Chapter 5 – Forcing the Issue
"Bring the girl to me," Lilah commanded the security officers who struggled with bounding and gagging the girl.
"Everybody out of the room. Me and cupcake over here are going to have the girl talk," Lilah said with an amused smile. She turned slowly to the girl and looked down on her with cold eyes. This wasn't the first time someone was trying to steal her fire, but she was surprised it was a teenage girl. Not a lawyer, but a teenager. Who really was this girl that could attack Lindsey from a long distance? Lilah leaned against the wall and studied the girl who was struggling through the ropes that kept her hands and legs bounded together. The girl glared at Lilah like fire spitting out of a volcano.
"What a feisty one you are," Lilah replied with a laugh as she slowly approached the girl, circling her like an eagle testing its prey. "I have some questions and I'm sure you have the answers so if you play nice and cooperate I'll make sure no harm comes to you or your friend," Lilah said, beaming with pride as she noticed the girl's eyes widen with surprise. "I knew there was another piece to this puzzle. Now I'm going to take this cloth out of your mouth and you're going to answer my questions." Lilah tugged the fabric out of the girl's mouth.
"Who are you?" Lilah demanded.
"As if I'm going to tell you," the girl replied, spitting in Lilah's face. Lilah smirked and carefully rubbed the spit off her face. This girl was just playing hard. Well I can fight fire against fire, Lilah thought with a grin. Lilah grabbed the girl's face forcefully and re-asked the question.
"What's it to you?" The girl shot back, frowning.
"Not going to talk? Then I guess you wouldn't mind me tightening your ropes," Lilah mused. The girl shrugged indifferently and grinned. Lilah laughed. The girl reminded her of when she was young and naïve, before Wolfram and Hart took her under their wing.
"Tough girl, I admire that in you. I wonder what would happen if I touched this," Lilah pulled out the silver weapon from under Becky's brown robe.
"Don't!" Becky shouted, her grin turning into shock. Lilah lifted her perfectly plucked eyebrow and smiled as she played with the weapon and taunted the girl.
"I wonder…Are you a new slayer? Someone to put Angel in his place?" Lilah turned the weapon in her hands ever so slowly. It felt nice and powerful. If only there were a way to activate it, she mused as she watched the girl try to rip the ropes apart.
Becky's eyes were blank. Slayer? Bounty Hunter? Was this one of Dooku's traps? Was Natalie being tortured in the other room? Becky concentrated and briefly closed her eyes, but could sense nothing.
Lilah circled the weapon with her perfect manicured hands until she found the target. Bulls eye!
"What do you want?" Becky asked as she jerked her body, trying to get out of the tight rope.
"Money, power, success and your name…possibly your life if you don't cooperate," Lilah commanded, her spirits lifting. She still had the power.
"My name is Becky," the girl replied quickly, her eyes fell on the weapon in Lilah's hands.
"Becky? Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Lilah replied with a grin as she pushed a button and colorful light spilled out of the silver weapon.
Anakin crouched next to R2D2 and carefully cleaned him up. The land seemed very still and quiet as he rewired R2, almost too quiet. Anakin tried to listen closely and closed his eyes trying to get a sense of where Natalie or Becky may be. Nothing came to him. A sudden cool chill was creeping down his back. Anakin slowly turned around to see a human figure turn into a creature. Anakin quickly reacted and flung out his light saber with Obi-Wan by his side. Obi-Wan swung at the creature and slashed its ear off and hit it again, but missed and got nicked on his arm by the creature and crashed into the ground. The creature was quick and didn't carry any weapons on him and its eyes were soulless black. Anakin glared at the creature. Hate with hate and pain with pain, Anakin focused on the creature's weakness.
"Use the force, Anakin. Trust your instincts and concentrate," Obi-Wan encouraged Anakin.
Anakin frowned and swung at the thing like a piñata. The thing just got stronger gaining the advantage on Anakin and quickly jerked Anakin's hand sending the light saber flying. Anakin realized that without his light saber the creature was strong. Stronger than any animal or human that he has ever known. Anakin's heart hammered as the beast bent its head towards his neck. Obi-Wan crawled on the ground in pain and lifted up his hand towards the beast.
"Let go of him," Obi-Wan commanded, manipulating the beast's mind. The creature stared at Obi-Wan and grinned evilly as it dropped Anakin and headed for Obi-Wan. Concentrating Obi-Wan lifted the creature into the air with his mind and spun him aroundand threw him across the parking lot of the shady building. The creature fled and Anakin turned back to his Master.
"What was that thing, Master?" Anakin stared into the distance toward where the beast ran off.
"It was a creature of the night. There's a lot you still need to learn, my young Padawan." Obi-Wan replied softly in between painful breaths.
"Your inner feelings betray you and cloud your judgment. You need complete control in order to defeat the enemy. We need to work as a team," Obi-Wan pointed out to Anakin.
"Why don't you trust me? He would have had us both if I didn't wound him, Master," Anakin shouted, feeling frustrated.
"He would have killed you if I didn't stop him. Remember what I taught you? Fear leads to anger and anger leads to the Dark side. You need not use your anger on him, my young Jedi. Have patience, Anakin. The beast is none of our concern. The Jedi Council gave us top priority to rescue and protect Natalie and Senator Becky. We need to find Count Dooku," Obi-Wan instructed.
