Chapter 12- The Next Step
Talisbeth Malreaux brushed the soft, rich soil from her hands and stood.
"I think that's the last of them, Solis."
It had been a good harvest. Two dozen big baskets full just today. Of course, Whie's fields had yielded a much larger bounty but she was proud of her garden. The planet seemed to delight in growing life and always rewarded her labors. She and Whie had never seen any of the native fruits and vegetables anywhere else and the names Pan and Tallulah had given them, such as Ju Ju beans and Squish fruit, had stuck. Talisbeth reached down for the nearest basket, laden with Blue Butter Pods.
"Mistress Talisbeth," remonstrated her footman droid, "you know you are not supposed to lift such things. What would Master Whie say?"
"He would say that Solis is here to carry your baskets." Whie's voice floated around a corner of the house before he stepped into view. "And you could at least call on the Force as well as you are able. As for you, Solis," he pinned the droid with a hard stare, "you no longer have an override function, so your priority should be the well-being of your mistress. If necessary, I expect you to use an appropriate amount of physical force to prevent her from harming herself."
"Whie," Talisbeth said gently, "Blue Butter Pods are not heavy. And Solis would most definitely have taken the basket from me – and carried me into the house, too."
"I know, Dearest. Solis, will you bring the basket to the back kitchen? I will carry your mistress inside this time."
As Whie lifted her into his arms, a furrow creased his brow. "You grow lighter each time I hold you. I sense that you are fading, in spite of my best efforts."
"Don't worry about me. I've had a long day in the garden. I think I just need a nap before dinner." She nestled her head against his shoulder.
A hint of sadness crept into Whie's eyes and he held her closer until he reached their bedchamber. Carefully, he laid her on the bed and covered her with a large, woolly shawl.
"Now you must rest, beloved," he murmured. He blinked slowly. Talisbeth's arms and legs went limp. "I will return for you in an hour, unless you call for me sooner."
Whie stepped towards the door. Talisbeth looked after him, turning her head, one the few parts of her body that she still fully controlled. In the doorway, he paused.
"Do you remember what Master Yoda said, my sweet Scout? The last time we spoke to him?"
"Yes. Master Yoda said many wise things but I think that was the wisest thing I ever heard him say."
"'Attachment is not love. Selfishness, it is. Lead to fear of loss it does. Anakin fell, not because he loved too much, but because he loved too little.' He said our bond was truly love and not attachment and if we guarded ourselves, we would not fall."
"Whie, Dear, your love for me is completely unselfish. You give me life itself and I give you nothing in return."
"No, Dearest, you give me far more than I give you: love, joy, purpose. I love you so dearly, Talisbeth, but we are about to be tested. I have been asking myself all day- do I love you enough?"
Ezra kissed his sleeping wife then stood with his newborn son in his arms.
"It's time for you to meet everybody, little guy."
Descending the ramp, he was met by a swarm of children, eager to meet their new playmate. They clustered around him on the jungle grass, followed by the beaming adults.
"He looks just like you," Rex chuckled. "Just wait 'till Zeb sees him."
Han snorted. "Just wait until his lady friend Sal sees him – and catches Zeb holding him. I hear she's already got baby fever pretty bad."
Chewie and Rex laughed at Han's jibe, yet Ezra hardly heard their banter. A familiar presence brushed his mind.
Hello, he projected to the green-flecked spider gazing at him across the clearing. Are we going to be friends? The spider raised a spindly leg in response. Ezra closed his eyes. Cerulean-Skies reflexively waved his arms and legs, jerking free of his swaddling wrap as sounds and images flooded his father's mind.
"Daddy," called a small voice at his side, "what see?"
Violet-Meadows cuddled up to him as he knelt. He felt one of her tiny hands on his arm, sensed the other on Cerulean-Skies' fuzzy head. The vision became clearer. At last, the next step was plain and their path laid out before him. Kyber was the key.
