this moment, I'm afraid it is time to say goodnight, Ms. Cage."

"Go ahead," she replied, still staring at Luke as she dropped to her knees beside him. "I have nothing to live for anymore. You won. You've broken me. Isn't that what you wanted?" Yet, even as she spoke these words, her eyes fell on Luke's holster, and in that instant, a spark returned. Laire had disarmed Luke, but she suddenly realized that he had failed to confiscate her own blaster. Had it been an oversight, a mistake he'd made while he'd been gloating? In her own panic and shock, she hadn't even realized she'd been armed. Cursing her stupidity and the realization that she could have possibly drawn her blaster on him long ago, she shifted slightly. If she could get off a single shot, it might be enough to save Luke from this insane Imperial with his false truths. She would certainly die in the attempt, but hopefully Laire would, too. Then Luke would be saved, and he'd never have to find out about this twisted lie Laire was trying to make her believe. She kept her face downcast and emotionless.

"Come now, I was rather hoping you would plead for your life, actually," Laire responded in irritation. "Or at least argue on his behalf. You disappoint me, Cage."

"I'm not here to entertain you," she countered, trying to keep her voice level as she brushed Luke's cheek with one hand, while the other grasped his arm tenderly as it rested very close to her own blaster. "There's nothing I can do for him, anyway."

"No!" Laire suddenly shouted. Genna looked up at him in alarm, and he continued. "You've been spirited and defiant until now, and Force knows I wanted to crush that spirit! But I'll not let you die this easily, this willingly!"

"What would you have me do?" she argued, still keeping her voice toneless. "Fight?"

"Yes," he replied, licking his lips in anticipation. "I want to watch you struggle before I shoot you! I want to see desperation in your eyes!"

"Fine," she remarked softly, keeping her eyes fixed on him. "How's this for fight?" In one smooth motion, she drew her blaster and took aim.

Laire's eyes widened as he saw the blaster that was now pointed at him and reflexively fired. An instant later he collapsed on the ground, a smoldering hole in his chest where Genna's shot had hit its mark.

She watched him drop to the floor with deep satisfaction, knowing he was dead before he ever hit the ground. Then she, too, fell backward, unable to breathe because of the fiery pain in her own chest. Her eyes came to rest on Luke who lay sprawled beside her. She'd done it. She'd saved him. And then she smiled before her world went black.