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Chapter 21 – The Locals
Mid-afternoon sun bleached the sand under which Luke was being buried by his sister. Periodically he'd poke a finger or toe through, making her pile a grotesque mound of wet sand over the cracks. Padmé and Ainar couldn't help but laugh at the comedic routine.
"I wonder when they'll start to get bored with this," Padmé confided in Ainar.
"I doubt it will be anytime soon."
"I hope not. This beach is the best thing they've got."
"I wouldn't worry," Ainar stretched both arms over his head. "They've got me to entertain them, if nothing else."
Padmé smiled with a wince. "I'm glad you're here for so many reasons, Ainar. To be honest, I was starting to think he wasn't sending anyone."
Ainar arched an eyebrow. "To whom are you referring?"
"Don't be obtuse. You know who," she looked down at the sand.
"I'm not entirely certain what to call him either," he acknowledged softly. "I usually refer to him as 'son.'"
Padmé swallowed, glancing at him sideways. "I'm still in awe of the story you told me. How you survived all those years, alone… I'm speechless."
"Thank you. But I don't want your reverence, Padmé. I just want my family," he looked at the twins with affection.
"Is it what you hoped?"
"Yes and no. It's more, but it's also much less," Ainar answered honestly.
Padmé squinted at the horizon. "I know exactly what you mean."
A long minute passed between them. The twins' laughter drowned in the rhythmic rush of waves. For a moment, they were alone, two adults contemplating the impact Darth Vader had upon their lives.
"How are you holding up?" asked Ainar tentatively.
Padmé almost laughed, but refrained from being rude. "How do you think? We've been confined here as the galaxy's most comfortable prisoners. We don't know why he left or when he's coming back. And we have no idea what to expect when he does return. Does that sound like the recipe for sleeping like a baby each night?"
"Luke and Leia seem to be sleeping fine."
"They think this is all a great adventure… a fancy vacation I've been saving up for," Padmé snorted.
"What's wrong with that?"
"It's naïve and dangerous! What guarantee do we have that he won't bring Palpatine back with him? Or that he's not setting up some elaborate trap for us?"
Ainar's expression shifted into neutral. "He isn't."
"How can you be sure?" she scoffed.
"I've spent a lot of time with him this past week, Padmé," Ainar hedged. "He's changing. The evil is slowly starting to drain from his soul."
Folding her arms, Padmé pressed her lips and scrutinized Ainar.
"You know where he went, don't you?" she accused.
His neck grew warm despite himself. "I'd be lying if I said no."
She didn't blink. "And you won't tell me."
Ainar's conscience buckled from having to choose between reassuring her and honoring his son's wishes. "It's not my secret to tell."
Her eyes kept burning a hole into his skull. "So I'm supposed to take your word for it that we have nothing to fear?"
"Not a thing," he met her eyes squarely.
Seeing the unwavering truth in his face made Padmé lower her defenses somewhat – but not altogether. "I believe that you believe it's safe. But you could have been deceived. He's good at twisting the truth, Ainar!"
"Good enough to fool his own father? You forget I'm as Force-sensitive as he is."
Padmé rubbed her temples, trying to exhale her dull headache. "I want to believe everything is what it seems, I really do. But look at things from my perspective. Would you be any less paranoid?" she pleaded. "After nearly being choked to death and hiding from him for five years, would you suddenly trust him just because some stranger told you to?"
Ainar's hurt expression made Padmé regret her choice of words.
"I'm sorry Ainar, you're not just some random stranger. But truth be told, even if Obi-Wan told me not to worry, I still would. That's what five years of living in fear does to you."
"No, that's what being a good mother entails."
She let a faint smile slip. "Thank you. You don't know how much I've doubted myself over the years."
"You shouldn't. Luke and Leia are thriving. It seems to me you've done everything right."
"Until now," Padmé grimaced. "Force only knows what will happen to us now."
"Again, I feel compelled to point out that the twins aren't worried."
"They've five! They're half aware of what's going on, at best."
Ainar chuckled to himself. "Half aware? You told me they knew who I was after meeting me just once."
Padmé stared at her feet, recalling the incident at Aldera palace with Bail and Breha. Luke had insisted that it was 'grandpa' who saved him from the short-tempered alien, and Leia concurred. Their assertions embarrassed her then, and their supernatural insight embarrassed her now – only because she did not possess it.
"They're young, but they're incredibly Force-sensitive," continued Ainar. "I'm not saying your concern is unwarranted, but if the three of us feel relatively at ease with him, doesn't that count for something?"
