Part XVII – Consequences

Four of the World Demons had convened again, and F(O/R)CE felt nothing but apprehension at the prospect. The last time Demon J(U/P)ITER had gathered E(A/R)TH, X(A/N)TH, and F(O/R)CE together, it had been to chastise them for their conduct in an ongoing gamble. But there was no wager in progress at the moment, so what was going on that would require the four of them? Had there been a disaster? What kind of disaster could affect three such widely dissimilar realms?

E(A/R)TH gave F(O/R)CE a look that most mortals reserved for vermin. The Demon of Mundania still hadn't forgiven him for winning their last wager. Not that F(O/R)CE had had much control over it. True, he had given the Skywalkers a boost in their quest, but it had been they who had utilized his support to its fullest potential. If E(A/R)TH thought the victory unfair, he should have taken it up with J(U/P)ITER, not born a grudge against him…

Then again, that could be the reason they were presently gathered before the leader of the World Demons at this very moment.

"We are here to discuss Demon X(A/N)TH's conduct," J(U/P)ITER thundered, quickly dismissing that possibility.

X(A/N)TH put on an expression of sweetest innocence. "What did I do?"

"You have caused direct harm to a citizen of F(O/R)CE's realm without his consent."

That got the attention of both E(A/R)TH and F(O/R)CE. No World Demon had the right to touch the citizens of another planet unless that planet's demon gave express permission. The gamble involving Luke and Vader had been such a case in point – if F(O/R)CE had not given his authorization, they could not have used the two men in the gamble.

X(A/N)TH's blameless expression looked so genuine that, had F(O/R)CE not suspected otherwise, he would have thought that J(U/P)ITER's accusation was a lie. "I assure you, my comrade, that I have done nothing of the sort…" he protested, turning toward the Demon of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

"A citizen of the GFFA, one Anakin Skywalker, crossed over to Xanth upon his death," J(U/P)ITER boomed, shutting X(A/N)TH up in a hurry. "He volunteered to participate in the game that unites the realms of you three, serving as a Companion to his son Luke. Is it not true, Demon X(A/N)TH, that you intentionally caused Luke to lose the game… and then deliberately arranged matters to make Anakin a False Companion when his son re-entered the game?"

F(O/R)CE stared, stunned, at X(A/N)TH. After the game fiasco, X(A/N)TH had been angry for awhile, but then he had approached F(O/R)CE and apologized, suggesting they put all past animosity behind them. He had even been so generous as to allow Anakin into his realm after his death in the GFFA. What had changed? Had something reminded the Demon of Xanth of his loss and rekindled old rage? Or had it all been a ruse, a plot to gain vengeance?

X(A/N)TH growled and grimaced, but at last he lowered his head in defeat. "It is true."

"What!" F(O/R)CE exclaimed. "After all your talk of burying our swords, after we had formed an agreement…"

"I'm deeply sorry, my old friend," X(A/N)TH said in the sincerest of tones, but his eyes shifted cunningly, flashing with defiant satisfaction.

"You bastard!" E(A/R)TH screeched. "You forced Anakin to betray Luke!" As much as he hated F(O/R)CE, he had a strong liking for the creatures and characters of his realm.

"He did not betray Luke," X(A/N)TH assured the other demon. "He couldn't. He loved him too much." A sly smile crossed his features. "And for that, he was punished."

"A punishment you had no right to levy upon him," J(U/P)ITER reminded him in a stormy tone. "You have interfered with matters that were not yours to toy with, X(A/N)TH, and to compound the damage you have breached the trust between yourself and F(O/R)CE. These heinous acts cannot be ignored, and I am afraid that you must be punished."

X(A/N)TH smiled gloatingly. "I'll take whatever you can dish out, sir."

"Your punishment for damages toward Anakin Skywalker," J(U/P)ITER declared, "is a loss of status. You retain your realm, but your status among the World Demons will be knocked down from third to fourth. Demon E(A/R)TH, Demoness V(E/N)US, and myself are now ahead of you in the game. Your punishment for breaching your agreement with F(O/R)CE is a sentence of one year, according to Galactic Standard Time, in a mortal, corporeal form, to be spent in the GFFA… without your demon powers. F(O/R)CE shall choose what form you will take on, and your realm will be placed in his stewardship while you are serving your sentence."

