Chapter 10

AN: I know it has been a very long time since my last update. I experienced an intense loss in my life and it made writing anything very difficult. However, I have missed it and I am back.

Ari couldn't sleep or even rest. She knew that she needed rest, that the twins she was carrying needed rest but it wasn't possible. She was trying not to move. She knew Luke was not asleep, but he was meditating. Ari had tried to do that as well, but was unable to focus. First, the children had been taken, then the new temple had been bombed and now there was someone out there with another Death Star.

Holding back a sigh, Ari got to her feet. She was nearly silent as she stepped out of the room. She gave small nods to the guards who were around the apartment. Though everyone decided people needed rest, it was still busy in the main room. A few code breakers were working quietly with an exhausted Leia. Han was quietly talking to her, probably to get some rest. Lando and Chewie seemed to be looking over some information.

"Can't sleep?" Mara spoke up.

Ari shook her head. "Not at all."

"Skywalker?"

"He is mediating."

"I don't think any of us are going to get any rest around here," Mara responded.

Ari sighed and nodded. She was exhausted, but she couldn't just stand there doing nothing. All of a sudden, it all felt like too much. Everything felt so cramped. There were so many people and not enough answers.

With a quick excuse to Mara, Ari quickly stepped outside.

It was like a whole different world. It had been quiet inside, almost too quiet, but outside, even in the middle of the night, it was busy on Coruscant. There was a constant stream of traffic. Even without that she was sure she would hear the noise of the thousands of beings elsewhere.

She took a deep breath, hoping the cooler air would help, but instead, she felt herself inhaling all the smells of the busy city-planet. It was not soothing at all. It just made her feel more on edge.

She thought back to those nights long ago on Tatooine. The cool air at night. The air, while dry was clean. She could see so many stars and planets whenever the twin suns had set. That was not the case now. With so many lights, it was impossible to see any other stars or planets, though she knew they were there.

Ari found herself missing her former homes. Not just Tatooine. She missed the peaceful and lush planet of Naboo. So full of life, but calmer. Lovely lands, especially the Lake Country where she had given birth to both her children. The gatherings with the Naberrie family that occurred there. The quiet nights with only the quiet wind through the trees and the distant roar of the waterfalls. The sweet smell of the flower. Then there were the Temples on Yavin. The cool stone a relief during especially hot days. The life of the jungle all around them. Climbing to the top of the temples or into the trees to look up at the stars.

Coruscant had many things, but it didn't have anything to bring her anything to focus on to relax. Instead, she felt more on edge. Any vehicle might try to take the rest of the children or might be taking their children further away. Any extra loud noise put her more on edge until she felt like she was shaking.

She became aware she was being watched. "What?" she asked, a bit more sharply than she had planned.

"I can feel your tension from inside," Mara said.

"I can't relax. Our children are missing. Others are being kidnapped. There is a Sith out there somewhere or at least someone who uses the Dark Side and on top of that there seems to be a whole new Death Star!" she ended with an exclamation.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Mara asked after a moment, looking out over at the vast city-planet.

"What do you mean?" Ari asked, feeling a bit better after her outburst.

"I know we aren't close, but I know you are not one to just sit around and wait for others to make a plan."

"That much is true," she admitted. "It feels like we are spread so thin. I know the Republic is more focused on the Death Star. We as Jedi are more concerned about those taken. Yet, we all went to help each other."

"So, what will do you?" Mara asked.

Ari thought about it for a moment, listening to the Force. It wasn't hard to decide her next course of action.

"I'm going to save my child, my nieces and nephew and any others who were taken. I know a bit more of what to expect now. A Sith, or at least someone who is connected to the Force, but using the Dark Side. I will be prepared this time."

"We will," Mara amended.

"We?" Ari repeated.

"I am going with you," Mara stated in a matter of fact tone. "I used to be the Emperor's Hand. Who else would you bring?"

Ari thought about bringing up Luke but she knew how he would react to her leaving on a mission like this. He would be insistent about her staying and taking care of herself and the twins that hadn't been born yet. She understood that, but she also knew she couldn't just wait for someone else to find the children. They were being attacked both as Jedi and a Republic. She knew the Republic would be most focused on the new weapon, not finding missing Jedi or Jedi-in-training.

"Okay. But I need to get some clothes and my lightsaber."

Mara smirked a bit and picked up a bag. "All in here, including your current journal."

"How…" she trailed off and then frowned a bit. "R4?" she asked. Her droid had come into the room earlier in the evening, but she hadn't thought much of it.

"R4 is a very helpful droid."

"Certainly is," Ari agreed, but paused. She hated to leave without telling Luke, but she knew he would try to stop her.

"Want to tell Skywalker?"

"Yes. But I should probably contact him from the ship. He won't be happy."

"Better than him stopping you." She picked up both bags and headed for the door.

Ari paused, thinking about all she was leaving. So many of her family members and friends. She knew that this mission might be a failure or she might not come back. She might a silent vow that she would do everything she could to make sure all of them came home.

With that, she turned and followed Mara.