Star Wars: Cross Paths Part 3
Thanks to Anon, Guest, Daisy, LOVEM, Elen, Sue, DirksTalia, RedLigth16, JediLukeSkywalker, Elen and Connors for reviewing. And to everyone who took your time to read it. You guys are great. Love you all.
Chapter 61 – Feeling Guilty
Vina landed on the remote parts of Coruscant, in front of a small ship, that was already there waiting for her.
The moment the speeder arrived, the ship ramp, went down and Anuska walked down from it.
After being arrested, a few months later one of Gideon spies started to visited her in the prison, and both elaborate a plan, where Anuska was able to faked her own death, when in fact her body was taken by that spy and since then she was working for Gideon but also for Thrawn.
"You! I thought Gideon was the one who I was supposed to meet here?" Vina said stopping in front of the blonde woman.
"Gideon is busy with his own plans, so Grand Admiral Thrawn send me instead," Anuska answering her smiling. "Where is the girl?"
"They are sleeping at the back of my speeder."
"They?" Anuska frowned and approaching the speeder she saw Padmé and Ani sleeping in the back seat. Facing Vina, she spoke in a harsh tone. "I think the instructions was to bring the girl, and the girl alone."
"I tried, but she wouldn't not come with her cousin and if I had left the boy, he would know I was the one who took his cousin and identify me, and I couldn't allow that."
Anuska sighed and snapping her fingers, some employers came out of the ship and taking both kids from the speeder, they went back to the ship.
"I just hope Admiral Thrawn will not be upset."
"What will happen to the kids?"
"I don't know and honestly I don't care," Anuska replied.
"What should I do now?" Vina asked.
"Actually that I know, since Admiral Thrawn told to send his special message to you."
"What message?" Vina asked again and without any warning, a shot was heard and looking down to her stomach she saw blood. Looking back at Anuska, she grunted and fall to her knees, holding her stomach.
"He thank you for you service, but he no longer needs you. Goodbye Vina," and without blinking Anuska shot Vina in the head and without any remorse she went back to ship and left the planet.
Jedi Temple:
Everyone was sitting in the waiting area, while the Dan, who was the General of the Coruscant Republic Guard was taken notes.
Luke and Han, who had arrived 20 minutes ago, were both holding their wives tightly in their arms, while everyone was sitting around, all of them worried about Padmé and Ani.
"Let's get this one more time," he said, making Ines lost it towards her older brother.
"Dan, how many times I need to tell you the same story? Why don't you go find that woman and bring back my daughter and nephew?"
Dan sighed.
"Ines, I understand why are you like that, but I can't just go an accuse someone based on a ghost."
"Are you saying that I'm lying about it?" she asked a little upset with that.
"That is not what I said."
"Then what did you say?"
"Look, I know that you guys can see Force Ghosts, I live with you for almost 5 years. So I believe you. But none of colleagues are used to that and I'm pretty sure they would look at me and would think I sound crazy. Especially my boss. And to show I believe in you, I sent someone to that alley where your father in law said she took the children, and also I sent Wedge to Dex Diner to ask for her. So I'm on your side here sis."
Luke looked at Ines and kissed her forehead, before look at his brother in law.
"She knows. We all know, but it is our children. What did you do if it was Zena or Ken missing?"
Dan looked at his children and then looked back to Luke.
"I would be exactly like the four of you."
"Thank you," Luke said.
Seeing her uncle and aunt sad, Zena came off from her mother's lap and approaching her uncle she handle her cookie.
"Hewe Uncwe Wuke!"
Luke looked at the 3 years old girl and smiled.
"Thank you sweetie but you can eat your cookie, okay," he said kissing the top of her head, before the little girl went back to her mother's lap.
Then one of the guards entered the Temple and approached Dan.
"Sir, we went to that alley and you were right. We found this," she said showing two cloths inside a plastic bag.
"What's that?" Leia asked right away.
"Those are two cloths we found on the floor of that alley and by the smell, both were soaked in ethyl ether. Enough to put someone unconscious," the guard replied.
"She drugged them, just like my father told," Leia said resting her head on Han's shoulder.
Before Dan could say anything, his wrist device beeped and pressing the button, Wedge holo image appeared.
"Wedge, what's new?"
"We just came out from Vina apartment. Nobody was there. But Dex was able to inform the type of speeder she had and we were tracking it and apparently that type of speeder was seeing heading to the remote parts of Coruscant. We are heading there right now."
"Okay. Any information please contact me right away."
"We'll do. Over now," and the image disappeared.
"Maybe we should go too," Luke and Han said right away standing up.
"Better not. I know you want to find your kids. I want to find them too. I mean one of them is my niece while the other I love like he was my nephew. But you are too much involve in this and this is my investigation. I promise we are doing anything to find them. It is for the best if you stay here for now."
Luke and Han looked at each other and nodding they sat back down.
"I still don't understand why she took Padmé and Anakin," Amidala asked adjusting her youngest grandson, that was playing happily with his toy, not understand the serious of the situation.
"I don't know. If it was Alli, we would at least had an answer. But Padmé and Anakin…" Ines replied.
"There's must be something that we are missing," Gracy said looking at them. "Don't you remember anything before this about that woman and the kids?"
"No. The first time I met was when Bo and I went to order the food, the day we found out about Kamino and the kids were not with us. And we didn't go there yet with them. So they didn't met her or anything."
"Yes we did mama," Alli said from her spot on the couch, near Ines, holding her mother's right arm, making everyone look at the 4 years old.
"What do you mean sweetie?" Luke asked her.
"She talked to me and Padmé when we were playing with Grogu," she replied, making Ines gasped.
