Chapter 34 Shall ill fate befall us?


LUKE POV

He hurled his body down the hall, nearly falling forward on his face along the way.

Then I'd go splat like a bug…. Or not…

Pain rippled up from his injured foot. Gritting his teeth harder while he ran.

The force blared a warning.

He threw himself to the side, just missing getting shot in the back.

Hastily diving into a side hall, a door at the end marking a stairway exit to below, he bolted forward in a mad dash, but tripping over his own feet.

Lugging himself back up he gasped, almost yelped, and lurched to the door, forcefully shoving it wide; then whirling around, hand outstretched to the door in mid-motion of sliding closed; he concentrated, forcing the metal door to become almost one with the walls. The two separate materials screeched, as if in dreadful hellish pain, and meshed together loudly. It wouldn't do to get caught; this would buy him some time.

He panted.

Whipping around he hurdled down the spiraling staircase, down, down, and down, taking two to four to six steps at a time, around, and around, and round, each impact against the surface rattling deep within, a pulsating throbbing lashing out whenever his injured foot touched once again uneasily upon another surface. His heart fluttered, adrenaline kicking in, in his continuous mad flight to mad crash down the stairs, fingers outstretched, reaching the bottom floor at last, grabbing hold of the handle, and yanking, then scurrying out.

A rather chilly blast of air whacked him.

He was greeted with a rather nice cool quieted hall, somewhere on the bottom floors. Hopefully the ground floor.

His own ragged short breaths were the only sound, echoing harshly.

Pulling further down, the force told him that the exit was near.

It was just past a wide expanse of a room.

He sidled up against a wall.

Creeping round the corner like a creep, he stared; and staring isn't creepy at all…

Various creatures and beings wandered about, lightly chatting. He presumed they worked there. By the way they were dressed he could only presume they worked here.

"Huff."

The room was a sort of banquet hall. It looked familiar, but at the same time it didn't. He clenched his only fist. Damn these rooms for all looking the same!

Then he spotted something!

But wait- ! That's- !

His mouth watered.

Free food… his thought dazedly, stomach growling in response to such a sight. Dragging his eyes away from the piles upon piles of delicious delights he, with his wandering blue eyes, then came across the path, and spotted, the one and only, Bail Organa.

Well, no surprise thereWhat was I expecting anyways? Of course Bail's going to be here, in the senate or executive building, I forgot which one it was though, hmm. But he was Leia's adoptive father, wasn't he.

A smile brightened his face at the thought of her.

Pushing those thoughts aside, his mind beginning to realize and confront the constant throbbing and irritating pain radiating from his injured foot, Luke supposed that he must get out of there, and very quickly at that.

I'll find Talon. Then I'll ask him to heal my injury.

The exit was down another hall right straight across the room, past all the mingling senators and people. He could almost see it. The light. He stepped forward, among the extravagant outfits, attire, to hopefully blend in. But to no avail. So he stepped forward. Casting such silly irrelevant thoughts aside and not even trying to blend in. So he stepped forward. Almost immediately he knew that something was wro-

He stepped forward-

"LUKE RUN!"

He startled visibly.

A voice broke through to him among the confusion.

"LUKE, GET OUT OF THERE!"

Talon! He mentally cried out, head spinning around, searching for the origin of that voice! Only he was the only one that heard it. He spun his head, searching for that voice. How's that possible! Where-? I don't see him. Talon's much too far away to be able to communicate like that. I would have felt him if he had come closer! I would have known. Unless-?

There it was, in his mind, something sort of a bo- …

!

His thoughts abruptly scattered. Cracked and splintered.

Shattered!

He stepped forward, twirled around, slamming his mental barriers down on the intruder.

Everywhere, everyone in the room seemed to mesh together as one. None of them mattered much. He spun his head, searching for that feeling. Among the normal presences of non-force sensitive was- huh?

What is that…? He sought desperately.

He spun around his body, searching for that-.

