Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You all make my day when you review! As for brother/sister moments, I doubt there will be many, except for the all mysterious "force bond" which is fun to use. This chapter was one of my first attempts at an action sequence and it's not really my strong point. Hopefully this chapter advances the story anyway. As ever, Star Wars does not belong to me and I receive no profit from this fiction. Please Read and Review!
Chapter 8
Luke walked down the village street, mindful of his friends hidden around him. He knew Artoo followed him, though not quite as inconspicuously as Luke might have wished.
"Stay back, my little friend", he whispered into the com-link. He interpreted the complicated whistles to be a rejection of that idea. "Do as I say or you won't be able to help me", Luke warned and the droid reluctantly complied.
Luke had asked several impertinent questions around the small village, not bothering to disguise his identity and allowing his lightsaber to swing beside his leg, in plain sight. Where are you?
The security officers sent by Queen Atalya seemed like children, fresh faced and clumsily eager to please. He had explained as little as possible and they had feared him too much to question his enigmatic orders. He hated the palpable fear surrounding him. His secure relationships in the Rebellion had insulated him, he realized. Thanks to Palpatine and Vader the term Jedi had become nothing but a ghost story to scare the younger crowd, and send apprehension up the spine of their elders as well. Though some now realized the lies, the Jedi remained none the less shrouded in mystery and legend. This must change, he thought. The Guardians of Peace before the Empire, Ben had said.
Luke snapped out of his reverie in time to light his saber and deflect several blaster shots. He caught a glimpse of the familiar gray uniforms retreating behind a building down the alley. "Here's where the fun begins," he murmured into his comm. and heard the rewarding snort from Han. The citizens of the village disappeared and Luke knew the village had been surrounded.
"You're surrounded, Master Jedi," a voice sneered. Luke continued deflecting the random shots with ease, not even breaking a sweat.
"Surrender now and it will go well with you," Luke responded. "We can settle this quickly." The lack of response did not bode well for the Imperials' future, Luke decided. "I do not want to harm you," he cautioned, "But I will if I must."
"I am certain you will try," the same voice responded. Suddenly the skirmish became a full battle as the officers, accompanied by several dozen storm troopers, appeared from behind their hiding places and resolutely marched toward the lone Jedi. Luke settled his nerves and rested in the Force. The moves came quickly and without thought, as if the lightsaber moved according to its own will to block the multitude of blaster shots raining on his head.
Luke's mind recalled the instruction of the diminutive Jedi master. Rest! The direction of Ben from so very long ago whispered the stances and parries he needed, providing Luke with very little trouble halting the attackers, severing weapons from hands, and deflecting their own shots back on them, though he was attempting to leave most alive and relatively complete men.
The Imperials still wore the drab gray uniforms with the now meaningless insignia. Luke felt the distracting presence of storm-troopers, noticeable by their similar, cloned minds, and tried to ignore the sensation. Same old party... A familiar whistle distracted him and he turned.
"Artoo, I thought I told you stay back!" He shouted, despite the futility. The droid would obviously do whatever it wanted. Artoo produced a weapon from within his dome and began shooting electric bolts at anyone within his range. Luke pulled back, his lightsaber moving so quickly it could hardly be seen, causing multiple attackers to fall and move no more, so he could protect the intractable astromech. Within minutes the battle, such as it was, ended.
"Line up there," Luke directed the disarmed and wounded Imperials, as he handed Artoo the confiscated weapons. Why did he feel something had been left incomplete? "Report," he ordered.
"Bit of a skirmish but the south side is secure, sir," one of the security officers called.
"North side secure, sir," a familiar voice mocked.
"That's great, Han," Luke smiled, as he looked over the defeated Imperials. They watched him curiously. Luke tried to ignore their scrutiny but he could not ignore the sensation of awe several of them projected.
"The west side is secure, Luke," Pooja announced from her position with the rest of the security officers. "Several security officers are wounded but nothing serious." Luke listened for the final call and felt the unease increase.
"Leia?" Han's voice called urgently before Luke could speak. Ordering the Queen's officers to watch the prisoners, he spun on his heel and ran toward Leia's last position.
"She's gone," Han spoke coldly as Luke ran up to him. Han held a scrap of white fabric matching Leia's flight jacket.
"Where is she?"
"You mean you can't tell me?" Han's stare made Luke feel like a child. "You two have some unbreakable mystical connection but it doesn't help you tell me where she is?" Luke shook his head helplessly.
"Try," Han commanded. "Harder." Luke closed his eyes and attempted to rest in the Force. Leia? Leia, hear me.
Luke, he finally heard her response. "They have her," he told Han. He tried to process the images Leia had pressed in his mind.
"Well, come on, lets go," Han would have run then but Luke shook his head and laid a hand on his friend's arm.
"No, Han. We need to regroup."
"She needs us," Han argued. He waved his blaster toward the unknown and Luke reached to lower Han's hand before someone ended up in front of a stray bolt.
"They'll kill her, Han," Luke urged his friend to understand what Leia had tried to tell her brother. "Following her blind is not the way to help her. This is what they wanted, don't you understand? They wanted her."
"Well, they've got her," the grim words echoed into the now still afternoon.
xXx
"What will we do?" Pooja's voice cut the oppressive silence. Her curls had tumbled from their pins and in the rough drab of her peasant's smock she looked young, too young to carry the burden Luke could sense pressing her mind.
"We?" Luke smiled slightly, for the first time since Leia had disappeared. Han, standing by the doors, turned around.
"Luke and me can take care of this," he informed Leia's cousin bluntly.
"I want to help!" Pooja said, indignant with the slight. "This is my home, I can help you."
"Listen, Pooja, I don't doubt your sincerity," Han continued as if she had not interrupted.
"You doubt my ability!"
"You don't know what we're dealing with. You've been sheltered here..." Pooja stood then, cutting off whatever he had been going to say.
"As long as you take the hospitality of my home, you will not speak to me in such a fashion," she held up a hand to silence his next words. "This is my home and I know it well. You would do well to listen to my guidance." She swept from the room, indignation evident in every step.
"Han," Luke began. Han sank into the nearest seat.
"Don't ask me to care about her feelings when we're no closer to rescuing Leia than we were two hours ago." Han looked to his friend. "Look, I know she's your cousin and all, but do you really trust her? There's something not right here. Maybe she had something to do with this!"
"I do trust her, Han. She's hiding something, I'll admit, but I sense no intent against Leia or us - yet." Han shook his head. He leaned against the chair and stared at the intricate patterns on the ceiling.
"Do you sense intent against that missing sister of hers?" Luke shrugged in an inadequate response. "Cause I really couldn't care less if she's got anything against me," Han pointed out.
"Yeah, you've made that pretty clear," Luke admitted. "You do realize that once this is over you will be related to her? Are you sure you want to be enemies with Leia's long lost cousin?"
"If and when that happens, I might care. Until then, I just want Leia back – unharmed," Han pointed his finger at Luke, emphasizing how little he cared about anything without Leia.
"Point taken," Luke conceded. "Anyway, I'm even more confident in Pooja now."
"Oh yeah? Why?"
"She sounded just like Leia."