Chapter Fourteen:

Anya and Hobbie stared in horror at the nasty bite Arthalinea sported. Tsu had been brought in to see her, and her leg had only been treated enough to stop her from bleeding out, and then the guards had left her alone in the cell next to Anya's.

"Arthalinea, what happened?!" Hobbie finally cried when they were alone.

The child sobbed incessantly, curling into a shaking ball and rocking back and forth. She shook her head intermittently, her juvenile lekku swaying with the motions. Anya could feel the terror emanating from the girl, which outshone the pain she was in.

Anya reached through her side bars to Arthalinea, and she did manage to touch her shoulder. The Twilek girl's eyes shot to hers, and their ice-blue depths shown with misery.

"Sh-She's done with me! I know it! She's b-bringing me t-to her…" Arthalinea hiccupped a sob. "I'm… d-dead!"

Hobbie sucked in a breath. "This isn't about Anya's hands, is it? They'll heal!"

Anya nodded her agreement. "I'll live."

Arthalinea shook her head again. "N-No… I made a call… and was caught. B-But hopefully help i-is on the w-way… for you two at least."

Anya and Hobbie shared a shocked look, and then Anya spoke.

"Who did you call?"

Arthalinea cringed. "Luke Skywalker… b-but I don't know if he will even g-get my…"

Then the girl jumped when another, much harsher voice lashed through the dungeon. "Arthalinea!"

Anya and Hobbie both looked up to find Kida had returned, and she marched right up to Arthalinea's cell, opened the door and descended upon the poor child within. Arthalinea cowered before the older, stronger girl. Uncaring, Kida kicked the girl in the ribs with her booted toes, and the child hollered in agony.

"Stop it!" Hobbie shouted angrily. "Leave her alone!"

Kida ignored Hobbie and continue to beat Arthalinea, and finally Anya thrust out a hand and Force-shoved Kida into the front bars of Arthalinea's cell. Kida shrieked when the current got to her, and she leapt away from the bars, glaring murder at Anya.

She thundered up to the side-bars. "If Vexa didn't want you alive and in one piece, you'd be dead right now!"

Anya lifted her chin. "You do not frighten me, Kida."

Kida narrowed her eyes. "Only because you don't know what I am capable of. Get up. Guards, take the red-head. If she resists, shoot the idiot in the final cell."

Anya did not try to stop the guards from cuffing her, though she did speak once more. "Leave the girl alone, can't you see she's already suffering?"

Kida made no move to apologize. "I don't care about her, I never have. I'm not responsible for her idiocy either. It was her stupid idea to call for help. Now we are relocating all the children. As for Tsu… well, let's just say that Vexa doesn't like loose ends. Vexa will no longer protect Tsu, since he has failed to produce the results he promised." She looked to Hobbie. "The New Republic can do what they want with this fool; she's done wasting resources on him."

Kida made a motion, and more guards picked Arthalinea up and carried the twitching girl away. Anya followed, escorted by her guards. Upon arriving in the hangar bay, Anya saw a collection of seven other children gathered near the shuttle Kida had been using.

Kida, Anya noted, detoured to another part of the castle. Shortly afterwards, Anya sensed the deaths of two persons, and she knew it was the Kaminoians.

Kida returned soon after that, with a datapad in hand. "Everyone on board. Guards, take your own transport to the Dark Mystery if you aren't already set to watch my bunch. Take two of Vexa's six hounds with you."

The guards saluted and broke off accordingly. Anya made sure that she had a seat next to Arthalinea, wanting to do what she could for the girl. The other children looked unsettled, and most couldn't stop staring at the red-skinned Twilek girl.

Seeing this, Kida smiled maliciously. "Little ones, take this as a warning. This is what happens to those who double-cross Vexa Wran, got it?"

All the children nodded, and Kida went to the cockpit, ignoring the glare that Anya sent at her back. Anya paid little attention to where Kida piloted them, though she felt the tell-tale tug that told her they had entered hyperspace.

The children in the seating area were silent, their guards sitting spaced evenly between them. There was also a guard on either side of Anya and Arthalinea, keeping a watchful eye on them.

Anya paid them only enough mind to make sure they didn't try anything stupid. Flashes of the men from the cantina assaulting her flickered to the forefront of her mind, and Anya resolutely pushed them away. Instead, she focused on Arthalinea, who hadn't moved much since boarding the shuttle.

Anya was worried about the girl, and she leaned closer to try speaking with her. "Hey… you hang in there, alright?"

Arthalinea cracked one eye open and looked to Anya, but didn't speak. However, to her surprise, Arthalinea did creep a tiny bit closer to her. The guard on Arthalinea's side snorted derisively, and Anya shot him an acidic glare.

Then, to pass the time, Anya gazed about the hold at the other children, all of them appearing to be between the ages of seven and nine. There was a Weequay boy, a magenta-skinned female Koorivar, a blue-skinned Twilek boy, two human boys, a Duros girl, and a Nikto boy.

Anya knew better than to ask these children to speak, sensing that they were already frightened that they were in trouble. So, she settled in to wait, doing her best to offer comfort to the girl beside her.

To Anya's surprise, it only took two hours for them to revert. When they entered the atmosphere of whatever planet they had come to, Anya felt a shiver of cold so deep, so penetrating, that she felt almost sick. Arthalinea felt it too, and sucked in a sharp breath, sitting upright in a jolt.

"Korriban!" the girl whispered tremulously.

Anya frowned. She had ever been to or heard of this place, but she could feel the Dark Side like a thick wet blanket here, and Anya did not like it one bit.

They eventually landed, and Kida stood, motioning to the one of the men guarding Anya and Arthalinea. "You, get a month's worth of ration bars and four cruses of water."

He stood with a salute. "Yes, Acolyte Kida."

Anya watched him go, then looked up as Kida came to stand in front of her. Kida bid Anya rise, and when she did, Kida stood for a second… and then kneed Anya in the gut.

Anya doubled over, feeling the blow keenly, before Kida elbowed her in the lower back next. Anya cried out and dropped to her knees, shaking. Kida grabbed Anya by the hair, wrenched her head back and delivered a pair of punched to Anya's face, leaving her with a split lip and a black eye.

Apparently satisfied, Kida grabbed Arthalinea by the elbow and shoved her in front of Anya, then turned to the guard who returned with the requested items.

