Chapter Sixteen:
Katya gazed through the macro binoculars, hardly daring to believe their luck. She finally admitted what she was seeing and turned to the others.
"I think Luke and Mara are off-world. And we haven't seen any sign that Han Solo is here either."
Pai looked thoughtful. "Leia has been in meetings off and on, and I'm certain she has another one today."
Caimbre noticed movement and took the binocs from her sister. "You're likely correct Pai," she said. "It looks like Leia is leaving. But she's giving a load of credits to the white-haired woman who's been babysitting."
Raythe pressed a button on a device strapped to his wrist, and a tiny snoop-droid floated across the way to listen in on the conversation. The unit would be able to hear through the windows thanks to special modifications.
"…taking them to see a holo-film would be fun for them, and it would give everyone a break from this house." Leia was saying. "Besides, I already looked up the times at the Pianza Holo-Theater, and there is a show in an hour."
Pai took out his datapad and looked up the theater in question. "That's only about a fifteen-minute drive from here."
Raythe glanced at the information and pursed his lips. "We may be able to pose as employees, and get close to the brats that way."
Katya hushed them just as the white-haired woman replied.
"Alright Leia. I also think it would be nice."
The foursome waited for Leia to depart before they also took their leave. They entered their enclosed speeder, and Katya piloted them to the theater. She parked in the most out-of-the-way spot she could, and they all exited.
Once they entered the establishment, they noted how large it was, boasting twenty-five screens.
"The sheer size of this place gives us an advantage." Caimbre remarked. "It would be much easier to blend into the crowd if need be."
Raythe peered around, but it was Pai who spotted the employee access door first. "There; behind the concession stand."
The four moved past the ticket-taker with ease, tricking the elderly woman with the Force into believing she had already taken their tickets. She smiled kindly at them and waved them through.
"Enjoy your show, dears," she said.
"Thank you," Katya replied. At Raythe's snort, she rolled her eyes. "We have to play innocent, Raythe, remember?"
"Whatever." Raythe commented, but he led the way into the stand, slipping easily past the employees when they were focused elsewhere. They found the supply closet, and took uniforms that would fit them."
"Did we happen to hear which film they're seeing?" Cambre asked on a whim.
Everyone paused, realizing that no, they hadn't.
Katya pursed her lips. "I can stay in the lobby and when I see them, I'll find out where they go."
Raythe nodded. "Fine. Now, we agreed to use tranquilizer darts to knock the brats out. The baby needs the lowest dose, and Vexa prepared it, with back-ups."
He held up a dart that only had a fraction of the dose that the ones for the older kids had. "I will sedate the baby, got it?"
Everyone nodded, making sure they each had a few darts. The fast-acting drug would keep their captives unconscious for several hours, and would need to be re-administered from time to time to keep their victims under its influence.
"Since they're all going to be here together," Caimbre murmured, "what if we separate the kids a bit? Raythe, do you think you could lure Ben into the refresher somehow?"
Raythe smiled. "I could, yes. I like where you're going with this."
"And when the adult woman goes to investigate," Caimbre went on, "someone will need to sedate her too, or else it will be hard to get to Emry and Kodai."
Katya blessed her sister's sharp mind. "Caimbre, you should wait outside the refresher and take Ben to the speeder. If anyone asks, he's your little brother who fell asleep during the film. I can slip in to Emry and Kodai, and pretend that the guardian asked me to sit with them. I'll sedate the girl, and Raythe, you can come in for the baby. Don't forget to grab his diaper bag. He will need those things when he wakes."
Raythe and Pai both made faces.
"I am not changing any diapers!" Raythe vehemently stated.
"And do not ask me to hold the thing," Pai added. "I do not like babies."
Caimbre sighed. "I guess baby duty falls to us, then, Katya."
Raythe nodded. "It's settled then."
The quartet broke up, each taking a broom and butler with them, so they could blend in as employees merely keeping the building clean. Katya stationed herself in the lobby, keeping an eye on the box office; ready to alert her companions should the family arrive.
It was about twenty minutes later when she finally spotted their quarry. To her chagrin, not only were the Skywalker kids there, but so too were the Solos. Katya did a swift count and grimaced. They would all have just enough darts, which meant that nobody could miss their target.
When the group got to the ticket-taker, Katya positioned herself close enough to listen in, sweeping at a small bit of popped corn on the floor.
"Ah, you kids will like this one," the lady said sweetly. "My own grandkids loved it! You're in auditorium twelve, to the left."
"Thank you," the adult said graciously, leading the children forward to the concession stand.
Katya continued to 'clean' until she found a small alcove with games inside, where she lifted her comlink to her lips.
"Head up guys," she murmured, "they're here. And the Solo kids are too. We will need to be cautious that we don't waste any darts."
"What auditorium?" Raythe asked impatiently.
"Twelve," Katya replied.
"Copy that."
To her surprise, Emry entered the game area, her female cousin at her side. Emry's eyes lit up when she spotted a particular game.
"Ooh, I love this game, Carmi!"
The older girl smiled. "I used to be really good at this one, but I haven't played in a long time."
"Let's play a round!" Emry suggested, moving to the token machine. She put in the correct amount, and then took the tokens to the chosen game. Moments later, the two girls began to play, while Katya maintained her cover as an innocuous employee.
She edged ever closer, and when Emry looked her way momentarily, Katya smiled.
"Hello," Katya said graciously, before she looked at the scores. "Wow, you're really good at that game."
Emry smiled nicely. "Thank you."
Carmi was too focused on the game to pay Katya any mind, but then the adult woman appeared, just as the girls completed their level.
"Alright, Emry, Carmi, time to go find seats."
"Yes Winter." They chorused.
So, the woman's name was Winter. Katya relayed that along the comlink so the others knew as well. Katya allowed the group to move on without her to avoid suspicion, though after a few minutes, she went to the hallway, which accessed auditoriums one through thirteen. Raythe and Pai were there, also acting out the chores of an employee, while Caimbre was unseen.
"Where is Caimbre?" Katya asked quietly.
"Inside auditorium twelve, figuring out where the group is sitting." Pai informed her.
Katya nodded, and they waited until Caimbre returned, leaving the theater and motioning them into an out-of-the way corner.
"They're near the back, and everyone else is in front of them by a few rows. Still, there aren't many people in the theater. Apparently the holo has been out for a while already."
"That will mean fewer witnesses." Raythe remarked. "On both counts."
"Agreed." Caimbre nodded. "We should wait a while to make our move. Especially with the refresher trick. Give it time for Ben to feel like it's due to his drink."
Raythe inclined his head. "Alright."
00000
Wes sat at the controls of the Ardrossan, which was currently using the transponder name of Slick Gundark. Lumpy was his copilot, and truth be told, Wes was glad of the company. He didn't really want to meet Vexa all by himself. He knew Wedge was nearby, in case of trouble, but Lumpy was on the front lines with Wes so-to-speak.
The mottled view of hyperspace was before them, though in minutes they would revert to realspace. Luke and company had agreed that Wes and Lumpy would ask Vexa to meet them in orbit above Rintonne. That was a planet not too far from current Rising space, and yet it would be far enough away to give Luke and company breathing room to do what they needed to do.