For-

He spun his head. The lights danced and seemed to flicker dreamily. In lurid discord. His blue eyes saw without seeing. It's wrong. This is wrong! His mind screamed. Cold. It grew so cold! Am I going insane? Maybe at the end of all this…I will be… No one seemed to notice him, but he was still there, walking among them as one of them. Living. Haven't others walked among them like that? The room spun distantly. Goosebumps prickled upon his exposed flesh, blood running cold. He whipped his body around crookedly. Head spinning, searching for- !

But his eyes collided with a sickly yellow gaze.

The air froze in his lungs. Terrified!

It was almost as if through the action of as if one brought up their thumb and forefinger up, pinching his trachea closed.

-To chock to death, rather than hew off that head-

Beware.

It is as if one brought up their thumb and forefinger closer together. He felt his throat start to close. It pinched his trachea closed without a fingerbreadth's touch upon exposed skin of his neck. Maybe that was what was truly utterly terrifying.

He choked.

Truly helpless.

Utterly like this.

The gaze of death itself.

His own powers compared to that 'other' were null and void. Not enough. Not enough at all!

How could I ever defeat such a foe! His mind cried out!

His hands flew up to his throat, trying to relieve a pressure that wasn't physically there. It wasn't there…

Choking…

The world seemed hazy. Flashing yellow white lights high up above.

Don't welcome this… feeling… I have too much to do…

!

Suddenly Talon's presence flooded the room, originating through- from him, as if it came through some sort of bon-

And Talon's light frantically beat off the offending darkness away. Oh, how sickly it was! The fiend!

Demented.

He gasped desperately.

No longer clawing at his throat.

And he hacked and coughed. Greedily stealing breaths of fresh air.

Disturbed.

Then, his skin tingled with the feel of impending immediate fast physical danger!

Only receiving that brief second of warning, he forced his body to lurch away backward. Blaster fire nearly clipped his good leg. Blood sprayed against the ground from an earlier wound, the movement of unnaturallity, caused it to peel, split open, and shine upon the ground with droplets of red blood!

His head spun, searching, but that figure was gone in the masses of running screaming panicking individuals.

Something was thrown.

Smoke engulfed the room in it's hazy embrace.

Sickly yellow eyes vanished away in coarse smoke.

Shrieking rang out with each life that ended too soon.

Others fell.

Others tumbled.

He tumbled, across the room, yelping suddenly, unexpectedly, as hot stinging pain shot from his chest. Someone elbowed him right in the ribs, promptly causing him to face plant, barely missing a pie that had landed face first upon the ground. But if he had landed on the pie, he wouldn't have had to worry anyways, as it was facing the wrong way; he wouldn't have gotten dirty nor messy, so why did a pie just all the sudden, of all things, seem so harmful. Wtf?! Confusion filled the air. His mind barraged with this panic. This hysteria! These thoughts of fear, of unease, of horrible trepidation, that clung like a sticky web to his joints and limbs, as if he were a fly in a spider's sticky trap. Scrambling up, almost ploughed over, run over once again, knocked back over, he dashed across the room! I have to get away! I need to get out of here! It was too suffocating! Too much death! I can't think straight! His mind was in a panic. Confusion thronged and packed the air. His mind barraged with this panic. These feelings! What do I do!? He fell, tripped, crashing into a table. Slamming, and overturning it.

His lungs burned.

He wheezed.

Gasped out!

Ears ringing, in echoes.

Shots fired.

Blue senate guards strike down their own. Killing their own.

Imposters… his mind wearily concluded.

"Then-", he coughed violently. -Who are they?

Vision impaired. It grew so cloudy. Can't see! The lights flickered, to die. A loud banging. A thundering commotion!

Forcing himself to get up, half crawling, he felt it in the force. Bail fell. Fell in a way that it was so similar to death that it terrified him!

Oh how his mother would weep! Oh how Leia, even though she doesn't yet know him, Bail, in this time, would weep!

"Bail!"

Lurching up, he abruptly whirled from the light of the exit, the exit that was so close; clouds obscured the sun outside, lights flickered.

With a stifled yell of determination he hurtled back, pouncing up from whence he had landed hard on his knees, soaring though the air!

