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* * *
Leia squinted at the approaching garden. A tight ring of large purple ferns wound around the outside of the large rooftop garden, obscuring most of it from view. Behind the row of ferns, Leia could just make out another ring of smaller flowering plants.
"Is Natheb likely to have noticed our absence?" Qui-Gon asked. "If he has, we should be wary for a trap."
Luke began to circle to one side of the garden, Leia following. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan made their way to the other side. Leia looked around. The rooftop was completely exposed here, except for the garden itself although that was almost fifty metres wide. A ledge followed the very edge of the rooftop all the way around and twenty metres behind them was an assortment of vents and chimney openings. Black smoke was beginning to waft out of the chimney they had climbed. If they were going to escape, they needed a new way out. Leia caught Luke's attention and pointed at the smoke. Luke turned to look, frowning thoughtfully.
A storm of blaster fire burst out of the garden towards them. Luke pivoted almost automatically, his lightsabre igniting. His lightsabre swung back and forth across his body, intercepting the bolts before they could hit. Leia returned fire furiously with her blaster. The two of them advanced towards the garden. Leia shot any guards she could hit while Luke protected both of them from the enemy fire. They reached the ferns and Leia crouched behind one of them, firing into the garden.
Without the responsibility of protecting Leia, Luke could now move freely. He somersaulted into the air, flying over the ferns and landing in the middle of the gardens. His blade was deadly while the blasters of the guards were useless in such close quarters. Broad sweeps severed limbs and destroyed weapons. Leia huddled out of sight, blasting any of the guards who got clear enough to take a shot. Two of the guards stumbled away from Luke, raising their blasters. Leia took out one of them. The other turned away from Luke and fired at Leia.
Leia hurled herself backwards behind the fern, the fronds above her catching fire. The fire quickly spread out to engulf the entire fern. Leia rolled to the next fern, dodging fire. She set up camp again, taking out the guard who was still firing at her. From her new vantage point, Leia could see Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fighting. They too had reached the trees, fighting in a close formation.
They fought back to back, pivoting in tandem and perfect teamwork. As Qui-Gon swept low, Obi-Wan would strike high. The two were moving in practised synchronisation, the Force flowing between them. Leia was awed by the display. The two of them moved quickly, cutting through any of the guards who stood in their way. The guards were slowly being pushed deeper into the garden, past the still burning fern. Natheb stood behind the guards, surrounded by a second contingent that was clearly there for his protection. Leia crouched lower beneath her cover, trying to remain hidden from Natheb's gaze. Luke turned to face Natheb, his Jedi robe settling around him.
"We are Jedi Knights, sent to rescue a New Republic Minister," he said clearly. "You can either allow us to accomplish our mission and leave or face the consequences of your actions."
Qui-Gon spoke up, "We are the Jedi, who served the Old Republic and died with its destruction. Is it so strange that with the rise of the New Republic should come the rise of a new Jedi Order?"
Luke smiled again, mocking Natheb's expression, "And there are more than three of us."
Leia noticed the guards that had been fighting were still slowly edging back from the Jedi, seeking even more cover. Luke, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan now stood alone amongst the flowering plants, crushing the stems beneath their boots. They were too much of a target. Leia wanted to warn them but to do so would reveal her position.
"I am told that the Jedi have sharp eyes," said Natheb.
She peered around the fern to find her companions. To her surprise, they were all still standing. They appeared unharmed except for the way they kept blinking their eyes. Leia guessed the canister had been faulty. Then Natheb emerged again, looking triumphant, and Leia's hopes fell.
"I look forward to seeing the mighty Jedi deflect blaster fire they can't see," he said cheerfully.
The guards slowly edged back out of their hiding places, their confidence restored. Hearing their approach, Luke closed his eyes. Leia could feel him summoning the Force, gathering his strength. The first shot was fired, directly at Luke. His lightsabre swung upwards in a blur, knocking it away. Natheb clearly didn't know that one of the first things a Jedi learns is to fight blindfolded. The guards began to lay down fire but the Jedi were prepared. Their movements were less flashy than before but they did the job.
Natheb's smile congealed as the blinded Jedi continued to outfight his guards. Obi-Wan was gently waving his lightsabre back and forth across his body, his wrist flicking quickly whenever he sensed a blaster bolt coming his way. Beside him Qui-Gon held his lightsabre directly out in front of his body, twitching movements sending the bolts away to ricochet off the plants. Luke stood stock still, barely seeming to breathe unless a bolt came his way. Then he'd move quickly, stepping forward and sweeping it aside. He was gradually advancing towards Natheb's position but Natheb had yet to notice.