The timer pinged the one-minute alert, and Wes checked the systems on his end of the cockpit, while Lumpy did the same on his side. Finally, the timer hit zero, and Wes brought the ship from lightspeed.
Rintonne appeared before them, and Wes took a moment to peer at the greenish orb. Then he shook his head, and chose a stationary orbit on the far side of the planet, in order to buy Luke a still bit more time should things go sour.
"Alright Lumpy," Wes said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get this party started."
[Do you think that she will fall for it?] Lumpy asked
Wes peered at the Wookiee, noting that while his fur was the same cinnamon shade as Chewbacca's, it possessed more dark streaks of fur than his father.
"If you ask me, she's already lost two of her students, right?" Wes noted. "She's got to be angry about that. So, the prospect that one of them might not be dead after all— and using her own lessons to do it— would be almost too much for her to pass up."
[Mara did say that Samanda warned us that Vexa is vain,] Lumpy said.
"Right, so she'd be really mad that her own student tricked her." Wes blew out a breath. "So really, that's what we are counting on: Vexa's ego."
Lumpy snorted. [Let's hope the girl's correct.]
"It'll work," Wes said optimistically. "Have faith, Buddy. If there's one thing Luke and his family have taught me, it's that there's always hope."
[I am learning that also.] Lumpy agreed softly, working to send out their pre-recorded message to Vexa.
00000
Vexa looked up when an officer wearing a communications pin approached her. The battle for Haruun Kal was well under way, with the planet's forces out in full in an effort to repel Vexa's fleet.
She watched as Ignis— working not in a squadron, but alone this time— helped the Rising's fighter pilots take out whatever enemy ships they could. Mainly they were dogfighting the small ships that Haruun Kal had been able to scrounge up. But really, the planet had decidedly pitiful defenses, and Vexa felt assured that the enemy's efforts would be for naught.
Not that Vexa planned to go down to the planet's surface, since most of it was covered in toxic gases in the skies. That was due to the large amounts of volcanic activity on the surface of the planet. But the portions of the landmasses that reached high enough up could be lived on, though even so, a breath mask was ideal for being down there. The jungles below were interesting, she was certain, but Vexa didn't care enough to explore them herself.
No, Vexa merely wanted control of this planet's area of the galaxy, due to its position between two of the most prominent hyperspace routes.
Vexa was pleased at how her Fist was flying, though she did sense that something was a little off about him today. Still, he was doing well enough, so her questions could wait until the battle was finished.
Admiral Furch was at Vondarc, taking that planet into Rising control as well. The last she had heard, Furch was having success.
Vexa lifted a brow at the officer when he saluted her. "What is it?"
"Milady. A priority message has arrived for you." The man held out a datapad. "It's marked as both urgent, and private."
Vexa blinked. Who would send her such a message in the midst of a battle? Well, she'd better find out. Taking the datapad, she dismissed the officer and turned to the captain of her ship.
"Take over, Captain."
"Yes Milady."
Vexa found herself the first private room she could, and opened the message.
We have information on the tan-skinned Zabrack girl that was at Bespin. We know she worked for you, given all the facts about the events that followed. But we will only divulge our information in person… on our terms. We will be waiting at Rintonne.
Vexa blinked, her mind going somewhat numb with shock for a few seconds. Tan-skinned Zabrack girl? That was Samanda, and she had died at Bespin. She and Jayce had infiltrated the military station, an attempt to get the information on the stealth fighters the New Republic had been working on. A project that had likely been tabled, since Vexa and the Rising had destroyed their source of fuel for said fighters.
Vexa frowned. What could these people possibly have on Samanda that would warrant this contact?
Vexa stilled as a thought occurred to her.
Unless she isn't dead…
It would not be the first time one of her acolytes had attempted to leave her. Ignis had in fact tried several times, until she'd put the squid inside him. But after seeing how he had ended up; she'd thought that the other acolytes had taken her warning to heart.
But maybe Samanda had not. Vexa had to admit that Samanda was not her worst acolyte, and had likely counted on the rest of the acolytes doubting her abilities, in order to make her escape believable.
Vexa clenched a fist. If Samanda was alive, she would pay dearly for abandoning her post.
The Sith Lady looked to the message again, considering. Leave now? Or wait? She snorted. Haruun Kal was essentially hers already, there was really no point in her staying to babysit her capable allies. If this were a larger take-over, then she would stay, but the Rising could do without her for a short while.
Vexa made her choice and went to her personal hangar. The mechanic there saw her coming and leapt to his feet, saluting crisply. "Milady."
"I am leaving: have the captain inform the Fist to continue with the operation."
"Yes, Ma'am." The man bowed and departed.
00000
Raythe stood just out of view of the Skywalker-Solo group, eyes on Ben, who was fixated on the holo. Raythe opened to the Force and reached out to Ben, locating the boy's bladder and pressing on it just enough to get Ben's attention. Indeed, the boy squirmed, but apparently decided that he would try and wait.
Raythe pressed again, this time more insistently, and Ben's face paled somewhat. He leaned across his sister and spoke to Winter, who nodded, though she gestured to the male cousin. When both boys stood, Raythe beat a hasty retreat, making it outside the auditorium doors before Ben and the cousin rounded the corner of the entryway wall. There, he motioned to Pai, who indicated that he would take things from there.
"Caimbre, wait for Ben and I outside the refresher," Pai said. "When I bring him to you, get him to the speeder."
She nodded once in reply, glancing to the theater door that opened then.
Pai was already walking casually in the direction of the men's refresher when Ben and the other boy passed him. Pai allowed them to go in first, and he followed, still playing the part of the cleaning employee.
Apparently both boys had to go, and Pai waited until both had finished and were washing up before he approached, deftly taking up two darts, one in each hand. He approached the boys, smiling in an amicable way.
"Are you two enjoying your show?" he asked.
The brown-haired boy nodded politely. "Yeah, it's pretty fun."
Pai smiled back, and swiftly pricked each boy, while pretending to pat them on their backs. Of course, they felt it, and both frowned, but the sedative was swift-acting, and it wasn't long before each boy was slumping to the ground.
Pai caught each, and quickly stuffed the un-needed child into the nearest stall, seating him on the toilet and leaning him against the wall. Then he grabbed Ben, hefting him up. As soon as he was outside the refresher, he handed the child to Cambrie, who had already ditched her uniform.
She took him and played the part of the elder sister as she carried her 'brother' away.
Pai looked down the hall at Katya and Raythe, who were waiting nearby the theater. It was only a matter of time before Winter came out searching for the boys.
By the time Cambrie was back, Winter indeed came out, looking a little worried. She approached men's room, but hesitated when a few men exited. She seemed about to poke her head in when she spied Pai.
"Pardon me," she said, approaching him.
Pai put on a pleasant expression. "Yes?"
"Would you mind seeing if two boys are in the refresher?" She indicated the door. "One's name is Ben, the other Asher."
"Of course." Pai smiled and went inside, waiting an appropriate amount of time before he returned to Winter. "Sorry, not in there. Maybe the refresher on the other side of the theater? There was a large crowd out here not that long ago from a holo ending, so maybe they thought the wait would be too long over here."