"Everyone else, wait here." Kida looked to the guards. "This is no place for those who are Force-blind."

With that, Kida marched her captives out the shuttle. Arthalinea limped along slowly, too much so for Kida's patience, apparently.

"Move it, Worthless!" Kida snapped irately.

Anya, fed up with Kida, kicked back at the other girl, catching her in the knee. Kida swore and punched Anya again in return.

"I warned you," Anya gritted around her split lip, "to leave Arthalinea alone. And she is not worthless!"

Kida laughed. "How cute that you're trying to be her friend. Move it, you really don't want any of the wildlife to come around while you're unable to fight."

Anya shifted to where she could help Arthalinea walk, and Kida allowed this so they could move at a better pace. Anya took in the enormous structure looming in front of them, which was similar to the ziggurats found on Yavin IV that Anya had seen holos of. Only, this one was boxier and had many more jagged, sharp edges meant to instill fear. The front doors were tall enough to admit five Wookiees standing on each other's shoulders.

Kida let them in by doing something with the Dark Side, and Anya swallowed with misgivings as they entered the structure.

"What is this place?" Anya asked quietly when they were inside.

"An ancient Sith Temple," Kida said reverently. "And before you think of trying to escape, don't. Despite what you think, you are safe within these walls… until Vexa comes. Outside the Temple… you'd be torn to shreds, or poisoned by hssiss."

Anya was confused. "I don't know what those are."

"Let's just say if they bite you but do not kill you… their poison will force you to turn to the Dark Side. The more you resist the toxin, the more painful it becomes. Nasty stuff, really. It's much better to turn willingly, don't you think?"

Anya didn't deign to answer that, instead concentrating on keeping Arthalinea steady. Kida brought them to another dungeon, this one without cells, but instead lengths of chains along the walls.

Kida moved them to two sets furthest from the door, and ordered the girls to sit. Arthalinea did so with difficulty, and Anya took a seat next to her. Kida locked one manacle each around their ankles, and Anya hissed at the freezing temperature of the black metal.

Kida then set the rations down. "Nobody will come for you until Vexa arrives, so I would advise you don't waste your rations." She grinned cruelly. "Enjoy your stay, ladies."

Without waiting for a reply, Kida left, and Arthalinea instantly began to weep again.

"It's so… scary here!" Arthalinea wept, looking all around at the dank space, the deep shadows.

Anya was also disturbed by the very Dark nature of the place: the Dark Side permeated the entire planet like a cloying cloud of smoke in a small room full of spice-smokers. Anya thought she could hear faint whispers, but she wasn't sure if it was her imagination playing tricks on her, or something more sinister.

Either way, the prospect of spending an unknown amount of time here was deeply frightening. To make matters worse, the light was so low that nothing outside of a few meters radius was distinct to her vision. Still, Anya was determined to be strong for Arthalinea, who shook like a leaf.

"Well, at least we are together," Anya murmured, wrapping an arm around the child and allowing her to lean into her side.

Arthalinea snuggled as close as she could. "Yeah. By the way… thank you for sticking up for me."

Anya smiled softly. "Of course. By the way, I'm so proud of you for trying to be courageous."

Arthalinea looked to her, confused. "But… it didn't work."

Anya shrugged. "Sometimes our attempts fail, it's true. But it was the effort you made that really counts." She peered at the younger girl. "Think about it for a moment. Setting aside your fear of Vexa, how do you feel about having done what you did? Truly?"

Arthalinea considered. "Pretty good actually. I haven't felt like this in a long time."

Anya nodded. "It's a nice thing to hold to."

Despite her pain, and the fear, Arthalinea did smile somewhat. "It really is." She then paused. "Besides, Hobbie has been so kind to me, and I've grown fond of him."

Anya hummed. "I understand that feeling."

"What was it like when you were a slave?" Arthalinea asked timidly.

Anya hesitated, but figured that it would be okay to share a bit more of her history with the girl. So, Anya started talking.

00000

Vexa paced her personal quarters, in great distress. With the exception of the Sith Temple's crystal, which she always took with her as a safety measure, her Sith artifacts were all on Boz Pity, in her personal rooms there. Yes, they were well hidden, but Luke Skywalker was about to pay the castle a visit, and that man was no clown. Vexa hated him, to be certain, but she was not foolish enough to think him inept.

She did not have the time to go there herself, and as much as she hated to admit it, her possessions were at the mercy of Fate. If they weren't artifacts that should only be handled by a fully trained Force user, Vexa would have had Kida bring them also. Frustration bubbled to the surface, and she knew she need an outlet. But what?

She became aware of Ignis' presence in the training rooms, with Tharan nearby. With the way Tharan's sense was lighting up with trepidation, frustration and doubt, Vexa was sure that Ignis was drilling the younger boy.

Vexa did not feel like teaching today, though she had to admit that the thought of toying more with Ignis had merit. But he had mostly returned to his shell, and to her continued frustration, Ignis worked hard to maintain his emotional emptiness.

With a half-sigh-half-growl, Vexa turned to her data display, which showed the latest take-over by the Rising: Indupar, with Vondarc next in line. But there was a planet near Vondarc that was nestled between the Rimma Trade Route and the Hydian Way that Vexa wanted to also take. Haruun Kal would give the Rising better position to start overtaking more of the galaxy in that direction as well. And it would give them control over that portion of both hyperspace lanes, which would be a great advantage.

Ignis had of course been at the front of these battles, more in the aerial ones this time, since Vexa deployed her new droids on the ground to preserve her flesh-and-blood soldiers for the better jobs. Not that she cared about their lives, but droids were easier to replace, and didn't need years of training.

Nor did they question loyalties.

With her perusal of the war-effort complete, Vexa set to plotting something else, and with a lift to her lips, she went about it eagerly. It was time she began collecting her guests for the upcoming event on Korriban. Two of them were already moving into place, and she was happy that Kida had been successful.

Now to get the rest of them there.

00000

"Any luck Artoo?" Han asked from the pilot's seat.

Artoo trilled a negative, and Han sighed. They were almost to Boz Pity, having left much sooner because of the message Luke had received from the mystery child. He and Mara had shown everyone the message, and they'd all agreed that they needed to leave immediately.

Leia had chosen to remain behind to meet with her committee, and to watch the children, though Shmi would help with that, as would Winter Retrac.

