Chapter 39
Hostages to Fortune
Anakin squirmed farther under the console in the cargo bay of the Sandfish, adjusting the beam of the work lamp to shine more directly on the bunch of wires he was clipping. He was unsure how much time had passed since they had left Alderaan. Perhaps a couple of hours.
He had been pacing, anxiety twisting his gut with the mounting urgency of his mission, when he noticed this console's display was malfunctioning. Closer inspection revealed the hydraulic lift it controlled was also worn out. He had snooped around until he located tools and spare parts and had settled in to repair it.
He set down the wire cutter and summoned the splicing iron. It was a relief to wrap his hands around a project he could solve. So was the solitude. His nerves were jangling after the series of taxing conversations he had engaged in over the previous two days. He hadn't said so many conciliatory things in decades, and the effort had worn him out.
"What are you doing?" said a female voice near his feet. He craned his neck and shoulders—wary of hitting his head on the underside of the console—until he could see Leia, who had dropped to her knees next to him.
"I'm rewiring this console. After that, I'll replace the gaskets and a worn piston on the hydraulic arm."
"Oh." She avoided his eyes, rubbing her right thumb over her left. "Um—can I help?"
He twitched in surprise and winced as his head hit the console anyway. A somewhat uneasy pause ensued before he said, "Of course. Here." He handed her the splicing iron and gestured for her to join him. "I remember that you did a fine job with Artoo's leg."
"Thanks." She began splicing the new wires, and he turned his attention to the bolts on the hydraulic arm.
They worked in heavy silence for a couple of minutes before Anakin said, "You told me you do most of the repair work at home. Do you enjoy it?"
Hands moving steadily among the wires, she answered, "Yeah, I guess. Uncle Ben does okay with repairs. He can fix things if they aren't too worn or damaged. But he says I have special magic in my hands that I got from my dad—oh…" Dark red swept to her hair.
After a stiff moment of stillness, Anakin concentrated on the bolt he had been wrestling with. "I like working with my hands. It's one reason I bought Watto's shop. I'd always been busy, and I didn't know how to enjoy so much leisure." He grunted with effort as the stubborn bolt finally gave way. He turned warily toward her. "I—ah—I enjoyed working on Artoo with you."
Her eyes darted around nervously. "Thanks. I—enjoyed it, too." She dropped the splicing iron with a clatter. Her hand scrabbled on the floor, and she fumbled among the wires for a few moments. "I owe you an apology."
"For what?" He stared at her.
"For yelling at you. For being rude. I was angry and—and…" She shot him a quick glance, then looked away.
"And disappointed," said Anakin matter-of-factly, moving on to the next bolt.
"Yes." Her voice was choked.
"You don't owe me an apology. It was far less than I deserve."
Silence reigned again as they concentrated on their tasks. Anakin released the final bolt and slipped the housing off.
"Can I put the gasket on?" Her voice was hesitant.
"Of course." Anakin wriggled out from under the console and handed it to her.
She was tightening the first bolt on the housing when Luke wandered in.
"Oh, I was going to fix that soon," he said with a sunny smile. "Thanks."
"No problem," Leia said. "I like fixing things."
Luke looked at Anakin curiously. "Leia says that junk shop belongs to you."
"That's right. I bought it when I left the Empire."
"That's so weird—Darth Vader bought a junk shop," said Luke.
"Not that strange." Anakin began gathering up tools absently. "For one thing, I was trying to leave Darth Vader behind. And I grew up in that shop until the Jedi came."
"Oh, that's right. Obi-Wan said you built pods there. Was it your family's shop?"
"No. My master's," Anakin said tersely, placing the tools in the box with more care than the task really warranted.
Luke and Leia exchanged aghast looks. After an uncomfortable pause, Luke said, "You…don't mean a Jedi master, do you?"
"No. My mother and I were slaves."
A twin wave of dismay washed through the Force. Anakin winced.
"Sorry," said Luke, chagrined. "Ahsoka hates it when I do that. But sometimes I just can't help it."
"I know what you mean." Anakin abandoned the previous topic with relief.
"Really? Ahsoka never really gets it."
"She used to beg for a break from 'my noise.' That's what she called it, anyway."
