Plot

In an unexpected turn of events, the Starlight sisters appear on the Invisible Hand, during Chancellor Palpatine's rescue by Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Somehow, they seem to have entered a new dimension. Being Force-sensitive, they get dragged into the action as events unfold before them. Individually, they all make one promise: even if this is a dream, they will do whatever they must to prevent the fall of Anakin Skywalker.

DISCLAIMER: We do not own Star Wars or any of the characters in it, though we wish we did. We only own the characters we have invented from Earth. =)

Chapter 1 - Over the Rainbow (Ariana)

"I'm so tired I think I'm dead," I moan in exhaustion, sinking down onto the steps on the backside of our house, "I am not carrying one more piece of furniture tonight!" I bury my face in my hands, slowly sucking in a deep breath.

"Come on," mumbles my younger sister by two years, Teagan, slumping down wearily beside me. Ramona, my youngest sister who's fifteen and three years younger than me, is already dozing on the stairs on my other side. We've been hauling furniture since early in the afternoon, and it's now completely dark.

Every muscle in my body screams from exhaustion. I feel like I've run a marathon carrying a dump truck on my back. Sleep. I just want to sleep...

Exhaustion overcomes me, and I cannot resist the lure of succumbing to the darkness. My eyelids slip closed, and I begin to doze off. I think my sisters are already sleeping. Suddenly, a brilliant rainbow-colored flash of light jolts all of us awake. My eyes fly open, and I look around in shock. For a moment at least, my exhaustion has been chased away.

The scene in front of me is certainly not in my backyard, of that I am certain. My brown eyes take in the large windows across the room. Outside, all I can see is complete blackness lit up by occasional explosions and... are those laser beams?! A space battle. Just great. I get the distinct feeling that we're inside a spaceship, but that thought, and the panic it ignites within me, quickly die when I manage to take in the rest of the room.

Four people are present. The two figures closest to us are clothed in Jedi robes. The taller one, who has sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, is wearing dark robes. The other, who has ginger hair and blue gray eyes, is wearing more traditional tans. I can see their confusion at our sudden appearance. My gaze darts between them, and I can feel my heart start pounding faster. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This is a dream. It's definitely a dream. A feeling of joy shoots through me, and I almost unconsciously reach for their presences. Being an empath, I'm able to feel their energies, and it's almost addicting to me. I'm not ashamed of my status as a fervent Star Wars fan, and the hours I've spent reading fanfictions has made it infinitely easier for me to feel both of them.

I can't look away from them. Despite the suspicion written on their faces, I'm overjoyed to be where I am. It's only a dream, I remember, a flicker of sadness racing through me. Dreams pass with time.

A movement draws my attention to the third person. Dressed in dark robes, an older man with white hair regards us almost coldly. I recognize him immediately. Count Dooku. Shifting slightly, I turn my gaze to the fourth person who has stun-cuffs on his wrists keeping him pinned onto a large, fancy chair. His hair is also white. Chancellor Palpatine.

Looking around, I reach a very simple conclusion. We're on the spaceship Invisible Hand during the time of Revenge of the Sith. It seems we might have just interrupted the lightsaber fight between the Jedi and Sith during the mission to rescue Chancellor Palpatine. No one seems to remember quite what was happening. At least it seems like it, since four pairs of startled eyes are pinned onto the three of us.

I stare back at them, disbelief and confusion rushing through me. I've always harbored a secret desire to fall into the Star Wars Universe, I really have, but this isn't happening for real. There's just no way. This is only a dream. Somewhere in the back of mind, I realize that I'm unusually conscious for this to just be a dream.

"What on the planet?!" I gasp finally. It's the first thing that comes out and since this is just a dream, it probably doesn't matter what I say. Probably.

"Huh?" Teagan states dumbly, and I sense her confusion.

"How did we get here?" Ramona inquires stupidly to no one in particular. Again, I realize that this seems too real. I can feel the hard floor under me as I sit on it. I can hear the explosions outside as the battle rages on. I can see the details of the room when I look around. But it has to be a dream. It can't be reality, right? It's simply not possible, or is it?

I push aside the doubts in my mind when Anakin finally speaks, "What in the galaxy?!" he exclaims. Everyone else still seems too startled or baffled to react.

"I never expected to fall into a movie," I whisper to my sisters, uncertain what to say to everyone. I'm just as bewildered as they are. For a reason I can't explain, I suddenly feel shy.

"Me neither," they chorus back in a whisper, blue-gray eyes darting around the room.

"Do you know where you are?" inquires Obi-Wan, noticing all the confused and slightly worried glances.

In the Star Wars Universe. In the time of Revenge of the Sith. On the Invisible Hand when you're supposed to be rescuing Palpatine who's a Sith Lord. "Yes," Ramona and I both conclude.

"I think so," Teagan responds slowly. Ramona glances at her, a queer expression on her face. I shake off her weirdness. We've watched this part of the movie many times over, so there's no way she doesn't know, but people often act strange in dreams.

