Alex Rider: Jedi Knight

Jedi Goat

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or Alex Rider.

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Chapter 4: Explanation

Sabina stopped her sniffling and peered around. There was someone sitting next to her. She was closer to the bars and Sabina could vaguely see her in the weak light. She had long, reddish hair tangled down her back, and she was sitting next to Sabina with her knees hugged against her chest.

"Are you hurt?"

Sabina distantly remembered that voice. Then it hit her. "Jack?" She had met Jack Starbright a few times before; she was Alex's housekeeper and now official guardian.

"Yes, it's me."

"Why are they doing this?" Sabina choked out. It didn't make any sense! Why would these weird people kidnap her and Jack? What had they ever done to them?!

Jack put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I don't know. But it's going to be all right. We'll stay together."

Sabina brushed away some of her tears, struggling to calm herself down. "Do you think it's a coincidence that they captured both of us?" she finally asked quietly.

"I don't know. Sorry." Sabina could hear the sincere quality in Jack's voice. Jack was accepting the situation; why couldn't she?

As Sabina tried to think about other things than the present situation, she sensed footsteps outside. Raising her head, she murmured, "Someone's coming."

Sure enough, a moment later the door clanged open and two beige humanoid robots stood guard in the entrance. Another one prodded a handcuffed figure inside. The fake bus driver man observed the procedure with a thunderous look on his face.

"That'll teach you not to defy the Sith," he spat, before the robots locked the door once more.

As soon as they were gone, Jack approached the newcomer. She peered down at him. Suddenly her eyes narrowed to slits and she growled, "You."

"Me?"

Jack grabbed him by his jacket collar and dragged him closer, staring him in the eye. "Yes, you, Yassen Gregorovich! You kidnapped Alex!"

"It was for his own good." His voice was calm and level as he spoke. Sabina had to admire his courage to not even flinch as Jack glared at him murderously.

Jack snorted. "His own good! How is trying to kill him and practically destroying our house for Alex's own good?!"

"The Sith would have killed him otherwise."

Sabina stood up. "Jack," she called. Jack glanced over, forgetting about her captive for a second.

"Let me talk to him," urged Sabina, stepping away from the wall. She had once again sensed the truth in what someone was saying – she didn't know how or why – but she hoped to get some information out of this man.

Jack nodded grudgingly and released him. Sabina fished out a bobby pin from her pocket and set to work on picking the lock on the handcuffs.

"Who are these people that have us captive? The 'Sith' or whoever," Sabina asked as she worked.

"They are the Sith. Darth Sidious is their leader. He has his apprentice, Count Dooku, and an army of battle droids," Yassen explained.

"And that robot guy?"

"General Grievous. He is an ally of the Sith."

"Why did they capture us?" There was a click as the first lock came undone. Sabina moved on to the second one.

"You are to be used as bait for Alex Rider."

"What?" Sabina glanced up sharply. "What do they want with Alex?!"

"They want to make him a Sith."

"Why the heck would they want to do that?" Jack had reemerged from the shadows, her eyes still burning with hatred.

"Alex is powerful, but he does not know the extent of his power. With his help, the Sith could take over the galaxy."

"Nor should he know," Jack hissed, "He's a fourteen year old boy! Not a spy or – or a Jedi!"

"Alex's a spy?" Sabina murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She remembered Alex trying to tell her that during their vacation in Cornwall. Then she had not believed him, but now it seemed like the only normal fact in her life here, captured by some deranged Sith.

Sabina snapped out of her small reverie. "What's a Jedi?" she wondered.

Yassen answered her. "The Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy. They fight for good using the Force. In a way they are the polar opposites of the Sith."

Sabina nodded slowly. "Okay. What's the Force? And wait - did you say the galaxy?"

Yassen held up a hand. "One question at a time. The Force is a sort of mystical power. It runs through everything and keeps life alive. The Jedi and the Sith are Force-sensitive, meaning they can access the Force and use it to do things." Yassen shook his head. "It is rather complex; I'd have to be a Jedi to explain it to you better." He stared at the wall for a moment before speaking again. "As for your second question, yes, I did say galaxy."

Sabina gave him a bewildered look.

"You probably didn't know that there is a whole galaxy of planets outside of our solar system. In fact, we are on one of them right now. This galaxy has been kept secret from most humans."

Sabina quickly picked open the other lock and moved off to sit against the wall. She stared out the barred door, thoughts on her distant home planet, millions of light years away. Very suddenly Sabina felt very alone. And being stuck in a cage between a very irritated woman and a killer didn't help much.

As the sun set in a miraculous blaze of colors, a small space cruiser pulled up at the Jedi Temple. Three silhouettes stepped down the ramp and entered the Temple.

"We'll leave for Korriban tomorrow," Obi-Wan informed his two companions quietly as they roamed down the brilliantly lit corridors of the Temple.

Alex nodded; he was secretly pleased to be back on Coruscant. He liked how the otherworldly planet was much like a gigantic Earth city.

"There will be a second Jedi team coming with us," he continued. "They have been assigned to resolve a conflict between some of the planet's locals. We can sneak in with them and investigate the Sith."

They stopped outside the door to Obi-Wan and Anakin's apartment.

"Alex, you can have the couch," instructed Obi-Wan, before he disappeared inside.

To be continued...

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