That wiped the grin off X(A/N)TH's face in a hurry. A loss of status was the worst punishment J(U/P)ITER could have inflicted upon him. And spending any amount of time in corporeal form was the equivalent of prison time to the World Demons.

"F(O/R)CE, select the form X(A/N)TH shall wear for the next year," J(U/P)ITER requested.

F(O/R)CE turned to the greatest World Demon. "How did he punish Anakin?"

J(U/P)ITER answered gravely. E(A/R)TH gave a yelp of shock.

"No," F(O/R)CE protested. "He couldn't have…"

"He could, and he did," J(U/P)ITER replied. "Name the form X(A/N)TH shall take."

F(O/R)CE was normally a fair, compassionate demon, but he wasted no mercy on the demon who had so ruthlessly betrayed him and Anakin. "He shall take on the form of a dueling droid in Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy. Make sure he has slow reflexes but a top-of-the-line, fully functional pain processor. And make sure Luke knows that the droid is X(A/N)TH and exactly what he has done to earn that punishment."

"It will be done," J(U/P)ITER declared. "Go, X(A/N)TH, to the Jedi Academy and take your chosen form. F(O/R)CE shall see to Xanth's needs while you are gone."

X(A/N)TH snarled at F(O/R)CE. "We were friends. How could you do this…"

"You should have thought of that before you betrayed my trust," he replied coldly. "I think I'm through making deals with you."

X(A/N)TH vanished. His sentence in the GFFA had begun.

"Demon F(O/R)CE," J(U/P)ITER went on, "what X(A/N)TH has done to Anakin cannot be reversed. You can, however, find a way around it, but only with E(A/R)TH's help… and only if E(A/R)TH is willing."

E(A/R)TH considered, still scowling. "What's in it for me?"

"Don't push your luck," J(U/P)ITER said warningly. "We all know the only reason you didn't attempt something like this against Luke is because you were afraid of getting caught."

"E(A/R)TH, my galaxy has aided your world," F(O/R)CE told him. "The beings of my realm are an inspiration to the beings of your world. I have done your people so much good. Please, will you not return the favor?"

"Look, pal, we haven't exactly been on the best of terms," E(A/R)TH countered.

That was like saying the self-styled Emperor Palpatine had been a slightly bad apple. "Then how about a deal? You help me, and I will attempt to inspire that Mundanian man of your world – George Lucas was his name, right? – to create the seventh, eighth, and ninth 'Star Wars' films. I can't guarantee success, but I can give the fans of your world a fighting chance."

E(A/R)TH grinned eagerly. "Deal. What needs to be done?"

F(O/R)CE nodded gratefully. "First, I need to address Anakin's children."

Break…

The walls of Castle Zombie shook for a brief, intense moment, raining dust and fragments of rock and clouding the air. Then all was still. Even the fighting had ceased.

The quiet lasted all of ten seconds, however, and both sides of the battle shook off their shock and launched themselves at each other with renewed ferocity. The Four Horsemen were gone, the cohesive force behind the army of the catacombs had been eliminated, but the feline forces were still as dangerous as ever. It would probably take hours to finally subdue the creatures, but at least victory was now ensured.

Luke blinked to clear his eyes. "We did it," he breathed quietly. "We saved Xanth."

"We did it!" Leia exclaimed, throwing her arms around Luke's neck.

Supernova moaned as if in pain. "All that effort… all my studies…"

"Quiet," Chas ordered, pawing the ground with one forehoof. "Luke, Leia, I'll be taking this gentleman back to Centaur Isle with me. He is too dangerous to be left unsupervised. Besides, we could always use more servants."

"Go right ahead," Luke told him.