Winter thinned her lips. "Perhaps. Thank you."
She left, and Pai caught Cambrie's eye, lifting a pointed eyebrow. Caimbre nodded slowly and discreetly followed Winter. Raythe was confident that Caimbre would manage the woman so that the others could take out the kids.
Pai made a hand-motion in Katya and Raythe's direction, and the two vanished into the auditorium.
Inside, while Raythe removed his uniform and threw it into the corner, Katya made her way to the seats where Emry and Carmi were. The baby was currently sleeping, and Katya thanked the Force for that.
Emry saw her coming and frowned over her shoulder as Katya took a seat behind the pair.
"Is everything alright?" Emry asked quietly.
Carmi looked as well. "Yeah, we have our tickets."
Katya leaned forward. "Not to bother you girls, but Winter asked me to sit here a minute while she checked on the boys."
Emry and Carmi shared a look, and Katya could feel their uncertainty. Katya played the friendly usher until both girls went back to their holo-film. She then pulled out two darts, and pricked both girls in the artery.
Moments later, both were unconscious. Katya waved to Raythe, who came up the stairs and took hold of the baby's carrier and diaper bag. He was sure to sedate the baby as well so Kodai did not wake and begin to fuss. Katya swiftly ditched her uniform— she had simply pulled it on over her regular clothes— and took Emry like she was asleep.
They made their way from the auditorium, and Pai was there to meet them. "Caimbre just called, Winter is going to be snoozing in a refresher stall for a few hours. Caimbre is waiting in the speeder now."
Katya nodded. "Let's get out of here. But we shouldn't all leave together, as that would be too suspicious."
"Or, we just use different exits." Pai indicated an exit down the hall that completely bypassed the lobby.
"Pai, Raythe, take Kodai that way and meet us at the speeder." Katya urged. "If people see two teenage boys with a baby, they'll definitely ask unwanted questions."
The guys nodded and left.
Katya took the lobby exit, smiling at anyone who looked her way. Nobody stopped her, and soon Katya was at their speeder. She took in the three Skywalker children, noting the physical traits that were obviously from one parent or the other.
She shut the speeder door and looked to her sister. "Let's go."
"Right."
00000
Luke, Shmi and their family in the Jade Shadow waited just outside the Haruun Kal system, but on the side of the Hydian Way. Luke could feel the battle raging, could feel the tension in the system, and the deaths occurring as the inhabitants of the planet sought to maintain their freedom.
Luke was also discreetly keeping tabs on Vexa Wran, and so he felt it when she received Wes' message. Her sense lit up with surprise, then anger… followed soon afterwards with determination.
Minutes later, Vexa's presence left the system completely, and Luke wasted no time in contacting the others.
"She's away," Luke said over the communications unit. "Let's go."
"We're right with you, Luke." Han called back.
"May the Force be with us," Luke murmured.
Overhearing her father, Shmi spoke to him. "We'll get to him, Dad. I know we will."
Luke smiled softly at his daughter's faith. "I love your confidence, Shmi. Thank you, Sweetie, for being so strong."
"I learned from the best," Shmi answered softly, but with conviction.
Luke's heart warmed at her words, and then he focused. "Follow my lead, Shmi, understood? We need to drive him aground, but we don't want to make him crash, either; at least not fatally so."
"I understand."
Luke and Shmi made a short hyperspace jump to get to the edge of the battle much quicker than they could have at sublight speed. As soon as they reverted, they took stock of the situation. Many ships were floating listlessly, their smoldering remains still venting what had once been secured within.
One small shuttle exploded near their position, and Luke blinked at the sudden brilliance. But he focused, opening to the Force and searching swiftly for his son.
Across the battlefield, Ignis was engaged in a one-on-one skirmish with a pilot who would have made a fine addition to any military force. Ignis had to hand it to him: he was holding his own very well. But unlike Ignis, this man did not have the Force. Ignis took a breath, the action pulling slightly at his back, which was admittedly giving him hell still after he had branded himself. But Ignis refused to accept any pain medications, or anything else that would ease the discomfort. He knew that it would eventually go away on its own, as pain always did.
Still, the ache kept distracting Ignis just enough, because his back was tight, tense, and hindering his ability to fly at full capacity. Ignis had not counted on this when he had branded the marks upon his back. But it was too late now, and Ignis would deal with it as he dealt with everything else.
Ignis' quarry suddenly barrel-rolled to port, and Ignis followed doggedly, using a combination of the Force and his targeting computer to get a fix on the other's ship. Ignis followed the man over the hull of the Dark Mystery, and he briefly thought of Vexa leaving the battle without much warning.
What in the galaxy could make her abandon the Rising in the middle of a takeover? Ignis wondered.
He could think of nothing; but then, Vexa was capable of many surprises.
Ignis had just secured a lock on the enemy fighter he was pursuing, when he felt a warm Force-presence brush against his spirit. It felt like Ignis had pressed his face into the warm Tatooine sands. By the stars, there was only one person in the galaxy who could feel like that in the Force.
Sure enough, Luke Skywalker's presence brushed against Ignis' again, and the young man tensed. He followed it back to the source, wondering why he could feel it here, when suddenly he knew: Luke was here, at Haruun Kal.
Cold fear sloughed through Ignis' veins. Luke had finally caught up with him… had come for Ignis because of what he had done to Kodai. Ignis refocused to find that his target had gotten away. Ignis took stock of the battle, noting how things were most definitely swinging the Rising's way. Then the man he had been pursuing swung back around, and came at Ignis, going on the offensive this time.
Ignis narrowed his eyes and flew head-on at the man, feeling Luke zeroing in on Ignis in the background. He glanced at his scopes, noting a pair of blips heading toward his position. Ignis' current adversary opened fire, and Ignis followed the Force to see-saw through the blasts to avoid being hit. He then opened fire himself, and the other pilot dove, but not before one of Ignis' shots clipped a wing. That wing began to trail smoke, and Ignis could feel the other's mix of anger and fear as he slipped away to lick his wounds.
This left Ignis alone to await the arrival of a certain Jedi Master. It also caused an entirely different slew of emotions to try forcing their way through the hole in his shields. A hole that seemed to get larger every time he encountered something new that was supposed to make him feel something. It was honestly growing to be exhausting for Ignis; taxing his soul and mind heavily. It was to the point where Ignis hardly slept anymore, and he only ate the bare minimum to keep himself fit enough to perform as Vexa's puppet. Anything less would result in severe ramifications from Vexa.
Ignis sensed Luke drawing ever closer, and he closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the ultimatum Vexa had given him not long after his shift into Vexa's Fist.
Vexa walked leisurely about Ignis' position, where he knelt on the floor, fully armored save for his helmet. He had been sent on another mission to test his obedience under the squid. Vexa had sent him to Sarka, to the camp of Yarkora refugees that Senator Woxholt had attempted to help. Their camp had been reestablished after Shmi's visit, and Vexa wished to make a statement.
So, Ignis had been sent to wipe them out, leaving no survivors. Ignis had participated in such actions before, yes, but never before had he been the sole attacker. Every single person that had died in that camp had died by his hand.
