Safe Again Chapter 7

I am not your mother. The woman gave Luke a strange, bittersweet smile. The young Jedi blinked slowly and tried to focus on her face.

"Oh." Now that he looked at her more carefully, Luke could see the differences between her face and that of the woman in his dreams. Plus, the latter's eyes had been more…deciding. In any case, the resemblance was astounding. "Are you her sister?"

Sabé chuckled. "No I am not. I do look a lot like her, don't I?"

Luke nodded slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving hers. "Who are you?"

"I'd rather answer your questions later. Now, Luke, I want you to answer mine."

There was also a coldness in her voice that Luke was sure hadn't been in his mother's. The woman was strange. He could feel waves of very contradictory feelings emanating from her, and her presence held both a familiarity and an alienation he did not manage to decipher. The woman shifted in her seat and started asking questions.

"Do you know where you are, and how you ended up here?"

Luke stared. "I meant to ask you that…"

Sabé ignored his comment, but Luke thought he felt a flash of something from her. Anger? He must be wrong…Where would it come from?

"What is your relationship with Darth Vader?"

A long pause. Luke was starting to think he may have been right when he felt anger from her. If she knew the truth…

…But she didn't, did she? How would she know? It would be so much easier to understand the woman and figure out what she wanted if only Luke knew how she was related to his mother. However, he did not even know her name, so…

Luke decided that there was a chance his mother's look-alike was aware of his true heritage, but that there was also a chance she was not. And as long as he didn't know whose side she was on, he would have to be careful not to let any sensitive information slip. "I'm not sure I understand your question…" He eventually answered. Sabé's eye twitched.

"Do you work with him? Do you share his ideals? What are your feelings for him?"

Luke blinked slowly as he tried to process the motivations behind the woman's harsh questions. Her mentioning his feelings for 'Vader' was definitely hinting at her knowing the truth, but there was still a chance she was thinking about something else…After all, he did feel his father's presence nearby, so chances were he'd been the one to bring him to this place, whatever it was. Maybe that was where the woman's dislike came from: she had seen him with Vader, she probably believed he was one of his supporters…

No. That would be too easy. Luke had a hunch there was a lot more to her than what she'd let him see so far. "I don't work for him, nor with him, and I don't even know what his ideology is today…" He said slowly. He was still feeling very, very tired, and he was hurting everywhere. He wasn't sure he wouldn't end up mentioning something private or an Alliance secret by accident if this woman kept her interrogation up. The only way to counteract this interrogation was to reverse the roles and be the one to ask the questions.

"Can you please tell me who you are and where we are?"

He sensed her hesitation and was grateful for the moment to collect his thoughts. Despite his attempts to hide it, Luke knew his exhaustion was obvious. So he patiently waited for her response, watching her closely, hoping to find in her demeanour answers he knew she wouldn't freely give.

"You are in an infirmary on Naboo. That is all you need to know."

Luke furrowed his brow in confusion, before he asked again politely:

"I understand, but can I at least learn your name?"

He almost felt her bristle to his simple question and he couldn't help but wonder why. Yet, despite the tension that seemed to radiate from her small form, the woman did answer.

"My name is Sabé. I am the head of security here," she stated. Luke nodded slightly in response. Her words were simple and direct, leaving no doubt to the underlying message: she was in charge here, and she would be watching him. Closely. The realization seemed to add to his exhaustion and Luke briefly closed his eyes. He wondered how his father was doing. Had she interrogated him in this manner as well? He imagined she was far more harsh and certainly less forgiving.

"You must understand Luke, these are tumultuous times."

Sabé's voice drew the young Jedi from his thoughts, and he sensed her temperament had eased slightly. Though she remained stoic, Luke could almost read the confusion and… guilt? That lied beneath her harsh façade.

However, her carefully chosen words solidified his doubts about the simplicity of this situation. She definitely knew far more then she let on; how much more, he couldn't say. A silence rested between them as the tension continued to build. He knew she could certainly take advantage of this situation and his weakened state to find out what she sought to know. Yet, to his surprise and relief, the oddly familiar woman before him didn't; instead she quietly rose to her feet. Luke sensed her confusion was rapidly growing. It was as though she was torn between duty and something more personal.

Even if he couldn't pick up any other hint or clue about Sabé's identity, this alone spoke volumes. There had to be a connection between his interrogator and his mother; that much he was certain. If only his body would permit him to think it over, he would attempt to make sense of it. But between the pain of his lingering wounds and the overpowering need to rest, he found it nearly impossible to stay focused.

As Sabé neared the door to leave, she paused, permitting her eyes fall onto him once more. Returning her gaze, the young Jedi could feel her scrutinizing him as her anger and hate began to grow anew, replacing the division he felt from Sabé only a short time ago. However, he soon realized it wasn't directed at him, but towards his father and the events that had taken them to her. Yet despite what he could sense stirring in her soul, Sabe seemed to hide behind a stoic mask which she wore only too well. Sighing softly, the woman before him went silent, as though she finally realized her attempts to question him further wouldn't wield any decent results. At least not for now.

"Rest now; we will continue this discussion later, she said simply, once more carefully hiding her frustration as she gave Luke the same bittersweet smile he had seen only a short moment ago. Only this time, the underlying frustration and division were evident in her eyes. Unsure how to respond and wanting nothing more than to just rest, Luke quietly nodded. He watched in silence as the elegantly poised woman slipped out the door without another word, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew without a doubt this mysterious woman was sure to return soon.