The young man continued to groan and complain as Chas hauled him up by the arm and dragged him away. "Didn't know the Horsemen meant any harm… nice enough guys… Com Pewter's gonna kill me…"

Luke turned. "Father, we did it!" He looked around. "Father?"

But Anakin was nowhere to be seen.

"Sammy, find Father," Luke ordered. "He couldn't have gone far."

Sammy cried out in distress and rolled onto his back.

"Sammy, you can find him," Luke urged. "You can find anything! Find Anakin Skywalker!"

The cat gave a desperate meow and righted himself, digging his claws into the toe of Luke's boot.

"He's not dead, is he?" Leia asked, looking concerned.

"What could have killed him?" Luke demanded. "He was here with us the whole time!"

Fett, Phillipa, and Jenny charged into the corridor, all uninjured, though Fett's chest armor smoked from a close miss. Seconds later Mentia materialized close by in a severely bedraggled griffon form. Luke had a feeling he knew what she had been up to, and it wasn't fighting… but he was in no mood to inquire at the moment.

"Have any of you seen Anakin?" asked Luke.

"He went with you!" protested Fett.

"Can't you keep track of your own Companion…" grumbled Mentia, resuming human form.

Someone cleared their throat, and their party turned to see a familiar form coming down the corridor, moth-eaten robes trailing behind him and his ever-present book tucked under one arm. But something had changed about his demeanor. Normally he wore an irritated expression. Now, he seemed… sad? No, not exactly sad, but sympathetic, perhaps, or even regretful.

"Good Magician, where's Anakin?" asked Phillipa.

The aged magician didn't look at her. He instead turned his gaze upon Luke and Leia. "I hope the two of you appreciate the sacrifice your father made on your behalf – and I hope the rest of you appreciate it too, for he acted on behalf of Xanth as well."

"What do you mean?" Luke demanded. "Where is he? What sacrifice? Tell us where he is!"

"Impatient as always, Skywalker," the Good Magician said gruffly, shaking his head. "Shut up and listen if you want to know what has become of your father."

Luke clamped his mouth shut, though the questions inside him threatened to burst free again at any moment.

"Sit down, Skywalker," he urged. "This is going to be a shock." When Luke didn't comply, the Good Magician shook his head in exasperation but went on. "Your father was a False Companion."

"What!" The exclamation came from everybody, not just Luke. Even Sammy Cat yowled.

"When you lost the first round of the game, you were sent back to your galaxy, and Anakin returned to the beginning to be available as a Companion choice. When you re-entered the game, you didn't resume the same game – you began an entirely new game, which meant that the layout of the game changed for you, including the possibility of selecting a False Companion."

"Anakin was False all this time?" Jenny asked, eyes wide.

"Yes, Jenny," the Good Magician replied. "Though he was not required to act falsely all the time. He could still help Luke through the game. But at some key point in the game, Anakin would have received instruction from Demon Grossclout or one of his henchmen to betray Luke." His face became even more haggard. "But that isn't all. The World Demon X(A/N)TH played a hand in this as well…"

Luke pressed the heels of both hands against his eyes. "'Demon X(A/N)TH is angry, he wants revenge!' I wondered what Kenya meant by that… why didn't I see it sooner…"

"What do you mean?" demanded Leia. "Who is Demon X(A/N)TH?"

"Every world is governed by a World Demon," Jenny explained, still sounding pretty stunned. "X(A/N)TH controls Xanth, E(A/R)TH controls Mundania, and F(O/R)CE controls your galaxy. But they like to gamble and bet a lot, and the first time Luke and Anakin played the game, Anakin made X(A/N)TH lose an important bet."

"And that loss enraged X(A/N)TH to the point where he designed his vengeance against Anakin," the magician replied. "Being a demon, a being of enormous intelligence, cunning, and patience, he plotted carefully. His first step was in forging an agreement with F(O/R)CE that allowed Anakin to come to Xanth after his death in your galaxy. That put Anakin in his power. His second step was in placing obstacles in Luke and Anakin's path in the course of the game, until eventually one of those obstacles resulted in his 'death' in Xanth and his ejection from the game. His third… rigging the 'random' selection of the False Companion, so that the lot fell on Anakin. He knew that Luke missed his father dearly, and that he would likely select him as Companion again, never considering the possibility that another Companion might suit him better the second time around."