So, it had been decided that Han, Luke, Mara, Lando, Wedge, Wes, Lumpy and Chewie would make the trek to Boz Pity. The trouble was, they still did not have an exact location for the castle, only Ignis' drawings and the girl's hint to follow the red-stone heads. Whatever that meant.

Artoo had been sifting through every known file on the planet, which was admittedly not much since the planet was uninhabited. What they did know was that it had once been inhabited by the Gargantelle species, though they had been wiped out by the Empire. Because of this, and the effort of the surviving Gargantelles, the planet was littered with both graves and the bones of those who'd been last to perish, and thus not buried.

So, the nickname 'graveyard planet' was a very apt description.

It was a planet that was mostly land, with small oceans that were more like seas. It was also a very rocky planet, with a lot of cliffs. But it was because the seas were relatively small that their search parameters had been greatly reduced, and Han was grateful.

He sat at the controls to his ship, the Millenium Falcon, with Luke, Mara and Chewie onboard. Following them in the Ardrossan were Lando, Wedge, Wes and Lumpy. They'd chosen to bring two ships in case there were any children that needed rescue as well as Hobbie. They didn't know what they would find, honestly, so they'd split up.

Han and the two Jedi Masters would lead the way, since Luke and Mara could use the Force to navigate should it come to that. The others would follow Luke and Mara's lead as well by following the Falcon.

Currently, Mara was in the lobby with Chewie, leaving Luke and Han alone in the cockpit.

Han glanced at Luke, who had a faraway look in his eyes, his expression blank but pensive. It was obvious that Luke was deep in thought. To give his brother-in-law a chance to come-to, Han cleared his throat before speaking.

"So… Ignis really is your son?"

Luke blinked back to full awareness, turning his attention to Han. "He is."

Han frowned. "I know you asked us not to pry, but I just can't wrap my head around it. How is it possible? I'm fairly certain I would have noticed two kids hiding under your cloak in the cantina that day, and every instance after."

Luke smiled slightly at Han's reference to their initial meeting in that cantina in Mos Eisley all those years ago. But then his smile faded, and he sighed deeply.

"Would you believe me if I told you he was literally stolen from Venussia's womb?"

Han stared… and if it hadn't been for his utter trust in Luke, Han would have laughed outright at the absurdity of it. But Luke was completely serious, Han realized.

"But…" Han stammered, "how?"

Luke thinned his lips. "Vexa and a trio of dead Sith worked together to perform a technique that never should have happened. They somehow removed Ignis from Venussia, and placed him inside Merida— Venussia's elder sister— after killing the child that Merida was already pregnant with."

Han blinked. "Dead Sith? They can do that?"

Thoughts of how much trouble the galaxy was in if Sith could operate after death ran though Han's head, and he shuddered.

"It shouldn't have been possible. Though they can appear and influence, on rare occasions Force ghosts have made something happen in the real world, but only if the Force wishes it." Luke's eyes hardened. "What these Sith did… somehow, they were able to transfer their strength and knowledge to Vexa, and she was the instrument of their work. But the vision showed a room that was powered by a crystal of some sort. This leads me to believe that they have to do their work from this specific room, with the crystal in place."

Han relaxed. "Well… any thoughts on where this place might be?"

Luke flinched. "I can think of a few, actually, each as unpleasant as the next."

Han cocked his head. "Where?"

Luke looked him straight in the eye. "There are a few planets that are Sith worlds. Two specifically are at the top of this list: Ziost and Korriban. Both have Sith Temples, and both are utterly dangerous places, even for Jedi." He paused for effect. "Neither is a place that someone not sensitive to the Force should ever step foot on."

Han shivered as if cold all of a sudden, as if by merely talking about those planets, their evil presences could be felt in his being. "Well, if that's where she made things happen… it might warrant a visit to make sure."

Luke nodded gravely. "I think so too. But my first priority after getting Hobbie back, is Ignis."

Han eyed Luke again, seeing something anew in his best friend. "You really love the Kid, don't you?"

Luke smiled, his eyes moist. "I really do. And it's not just because I found out the truth. I grew to love him when he was with us, and when he left… it hurt so much. I didn't care in the heat of the moment what he had done. I…" Luke closed his eyes, and a few tears slipped down his cheeks. "Seeing his ship leave, with me being seconds too late… hurt more than I've ever let on, except to Mara, of course."

Han reached across the space to lay a comforting hand on Luke's forearm. "Hey, you did your best. I'm sure he knows that."

Luke offered a grateful look. "I hope he does. But… Han, he's afraid of what I now think about him. He thinks I'll never forgive him; that he's done too much to be able to make things right with me."

Luke took a shuddering breath. "That couldn't be farther from the truth, but I can't reach him. Believe me, I've tried, and Shmi said she did too, trying to use their twin bond. But that blasted creature in his head is creating too much interference. It's worse than when he was activated at Bespin. I just want him to know that I forgive him… that I love him, and want him to come home."

Han pursed his lips. "He doesn't believe he has a home."

"No, he doesn't." Luke agreed softly. "And I fear the state he will be in when I finally get to him. Han, when I saw him in that vision…"

When Luke stopped, Han felt his heart squeeze a little. "What? …Luke?"

Luke looked to Han. "He's hurting so much, Han… but he's numbed everything so he doesn't have to feel those emotions… or any others. You should have seen his eyes…"

Han squeezed the other's arm in an offer of further comfort, and Luke placed his free hand over Han's in response, the two sharing a moment of silence as they each processed. Finally, Han shook his head and turned more fully to his brother.

"Well, if anyone can get him to come around, it's his father."

Luke's gaze sprang to Han's, alight with wonder at Han's wording, but then Luke's face warmed, and he nodded.

"Thank you, Han," Luke murmured, "I needed to hear that."

At that moment, the alarm sounded that they were about to exit hyperspace. Han and Luke straightened, returning to the task at hand, even as Mara and Chewie joined them. Since Luke and Mara would be helping to navigate, Chewie had told Luke to take the copilot's station for now.

The timer counted to zero, and Han brought the Falcon from lightspeed, looking upon the light-green orb that lay before them. Indeed, the oceans were small, and Han was glad.

The proximity alarm blared momentarily, and then, moments after they reverted, so too did the Ardrossan.