"Yes, Master Kenobi," Anakin replied softly with a sigh as he dusted himself off and helped Obi-Wan up carefully from the ground, letting Obi-Wan lean into him. Anakin stared off into the distance to where the beast ran. He didn't want anything to happen to Natalie. He already failed her once. His thoughts swam through his vision as he recalled everything...
Anakin stopped and stared at the beauty following Senator Becky and Queen Bianka. She wore lavender silk that slinked below her shoulders and dipped into a skirt that flowed around her body like an ocean kissing the milky land. Her eyes were a silvery blue that sparkled every time she laughed. Her group stopped in front of him.
"Welcome, Anakin Skywalker to Alderaan," The Queen spoke. Anakin bowed and smiled at the Queen.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Anakin looked up at the young woman next to the Senator. She smiled shyly at him.
"This is Senator Becky of whom you are protecting from the Separatist threat and this is her confidant and personal assistant, Natalie," The Queen said, gesturing to both of the women.
"This is Anakin Skywalker, he's a Jedi in training and will be protecting you both," The Queen said with a slight smile, nodding her head towards Anakin.
"Pleasure to meet you," Natalie replied softly.
"The pleasure is all mine," Anakin smiled as he kissed both of their hands, lingering on Natalie's hand.
"I'll leave you all in good company. Farewell, Anakin. Take good care of my friends," The Queen replied as she and her bodyguard went aboard her ship and took off and left Anakin with the girls in the gardens behind the Senator's secret house away from Naboo.
Months later Anakin brought to the Jedi Council's attention that both Natalie and Senator Becky had incredible strength with the force and was willing to teach them. His plea to teach the girls was denied. A Padawan teaching another Padawan was unheard of and against the Jedi law. Although the girls weren't children they learned well and quickly from Master Windu, but secretly Anakin fell in love with Natalie and was teaching her the ways of the force too.
"I don't think we can do this. It just isn't proper," Natalie insisted as she swung her light saber and practiced dueling with Anakin.
"You're getting extra practice, plus with my help it will make you stronger," Anakin replied as he blocked her and swung faking a right and then swung his light saber to the left. She gasped and blocked his swing as he laughed, his eyes sparkling as he surprised her by leaning forward to kiss her. Turning his light saber and her light saber off he tucked it aside as he pulled her close and deepened the kiss. Natalie broke it off suddenly.
"What about the vows? Anakin we can't do this again without getting caught. They will find out," Natalie exclaimed.
Anakin tilted her head and smiled confidently at her.
"Let them know then. I love you, Natalie and I won't let anything happen to you," Anakin promised as he placed an ivory necklace over her head.
"This was your mothers. Surely you should keep it," Natalie commented.
Anakin interrupted Natalie by kissing her.
"She would approve," Anakin insisted. Natalie smiled, kissing him back.
"I love you too, Ani," Natalie teased, putting her arms around his neck.
"It's Anakin," Anakin insisted, kissing her temple, but smiled gently.
I should have known then that leaving her with the Jedi Council meant sending her into a trap. If I hadn't brought her back with the Senator than this would never had happened. I was forewarned about the danger and trusted the Council to protect her while I was on another mission. What a fool I was, Anakin thought angrily as he brought Obi-Wan inside the ship to be patched up. I won't screw up next time and that's a promise, Anakin thought with determination as he set to help Obi-Wan.
"She's telling me what to do. Am I hearing this right? Can I get a confirmation on that, please? I am Angel. I am the leader. Since when can other people change my mind? This is crazy," Angel muttered.
"Yeah, you're telling me Angel cakes. I mean you're basically talking to yourself. How much crazier can you get?" Lorne snorted.
"She's almost like Connor. Giving out the commands and jumping in when she is ready," Gunn commented.
"Hey! I heard that from over here. Hello…super hearing," Connor muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Okay! What do we do to stop her?" Angel cued in.
"We can't try to stop her Angel. She is quite determined to find her friend," Wes stated.
"Can you guys keep it down," Gunn whispered. "She's only in the other room with Doyle, Fred and Cordy."
"I thought after you find your friend I could give you a makeover," Cordy mused, clapping her hands together as she ogled Natalie's black one piece outfit that fit her laser and light saber with her brown cloak over it.
"She looks more than fine from where I'm standin,'" Doyle interrupted, beaming at Natalie as he directed her into the meeting room.
"What more do you expect from a girl who has been badly wounded? It's like being thrown into a dimension that tosses you around like a blender," Fred pointed out, nodding.
"Thank you. Look I know everyone's worried, but I am fine. Really! I need to do this for Senator Becky and myself. I am more than what I appear to be. Everyone in this room seems to accept uniqueness so trust me. I know what I am doing. I've learned how to fight from the best," Natalie replied with pride.
"Well that settles everything," Cordy chimed in cheerfully as Natalie wandered off.
"I'm still not satisfied," Angel huffed.
"Dad, you need to quit being a sour puss and start believing in other people. You're not going to be the only champion in the world and you can't force the issue with Natalie. Lets face it you couldn't face the music with me. So we'll go with her to help her out. She may not be a slayer, but she's no damsel in distress either. Okay?" Connor rushed in.
"Okay, lets do it then," Angel replied with a sigh as he followed Connor out the door with the Angel team behind him.