"Coming up on Maridun, sir," the young pilot told Obi-Wan as the star lines turned back into stars. A large green planet loomed in front of them. Leia shivered slightly from her standing position behind Obi-Wan's seat. Han and Padmé were also in the cockpit. In the back of the ship, a Jedi strike team was waiting.
"Here," Leia murmured, having not only been there, but also having her brother's Force sense to follow, she could lead them to Anakin and Luke easily. She pointed to a spot through the viewport.
The pilot set them down on the place Leia indicated. She found it hard to swallow when she saw Anakin and Luke's abandoned ship nearby. "We're close," she murmured to Obi-Wan. He nodded silently in agreement.
Han made sure to check his blaster before sliding it back into its holster. He glanced at Leia, who returned the look. She reached out to grab his hand briefly before leaving the cockpit to check with the team. Han turned to Padmé, who was watching the other ship through the viewport as if it was about to disappear at any moment. He took out the other blaster he'd brought and handed it to her. She looked at it in confusion before taking it.
"If we're going into a place filled with dangerous people, you gotta have some line of protection," Han explained with a shrug.
Padmé offered him a slight smile, standing to follow Obi-Wan from the cockpit. Han nodded at the pilot before leaving also. He'd wanted to take the Falcon, but Leia had argued that they wouldn't have enough room. When he'd said they would, she finally told him they might need to make a fast getaway. Having a pilot at the ready would be best. She made the point that he wouldn't want to stay with the ship and wait. He'd reluctantly agreed.
"Alright," Leia started, facing the strike team of about ten Jedi. Master Yoda and Master Windu were bringing in another team sometime soon, Leia and Obi-Wan were just leading the way in. "Once we're close, we'll be guaranteed to be engaged in a battle. But, we want to get to the hideout. A small group will take the obvious way and catch their attention. The rest of us will continue to the hideout. Once done, that team will join us, understood?" There were murmurs of agreement. She nodded once in finality. She placed a hand on her lightsaber handle, clipped to her belt, as she led the way of the ship. The team followed behind her. Han fell into step beside Padmé. The Jedi would lead the way; they'd be reinforcements, in necessary.
When the door opened, Anakin and Luke both looked up without real interest, expecting it to be Mara to deliver their daily meal. Instead of Mara's fiery red hair, however, there was a bald head covered with markings of an alien origin. In the back of his mind, Luke realized that they matched the wall's markings.
"Jerakah," Anakin snapped, glaring coldly at the intruder.
Jerakah only smiled. "You Skywalkers are all the same. You think you're invincible. Must be why your daughter thinks she can just charge in here and defeat me." He chuckled.
Anakin paled. Luke had a similar expression on his face. "Leia's here?" Anakin didn't want to trust Jerakah, but he knew that Leia would come if they were in trouble. It was ingrained deeply in her blood.
"Along with your old master, her husband, and your wife." Jerakah's voice had taken on a taunting air.
"Padmé?" Anakin felt his blood run cold throughout his veins. No. Not Padmé. She'd get killed. He had to be lying, just to make Anakin angry.
"Oh, trust me, I'm not lying," Jerakah assured him. He opened his hand and the image of outside the cave was projected. There, Leia was clearly visible, leading the way up to the cave opening. Behind her were Obi-Wan, Han, Padmé, and a few younger Jedi. He closed his fist once more and the image disappeared. "I believe there'll be another Skywalker in here in no time." He grinned. Turning on his heel, he departed through the door, shutting and locking it behind him.
"She was supposed to stay with the twins," Luke whispered, shaking his head. "She wasn't supposed to come here."
Anakin sighed. "Did you really think she'd leave us to stay here? It's Leia. She probably left the twins with Master Yoda or someone and came after us."
Luke sighed also, leaning up against the wall and feeling helpless.
"It was too easy," Leia murmured as they reached the large, wide cave opening. She glanced around inside and found no one. "They let us come." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. Han shared an uneasy glance with Padmé.
"Leia Skywalker!" a loud voice greeted exuberantly from inside. Leia's hand quickly went to clench her lightsaber handle. A man appeared from the dark depths of the cave, a red-haired woman close behind. The man was covered in markings. "What brings you to my humble little dwelling?"
"If you know who I am," Leia hissed, "Then you know why I'm here."
The man laughed, his yellow eyes sparkling. "Of course, of course. You're here for Anakin and Luke." She didn't like how he referred to them like old friends. "And you brought Master Kenobi. And Han Solo and Padmé Amidala! Quite the group!"
Leia shivered slightly at his knowledge. "Who are you, then?"
The man grinned, walking towards her menacingly. Han's hand twitched over his blaster. He gripped it as the man grabbed Leia's face. The man glanced at Han. "I wouldn't shoot if I were you." He returned his gaze to Leia. "You're looking at the mighty Jerakah, leader of a clan stronger than the entire Jedi Order."