Luke laughed. "Maybe she's just too sensitive."
Anakin chuckled along with him. "Maybe, except pretty much everyone I ever met as a padawan made a similar complaint at some point." He studied Luke keenly. "You're very powerful. So are you," he said to Leia, "though you're less obvious about it." His lips quirked at Luke in commiseration. "Perils of being a Skywalker man, I guess. The ladies are twice as subtle and only half as loud."
"I think you're severely underestimating the ratio there, SkyGuy." Ahsoka stood in the hatchway. "Why are you all congregated here? It's cold." She wrinkled her nose in disdain.
"It wasn't intentional." Anakin closed and latched the lid of his borrowed tool box. "I was fixing the wiring on this console. Then Leia asked if she could help. Luke came in later."
Luke punched a button and the console powered up. "Thanks for fixing it. It looks good."
"Don't be too sure about that, SkyKid. Anakin probably decided to make some modifications, so you might have to do it over again." Ahsoka winked at Anakin, who glared back half-heartedly.
Leia wrinkled her brow. "But we didn't…"
"Ignore her," Anakin said. "She's apt to get snippy. Did you come in here for some purpose, Snips, or just to sass me?"
"Mostly sass, but also to tell you lunch is ready."
Anakin grabbed the rest of the bolts and a hydrospanner. "Thanks. We'll be there as soon as we get these bolts on."
Ahsoka gave a jaunty wave and left.
Luke lingered. "You should have told me you were fixing things. I would have joined you."
"It's all right. I didn't mind. Your sister and I have some experience working together," Anakin said with a smile. Belatedly realizing it might sound like they were excluding Luke, he added, "And I'm happy to have help from either of you anytime you want."
Lunch passed in a curious mixture of banter and awkwardness. The awkwardness was only natural, Anakin supposed. Leia still suffered from moments of self-consciousness, and Luke didn't quite know how to relate to him, although he seemed willing to try. This state of affairs lasted until Ahsoka suggested he tell them about winning the Boonta Eve Classic. Obi-Wan pointed out he could show them the footage, and so the hour after lunch passed quickly as the twins asked eager questions about the race and their grandmother. Anakin was surprised by how easy—delightful, even—it was to talk about his mother.
In time, however, they exhausted the topic, and uneasy silence threatened once more. Ahsoka bounded up from her seat. "What do you think, Obi-Wan? Time for a little sparring?"
"Well—ah—" Obi-Wan shifted in discomfiture, looking anywhere but at Anakin. "I don't know about the wisdom of that…"
Ahsoka snorted disdainfully. "I didn't mean you, old man. I thought you could see what I've done with the twins. Or did you think I spent all our time together staring into the depths of the universe?"
Anakin sniggered. "Most definitely not. I'd like to see what you know," he said to the twins.
Part of the cargo bay had been retrofitted into a barebones training area. The adults stood to one side while Luke and Leia ran through warmups in the ring. Anakin blinked when Luke ignited his own old blue blade and began a basic kata. He hadn't noticed Luke carrying it before now.
"Leia shows a lot of promise," Ahsoka told him, "but she's slowed down by yours. It's too big for her hands and throws her balance off, so I'm loaning her one of mine until we can find her a crystal. Luke will need to build a lightsaber for himself, of course, but for now…Your hilt's still a little big, but it's less of a problem for him than for Leia."
Then Leia ignited her blade and Anakin caught his breath. "White?" he breathed, memories of a blurry figure wielding twin white blades dancing before his eyes. "What color is the other one?"
"Oh, it matches." Ahsoka pulled her hilt from her waist and briefly ignited it.
"How did you get white blades?" Obi-Wan asked curiously. "I've only heard of them in stories."
"It was—hmm—maybe six months after we split up the twins? I was on some planet on the edge of the Mid-Rim I don't even remember. A couple of creeps were terrorizing a town—the Dark Side was thick enough to cut with a knife. I figured out later they must have been part of the first crop of Inquisitors. Anyway, they cornered me in an alley. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when somebody started shooting at them from the other direction." She wrinkled her nose. "They weren't that good, honestly. Once their concentration was split, it wasn't hard to kill them, even with a blaster. I was a little worried about who else was shooting at them—until Rex poked his head around the corner. We decided to team up, and I kept the lightsabers, but that blood red…Ugh. Eventually I was able to heal the crystals. I thought they would revert to their natural colors, but..." She shrugged a little. "I like the effect, so I kept them. And they just feel right in my hands."
