Star Wars: The Padawan Menace

Lana Thorne

"But how is that possible?" Lana asks. "You were... but..." Her gaze hardens. "Riq... I can't believe you would... of all people..."

"Calm down!" Riq orders. "I was Thorne, remember?"

"That doesn't change much," Lana said. "You should've been able to stop the Dark Side. You, Riq..."

"Break it up," Asher demands. "Come on, guys. Lana, you're still Riq's sister."

"Does he know that?" Lana cries out.

But Asher isn't done. "You gotta love him. You two... come on, you're family, whether or not you can use the Power or the Force or whatever."

"But, Asher-" Lana starts.

"And you two have got to trust each other. You can't just, like, totally hate each other."
"Are you kidding?" Riq says. "I mean, I would... I would die for Lana."

"I'll have to remember that line," Lana says.

"Lana," Riq says. "Why don't you trust me?"

"Riq, I don't know... I mean... I'm just tired, okay?"

"Lana."

"Stop it."

"Lana."

She sighs, frustrated. "What if you're still Thorne? What if the Dark Side isn't done with you yet? Vader is more powerful than you, okay? You just need to accept that! You're not always gonna be the hero, Riq! Save some of the heroics for the rest of us! You can't do that Taser thing with the Dark Side. You might turn back into Thorne, okay? Just... just stop."

Suddenly Lana reaches out her hand and Riq flew backwards into the wall.

"You've just added a new definition to 'vent your feelings,'" Asher mutters, shell-shocked.

"Oh, thanks," Lana says sarcastically.

Riq groans and struggles to stand. "Ow."

"Oh, get back here, you-" Lana reaches out her hand again and Riq comes flying back. She sets him gently down on his feet.

"How did you-?" Riq starts, but Lana cuts him off.

"You're not the only one with magical Force powers, you know."

"We don't have time for this conversation," Asher says. "Not now. Riq, do you know where the plans are?"

"I think so," Riq responds, looking up at the ceiling as if thinking. "But... well... let me just say this."

Both Asher and Lana look at Riq with dismayed expressions.

"What's wrong now?" Lana asks, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Well..." Riq says, developing a sudden interest in his gray leather combat boots, "You know when you're afraid to tell somebody something because you have no idea how they'll react?"

Lana crosses her arms over her chest. "That is not a good way to start this discussion. Spill, Riq. Out with it."

"The plans are kind of in the hands of Darth Vader, now."

"We know that," Asher says, giving Riq a blank stare.

"No, but... you don't understand. If Darth Vader has them, that means that he has to give them to his boss, who just happens to be-"

Now both Asher and Lana look like they've swallowed a dinner plate.

"The Emperor," Lana whispers. "Oh... oh, no."

"We need a plan," Asher says. "Like... a really complicated, really good plan if we're gonna do this right." All three of them stand there in silence for a moment. Then Asher suddenly stands up higher on his toes.  "Riq," he says. "Can you still do that thing where you make your eyes turn yellow but you're not totally in the Dark Side?"

Riq concentrates for a moment, and Lana watches as his eyes turn to a sickly shade of yellow. She gulps and shivers involuntarily.

"Good," Asher says as Riq's eyes turn back to blue. He gestures the twins in close, and both of them can see the intense look of excitement in his eye. "So here's the plan."