"I will make what I am about to say utterly clear, so that there is no question later on should I not be around when this occurs." Vexa stopped, facing him. Her eyes bored into his, making sure he knew she was utterly serious. "I suppose it's only a matter of time before Skywalker attempts something with you. Should he come for you, there will be no surrender or mercy on your part, is that understood? In fact, if you ever see him, or any of his family again, your mission is to kill them. You will show no mercy, you will not yield to them, and you will not give in to any of their pitiful pleas for you to come back with them."
Vexa lifted his chin when it dipped down. "The Skywalkers and Solos are now your mortal enemy, and you will do whatever it takes to wipe them out should you meet them again." Her eyes hardened. "Should you somehow fail at this, I will send you to personally kill the parents of that stupid girl you love. And you will do it without the helmet on, while I record, and then I will send it to her. She may say she loves you, but I highly doubt she would be able to forgive you of that atrocity. Is that understood, Fist?"
Despite the lump of durasteel that formed in his gut at the threat, Ignis did not answer right away, still trying here and there to find some way to resist the squid's influence. At least on this point… but it's hold on him only seemed to increase the more he wanted something opposite of Vexa's wishes. He hated to admit it, but Vexa had combed through his mind to make sure he was truly under her influence, and that had included her seeing Ignis and Anya's declarations of love. Vexa had found that quite amusing, and had taken great pleasure in mocking him.
When Ignis remained silent for too long, Vexa's lip curled, and she lifted a hand, swamping Ignis with invisible anguish in the blink of an eye. He cried out and fell to the ground, feeling the agony keenly, even with his high-tolerance level for pain. Vexa's attacks were another level of pain that few understood.
Vexa tortured him for what felt like an hour, and when she let up, she stood over him, rolled him with her foot, and then stepped on his chest with one boot. She leaned forward, putting pressure on his sternum.
"I said, do you understand?"
Ignis panted, but managed to nod once, and Vexa narrowed her eyes. "Say it out loud."
"I… understand." Ignis ground out.
Vexa eyed him a moment longer, and then released him. "Excellent."
Ignis had been waiting for the day that Luke and he would cross paths once more. In truth, Ignis had dreaded it for two reasons: he was not sure he could look Luke in the eye, and also, Ignis did not want to target Luke or the man's family.
But once the squid recognized what Ignis had figured out— it had been influenced by Vexa to pick up on Ignis' unique emotions in regards to Luke— it shifted its tentacles, and Ignis felt its influence solidify even more. He had not thought that it was possible, but apparently, he had been mistaken.
Unable to resist, but with a heavy heart and trembling hands, Ignis turned his ship and waited for Luke to arrive. Only then did he realize who Luke's wingman was: Shmi. Still, Ignis was under orders, and so he worked to get a target-lock on Luke's approaching X-wing.
Luke felt Ignis' attention shift to him, and he tried reaching out to the young man in the Force, but if anything, there was far more interference from the squid than ever before. Ignis' mind was unreachable right now, and Luke could feel the young man's mixed emotions as he turned and took aim at Luke.
Luke opened himself wholly to the Force, trusting it to guide his every move, and he felt Shmi likewise open to the force when she sensed Luke doing so. Father and daughter established the meld like they had at Bespin, only this time, it felt much stronger. Luke was certain that recent experiences had only caused them to grow closer, and thus strengthen their ability to use this battle-meld.
Luke wove through the battle until he was within range of Ignis' laser cannons, at which point Ignis opened fire. Luke jinked and juked, dodging the blasts, Shmi right with him. Ignis did not let up until Luke was too close, and then Ignis barrel-rolled to starboard, away from Luke and Shmi.
Luke followed, taking aim and opening fire at the other in turn. Ignis dove, avoiding Luke's blasts, and Luke again pursued, staying right with him. When Luke tried to take out the tip of one wing, Ignis angled upwards, gaining altitude swiftly, so that the blast went beneath the ship. Ignis then swooped behind a freighter that was battling with a Rising vessel, using the cross-fire to try losing Luke and Shmi. But the two Jedi stayed with Ignis regardless, using the Force to remain safe.
On the other side of the maelstrom, Ignis banked port, and came close to the engines of the Dark Mystery, so close that Luke was certain the young man's astromech was complaining. Artoo certainly did so when Luke trailed Ignis.
"Hang on, Artoo," Luke said.
The droid made a sound that was an obvious bout of sarcasm— nah, you think?— and Luke snorted in momentary amusement.
But when he spied Ignis spiral around the conical hull of another ship, Luke decided to go in the opposite direction, and they crossed paths at irregular intervals. Ignis almost lost his astromech to one of Shmi's blasts when she crossed his path.
Finally, they reached the nose of the larger ship, and Ignis put on a burst of speed when he found himself in a patch of open space between larger, fighting vessels.
Luke kept on him, also putting on speed, but when Ignis abruptly slowed, Luke was reminded of Ignis' run in the simulator. Luke warned Shmi, and both of them veered off as Ignis' ship pulled a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree flip, leaving the business end of the young man's laser cannons facing Luke.
Ignis' blasts missed Luke, but grazed Shmi's port-side wingtip. Her shields held, but her ship did wobble slightly. Of course, Ignis was there to take advantage of Shmi working to straighten out her trajectory.
Luke narrowed his eyes and grabbed Shmi's ship in the Force, tugging it out of the way when Ignis again shot at her. Had Luke not done this, Ignis' blast would have taken out an engine on Shmi's Nabooian fighter. Ignis passed by in a flash, and Luke took swift aim, nicking Ignis' wingtip this time.
Ignis' ship wobbled a bit as Shmi's had, but he went with it, rolling his ship to release the awkward inertia. Luke checked on Shmi, and then chased after Ignis. The Jedi Master felt Shmi touch his mind, and then she broke off. Luke understood that Shmi was attempting to flank Ignis; to trap him between the two Skywalkers.
Luke kept after Ignis, willing to give Shmi her chance, and attempting to distract the young man for Shmi's sake. Luke shot at Ignis any chance he got, always aiming to cripple. But ultimately, Luke was working to herd Ignis closer to the planet's atmosphere, where gravity would put a bit of a dampener on both their flying. Plus, there would be geographical items to be concerned with at that point.
Wanting to try reading Ignis again, Luke stretched out with the Force, but this time he only wanted to assess the youth's overall condition. Ignis' aura was muted, as though he had once been a rainbow whose colors had been diluted to the point of almost disappearing. Luke sensed that there was a war going on within Ignis, even if he could not read the young man directly. But it seemed that there was a dam built within Ignis that was keeping a swell of things at bay. And yet, this dam had a leak that Ignis was trying to stopper, with moderate success.
Luke also sensed that Ignis was worn out, as well as dealing with gnawing discomfort. Luke frowned lightly at that, wondering at the freshness of the sense that this particular pain gave off. So, whatever was causing it had occurred recently.
Either way, both of these things were preventing Ignis from flying at full capacity, which gave Luke hope that they could pull this off.
As Ignis was flying past a larger freight-hauler that had apparently been retrofitted with armaments, Shmi touched Luke's mind once more. Luke saw Shmi appear over the hull of the ship just before Ignis reached that point.
