Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Wars, the right of ownership of Star Wars belong to Lucasfilm and I guess Disney too. The only thing I own is the characters you do not notice and the plot.
Chapter 12: Guilt, Torture & Haunted
Mark walks through the halls of the Jedi Temple. He hasn't left the temple in two days since Padme gave her speech. He has been keeping himself busy by doing classes within the temple. Out of all the younglings is seems like Luke and Mara is doing the best at learning. If Leia was there she would be in the same level with Luke and Mara.
Since saving Mara and her mother, he been keeping a close eye on little Mara because she is strong with the force. To Mark it seems strange that it seem like the farther along they go through time, the newest younglings seem to be more connected with the Force, still nothing like him and Anakin.
Mark paces in front of the youngling as he teaches. "The Force is what those that do not really know about the Force would call mystical. Unlike what the public believe the Force is not some magic that can make everything happen. It is what creates and binds the whole universe together." say Mark as he looks around. Like always when he teaches he holds the younglings attention.
"I am not saying I know everything there is too the Force, but I know what I consider a lot. See the Force, there is no limit. Once you think you learned everything you can about it, it surprises you. The Force is great ally and not a weapon. A Jedi like those you will become one day will use the Force to learn and defend those who needed to be defending." say Mark.
Someone raise their hand. "What makes the difference between Light Side and Dark Side?" ask a human boy around 3 years of age. "Good question, the Force is not black and white, good and bad. Just like everyone in the universe they are what people will say shades of gray. Easy way to put it is any thing you used the Force for that feed of any negative emotions or feeling is the Dark Side. Speaking of negative emotions who can tell me what I mean by that?" say Mark.
It is strange to see only one hand in the front row of younglings who were sitting on the floor shoot up. It was Luke's hand. Usually it seems to be a race between Luke and Leia of who can get their hands up first. Mark lazily point at Luke.
"If I remember correctly the negative feelings are feelings like anger, hatred and fear." say Luke. Mark smiles as he nods his head. "100 percent true, but he is not saying oh if someone steals your toy or if they steal your lunch and if you get angry you will turn to the Dark Side. No that would not happen. If you use the anger to use the Force, then there might be a chance. Out of all the feelings that Luke have just said, I would personally say fear and hatred is the strongest, and this is not the fear of heights or dark. This is very tense fear that impacts you greatly. Fear can make even the strongest people do things they would not do, even if they have no connection to the Force." say Mark.
"Which side is stronger?" ask a female human this time in the middle row. Mark sighs as he pinches his nose. "What is with everyone trying to figure out what side is more powerful? It does not matter, what side it is. For example take me I am pretty powerful with the Force, more connected to it than half of the council. When Darth Sidious, aka former Chancellor Palpatine shield his aura of darkness, I sense it while others was blind. With that same example the Dark Side was strong too because it hide it from some of the greatest Jedi of today. The difference is who and how it is being used. Jedi use the Force with limits, they hold back. Those who practice the Dark Side does not have those limits. So in a sense people might think the Dark Side is stronger because it does not have limits which those who practice keep. In ways both are strong and weak." say Mark.
As he was talking he senses that Obi-wan is standing next to the open door. He was just out of the sight of the younglings. "To practice, I want you guys try to reach out with the Force. Focus it to the doorway. Tell me if there is someone there and who it is." say Mark.
Mark senses Mara find out but, he start to think she is a bit shy around a lot of people. He would not blame her for that, since for most of her life she has spent alone with her mother in a forest. Now she is with other people around her age. Luke was the second behind her. Slowly the rest of the class follows.
Then a lot of younglings' hands rose into the air. The only hand remain down was Mara. She was looking around the room with her fingers on her bottom lip. Mark senses that she was shy.
"It is Master Kenobi." shouted one of the younglings; Mark did not know who did it because the voice came in the middle of the pack of younglings. "Correct you are, and hopefully you do not mind, but I have to steal your teacher for a few." say Obi-wan smiling as he walks into the room and pulls Mark out by the loose sleeve of his tunic.
Once outside in the hall, Obi-wan closed the door to the room where the younglings are in. "I thought you were going to find out how 2 of the 3 people who knew the exact location of each station were killed and why there haven't been any attempts on the third one. I am not saying that I hope that Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda dies, but Darth Vader had the Bakuran Prime Minister and that Bakuran General brutally murder. It just does not make any sense." say Obi-wan.
"Nothing to follow." say Mark as he looks away from Obi-wan. "There are leads to be followed on that case. There have to be a very good reason why Darth Vader let him live while he had the other killed. Something is not right at all. Plus I think there was a different method why the Anakin's kids were kidnapped. I mean I know the obvious to why he wants them. They are powerful in the Force. If you asked me it was also intended to make Padme look bad." say Obi-wan.
