p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;" align="center"Resistance/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"br /br /p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee; page-break-before: auto;"span style="font-size: small;"emVader swept in another entrance and as he moved toward the pram, Organa and others subtly moved further away. He was in a rage that burned against my shields as I felt a deeper darkness at an interior entrance./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emPalpatine entered./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emLeia made a little mew, while Luke went silent in his fear, without looking at his father. I said nothing to my foolish student, and hoped they would be comforted by my touch./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;""span style="font-size: small;"emKeep them quiet, Kenobi," Vader hissed, shaking with his anger at me./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emI looked at him. "They feel it, too."/em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;""span style="font-size: small;"emHe is not a threat to them." He hid a thread of fear and pain./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emI could do nothing for that and shook my head. "No, Vader. Something els..."/em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emAn explosion rang from the main entrance, and droids and attackers streamed in the large hole./em/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I pulled the pram closer to the huge art base, heavy stone was the best cover this hall offered. We weren't close to the visible exits, but the hidden one was ruined now./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Kriffin' Seppies..." Vader pushed myself and the pram further up the steps and away from main aisle. He drew his bloody lightsaber, an acid clawing at my senses./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I bundled Leia and Luke into a blanket for my arms and into deep sleep. I pushed the empty pram down the other side of the stone platform before I dropped back into the protected side again, hiding them under me as I cringed like a civilian./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I scanned the hall, watching for threats. Palpatine's death would not make me mourn, but he had already disappeared along with the personal guards who just arrived with him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Civilians were either either hiding or dying. I could do nothing to push them aside or even trip an attacker. I couldn't affect even the closest droid and I had to stop and wait the moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"The attackers' wave was breaking against Vader, but a few had moved around him and moved toward the inner door. A couple fighters made it as far as the platform, and stopped to fire at something out of my sight./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Vader roared and a shock wave of Darkness crashed through the hall. emstrong"No!"/strong/em/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Sheltered a little by the heavy platform in the heavy silence, I saw the droids tumble, the fighters knocked to the floor. More importantly, one of their blasters fell free./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Concentrating, it slid toward me, but not as quickly as I was used to. Not as elegant a weapon as I'd prefer, but I crouched down again to watch for threats. I needed to prepare exit strategies./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Droids crossed into my view and turned to fire./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I must confess that destroying them was a pleasure./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"The noise from Vader's fight slowed to silence and he charged around the platform. "They're safe?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Sleeping quietly."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Give it to me." He glared at the blaster./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"That demand made me want to smile. He emnever/em thought about things like that before he said them. I tossed it to him, as little as I wanted to. Then I turned to check on Leia and Luke, who were still deeply asleep./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Now that it was over, troopers and guard came streaming in… and then medics. Even the Emperor's grave entrance beside Vader didn't get much attention./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"He had my attention, even as Vader presented them for his Master's approval./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I paid little attention to the formality of presenting heirs to the Emperor, Palpatine's 'great sorrow' for the loss of their mother. I reinforced my shields and felt the cold graze the sleeping twins./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I knew. emI knew/em I didn't have the strength to shield them if he began to insinuate some dark thread into them. I could not act or my own behalf either. If we were hostages for Vader, Leia and Luke were hostages for me. With Sidious the puppeteer on top of his still grandfatherly seeming./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"By the time the charade was finished, Vader was showing off to some of the of the remaining audience. A few of them were cooing at the twins, asleep./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I remained beside the Emperor, watching the sparse hall. "How many of the guests are suspected of disloyalty?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""emAll/em of them, Kenobi. Not the least of which is you." His chuckle made me think of a hiss. "Not the infants, they have plenty of time to learn fear and anger. That one gown was a masterpiece of adaptation, and they should wear their best for these events."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""That would be useful for official portraits, but the one for Luke had not yet arrived."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"His smile was false. "Oh, my. There must have been a problem with the rush. I'm sure the other will catch up."