Empire's Child

Chapter 10

"Where is he?" Darth Vader asks, sitting on his throne. The hologram of Reva, the Third Sister, flickers.

"We have probes out. We're tracking all possible exits. He will pay for kidnapping your daughter and the Grand Inquisitor's-"

"The Grand Inquisitor means nothing." Vader interrupts. "Kenobi is all that matters now. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lord." Reva says.

"I have been watching you, Third Sister. I know what it is you seek. Prove yourself, and the position of Grand Inquisitor is yours. Fail me, and you will not live to regret it." The hologram fades. Vader rises abruptly, going to the window. There is no sadness or remorse for the Grand Inquisitor's death, but a twinge of worry pokes through about Luea. Obi-Wan wouldn't dare hurt her. No, that was Anakin's emotions, not Vader's. With an internal growl, Vader pushes his former self away. But the worry remains.

I watch as Obi-Wan fiddles with a small, roundish droid. I'm sitting on the same crate, unnaturally still. "Are we almost there?" The girl asks. "Can't you make this thing go any faster?"

"It's a trade route, Leia. I'm not in control of it." Obi-Wan says.

"Can't you sue the Force on it or something?" Leia asks.

"That's not how it works." Obi-Wan says. I shift, interested. it's probably the first time I've moved in an hour, and my leg prickles as it wakes back up.

"How does it work?" Leia asks. Obi-Wan's eyes flick to me. "The Force. What does it feel like?" There's a long pause, then Obi-Wan turns to look at her.

"Have you ever been afraid of the dark?" He asks. Leia nods. He glances at me, and I realize I'm supposed to be part of this as well. I nod as well. "How does it feel when you turn on the light?" Obi-Wan asks.

"I feel safe." Leia says.

"Same." I whisper.

"Yes, it feels like that." Obi-Wan holds out the droid he'd been working on.

"Lola!" Leia exclaims, taking the droid. "You fixed her." The droid beeps and turns on. "Thank you." Obi-Wan turns to look at me.

"What does the Force feel like for you?" He asks. I shrug.

"Big. I only ever really use it while training or in battle, though, so it's kind of scary." I say softly. The ship rumbles and something beeps. Obi-Wan stands.

"We better get ready. We're on approach." He says. I stand and follow them to the door. The ship thumps as it lands. We sneak out the back door. Hurrying around to where the pathway is, Obi-Wan glances out to check weather we've been spotted. The unloading droid is looking away, and there are no troopers. "Okay." Obi-Wan whispers. We dart out, using a barrel as cover. We walk along the path. The sun is hidden by a thin layer of clouds, which makes my job of walking in all black clothes easier. But the road is sandy. I stop after we're a ways away and dump my shoe out with an annoyed sound. Leia and Obi-Wan pause.

"I don't like sand." I say, making a face. "It always gets in my shoes."

"Just hurry." Obi-Wan says. I nod, then accidentally trip over an embedded rock. I fall backwards into the bushes and lie there for a second. My arm landed in a prickly bush. Leia appears over me, offering a hand. I look at her, wondering if this is going to end up with her dropping me back down...or if she's just trying to help. It's been forever since that's happened. Still, I hesitatingly take her hand and she helps me get to my feet. I hold the arm that had landed int eh prickly bush out of sight. The thorns had gone straight through the thin sleeves.

"Thanks." I say, meeting Leia's eyes for the first time. They're a similar shade of brown to mine. Almost identical, actually. We continue up the hill.

"What is this place?" Leia asks as we reach the top.

"Mapuso. It's a mining system." Obi-Wan answers. My old home had been a mining system, if you worked. Most people didn't. "The coordinates say the meeting point is further north. That is if our new friend was telling the truth."

"Why would he lie?" Leia asks.

"People are not all good, Leia." Obi-Wan snaps. I flinch back a step, then wince. I shouldn't be afraid. I'm not supposed to be afraid. We walk a few more steps before Obi-Wan breaks the silence. "It wasn't always like this here. There were fields and families." He pauses, looking out on the empty wastelands. Some droids work nearby, lifting more crates. "And then the Empire came in and ravaged it all." Off to the right, stormtroopers bully two farmers.

"Thought the Empire was supposed to be helping us." Leia says, kind of like a question.

"Well, there are some, like your dad, who are trying to. Seems like a losing battle these days." Obi-Wan stops walking, looking out to the fields. His eyes seem to focus on something that's not there. I squint, trying to see what he sees. There's nothing there, though.

"Ben?" Leia asks, noticing that he's stopped. "Ben?" He touches her shoulder, looking at her, then back up. But whatever he must've seen is gone now.

"Stay close." He says, pulling her in a bit closer. Leia grabs my hand. I jump, but let her pull me in closer. I'm tense, stiff as a board.

"Why are you so tense?" Leia asks, noticing how stiff I am. I just shrug, looking over the fields. We walk in silence to the meeting point.

"What do you mean by a losing battle?" I ask quietly. Obi-Wan looks at me.

"The Empire is growing bigger and more brutal." He answers after a second. "The people who are trying to stop them or do good for the people of the galaxy are stopped or killed. Not always publicly, but people like Bail Organa who try to help people...it's harder now." I nod, taking in the information and memorizing the name. Bail Organa. Leia's father. Maybe I can ask him a few questions about the Empire...if I ever meet him. I wonder if he knew my mother. I don't know anything about her. I don't even know if she's alive or not. I hope she is. I really, really hope she is.