There it is...Vanqor. Leia shuddered as she brought her fighter out of hyperspace. I can't believe I'm doing this. I disobeyed my flight instructor, ran away from orbital security, plotted a course, jumped through hyperspace, and reverted without crashing into the planet. It was beyond reason for a youngling to do all that by herself.

Of course the girl knew that when she made it back to Coruscant, she'd be in for an earful. Now the Council was going to expel her for sure. Her career as a Jedi was as good as over.

I don't care, Leia told herself as she looked around for any other ships that might be a problem. Father's in danger, and no one else was going to help me. She didn't even care about the tracking device on her belt. Every Jedi had one, though only the Council and their masters had to code to locate it. In Luke and Leia's case, so did Anakin. This was a safety measure that in case they were kidnapped or something they could always be found. It gave off such a low-impulse signal that few others even knew about it.

Leia wished she knew what Anakin's tracking code was, but in the end knew she didn't need it. All she needed was the Force. It was as good as the best tracking device in the galaxy...better, even, because it couldn't be jammed or detected by anyone else.

But at the same time, Leia knew her senses weren't yet strong enough to locate her father from orbit. So how am I going to find him? She decided to run a scan for any signs of civilization. This was where her knowledge of academia came in handy.

Vanqor wasn't officially colonized. Pockets of poison gas in the caves, a lack of potable water, and dangerous predators scared away all but the most hardy...or the most desperate. Like the rougher parts of the Outer Rim, it became a haven for the scum of the galaxy. But even Tatooine was more inviting than Vanqor.

Leia didn't have long to wait for the results of the scan. The most concentrated pocket of civilization- if you could call it that -was in the far corner of the Northern Hemisphere. Leia took a deep breath, called on the Force to calm herself, and decided to take a chance there. So she angled the ship down toward the surface. Full frontal deflector shields were hurriedly switched on as she entered the atmosphere.

Re-entry was bumpier than Leia had been expecting, but she had already been through worse. After that her next priority was to zero in on her father's location. She couldn't sense him yet...not specifically, anyway. There was plenty of life to be found on the planet's surface, but singling out one person from that distance was difficult even for most Jedi Masters. She would have to get closer.

As Leia came in low and made a wide sweep some ten kilometers to the left of the concentrated technology, a sudden beeping and whistling sounded in her ears. The noise made her yelp in surprise before she realized that she had turned her comm back on shortly after entering hyperspace. And those beeps sounded awfully familiar...

"Artoo?" cried Leia, sitting up a little straighter and pressing the mic pickup. "Artoo-Detoo, is that you?"

The droid let out en electronic exclamation of both surprise and dismay. Then he grumbled, sounding like an unhappy parent who had just heard about the trouble their child had gotten into.

Leia cringed, both before and after she had managed to switch on the binary translator. Rapid words flashed in red across her screen. Artoo thought she had a few circuits lose. "All right, all right. I know it was stupid. But I had to do something. No one would believe me!"

Artoo gave the binary equivalent of an exasperated sigh, then warbled another sentence. [Did my message to Coruscant not go through? I received confirmation shortly afterward.]

The girl flinched. "You did? Oh." Now you did it, Leia thought, groaning in embarrassment. If you'd just waited a little longer, you wouldn't have had to disobey orders. But there was a sense of justification. She hadn't been imagining things, after all. "Well, good. Now they have to believe me. When will the help get here?"

Artoo whistled sadly. [Unfortunately, none was promised.]

Leia's jaw fell open. "They still won't send anyone? Great. Looks like we're on our own."

Artoo, of course, protested loudly with a squeal of alarm.

"Of course, 'we'. Aren't you going to help your master?"

The droid gave several uncertain beeps. [Certainly. Master Anakin would never wish for you to go into such danger. However chances are high that I would be deactivated and disassembled for parts, should I fall into the hands of the pirates.]

Leia couldn't help but feel disappointed in the knowledge that she was on her own, but wasn't about to argue the point. Artoo was right. He could do more good where he was than trundling along behind and possibly raising the alarm. "Good point. Are you safe? The pirates haven't found you, have they?" The negative blat made her sigh in relief. "Good. Artoo, I need to land soon, and if the place you're in is safe, I might as well set down there. Could you send me your coordinates?"

Artoo whistled agreeably and complied with the girl's wishes. He then asked Leia if she knew what had befallen Anakin, and if she had a plan for saving him.

