Tynan wondered why his master was so angry; he merely told her the truth. Why did she send him out of the encampment when there were dangerous animals afoot? She had promised that she would always take care of him, she lied! Anakin felt the fury of the young boy and he felt a great sense of betrayal and frustration. Tynan felt a presence nearby watching him, he jumped to his feet or rather attempted but he was being held in place.
"Come out and show yourself or are you afraid?"
"Fear is a path to the dark side, young one." A mysterious voice replied.
"I'm not scared of you!" Tynan replied bravely though his voice quivered.
Tynan tossed a rock through the Force at where he believed the mysterious man to be, Anakin caught it and Tynan watched as it rolled and tumbled in the air. Anakin pushed the rock towards the young boy and Tynan caught it.
"Rocks are ineffective against me, young one."
Tynan still couldn't get free of his force-induced cage. "Let me go!" he screamed.
As Anakin pulled his hood down and appeared in the light, the young man recognized him, 'Chosen One.' He murmured.
"I actually preferred to be called Anakin Skywalker." Anakin rolled his eyes.
"My master told me to hate you." Tynan whispered.
"Why?"
"You killed Darth Sidious and captured Count Dooku; she wants to complete her training."
"Who is your master, young one?"
Tynan refused to answer, Anakin felt the overwhelming fear. Anakin crouched to the boy and looked in his eyes, they were a feral yellow. "Let go of your fear and hate."
"I can't, master will kill me." Tynan cried as his emotions overwhelmed him, the despair was very evident. Anakin sent a tendril of the Force towards the young boy and comforted him in its warmth.
Tynan cried even more and attempted to get away from the warm feelings, but the more he struggled the more it kept him enraptured. Anakin gently probed the young boys' feelings he had been forced to watch Aurra murder his mother and his entire village. "How many are there, Tynan?"
"I'm the eldest; there are 10 of us, as we disappoint our master she sends out of the encampment, most of my friends have died. She promised to take care of us, but she lied. We are so afraid of her, can you help us?"
"Yes. Come inside you are very hungry and tired."
Anakin released the young boy and held out his hand, Tynan took it gratefully. He fingered the clasps of the leather gauntlet glove. "Why do you wear a glove?"
"I have an artificial arm."
"What happened?"
"It's a long story, maybe some other time."
Tynan seemed satisfied with that answer and as they approached the manor, Tynan began to shake in fear again.
"Shh, don't be afraid, you are among friends, Tynan. Nobody will hurt you here, okay?"
"Promise?"
"Yes."
"Are you really the Hero with No Fear?"
"Mm, please don't remind me, okay? The press loves to make up stories about their media darlings, I do not like it. They are incredibly fickle."
"Fickle, what does that mean?"
"Fickle means that they can change constantly, pretending to be your friend on moment and you enemy the next."
"Aurra is fickle."
Anakin smiled, the boy was smart. Whie approached Anakin and the young boy, sensing great darkness in the boy.
"Whie this is Tynan."
"Good morning, Tynan." Whie friendly greeted.
Tynan looked at the young man and clung harder to Anakin's hand.
"Whie won't hurt you Tynan, he is a good friend."
"Come are you hungry?"
"Yes." Tynan tentatively replied.
"Go on, Tynan, Whie will give you something to eat and a blanket to warm up."
Obi-Wan was already folding up his bed as was Luke when they saw a young boy come towards them with yellow feral eyes. "Whie?"
"Master Skywalker found him outside, he told me to feed him and get him a blanket." Anakin stood at the manor door mediating releasing his sorrow and despair of finding such a young boy a slave to Aurra Sing.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan approached his former apprentice.
"Obi-Wan."
"Did you notice the young boy's eyes?"
"Yes, master I did, frightening isn't it? But he hasn't been trained in the Sith arts, he can barely stop me from probing his mind. He has only been trained in surviving and he is incredibly angry and fearful."
"Who is the leader of his camp?"
"Aurra Sing."
"I didn't even think she would stoop so low to corrupt children."
"Aurra is only interested in power; she hates the fact that I've killed Darth Sidious and wants Count Dooku to train her as a Sith."
"But Count Dooku is coming back to the light, isn't he?"
"Yes, but she doesn't know that."
"You are up to something aren't you?"
"Who me?" Anakin smiled.
"You are a Skywalker; you are always up to something. Luke takes after you so much."
"I take that as a compliment, Obi-Wan."
"You would." Obi-Wan retorted.
Anakin approached Count Dooku, "Sleep well?"
"Mm, fair; these old bones don't like sleeping on a cold hard floor, Anakin."
Anakin sat across from Count Dooku and described the situation.
"You want to use me as bait?" Count Dooku was incredulous.