"Han, do you copy?" Lando called over the comm unit.

"I read you loud and clear, Lando," Han replied. "Keep this line open so you can hear what Luke tells me for directions."

"Copy that."

Han turned to Luke, who already looked like he was connected actively with the Force. One glance at Mara showed she was likewise using her powers. Han waited patiently, and he was rewarded with Luke and Mara both pointing to the far side of the planet.

"We need to be on the other side of the globe." Luke informed the others.

Han nodded, and piloted them just outside the atmosphere to the far side of the planet, which was in shadow at the moment. When Luke and Mara directed Han to the part where the light was growing, Han knew that their area would soon be in daylight.

"I see one of the seas," Han commented, pulling in that direction and starting to look for any signs of cliffs or buildings.

"I don't think this is the right place," Mara said after a few minutes.

"I agree," Luke murmured before he stiffened.

Mara did likewise, drawing Han and Chewie's attention. though when Mara made a noise, Han focused on her.

"Luke, do you feel that?"

Luke nodded. "A recent death… and the Dark Side." Luke looked to Han. "May I take the helm? It'd be easier."

Han inclined his head, switching the controls to Luke's side of the panel. Luke took the helm and piloted the ship in a different direction, more toward the equator. They flew for a solid hour before anything interesting began to take shape. That was when Han saw the largest body of water yet looming ahead.

"Stay right on my tail, Lando," Luke warned.

The sea grew from a bank of fog so dense that Han was glad that the Jedi was piloting. Luke evaded several jagged peaks that appeared quite literally out of nowhere. Lando uttered a few curses here and there, but managed to keep with Luke, who offered directions right before he maneuvered.

"Lando, drop altitude… now." Luke followed his own words, and they went beneath a huge bridge of stone.

Then they entered a valley so vast that Han couldn't see the other edge. But what he could see were bones littered about, as well as monuments and graves galore. But it was the size of the bones that Han couldn't believe.

"They weren't exaggerating about the size of these people." Han noted with awe. They made Chewie look like an Ewok in comparison.

Han noted that every single thing made of stone was the same grey-black, with the occasional paler rock thrown into the mix. But so far he had seen nothing of the color the girl had mentioned.

And then Han did see it, and he pointed. "Look, that statue… it's the only one with stone that isn't black or tan. It appears to be a red-orange."

Mara followed his line of sight and nodded. "Good, now we need to find another one to get a sense of direction."

They flew for several meters before another red figure appeared, though Chewbacca spied this one. They continued to follow the line of red-stone heads, which were spaced unevenly apart, but in nearly a straight line.

"The Dark Side is getting stronger," Luke almost whispered, "but it's more like a lingering smell. It's concentrated in an area up ahead."

"Do you think it would be good to land farther away and walk in?" Lando asked over the line. "We don't know what kind of defenses the castle will have."

Han pursed his lips, and Luke shared a look with him.

"It couldn't hurt." Han eventually decided.

Luke nodded. "We will get as close as we can."

"There!" Mara gestured, and they spied a tall shape in the near distance. The valley became a dense forest, and beyond this forest was a structure that was unmistakably a castle. It was enormous, and Han was amazed it was still intact, given the state of all the other structures they had encountered so far.

"There's a clearing up ahead, Luke," Han said, reading the sensors. "It's large enough for both ships, but barely."

"Alright. Lando, we're landing."

"I hear you."

Luke touched down without a bump, and Han helped him cool the Falcon down while Mara and Chewie disappeared aft. When Han and Luke joined the pair, Mara hefted a pair of backpacks.

"We packed these just to be on the safe side. We don't know the terrain, or what we will encounter."

Nobody argued, taking the bags and exiting the ship to find their friends likewise prepped. Just before leaving, Luke called for Artoo to join the group.

"We may need his help." Luke explained when Lando offered his doubts.

"And he's reliable even in rough terrain," Mara added, taking her husband's hand.

Lando lifted his hands. "I'm not about to argue with you, Mara."

Luke grinned unrepentantly. "Good plan, Lando."

Mara scowled and swatted his arm, making Luke chuckle. Han and Lando sealed their respective ships, and the group started off in the direction of the castle. Han and Luke took the lead, with the others following, though Mara chose to bring up the rear so that they had a Jedi at each end of their group.

They hiked for a solid hour, and Han admitted that he was grateful that Mara had thought to pack some gear, which came in handy several times. The closer they drew to the castle, the more on edge they all grew, until Luke and Mara had their lightsabers in hand but unlit.

"Where are all the defenses?" Wes asked finally. "If this is her stronghold, why isn't it better fortified?"

"Probably because she lives on an uninhabited planet." Lando suggested. "Nobody ever comes to Boz Pity, right? So, her place here is all but unknown."

"But I'm sure there are defenses nevertheless." Mara piped up seriously. "We shouldn't take her for an imbecile."

"Do either of you sense Hobbie?" Wedge asked as they watched the building grow ever larger before them. Even through the trees it was massive. It was clear that it had once belonged to the giants who used to live on Boz Pity.

Luke took on a look of concentration, and then nodded. "Actually, I can. But I can also sense four creatures I am unfamiliar with."

Mara frowned. "Maybe more of those things that attacked the Twilek girl?"

Luke nodded. "That's what I think too. Oddly enough, I sense nobody else here."

Han stopped and stared. "Seriously?"

Mara also checked, and straightened. "He's right: I can only find one sentient being."

"There are probably droids," Lando said, hefting a blaster. "She could have sent some of her new ones here."

"It's possible." Han agreed.

When the trees ended and the castle was in full view, Luke stopped abruptly, lifting one hand to signal the others to also stop. "I sense something else…"

The others looked to him questioningly, and Luke furrowed his brow. "I can't place it, just a general vibe that the entrance is far more protected than we know."

Han looked to the structure, complete with a staggered line of four huge statues… and gasped. "It's Ignis' drawing!"

The others clustered around when Han pulled out the drawing to show them. It was an exact match to the image Ignis had given Han.

"We are definitely in the right place," Wes said, starting to step from the trees.

He had only taken one step when Luke abruptly grabbed his arm and hauled him back.

"Hey!" Wes yelped in alarm, looking to Luke like he was crazy.

