Chapter 6

Soon, things were peaceful again, and Artoo dimmed the lights so they were able to see the projector better. Everyone was more or less in their bed, and the only one without a game controller was Ophelia, who was happy just to watch. The game involved a team of special ops forces making their way through various levels of a haunted forest, using an armory of weapons found in hidden locations throughout the level. Unfortunately the game's designers didn't let you return to the middle of a level, and they were nearly at the end when the chronometer went past 22-hundred.

"Didn't he say we had to have the holovid off now?" Ophelia asked.

"We can finish this level now if someone can just make that jump and hit the target to release the door," Luke said, twisting his controller sideways while he dodged an incoming projectile.

"I can do it," Greein said, launching his avatar up to a tree platform. The shot had to be made while leaping in mid-air between two of the platforms, while your teammates kept the zombie acklay at bay. Greein made a pretty good attempt, but fell down to land beside Luke and his shot went too low.

"Let me," Juno said, putting down the cup of popcorn she'd saved. "Just keep those projectiles away."

The zombie acklay could spit acid projectiles made of saliva.

Unfortunately, just as she performed the leap and began shooting, a spit projectile came flying right towards her, and she had to drop back down.

"Ben, you want to try?" Luke asked.

"Why are you even asking me?" Ben said. "You know you can do it."

"I don't know I can do it," Luke said, annoyed. "I couldn't even get through this level last time."

"Just do it and turn it off before your father comes back," Ophelia said, sounding anxious.

She had a point. Now wasn't the time to argue. Luke leaped his avatar over Greein's head and lined up the tree platform jump, while taking note of the position of the door target. He waited for the projectile that had thwarted Juno's attempt to pass by, and then made the jump, aiming straight at the target. It lit up green as his blaster bolt hit it straight on, and Greein whooped with pleasure.

Then, just as Luke landed, a massive explosion engulfed them all, and the sad music of failure filled the speakers.

"What the?" Greein said. "Did some spit slip through?"

"That wasn't from the acklay," Juno said. "That was a thermal detonator."

"Who set one of those off?" Greein said. "I didn't have any left."

"Neither," said Juno.

Everyone looked at Ben. He shrugged. "Uh … maybe my finger slipped on the button."

Luke felt a rush of annoyance. "What?! You did that on purpose!"

"I did not!"

"You did!" Luke said, tossing the controller down on the floor. "Your jealousy is completely out of control!"

"Let's just turn it off," Greein sighed.

Luke picked up the remote, turning the projector black, and then he crawled back up the bed to get under the covers. Juno remained standing in the middle of the floor, trying to finish her cup of popcorn.

"I just don't understand what you want," Luke said, unwilling to let it go. "Do you want me to be useless at everything?"

"Yes, actually," Ben said. "You being useless at anything would be great. Anything at all."

"I can't swim to save myself."

"Who cares about that on Coruscant?" Ben asked.

"He's also useless at buying pyjamas," Ophelia said.

"Yes, thank you, Ophelia," Luke said. "And you are better than all of us at school work. I need your help to figure out tough math problems."

Ben didn't reply.

"Don't bother, Luke," Ophelia said, pulling her blanket up to her chin. "He's like Juno. Just can't accept his station."

Juno twitched her ears and tossed a piece of popcorn at Ophelia. "You narcissist nerf!"

Just as she said the word 'nerf', the doors slid open. But no light streamed into the dark room from the hallway.

It was blocked by an armored Sith Lord.

Juno froze for a moment, staring up at him, and then tried to dive for her bed. Luke sat up as his father stretched out a hand, holding her still.

"What is in your hand?" he asked, the accusation clear in his tone.

Juno quickly hid the popcorn behind her back, but it immediately came flying out of her hands and sailed across the room in mid-air, causing Greein to gasp.

"Is this junk food?!"

"No! Popcorn is full of fibre!" Juno insisted. Then she pointed towards Luke, Ben and Greein. "They were still playing holo games!"

"Come with me."

"Ophelia was saying rude things about Ben!"

"I said come."

He began to pull her forwards with the Force, and Luke hastily began to climb out of bed, seeing Juno's terrified expression. "Dad!"

But Luke found he was unable to move further himself. As soon as Juno was outside the room, the door closed with an ominous hiss.

Father! Luke sent. Leave her alone!

Calm down, Son. She won't be permanently maimed.

Luke sighed. "Artoo, go and make sure she's all right."

Artoo whistled in agreement and then rolled out the doors. A terrified silence followed his exit.