His point was well made, but even the most eloquent argument by the most accomplished speaker couldn't have earned her trust. Words would always be secondary to actions. Until Vader performed enough good deeds to atone for the past, she'd keep her trust on ice.
Padmé knew it could be months or years before it thawed. But she wasn't about to be rushed into this by anyone. Not by Vader. Not even by her own children or their grandfather.
"Trust isn't something I usually give to captors," she said tersely. "I'd much rather be mulling this over in my own home."
"Does your property have a view like this?"
"It's not that spectacular when I remember I'm being held against my will."
"Then don't think about it."
Padmé looked at him with incredulous scorn. "I think about it every minute! I can't count all the escape plans I've run through in my head. But without a comlink, we don't stand a chance of getting past the perimeter guards."
Ainar shrugged. "I'm stranded right along with you."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"Not in the least!" he grinned up at the sun. "This is heaven after the last twenty-seven years. I've got sunshine, fresh air, and family. It doesn't get much better."
His simplicity of heart made Padmé fall silent. Ainar's mentality was astonishing, really. From what he'd told her, his shock upon meeting Vader had quickly been replaced by compassion. And he hadn't once regretted choosing unconditional love. His strength of character was at a level Padmé could only hope to emulate someday.
For now, she'd have to keep wading through fragmented dreams until it started to resemble reality. If she could even tell dreams and reality apart anymore…
"Having you here is a blessing," she assented. "I'm grateful for the company."
"So am I. Feeling connected is so essential in this life," Ainar remarked. "And we're not the only ones who long for it."
Padmé gave him a curious look, sensing he had more to say.
"I can't tell you were Vader is right now, but I can tell you he needs to feel connected now more than ever. That's why he wanted me to give you this transmitter," he presented her with a handheld device programmed for non-voice communication.
"Oh," she accepted it hesitantly. "He… really wants me to stay in contact?"
"Very much so. Once or twice a day, if possible," Ainar confirmed. "It can be simple messages. Just tell him what the twins did, or what you had for dinner. Don't over-think it."
Padmé turned the datapad over in her palms, unsure whether she wanted to commit to this or not. Daily transmissions? Was it a good idea? Ainar seemed to think so. Besides, sharing Luke and Leia's adventures wouldn't jeopardize their safety any more than it was. And if she looked hard enough, Vader's plea seemed to channel straight through Ainar's eyes. The request was sincere.
"All right… I'll give it a try," she consented.
Ainar closed his eyes, smiling at the sound of Luke and Leia's voices drifting on the breeze. Minutes later, their sun-warmed hands tugged on his, dragging him toward another sand burial. Padmé laughed as he allowed himself to be covered from neck to toe, his gray-streaked hair catching grains of sand as it flew from the twins' shovels.
"Look Mom, Grandpa's buried!" they giggled when their task was finished.
"I see that! You two did a very thorough job!"
"Take a picture!"
Padmé blinked. "We don't have a…"
Ainar waved his head in the direction of his chair. "There's a camera in the front pocket of my bag."
Finding the compact lens right where he said she would, Padmé captured the scene with a few shots. All three Skywalkers strained their facial muscles to smile broadly for the camera.
"You're all a bunch of hams," she joked, changing her view angle.
"We're gonna bury you next, Mom!" Luke asserted.
"Oh, I don't know about that."
"You have to, it's your turn!"
"What if I get sand in my ears? I won't be able to hear you ask for dinner," Padmé teased.
"We won't get any sand in your ears!" Leia promised, doubling over with laughter.
"But it might get in my mouth, and then I couldn't taste the dinner to make sure it's good!"
"That won't happen!"
"We'll be extra careful!" vowed Luke.
"Don't listen to them, Padmé… I have sand in every orifice above my neck!" Ainar joined in.
Padmé sidestepped Leia's attempt to grab her by the ankles, backpedaling with the camera still in hand. Leia then tripped and toppled over onto Ainar. While the goofy trio laughed yet again, Padmé held the camera up to her nose to snap the moment. She regained her balance, centered the image, and…
Nearly dropped the camera.
She saw the drowning figure a split second before Luke, Leia, and Ainar turned to look. Several hundred yards offshore, a pair of desperately flailing arms thrashed in the sea, and cries of panic bounced across the water.
Ainar broke free of his sandy tomb and torpedoed through the water faster than Padmé could speak. His powerful arms cut through the waves at top speed, propelling himself toward the victim as if it were one of the children. Padmé and the twins watched in tense captivation as he drew closer by the second. Painfully anxious seconds ticked by while they waited for his return, hoping it would be with a shaken but conscious person under one arm.