"But Father never betrayed me!" Luke shouted angrily. "He helped me…"

"Up to the very end," the Good Magician agreed. "But when the time came to undo the Crypt Keeper's damage, X(A/N)TH gave Anakin a direct order – give Luke an incorrect code. Luke would have botched repairing the Interface, and Xanth would have been completely exposed to Mundania's influence. Luke would have lost the game and doomed Xanth to destruction, and the betrayal would have been accomplished."

Luke recalled how his father had cringed in pain several times during the final minutes of the battle. Had X(A/N)TH been delivering orders then, rebuking him when he protested?

"That's cruel, even for a demon," Mentia said with her usual bluntness. "Anakin would have died before betraying Luke…"

"Exactly, Mentia," the Good Magician cut in. "Exactly. X(A/N)TH knew that Anakin could not betray Luke, not even to save himself from punishment. He planned on that all along. And when Anakin defied him… he took great pleasure in penalizing him."

Luke was almost afraid to ask, but he forced himself to voice the question anyhow. He had to know… "What was his punishment?"

The Good Magician frowned. "Do you really want to know?"

"No," Luke replied. "But I HAVE to know."

"Wise choice of words," the magician commended. "Your father's punishment was exile from Xanth."

Phillipa, who had tensed upon hearing that Anakin faced punishment at X(A/N)TH's hands, visibly relaxed. "That means he's back in your galaxy and safe!"

"No, Phillipa," the Good Magician replied. "He is not there."

"He has to be somewhere!" Leia exclaimed. "He can't just… vanish!"

"He very well can, Princess," came the reply. "Remember, he died in your world. His soul could cross into Xanth and continue life here, but he could never return to the Galaxy Far, Far Away. It would mean his death… permanently. And when Demon X(A/N)TH ejected him from Xanth, sending him back to where he came from… he ceased to exist."

Luke stared, open-mouthed, at the old sorcerer. It couldn't be… his father couldn't be… dead. Not again… he couldn't have lost him again…

"I'm very sorry, Skywalker," the magician said softly. "But your father is gone. All the magic in Xanth cannot bring him back." He turned to go, then seemed to remember something and turned back. "If it is any consolation, X(A/N)TH violated the rules of the World Demons in tampering with your quest, and he has been punished. For the next year – Galactic Standard Time, mind, not Xanth time – he will reside in your Jedi Academy as the slowest of the dueling droids. Once his sentence is up, he will certainly act with considerable caution with regard to creatures not of his world." He sighed. "I'll send word to your mother, Skywalker. And once you three Players leave the catacombs, the game will be over for you. Take as long as you need here until then." He turned away and departed.

Jenny fell to her knees, scooping Sammy up in her arms. Burying her face in his soft orange fur, she sobbed uncontrollably, her cat purring anxiously and rubbing his nose against her cheek as if to ask what was the matter.

Leia embraced her brother as he, too, began weeping. Not this… not now… not when he'd finally had his father back. How could Fate have played such a cruel joke on him, offering him the possibility of finally seeing his father again, then wresting it away? How could he lose his father again? He thought he had finally healed from the loss the first time… but losing him a second time only tore those wounds freshly once again.

"Luke, I wanted him to suffer," Leia whispered in an agonized voice. "I wanted him to suffer as much as I had. But not now… not when I thought I finally had my father back… I never even had a chance to tell him I forgave him…"

"I didn't know him very well," confessed Phillipa. "But he was nothing but kind to me. I will miss him greatly, and I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Damn you all," Mentia sniffed, rubbing her nose until she had squashed it flat. "Demons aren't supposed to have emotions, but here I am tearing up over Anakin… poor guy… and Demon X(A/N)TH can just suck harpy eggs…"

Fett, who had remained silent all this time, spoke up in a gruff but not callous tone. "He was a good man. Even when he was Darth Vader, he was a good man. He had honor. Honor is a rare trait. He did not deserve what he got."