"Wow!" Violet-Meadows' awestruck whisper brought him back from the realm of the Force. He opened his eyes.
"Dat petty moosics," continued the toddler. "We go dere?"
"Yes, Honey, we are. Now," he eyed the gathered group, "if we can just convince our friends to come along. Bendu, did you see and hear what I saw and heard?"
"I have already seen and heard. The Force has now shown you." The Bendu closed his eyes and started to slip back towards the jungle. "The one who challenges the Living Creator of the Force will be destroyed in the end. But he may cause much suffering and destruction, if you do not act wisely, Ezra Bridger."
Leia approached, watching the Bendu as she spoke to Ezra. "Namah Agati is definitely planning to cause suffering- for us at least. His proposal was approved a few hours ago, while you were with Sabine. The latest report from the Bothans says he is already preparing 'temporary holding facilities', complete with Ysalamiri lizards to create a void in the Force."
Curled up with a sleeping baby Persis, Ahsoka gasped audibly.
Ezra stepped to her side and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You know, if you can reach through their void, those little critters are really strong with the Force."
"I'm afraid that you're the only one who can do that," Luke interjected. "I hope your vision offers some answers. I believe it is only a matter of time before we're discovered here."
Ezra tucked the blanket back around his wiggly son and the baby grunted softly.
"What have you seen, Luke?" he countered.
"That the combined efforts of the Jedi will be needed to stop our enemy. It is time for us to make a decision."
"The Will of the Force has shown me our next step." Ezra drew a deep breath. Yes, they would all be needed. Yet what if some refused to come? What if obeying the Force cost innocent lives? "We must leave Atallon before night falls. The planet we seek cannot be reached through any hyperspace lanes in our databases. Luke, Ahsoka, Leia, if you will join me in meditation while we pilot our ship, we will find the path."
"Of course," the Skywalker twins said together.
"Me help, Daddy," squealed Violet-Meadows. "Find petty moosics."
Ezra petted her hair. "You can help, Sweetheart, but you've got to do just what Daddy says, okay?"
The toddler bobbed her head in agreement as Han stepped forward. "Now, you know I appreciate you Jedi and all the crazy, I mean, all the amazing things you do. I married one of you, after all. And before Rex starts singing your praises, yes, I know Jedi are great navigators," Han held up his hands as if to pre-emptively silence any possible protests. "But don't you think we're going off half-cocked here? Personally, I'd at least like to know this planet actually exists before we set off on a wild bantha chase to find it."
"It's not in any records," Ezra replied calmly, "although I believe Master Yoda knew about it."
Han raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know what direction we'll be going? Do you happen to know what we'll do when we get there?"
Luke frowned. "That will be revealed when the time is right. Han, we won't force anyone to come. You are Leia's husband and the fate of the Jedi concerns you personally. I hope you will join us."
Rex stood, helping Ahsoka to her feet. "Count us in. Come what may, we're in this to end. Right, Soka? Right, kids?"
Ahsoka nodded as their children chorused their agreement. Alora looked at Dev.
"I'm coming, too," Dev said.
"We Jedi need to stick together," Kyp added. "Count me in."
"You can't leave us," Jacen Syndulla Dume piped up, with Pypey nodded his large head.
"We're with you," Punch added.
"Me and Jaina want to go," Jacen Solo and his twin sister scurried up with their younger brothers, followed by a small, furry animal that Jacen had befriended. Jaina bobbed her head in agreement.
"I want to go and so does little Ani!" shouted Ben. "We're Jedi, too."
"Gwogu come!" A pair of floppy ears appeared from behind Luke.
Mara patted the little green head. "You know I'm with you, Farmboy."
Leaning over, she kissed her husband's cheek. Luke kissed her in return. "Thanks, Love. That just leaves…" He left his statement unfinished as he turned to Han and Leia.
Chewie roared softly in Han's ear. Han sighed. "Yeah, we can't let 'em go off alone like that. They may be crazy Jedi, but they're our crazy Jedi. If Leia wants to go, I'll go."