"Oh I forgot. That's right," Ines said looking at everyone. "When the order was delivered, I went back inside to get the money and when I got back to the entrance Vina was there talking to the twins."
Getting out of the couch, Luke kneeled in front of his daughter and grabbed her hands.
"Baby girl, I need you to do a favor for Papa, okay?"
Alli nod looking at her father.
"I need you to remember what Vina said to you and your sister that day. Did she ask something?"
The little girl stayed in silence for a few seconds.
"She asked our names and she said we were identical that she couldn't know see any difference. I said that you and mama know."
"What else, Alli?" Han asked his niece.
"She liked Padmé's necklace. She said it was pretty."
Luke and Ines looked at each other right away.
"She saw your sister's necklace?"
"Yes. She asked what was it and Padmé said it was a Krystal and that's when mama arrived."
"She thought it was the Krystal" Amidala said right away.
"Now we know why she took Padmé. She thinks Padmé is the Krystal owner and that is the golden Krystal," Leia said.
"But it is not. That was a fake one that Luke bought to her." Ines said.
"Then why she took Ani with her. Why she took our son?" Han asked. "What were you doing this afternoon?" he looked at his son.
"We were playing hide and seek," Bail replied to his father.
"Padmé and Ani were together for sure and she had to take Ani or he would identify her," Dan said right away, and before someone could say anything, his wrist device beeped again and Wedge image appeared. "Wedge, please tell me you got good news."
"Well Dan, we good and bad news."
"What do you mean?" Dan asked again.
"The good news we found the speeder in the remote parts of Coruscant. The same place where Joel saved my life and we found Vina."
Everyone gasped but Dan raise his hand to make everyone quiet.
"And the bad news!"
"She is dead. Shot twice. One in the torso, and the fatal one in the head."
"Thanks Wedge," Dan sighed and before turn off the device.
"Now we never going to find them," Leia replied.
"I'm sorry. This is all my fault," Luke said standing up.
"Luke, what are you talking about. You couldn't possible know she was working for them," Gracy said looking at him.
"But it is. If I never had bought that stupid necklace, she would never had seeing it and never assume she was the one and my daughter and nephew would be here right now."
"Luke, it is not your fault. I should have watch our kid too and I wasn't," Ines said grabbing his hand and kissed it.
"In a way it is all our fault too," Aurea smiled at him.
"Uncle you are a great father," Iris replied while holding her younger brother.
"And a great uncle too," Ken nod making Luke smile at his niece and nephew.
"They are right son. Don't blame yourself for this." Ken Talia spoke to his son in law. "The moment that Master Yoda and Master Kenobi told me that newborn boy that I just saw born, would be my son in law, I knew right there how lucky we would be. And you know why? Cause I knew, right there, than when me and Ines mother were gone, our daughter and our gandkids would be in very god hands, cause I knew you would take care and protect them with your life. And I couldn't ask for a better son in law and father to my grandkids."
Smiling Luke pulled his father in law into a hug, thanking him for that.
Alli grabbed his right leg and looked up at him.
"Don't worry papa, Padmé and Ani are fine. They are sleeping."
The moment she said that, everyone looked at the little girl.
"What did you say sweetie?" Ines asked her daughter.
"They are sleeping right now."
Looking at his daughter, Luke kneeled in front of her.
"Alli sweetie, look at Papa, can you feel your sister?"
The little girl nod.
"Of course. We sensed each other and we are not identical twins," Leia replied. "Even you and Ines can feel each other too, imagine an identical twin."
Luke nod and looked back at Alli.
"Sweetie, I need you to focus and tell me what do you see. Where is your sister and cousin. Can you do that for Papa?"
Nodding Alli closed her eyes and after a few moments she spoke.
"I see a ship and Padmé and Ani are both on a bed, sleeping."
"They still drugged." Dan nod.
"Is there anyone on the ship, can you see any adults?" Luke asked her.
"I only see the mean lady on it," she said opening her eyes.
"The mean Lady, what mean lady?" Ines asked her daughter, pulling her onto her lap.
"You know Mama, the mean Lady that hurt Aurea."
Ines frown and looked back at her husband and than back to Leia and Aurea.
"Anuska?" Leia spoke. "Sweetie, look at aunt Leia, you mean Anuska is in the ship? Are you sure?"
"Yes aunt Leia, it is the mean lady."
"She faked her own death, meaning she got help. Also meaning their spies are already walking around," Ines said.
After a while Dan spoke.
"There is nothing we can do now. Vina is dead, and we don't know where they would take the kids, but we have a big help here, right partner?" he smiled high five his niece. "Until we get some news, I advice to go home and at least try to rest. Once we got more information we will do something."
Knowing he was right, everyone decided to follow his advice.
Later that night:
Luke was in the veranda of his apartment, watching the night movement of the ships over Coruscant. He didn't know if he could sleep knowing his sweet girl and nephew were away from his protection.
Feeling two arms wrapping around his waist, he smile turning around and pulling Ines into his arms.
"We need to stay positive." she said to him while he rest his forehead on hers.
"Did Alli say anything?"
"No, she continue to say they are still on the ship but they are fine."
"I'm so sorry Ines. This is all my fault."
Grabbing his head on between her hands, she looked into his blue eyes.
"Luke, you are the best father our kids could ever have. This is not your fault."
"I will bring our daughter back Ines, I promise to you. I will bring her and our nephew back."
"I know you will," Ines smiled and she pulled him into a sweet kiss.
Padmé and Ani were taken but Alli can sense her sister. Will they find out where they are taken them? And how they will rescue them?