"Aaaauhh!" he screamed, lunging at the feather head, that imposter that it was! He intercepted, tackling it to the ground, just as a shot lit up the air, rang out, deafening. And it would've struck Bail in the neck, an instant kill. But around him, everyone was being killed, so it seemed.

"You Imposter!"

He wrestled with the armored figure, now underneath him, gripping hold, tugging, seizing, and fighting over the blaster in that blue armored hand's grasp. A knee dug sharply into his gut, plowing him away, the wind blown out of his lungs, back colliding harshly with the walls. He hacked, a little blood coming through, that disgusting tang on his tongue, he wheezed. That same blaster was raised to him, to shoot him dead.

His blue eyes widened.

No.

"NO!" He swept out his only hand in a panic, clawing his digits through the air, and with the force of that hysterical clawed hurl of energy, the guard was chucked like a mere little rag doll across the length of the expansive room, landing in a great heap, unmoving. Red marks marred it's visible bodily flesh.

It wasn't a second later till he noticed the blood that splattered his cheek, the blood that dribbled down his chest from where blaster had fired, scorched, and opened a new wound on his abdomen. There was red leaking out of his chest this time. He clutched it, keening over, red painted splotches on his hands, from where it and the flesh had touched, and from where it was clean and it hadn't.

Bail!

Bail wasn't moving.

Gritting his teeth, he scooted over to the fallen senator. Knocked unconscious. A relieved sigh escaped him at that. "Well, better than being dead."

Through pain he was able to realize something:

Stars! He looks so young.

That coherent thought was the only one that crossed his mind.

Shakily standing, almost in a triumphant way, he lugged the taller and heavier man with him, to the light.

To get out. To escape.Anywhere but here! Anywhere but where those yellow eyes had bore holes into his skull, freezing him dead in his tracks, making him feel so scared, so small, so petrified. I couldn't do anything! Anywhere but here where I felt so helpless in a moment in time! I defy you, time!

His brows knitted itself into a knot. Several drops of sweat rolled down his neck. The smoke clogged up his lungs, but, gripping Bail, he fought his way out with each heavy step. And out he went, without a doubt in his heart only in that one moment in which Bail was safe, he could also feel his mother was somewhere, somewhere safe, not with those imposter guards though.

Then it hit him.

I don't understand.

He stepped on a corpse. Eyes wide open.

Why?

Horrified.

What happened?

Affright.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Did I cause this? Or maybe-

His body shook, and it wasn't out of exhaustion this time. Slowly he lifted his foot lightly off the body, and stepped around. Bail's feet created scraping sounds, dragging along the floor with him, with him to the light…

OOO

His vision was met with a burst of white light. His pupils shrunk, eyes adjusting to the sun shone yellow and glorious out here, ever so pleased. Except for the smog filled sky cut apart with the remnants of a black and gray smoke from that building. He dragged Bail away. Outside was commotion, none gave him a mind as feet rushed and scuffled around. Eyes wandered in curiosity and fear of what had happened.

A pesky blue fly buzzed around an unmoving body.

This doesn't make any sense...

But I can't think about that now! He shook his head. The small movement jarring the cuts and injuries on his body. I have to get out of here. Then find Talon. He hacked, coughing up bloodstained fluid.

With Bail lain down with some other senators, or he presumed they were senators, who seemed like they knew the man, he decided to go on. Bail would be safe there, taken care of. Then he raised himself up, rather quaveringly, and limped away, disappearing into the crowd.

OOO

"Talon?"

"Yes Luke?"

"W-what the fuck just happened?" he asked, voice trembling.

"Do you presume me to know?" Talon voiced contently.

"I don't know," he shot back, lightly glaring. "You just seem to know most almost anything."

"Now that's where you're wrong Luke."

"I figured," he huffed, resting his face against the back of one hand.

"I know. But from what I could gather and infer about that other strange presence, that dark force presence-" Luke stiffened. "- in the same room as you, it was, without doubt, a Sith." That was final.

"A Sith!" he gasped. "But it couldn't have been Dooku, and I know for sure that it didn't feel like Sidious." He swallowed thickly, throat closing up. It wasn't Sidious at all. It was way out of that league. But then that must mean- THAT THERE'S A THIRD SITH!