CAREFUL, FETT, THAT ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE SYMPATHY.

At once everyone leaped to their feet, brandishing various weapons.

RELAX, the voice urged amusedly. I MEAN YOU NO HARM. I ONLY WANT TO HELP.

"Who is this?" Luke demanded.

I AM DEMON F(O/R)CE, GUARDIAN OF YOUR REALM. NOW PUT THE WEAPONS DOWN.

Too stunned to protest, everyone complied.

BETTER. NOW HOLD ON FOR A SECOND…

Something flickered at the end of the corridor, like a hologram projector just warming up. Then the image solidified, taking on the form of a robed, bearded man, almost like a Jedi.

"That's what you look like?" Jenny asked, sniffing loudly and wiping her nose on her sleeve.

ACTUALLY, DEMONS HAVE NO CORPOREAL FORM… DAMMIT! The Jedi blinked out of existence. I FORGET HOW HARD IT IS TO MAINTAIN A FORM. LET'S GIVE THIS ANOTHER GO… Another image, this time that of a Tusken Raider, but this one wavered and faded. AW, SITHSPIT! LET'S TRY AGAIN… A Wookie blinked into view. OKAY, NOW I'VE GOT THE HANG OF IT, I THINK. NOW TO BUSINESS.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Mentia. "Xanth isn't your world, you know."

The Wookie gave a whuffing laugh that quickly mutated into a snarling chuckle as he transmuted into a Trandoshan. IT IS FOR THE TIME BEING. WHILE DEMON X(A/N)TH SERVES HIS PUNISHMENT IN MY REALM, I AM SERVING AS GUARDIAN OF XANTH AS WELL AS OF MY OWN GALAXY. DON'T WORRY, I'LL SEE THAT THINGS REMAIN GENERALLY THE SAME.

"But what are you doing here, with us?" asked Luke. A flash of hope penetrated his gut. "Are you here to bring my father back?"

F(O/R)CE, now in the form of a stormtrooper, shook his head. I CANNOT UNDO WHAT MY COMRADE HAD DECREED, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO. WHAT I CAN DO – AND HAVE DONE – IS ALTER THE TERMS OF ANAKIN'S PUNISHMENT.

"How?" asked Leia, sounding just as hopeful as Luke.

IT HASN'T BEEN EASY, F(O/R)CE replied. He looked like Darth Vader now, helmet, cloak, and all. I NEEDED THE COOPERATION OF DEMON E(A/R)TH, AND SEEING AS HE ISN'T EXACTLY HAPPY WITH ME EITHER… He shrugged, vanished, and reappeared as a Whiphid. BUT WE HAVE WORKED OUT A DEAL, AND I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF X(A/N)TH'S PUNISHMENT.

The World Demon had everyone's attention now.

X(A/N)TH DECLARED THAT, SHOULD ANAKIN FAIL TO BETRAY HIS SON, HE WOULD BE EXILED FROM XANTH. HE DID NOT, HOWEVER, SPECIFY WHERE HE SHOULD BE EXILED TO, NOR FOR WHAT LENGTH OF TIME. He smiled, now in the form of a tattooed, black-cloaked Zabrak. BY DEFAULT, ANAKIN WAS EXILED TO HIS FORMER GALAXY, WHERE HE CEASED TO EXIST. BUT I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE LOCATION WHERE HE WAS TO SERVE HIS EXILE.

"Really?" asked Jenny eagerly. "Where is he now?"

WHERE ELSE? the World Demon asked, now in the form of an astromech. DEMON E(A/R)TH'S REALM, MUNDANIA.

"But that means he can't use the Force," Phillipa pointed out. "How fair is that?"

IT MEANS HE'S ALIVE, countered F(O/R)CE, disappearing and reappearing as a Gungan warrior. AND IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT HE WILL FIND THE GATEWAY BETWEEN MUNDANIA AND XANTH AND RETURN.