"I know what you mean," Anakin said, studiously ignoring the reference to the Inquisitors. He did not want to think about Darth Vader right now. "It's a stunning effect." He turned his attention to the twins. "Well, show me what you can do."
They were unexpectedly good, given the severe limitations Obi-Wan and Ahsoka must have been working under. On the other hand, they were naturally gifted for combat, and their teachers were excellent swordsmen themselves. Luke probably had the edge, both in physical power and in native insight, but Leia was more cunning and bold. She tended toward risk-taking, while Luke fought more defensively. An interesting development, since Leia had studied under Obi-Wan who had been the acknowledged master of the defensive Third Form. Her style must be due to her own native temperament, rather than training. Luke's form was idiosyncratic, probably owing to the combination of Ahsoka's unfinished apprenticeship and her specialization in Jar'Kai. That unpredictability would likely give him an edge against any opponent expecting a classical Jedi style.
In the end, Leia's ferocity prevailed over Luke's unpredictability, but only by a hair. It seemed likely that they would regularly defeat each other. They saluted -and looked toward the three adults uncertainly.
Obi-Wan folded his arms with an approving smile. "Good. Very good. Luke, you have the makings of a fine, if unconventional, swordsman. You will both benefit greatly from the opportunity to spar with new partners. In fact, Leia, I can see improvement in the past few days alone. What do you think, Anakin?"
"I agree. You're both quite talented and well-trained. We should make obtaining crystals a priority. A lightsaber you construct yourself will always fit you best."
"But I like this one," said Luke, "I don't want a new blade." He smiled diffidently. "I always wanted to know my father; it's—kind of unbelievable to get to wield yours." Flushing and abashed, he turned to his sister. "I'm sorry, Leia. I know you've always worked with Father's blade. Maybe you want to keep it?"
"Not really. Dad's hilt is too big and heavy. I can use it, but this one works much better for me." She twirled the slender hilt in Obi-Wan's signature move. "See? I do want to build my own, though. I can't break up Aunt Ahsoka's matched set."
Anakin nearly choked. "Dad?" he finally managed in a strangled tone.
"See, Leia?" Luke's tone was triumphant. "I told you he wouldn't like it. He was at court; he'll want to be formal."
"No, no, I don't mind. I just—" Words failing him, Anakin swallowed hard. Luke's expression became anxious, and Anakin hurried to reassure him. "I—I like 'Dad;' I just never thought I could ever…" After a few more breaths, he added, "But 'Father' is fine, too. Or Anakin or Kraytrider. I'm so grateful you're calling me anything."
Luke nodded shrewdly. "Oh. Okay. I thought you wouldn't like it."
"All right. All right." Ahsoka shoved her shoulder into Anakin's lightly. "That's enough with the mushy stuff, SkyGuy. Why don't you spar with your kids?"
He retreated. "I…That's not a very good idea."
"Sure it is. You should test their skills for yourself. Come on; you know you want to. They won't beat you—well, unless you let them—but you'll all enjoy it. Go on. You against Luke and Leia together. That should even the odds a little."
"No, really, Snips. I don't think we should." Anakin was at a loss to articulate the panic the thought of sparring with the twins provoked. He didn't even understand its source.
"Just try it. You do have a training setting on that new saber, right?"
"Yes. But…I don't want to hurt anyone."
"So don't hurt them." She rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Dad," Leia said, an impish grin lighting her features. "We promise not to hurt you, right, Luke?"
"Right. Please?" Luke added.
Anakin looked hesitantly at Obi-Wan, who smiled and nodded. "Go on. It will be good for you."
"But I haven't sparred, not properly, since before Mustafar." It was an effort to say the name so coolly.
"All the more reason to do it now," Kenobi said. "You expect to face Palpatine soon. By my estimate, you have used a lightsaber exactly once since you left the Empire, and you were only dodging blasters then. A little training wouldn't come amiss, if only to get used to the balance of your blade. You can't spar with me, nor I with you. So…" he gestured toward the twins.