I only wish I did. Leia hesitated a long while before answering. "All I know right now is that the pirates have him, and he's hurt. But I'll find him," she added with determination. "I promise."

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Landing and finding Artoo-Detoo turned out to be the least of Leia's worries. Artoo's loyalty seemed to be overriding his sense of self-preservation and he kept insisting that he accompany the girl in her quest to find her father.

Leia fondly patted the droid's dome. "You have to stay here. I know you have scanners, but I have the Force...and you just can't keep up." She sifted through the emergency supplies in the fighter and selected a glowrod, a handful of ration bars, four bulbs of water, and a medic-kit. These were stowed in a small rucksack that she strapped to her back.

Artoo let out a sad moan and seemed to sag on his bearings. Then he gave a series of indignant beeps and clicks that sounded like an admonishment.

Leia wasn't as good at understanding binary as her father, but she got the general idea... especially after Artoo gave a pointed glance at Leia's belt. She cringed. "I know I don't have a lightsaber. But there are plenty of blasters around. I can shoot one of those, at least. Mother taught me." When Artoo seemed skeptical as to how she'd snag said weapon, Leia shrugged. "I'll just take one from a pirate with the Force. Father did say the last batch that lived out here wasn't very smart. Don't worry, Artoo," she added with a slight smile. "I'll be fine...both of us will."

The droid whistled softly and shook his dome from side to side before allowing Leia to pass. On the way he passed a small palm-sized commlink to her. She should at least stay in contact.

Leia nodded, stuffing the unit into her pack. "Good idea. Just keep it down, and don't comm me unless it's an emergency."

Artoo beeped an affirmative. He probably would have saluted if he had hands, but the girl was off at a run before he had time to tell her anything else. The droid hoped that whatever was in charge of the universe would see to it that she and his master would get back in one piece...or at least that they could be put back together.

:=v=: :=v=: :=v=:

Why am I awake? wondered Anakin as he lay exhausted on the floor. He had heard that intense pain could make a person pass out. The only other time such a thing had been true for him was when he had lost his arm. He certainly wished he would pass out now.

The latest torture session had been the worst yet. Bakara had used the very tip of Anakin's lightsaber to slowly burn a line down his back, from shoulder to waist. Anakin had screamed, writhing in pain, and finally summoned the strength to pull the saber from Bakara's hand with the Force and toss it out the small barred window next to the ceiling. He didn't hear it land...and realized belatedly he had thrown out his only weapon. Days of torture without food or water must have fried his brain.

Bakara had been enraged at this turn of events and took it out on Anakin. The weakened Jedi was no match for him for any longer than a minute. He beat his prisoner black and blue with fist and foot before wheeling out and leaving the cell in a huff.

Anakin had passed out not long after. Now he lay as still as he could to try and assess his latest injuries. He was no healer, but if the pain every time he took a breath was any indication, he estimated at least two ribs were broken...his nose, too. His left shoulder felt dislocated, and the knee replacement from ten years before made a loud grinding noise every time he tried to move it. It must have been damaged. The cuts that Bakara had dealt the day before were only scabbed over. His head throbbed and spun, indicative of a concussion. The only place Anakin didn't hurt was his mechanical right arm.

Of course, that had been taken off the previous evening during one of the torture sessions. For the third time, Anakin would have to get a new arm.

Anakin groaned and closed his eyes. If I ever get out of here, he amended. It would probably be a good idea to rest while he could. Bakara might just decide that he couldn't get the right kind of revenge without the lightsaber, and make up his mind to kill the Jedi. But Anakin had no intention of giving up just yet. His chances of getting out alive were slimming by the moment, but his idea was to go down fighting. He reached for the Force...and felt a familiar presence enter the complex.

The Jedi flinched. Someone he knew was nearby. Was that what had awoken him? He again stretched out with his feelings, wincing as he took a deep breath. Yes, someone was near...a fellow Jedi who was very strong with the Force, but frightened and desperate...and not just a Jedi...a family member.

All at once Anakin's flew open as he realized who it was. Simultaneously disappointed and overjoyed, he focused on her presence. Leia?!

The girl seemed startled...and very worried. Father! I'm here. Where are you?