"Well, we have to rescue the other 9 children, most are younger than Tynan."
Luke stared at the young boy with yellow eyes, he had seen Sith eyes in that creature Darth Maul when he was studying about his mother's home planet and the invasion army. He had never seen such yellow eyes up close though.
Tynan felt uncomfortable being stared at by this boy.
"Stop staring at me!" Tynan rose to his feet and Luke jumped to his.
"Don't make me angry." Tynan raised his hand and force shoved Luke across the room.
Luke picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could at the young boy, who ducked and it hit Mara Jade squarely in the head causing her to cry out.
"What's the meaning of this?" Mara turned around and saw the two boys fighting while things were quite literally flying around the room. Luke felt himself being lifted up from the fray and when he opened his eyes staring directly into the eyes of his father, who was glaring at him. Tynan was being helped to his feet by Master Tiin.
Luke was lowered to his feet and Tynan shot a bolt of lightening at Luke, it wasn't strong enough to maim, but enough to sting, Luke shouted.
"Enough! What's the problem?" Obi-Wan ordered.
"He kept staring at me and wouldn't leave me alone." Tynan accused.
"I've just never seen Sith eyes before, I'm sorry, but I was just curious."
"I'm not a Sith! My master says I'm unworthy for training." Tynan cried as he crumbled to the ground allowing his despair to overwhelm him.
Han Solo and Padmé played Sabacc on their journey. "Was Anakin always so strict?"
"I remember when I first met him; he was a cute funny little boy. He was very generous and sweet, he only thought of others, he was very protective of his mother."
"How old was he?"
"Nine and I was fourteen; He had short blond hair, bright clear blue eyes, he made me this japor snippet when I first met him."
"Ancient symbols, I recognize some of them."
"You?"
"Yes, milady, I've traveled around a bit, I've even been to Tatooine with Lando."
"Anakin despised that planet."
"Not much to like, really."
Padmé described to Han about her experiences with her husband, leaving out all of their intimate moments.
Han laughed at most of the adventures that they had and how the two would banter.
Anakin, Saesee, Obi-Wan, Count Dooku formulated a plan to lure Aurra Sing away from the children, while Anakin would have Tynan lead the children away while she was busy with Count Dooku. The children would follow Tynan as he was the eldest and since most of the children were on the verge of starvation, he would lead them back here with Whie's help. They would wait until dawn the next morning to do this.
Meanwhile, Aurra Sing sent three of the children to her enemy's ship to disable it, using the bombs she forced the children to carry; if they failed she would detonate the explosives thereby killing the children. The children cried as she lashed at them with an invisible whip and they scattered away from the encampment. Sully was a nine year old girl, who led them to the ship to destroy it. She managed to disengage the bomb from herself and as she attempted to get them off the two youngest, they were detonated and Sully found herself flying fifty feet in the air before landing on the ground in a heap. She cried out loud as she attempted to stand but found her leg twisted out at an odd angle. Anakin and the others ran out to see the ship completely destroyed along with two other children, the third child lay nearby. The child passed out from the agony of a compound fracture in her leg. Anakin gently lifted her up and carried her into the manor.
Nearby, Aurra Sing cackled with evil maniacal laughter. The Dark Side had finally consumed her and since she didn't have any training on wielding it, she was now fully insane. The other children would suffer the same fate if they weren't taken from Vjun soon. Sully felt a warm presence soothe her mind as they set her leg, she was sobbing from not only fear but of pain. She was grateful when she saw Tynan holding her hand and trying his best to comfort her. After Sully's leg was set she began to cry out her sorrow for the two youngest that died. Whie's mind entered hers and offered her peace and quiet as he helped her through the Dark Side's maze. Saesee and Obi-Wan did a general check of the remains of the ship it was utterly destroyed.
"Well, unless someone sends us a ship, we could be stuck here for awhile." Obi-Wan observed.
Padmé and Han Solo found the planet and where the Jedi Team was located and would soon be landing; Anakin felt his wife's presence nearby.
"Padmé?"
"Anakin?"
"What by the force are you doing here? I told you stay home! It's much too dangerous for you to be here."
"Since when do I have to listen to you? You do not order me around, like some padawan, Anakin Skywalker!"
"This is not the time for you to argue with me, Mrs. Skywalker! It is too dangerous for you to be here! Who flew with you, it better not be Han Solo!"
"So what if it is?"
"Padmé it's a damn good thing you are my wife and not my child or I would put you over my knee."
"It never worked with Captain Paneka, what makes you think it will work with you?"
"I don't have time to argue with you, Padmé."
"Let's argue in person then!"
"Fine!" Anakin cut off connection and sighed deeply.
"I swear that woman; she has a lot of nerve."