"What will he do to her, Luke?" Ophelia whispered, sounding genuinely worried for her supposed enemy.

"Take her to the brig, of course," Greein said. "I can't believe she tried to sell us out like that."

"She had a point," Ophelia said. "We all broke his rules."

"He's making an example," Ben said, in an ominous tone.

There was a minute of heavy silence, and then Luke sighed. "If she's not back in ten minutes, I'll go and find out what's happening. But I trust Artoo's judgement."

They fell silent again, and Luke watched the chronometer above the holovid slowly tick over. He couldn't help but listen for any hint of screaming. Right before it was about to hit the ten minute mark, Ophelia said, "Do you think he knows who her parents are? I mean … she's not that average."

"Unlike Ben, you mean?" Greein said, sounding amused.

"Sure," Ophelia said, oblivious to Greein's mocking tone. "I don't even know why they made Ben stay here. It's not like anyone would kidnap him."

Before anyone could respond, the doors slid open again, and Juno slipped inside. She went straight to her bed, and then pulled the blankets up to her nose, staring at the ceiling.

"What happened?" Luke asked, at the same time as Ophelia.

Juno just shook her head and then said, "That was the most terrifying ten minutes of my life."

"Did he hurt you?" Ophelia asked, sounding worried.

She shook her head again. After another moment of silence, she said, "He just made me sit in a chair facing the wall in the conference room where he was working. There was a sign on the screen beside it that said 'the brig'."

Greein burst out laughing.

"He let me go after he got a call asking him to go and meet with the Emperor. Said we all better be asleep by the time he comes back."

"How long will that be?" Greein asked.

"Well … it takes a good five minutes to get up to the spires from here," Luke said. "If the Emperor wants to talk to him in person, then it's probably something important. Maybe they've found the Liberator base. So I'd say we have at least half an hour."

Ben sighed and stood up, reaching for his tunic.

"Where are you going?" Greein asked, confused.

"I can't sleep unless I get some fresh air. I'm just going out to the balcony for a bit."

"Are you nuts?" Juno asked. "If he comes back early and finds you out there, he'll put you in the brig!"

"I'll risk it," Ben said, in a flat tone.

"Ben …" Luke started.

But he was already walking out of the room.

"Stars," Greein said. "What is up with him?"

"Long story," Luke said. He thought it over, and then found himself relaying it from the start, for the second time that night. Greein and Juno weren't like Ophelia … Greein clearly thought it was a joke that Ophelia thought Ben was somehow 'average' and Juno had made it clear what she thought of the snobby putdowns. Maybe they would have better advice.

When he was done, Greein was the first to reply.

"Huh. You know … it sounds like this is actually Ben's father's fault. I mean … my parents are boring, but if they started hanging out with my friends instead of me, I'd get angry and jealous too."

"This entire thing was Ben's idea though. He insisted his father enter the contest with me."

"He could have put a stop to it when he saw Ben was feeling sensitive about it, though."

"I suggested that and he got even more angry," Luke said. "I just wish this contest had never even happened. I want my friend back."

There was another minute of silence, during which Luke listened for any sign of Ben's return. Then Juno said, "It's just Ben and his dad, right?"

"Yes," Luke said.

"His relationship with his dad probably means a lot to him."

Luke agreed, thinking of his own relationship with his father.

"If he's scared that his dad thinks he's a disappointment because he's not as good as shooting as you are, that would really mess him up. It might make him afraid that he's not good enough for anyone. Even his friends. So he's pushing you away and taking this out on you. But deep down, I bet he knows he really should be talking about his feelings with his dad."

Luke was quiet, staring at the ceiling. That was a really good theory.

"Well, you know us guys," Greein said. "Talking about feelings? Admitting we're vulnerable? Being a sharpshooter is a lot easier."

"Girls can find it hard too," Ophelia admitted. She sounded emotional, and Luke was about to ask if she was all right, when the bedroom doors opened again. He immediately looked up, hoping to see Ben, but instead it was Artoo. He rolled up to his bed quickly, beeping and whistling.

"What?!" Luke said, scrambling to pull back the covers. "He went where?"

Artoo whistled louder.

"Stars, I have to go after him," Luke said, rushing to his closet. He pulled on a hooded poncho, and then opened a drawer, looking for some thicker pants to slip over his pyjamas.

"Where did he go?" Greein asked, sitting up.

"The hangar."

"What … is he planning to fly a speeder home?" Juno asked.

"Good luck not getting blasted out of the sky," Ophelia said.