Ignis' sense spiked in the Force, and then Shmi was shooting… and she scored a hit on one of Ignis' laser cannons. The tip of the wing on Ignis' ship went with the cannon when it exploded, and Luke mentally praised his daughter's sharp mind.
Her pride that Luke was pleased with her washed over him momentarily, before both of them returned to business. But the hit had also apparently woken Ignis up to full capacity, for he flew to be right against the hull of the next ship in line, which was marked as one from the Rising.
Luke followed doggedly, keeping right with Ignis as he maneuvered with great skill along the many protrusions and gun turrets on the hull of the large vessel. When Ignis reached the spine of the ship and went over it, Luke felt a warning in the Force. Instead of following straight after Ignis, he came over more to the right, and was glad he had, for a laser turret swung his way— seemingly on its own— and fired at where Luke should have been. Luke sensed Ignis manipulating the item in the Force, and he admitted to being impressed by his son's skills.
The turret ended up striking the hull of its mother ship, and Luke winced at the explosion that came a little too close to him and Shmi for comfort.
Shmi avoided the discharges as well, though she did fire back at the turret. It took the hit and exploded, with the two Skywalkers flying through the blast that ensued.
Of course, Ignis was waiting for them on the opposite side of the brilliant cloud, and he shot at Luke's ship this time. Luke spiraled away, so tightly that Artoo squealed. But Luke ignored his droid companion, trusting himself and the Force. Shmi had broken off at a different angle, trying to again flank Ignis, but the young man wasn't having it this time.
Ignis veered away from Luke to pursue Shmi, opening fire and mirroring every move that Shmi made. Shmi led him around, and as the young man followed, Luke had an idea.
Shmi, try leading him toward Haruun Kal. Luke told his daughter.
Copy that, she replied. Indeed she began to slowly, carefully, shift that direction. Luke knew that she was trying not to tip Ignis off as to where she wanted him to go; something that would happen if she were to make a sudden, direct break for the planet.
Luke followed, also engaging Ignis from behind, and together the Skywalkers worked to herd Ignis closer and closer to Haruun Kal. Ignis put up a fair fight, giving Luke and Shmi both a run for their money. But still, Luke was the most experienced pilot of the three of them, and he planned to put that experience to use.
Once they were in the atmosphere— and well away from the battle— Luke broke away from Shmi and Ignis, allowing the two to move ahead of him. It was quite foggy, which hid many dangerous elements of nature around them. Luke looked to his scopes, and saw that there were several tall, thin spires of rock all around them, and an idea stuck him.
Luke positioned his ship and then touched Shmi's mind once more, urging Shmi to bring Ignis back around toward him. She questioned him being at a near stand-still, and Luke urged her to trust him.
Shmi's sense relaxed as she decided to do as he wished. She maneuvered herself back towards Luke as if seeking his help, and Luke remained where he was, watching and waiting for the correct moment.
Ignis scored one more hit on Shmi's ship, and she lost altitude, garnering momentary alarm from Luke before he realized what she was doing. If Ignis thought she was crippled and going down, he might forget attacking her and come for Luke. But Ignis instead shot at her again, and this time Shmi's astromech was taken out… leaving a trail of oily smoke as Shmi's ship actually began to lose its systems.
Luke as about to call to Shmi to take cover in the trees when she did just that, dipping below the tree line and vanishing from sight. Ignis' ship slowed, and he did a shallow sweep of the area before he did come for Luke.
Luke held position, fingering the repulsors and ready to make his move. Ignis poured on speed, as if he simply wanted to get this over with, and Luke pursed his lips. Opening to the Force a bit more, Luke reached across the distance and offered a wave of love.
Ignis recoiled as if Luke had burned him, and this distraction was all it took for Ignis to miss the warning in the Force that should have come. Some of the mass behind Ignis' barriers swelled, the dam bulged… and Ignis' attention was diverted enough that when Luke fired his repulsors and shot straight up, Ignis zipped by beneath Luke.
Seconds later, both wings of the young man's fighter were sheared off when Ignis passed between the two spits of stone that Luke had been hovering in front of. Ignis' alarm reached Luke, who spun his ship so he could follow. To his chagrin, there were two plumes of smoke billowing from Ignis' fighter. To make matters worse, the ship— now bereft of any wins to stabilize it— was spiraling out of control, and descending at a steeper and steeper angle.
Luke saw a mixture of rock-spires, huge trees, and heavy clouds, and cursed. Luke reached out with the Force to try and slow Ignis' ship, but it was spinning too wildly for Luke to get a secure grip on it.
Then Ignis' ship was out of view in the thick jungle, and Luke slowed to a hover. He looked below, noting the path of destruction Ignis' ship left in it's wake as it came to a forced landing. Luke felt it when Ignis' sense lit with sharp pain, followed immediately by unconsciousness.
Luke breathed a momentary sigh of relief, and then remembered Shmi.
Switching to comms, Luke spoke. "Shmi, are you alright?"
"I'm okay, Dad," Shmi answered. "Though I really hope that crashing fighters doesn't become my calling card."
Despite himself, Luke chuckled at her attempted levity. "Call your mother, and let Mara pick you up. I've got to go extract Ignis from his own fighter."
"Okay."
It was easier than he had anticipated to locate Ignis' position, since the billowing smoke was still lifting through the canopy of the jungle below. Luke found a place to land, grateful for the small size of his ship, which allowed him to ger closer than Mara would be able to in the Shadow.
But the Force was urging Luke to hurry, so he leapt from his fighter and ran for the place Ignis' ship had ended up. To his chagrin, Ignis' vessel had lodged in the boughs of an enormous tree, but the tiny one-man ship looked a bit ready to finish its plummet at any moment. And the nose of the ship was pointed toward the ground, so if the vessel fell, it would collapse in on itself, killing Ignis on impact.
Luke began climbing the tree, using the Force to leap from larger boughs he came to and move up several more. This allowed him to ascend more swiftly, and Luke was glad: Ignis' ship was starting to lean ever-so-slightly.
Luke got to the bough next to Ignis' ship, unable to see clearly through the roiling smoke still emanating from the destroyed wings. Luke did his best not to breathe in the fumes directly, but he could not avoid them entirely, so he would have to work around the smoke the best he could.
Luke peered at the ship, and a slight breeze shifted through the area, at which point the smoke dissipated momentarily. It was only then that Luke realized he had another problem. The remains of Ignis' ship were upside down, with the cockpit trapped against the place in the tree where the boughs holding the fighter split apart.
The transparisteel was broken, however, allowing Luke to see the young man within the cockpit. The smoke continued to obscure Luke's vision from time to time, but he could make out Ignis' body. The other was slumped against the console— and the canopy, since the ship was upside down—as if he had slammed against it upon his ship stopping so suddenly.
But though Luke knew it was Ignis, the young man was unrecognizable due to his head-to-toe armor. Luke swallowed as the similarities to Darth Vader became apparent. Clearly, Vexa had been looking to make a statement.
Luke carefully placed a foot on the bough next to the fighter, gingerly adding his weight to see what would happen. To his relief, the ship did not move, so Luke put both feet upon the branch now. He peered inside the cockpit, able to see now that Ignis' crash-webbing had ripped, which was why Ignis was in the position he was in.