"Do I sense a domestic disturbance, young one? Count Dooku questioned as he laughed.
"If only you knew, Count Dooku." Anakin put his head in his hands and sighed deeply.
Obi-Wan caught snippets of Anakin's telepathic conversation with Padmé. "I'd pay real credits to watch you put Padmé over your knee Anakin. I don't even think you could catch a politician, they are too slippery."
Anakin glared at Obi-Wan, who merely laughed and Anakin released his frustration and began to laugh too.
Han Solo saw Padmé swear start talking out loud to no one.
"That insufferable, arrogant, stubborn, male-chauvinistic, hind end of a bantha, husband of mine, how dare he threaten me with such a childish punishment? He doesn't want to argue with me, I'll make him eat his words."
If Padmé was upset, then Han was absolutely horrified of what Anakin would do to him the minute he disembarked the Falcon. After landing on the opposite of the manor, Anakin stood there at the bottom of the lowering ramp with his hood up and glaring at Han Solo as he started to come down the ramp. Han Solo attempted to run back up to the Falcon, but found himself being pulled strongly towards Anakin.
"You have some explaining to do, Solo." Anakin explained as he glowered at the young man.
"It was all Miss Padmé's idea, Anakin. Please I'm a victim in all of this."
"That was your excuse when you found yourself in Mara Jade's prank also."
Han Solo shrugged his shoulders and sheepishly looked into Anakin's eyes and found them twinkling with humor, "You may go, Solo." Anakin said in his mind as Han smiled.
Padmé pulled on her ivory shawl and started to go down the gangplank when she saw Anakin coming up, "You have some explaining to do milady." Anakin sternly replied.
"You dare speak this way to me! I am your wife, your equal, Anakin."
"Yes, but you also have a tendency to not look out for your safety like you should."
"I'm five years older than you, Anakin. You cannot rule me with an iron fist or any kind of fist at all." Padmé stood up to Anakin. He always admired her courage and her audacity; it was those things that made him love her so much. She started to walk past him, "Where are you going, milady?" Anakin asked as he looked at her with an impish grin on his face.
"I want to see my son and Obi-Wan, is there a problem?"
"No, milady, but we haven't finished discussing our situation here."
"We can talk about it later, Anakin. I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for any games."
"Me, neither." With that he picked up a surprised Padmé and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Anakin Skywalker, you will put me down this minute!" Padmé screamed.
"Shh, yelling is very unbecoming a senator."
"You wouldn't dare! I'll . . ."
"You'll what, milady? Have you managed to lose your tongue; a speechless politician that's a rarity in of itself." Anakin taunted.
"I'll get you." Anakin laughed at Padmé's empty threat.
"Put me down this instant! I'm not some errant child!" Padmé beat on Anakin's back with small ineffectual fists. Anakin laughed at her antics as he carried her into the bedroom. Padmé was gently placed on the bed as Anakin removed his cloak and hung it up. Padmé jumped up to run from the room but Anakin stood in her way.
"Where are you going, angel? Obviously you missed me so badly that you had to go and put yourself in grave danger to see me." Padmé backed down determined to get past him. He moved towards her and grabbed her wrist while sitting on the bed and pulled her in his lap.
"Let me go!" Padmé yelled.
"Not on your life, angel; an important lesson is about to be imparted."
Han Solo joined the others and Luke ran to hug him, "Where's mom?"
"She's with Anakin; I think they want to be left alone for right now."
When Padmé joined the others, Obi-Wan sensed strange feelings from Padmé, they were intermingled with pain but she looked happy too. Then he pulled his feelings away from her, blushing deeply.
"So, master, how many credits were you going to pay me?" Anakin smirked as he observed Obi-Wan's embarrassment.
Padmé mockingly glared at Anakin and then hugged her son Luke.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"Yes, just fine, Luke."
"Mm, your bottom seems kind of sore; I can try to heal you if you like." Luke offered.
Padmé smiled gratefully and felt Luke's presence grow around her, until a dark blanket stifled the healing process.
"Don't even try it my son or you might find yourself in the same predicament." Anakin threatened.
Luke grew wide-eyed his blue eyes matching Padmé's shock.
"That's some trick, Anakin." Obi-Wan observed.
"It only works on padawans; as they aren't as trained as the rest of us."
"Yea, Dad, one day I might even defeat it."
"I'll be waiting." Anakin grinned evilly.
Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head; Saesee and Count Dooku took first watch over the Falcon while the others slept. Anakin and Mara would take the next watch to ensure that no one sabotaged the ship.
Author's Note:I'm going to end it here for right now, sorry to leave you hanging. I always welcome comments. I will try to update before Christmas, if I don't I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas.—Darth Gladiator45