Leia looked around at the guards, assessing the situation. There were perhaps ten guards crouching in the plants trying to take down the Jedi. Five more guards were standing by Natheb. The firing guards began to retreat as Luke came on. Natheb's eyes bulged as he spotted Luke's advance and began to move backwards as well. Instead of going directly backwards, they veered off to the left, directly leading the Jedi away from the centre of the garden.
Sensing the guard's movements, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan began to advance as well. The whole group was awkwardly moving around to the left of the garden, avoiding the centre. Leia hesitated a moment and then stood up. Keeping behind any cover she could find, she headed directly for the centre of the garden. The Jedi should be able to handle the guards for a few minutes by themselves. As Leia approached, she could see the centre of the garden was another large ring of ferns and within that a ring of flowering plants and within that a small pool. As Leia approached, something felt wrong. It took her a moment to pinpoint it. The water wasn't moving. It was still, too still.
As she got even closer, she realised why. The pool was a painting, as were the flowering plants. Inside the ring of real ferns was a smooth metal surface that had been painted to look like another part of the garden. Reaching up, Leia cleared away the fern fronds to get a better look. It was a satellite dish, only about three metres wide but perfectly camouflaged.
Leia held up her blaster and took aim at the thinnest part of the base. Taking a few steps away, she steadied herself and fired. Shot after shot slammed into the base, melting the thin metal. The dish creaked and sagged to the ground. Leia examined the mess, finding one power cable still connecting the dish to the rest of the building. Leia aimed and blasted it away. An alarm began to ring.
* * * * *
Over the radio, Emalda heard the other pilots yelling in triumph as the Ekash homeworld appeared before their very eyes.
"Are we going down?" asked Emalda.
Ben went back to Anakin and lifted him gently into a seat. He strapped him firmly in and then found a seat for himself.
The Fahren was running smoothly despite the damage it had sustained earlier. It entered the atmosphere cleanly. The fighters began to fly in formation through the morning skies, causing panic in the Ekash cities below.
With the Falcon in tow, the Fahren sped away from the larger cities and over the forest. In the middle of the wilderness, Emalda caught sight of Natheb's base. Since it was permanently manned, a small city had been built around it. The force shield prevented the Fahren from entering or firing on the city but Emalda flew as close as she could, watching the guards running in a panic. The Falcon and a squadron of fighters followed behind her. As she flew by, she could just make out the glow of three lightsabres on a distant rooftop.
* * * * *
Leia sprinted through the garden towards the sounds of the fight. She hoped that the three blinded Jedi were still all right. She heard the sound of a ship flying overhead and she stopped to look upwards. The belly of the familiar Falcon soared above her head. Although some distance above her, the sight still gave her comfort. She ploughed on to find the others. The three Jedi were all unharmed and still alert but by now the surviving guards were pointing fearfully at the circling ships. Natheb looked up sullenly at her arrival, a blaster held rigidly in his grip.
"The satellite dish has been destroyed," she said.
Natheb growled but then looked around him. His guards were cowering in fear, unused to foreign ships and unprepared for an airborne assault.
"This is not a war over boundaries," said Luke. "This is a rescue mission. Since it is complete, the Fleet will arrest those responsible and then leave the planet."
Leia waved her blaster at him and Natheb raised his hands above his head. The rest of his guards seemed almost relieved to be disarmed and marched amicably downstairs to turn off the force shield. It was only forty-eight hours later that the New Republic squadrons left orbit and the Ekash homeworld was once again, isolated and alone.
* * * * *
Anakin lay in his hospital bed, on Coruscant, looking at the ceiling. It wasn't a particularly interesting ceiling but the bulky bandages around his head made it difficult to look anywhere else. There was movement at the door. Anakin made an effort to lift his head to see who had come in. It was a nurse, guiding a dishevelled Obi-Wan.
"Hope you don't mind," the nurse said to Anakin. "We thought you might like some company." At last, there was something to relieve his boredom. Anakin's neck muscles began to tire and he let his head fall back onto the pillow. He listened as the nurse let Obi-Wan collapse in the bed beside him. The nurse fussed for a few moments and then left.
"Hello, Obi," said Anakin.
Obi-Wan chuckled. Anakin reached out a hand, groping blindly. Obi-Wan's wandering hand met his and they gave each other a comforting squeeze.
Anakin grinned, clutching Obi-Wan's hand tighter. The warmth of his skin was nice after the cold, sterile hospital and the hardness of the Fahren's cockpit. When the nurse came back to check on them, she found them both sleeping peacefully, their hands still linked.
* * * * *
Emalda stood by the side of the trash compactor, feeling an ache in her throat. There was a small audience assembled, including Leia and Ben. Solemnly Leia led Emalda to the controls and pointed to the switch that was needed. Leia's face was grave, sympathy foremost on her thoughts but Emalda paid no attention to Leia.