"Seem like you know more about it than I do. How about you follow it." say Mark turning back to the door. "You cannot possible think I believe you did not know any of the stuff I just say. I know you well Mark. Plus you have a knack of finding out information, you did back in 20 BBY with Palpatine." say Obi-wan. "You are forgetting I had help with that and a whole lot of luck." say Mark.
Obi-wan eyes narrowed a bit as he grabs Mark by the shoulders of his tunic and pins him against the wall. "Listen Mark, I say I know you well. I sense you feel like it is your fault that Leia was kidnapped. You must not let that stop you. Who knows, if you look into this case it might lead us to Leia." say Obi-wan. "I am telling you there is nothing I can do! Plus I am busy teaching." shout Mark.
Obi-wan have the strong sense to punch Mark, but he fight off the urge. The last thing he wants to do is getting into any type of fight with an upset Mark. It would do no good.
"We both know that is a lie. You haven't even venture out the Temple. You usually the one who takes Luke and Leia home if Anakin was not here at the end of the day. Also the last time Padme was in here you avoided her. Right as she walked into a room you were in you bolted out. Stuff happens, and I sense through the Force we will get Leia back. So you need to stop feel so sorry for yourself and get up and try to solve this problem." say Obi-wan.
"Why does everything have to have me being involved?" ask Mark as he pushes Obi-wan with his hands. "Master Yoda's vision, he said that if you are not involve with this, Leia could die or worst become a Sith. Plus you are the only one who can stand an even ground with Darth Vader. If that was any of us out there on Bakura, we could be dead." say Obi-wan.
Mark sighs and looks at Obi-wan. "I do not see what I have anything to do with it. I mean I can see why I should go because I could stand up to Darth Vader, but besides that anyone could save her. Plus we have no locations for where they could be." say Mark.
Obi-wan pinches his nose and looks down. The urge to punch his best friend is surely getting stronger by the second with this nonsense he is hearing. Mark is suffering from a strong case of guilt that it is hindering his thoughts. He knows full well that Mark has the ability to find the connection between Mas Amedda and Darth Vader, and have a strong possibility to saving Leia more than any of them. It is not for Mark's skills but how he thinks and operates. He just does not give up; well until now it seems like.
Out of the two Mark Zanes he knows, they shared a lot of thing in common. One of the major things is that they do not give up easy, and to see the Mark from the other universe in a state like this is very shocking to him.
"Really Mark! I have been working my butt off trying to find information; I have been meditating on it since you contact us about what happen on Bakura. I have found nothing. If you are anything like the Mark that died on Geonosis, then you might have a better chance of finding stuff out." say Obi-wan.
"If you can't find the answers through the Force, what makes you think I can?" ask Mark crossing his arms stubbornly. The urge to punch him is getting much worst for Obi-wan. He never seen a case of a Jedi having this much guilt. "Seriously, are you that stupid right now? Your connection with the Force is very strong. Stronger than a lot of the strongest Jedi in the history. We do not even know who is stronger you or Anakin. There been times when Master Yoda try to find answers through the Force and he cannot, he asks you and you were able to!" say Obi-wan.
"Have you ever thought maybe I am not 100 percent like the one you knew before the Clone Wars? You do even know half of what I been through. No let me rephrase that, you do not know how it feels from what I been through. You look at me, Obi-wan. I am a failure. I knew something was wrong with Palpatine in my universe and did nothing about it, until it was too late. Then I let my overconfidence get to me on Bakura. I was so sure that Anakin could saved both of his children without a problem that overlook the problem that Darth Vader could have a lot of Force Sensitive with him and those can use different means of getting them. I did not think of all the other possibilities that could have happen and when there was a chance for Captain Kia to save them, I told them no because it would be to dangerous." say Mark as he looks down.
"Mark, everyone fails. Where you failed you made it up. Like with Palpatine, you failed your universe, but you made up by saving this one from the same fate. You were more than willing to go down in a blaze of flame than watches him to achieve his goals." say Obi-wan.
"There was a chance that I could have save them." say Mark as he looks into Obi-wan's eyes as he slides down the wall to sit on the floor. Mark had his hands on his knees. Obi-wan sits down next to him. "Mark, deep down inside you, you know that what I am saying is true. I know you might not feel like it, but you know that with your help Leia has the greatest chance of coming back." say Obi-wan.
"I do not see how I am going to do it." say Mark looking at Obi-wan. "You always find a way, and you will have me and Anakin helping you. Even Satine is having people looking through the Outer Rim. A lot of people out there looking for her." say Obi-wan.
As Obi-wan was talking, Mark remembers something he has found in the dead Bakuran Prime Minister room. It was a burnt up letter from the Vice Chancellor complaining something about Padme and Amelia. Could that be the reason, could Darth Vader try to take over the Republic by either getting Padme kick out of office replaced by Mas Amedda.
