Ch. 10

Padme sat hugging her knees in the cockpit of the ship, staring out into the dark night. She prayed that Obi Wan would soon arrive, having called him immediately upon seeing Anakin run into Watto's shop and threaten the boy. She knew that Anakin would need the support of his friend, and his help, in order to find their children. But also, she knew Obi Wan should be there to help Anakin control himself, to not let his emotions get the better of him. Anakin had become increasingly calm and passive in the past years, but this was an extreme situation, and even she found herself blaming everyone in her path, worried sick about the twins. She had no idea where Obi Wan had been when she contacted him, but he had assured her he would arrive soon, even though flying to Tatooine from Coruscant was a whole days trip at least.

Suddenly, a commotion outside interrupted her thoughts and she turned quickly to the scene taking place about a mile from them, across the sand. Because all of the surrounding area was flat, she could easily see the lights blinking at her about a mile from there, though the distance was almost impossible to judge in the dark of the night. The boy leapt into the cockpit, staring at her with wide-eyed surprise.

"I think that's them!" he exclaimed, and she immediately stood up, straining her eyes to see what was going on ahead. Dawn was approaching, but the sky was still very dark. She could just vaguely see a large group of speeders approaching a deep space ship. The figures around it were in a fluster, packing supplies and themselves onto the ship hurriedly. Before she could even think, the door to the cockpit was open and the boy was running stealthily but quickly across the sand.

"Wait!" Padme called, but it was too late. He hastily approached them, being careful not to be detected. Just as the ship was taking off, she saw him jumping into the cargo hold, essentially smuggling himself on board. What he planned to do, she had no idea, but worry consumed her. What could a twelve year old possibly do, but get himself in to trouble as well?

Suddenly, a light began to blink in front of her, on the ship's map of planet systems used for navigation. She noticed the light hovered over Tatooine, then moved just outside of Tatooine's atmosphere, then up into space… It was the ship that had just taken off! The boy must have snuck a tracking device on board with him… Suddenly, Padme was extremely grateful to this young boy who was quickly becoming a young hero. She wanted to take off immediately and follow him, but she knew she had to wait for Anakin…she thought sadly of her poor husband, in a futile search of Jabba's palace, when she knew that their children were being carried farther and farther out into space, alone… well, not alone, the boy was there, though she still didn't know what he could actually do. Tears streamed down her face as she stared into the dark blue dawn, when suddenly she was engulfed in a warm and friendly hug.

Taken off guard, she jumped, and heard a familiar voice in her ear.

"I'm sorry, milady," said her husband's former Master. "I didn't mean to startle you, I thought you had seen me approach."

"Oh Obi Wan," she murmured, suddenly realizing how much she had needed a friend. She collapsed into his arms, crying on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Padme," he said, rubbing her back soothingly. "I promise you, we will find them…now… Where is Anakin?"

"Obi Wan, Anakin's in the palace but the boy saw them and he jumped on board and I didn't know what he was doing but he has a tracking device but I can't leave until-"

"Shh, shh…" Obi Wan said, hardly able to decipher the senator's rushed words through her tears. "I will find Anakin, he's at the palace?"
"Yes, but you must bring him immediately back here, because the boy is on the ship and…"

"Who is the boy?"
"I don't know, we found him…" she trailed off, unsure of really how to explain the boy. "I'll explain when you get back, you must find Anakin now, please!"

"Of course," Obi Wan assured her, and, quickly as he had arrived, he was gone into the morning mist, stealthily approaching the palace to find his friend.

"Where are we going?" Demanded the young girl Padawan. The guard groaned, trying desperately to ignore her and her brother's incessant complaining and pleading. He wished he could just knock them out, but he was under strict orders to keep them safe.

"My daddy will not stand for this!" Luke said, echoing his mother's commonly used political statement.

"He will come save us, you know," Leia told the guard, almost taunting him. "Because you're just a bunch of big stupid meanies but my daddy is a Jedi Master and he will kill you all!"

The guard actually gulped in nervousness at this last comment. No one had told him that the man they were hoping would come in search of these children was a Jedi Master. He didn't know the motive or the reason for this mission, all he knew was he was getting paid to watch these stupid kids and make sure they didn't escape on the trip to Kashyyyk. From there, he had no idea where they were going or what was to be done with them, and he didn't care. He just wanted this mission to be over as soon as possible- and it was quickly proving to not be worth the sum he was getting paid.

"I'm thirsty," Luke said for the tenth time, poking at the guard. "Aren't you supposed to give us food and water?"

"No," the guard answered, unsure of when or if the children would get fed at all.

"But you aren't supposed to kill us, and we could die of thirst or hunger, so shouldn't you give it to us?" Leia, ever manipulative, asked.

"Later," mumbled the guard.

"What's your name?" Luke asked. "I'm going to report you to the Council as soon as I get back."
"You're not going back," the guard laughed meanly.

"My daddy will save us!" Luke said. "And his friends."
"Don't be so sure, he'll be walking into a trap," said the guard, realizing right away that he had said too much, even to four year olds.

"What do you mean?" Leia asked. "How a trap?"

"Shut up!" The guard said, threatening her with his blaster.

"You can't hurt us!" Leia taunted him. "You said so."
Suddenly he wished he had never said so- he had told them that he had to keep them safe in a desperate attempt to stop their crying and screaming. They had screamed for hours, and he had a bad headache, so finally he said he wouldn't hurt them, that he couldn't. However, this only encouraged them to be the audacious young Padawans that they were, teasing and mocking and complaining all the time. No, this was definitely not worth the money.

"My arms hurt," Leia complained- their arms were tied loosely but firmly together, behind their backs. However, the captors hadn't accomplished this easily- the twins had fought and struggled bravely and fiercely for at least a half an hour until the many grown creatures around the four year olds could get them tied up.

"That's not the only thing that's going to hurt if you don't shut up!" The guard yelled, at the end of his rope. He jabbed at them with a long pole that resembled a javelin.

"I told you not to hurt them," said a creepy voice behind him. He shivered- The Master.

"I'm sorry, but they wouldn't-" He tried to defend himself, but was cut off.

"They're worth nothing to us unless they are alive- only then can they be used as bait."

"Are you aware that their father is a Jedi Master?" Asked the annoyed and nervous guard.

"Of course," was the darkly amused reply. "These are Anakin Skywalker's children."

"What?" The guard exclaimed, and a few others surrounding them turned at the sudden revelation. "We'll all be killed! How could you dare to capture the Skywalker twins… with their mother as the Chancellor and their father Anakin… Anakin Skywalker, the whole galaxy will be looking for them! Skywalker will be so angry, don't you realize he'll stop at nothing to get them back?"
The Master smiled from beneath the clock of his hood, grinning menacingly-"Precisely," he cackled, then turned quickly and walked away.