When She Was Gone

Chapter 12

The astromech followed its master as she hurried down the walkway, clutching a data chip.

She was nervous, but trying not to show it. Stormtroopers roamed these streets and they were merciless. If they found her with this message, she'd be tossed in an Imperial prison for Force knew how long. And she couldn't put it in R8. The data was too precious.

So she pressed it to her chest and hurried.

She arrived at the tiny jeweler's shop and paused.

"Stay here, R8. Alert me if any patrols get too close." The little astromech rolled up against the dusty wall and retracted its middle strut, pretending to be powered down. She ducked through the short entrance, emerging into a room filled with a hazy purple smoke.

A raspy voice came from the corner. "Ah, if it isn't my most faithful customer. Here to see the apprentice again?"

She smiled. "Yes. Is she busy?"

A figure emerged from the smoke, a short, hunchbacked Mahran, putting most of his weight on his cane. "She always is for old Towser, but never seems to be for you." He grinned, showing dulled fangs.

"Thank you, Towser." She crossed the room to an oval-shaped hole in the wall, with strings of beads serving as a door. "Barriss?" She called.

A clack-clack of glass balls came, then a rustle of clothes. A green hand pulled back the thick layer of beads.

Barriss Offee smiled. "Hello, Luminara. Can I help you?"

~~

Leia pried at the panels in the floor with her hands and the Force, hoping one of them would come loose like it did in the other cell, but nothing happened.

She huffed and flopped down on the bench, putting her face in her hands.

Then, out of the blue, she was struck with a powerful Force signature. It was familiar, and whoever's it was, they were obviously amplifying it. Leia sat as still as she could, observing it.

Dad, she thought with a smile. Her father was here.

Dad, where are you?

Boots clacked outside her cell's ray shield, interrupting her thoughts.

Quickly, quietly, she stood on the bench and jumped for the bars in the ceiling. Doing something she'd seen her father do a thousand times, she swung up, hooking her ankles over another bar, and watched the ray shield anxiously. Her father's Force signature was becoming more insistent, though it wasn't being amplified anymore.

A patrol passed by, then another. No one seemed to notice that she wasn't visible. And her legs were starting to get sore.

Then, two cloaked figures stopped in front of the shield. Leia's heart sped. One glanced around and stepped back, and the other produced a picker, which they stuck into the control panel. After a moment, the ray lowered and they stepped inside, twisting their heads in bewilderment.

Leia steeled herself and dropped to the floor. The hooded figures started to turn, but she was too quick.

She stuck out her right leg and kicked it into the back of a knee, causing one of them to fall to the floor. Then she twisted and in one fluid movement, knocked the other's feet out from under them.

She stood over them as menacingly as she could muster and nudged one with her foot. He groaned. The other slowly sat up. Leia took a step back.

"What was that for?" A man's voice laced with a Coruscanti accent came from his hood, and he removed it to reveal a man with grey-blue eyes and hair fading from beige to silver. "I know you haven't seen me in a while, but that's no reason to kick me." He massaged his jaw and grinned.

The other sat up, his hood falling off to reveal a familiar face. He half-glared, half-smiled at his daughter.

"Dad!" Leia fell to the floor and wrapped her arms around Anakin, who chuckled and returned her hug.

"Good to see you, Nugget," he said into her ear. She smiled.

"I don't want to interrupt, but another patrol is going to be here any minute. The whole place is on lockdown," said her father's comrade.

"Right." Anakin heaved himself onto his feet and handed Leia her lightsaber. Her eyes widened.

"Where was this?" She asked.

"You dropped it when Ah—when that Sith dragged you off."

She smiled and hooked it on her belt. "Thanks."

Anakin darted up the steps into the hallway, but the other man paused. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Leia shook her head.

He gave her a crooked smile. "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi. I took care of you and your brother for a little while when you were small."

The pieces clicked in her mind, and she grinned. "I remember you now! You took me and Luke to Coruscant for the Festival of Lights!"

Her father stuck his head back into the cell. "Are we moving or are we getting shot?"

Sorry this took me so long!! I had a bad bout of writer's block this week; I've been editing this chapter for three days. I had it written, but most of it was rubbish. Oh, the joys of editing *insert heavy eye roll here*

We're over halfway through this story! Only a few chapters more--bear with me!

Lyg & may the Force be with you,

Little_Tano