"No! There's a secret way out of the palace you can access from the service elevator in the hangar! I showed him the other day. Stupid, stupid."

"You mean he's actually gone outside?" Greein said, sitting up. "Stars. They could think he was an intruder and shoot him!"

"It leads out in the lower levels," Luke said. "If I can just reach him in time …" He sat down, pulling on his boots.

"Wait, Luke," Ophelia said. "Maybe you should tell your father."

Luke didn't even bother dignifying that with a response.

"I'll go with you," Juno said. "Maybe I can help convince him to come back." She walked over to raid Luke's closet for some warmer clothing. Greein was already there, trying to figure out if a zip jacket would fit him.

"Wait," Ophelia said, sitting up. "Don't leave me here alone!"

"Then come too," Juno said. "You were the one who told him he wasn't important enough to be kidnapped!"

"Fine, fine," Ophelia said, climbing out of bed. Juno grinned and handed her a sweater.

The Emperor was looking out the window at the end of the sculpture hall, surveying the formations of TIE fighters flying over the city. Vader could sense his anger at the situation. He hated any disruption to galactic order that wasn't a direct result of his manipulations. But his voice was calm when he spoke.

"How goes the search, my friend?"

"It has yet to yield results, my master," Vader said, coming to stand beside him.

"A search always goes badly until the moment it is over," the Emperor said. "The question is … how long to let it go on?"

"This girl they have taken by mistake will generate much public unrest. Perhaps more than the socialite boy."

"Yes," the Emperor agreed. He sighed then. "ISB have a manufactured holo showing the boy's murder at the hands of these troublemakers. They only await my command to release it."

He paused for a long moment, and then said, "I am considering midnight might be the right time. Unless you have any objection."

It was so rare for the Emperor to seek his opinion on any non-military decisions, Vader was momentarily at a loss. Despite being educated in politics since childhood, it never came naturally to him.

Finally, he said, "The political gain if the Empire finds the victims alive and destroys the so-called Liberators would be far greater than the fallout from the dead body of a celebrity idol."

"You think only in the short term. The experience of loss and the desire for revenge among the youth will be a valuable recruitment tool. No, I believe this has gone on long enough. And you can still continue your search for the Liberators, regardless."

"Yes, master." He knew what his master was thinking. The Empire would require many young recruits over the coming years, especially if the military needed to grow to a point to fully staff the Death Star. Or even multiple Death Stars, as was his master's vision. But this still didn't sit right. He preferred a straight fight to subterfuge … which is perhaps why he could never be a politician.

He was still thinking over the dilemma, wondering if there was anything he could have said to delay the release of the doctored holo for another day at least, when he stepped out of the elevator to detect a suspicious silence in the Force. When he'd left their personal living area, he'd sensed nothing but waves of youthful energy from Luke's bedroom. Perhaps they had finally worn themselves out with all their endless chatter.

But the closer he came to the door, the more strange the situation seemed. He stretched out along his bond with Luke, seeking his presence. It immediately became clear he was no longer in his bedroom. He quickly opened the door, and found five empty beds, but no evidence of any intrusion. Luke's pillow still radiated the warmth of recent occupancy.

His gaze shifted to the window, and his concern escalated into a full blown parental panic.

"This place stinks," Greein complained, as they stepped over a long-disused water pipe.

"Yeah, there are a few rodents. Just don't look," Luke said, following Artoo up the tunnel. Ophelia was close behind him, while Greein and Juno came at the tail. Juno made a disgusted noise as she failed to dodge a trailing cobweb.

"Don't worry, it ends soon," Luke said, shining his multi-tool at the dusty floor. He could see Ben's boot prints ahead, and his friend had been moving quickly. Almost running. What could have motivated him to brave this place alone at night was impossible to understand. Was he really feeling so miserable that this seemed like a better option?

Two more bends, and then they all had to duck down to reach the final trap door that led to a lower level alleyway. Artoo went first, using his jets to land safely. Luke dropped down next, and then the girls, followed by Greein. They all stared around in amazement.

"Where is this place?" Ophelia asked.

"A few levels down from the bottom of the palace," Luke said.

"I've never been to the lower levels before," Juno said. "It's … not as bad as I imagined. I thought there were gangs and monsters everywhere."

"How do we get back up there?" Ophelia said, looking up at the square hatch that had now swung shut.

"Huh. I've never gone back in that way," Luke said. "I guess you just … climb up somehow." He looked one more time, idly thinking that Jedi had probably jumped up, but they might need to rely on Artoo's tow cable. "The most important thing is to find Ben," he said, shining his light at the ground. There were clear footprints leading off towards the top end of the alley, but once they came through to the street, they stopped on a permacrete walkway.