"What are you doing here?" demands Dooku suspiciously, finally speaking up. All three of us shrug in response. Like we would know. Even though this must be a dream, I plan to take advantage of it. If nothing else, it will give me some vivid memories to recall in the future.

"Who are you?" questions Anakin, his blue eyes darkening slightly.

"Ariana," I reply.

"Ramona."

"Teagan."

"Aren't you supposed to be rescuing me?" reminds Palpatine suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen again.

He probably can't wait for his plan to bear fruit. I can barely suppress the feeling of bitterness that shoots through me. I won't let Anakin fall. The three of us exchange a quick glance that says more than a million words could. We all know killing Dooku was the beginning of Anakin's fall. Dream or not, we're silently agreed to do our best to stop that from happening.

Obi-Wan turns back to Palpatine at this comment, "Indeed. Sith Lords are our specialty," he declares. Isn't it really weird that you're talking to one right now and don't even know it? If not for the seriousness of the situation, I probably would have laughed.

"Try saying that again when you're getting thrown around," I whisper to my sisters, making them choke back laugher. Of course, because that is exactly what will be happening in a few minutes from now.

The two Jedi throw off their cloaks as Dooku slowly approaches them. "Your swords, please," he requests, "We don't want to make a mess of things in front of the Chancellor." I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. Why he'd care, I have no idea.

The Jedi are the first to ignite their sapphire blades. Dooku ignites his ruby one. They stalk towards one another, tensed and ready to fight.

"You won't get away this time, Dooku," warns Obi-Wan, moments before he and Anakin attack.

"Umm... they can read our minds," Teagan warns, worry creeping into her voice. Right. I blush. There's no way I want everyone to be reading our thoughts or emotions. I don't want to be forced to explain why I care about Anakin and Obi-Wan so much. Truthfully, I don't even know myself.

"Right. We better try to put up a mental barrier," I agree, shoving a lock of blonde brown hair out of my face. We all have a similar hair color, although Teagan's is the darkest. I close my eyes and let out a breath, before slipping into a meditative trance. I focus on my breathing, letting all the tension fade away. Gently, I turn my attention to my mind, trying to wrap it in a protective barrier so my thoughts are more difficult to sense.

Focus, Ariana. I whisper to myself almost hypnotically. I've found that to be the best way for me to actually focus on what I'm trying to do. Having little experience with the Force, and almost no training, I'm finding the task of shielding my mind exceedingly hard. To a certain extent, it's instinctive, but the barriers I manage to hold up are extremely weak compared to the power of trained Force-sensitives.

"How did we even get here?!" queries Teagan as we finish attempting to shield ourselves.

"In a flash of rainbows!" Ramona exclaims with feigned cheerfulness. I sigh, but don't reply immediately. My gaze goes to the battle before me. Honestly, I'm beginning to doubt this is just a dream. I tell myself it's just wishful thinking, but I'm not convinced. At all. Despite how much I've wished I could come here, to the best of everyone's knowledge, it's impossible.

"No idea. I guess we traveled interdimensionally," I reply at last. I'm still mystified. Logic and feelings are clashing again. Logically, we can't be here, but my feelings are saying the opposite.

"Are you sure this isn't in the same dimension?" Teagan proposes skeptically.

"I don't think so," I mutter. That just doesn't feel right.

Again, my gaze is drawn to the fight. Anakin and Obi-Wan spin their lightsabers, slashing towards Dooku, trying to score a hit. While their attack is relentless, the Sith moves between them gracefully. His lightsaber is always in the right place to block their strikes. If this wasn't a duel to the death, I would have found it to be almost awe-inspiring.

"I've been looking forward to this," comments Dooku with a smile as he steps back from them for a moment.

"My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count," Anakin shoots back, glaring at him almost mockingly.

"Good. Twice the pride, double the fall," Dooku retorts, his smile widening slightly. Was that in reference to himself by any chance? I bite back a laugh.

Obi-Wan swings his lightsaber towards the Sith again. Anakin joins him, lunging towards Dooku at a different angle. The ruby blade parries both strokes without the slightest extra effort.

"Your moves are clumsy, Kenobi," taunts Dooku, "Too predictable. You'll have to do better." I suppress the anger that flares within me. I know what he's doing. All the Sith do that. By taunting their enemy, they try to make them feel insecure and angered. Both are paths to the Dark Side if not controlled properly.

My heart starts pounding faster as the opponents clash again. Watching the fight in a movie is spectacular, but not so much with my own eyes. I can't seem to take my eyes off them. Despite his much older age, Dooku is easily parrying all the strikes. I feel something shift around me as Obi-Wan is thrown backwards.

I flinch, even though I know he'll be fine. For an instant, my gaze focuses on Palpatine. I note the sly expression on his face as he watches. He doesn't look anything like a helpless senator. The Dark Side swirls heavily around him, confirming my suspicion that he's giving Dooku assistance. I know how desperate he is to kill Obi-Wan. With him out of the way, it will be so much easier to turn Anakin to the Dark Side.

