Chapter 2 The Threat from Above
Zak settled into one of the seats with Livie sitting on his lap, and the other four children flanking him; Hadrian and Luke on one side, and Kendyl and Leia on the other. Almost immediately, Livie turned toward him, reached up and began to toy with his shoulder length braid, "What's dis one for, Sackie?" She asked.
"That's for academic studies." Zak answered, "You know that."
"No, I mean dis one." Livie insisted, tugging at the bead at the end of the braid, "It'snew."
"Livie, do you remember what all the other beads are for?" Zak asked curiously.
"Yep, evwy one." Livie answered as reached up to touch the very first bead, "Dis one is fwom Ma Obi; dis one is fwom…." And she went on until she got to the very last one, "But I still don' know what dis one's for."
"Well, that one is for advanced acrobatics." Zak told her.
"Oh….ya mean like flippin'?" Livie asked.
"Yes, like flipping." Zak answered.
"Sackie, how come Fewi's bwaid isn't dis long?" Livie asked.
"I don't know; maybe my hair grows faster than his." Zak replied.
"Oh…..why'dyou have more beads?" Livie asked.
"Because my braid is longer." Zak answered.
"Oh….whewe's Daddy?" Livie asked.
"He's coming. Why don't you be quiet now, because, look, your Mommy is going to say something." Zak said.
"Oh…all white." Livie complied and turned obediently to watch.
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"It's no use, Master; there's just too much here to sort through. I can't find it." Ferri said, shaking his head in frustration.
"It's alright; it was a long shot anyway. Let's get back to the stands; we will just have to be very mindful, I know there must have been a reason you picked up that conversation." Anakin replied.
"Yes, because something is going to happen; something bad." Ferri agreed.
"That's a distinct possibility, and the ceremony is going to start any minute, maybe whatever is going to happen is connected with that; we should get going." Anakin surmised.
Ferri nodded thoughtfully and turned to follow Anakin through the crowd that was starting to gather; moments later, they were climbing up into the stands to join Zak and Anakin's family.
"Lady Padme isn't very happy with you." Zak informed Anakin as he sat down.
"Well, there's nothing new about that; what did she say?" Anakin asked as Livie slid off Zak's lap and held her hands up to him.
"That you and Ferri were always getting sidetracked, and that hopefully you would be unsidetracked by the time the ceremony was finished." Zak answered.
Anakin sighed and shook his head, "When she finds out what we were doing, she might be more understanding." He decided.
"I thought you didn't want her to know." Zak replied.
"Well, I…I just meant that, well…I would be the one to tell her." Anakin answered.
Zak smiled and shook his head, "Oh." He said.
"Well, I did." Anakin told him defensively.
"Alright." Zak said amiably, "So, did you learn anything?"
"No, there were too many people." Anakin replied.
Seven-year-old Gemma approached them, "Master Skywalker, may I sit with Leia?" She asked.
"Yes, of course; but you didn't need to ask, Gemma, you're always welcome to join us." Anakin answered.
"Well, Mama says it is always polite to ask first." Gemma replied as she took the seat next to Leia.
"That's very wise for a seven year old." Anakin said.
"I am nearly eight." Gemma corrected.
Anakin smiled and shook his head.
"Sackie's got a new bead, Daddy." Livie informed Anakin as she settled into his lap.
"Yes, I know; he just got that one yesterday." Anakin replied, wrapping his arms around her.
"It's for flippin'." She explained, "Sackie's good at flippin'."
Anakin smiled, "Yes, he's very good at flipping." He agreed.
Livie looked over at Ferri sitting next to them, "You got one too! What's yours for, Fewwi?" She asked.
Ferri gave her a rare smile, "Mine is for flipping too." He told her.
"You don' smile 'nough, Fewwi." Livie admonished.
Ferri only sighed and shook his head, "It's twue, Fewwi." Livie insisted.
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He stood up and stretched, wishing they would just get on with it. He wanted it to start; then he could do what he wanted to do. But it had to start first. Then he heard a ripple of applause, and he knelt down again and peered through the site of his weapon; yes, the ceremony was beginning now. It was time to set things in motion.
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Zak sighed and looked over at Ferri; Ferri returned the gaze and shook his head, "You feel it too, don't you." He said.
"Yes." Zak confirmed and then turned to where Anakin was sitting on the opposite side, "Master Anakin?"
"Yes, Zak, I feel it; are you getting any sense of direction?" Anakin asked.
"Behind us." Zak told him.
"Yes, and above." Ferri added.