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"-/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Apologies for the delay, between some legal issues, my computer taking a powder, and the ongoing Nano, I hadn't even found my pwd to sign in here. I hope to finish this by Christmas./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Let me know what you like or where I've phrased it poorly, helping me fix it is the best attaboy,/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"br /br /p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee; page-break-before: auto;"span style="font-size: small;"emVader swept in another entrance and as he moved toward the pram, Organa and others subtly moved further away. He was in a rage that burned against my shields as I felt a deeper darkness at an interior entrance./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emPalpatine entered./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emLeia made a little mew, while Luke went silent in his fear, without looking at his father. I said nothing to my foolish student, and hoped they would be comforted by my touch./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;""span style="font-size: small;"emKeep them quiet, Kenobi," Vader hissed, shaking with his anger at me./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emI looked at him. "They feel it, too."/em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;""span style="font-size: small;"emHe is not a threat to them." He hid a thread of fear and pain./em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emI could do nothing for that and shook my head. "No, Vader. Something els..."/em/span/p
p style="margin-left: 0.25in; margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: #eeeeee;"span style="font-size: small;"emAn explosion rang from the main entrance, and droids and attackers streamed in the large hole./em/span/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I pulled the pram closer to the huge art base, heavy stone was the best cover this hall offered. We weren't close to the visible exits, but the hidden one was ruined now./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Kriffin' Seppies..." Vader pushed myself and the pram further up the steps and away from main aisle. He drew his bloody lightsaber, an acid clawing at my senses./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I bundled Leia and Luke into a blanket for my arms and into deep sleep. I pushed the empty pram down the other side of the stone platform before I dropped back into the protected side again, hiding them under me as I cringed like a civilian./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I scanned the hall, watching for threats. Palpatine's death would not make me mourn, but he had already disappeared along with the personal guards who just arrived with him./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Civilians were either either hiding or dying. I could do nothing to push them aside or even trip an attacker. I couldn't affect even the closest droid and I had to stop and wait the moment./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"The attackers' wave was breaking against Vader, but a few had moved around him and moved toward the inner door. A couple fighters made it as far as the platform, and stopped to fire at something out of my sight./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Vader roared and a shock wave of Darkness crashed through the hall. emstrong"No!"/strong/em/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Sheltered a little by the heavy platform in the heavy silence, I saw the droids tumble, the fighters knocked to the floor. More importantly, one of their blasters fell free./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Concentrating, it slid toward me, but not as quickly as I was used to. Not as elegant a weapon as I'd prefer, but I crouched down again to watch for threats. I needed to prepare exit strategies./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Droids crossed into my view and turned to fire./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I must confess that destroying them was a pleasure./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"The noise from Vader's fight slowed to silence and he charged around the platform. "They're safe?"/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Sleeping quietly."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""Give it to me." He glared at the blaster./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"That demand made me want to smile. He emnever/em thought about things like that before he said them. I tossed it to him, as little as I wanted to. Then I turned to check on Leia and Luke, who were still deeply asleep./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Now that it was over, troopers and guard came streaming in… and then medics. Even the Emperor's grave entrance beside Vader didn't get much attention./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"He had my attention, even as Vader presented them for his Master's approval./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I paid little attention to the formality of presenting heirs to the Emperor, Palpatine's 'great sorrow' for the loss of their mother. I reinforced my shields and felt the cold graze the sleeping twins./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I knew. emI knew/em I didn't have the strength to shield them if he began to insinuate some dark thread into them. I could not act or my own behalf either. If we were hostages for Vader, Leia and Luke were hostages for me. With Sidious the puppeteer on top of his still grandfatherly seeming./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"By the time the charade was finished, Vader was showing off to some of the of the remaining audience. A few of them were cooing at the twins, asleep./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"I remained beside the Emperor, watching the sparse hall. "How many of the guests are suspected of disloyalty?/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""emAll/em of them, Kenobi. Not the least of which is you." His chuckle made me think of a hiss. "Not the infants, they have plenty of time to learn fear and anger. That one gown was a masterpiece of adaptation, and they should wear their best for these events."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;""That would be useful for official portraits, but the one for Luke had not yet arrived."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"His smile was false. "Oh, my. There must have been a problem with the rush. I'm sure the other will catch up."/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"-/p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Apologies for the delay, between some legal issues, my computer taking a powder, and the ongoing Nano, I hadn't even found my pwd to sign in here. I hope to finish this by Christmas./p
p style="margin-bottom: 0.05in; line-height: 100%; background: transparent;"Let me know what you like or where I've phrased it poorly, helping me fix it is the best attaboy,/p