Luke gave him an apologetic look and then motioned for the others to wait. He stepped out gingerly, every foot placed just so. The rest of the group exchanged uncertain looks, but nobody questioned Luke further. The man never acted like this unless something was really wrong. Feeding off of her husband's vibes, Mara took a step to be in front of Han and the others, her lightsaber up, but still off as of yet.

Han watched as Luke finally stopped looked to a stone statue, the first in a line of five… and then took one last step. Instantly the ground began to rumble, and the statue that had once been still started to rattle, dirt and algae being worked loose as it started to move.

Han gaped when the statue came to full life, its eyes lighting up a blue color to peer at Luke. The Jedi Master remained utterly still, and Han wondered if the man was using the Force to try and talk the behemoth down.

But whatever Luke was trying did not work. The statue roared and reached for Luke, who rolled to the side. The statue lumbered to follow, and Han had to admit that despite its size and weight, it was deceptively agile.

When Luke continued to dodge the statue but came to close to the next in line, it also came to life. Cursing, Mara sprinted out to help her husband, who was now wielding his emerald blade. He swung it at the statue, but the thing moved its arm, and then the wrist lifted to reveal a blaster-cannon.

Han whipped out his blaster and shot at the thing, but his shot did little to harm the thing. Nor did the giant even look Han's way. Luke dove when the cannon shot a strange beam of blue light at him.

To everyone's shock, the beam disintegrated whatever it touched, and it left a gaping hole in the ground. Mara arrived then, leaping with the Force to get upon the statue's shoulders, where she promptly sank her lightsaber into the thing's neck.

It did plunge through, but she had to work hard to continue cutting. The statue paused it's attack on Luke to reach for Mara. Seeing this, Luke thrust out a hand, and the statue's arm stopped moving. Mara wasted no time in severing the statue's neck, and the thing fell thickly to the ground.

But that victory was short lived when the next thing in line made a motion, and the final few woke up. Now there were four of the statues, and two Jedi Masters.

Han traded looks with Lando, and thinned his lips. "We've got to help them."

"I agree, but you saw how useless blasters are." Lando returned.

"I have an idea!" Wes piped up. "Follow me!"

He ran back the way they had come, and after sharing another look, the other three followed him. Wes led them to a grouping of trees that were covered in several thick vines.

"Let's cut a length of these vines," Wes said, pointing. "We can use them to wrap about the legs of the statues like we did…"

"On Hoth with the walkers!" Wedge cried, slapping Wes on the back. "This is why I love you, Buddy. Let's get to work!"

"Lando and I will cut our own vine," Han said. "Chewie, Lumpy, you get one too just in case. That way we have three."

"Right." Wes agreed.

00000

Luke had no idea just what these statues were. They didn't feel alive, and yet, they had been brought to life with the Dark Side of the Force. They appeared to be some sort of guardians, and Luke was using his vast knowledge of the Force to remain ahead of them.

Mara was now by his side, and the two of them were gauging how to take the creatures out. The head tactic seemed to have worked, but it had taken both of them to do it.

Suddenly, the one that Mara had beheaded began to move again, and the couple shared a chagrined look.

"I guess they can operate headless." Mara bit out.

"You didn't happen to bring any explosives, did you?" Luke asked of his wife.

She grinned at him. "I like the way you think. And yes, I brought some thermal detonators."

"Let's see if explosives hurt them, then," Luke said, ducking a foot that tried to step on them.

When Mara came back up, she rolled away long enough to dig into her satchel. When she came back to him, she carried two detonators.

"The head didn't work, so where should I aim?" Mara asked.

Luke had an idea. "I'll see if I can't get one to expose his cannon. When he does, aim for the weapon."

"Got it." Mara promised.

Luke stepped away from her and attacked the first giant in line, using his blade to score a hit on its foot. The statue roared at him, and lifted its hand. Luke saw this and ran back towards Mara to give her a clear line of sight.

Taking aim, Mara lobbed one of her detonators at the exact spot indicated by Luke. The detonator went into the cannon… and then exploded. The statue roared, its entire arm blowing to bits… and then the rest of it began to explode as well, a chain reaction moving all through it.

Luke and Mara found themselves dodging the debris being rained down upon them by the thing's death. Amidst this, one creature seized Luke with its hand, and Luke found himself being lifted from the ground moments later. The giant closed its hand about Luke's waist with such force that Luke cried out in pain.

It heard him cry out and looked to him, continuing to squeeze. Luke felt and heard something creaking within his body, and he found it hard to draw breath.

"Luke!" Mara cried, using the Force to hurl the parts of the statue's dead friend at it, careful to not hit her husband in the process.

The tactic did not get the creature to fully release Luke, but it's grasp did lessen enough for Luke to draw a breath. Mara continued to hurl large stones at the statue, which was having a mixed effect. Some of the pieces only shattered on contact, but some seemed to stun the creature, though only for a few seconds.

While she was busy, the final two statues converged on Mara, and she had to break off her attack to keep from also being caught. The statues not holding Luke began to shoot at Mara, who dodged and raced away. Luke feared for his wife, until he saw that she wasn't just avoiding the blasts of the statues. No; Mara was leading them toward the edge of the cliffs.

Luke's started to follow as well, and Luke was gratified to find that it didn't tighten its grip again. Luke's lightsaber was still in his hand, unlit for now. Luke carefully maneuvered his hand, trying to see if he could free the weapon. However, the statue's grip was still too snug for Luke to be able to get to his weapon.

Luke spotted the headless monster running now, as if it could sense Mara in the force and knew exactly where to go to get to her. Mara now had all three giants coming after her, and Luke growled low in his throat.

Shifting tactics, Luke delved into the Force, and began to search the creature without a head. Luke moved through its body with the swiftness born of years of using the Force. Finally, Luke found what he needed: the weak point in the being's body.

Using the shatterpoint technique, Luke shot the Force at this weakness… and the statue exploded forcefully. So much so that Mara was shoved to the ground, as were the pursuing giants. And good thing too, for many pieces flew right over her body, and had she been standing, she'd have been pulverized.

Luke cringed, realizing how close he had come to accidentally killing his wife. Though to be fair, Luke had not counted on the statue exploding like it had.

Luke's statue lost a chunk of its hip when the explosion also rocked it, but the thing managed to stay upright. Mara got to her feet, swaying a little, but gaining strength with each step she took.