Emalda looked at the Force machine, one last look at the cause of so much trouble, so much pain. The ache in her throat grew and she almost couldn't breathe. Her hands were shaking as she reached out to the switch. She flicked it and the trash compactor slowly activated. Emalda stood there and watched as Natheb's Force machine was slowly crushed, the metal buckling, the circuits coming loose. Emalda felt the tears begin to fall but she wouldn't take her eyes away from the sight. She wanted to be sure it was gone for good.
It was done. The machine was gone, nothing more than scrap metal. Ben appeared beside her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. Emalda turned away from the trash compactor and lowered her head against Ben's shoulder. Ben's arms wound around her and, god help her... she was comforted by their warmth. She hugged him back, sobbing openly. As she cried, the ache in her throat diminished, washed away. The last of the burden was eased from her shoulders. It was the only time Emalda had ever cried for her sister Yulana and she knew it would also be the last.
In a way, she was glad Ben was here as a witness but she was even happier that he was here for Emalda herself.
* * * * *
Leaving Emalda asleep in her rooms, Leia and Ben returned to the medical wing to visit Luke and Qui-Gon. The two Jedi Masters shared a room and were talking in low voices when Leia and Ben came in.
"We thought you'd like to know that the courts have imprisoned Natheb," said Leia. "He won't be out of there for at least fifteen years. Maybe longer since many of the Ekash citizens are coming forward as witnesses."
"We can leave the politics in Leia's capable hands," said Luke.
"I don't know how we get back to our own time, I don't even know if it's possible," said Qui-Gon.
"We know from history records that we all gave our lives in the fight against the Sith. Maybe this is a second chance," suggested Ben.
Qui-Gon was silent for a moment. He looked between the direction he thought Ben was in and then the direction he thought Leia was in.
"Where the Master leads, the Apprentice will follow," quoted Qui-Gon.
Ben paused and Leia thought she might have seen him blush but it was difficult to be sure beneath the beard.
Luke looked up, turning in Qui-Gon's direction. "There is another possibility. You could always help me in training new Jedi."
"At this point, I doubt my own commitment," said Qui-Gon. "I could not handle any new students, definitely not until Obi-Wan is knighted. I will go with Ben and Emalda. I will explore the changes the years have made to the galaxy. Once I am sure that I can continue, I will return to help you, Luke."
* * * * *
Anakin and Obi-Wan lay next door, listening in to the conversation.
Anakin was silent, chewing his bottom lip. He was remembering the arguments he and his Master had, his Master's criticisms and his own mounting frustration with the entire Jedi Order. He remembered his Master's voice - "You're a strong one, Anakin. Have I ever told you that?" He felt the vibrant Force signature of the Apprentice by his side.
* * * * *
Almost thirty years earlier, Mace Windu had stood alone in the Council Chambers of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He was watching the traffic through the window, lost in his thoughts. He turned as he heard Master Yoda's walking stick.
"You are not worried?" asked Mace.
Mace clasped his hands behind his back, considering the other’s words. Yoda fell silent for a moment, ears twitching as if listening. Abruptly, he shook his head.
THE END
Back to the Beanbag | Back to the Star Wars Page | Previous Chapter
Chapter Nine
"One of the guards got away to raise the alarm," admitted Luke.
"We'll have to be very careful then. Watch each other's backs."
Leia tightened her grip on her blaster.
"Who are you people?" demanded a loud voice.
The guards instantly fell back, as far away from the Jedi as they could get. Most of them took cover behind the plants, watching uncertainly. Leia recognised that voice and she looked about for the familiar figure.
Leia could not believe how regal Luke looked, like he had when he had set off to battle Darth Vader to the death. He took no pleasure in his task but he persevered regardless.
"Jedi?" asked Natheb, smiling pleasantly. "I was under the impression that the Jedi had been wiped out, a plague that was cured long ago."
"Three maverick Jedi aren't much of a Jedi order, if you should ask my opinion."
"It is a beginning," admitted Qui-Gon.
"And we do not ask your opinion," said Obi-Wan darkly, challenge shining in his blue eyes.
"There will be three fewer Jedi by morning," Natheb promised.
Natheb and his guards took cover as a small cannister skidded across the ground and landed at Obi-Wan's feet. Smoke began to leak from it, then rays of light erupted. As the Jedi shielded their eyes, Leia ducked back behind the fern. Even with her arms over her head and her eyes squeezed shut, she could still feel the warmth of the light on her face. The light faded and Leia raised her head, blinking rapidly.
Luke raised his head but his eyes weren't focused on Natheb, "You are not as clever as you think."
Beside him, Obi-Wan reached out with a seeking hand. Qui-Gon stood frowning and blinking, shaking his head every few seconds. Leia realised that the three Jedi were now blind.