"Maybe we should split up," Juno said.

"No, he will have gone this way," Luke said, after looking left and right.

"How do you know?" Ophelia asked.

"Because this is the way to his apartment. There's an elevator not far from here that leads up to the surface.

"Does he know that?"

Luke hesitated, and then said, "Let's just … try it." He didn't think his friends would react well if he said he had a feeling about this.

Artoo was already rolling forward, chirping in an encouraging way. Perhaps he had detected Ben's presence on his scanners. The lower level was largely deserted, although they received the odd glance from people sheltering in doorways and inside derelict buildings. Three cleaning droids swept past when they arrived at the elevator, but no one asked if they were lost. Fortunately, one arrived quickly and they all pressed inside the small space. Ophelia held her nose.

"Yeah, the lower level elevators often smell like this," Luke said.

"I don't even want to know what that smell is," Juno said, cringing.

It was a relief to step out at the top. Up ahead, there was a transparisteel walkway tube, leading through to a park. Artoo made a warning noise, and Luke glanced up, seeing a flat speeder with a searchlight mounted on the bottom. He gestured to the rest of them, and they waited until it had passed, and then ran through the tunnel.

"This isn't far from where the other girl was taken," Ophelia said, sounding nervous.

Luke stepped out onto the soft artificial grass, and scanned the area. But it was Artoo who spotted Ben first. He made a cheerful whistle and began rolling towards him.

"Ben!" Luke called, his voice louder than he intended. He took off at a run, overtaking Artoo, just as his friend turned around in surprise.

"Luke?" He looked past him, seeing the rest of them moving closer at a slower pace. "What … what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you! What were you thinking, coming out here alone? Are things really that bad?"

Ben just looked blank.

"Can we talk about this back at the palace?" Ophelia suggested, as she came within conversation distance. "Or … under a tree, at least?"

"You've been spending way too much time around me," Luke said, pointing at Ben. "You're not supposed to be the impulsive one!"

A cleaning droid rattled up behind Ben, and then a large scanner extended from its outer casing. Artoo made a beep of protest.

"I … there was no point me being there," Ben said.

"Well, there is that whole thing with the entire block being closed while they search for kidnapping terrorists!" Juno said, raising a furry eyebrow. She reached out to take Ben's hand. "Come on back. Biology Group 2 isn't the same without you."

"Yeah, we need to do Haunted Forest properly in the morning," Greein said, slapping him on the back. "No accidental thermal detonator explosions this time."

"And I want my friend back," Luke said, firmly.

Ben looked like he was about to tear up, but was trying hard to keep it together. Then, Ophelia said, "I … I guess I … should have used some different words."

Luke stared at her, incredulous. "Is that supposed to be an apology?"

Ophelia shrugged. "I'm trying!"

"Try harder."

"It's okay," Ben said, raising his hands. "You don't need to apologise. I'll come back … " He looked at Luke. "Just don't tell your father I was out here or I think he'll put me in the real brig."

"Great, let's—" Luke broke off, realizing something wasn't right. He felt … danger?

A second too slow, he turned to see the cleaning droid extend a large exhaust tube, which erupted into a cloud of pink gas. Ophelia collapsed first, followed by Greein and Ben. Just as his vision turned fuzzy, he heard Artoo screech in anger.

Somewhere, deep in his mind, he could hear his father calling.

Luke! Where are you?!

His knees buckled, and he sunk to the ground.

The repulsors on the speeder groaned as the vehicle plunged out of the sky. As soon as it hit the ground, Vader jumped out and scanned the area, searching for any sign of Luke. A cloud of pink gas was slowly dissipating, and in the centre of it, one lone figure was slumped on the ground. Ben.

Vader came forward quickly, just as Artoo rolled out of the haze, beeping frantically.

A droid has taken Luke and the others! I managed to get a tracker on it, but it's disappeared into the lower levels!

"Come on," Vader said, bending down to pick up Ben. The boy was still breathing, and an unintelligible mumble came from his lips, but he didn't fully come to until he was placed in the speeder passenger seat. When he saw Vader, he made a startled noise and lurched backwards.

"Buckle in," Vader said, walking around to the pilot's seat. Artoo had already secured himself in the back. "Artoo, do you have a lock on the tracker?"