A surge of hatred burns in my heart, but I quickly suppress it. I can't let anyone sense my emotions, because it would not be good to raise questions. I hate seeing Obi-Wan get hurt, but I know that he'll be fine.

Watching Anakin, I can tell that he's beginning to draw on his anger. His blue eyes are hard as he swings viciously at Dooku who backs up the staircase. They continue to block one another. The blue and red lightsabers clash in a near dance. Obi-Wan rises and leaps up the staircase. The two super battle droids start shooting at him, and he deflects the bolts. One bounces back, destroying one of the droids. He slices the other in half with a swift motion before rejoining Anakin.

I cringe and look away as Dooku starts Force choking Obi-Wan, lifting him off the ground. He kicks Anakin back into a wall before throwing Obi-Wan across the room. He crashes into a railing of the upper level balcony, before falling to the floor motionless. Anakin starts to climb back to his feet as Dooku detaches a piece of the balcony and drops it down on Obi-Wan. I wince again. Seeing this happen for real is so much worse even though I know he'll be fine.

Anakin lunges towards Dooku, kicking him over the railing. The Sith barely succeeds in landing on his feet. That's what happens when you mess with the Chosen One's brother! I smirk. It's so much more satisfying to see with my own eyes. Anakin leaps down after, and he's on Dooku almost before he has a chance to recover.

Sapphire and ruby blades swirl together in a deadly dance. I can see the fierce determination on Anakin's face. No one hurts Obi-Wan and gets away with it. I swallow. I admire his loyalty, but revenge has no place in a Jedi's life. Dooku is forced backwards, completely on the defensive. Finally, their blades lock together. Neither of them is willing to give.

"I sense great fear in you, Skywalker," taunts Dooku, "You have hate. You have anger, but you don't use them." I slowly take a deep breath. Anakin! Don't let him get to you! I know it will be no use. Anakin will continue to attack until he's won, but what bothers me is that he's using the Dark Side too strongly. He doesn't even realize what he's doing.

Someone, I don't catch who, makes a sudden movement breaking them out of the deadlock. Anakin swings at Dooku, his expression murderous. Dooku is forced back even faster, barely managing to parry all of Anakin's blows in time. Now, they're moving towards us again.

In one abrupt move, Anakin manages to sever both of Dooku's hands. I cringe again. That looks so much worse than in the movie. I try not to breath to much because I don't really have any desire to know what it might smell like. Anakin pulls Dooku's lightsaber to him through the Force, crossing them at Dooku's neck when the Sith falls to his knees on the floor.

For the first time in a while, I glance towards my sisters. Both look sick, and I can't suppress my urge to make a comment.

"Lack of hands on Invisible Hand," I quip, grinning wickedly as I watch their reactions.

"Yuck!" they both yelp in disgust, and I muffle my laughter.

"Good, Anakin, good," chuckles Palpatine, his expression darkening, "Kill him," he urges, his voice becoming darker, "Kill him now!"

I know I'm not the only one who sees Dooku's expression of shock and betrayal. It's clear he'd never expected this to happen. Dooku might be crafty, but he's not evil. I don't hate him. I never have. I've only ever felt strong sympathy towards him. Seeing this with my own eyes, only makes it stronger. He really should have realized long ago that treachery is the way of the Sith.

"Don't," I yell, scrambling to my feet. I can't let Anakin kill him, not only because I think there's still good in Dooku, but because it will be the first step to the Dark Side. Slowly, my sisters stand up also.

Anakin's gaze flicks our direction for a second before he looks back at Dooku. I can see the indecision on his face. He hesitates, "I shouldn't."

"Do it!" snaps Palpatine, his face hardening. The look in his eyes becomes darker and eviler.

"Don't!" I cry again, and this time, Ramona echoes me. Please listen to us, Ani! I beg him silently. Please let the voice of reason win. You can't give even a centimeter to the Dark Side. He looks towards us again before glancing towards Palpatine.

"Just ignore them. You don't even know who they are," Palpatine snaps, giving us a death glare. I know how important it is to him that Anakin murder Dooku to further entrench himself in the dark. He loathes that we're interfering with his plans.

"Killing someone in battle is one thing, but killing a defenseless person is wrong. That's murder," I argue.

"And who we are doesn't change that," Ramona adds, sending a glare at Palpatine.

Anakin looks between us one more time before deactivating the lightsabers and dropping Dooku's. A sudden explosion rattles the ship, making the three of us wince. The space battle outside is worsening in intensity, and we have yet to go through the worst part.

Anakin steps over to Palpatine and removes the stun-cuffs on his wrists using the Force. Palpatine stands up, rubbing his wrists. Annoyance flares through me that he's acting so pathetic and helpless when he's the one who set all this up. He even acts worse than Ramona does sometimes!

"Get Obi-Wan," Anakin orders the three of us before cuffing Dooku. I dart towards the Jedi's prone figure with Teagan right behind me. As soon as Dooku is secure, Anakin follows. I know how important speed is right now. We're fast approaching the most dangerous part of the escape.