After a measured examination of the circle of expectant faces, Anakin nodded and slowly removed his hilt from his belt. "The two of you against me? Best of five hits?" The twins nodded eagerly, so he made the adjustment before igniting his blade, only to stiffen as everyone gasped.
"I've never seen anything like it," Ahsoka breathed. "How…?"
"What sort of crystal could make that color?" Obi-Wan asked in wonder. "Where did you get it?"
"It's a krayt crystal. Native to Tatooine. It was given to me by a—friend." Anakin was still reluctant to share the tale, especially with Core worlders who would dismiss the legends as superstitions. Even Leia, for all she had grown up on Tatooine, probably wouldn't understand. It was strange to think that Kitster, who knew nothing of the Jedi or the Force, would understand more than these Jedi and former Jedi.
Obi-Wan's perusal was astute, but he asked no further questions. Instead, he said, "Well, shall we then?"
The first bout was sharp but short. Luke and Leia, lacking experience in working with a partner, did not know how to pin him down. After a brief exchange of blows to gauge their strength and speed, Anakin disarmed both of them with a single stroke and its backstroke. Leia made a face as her hilt flew to his hand. He smiled encouragement and handed it back.
"Not bad for a first effort. The main thing you have to do is capitalize on having a partner. Let's try it slowly." Blow by blow, he coached them through the basic elements of partnering. He was startled when Leia suddenly lit up in the Force like Empire Day fireworks. Half a beat behind her, Luke was ablaze as well. Anakin glanced to Kenobi, who looked taken aback but not surprised.
"This happened when they sparred on the way to Alderaan," Ahsoka said. "It's the main reason we separated them; it was already happening occasionally when they were little, if not as loudly."
"What?" said Leia, brow furrowed. She exchanged a baffled look with Luke.
"The two of you suddenly got a lot noisier in the Force," replied Ahsoka. "I think it has to do with working together. You have a natural Force bond, and when you're doing something together that you enjoy, you reinforce one another. Some sort of resonance, I guess. Anyway, when you were little, we were afraid it would attract Palpatine's notice."
Anakin observed she kindly didn't mention that it might have attracted his notice, too.
"Are you ready to try again?" he asked. Both twins nodded eagerly.
He held his blade at the ready, inviting engagement but not seeking it out. Luke circled counterclockwise as Leia circled clockwise. Without warning, Leia engaged him while Luke darted to his off side. Leia leaned forward, pressing all her weight against his lightsaber, clearly trying to trap his blade. Their blades sizzled along each other as he dropped the tip in a circle and caught hers. Now pressing his weight forward, he bore down until she gave ground.
As soon as he had space, he spun to engage Luke, but before he could complete the parry that would disarm his son, Leia had moved back in, trapping his blade once more. Anakin was very pleased to see the improvement after the one short coaching session. The bond between the twins pulsed several times, and he found himself hard-pressed to maintain his defense. He knew that if he fully engaged them with the ruthlessness of a true lightsaber battle, they would fall rapidly to his vastly greater experience. But in this training session where his goal was to teach, not disable, they were more than holding their own. And that bond would be a great asset once they had more experience.
When they had exchanged several of these passes and he sensed their attention flagging, he deftly disarmed them again. Panting and grinning, they bumped shoulders. He was surprised by the glee radiating into the Force, particularly since neither one had landed a hit on him.
"That was great!" Luke said. "I've never felt anything like it."
"I know." Leia's Force presence was almost incandescent with gold and crimson flashes of delight. "When we did that twisting thing, and then you slammed up against Dad's lightsaber, and I knew you were going to disengage before you did—"
"And so you were already moving in to parry before Dad was free—"
"You know what we need to practice? Flips and turns and stuff. Imagine if we could always be where our opponent didn't expect."
"And when one of us got tired—"
"—the other one could give them a rest."
The chatter ran on and on, overlapping and growing more exuberant by the moment. Anakin felt a bit dazed by their joy, but he basked in it nonetheless.
Obi-Wan chuckled in delight. At last, he said, "No doubt this is dangerous, but what a joy. I never saw two padawans or knights work together so seamlessly or with such delight."