Leia's mouth opened, her brown eyes going wide before narrowing. She pulled her face from his grip. "Jerakah was killed by Raek, who was killed by me. There's no way for you to be Jerakah."
"Why would you ever trust Raek?" Jerakah asked, as if speaking to a child. "He was your enemy, right? Why trust your enemy's word? Because of his strength?" He grinned. "If the apprentice were strong enough to be a master…" He trailed off, his grin verging on ominous. Abruptly he turned and gestured for the woman to join him. "This is Mara Jade. She captured your father and brother and brought them here."
Mara smirked, revealing white teeth, mock-bowing her head. "Pleasure." Her green eyes flashed with sarcasm. Her green eyes.
"I'm sure," Han muttered, glaring at her. His hand itched to grab his blaster and shoot both of them.
Jerakah was studying Leia. "I'm assuming you don't want to join Anakin and Luke in their cell."
"Not really," Leia spat through clenched teeth.
He sighed heavily. "So I suppose it'll come to a fight."
"I suppose so."
Suddenly, a double-sided red lightsaber was in his hand and ignited. Mara pulled her own lightsaber from her belt. Leia and Obi-Wan followed by igniting their own. Behind them, the rest of the strike team took their lead.
Jerakah flew at Leia, who raised her lightsaber in defense. The sound of the lightsabers clashing filled the small cavern. Mara jumped at Obi-Wan to stop him from helping Leia. The other Jedi passed Han and Padmé to help. Other figures appeared from the cave to engage them.
Han lifted his blaster, ducking under a lightsaber and shooting one of the clan members in the back. The Jedi fighting him, a young man, was able to slice through him. He gave Han a grateful nod.
Jerakah spun around at Leia, moving towards her left side. She quickly shifted to block him. Through her narrowed eyes, she met Han's gaze. "Go get Luke and Father," she mouthed just before Jerakah blocked her line of vision.
Han nodded, gesturing for Padmé to follow him. She ran to join him as they went deeper into the cave, blindly.
"There's a battle going on!" Anakin cried in surprise, jumping into a standing position. Luke scrambled to his feet, also listening to the eerily familiar sound of clashing lightsabers.
"I hope Leia's alright," Luke murmured, wondering how his sister was fairing. She had given birth barely a week ago. She was in no condition to be fighting.
The sound of footsteps echoed from outside their room. Both Jedi froze, listening. "Anakin? Luke?" a voice called.
"Padmé," Anakin whispered in disbelief.
"Mother!" Luke cried in return. "We're in here!"
"Luke!" Padmé called in relief. There was the sound of a struggle just outside the door. "It's locked."
"Stand back!" Han's voice commanded, whether it was to Padmé or Luke and Anakin was unsure. Still, Luke and Anakin backed up. The sound of a blaster being shot reverberated in the small room. The door opened, revealing a grinning Han and a worried Padmé.
"Padmé!" Anakin cried, hurrying to hug her. She held onto him for a moment before hugging Luke.
"Where's Leia?" Luke asked urgently.
Han's scowl was evident even in the dim lighting. "She's fighting that Jerakah guy."
Luke and Anakin both looked horrified. "She's fighting Jerakah?! By herself?!" Luke cried.
When Han nodded grimly, Luke's eyes narrowed in determination. "We have to help her."
"How?" Anakin asked. "They took our lightsabers."
"Oh," Padmé said in surprise. "Here." She handed Luke a lightsaber that had been forgotten in her hand. "We surprised one of the sith on the way here and I took it, figuring that you didn't have yours."
"They're not sith," Luke explained on the way back to the cave opening and the battle. "They're misguided Force-sensitives. Jerakah has convinced them they're sith, but they're not really."
Anakin only glanced at Luke, who hadn't shared that thought with him before. As they neared the battle, he forgot about it. There were lightsabers of greens and blues clashing against multiple red ones. His gaze was drawn to the front of the cave where an obviously weary Leia was fighting the powerful Jerakah. Beside her was Obi-Wan, engaged in a battle with Mara Jade.
Anakin saw a lightsaber of a fallen clan member and drew it to himself through the Force. The next moment he was beside Leia, helping her take on Jerakah. He didn't even seem surprised by Anakin's appearance. Luke quickly joined Obi-Wan in his fight against Mara. Mara glared at him menacingly.
Suddenly, Jerakah and Mara had switched places and Leia and Anakin were fighting Mara instead. Luke and Obi-Wan were against Jerakah now. Leia didn't take the time to let her surprise soak in. She just fought Mara's attacks.
Another clan member joined the medley and Luke hurried to take care of him. Obi-Wan saw something flash in Jerakah's eyes. He smiled, perfectly calm. As Jerakah's double-sided lightsaber swung around and went through the blind spot in Obi-Wan's defense, he suddenly was brought back to Naboo and the death of Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of Darth Maul.