Her pursuing giants lumbered to their feet and tore after Mara with a greater fervor, using their arm-cannons. Mara continued to play the deadly game, coming ever closer to the edge of the cliff until she could go no further. Then she turned and waved at them.

"Come and get me!"

The statues shot at Mara, and she evaded their attacks, but the cliff ended up with two new gouges, and Luke caught his first glimpse of how far down the water was. Swallowing, Luke prayed that Mara did not go over its edge.

The three remaining statues drew close enough to Mara that she only had feet between her and them.

Then, out of the blue, the rest of their companions appeared, the men having split into three pairs, each carrying a large vine. Luke grinned when he saw Han and Lando sprint in a circle about the legs of the giant closest to Luke. Similarly, Wes and Wedge were wrapping a vine about the furthest monster's legs.

The giants did not realize at first what was happening, but then the men finished and pulled tight on the vines.

"You can't get me!" Wes taunted his beast, as he and Wedge pulled at their own vine. Wes added insult to injury by wiggling his rear-end at the creature. That statue bent over instead of standing, and Wes's face paled. But Mara whipped around the creature and Force-shoved it. It fell off the cliff, taking a decent chunk of the ground with it.

"Hey!" Han shouted at his giant. "Come here you big lump of coal!"

The statue closest to Luke roared at Han, and indeed took a step closer… or tried to. The vines were tight enough that the beast tripped. Its arms flailed, and when it went began to topple over the cliff's edge, it grabbed for Luke's captor.

To the horror of those on the ground, Luke's statue tumbled and fell. It landed on its elbows and chest, and then was flipped over backwards and right off the cliff. It flailed as it fell, which caused it to loosen its hold on Luke even more.

Wasting no time, Luke slipped from the beast's hand, ran up to the top of the head… and leapt for all he was worth. Luke even pushed at himself from behind with the Force, and though he didn't get to the top of the cliff, he did slam into the rock-face.

Luke scrabbled for a hand hold, and he anchored himself with the Force once he had one.

"Luke!"

He looked up at Mara, who was peering at him from high above. Luke grimaced to see how far he had to climb, but pushed that aside and began to work his steady way up. It was painstaking, and he felt Mara holding him in the Force when he nearly slipped a few times, but finally he was at the edge he'd fallen from.

To his relief, Chewie and Lumpy still had their vine, and they lowered it down to Luke when it would reach his position. Luke took hold of it and allowed them to help him continue climbing. At the near-top, two furred hands reached down, grabbed Luke's arms and hauled him to safety. Luke collapsed onto the ground, his arms and legs quivering with the exertion he'd put forth. Mara knelt beside him, her face alight with concern and relief.

"Oh Luke…" Mara grabbed his hand in hers, though she smacked him in the waist. "You scared me to death!"

Luke cringed when she hit his waist. Seeing his reaction, Mara lifted his tunic.

Han came to see and flinched. "Ouch."

Luke looked to see that he had deep bruising on his torso where he'd been held by the statue. But though it hurt, Luke could still function, and so he sat up.

"I'll be okay." Luke looked rest of the men. "Thanks for the help, guys."

Wedge clapped Luke on the back. "We're in this together, remember?"

Luke smiled, and the group moved to the front doors, wary of any other tricks Vexa had in place. To their relief, there were none, and Luke called for Artoo— who had wisely remained hidden in the trees— to hack the keypad.

Artoo got it, and the doors opened. Everyone had weapons at the ready, and they entered to find a large greeting hall, off of which were several corridors and staircases. Two led up, while two others went down.

"Which way?" Wes asked softly.

"Why don't we split into two groups, with a Jedi in each?" Han suggested. "We both go down, since the dungeons will be there."

"That will work." Mara agreed. "Lando, Han, Lumpy with me: we will go right."

"We'll take left, then," Luke said, motioning to the Rogue pilots and Chewie.

Mara gave Luke a quick kiss. "Be careful." She smirked playfully. "Do try not to fall off of anymore cliffs."

Luke shook his head with a roll of his eyes, but nudged her in the Force gently. "Yes Ma'am."

Luke took his group port as planned, leading the way down the stairs. He felt a hound up ahead and motioned to the pilots.

"There's one of those creatures ahead…"

At that moment, the thing pounced, bounding up the stairs. Wes cried out in alarm, and began shooting. The creature dodged, and then focused his attack on Luke. Wedge shot at it also, and got the creature in the hip.

It yelped, then turned on Wedge, snapping for him. But Chewie punched the thing in the shout, stunning it long enough for Luke to impale the hound with his lightsaber. It fell limp with a final death scream, and that afforded them a moment to gaze at it.

"What is that thing?" Wes asked in disgust.

It was a pale, hairless thing that looked like a hunchbacked canine. The teeth were stained from its many meals, and the beast wore a collar to indicate that someone had domesticated, or at least controlled it at some point.

"I'd bet my bottom credit that Vexa trained these hounds as a way to track down any acolytes who tried to escape the castle," Luke murmured.

"How do you figure that?" Wedge asked as they moved onward.

"Because it focused on me, like it knew I had the Force." Luke explained patiently.

"Oh," Wedge heard shots elsewhere, and winced. "I think the others found one too."

"How many more do you think there are?" Wes asked, using a glowrod to light their way when the halls grew ever darker. Someone had clearly shut off the power when they'd left.

Luke stretched out with the Force. "Two more… though both of them seem to be in another part of the castle. They're busy… distracted."

Wes looked to Luke. "Are they close to Hobbie?"

Luke shook his head. "No, but stay alert all the same."

They walked along, all of them now using glowrods, until they came to another set of stairs. This one led to a darker, colder area. Luke paused when he heard footsteps, and he turned, illuminating the stairs. But he relaxed when he felt Mara.

"Hi guys," Luke greeted when they joined them, "find anything in your area?"

"No," Mara said, "except for the one hound."

"Hey, over here!" Wes called from further down. He'd kept going, and now he sprinted ahead. "Hobbie?!"

The others followed, and then a weary voice answered. "Wes? That you?"

Luke joined Wes at the door to a cell, and he used his lightsaber to cut the thing form the bars. Using the Force, Mara lifted it clear, and Wes leapt through. He was by Hobbie's side in a flash, blanching at the state of the man.

Luke knelt as well, setting his glowrod down and helping Wes get Hobbie into a sitting position.