Leia smiled and hugged him. "Thanks, Han. If it's all right with everyone else, I'd like to ask our allies to stand by. We have our battle, but I feel that may have theirs as well."
Luke glanced around. "Any objections?"
No one spoke. Han grunted. "First sensible thing we've done since we got here."
"Ezra," Leia asked. "Will we have enough fuel? Or do we need to plan a covert stop to refuel?"
"We don't need to worry about fuel. It's just a source of energy. The Force is a much better source."
Han's eyes widened. He looked from Ezra to the large green mass at the edge of the clearing.
Ezra continued. "As long as each ship has a capable Jedi, all will be well. We should use Atallon's natural resources to replenish our food and fresh water stores before we leave, though."
As the jungle shadows lengthened, a freighter rose into the air and accelerated to break free from the planet's gravity. Two more ships followed, as Ahsoka and Rex watched. They fired up the Torrent and joined their friends. The White Loth-Cat led, with the Jade Shadow next. The Torrent brought up the rear, behind the Millennium Falcon.
Rex chuckled. "Clever idea Luke had, putting Han and his flying disaster between his ship and ours. Maybe we'll get her there in one piece."
Ahsoka nodded. "I'm glad we sent Alora with them. Leia's going to need all the moral support she can get."
Coryn giggled. "If Han starts causing problems, Alora can use the Force to pin him to the wall."
"Let's hope that won't be necessary," returned Ashlan.
"Alora could do it, though!" asserted Rorric.
Ezra's voice crackled over the comm. "All right, everyone. Prepare to jump on my mark. All set?"
A chorus of "all set" sounded from the comm.
"Us too!" trilled Wani.
Ahsoka laughed. "We're all set on the Torrent."
Ezra chuckled too, then began the countdown. "30, 29, 28 …".
Rex lifted Persis from Ahsoka's lap where she had been patting her mother's rounding stomach in fascination.
"Be-be cry," she whispered.
Rex lifted an eyebrow, impressed with his little daughter's Force abilities. He settled her in his lap.
Miisha stepped forward. "Baby's going to be okay. Let's send her some calm."
The girls closed their eyes as Ezra reached "1". The stars flashed and stretched out on either side of the ship. Rex stared at his wife in awe. She sat with her eyes closed and her hands folded in her lap. She had touched none of the instruments or controls. Yet somehow, she was guiding them as they hurtled through hyperspace.
They traveled in silence for some time, no one daring to disturb the Jedi's concentration. The ships moved through what appeared to be a solid wall of white light, occasionally refracting into all the colors of the rainbow.
"Dada," Ashlan murmured, breaking the silence at last, "This isn't an ordinary hyperspace lane, is it?"
Namah Agati pretended to listen to the New Alderaanian senator protesting his committee's "high-handed behavior" and "unjust condemnation of the Jedi". As the man called for a thorough investigation, Namah began calculating when he should make his next move. His spy droids had picked up traces of that rust bucket, the Millennium Falcon, in a hyperspace lane. The ship had disappeared in the vicinity of an alleged blackhole. A moving blackhole. One that just happened to be located where the planet Atallon had once been.
Namah was sceptical. A powerful Force user dwelt there. Quite likely, the blackhole was a mere illusion. The spy droids he had sent to Atallon's former location should check in soon. Suddenly, his droid comm vibrated in a silent pattern. Planet confirmed. Targets gone. Evidence of hyperspace jump. No track found.
Namah hid a smile. It was almost too good to be true. Could they really be going just where he wanted them?
Finally, the senator finished and Namah assured him that his concerns would receive full consideration. He calmly exited the chamber as if his head were not buzzing with plans. No doubt the Jedi had a quicker, safer route to the planet Kyber with its wondrous treasure. But it did not matter. He would destroy them and take the planet for himself. Switching the frequency on his droid comm, he relayed a message. Ready the fleet.