Soon he was visible again, splashing back toward them. His progress was slower this time, and as he drew near, it was clear why – he had succeeded in rescuing the woman, whom he dragged to shore with panting breaths.
Her blond hair, soaked to the scalp and littered with seaweed, spread across the sand as Ainar laid her down. Her breathing was quick and shallow but steady. Coughing up a mouthful of water, she rolled onto one shoulder and cleared her throat hoarsely. Padmé knelt beside her and held her hand, assessing her for any injuries.
"You're all right. Just take slow, deep breaths," she assured the woman, whose skin was alarmingly cold to the touch. "Ainar, I'll run to the house and get a thick blanket. Make sure she stays conscious."
"I'll do my best," he switched places with Padmé as she ran up the grassy knoll.
Luke and Leia's curiosity was, of course, at its apex in a situation like this. They leaned over the woman with prying eyes and very little inhibition.
"Are you okay?"
"What's your name?"
"Where'd you come from?"
"Did you swim too far out?"
"Were there sharks?"
Between interrogations, Leia snapped a picture of the woman. Looks like they're doing a fine job of keeping her conscious, Ainar mused. "Let her rest, kids. Give her some time to recover."
Sand clung to her tunic, which was plastered to every curve of her body. A body Ainar was trying valiantly not to ogle.
"It's all right," she said in a raspy whisper. "I'm Giri. I was out sailing when a gust of wind capsized my boat. I must have rigged it wrong…"
"Did you hit your head anywhere?" Ainar inquired, scanning her for bruises or swelling.
"I don't think so. I was very lucky," she rubbed the back of her neck. "Thank you for saving me."
"Grandpa's really brave!" Luke chimed in proudly.
"And a really good swimmer!" added Leia.
Intrigued, the woman cast scheming eyes upon the twins. "He's your grandfather?"
"Yeah!"
"You hardly look old enough to be their grandfather," she remarked, making him redden. She turned her attention back to the chatty children. "And the woman I saw a minute ago, is she your mother?"
"Uh-huh."
This is too easy, Guri gloated to herself. How naïve they all are. How readily they offer up the information I seek within minutes of coming into their midst. Now only one thing remains to be known.
"And where is your father?"
Ainar was about to interject when Padmé came hustling back with a blanket in hand.
"Here you are," Padmé wrapped their guest in wool, trying to remain calm despite what she'd just overheard. She shot Ainar a warning look.
"I don't know how to thank you," Guri gripped the edges of the fabric. "I owe you my life."
"Let's bring you inside to warm up. We have tea and plenty of food if you're hungry."
Disheveled but stable, Guri let herself be led up to the house, playing the role of pitiful victim like a pro. Xizor was right to call her talented. Her acting skills were just part of the lethal edge she held over her adversaries. And based on what she'd seen so far, this simple family hardly qualified as adversaries. She'd have what she came for in no time.
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"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" Padmé felt like she'd asked it ten times since coming inside. Their guest had politely declined food or drink, insisting that all she needed was a nap. Padmé was standing in the doorway of a guest bedroom now, reluctant to leave "Giri" with nothing but a pillow and quilt.
"Thank you, but all I want right now is rest," Guri insisted, lying down on the mattress to prompt Padmé to leave.
"All right," Padmé withdrew slowly into the hall. "Let us know if we can do anything else for you. Except… we can't help you get in contact with anyone. None of our comlinks are working at the moment," she invented.
"That's no problem, I have my own. It's just a little water-logged. I'll adjust it when I wake."
Nodding, Padmé could think of no legitimate reason to linger, so she gently shut the door and rejoined the others in the sitting room. All three looked expectantly at her.
"She didn't want anything?" Ainar asked in disbelief.
"She claims she's not hungry."
"But she's gotta help us eat all that food!" Luke exclaimed.
Padmé sat next to him on the lounge sofa. "Looks like we're on our own with that."
The twins' faces were appropriately nonplussed, but Ainar's expression made Padmé do a double-take.
"What's the matter?" she probed.
Ainar settled deeper into the cushion and crossed his arms, frowning. "I don't know. Something about her seems off."
"How do you mean?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it. Actually, that's the problem – I can't sense much of anything from her, good or bad."
"Is she shielding her thoughts?"
He twisted his mouth. "It's hard to say. I don't detect any conscious resistance from her. There's just… nothing."
That was odd, and for some reason, it reminded Padmé of another observation she'd made.
"Her skin still feels awfully cold. Almost hypothermic," Padmé remarked. "And she keeps turning down food. She should be weak and shivering but she's not."