Luke also took note of the blood that was dripping from somewhere on Ignis.
Alarm surged through Luke, and he grabbed his lightsaber. With utter precision, Luke activated his emerald blade and cut the transparisteel off of the frame of the cockpit. He didn't feel like he could risk cutting the frame, lest that destabilize the ship further before Luke could extract its occupant. Luke took great care with the transparisteel that Ignis' body was braced upon, counting on the branches that held the ship to also keep Ignis from plummeting right away.
Luke finished with the transparisteel, and put his weapon away. He then crouched beside the fighter and reached in to grasp Ignis. The armor made it difficult to get a solid grip on the young man, so Luke compensated by grasping the seams between armor pieces.
Still, it was a chore to get Ignis turned around in the cockpit, and several times the ship groaned, giving Luke momentary pause each time. But Luke finally got Ignis positioned so that he could pull him out. However, as soon as he attempted it, Luke realized that he had a new issue.
Not only was Ignis too bulky in his armor; but with the tree limbs around the cockpit, the gap to pull him out was too narrow. So, unless Luke risked cutting the cockpit frame, he would not be able to get Ignis out.
Luke heard the ship groan once more, only this time it also shifted a hair. He was running out of time. Once more pulling out his lightsaber, Luke sliced out a portion of the cockpit frame. As he had feared, this destabilized the ship further, and it slid several inches before Luke could react. But it caught on a smaller bough, though this presented Luke with a wider space to get to Ignis.
Luke coughed at the smoke, which was now much closer to his face, and he bent down, grasped Ignis by the shoulders… and heaved. Ignis came partially out, but his shifting weight caused the fighter to move again, and Luke saw it begin to slide steadily… taking both Luke and Ignis with it.
Luke braced one foot against a bough, and hefted Ignis all the way out of the fighter, holding himself in place with the Force so he would not fall. Luke got Ignis out at last, but the cape that was attached to the young man's shoulders snagged. The fighter finally tipped all the way… and began to pull Ignis from Luke's arms.
Despite his hold on Ignis, and his stance in the tree with the Force, the fighter plummeted… jerking Ignis from Luke's arms.
"No!" Luke cried, reaching out and grabbing both Ignis and the fighter in the Force. As soon as they were immobile, Luke climbed down to Ignis' level, but this time the other was out of arms' reach.
"Luke!"
He looked down to find Mara on the ground, eyes on the ship and boy he held. Without needing to be told, Mara high-tailed it up the tree. In minutes, she was there, noting the strain in Luke's sense as he continued to hold Ignis up.
Mara eyed the cape, and then pulled out her lightsaber. With the skill that Luke had always loved about Mara, she activated the blade, locked it and threw her lightsaber. Even without the Force, her aim was impeccable, and the uniquely-colored blue-purple blade sliced through the cape.
"Look out below!" Mara hollered, calling her lightsaber back to hand and motioning for Luke to release the fighter.
He did so, and then pulled Ignis to himself. Luke took Ignis into his arms, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. The fighter crashed below, and Luke cringed at the mess the thing made of itself when it stopped.
Together, Luke and Mara brought Ignis to ground-level, at which point Han also arrived; Shmi, Lando and Chewie in tow.
Seeing the wrecked fighter, Han whistled. "Stang."
Shmi approached swiftly, fingering something out of Luke's view. "Dad, he's bleeding."
Luke recalled the blood he had seen, and he laid Ignis on the ground. He took in the damage on one part of the helmet, on the left side of Ignis' forehead. The others gathered around as Luke inspected Ignis' helmet, trying to figure out how it was removed. Seeing him struggling with it, Mara again moved to help him, hefting Ignis up so Luke could peer at the backside of the contraption. Finally, Luke found the clasps, and he undid them, lifting the two parts of the mask and helmet away.
Mara took them and set them aside, though when Ignis' forehead came into view, she grimaced.
Luke sucked in a breath to find a nasty gash in Ignis' forehead, and he peered at the inside of the helmet this time, noting that the damage had been severe enough to still hurt Ignis inside his helmet.
Guilt swept through Luke, knowing he had caused this injury to his son. But Luke pushed that away, focusing instead on why they were here to begin with. Luke fingered the gash tenderly, and with the Force he stopped the bleeding.
At that point, Lando stepped forward.
"Luke, the Rising will probably come to investigate this site," Lando said gravely. "We should take this elsewhere while we can. We all saw the smoke from the crash, so it won't be long before the Rising also figures out where he went."
"He's right, Kid." Han seconded.
Luke and Mara shared a look, and then Luke nodded. "Okay."
Chewie moved closer to Luke. [I can carry the Cub, Luke, if you will allow me to.]
Recognizing that the Wookiee was trying to help in any way he could, Luke smiled. "Thanks Chewie."
Chewbacca hefted Ignis with ease, and Luke grabbed the young man's helmet and mask as the rest of them followed. Mara wrapped an arm about Luke's waist when they got back to her ship, which was parked not that far away.
"We did it, Luke." Mara smiled softly at him. "We got to Ignis."
Luke nodded, grateful for her optimism. "Yes, now we just have to get the blasted squid out."
"We should probably move the ship too," Han remarked. "If the Rising sends a search party, we don't want to be so close that it's easy for them to find us."
"I'll do that." Mara agreed, pulling away from her husband and going to the cockpit.
While she flew, Luke fingered the armor. Seemingly reading his mind, Han crouched beside Luke.
"Want a hand getting all that off of him?" Han indicated the armor.
"Please," Luke murmured. "I want to make sure he isn't injured elsewhere."
Together, Luke and Han took off all the parts of Ignis' armor. Luke was gratified to find that while the garments worn under Ignis' armor weren't very thick, they were nevertheless there. Luke gently ran a hand down each of Ignis' legs, ensuring that there were no other cuts or broken bones or anything else.
He then ran his hands over Ignis' chest and stomach, but found nothing amiss. He then rolled Ignis toward Han and ran a hand over Ignis' back. To his surprise, Luke felt a new oddity that had not been there before. Luke frowned and carefully lifted Ignis' shirt… and gasped at the new, large mark that Ignis sported.
It looked like a brand that had been done bit by bit, starting from the left shoulder and splaying outward in different directions along his back from there. To his chagrin, the marks were fresh enough that Luke could detect tiny amounts of heat in the skin where the brands were.
Shmi blanched when she too saw it. "Who would do that to him?"
Luke bit his lip, able to name at least one who would have no qualms about doing this to Ignis.
"Vexa, most likely," Han said acerbically.
Ignis twitched and started to show signs that he was starting to come around. But he didn't yet, and so Luke kept tabs on him. He did not know what Ignis would do when he woke, so Luke wanted to be cautious for now.
They all felt the ship descend, and moments later Mara reappeared. "I found us a place far enough way to give us privacy. But I think the squid removal should happen outside, just in case."
Luke had to agree, and he looked to Lando. "Grab the case, please. Han, let's attempt your way first. I will hold the female squid in place so she can't enter Ignis as well."