For a second he felt like he was going to hyperventilate right then and there.

"I-it was c-cold." He shuddered. His fingers rose up to his neck, rubbing lightly, where he could distantly, feel the faintness of someone cutting off his air. Just as it was back there.

And choking…

His lip trembled. "I-I couldn't do a thing," he deathly whispered, growing pale, a shuddering breath escaping his lips. "Talon!" he cried out. "I couldn't do a thing against that. I-I felt so helpless in that grasp. I don't know what to do! I-I-" froze up.

I'm scared.

He clutched his hair, staring intently at the roof below him.

I've never faced a foe like this before!

"Luke." His terrified eyes shot to Talon's face. "It's okay. We'll figure something out. Just bear with me on this. You endured this encounter, and it can be coped with. I am here for you."

He nodded, biting his lip nervously. "Do you promise?" I don't know what I would do if I had to face off against that- that thing alone! The encounter had deeply rattled him to the core. He rubbed his neck lightly, massaging it.

"I could, but then I dare to say that I wouldn't be entirely truthful. But I won't let you down while I am with you, and while you are beside me now in these moments. Are you okay with that?"

"Okay."

And with Talon's warm presence wrapping around him, he settled down. More content than he had been all day, besides those few sparing moments he had had with his mother.

This is nice.

Quite nice.

It's warm.

Some time had passed since the incident earlier. Luke had managed to flee, then run, then stumble, then crawl to Talon, almost blind with pain. It had been horrible. But then Talon had graciously healed his injuries, and for that he was eternally grateful, and filled with a sense of awe at how the flesh knitted itself back together as the terror bird glowed white and the blood pulled itself back into his flesh. It was something almost along the lines of magical. After that, he had been completely exhausted, and promptly passed out in Talon's wings. He had just woken up minutes ago, albeit confused as heck as to what had happened, as his brain attempted in vain to process what had taken place earlier.

"I don't understand it," he said exasperated. "Everything that goes on."

"Of course you wouldn't."

"And?"

"And what?" Talon's chest rumbled in small chuckles.

"And what happens next?"

"Hmmm…" Talon looked to the sky. "I don't know, you tell me Luke."

"I chose my own fate," he declared stubbornly.

"Do you?"

"Yes, haven't I all my life?"

"Not necessarily."

"I will pave my own path this one time then, if what you just said is true." But who is to be believed, me or you?

"And may you truly do so. It is one of my only wishes for you: is to do so."

"Yeah, that would be nice," he said, walking and balancing along the edges of the roof, a gust of wind threatened to tip him over, but his balance was pure and stable for now.

Talon's shook his feathers, poofing them up for a moment in a funny way, before they flattened down, and the terror bird moved positions, settling more comfortably on the shiny surface of the high skyscraper.

"How did it go? You never specified as to how your visit to the Senate grounds went, but from the distance, smoke rose into the clear blue sky, and before that happened, I knew, and I called out to you, since inside of me, in my intuition, I felt that something wasn't quite right."

"So that was you, wasn't it?" and accusatory edge crept into his voice, entirely unintentional. He made his way back to the terror bird.

"Indeed Luke, it was me, but you should not get the wrong-"

"Wait." He held up his hand. "Please. Talon, I know what I felt. I know what you did, and now it makes sense. Sense as to how I could hear you from so far away and it explains that feeling, the feeling of you banishing the offending darkness by originating through me. It's a bond, isn't it?"

The air around them grew chilled for a moment, the sky darkened just a little. But all was sane. And the sun glowed on the horizon, casting colors.

"Yes, I suppose you could say it is Luke. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh, okay," he sassed back, standing and straitening, hands on hip. "Nothing more, nothing less huh? I think in an earlier conversation of ours I vaguely remember that you basically said you had heard some of my thoughts during my fight with Dooku. That had really confused me, until now, since I remember myself back there during the fight, I had my mental shields up and the two of us, we weren't let alone even in the same room! And then ever since, it has been and felt as if you have always known what I was thinking. Er, or it seemed that way? But it was a bond, wasn't it? When did you do it?!"

