Empire's Child

Chapter 9

Two stormtroopers haul a man up to us. The Grand Inquisitor ignites his lightsaber, making it spin. The man is dragged toward the blade. "I know she put a bounty on Kenobi. Where is he?" The Grand Inquisitor demands. He's distracted. I look around. There are no other Inquisitors around. I take a cautious step backwards, stepping as lightly as I can. The Grand Inquisitor doesn't notice. This might be my chance. I take another step back before turning and hurrying away as quickly and quickly as I can. The man screams. He's probably dead now. I take off running, knowing the Grand Inquisitor will be looking for me now. My eyes land on a transport area, high up. No one will look for me there. I speed up, sprinting through the streets.

I jump up the sides of the transport building, using notches and the Force to help me climb. With a grunt, I jump the last ten feet and latch onto the wall just above a window. Trusting my hand out, I push the window with the Force. It shatters with a loud cracking and falling noise. I swing inside, then sprint for the first transport ship I see.

I huddle inside the transport, hidden. A young girl who looks about my age runs inside. She puts a little chip into the panel, getting the ship ready for takeoff. She runs to the door, leaning out as if waiting for someone. A few minutes later, she hurries back in and presses the button to close the doors.

Something changes in the Force. I clasp a hand over my mouth the muffle a gasp. Where the Grand Inquisitor had caused a ripple in the Force, I can't feel anything. No, if I focus, I can feel him, but it's faint. Very, very faint. Faint enough that I dare to hope someone has killed him or injured him so bad he'll die. I'm probably not that lucky, but a girl can dream.

Right before the doors close all the way, an older man jumps in. I think it's Ben, from Tatooine. I still wonder why he'd looked so ashamed when he'd seen me with the Inquisitors. As the ship takes off, Ben doesn't move, just staring out the window with a blank expression. He looks like he's in shock. "What is it?" The girl asks. "Are you okay?"

"Anakin." The man says softly. I frown, recognizing my father's name. His old name. I must make a sound, because the girl turns toward where I'm hiding. Her eyes land on me and she jumps back.

"Who are you?" She asks. I step out from my hiding spot ruefully. My head is bent, and I'm scared what they'll do to me now that I've been found. I mumble my name quietly. "What?"

"Luea Skywalker." I say, louder. My last name catches the Ben's attention. He turns to look at me. His eyes are really sad.

"How are you here?" He asks.

"I ran." I whisper.

"From what?" Leia asks.

"The Inquisitors." I answer. She frowns.

"Why would they be after you?" I bite my lip. I don't want to answer. I kind of hope Ben will, and to my surprise he does.

"Luea can use the Force. The Inquisitors want to make her one of them." Leia looks at me, tilting her head.

"And you don't want to be?" She asks. I shake my head fervently. She shrugs and sits on a crate. I stay standing, barely breathing. I'm scared that the Inquisitors will find me, that they'll kill me for running. For a second, I remember that my father is Darth Vader. For a second, I think that they can't kill me. But then reality crashes back again. My father hasn't done anything to help me. In fact, all he's done is get me stuck in this position to begin with. I take a step back, back toward the crates and barrels. I sit on one, but it tilts and I fall backwards, landing in the pile. I immediately stand again, looking around with wide eyes. If any of the Inquisitors saw that, I'm done for. But the girl just laughs, and not in a mean way. Ben looks up at me, but doesn't do anything. For a second, I allow myself to smile before I sit back down-on a sturdy crate this time.