Luke felt weak with relief. "Thank you," he murmured, at a loss for anything else to say.

DON'T MENTION IT, F(O/R)CE replied, taking on the form of an Ewok. I HAVE A LIKING FOR THE MAN ANYHOW. HE IS MY SON, IF YOU WANT TO GET TECHNICAL ABOUT IT.

"Your son?" repeated Leia, stunned.

WELL, I DIDN'T EXACTLY "SUMMON THE STORK" WITH HIS MOTHER, the demon confessed, now in Rogue-pilot form. HE WAS CONCEIVED THROUGH MY POWER, HOWEVER, BROUGHT TO LIFE BY WHAT YOU CALL THE FORCE AND WHAT XANTHIANS CALL MAGIC. He chuckled as he took on the form of a droideka. I HAVE MY WAYS OF ENSURING THE FORCE REMAINS IN BALANCE, HOWEVER UNUSUAL THEY MAY SEEM TO MORTALS.

"Hooray!" cheered Jenny, jumping with glee. "He's coming back to Xanth! If you had a real body, I'd hug you, F(O/R)CE!"

If it was in the World Demon's power to blush, Luke was sure he would have. I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT, ELF CHILD. FAREWELL, AND GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOUR FUTURE VENTURES. He vanished.

"Wait a minute!" Fett shouted.

F(O/R)CE appeared again, taking on the form of a Mandalorian warrior. YES, FETT?

"Who won the game?" he asked. "I know that sounds callous right now, but…"

F(O/R)CE smacked his forehead. YOU'RE RIGHT, I QUITE FORGOT! THE PRIZE! IT'S IN THE CRYPT KEEPER'S ROOM, BUT SEEING AS THINGS ARE KIND OF MESSY IN THERE AT THE MOMENT… He vanished, returned in the form of a nexu, and dropped a small golden box on the floor. YOU THREE FIGURE OUT WHO GETS IT.

Luke turned to Leia. "Do you want it?"

She shook her head. "No thank you. I've already gotten a gift from the game."

Luke smiled. "All right then, we defer to Fett."

WISE CHOICE, F(O/R)CE replied, now in Hutt form. AFTER ALL, I THINK HE'LL BE SPENDING A LOT MORE TIME IN XANTH FROM THIS POINT FORWARD…

Fett stepped back, startled. "But the game… as soon as I leave the catacombs…"

YOU'LL GO BACK TO OUR GALAXY, I KNOW, replied F(O/R)CE, shifting to the form of a Twi'lek dancer. BUT JUST AS THERE ARE GATEWAYS BETWEEN XANTH AND MUNDANIA, SO ARE THERE GATEWAYS BETWEEN XANTH AND OUR GALAXY. I CANNOT DIVULGE THAT INFORMATION, BUT I'M SURE A HUNTER CAN FIND THE GATEWAYS EASILY ENOUGH.

Fett turned to Phillipa. She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll wait for you," she assured him.

He took her free hand in his. "I will come for you, Phillipa. I'll find the gate."

She bent down and picked up the box, handing it to him. "Take the talent."

He opened the box. A perfect sphere of green light glowed within the box, and he took it into his hand. His arm glowed green for a moment, then faded. He paused, as if receiving a telepathic message, then dropped the box.

"Well?" asked Luke. "What sort of talent is it?"

Fett didn't answer.

HE'S CONCENTRATING, F(O/R)CE noted, now in Ithorian form. HE'S TRYING TO TEST HIS TALENT…

Thunder pealed outside, and a faint drone could be heard as rain began pouring down. Fett nodded in satisfaction.

"Control of the weather?" asked Luke.

PHILLIPA HAS CONTROL OF WATER THAT IS BENEATH THE GROUND, WHICH ALLOWS HER TO CREATE SPRINGS, the demon corrected, now in bantha form. FETT NOW HAS A SIMILAR POWER – CONTROL OF WATER IN THE AIR, WHICH INCLUDES CLOUDS, MIST, AND, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, THE WEATHER. F(O/R)CE vanished and reappeared as a Republic Senate guard. ONCE YOU RETURN TO YOUR GALAXY, YOUR TALENT WILL BE RENDERED INACTIVE UNTIL YOU RETURN TO XANTH.