That made Ainar frown more deeply. "Something's wrong here. I should be able to figure it out…"
"Did you ever encounter anyone in your travels you couldn't read?"
"No," Ainar shrugged. "Everyone gives off some sort of Force aura. Except…"
A chill vibrated down Padmé's spine when she saw the look on Ainar's face.
"Except what?" she gulped.
"Force…" he whispered, half horrified and half fascinated. "It couldn't be…"
"What? What is it Grandpa?" Luke and Leia begged.
Ainar shook his head, staring at visions none of them could see. "I've heard it was technologically possible, but I never thought the day would come when I saw it with my own eyes," he said with hallowed fear. "A droid so advanced that only the finest scans can detect that it's an artificial lifeform."
Padmé thought he'd lost his mind. "A droid? You can't be serious!"
"Do you have an alternate theory?"
"I… well…" Padmé stuttered, certain she could invent something more credible than that, but coming up short. "Just because I don't have one yet doesn't validate your idea! I mean, look at her Ainar! You'd never get anyone to believe she's a droid!"
"It would explain all the abnormalities we've seen," he firmly insisted.
"But what sense does it make? A droid that sophisticated wouldn't fall victim to a sailing accident!"
Ainar narrowed his eyes. "My point exactly."
"What, you're saying she faked the whole thing?" Padmé balked. "Your theories are really getting wild now, Ainar."
"Until we can summarily rule them out, I say we operate by them," he advised.
"And treat an innocent woman like a threat? Great hospitality!"
"If you're wrong, Force only knows what we're making ourselves vulnerable to. If I'm wrong, the worst we face are some ill feelings when she leaves. We should err on the side of caution."
"I still think you're overly paranoid."
"I'm surprised to hear that from you, of all people!" asserted Ainar. "This is Darth Vader's private home, Padmé. I'm sure he has plenty of enemies who'd love nothing more than to infiltrate it."
"Why make their move with us here?" Padmé questioned. "Wouldn't they wait until it's empty?"
"One would think," Ainar rubbed his chin. "Unless they're after something other than land…"
Padmé didn't have to ask what that might be. Both her and Ainar's gaze swiveled over to the twins, who stared back in clueless innocence.
"No…" Padmé's mouth fell open. "No, nobody knows they're his children! They'd have no reason to target them unless they knew. They'd have to know he was Anakin, and no one knows that except us and Palpatine!"
"If I were Vader's enemy and saw children playing on his private beach, I'd act first and ask questions later. The opportunity cost would be too great to resist."
His insight was starting to make Padmé hyperventilate. "Ainar, if what you're saying is true, we've let a very dangerous force inside this house…"
"Wait here," he commanded, stalking down the hall to Guri's room. What chance he stood against a droid with superhuman strength, he didn't know. He wasn't going to take the time to calculate his odds. All he knew was that his grandchildren were far too endangered for his liking. And he wasn't about to sit by while their unwelcome guest "napped" to her heart's content.
He had no lightsaber, no weapon beyond his bare hands. But he'd tear those ragged if need be. Whatever it took to keep that witch at bay.
Clutching the door handle, Ainar steeled himself to barge in and discover someone far less meek and helpless than whom he rescued. The moment of truth was at hand.
In a flash he kicked open the door. His murderous eyes found nothing but an empty mattress.
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Already halfway across the lake, Guri swam effortlessly back toward the Manarai restaurant. A cunning smile graced her lips as water splashed against her brilliant teeth.
It had all been easier than anticipated. Preying on humans' compassion and empathy never grew old.
She had been impressed at their ability to see past her façade. No one, not even Xizor's closest allies in the Black Sun, had ever divined her truth. That man and woman were more clever than they first appeared.
That didn't surprise her all that much, though. Given their relation to Darth Vader, it stood to reason they'd be extraordinary as far as humans went. And extraordinary they certainly were. Each piece of Xizor's deductions had proven true. The children were indeed Vader's. Vader was once Anakin Skywalker. The woman was their mother. And, an added bonus, the older man was their grandfather.
Vader's father.
The four most valuable pawns in Vader's life, all conveniently gathered in one place. A family reunion just waiting to be exploited in myriad ways.
And exploit it Xizor would. But not before rewarding Guri for her exceptional talent, which included eavesdropping on the Skywalkers through several walls. Vader's fortress wasn't nearly as solid as one might expect.
The Dark Lord's world was indeed made of cards, as Xizor poetically stated. All Guri had to do was return and confirm the Prince's power to blow it all apart.
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