Anakin blew out a sharp breath through his nose and winced again. Leia, what in the galaxy are you doing here? He made a mental note to give whoever had brought his daughter to this place a royal chewing out. But there was no sense of another Jedi anywhere. Who brought you here?

There was a guilty pause before Leia answered. No one.

Anakin nearly yelped out loud from something other than the pain. You came here ALONE?

You're in trouble! I had to. No one would listen to me, Leia protested, though her thoughts had a guilty ring to them. Her presence drew closer. I couldn't let them hurt you anymore.

Anakin sighed heavily and shook his head. Of course his children had sensed his pain, even from across the galaxy. But they had not heeded his warning to stay away. That had been a dice throw from the beginning, but the young father was still disappointed that his daughter had put herself into grave danger. And here he was barely able to move! How could he protect her in this condition? How did you know I was here? There are four other settlements scattered over the planet.

Leia didn't answer immediately. Instead there was a brief sense of fear, followed by the wild thoughts of someone caught by surprise.

Anakin's worry doubled. Leia! Not wanting to distract her if she was fighting, he chose not to say anything else until he sensed his daughter calm down. Leia, what happened?

I'm all right, Father. A couple of pirates found me, explained the girl with regret, but I stunned them.

Anakin was surprised, but gratified that his daughter could think on her feet. He sensed her drawing near. Well, he told himself, I'm not going to get out of here myself. And she's not just a little girl...she's a Jedi. He managed a half-smile and redirected his thoughts toward Leia. All right, you can help me. Just be careful. I'm not sure, but there must be at least a hundred pirates in this place.

I will. She seemed to cringe. Where are you, Father? I can feel you, but I'm not sure how close I am.

Very close...another ten meters, and you'll turn a corner. I'm behind a force field at the end of the hall. Look out; I count four more guards-

"What the-"

"Hey! You!" The weequay who had been sitting playing sabaac at a set of upturned crates rose to their feet upon seeing the intruder. One of them fell as a blue stun burst hit him, while the other three pointed their blasters and began firing.

"NO!" Worry for Leia brought a surge of adrenaline to Anakin's limbs. He gave a great heave and pushed up from the floor with his one good arm, then got his feet beneath him. The Jedi staggered forward four steps on jellied legs before falling to his knees with a hoarse gasp. He could just catch a glimpse of the pirates closing on in his daughter beyond the red haze of force field. Anakin closed his eyes, reached out with the Force, and tore the blasters out of the pirates' hands. The weapons clattered to the floor.

"She's a Jedi!" yelped one of the guards. He took an involuntary step back, then dove for his dropped blaster. Another blue stun beam hit him as he went down. In a matter of seconds his comrades joined him in a heap on the floor.

The next moment, a small girl emerged trembling from the hall, blaster still drawn. Leia looked at the mess, shuddered, and lowered the weapon before wheeling to her right. "Father..." She broke into a run.

Thank the Force. She's all right. Anakin watched with concern at how fast she was running... "Wait...it's a force field. Bakara said the charge is strong enough to stop a heart. He could have been bluffing, but I'd rather not risk it."

Leia skidded to a stop before the red haze. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing her father's condition. "Oh...I have to get you out of here."

Anakin focused on regulating his breathing to keep his pain under control. "There's a control panel on the left. I'm not sure about the code, but-" he flinched as the panel exploded in a blinding flash of light. Apparently Leia's impatience had gotten the better of her and she'd just blasted the thing. Two seconds later, the field shut down. Anakin lifted his brows in surprise. I'll be a Kowakian monkey-lizard. It worked.

Leia peered at the mess of molten slag for half a second before dashing into the cell and throwing her arms around the weak Jedi. For a while she couldn't say anything around the lump now rising in her throat.

Anakin returned the embrace as best he could. "Shh...Leia, what in the galaxy were you thinking, coming out here by yourself?"

Leia pulled back with a wobbling lip. "I had to! No one else was going to."

"How did you know?" Anakin wanted to know. "Could you sense it?"

"I...I saw you...in a vision. They were hurting you..." Tears formed in Leia's eyes.

"I know it's difficult not to act on your emotions when that happens...but didn't you tell anyone?"

"Yes. I told Master Saluk and he didn't believe me."

"What about the Council?"

Leia replied with a guilty silence and shook her head. "No...but when I landed, Artoo said he'd sent a message that you were in trouble. They're still not sending anyone to help!"