Wedge appeared, a skin of water in his grasp. Hobbie saw it and licked his lips thirstily. Wedge set the skin to Hobbie's mouth and let the man drink. When Hobbie was done, Wedge felt the man's forehead, which was clammy to the touch.

"Let's get you out of here," Wedge said, motioning to the others. Together, Luke and Wes hoisted Hobbie to his feet.

"Guys, he's not going to make it back to the ships in his condition," Han said. "Lando and me will hike back to the ships, and bring them to the area we just cleared of statues."

"I'll make sure you get out alright." Mara volunteered. "Then I'll find the power station and get some lights on."

Han and Lando accepted her help, and then they were gone.

Hobbie looked to Luke. "Anya was here too, but a girl named Kida came back for her and Arthalinea. And she evacuated any kids that were here, as well as all the guards."

Luke blew out a breath. "Do you have any idea where she would have been taken?"

Hobbie shook his head. "Sorry Luke."

Luke paused at the name he did not recognize. "And who is Arthalinea?"

"A red-skinned Twilek girl," Hobbie explained, a warmth to his voice that Luke had never heard before. "She's been taking care of me. I… tried whatever I could to help her, and I got her to trust me. But she risked her neck for Anya and I, when she called you here."

Luke nodded slowly. "I did get her message."

Hobbie breathed out a sigh of relief. "Then it wasn't for nothing."

Luke sensed the attention of the remaining hounds shift, and he motioned to Wedge. "I need to check the rest of the castle for those last few hounds. You two get Hobbie back to the front hall and stay put. Lumpy, Chewie, would you stand guard over them please?"

The Wookiees and Wedge didn't argue, and the Rogue Commander took Luke's place.

Hobbie put a hand to Luke's arm. "Tsu and Asa were here as well, but I don't know what happened to them. Kida didn't make it sound like their fate was a good one."

Luke indicated his understanding, and only then did Hobbie allow himself to be led away. Luke followed only until the Force bade him take a different passageway. He kept his lightsaber in hand, though it wasn't lit.

He followed this passageway to its end, and then spied a tall door. From within it he heard the sounds of animals. Luke sensed the pair of hounds, and especially understood when they heard— or probably smelled— him coming. They began to growl long before Luke appeared, and through the light of his glowrod, Luke saw two pairs of eyes reflect back at him.

The creatures instantly attacked, and Luke lit his blade to defend himself. The first one leapt at Luke, and he ducked, slashing at the animal with his blade, and taking its head off. The second one was hot on its heels, and this one swiped at Luke's legs.

Luke jumped above the strike and stabbed down with his weapon. The animal's leg got burned, but it managed to evade having the limb severed. The hound swiveled with surprising dexterity, and snapped its jaws in Luke's face.

Luke flipped backwards, and when the animal pursued him, Luke stuck his blade out… and the emerald shaft went down the hound's throat. That animal died, and its body was sliced open when it went limp over Luke's lightsaber blade.

Luke took a minute to rest, and then the lights came up to full, blinding him with the abrupt brilliance. Luke squeezed his eyes shut, counting on the Force to warn him should any further menace present itself.

But his danger sense was no longer tingling, and so Luke waited patiently for his vision to clear. When it did, he almost wished it hadn't.

There in the center of the floor lay a pair of Kaminoians, one male, one female. Their heads had been severed by a lightsaber… and the hounds had been eating their remains. Luke fought back a wave of revulsion, turning his head until it passed. He shifted his gaze about, a ray of hope lighting in his bosom when he saw the Kaminoian technology.

But then he saw that anything and everything that could have given Luke some answers on the squid— from Tsu himself— had been destroyed, also with a lightsaber. The hope died, and he sighed wearily. Still, Luke perused the room, looking for anything that may have been missed. But after some time, he concluded that there was not enough of the computers to salvage.

Luke tuned at the sound of feet, though he could feel who it was, and remained calm. Mara appeared, and when she spied the remains of the scientists, she blanched. But then she spied her husband and came forward, also assessing the situation.

"Blast it, we can't use anything here." Mara groused, gingerly fingering a circuit board. It sparked at her, and she was swift to remove her limb.

"No, but perhaps there are other computers in the castle we can have Artoo sift through." Luke walked slowly, though he paused when he spotted an alcove.

He approached, and spotted a series of tanks and tubes, all of which had likewise been destroyed. And laying on the ground were several of the scalpel squids… withered and dried. But it was where they were clustered around what had to have been the final puddle, that gave him pause.

Inspiration struck Luke, and he turned to Mara. "I may have a way to get the squid out from Ignis, if Han's plan doesn't work."

Mara looked to him expectantly, and he went on.

"If I can connect with the creature, maybe I can trick it into believing its environment is drying up. It's an aquatic creature, right? So, if it senses it's drying out, it will seek out water."

Mara tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

Luke gestured to the creatures. "Judging by the way they are clustered, and how there's barely any moisture left, I think that when they were out of the water, they tried to find any source they could. There's barely any of this puddle left, and without enough fluids, they withered away, literally."

Mara saw what he meant, and nodded slowly. "The idea could work, Luke."

"Now we just have to get to Ignis." Luke determined.

Mara eyed him anew. "You sound like you have a plan for that as well."

Luke met her gaze. "Actually, I do. It'll be a team effort though, and it will also require the use of a person willing to act as bait."

Mara blinked, but then shifted. "Well, whatever the idea is, let's wait until everyone is gathered back home. Let's complete this mission first."

Luke agreed, and they moved out of the room. Mara left to collect Artoo and help him locate a computer terminal. That left Luke to peruse the rest of the castle. He found the floor where the greatest amount of fear and despair were, and he knew he'd located the acolytes' rooms. Luke opened each one he came to, finding that many had two beds, while those deeper in had only one.

Luke guessed that the younger children, those still in the first stages of training, shared a room. Perhaps only those who lasted as long as the ones sent on missions, got the perk of a personal living space.

Luke was at the last room in the hall when he felt the barest hint of something as he opened the portal. When he saw a pallet of blankets on the floor next to the bed, Luke instantly knew what it was for.

Stepping into the room, Luke gazed at the spot Bo had undoubtedly slept. There was even still some fur in the blankets, and Luke took a moment to remember the anooba.

Luke took stock of the space, seeing that it looked just as neat and orderly as Ignis had kept his room in the Skywalker house. Not a thing was out of place, and even Bo's spot was as neat as an animal's bed could be.