"All squadrons enter the atmosphere and fly over the cities," came an order. "Do not open fire until the Ekash have been given a chance to surrender."
Ben sprang up from Anakin's side to join Emalda at the controls.
"I don't see why not," shrugged Ben. "It's your ship. Contact the Millennium Falcon and see if Han Solo wants to come with us."
Emalda contacted the Falcon, "Captain Solo. Are you coming down to the planet?"
"Will do, Fahren. See you down there."
Emalda took the Fahren's controls and guided it back towards home.
"Let's go see what Natheb is doing now," muttered Emalda.
Luke smiled wryly as Natheb gasped in shock.
"Natheb," called Luke. "Surrender to us and the Fleet will not open fire."
"Nobody else has to die here, Natheb."
Natheb angrily threw his blaster to the ground.
"And so the New Republic gains another planet for it's territories," he snarled.
"If you say so, Jedi," said Natheb, disbelievingly.
"No, I don't mind," Anakin smiled.
"Hello, Ani," said Obi-Wan.
"I can't see you at the moment, so what's wrong with you?" asked Anakin.
"I'm blind."
"So you can't see me either? And here I thought I had a problem."
"I'm glad you're okay, Obi," said Anakin.
"I'm glad you're okay, too," said Obi-Wan.
"Obi?"
"Yes?"
"Whatever it was that you did... that made you scream, I mean... don't do it again."
Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's hand, "I won't. Don't worry."
"How are you?" asked Leia.
Qui-Gon smiled and looked up blankly at a point over Leia's shoulder, "We're told that the blindness should be only temporary."
"Fortunately," agreed Luke.
"He was not the sole ruler of the Ekash homeworld?" asked Luke. "The planet's government will suffer."
"He was not the ruler, at all. He was nothing more than the head of the military," Leia assured him. "His late brother, Georeb, was the politician. Apparently Georeb persuaded most of the actual government to support them and Natheb blackmailed and threatened anyone who opposed them. The government has been rather passionate about putting stricter controls on the military and opening diplomatic relations with the New Republic."
"Do you feel up to a discussion?" asked Ben, leaning against the edge of Qui-Gon's bed.
There was a hesitancy about Ben’s tone that Luke picked up on.
"A discussion about what?" said Luke.
"The future," said Ben. "About what we do now."
"While the Ekash are still interested in diplomacy, they are understandably nervous about Jedi," said Ben. "It will be some time before they allow anybody to return to the mines where we first appeared."
"Even if you could get back, would you?" Leia spoke up.
"Why not?" asked Qui-Gon.
"A second chance?" frowned Qui-Gon.
"Another life," explained Leia. "A life of your own, to live for yourselves and not for others."
"I think you two have already decided our futures for us," he muttered.
"I have a suggestion," said Ben. "And I will probably go ahead with it, whether or not you do. I can't speak for the Apprentices either."
Luke frowned, "He's right, Qui-Gon. Your Apprentices joined the Jedi Order of the Old Republic. Your current situation may require a new commitment."
"I'm sure your Padawan will stay with you," Ben assured Qui-Gon. "All we're saying is that we should ask. Make sure they're not staying with us simply because they have no where else to go."
"All right," Qui-Gon agreed. "So, aside from that, what is it that you want to do, Ben?"
"Emalda knows the scientist who created Natheb's Force machine," he said. "Some of the Senators, including Leia, have expressed concern about this scientist's whereabouts. If the scientist creates another machine or gives the blueprints to the Imperials, the situation could get nasty. Emalda has offered the use of her ship to search for the scientist."
"And you want to go with her?"
"Yes."
Qui-Gon laughed, "Train an entire Jedi order?"
He composed himself before turning back to Luke with a more diplomatic answer.
Luke sighed, "Somehow I thought that might be your answer. I'll leave a light on for you, for all of you. Always."
"What do you think?" asked Anakin.
"I'm going. I want to see what else has changed in the galaxy," said Obi-Wan. "Besides, I don't think I could leave Master Qui-Gon."
"I'll go," he decided. "For now."
"Troubled, are you," observed the diminutive Jedi Master.
"I am concerned about these fainting fits," said Mace. "I fear they may have unforseen consequences."
"Consequences, yes, for all things are consequences," agreed Yoda.
"About this, I worry not," said Yoda. "I have already meditated on the matter. Strange echoes, there are. The past, it is reflected in the future but it is still not the past. And yet, happiness, this I sense."
"For more pressing concerns, is our attention needed," he reminded Mace. "Soon the Senate will vote. Senator Amidala returns. And forgotten, have you, our meeting with Chancellor Palpatine?"
Mace nodded his head in acquiescence and followed Yoda from the Council Chambers.
As they walked away, Mace couldn’t help thinking out loud, "Happiness? Yes. But happiness for whom?"