Fett nodded. "Thank you."

AND NOW, FAREWELL. F(O/R)CE vanished.

Luke sighed. "The Good Magician had me very worried there…"

"But now he's going to tell Mother that Father's dead," Leia pointed out. "How are we…"

"Sammy and I can stop by Imp Ire on our way home," Jenny pointed out. "We'll tell her everything."

Luke bent down and embraced the elf girl. "Thank you, Jenny. I'm going to miss you. But I'll be back very soon."

"So will I," Leia told her, also joining in the embrace. "Thank you for everything, Jenny."

"Hurry back," Jenny urged.

Mentia huffed. "I hate mushy scenes. Gotta go." She popped out.

"Typical," Fett grumbled. He turned and embraced Phillipa. "I will return shortly. Until then, go to Lake Eerie. If Chang and Wara refuse to admit you there, I'll deal with them when I come back."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Jenny patted Sammy's head. "Sammy, show Luke, Leia, and Fett how to get out of the catacombs without running back into the fighting."

Sammy bolted, veering sharply to the right. Luke, Leia, and Fett followed.

"I'm going to miss this place," Leia noted. "Quirks and all."

"Think you'll play the game a little more often now?" Luke asked.

"No need," Fett replied.

Luke turned to face him as they jogged after the cat. "What makes you say that?"

He had to be smiling under the helmet. "I think I know where the gateway is."

Break…

Anakin shot to his feet, panting and shaking, cold sweat drenching his robes. Where was he? What had just happened? X(A/N)TH had threatened him with exile from Xanth – and instant oblivion – if he defied him. Whatever this was, it couldn't be oblivion…

"What the heck?"

He whirled. Two men were staring at him, one in stormtrooper armor, the other wearing the same jet-black armor he had once worn years ago. Close by was parked a battered silver-blue vehicle, plastered with Star-Wars-themed bumper stickers and its hood up to reveal a smoking engine. Surrounding the three of them was a wide, barren expanse of scrub-dotted desert, the only sign of civilization being a ribbon of paved road slicing through.

Before he could ask anything of the two men, a voice sounded in his head.

F(O/R)CE OWES ME BIG FOR THIS!

/What do you mean? And who are you/

DEMON E(A/R)TH. X(A/N)TH BROKE THE RULE THAT STATES NO DEMON CAN MESS WITH THE DENIZENS OF ANOTHER WORLD WITHOUT PERMISSION, AND HE'S BEING PUNISHED. DEMON F(O/R)CE AND I CHANGED YOUR PUNISHMENT. YOU'RE IN MUNDANIA NOW.

Anakin looked around, bemused. This was the land all Xanth feared?

THE GATEWAY BACK TO XANTH IS IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. GO FIND IT. AND FAREWELL.

So he would not face death again for defying X(A/N)TH. And the path back to Xanth had been pointed out. He smiled, feeling confident for the first time in days. The Force – or F(O/R)CE, if one wanted to see it that way – had come through for him again.

"He's probably a hobo," the Vader impersonator muttered. "Who else would be sleeping on the side of a highway…"

"He doesn't look like a hobo," the stormtrooper murmured. "Hobos don't wear robes…"

"I'm not a hobo," Anakin assured them. "Your names?"

"I'm Douglas," the stormtrooper told him. "This is my friend Christian."

"Hello Douglas, Christian. Could you tell me where I am?"

"Texas," Christian replied.

"We're on our way to a convention in Florida," Douglas replied. "Why?"

Anakin's gaze moved to their broken-down car. "If I repair your vehicle, will you give me a ride?"

Douglas and Christian exchanged an inscrutable look. Then Douglas turned back to him. "Don't see why not."

Anakin's smile widened, and he turned his attention to the vehicle.

/I love you, children, Padme. I'll be home very soon./