"Right," Han and Lando said in tandem, breaking away to collect what they needed.
Luke carried the still-unconscious Ignis outside, Shmi and Mara close behind. They walked several yards from the ship, far enough away that if things went crazy, the squid would never make it to Mara's ship.
To add to their protection, each person was going to be wearing a face-mask that blocked their airways.
Han, Lando and Chewie approached: Han carrying a bucket of water and a lid, as well as a towel. Lando was bringing the case that contained the female squid and an empty tube ready for the creature that would be leaving Ignis today.
And Chewie bore a mask for each of them, and a warning. [This planet's atmosphere is toxic, even at the altitudes above the fog layer. We should keep these on as much as possible.]
Luke inclined his head and donned his mask. Then they gathered around, with Luke sitting closest to Ignis. Han placed his bucket, and then turned to Lando.
"Let me have the female, please."
Lando carefully removed the tube with the female squid, and handed the thing to Han. The smuggler pointed the tube at the tub of water and released the squid from the tube. She instantly began swimming around, as if she had not been free in months. Despite the situation, Luke did feel a slight stab of pity: no creature deserved to be eternally trapped.
Han came over and motioned to Luke. "We need to dip Ignis' face in the water. Can you monitor his air levels while holding the squid?"
Shmi stepped a bit closer. "I'll do that part, so Dad can focus on the creatures."
Nobody objected, so Luke and Han flipped Ignis onto his stomach, and then held Ignis upright enough at the shoulders so that his face could be placed in the bucket of water.
"Tsu originally told me to do it this way, so here goes nothing." Han paused. "Let's hope he wasn't lying."
Luke took a firm hold on the female squid, and only then allowed Ignis' face to be placed in the water. Luke sent a tendril of the Force out toward Ignis' mind, where he knew the other squid was located.
"Whoa!" Lando cried when the female squid spasmed against Luke's hold, her tentacles jerking and thrashing. "She desperately wants inside Ignis!"
Luke's mouth was set into a thin line. "Yes, she does. But I have no response at all from the male inside Ignis."
"I guess once they're paired with a host," Lando mused, "that's all they care about from then on, except perhaps survival."
When indeed the creature inside Ignis gave no indication whatsoever that it was interested in the female, Luke and Han pulled the boy's face from the bucket. Luke released the female squid, which actually leapt out of the water, tentacles extended as far as possible in an effort to reach Ignis' face. But Luke and Han were ready, keeping the young man firmly out of her reach.
Lando approached, the tube that the female had been in at the ready again. "How do we get her back inside?"
Mara stepped up, lifting a hand and levitating the female squid. "Hold steady, Lando."
Lando nodded, keeping utterly still as Mara gently but firmly gathered the female's tentacles and then settled her back into her tube.
Luke could sense the tiny creature's distress from here, and he sighed. "I know these creatures are dangerous, but they're only that way if people abuse them. We should take them all back to Kamino and release them when all is said and done."
The others looked to him like he was crazy, and Luke held his ground. "They're just animals, guys. They may be dangerous, and yes, the one inside Ignis needs to be studied, but they're only following their biological programming. If they had been left to their own in the oceans they live in, nobody would be in this predicament."
"But we need to study them," Lando objected, "for that very reason. We can keep them in better tanks, which are sealed up tightly. I agree that they need to be removed from the tubes. Even I feel bad for them on that."
Han pursed his lips. "Maybe we should just let them fall back into obscurity? Few people know about them as it is, so few would know to use them. And there's no way to know if anyone else has been infected. I do agree that they need to be studied. However, if Luke can get the creature from Ignis, then maybe we don't need to study these things."
Luke nodded. "I intend to keep Ignis' squid until we can be certain that there are no ramifications from removing the creature. Or if Ignis becomes sick, or whatnot. It would be prudent to keep the specimen until we are sure it's safe to release it."
"And during that time, if someone wants to risk it, the creatures could be studied."
"Tsu's data was all destroyed when the Boz Pity lab was wrecked." Mara reminded them. "So, I doubt anyone would be able to use them effectively, let alone get their hand on one again."
"Tsu was my source when I came to get one all those years ago," Lando said. "So, I agree: Tsu is dead, and so is the source of the squids to the galaxy."
"What if we work with the Senate to put a ban on exporting any creatures from Kamino?" Shmi suggested.
Luke considered that, but Mara hesitated. "I see what you are trying to do, btu that would honestly just put more interest on the planet, and people would want to know why, which would lead to idiots finding out, and then the creature would be mass-distributed."
"Which is why we let them return to obscurity." Han seconded with a gentle pat to his niece's shoulder.
Shmi indicated that she understood, and there was a moment of quiet before Mara's practical side kicked in.
"Then it's settled." Mara stated firmly.
Returning to business also, Luke considered his approach, looking to Han and Chewbacca. "Would you both hold Ignis like Han and I were? Lando, keep the bucket ready. Mara, would you please place the male in his own tube like you did with the female?"
Mara inclined her head, grabbing said tube and prepping it. Shmi stepped up.
"What about me?"
"Keep watch," Luke instructed, taking her hand, "make sure we aren't interrupted or ambushed."
Shmi nodded firmly, standing and moving a few paces away to keep an eye on their surroundings.
"Here we go," Luke murmured, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to center himself. Once he was ready, Luke reached out with the Force and carefully reached for the creature he knew was somewhere inside Ignis' head.
The creature seemed to sense Luke coming, and he found that intriguing, but Luke had not come to study this squid. Luke touched the creature in the Force, sensing its surprisingly complex mind. The creature shied away from Luke, and he sensed it when the tentacles contracted, tightening their grip wherever they held onto Ignis' brain.
No wonder it's so dangerous to remove, Luke mused with no small amount of chagrin. It's so wrapped into Ignis' brain, that to remove it on our own would be incredibly dangerous. It would almost certainly result in brain damage.
Luke touched the squid's mind, urging it to leave Ignis. The creature refused, and Luke sensed that it was too comfortable and settled into its environment to want to leave. It had a good thing going, and like any creature, it understood that once you had a respectable place to call yours, you maintained it. You never gave it up.
Well, Luke was about to thwart its home. He would not allow this creature to torment his son any longer.
Luke carefully inspected the creature, taking in its nervous system, and its brainwaves. When he had a pretty solid idea of what he was working with, Luke slowly began to smother the creature's nervous system, its ability to intake sensory input. Luke overruled it, and slowly he fed these nerves— and the brain area responsible for it— false information.
Instead of the wet, warm environment, Luke made the squid feel like its environment was beginning to dry up and cool down. Luke moved slowly so that the creature did not panic and jerk its way out. He wanted the animal to also move slowly, so it did not damage Ignis on its way out.
The squid resisted at first, and Luke was admittedly intrigued further. But he continued to influence the creature, increasing the sense that Ignis' brain was drying out and that the body was cooling too much.
Han and Lando had informed Luke that these creatures lived near hydrothermal vents. So, they needed a wet, warm environment. And the ones that had died in Tsu's lab on Boz Pity had not lasted out in the cold, dry world once exposed to it.
