Star Wars: Cross Paths

Chapter 2 - Death Start

Ines sat down next to Chewbacca, who was playing Dejarik holochess with R2 while C-3PO watched. She wanted to pay attention to the game, but at this very moment her thoughts were on her best friend Leia. If Leia had never put that message inside R2, no one would know the Empire had captured her. Was she alive? Was she dead? Was she injured or tortured?

Sighing, Ines hung her head. Both girls had being very close since they were little since Ines's father worked for Bail Organa. Ines had grown up in the palace, and the girls had become great friends.

At nineteen, Leia was only four months older than her best friend, who was still eighteen at the moment. Ines didn't mind being in her shadow, because when they were together with no one else around, they were two normal girls—not a princess and a commoner.

And when they were around others, Ines had Leia's back. By the time Ines turned sixteen, she could already fight better than many of the guys back home. But that didn't help her social life. The guys felt intimidated, and the girls couldn't understand her. But Leia could. Princess Leia of Alderaan accepted Ines Talia just as she came—fighter, tomboy, quirky—but above all, genuine. Unlike the rest of the girls their age.

As for Ines, she knew that her future was not on Alderaan—she knew her future and one particular person who would be a large part of it. Leia always laughed when she said that, but it was a gut feeling Ines couldn't explain.

Now, with Leia captured by the Empire, Ines only wished that she could see her friend again.

"Worry not, Young Ines. I'm sure your friend is fine for now," the old Jedi said.

Ines looked up and smiled at the old Jedi. It was the first time she had met him, even if she knew his name since she was a youngster. She heard the stories how Bail Organa and her father fought along side the Jedi in the Clone Wars.

She smiled back. "But for how long?"

Ben sighed and patted her shoulder as he looked at Luke who was training with his lightsaber against a zapping droid.

"I see you want to be a Jedi, too" she told him, making Luke extinguish the light saber.

"I want to learn the ways of the Force and be a Jedi like my father," Luke said.

"My father told me many stories about the Jedi. I used to imagine I was one." She smiled but did not notice Ben smiling too.

"I heard the stories, too," Luke said with a broad grin.

"Well, I see you are on the right track." Ines smiled at Luke, who ignited his lightsaber once again and restarted the training exercise.

Old Ben grabbed his chest and collapsed into the closest chair.

Ines and Luke rush to his side, sparing a glance for each other as their movements synched.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?" Luke asked him.

"You were fine, and then all of the sudden your expression changed. Is everything okay?" Ines asked him, too.

The old Master looked at them. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."