Luke sat upon Ignis' immaculately made bed next, placing a gentle hand to the pillow. Closing his eyes, Luke opened himself to the Force, and he sensed the eclectic mix of emotions that remained there. Most of them were unhappy, but each was tinged with acceptance of the young man's lot in life.

It was as Luke was immersed in the Force that he felt the distinct tug from under the bed. Luke slipped from the bed, and knelt to peer underneath. To his surprise, a small safe rested in the back corner, well hidden from view, even from the door.

Luke tried to pull it toward him with the Force, but it was bolted in place, so Luke instead shifted the bed. When he could reach the thing, Luke attempted a few combinations, but nothing worked, so he used his lightsaber to carefully cut the door away.

Luke opened it and found several volumes of drawing pads inside. Luke reached in and removed them all, then sat upon the bed again, his back to the door. Luke saw that each drawing pad showed signs of heavy use: the covers were worn and even torn in places. Yet aside from the normal wear and tear, the pads themselves had clearly been kept in good condition.

Out of sheer curiosity, Luke fingered through the first album, finding that most pictures were of Ignis in training. Occasionally, the Twilek girl made an appearance, and Luke gathered that she meant something to his son. Perhaps they had formed a friendship, even in this horrid place.

Luke did see the odd drawing that showed someone older; often someone dead or about to die. Luke suspected that these were Ignis' victims. To Luke's chagrin, he found one drawing of a village being pillaged.

Luke peeked at a few more of the albums, noting that with each one closer to the base of the pack, the Ignis in them grew younger and younger. Luke took a much keener interest in these, wanting to understand more of what Ignis had felt and thought at that age as well, and what he had experienced here.

Most of the drawings were of some aspect of training, or punishment for failure, and how Ignis felt about each. Some showed young children that had not made it through one phase of tutoring or another.

"There you are," Mara said as she entered the room. "We've been wondering where you went."

Mara stopped when she saw the pallet of blankets, and then the books Luke held. "This was Ignis' room."

Luke nodded, though his gaze remained upon a self-portrait of an Ignis who had barely begun his training under Vexa. This boy was ragged and worn, and thin as could be. It hurt Luke to know that Ignis had been in that state, and for who-knew-how-long.

Mara's weight joined him on the bed, and she peered at the image herself, then leaned her head against Luke's shoulder. "I'm sorry for what he had to live through, Luke."

Luke took a deep breath. "As am I, but the past can't be changed. We can only look ahead."

Mara nodded, rising. "We're ready to leave."

Luke stood as well, gathering the books. "Let's go then. We have a son to save."

They exited Ignis' room, and started to walk away when Luke felt it: a call in the opposite direction. He stopped, turned and peered that way.

Mara followed his line of sight, then nodded slowly. "Now that I am paying attention, I can feel it too."

The pair of them followed the tug in the Force up to the pinnacle of the castle, to the most prestigious room in the entire palace. Luke instinctively knew whose room this would be, and he mentally braced himself.

Mara opened the door, one hand to her lightsaber. Thankfully nothing jumped out at them, and they stepped fully inside. Luke saw the large bed, the other usual furniture in the space, and a few tapestries.

"Luke, look at that wall-hanging," Mara said, pointing to one just out of his line-of-sight.

Luke shifted to see better, and he blinked at the depiction of an epic battle between what appeared to be an ancient race of people. "Is that a Sith scene?"

Mara thinned her lips. "Palpatine had one just like it in his throne room in the Imperial Palace. I think it pays homage to the original Sith race."

Luke drew nearer, feeling the Force pulling him closer to the wall. "Mara, there's something here."

Mara joined him and together they used the Force to remove the heavy tapestry from the wall. It revealed only bare wall, but Luke and Mara both sensed the vibrations of the Dark Side. Pursing his lips, Luke stretched out with the Force, and studied the wall. He found the activation switch after a moment, and depressed it.

They stood back as a section of the wall shifted back into itself and then lumbered to the side. And within was a small room, lined with shelves and pedestals. Luke entered cautiously, Mara at his side.

The first item he recognized was a triangular item, though there were actually four of them.

"Are those Sith holocrons?" Luke asked after studying them a moment.

"Yes," Mara replied, "I saw Vader bring one back to Palpatine after one of his visits to a recently discovered Sith Temple."

Luke gazed at the other artifacts, understanding that these all had something to do with the Dark Side. But it was the bust in the very center of the room that confused him. It was of a refined looking man that seemed to wear a cape, cinched with a series of rings. The man's beard was trimmed in an angular fashion, and his hair was short. It was also clear the man was also older in age.

Mara joined him and pursed her lips. "I wonder…"

Luke glanced to her curiously. "What?"

"Samanda said something about Vexa's master, and how she lost him. This is probably him. Count Dooku is what she called him."

"Ah, I remember that name," Luke said, "some of the Old Order Masters spoke about him during their stories of the Clone Wars. But I've never seen a holo of the man."

"Apparently, Vexa blames our family for this man's death at the hands of your father."

Luke sighed. "You did say that, I remember. But why is she clinging to the past?"

Mara blew out a breath. "Maybe she has nothing else to do. Sith don't easily forgive, remember? Besides, I think she used her desire for revenge to keep her motivated."

"That would certainly fit." Luke moved about some more, looking everywhere for the crystal he'd seen in the vision. Finally, he gave up. "It's not here."

Mara offered a quizzical look. "What isn't?"

"The crystal that's used to activate the room the Sith used in my vision." Luke explained. "I don't see it here."

Mara nodded thoughtfully. "If it's that important, maybe she keeps it with her when she travels."

"Probably."

After a time, Luke came to a decision. "We can't just leave all this, but at the same time, I don't want to take it to the Jedi Temple."

Mara pursed her lips. "Perhaps we can take it elsewhere."

Luke looked to her. "What did you have in mind?"

"We select one of the many astronomical objects in the galaxy, mark it and use it for the storage of such things."

Luke considered. There were plenty of those objects in the known galaxy, many for sale for just such a purpose. "That could work."

"As much as I hate to admit it, it would probably be better to leave the items here for the time being." Mara placed a hand in his. "We don't have the time to move this stuff."

Luke didn't like it, but she was right. "Alright, let's go."