Obi-wan sense a change into Mark. He looks up at Mark who stands up. "I think I might now the reason why Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda is not getting killed, maybe he is working along with Darth Vader somehow." say Mark. It would explain why he did not did any major changes to the Republic itself, but only try to extend it control to the Outer Rim with the stations.
On a Star Destroyer, Leia stands in front of Darth Vader. "I saw attack me!" snap Darth Vader. "No!" shout a stubborn Leia. She is not going to listen to someone who she can sense is nothing but dark.
The floor near her got burn by a blaster shot. Leia leap out of the way and falls down hard. Her small knees nail the metal floor hard. "When he says something you do it!" snaps Maxus Zane as he glares at the little girl.
Then Leia got shocked by Force Lightning from Darth Vader's hand. It hit her so hard that it throws her back onto the wall hard. She falls down to the metal floor harder. She begins to cry. "Daddy! Mommy!" whines Leia in pain as she roll onto her side and ball up.
"Throw her back in her cell. Send in the Torture Droid and put the droid on medium level." say Darth Vader with a sick smile behind his faceplate. Darth Destria who was standing at his side with her arms cross looked shocked at this. "Are you sure Master? I am not questioning your orders, but wouldn't the level kills a girl her age, I thought you wanted the Skywalker Twins because they are so strong in the Force." say Darth Destria.
"Any normal child would die, but with her being so strong in the Force she can withstand it." say Darth Vader as Darth Destria nodded as she used the Force to lift up Leia and walks out of the room. As they walk down the hall, Darth Destria looks up at the crying girl.
"Please…Miss do not do this." say Leia weakly. "I am sorry, but I have too. My Master deems it." say Darth Destria. "I feel… good inside you." say Leia. Darth Destria let go of the Force and let her fall hard to the ground. Darth Destria actives her light saber and the tip just barely poke at Leia's chest, which burn the black loose shirt and pants.
Leia scramble away bit and run into the wall. "Listen here you little brat, I could be a nice person, but there is no good in me! The Jedi take it away when they betray me! They tried to kill me." snap Darth Destria. "Jedi will never do that!" say Leia. "They are filling your head with lies. Lies that I have lived with for my whole life. Now get your lazy behind up, and I am just going to pretend you never say I have good in me!" snap Darth Destria as she used the Force to pick up Leia and walk to her cell. There was in a black and red sphere droid floating in the air.
Darth Destria drops Leia up in the cell and active the Force Field. The droid approaches Leia. The droid is programmed to assault people mentally and physically. Leia let out a high pitch scream as she got stab by a needle for with substance that will make her feel pain and have bad visions that. Leia screams louder as the substance taken a fit. Darth Destria can see that it is infecting her because of her distance looking eyes.
The droid start firing non-lethal plasma shoots the hit Leia and shocks her with electricity. Leia screams in pain echoes through the halls of the Star Destroyer. Darth Destria shakes her head as she walk away. For some strange reason she feels bad at torturing her. She does not understand why. She had murder younglings, this is different.
"MOOOMY! DAAADY!" screams Leia in a very intense pain. Darth Destria just smiles slightly at this. Whatever she felt before was gone.
Anakin shots up from his bed and breathing heavy. He was breathing so heavy he did not hear Padme usual crying her sleep. He just had a vision of Leia being tortured on a Star Destroyer. Her painful screams for Padme and him still echoes through his head.
He looks over at his wife. She was sleeping facing away from him and she has Leia teddy bear sitting on the nightstand beside her. Anakin knows his wife cry herself asleep staring at the bear.
Anakin got up from the bed and walks toward the living room of Padme's apartment in the 500 Republica. He has been having a hard time falling asleep due to losing their daughter to the Sith.
"Ani?" ask Padme softly from her side of the bed. "Just go back to bed darling." say Padme. "I cannot, I keep seeing Leia as a Sith standing over me as I sleep and stabs me with her Lightsaber." say Padme. "Leia will never do that. She too sweet and innocent." say Anakin as she put his hand along the side of her face.
"Do not worry, we will get her back." say Anakin as he sits back down on the bed. "What happen if we get her back and… and… and…and… she de…ad." say Padme as she sits up. "She will be not dead or harm, do not think like that milady." say Anakin as he hugs his wife.
Padme breaks back down into tears as she cries into Anakin's shoulder. She has been having various nightmares about Leia. A nightmare she had last night was that they receive Leia and she was cut into 10 pieces by a Lightsaber. That nightmare shaken Padme up so much that she was crying for most of the day. The night before she had a nightmare of a dead Leia blaming her for her death and that Padme did not love her that much.
Everything have just been harder on Padme, between losing her daughter and Mark been avoiding her. Anakin is just not use to seeing her like that. She was always a proud woman who was on top of her game, now she is an empty husk of herself. He dares not to think about it, but if something happens to Leia, he hates to see what Padme would do. He is afraid he is losing the angel he have married 7 years ago.