Luke continued to work his deception, and finally felt the squid starting to react, first with uncertainty, and then with instinctive fear. It started to hesitantly retract tentacles, and Luke made certain that he was in touch with every nerve in the creature's body, so it did not sense his ploy and reassert its hold.
Luke felt the strain on his mind, and he knew he was pushing himself. He did not know in reality how long it had been, but with the way he was using the Force— in such precision and for so long— was taking its toll.
He felt Mara touch his spirit, and offer her strength to him. Luke gratefully took of her offering, bolstering himself as needed. But the squid was still somewhat hesitant, and so Luke added another layer of deception: the sense that the creature's skin was also starting to become dry.
Finaly the squid really started to remove its tentacles from Ignis' brain. Luke could sense the creature believing at last that his host was dying, and that the creature needed vacate, lest it too perish.
What Luke had not counted on was that, when the creature truly started to evict itself, Ignis would feel it. Luke had not supposed he would while unconscious, but then he recalled that Ignis had started coming-to earlier. And so, it stood to reason that Ignis would feel something.
And indeed, partway through the process, Ignis stiffened and began to scream in torment. Luke saw the young man's eyes fly open wide, and he began to jerk about in Han and Chewie's grip. Both of them held fast, and at one point, Shmi came over and carefully added her weight to Ignis' legs to keep him more still. The creature paused at this disturbance, but Luke reinforced that its host was no longer a viable option, and the creature continued to work on leaving.
It took longer than Luke would have liked, and Ignis' screams were heart-wrenching, but at long last, tiny pink tentacle tips were visible from Ignis' nostrils. Instantly, Lando and Mara were in position, and soon the rest of the squid followed after the tentacles, plopping into the bucket of water.
Han was already placing a mask over Ignis' airways while the creature was loose, unwilling to risk that it would change its mind. Still, Mara wasted no more time in working to cage the creature in its own tube.
To everyone's alarm, Ignis began to spasm and seize, his entire body twitching uncontrollably.
"Lay him down!" Luke instructed, and the three that held Ignis did so gently. They all stood and stepped back, looking on helplessly as Ignis continued to react to the sudden removal of the squid.
"Dad?!" Shmi looked to him with tears in her eyes. "Is there nothing we can do?"
Luke shook his head, his heat clenching. "No, Sweetie; I cannot interfere. This is a natural reaction from his body, and it must play its course. If I get in the way, it could cause irreversible damage to him."
Mara appeared, the now-contained squid in her grasp. "Luke's right. The best we can do is make sure nothing is around Ignis to hurt him while he has this seizure. Also, we need to make sure he doesn't choke."
It seemed like forever before Ignis' body finally slowed and relaxed. But he still twitched now and again, and yet he went limp. Luke dropped to his knees the moment he thought it was safe to do so, and rolled Ignis onto his side to be sure he could breathe should he also vomit.
Sure enough, a few minutes after Ignis had stilled, he opened his eyes owlishly, and then he began to throw up. Luke held the young man through it all, making sure that Ignis did not fall into his bodily fluids at any point.
When Ignis was done, Luke scooted him back, rubbing Ignis' back gently and waiting to see if there would be a repeat. Ignis' eyes closed, and he went limp again. But there wasn't a recurrence, and when he felt it was safe to do so, Luke turned Ignis and held him in his arms.
The others settled around the duo, though Han, Chewie and Lando took care of the squids. Chewie paused when he noticed something.
[This squid is pink, unlike the female.]
Han considered. "Probably because it was constantly doused in Ignis' blood. It's not unlike yellow birds that eat red food: they take on a red tinge to their feathers."
Chewie nodded, and they took the case back to its place on Mara's ship. Shmi and Mara were closest to Luke and Ignis, with Shmi reaching out to finger the young man's hair tenderly.
"I almost can't believe he's here… and free of his captivity. Or some of it." Shmi amended.
Mara simply gazed at the young man. "I will admit, I'm a little wary of how things will go when he wakes."
Luke nodded. "Yes. We will need to be cautious. He might not remember the squid leaving, and he may still believe he is under orders."
"Well, we can and will be patient." Shmi determined.
Nobody disagreed.
00000
Katya sat beside her sister in the galley, eyeing the empty lobby. Both the guys had gone to bed for the night, as it was the sisters' turn to keep watch. Not that there was really much to keep an eye on, since all their victims were still unconscious.
Raythe and Pai were deeply asleep now, and Katya felt it was safe to talk.
"Caimbre?"
Her sister looked to her. "Yes?"
"Do… you think it would be possible to get away from Vexa?" Katya knew the boys were asleep, but she nevertheless kept her voice low just in case.
Her older sister blanched, the fifteen-year-old glancing behind them. "Katya, don't talk like that. You know what will happen if we even consider that."
"I know." Katya pressed, her heart clenching with fear at the notion. "But what if we get a real chance to do it?"
Caimbre still looked uncomfortable. "We won't, so don't worry about it."
"A few of the others have tried it…" Katya started to say.
"And look at what happened to them!" Caimbre burst out, though she swiftly lowered her voice as well. "Ignis is the perfect example of why we should not try it. Look at what she did to him! Do you want to end up like him?"
Katya paled considerably. "No. It's why I stay in line. But I hate what she makes us do!"
Caimbre sighed. "I don't exactly love it either, but what choice do we have, Kat?"
Katya leaned closer. "The oldest Skywalker girl, Shmi, said that her family could help us."
Caimbre's sense twitched with the barest hint of hope, but it was swiftly snuffed out as Caimbre focused on her fear of Vexa.
"How can they help us when they can't get to us?" Caimbre asked sagely. "Vexa keeps us hidden way, and only lets us operate on her terms, often in the shadows unless we're helping with her takeovers."
"I know. But… what if the chance comes?" Katya asked. "Do we take it?"
Caimbre was silent for a time as she considered her response. Katya appreciated that she didn't simply dismiss her sister's thought outright. They both lived in fear of Vexa, and they followed orders because they knew the punishment if they didn't. But neither of the girls enjoyed killing for a living.
But Vexa had left them with little to no choice: kill, or die themselves. And they had nobody to turn to; since Vexa had snatched them from their family, and then killed the lot when they tried to get the girls back.
Caimbre and Katya were orphans, and they had no home to return to. So even if they somehow got free of Vexa, where would they go? How would they make a living when they were still minors?
There were far too many unknowns. Still, if anyone would be able to truly help them, wouldn't it be Luke and Mara Skywalker?
"If the chance ever comes," Caimbre whispered, "then I would take the risk. But only if either of the Skywalker Masters promised us asylum."
Katya breathed a sigh of relief. "So, we're agreed then?"
"Yes." Caimbre took her sister's hands. "However, we go together, or not at all."
Katya smiled at her. "I love you, Big Sis."
Caimbre smiled at her younger sister. "Love you too. We should do what we can for these kids, especially the baby. He can't go too long without food or water, which means we will need to let his sedative wear off, and then we take care of his needs before we sedate him again."
Katya opened her mouth to respond when a cry sounded from the direction of the holding cells.
"Well, here we go." Katya muttered, leading the way aft. She paused when they took in the crying babe. "Um, do we even know how to care for him?"
Caimbre hesitated. "Well, we're certainly going to try."
"Agreed."