Anakin cringed. Once again his reputation as a man who could do the impossible had come back to bite him in the backside. "Well...I'm still disappointed in you for doing something so rash...but honestly, I can't get out of here without help. Just promise me that you'll listen, and do everything I tell you."

Leia nodded and smiled briefly through her tears. "I promise...thank you." She gave her father another brief hug.

Anakin winced. "Don't thank me yet. We still have more than fifty pirates to get through before we can make it back to the ship. I can't move very fast right now."

Leia grimaced as she looked over her father's injuries. "I know. I wish I'd brought a medical droid." She looked over her shoulder. "How long do you think until the others find us?"

The Jedi gave a painful shrug. "All I know is I don't want to wait around for them."

Leia chewed her lip and fished the medic-kit out of her bag. "Just a minute. Can I help you first?"

Reluctantly Anakin nodded and scooted on his backside to lean against a wall while his daughter set about giving first aid. "How'd you get the blaster?"

Leia shrugged one shoulder as she opened a tube of burn cream. "I just...grabbed it. By the time the pirate found me, I'd stunned him."

Anakin gritted his teeth until his burns had been treated. "Where'd you learn to shoot?"

Here Leia smiled. "Mother taught me."

Anakin smiled minutely in return, then yelped as Leia began wrapping his ribs. "I should have known. What about first aid?" He yelped again when the bandage was tied off and the bruises on his face were tended.

"They just started teaching us at the Temple...and I learned a little when I was working with the Healers," explained the girl. She choked back tears in seeing her father's missing mechanical arm. "Why are they doing this? Why go to all this trouble to hurt a Jedi?"

"Apparently these are some of the same band that confronted us on Balmorra. The leader's brother died...and he blames me for it," Anakin grimaced.

"It won't change anything!"

"I told him that. All he cares about is bringing me as much pain as possible."

Angrily Leia shook her head. "Blasted pile of poo-doo!" She went back to binding her father's wounds. Presently she tied off a bandage around Anakin's head. "It's the best I can do. I'm sorry."

Anakin smoothed back Leia's hair. "It's all right. Now let's go." Painfully he levered back to his knees.

Leia tugged on her father's arm to help him up. "Can you walk?"

Anakin nodded and got his feet under him. "I have to. Don't worry about me," he added. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. There's just one thing I need..." And he closed his eyes and reached for the Force. After some mental probing he located a small, cylindrical object just outside the window. It took a little bit of finagling, but soon Anakin had clipped his saber back to his belt.

Leia frowned. "What was it doing out there?"

Anakin pursed his lips. "Long story. Come on. Let's get out of here." Together father and daughter shuffled out of the cell and past the unconscious guards. They had only gone halfway down the far corridor when Anakin stopped and frowned, unclipping his lightsaber. "Uh-oh."

Leia closed her eyes. "I know. I feel it, too."

"Danger," nodded Anakin. He took a deep breath, felt the Force flow through him, and took as wide a stance as his weakened state would allow.

"But who's-"

The entry door to the corridor slid open, revealing eight pirates and a very angry Bakara.

Anakin forced what he hoped was a nonchalant smile. "Bakara...while I thank you for your hospitality, I must be going now."

Slowly Bakara shook his head, fire in his eyes. "No, my Jedi friend. Neither you nor your foolish youngling will be going anywhere...alive." He drew his blaster. "I will make a deal with you. Give me that lightsaber...and your daughter will live." He leveled the weapon at Leia.

That was the wrong thing to do. Anakin narrowed his eyes and raised himself to full height. Weakness and pain meant nothing when his child was being threatened. "I have my own deal for you. Let us go, and you'll live." A beam of blue fire extended from his hilt.

Bakara smirked. "You are foolish, Jedi. You will never make it out of here in your condition. But if you wish to fight instead of bargain...so be it." He waved his cronies forward.

Anakin's heart pounded. Something in the back of his mind told him he and Leia were as good as dead with those odds. But what were odds to the Hero Without Fear and his daughter?

Leia glared at the man and raised her blaster, flinching when Anakin pushed it aside.

"Stay behind me," murmured Anakin as he lifted his saber high. The Force continued to flood his body from crown to toes, promising strength.

All at once the blaster fire exploded down the corridor.

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A/N: Again, apologies for the long delays! If I can, I'm going to try and finish this by the end of the year. Chapter 18 is coming soon!