"I guess you were going to find out anyways," Talon softly replied.

"When did you do it?!" he demanded.

"No need to raise your voice Luke. I'm right here. It is not like I am-"

"Don't change the subject!" But maybe he's got a point. Hmm, anyhow- "when did you do it?"

"When we first met-"

Of course.

"-earlier, I formed a mind link between the two of us just short after meeting one another," Talon continued.

"But why?" he stressed. "That's totally an invasion of privacy! And you had not right to do that! Sure, you are a great friend, and sometimes I feel as if I'm in your debt for your kindness, but I don't appreciate you spying on my thoughts!"

"I know, but hear me out, please Luke. I originally created the bond to make sure you were still alive during your skirmish with Dooku and that you weren't in any sort of mortal danger-"

Luke scoffed.

"- This allowed and permitted me precious time to gather enough energy to get us out of there while at the same second making sure you were able to hold your own against him by yourself for a while," voiced the telepath.

He rolled his eyes. "I was in mortal danger. I got my hand cut off, again!" Father cut it off first though. "Now that's twice it has been lopped off so easily," he expressed, holding the said stump up in all its glory for the world to see. "And I almost got beheaded! I could seriously have died as Dooku was in fact actually planning on killing me had you not stepped, or uh, flew in!" Geez, that Dooku, what an turd!

"I see. But you are alive now, aren't you? Alive and well, in most of the flesh and of the blood, except for one limb. It could have gone worse, way worse, than you may think Luke."

"Maybe, how so?" I think I held my own against him pretty well.

"Dooku was toying with you for most of the duration of your so called battle."

"Ah, well he can go fuck off!" The bastard! Not taking me seriously! And as Luke silently fumed he came to another conclusion, slowly he turned to the fluffy white terror bird, who still had never risen, preferring instead to snuggle up close to the skyscraper beneath their feet.

"Uh, Talon, sorry for yelling at you." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, face tinged slightly red in the cheeks.

"It's okay; you had a right to be angry and upset at one such as me. What I performed on you was uncalled for, and completely without your consent as you stated earlier. In regards to your yelling, it's all right."

"Hehe, that's good. But then again, why can't I see inside your mind. Don't you trust me?"

"I do. But there are some things that must never be seen."

It sounded like a lame excuse, but – He relented, sighing. "I'll take you word for it then. Erm, what else can this connection do?"

Talon's joyous laugh rang out in his mind, those red apple eyes shining. "You want to know what it can do. Well then, close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Luke I won't hurt you. And I won't force or push myself into your mind or anything of the sort. I just want to show you something. Trust me."

"O-okay."

With that he closed his eyes to the sunset that spanned across the sky. He heard Talon voice, "Next lower any and all of your mental barriers and reach out through the force and find me. This might not be exactly safe, since if someone launched a mental attack on us we'd be vulnerable, but it'll be quite quick. Find and search and cast about for my presence."

He sought it, and he found it. It was almost as if he was stretching out his mind's hands to grasp that light.

It's warm.

It was always warm, Talon. Warm, like a fire, like a flame, but as he shut his own eyes tight and imagined those red apple eyes, they weren't like a fire. For fire burns, it scorches. Those eyes, his eyes, Talon's eyes, were like apples: careful, fruitful, precious, and many and nothing more. Just to then decay away until all is left is bone. But for now… it was something unexplainably wondrous.

It's warm.

He listened serenely to Talon's quiet gently soft voice, and the calming effects it had on individuals.

"Create an image of what you seek, and trust your instincts when doing so," Talon's soft voice continued on. "Create an image of everything you feel and take note of the world around you." He obeyed, never hesitant in his mind's gate, finding and discovering Talon's warm white source, that presence, in the force just the same as his own white light. Two lights glittering like stars, atop a tower, a skyscraper, a superstructure, never flickering nor fading away, unbeknownst to all for now but crystal clear to only themselves; for it was only themselves that knew of each other in this precious wondrous moment in time. The creature beside him calmly, softly, continued onward, "Now, hone in on my presence and try to find a deeper connection than what is physically seen. Look out of your mind's eyes and there you will find what you seek." And he did. He stretched with phantom hands out and closed seeing cerulean eyes and spotted a thin small link between them. It wasn't much, but it was there, and alive, pulsing white, and it was strong, it was a strength that deeply depended on feelings of peace. Going through the link he touched something else. Something different, another sentient being just as himself. He nudged it; it nudged back. He floated around it; it floated around him. Like two orbs of white light, almost like spirits in a way among a warm world of white not harshly lit in any way, but they weren't like that;

They were alive.