"You're right; both of you. Ferri, stand up to stretch and try to spot anything suspicious." Anakin instructed, "Zak, you stay and watch the children."
"What are you going to do?" Zak asked.
"If the danger is behind and above us; I'm afraid I know who the target is." Anakin answered.
"The Chancellor?" Zak guessed.
"Yes." Anakin replied as put Livie down and stood up, "You stay with Zak."
"Can' I come wif you, Daddy?" Livie asked.
"No, Daddy has something important to do. I'll be back before you know it." Anakin assured her.
"All white, Daddy." Livie replied and then toddled back to Zak.
"May the Force be with you, Master." Ferri said as he stood up, stretched and then twisted nonchalantly.
"And may it be with both of you; be mindful." Anakin told them and then started to make his way down from the stands.
"Can you see the threat?" Zak asked without looking at Ferri.
"No, but that does not mean….wait, yes; I see someone on a terrace." Ferri replied, "MASTER!"
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He watched a young man, a Jedi from his dress, stand and stretch before turning toward him; another man, sitting in the same row stood and started down toward the platform. He realized the young Jedi had spotted him, but then the sign he had been waiting for appeared, the Chancellor stood and the crowd stood with him and applauded. Disregarding the knowledge that he had been spotted, he put an eye to the site one last time to ensure the target was in line, and fired the weapon .
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Hearing his apprentice, Anakin turned just as the crowd began to applaud to see Ferri pointing upward to a terrace several levels above them on a nearby building. In an instant, he realized this was the assailant, and that it was too late to stop him. He turned back toward the platform and raced down the remaining levels between it and the stands, waving his arms above his head, urging everyone to get down.
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On the platform, Bail was the first to see Anakin's frantic warning and instinctively moved, not to save himself, but the others occupying the stands with him, "DOWN, everyone, get down!" He ordered, throwing his arms around his Vice Chancellor, Mon Mothma and his aid, Padme Skywalker just as the corner of the platform exploded, throwing bits of deadly shrapnel in all directions.
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"Oh…oh, no….DOWN, Zak, get them all down!" Ferri cried as he ducked down, dragging Luke and Hadrian with him.
Without question, Zak pushed Livie to the floor before pulling Kendyl from his seat and reaching for Leia. But Leia didn't need any help as she dropped to the floor, pulling Gemma down with her.
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He smiled as panic erupted and watched with satisfaction the chaos that ensued. But he did not bask in his success for more than a moment or two before he realized that it was time to make his escape. If he waited too long, he knew the young Jedi would lead the way to his assault position. Quickly, he dismantled his weapon, packed it in its case and made a hasty retreat to join the throng of now terrified witnesses to his ultimate triumph.
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Padme struggled to slip from beneath the Chancellor; nearby, the Vice Chancellor was just getting to her knees. Out in the stands, Padme could see the crowd pushing each other to get as far away from the ruined platform as they could. As she watched, still trying to piece together what had happened, a woman tripped and was trampled by a Twi'lek couple. She put a hand to her mouth and turned away; a shadow appeared in front of her, and she looked up to see Anakin standing before her, reaching down to help her to her feet. He then crouched down, and Padme realized Bail Organa was not moving.
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The guards with the Queen of Alderaan ushered her immediately to safety upon hearing Anakin's warning. From the floor of the private box where she crouched, Breha heard the explosion and the cries of the panicking crowd. She tried to stand, but the guards held her firmly down until they were assured that the danger had passed. When she stood and looked toward the platform, she screamed and rushed toward her fallen husband.
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As the crowd erupted in chaos around them, Ferri and Zak stood fast with the children between them. Only when the danger of being trampled had passed, did they allow the children to move. Gemma stood up first, "Papa? Papa? PAPA!" She cried and scrambled away from Zak's grasp and was halfway to the platform before he could stop her.
"Where's Mommy?" Leia asked, "Is Mommy alright?"
Zak stood up and scanned the area for a moment, "She's alright, Leia; she's with your Daddy." He assured her.
"What happened?" Hadrian asked.
"I'm not sure, Haddie." Zak answered truthfully.
"Someone tried to kill the Chancellor, didn't they." Luke surmised.
"Maybe, but we don't know that for sure." Ferri told him.
"Can we go see Mommy and Daddy now?" Leia asked.
"Yes, but you have to all stay with us, is that understood?" Zak instructed.
Five heads bobbed in acceptance; with Zak carrying Livie, and the rest of the children following him, they made their way down to the ruins of the platform with Ferri at the rear to keep them together.