Artoo squealed loudly, and a single moving object was highlighted on the main navigation screen. Vader launched into the air, causing a groggy Ben to rush to do up his seat restraints. The pursuit took them over the park fence and then on a brief ninety-degree plunge into the lower levels, before momentarily levelling out down a transit tunnel.

"Ten minutes," Vader said, struggling to remain calm. "I leave you alone for ten minutes. What teenage lunacy led to you all leaving the palace?"

Ben, who was fully awake now, tried to shuffle so he was as far away from him as possible. Difficult, in a speeder.

"I … uh … that was … my fault. Sir."

"Then you are well-positioned to explain."

"Ophelia said it wasn't like anyone would kidnap me, and she had a point, so I … I thought I'd just walk back home. I didn't know they would all come after me!"

Vader plunged the speeder down another twenty levels, before straightening out into an underpass.

"You didn't know Luke would come after you," Vader repeated. "The same Luke who would dive into a trash compactor to save a model ship."

Artoo made a whistle of agreement.

Ben bowed his head.

"Young man, if you know anything about my son, it should be this. The people he loves always come first. To a reckless degree."

"I didn't think," Ben mumbled, sounding distressed.

"Because you allowed your own self-doubt and insecurity to poison your mind," Vader said. "It is time you learned to appreciate what skills you do have instead of coveting those you don't. And I suspect you have more than you realize."

Ben glanced up, looking like this was a revelation to him.

Vader was just about to ask Artoo why their target had fallen off the tracking radar, when he whistled and beeped out a worried question.

They've disappeared. Can you sense Luke through the Force?

"Upload their last known coordinates," Vader said. There was nothing but a vague cloudy sensation on the other end of their bond.

Hold on, Son, he sent. I'm on my way.

Luke stared around in confusion as he rose slowly to his knees. They were in the lobby of a grand, old-fashioned hotel, complete with chandeliers and two carved wooden staircases. But everything was tilted a little sideways somehow. Or perhaps he was still disorientated from the gas. He ran a hand over the aging cream carpet, and then reached out to rouse Ophelia. She was currently slumped on her side.

"What … what is this place?" Greein asked, climbing to his feet behind him.

"Looks like a hotel," Luke said. There was quiet music playing in the background. The sort of generic tune that you could sometimes hear playing in public elevators around Imperial City.

Juno was sitting up too now, staring around. She pointed at one of the desks. "I haven't seen a computer that old outside of a museum."

"Those lights look old too," Luke said. He finally rose to his feet, and then wobbled as he struggled to gain his balance. Beside him, Ophelia was now sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

"Call … help …" she mumbled.

Luke felt for his comlink and found it had gone. Then he noticed several tan-colored battle droids, resting a short distance away. He'd seen droids like that in Clone Wars history holos.

The main reception desk was a circle in the middle of the lobby, with multiple power cables running across the floor towards it. Luke took a few steps towards it, and then came to a halt as a transparent bowl-like head popped up from the middle. Luke could see at least three droid CPUs bound together with a knot of wires inside. They were clearly from different types of droids and were barely compatible, and every so often, a spark would arc across the wires.

"Greetings, new hostages of the Liberator Army," it said, rotating its head to scan all of them.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?" Luke said. "If you want to liberate people, why don't you start with us?"

The droid head rose dramatically into the air, and eight massive mechanical spider legs emerged below it, standing up on the counter to increase the droid's height by a good three meters. The others made noises of surprise and disgust.

"You are a mouthy one, Luke Skywalker."

"How do you know my name?" Luke asked, taken aback.

"Because I am the Liberator General, and I know everything," the droid said, sparks glowing inside its head. "You will be a most valuable bargaining tool." Its head swiveled. "And you, Ophelia Halifiax. You tried to evade us with your decoy, but now you are ours!"

"She wasn't a decoy!" Ophelia protested. "What have you done with her and Sunny?"

"They are alive, for now. But we no longer need the other girl. Or you." It pointed towards Juno with one of its legs. "You will be sacrificed to the cause."

"No, no, wait," Luke said, raising his hands. "They can still be valuable. Why don't you tell me your plan, and I'll help you figure out a way to get what you want and still keep everyone alive."

"As if your puny biological brain could possibly comprehend my elaborate and glorious plan." It gestured towards one of the battle droids. "Take them to the holding cell. I grow tired of listening to the mouthy one speak."

"Roger, roger."

All four of them had instinctively drawn close together while the spider-droid was speaking, but now they were separated by the battle droids and Luke felt a blaster pushed against his back. Juno made an anxious noise, and Luke reached out to pat her on the arm. "Don't worry," he said. "No one will let anything happen to you."