It was warm.

"Talon, is that you?"

"Yes Luke, it's me. We can both talk telepathically. So you don't always have to speak aloud to me."

Oh, aheh heh heh, okay. But what is this?

"We are among the force, the spirit of the galaxy, as it was called long ago by some, and this is part of our connection. It is what allows two creatures to form bonds such as this, although this a special type of bond, different from a Jedi, or a Sith's bond with another being as portrayed as master and apprentice. It is much more but at the same time much much less than that. Even I do not know the true extent of a bond such as this, and I fear I will never have the chance nor time to ever find out. But It is truly unique, although it doesn't seem like it can do much at first; with it we can talk telepathically over long distances, send images to one another, possibly transfer strength to each other, which I have done before in the past, and above all, it lets you know that I am alive just as it lets me know that you are alive in this moment."

What happens if one of us dies?

"Then this new bond, which is still young, that we share will break, and shatter."

Is that all that will happen? He asked curiously. The white force they floated in seemed a bit chilled for a second in time, then the warmth returned full force. It was comfort.

It's warm.

"No, but let's return; shall we?"

He felt Talon's full presence grow and glow bright for a moment, and then fade and fade, until he could still feel it again, as powerful and strong and majestic and warm as it was before, but it wasn't as persistent in their bond, and Talon's consciousness was outside the connection. He followed suit.

Opening his eyes he was met with the glowing glazed sun that was almost gone over the horizon by now. The wind brushed the tall skyscrapers and looming superstructures gently bringing chilly air to their atmosphere. Talon appeared to be sad, which was strange to Luke for some reason. Talon wasn't sad often, or that he could tell.

He moved closer and leaned against the terror bird, almost nearly sinking into a bed of fluffy stark white feathers.

It's warm.

Talon drew close to him in turn, looking down at him; He glanced up to the terror bird and flashed a smile, a smile that was meant to come across as saying "It's okay. Whatever bothers you, it's okay." Strangely, now it's my turn to comfort you.

"Why are you so gloomy all of the sudden?"

"Just thinking," said the telepath, ever so softly.

"hmm, okay." He glanced at his stub of a right hand, then looked a bit harder at it, and questioned lightly, "You know, I wonder, how am I going to defeat Sidious with one hand?"

There was a pause in which no words were spoken.

"You won't have to worry about that-"

Huh? He curiously looked to Talon, head cocked to the side like a curious sandy blonde kitten, but Talon was looking away with a face slightly shadowed by the sunset's glowing light, turned up at the sky, where stars were beginning to be born out of darkness. He looked up too, the duo pair gazing up at the endless sky. His eyes were barely able to spot a small shooting star but it was gone in a blink of a blue cerulean eye.

"- as you and I both know that some things are meant to happen or be."

"Oh."

They both stared off into the distance together. Content right there; with one another.


(Fanfir Note: Helloooo everyone, how are you? (You don't really have to answer that, but oh well)…. Hmm, I was thinking, sorry if this story sucks or anything, but I try….. hehehe….. Trying is good…..And if you were confused by this chapter, it was meant to be confusing… teehee…. (^ _ ^ )

(Hydra Note: Oh yeah, do take into account that when I'm writing this I'm not a very avid star wars fan. I've just watched the movies, read one of the books, and done some research on the matter….. so of course there are going to be tons of aspects of this fanfic that will be very inaccurate or just completely made up, hehehe, ~looks around sneakily~, but you won't even notice…hehehehe… or will you?…. But plz don't stop reading because of that…. I think… hello… And if you don't like Talon then you'll most likely enjoy what happens to him in this fanfic….yolo…. bye bye… : )