"Yes, I'll tell them how important you really are," Ophelia said. "They'll listen to me."

"Hey, where's Ben?" Greein asked, as they were pushed towards the nearest staircase.

"They must have left him behind," Luke said. "Hopefully he's gone back to get help."

"But how will they know where to find us?" Juno asked, her voice shaking.

"Cut the chatter," the droid behind Juno said. "Move quickly!"

They were prodded and pushed up to the mezzanine level, and then a droid activated the up button on the elevator. It was quite a squeeze to fit them all in, and Luke found himself uncomfortably pressed between the wall and two battle droids. The elevator itself creaked and rattled, and it was a relief when it finally made it to the top.

They stepped out into a short corridor with a single door at the end. The sign above it read 'penthouse suite'.

"This is the holding cell?" Luke enquired. He'd been expecting some gungy place in the basement.

"Silence, human!" the droid behind him said. "You may save your pleas for mercy for the Liberator General."

It activated the doors, and they slid open to reveal a large comfortable room, with multiple seating areas, adjacent rooms, and some kind of ancient black video screen. Down the far end, a girl who looked vaguely like Ophelia sat at a small table, leafing through an old-fashioned paper magazine. She looked up at the sight of them, and stood up quickly.

The droids said nothing until all four of them were in the room, and then said, "Now, you will remain here and work on your pleas for mercy. Do not attempt escape or there will be unimaginable consequences!"

Juno immediately attempted to open the door after they'd left, but the controls had been deactivated from the inside.

"Hi," Luke called, as the blonde girl came over. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but Luke could tell she'd been crying earlier. "They grabbed me a few hours ago. I was just waiting for a girl I was meeting for a date, and a cleaning droid rolled up and sprayed gas in my face. Where did they take you from?"

"A park near the palace," Luke said. "Have you been treated okay? They haven't hurt you?"

She nodded again, brushing her hair back from her face. "He's so awful though. I'm glad you're here."

"You mean that creepy spider-droid downstairs?" Juno asked. "I know, right?"

"No, I mean—"

A nearby door slid open, revealing a young man with bronze skin, bleached hair, and a white towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

"Ophelia!"

"Great," Luke mumbled, in a sarcastic tone that made Greein smirk.

Sunny strode across the floor towards Ophelia, arms outstretched. "It's so good to see you!"

She raised her left hand, palm out, while pointing at him with her right.

"You told them where to find me!" she said.

He smiled in a guilty way. "Yeah, well … that was an accident! See these stupid droids have no idea what humans need. They had me in this tiny room and I said they had to shift me to the penthouse or I'd suffocate. And they did! Then I explained humans don't just need food and water." He pointed to his lower half. "Without female companionship they would explode and I'd die a horrible death! So they asked what my preference was for a female, and I told them all about you. I didn't know they would actually try and get you."

He gestured to the other girl. "But then they brought in this one and—" He made a face at Greein and Luke, and then said, "She doesn't even like men!"

"Ugh!" Ophelia said, turning away. "Could you be anymore revolting?!"

"That's what I said," the other girl mumbled.

"Calm down," Sunny said. "Why don't you introduce me to them?" He gestured to Luke, Greein and Juno. "I have no idea who they are, so they can't be famous. Are they just taking anybody now?"

Ophelia glared at him, and then gestured to Juno. "This is my best friend, Juno. At least, this was my best friend until your fragile ego insisted I wasn't allowed to spend time with anyone but you! This is Greein Morta-Clan and Luke Skywalker. Luke is the son of Lord Vader … yes, you didn't know he was my classmate, did you? Maybe if you'd ever actually asked me about my life instead of treating me like your latest fashion accessory."

"What is wrong with you?" Sunny asked, frowning. "I know we broke up, but we were still friends!"

"We were never friends, and that's the problem!" Ophelia said. "What's wrong, you ask? What's wrong? Me and my real friends have been kidnapped by psychotic droids thanks to your utterly selfish stupidity! And if I'm going to die down here, I want at least one person to know that me dating you was the biggest mistake of my life!"

Sunny just laughed in a patronising way.

But Juno came up and wrapped both her arms around Ophelia. "That was epic, Phee," she said. Ophelia hugged her back.

Luke smiled at the sight, and then looked up, getting a nagging feeling at the edge of his senses. Then he felt his link with his father hum into life. Who knew how long he'd been trying to get his attention.

Hi, Luke sent, feeling sheepish.