Bounty (Alex Rider/Star Wars Crossover) (BOOK 2)

Chapter Fourteen

Obi-Wan and Anakin wandered off by themselves for a while to explore the beautiful gardens surrounding the senator's home.

"Are you ready to get back home and pick up where we left off on training?" Obi-Wan asked his apprentice.

Alex hesitated. "I," he began slowly, "I don't think I can."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan was puzzled. "Of course, you can."

"They did something to me," he said. "While I was in the prison, Vader interrogated me. He found out that you were my master, but I don't think he knows who I am. He wanted me to become his apprentice. Obviously, I didn't accept. But because I refused, he had something done to me that blocks my connection to the Force." Alex looked at his uncle with sadness. All his hopes of being a Jedi as powerful as his master were now gone. "I can't be a Jedi now."

Obi-Wan wasn't sure how to answer him at first. How was he supposed to fix this? Alex was the only thing he had in the galaxy, and now he had a problem that he didn't know how to fix. Obi-Wan had never really experienced helplessness before, for he had the Force to rely on. But now, he didn't know if even the Force could help him. No. They had to do something. The Force is everywhere, and in everything, including Alex. Nothing that Vader did could change that. "We'll figure something out. There has to be an answer," Obi-Wan assured him, not really knowing what he would do. "Come on, let's talk to Organa. Maybe we can use his facilities to check out what they did to you." He started walking quickly back toward senator's home.

Fortunately, the senator was on his way out to meet them. "Alex," he called. "I have something for you."

Obi-Wan and Alex stopped to talk to him. The senator was holding something in his hand. Alex saw what it was. It was his lightsaber.

"I thought you might want this before you leave." He held out the hilt to Alex.

"Sorry, Senator," Obi-Wan said. "I don't think he's going to need it right now. Instead, we are in need of your medical facilities."

"Medical facilities?" Organa asked. "Why?"

"It seems our friend Vader has done something to Alex that prohibits his use of the Force," Obi-Wan explained.

"Oh my," the senator said, his eyes growing wide with worry. "Here, this way," he told them, leading the way to the med bay on the lower floors of the building.

They came to the med bay and entered. Everything was pristine and white, with silver droids bustling around the room. There was a strange metal contraption in the corner that Alex thought could be something like an MRI machine on earth.

"What does this do?" he asked the senator.

"This will scan your body to see if there are any abnormalities. If there is something there that is not supposed to be there, we will know shortly," he assured Alex.

Obi-Wan gave him a hopeful look.

Alex laid down on the table and the droid started up the machine. On the datascreen, Obi-Wan and the Senator could see a small object in Alex's back. It was no bigger than a data disc and unless Alex was awake when they put it in, would never have even known where it was.

"We found it," Obi-Wan said. "If it's removed, it should get you back to normal."

"Can we do it?" Alex asked, looking at the droid.

The droid beeped and buzzed a few times, apparently answering his question, but Alex couldn't tell what the answer was.

"The droid said it's possible, but it will take some time, since it is so close to your spine, and you can't be awake while it is done," Organa translated.

"Do it now," Alex said confidently. He couldn't stand not being able to rely on the Force. He had lived seventeen years without it, but when he came to this galaxy to live with his uncle, he had relied on it and learned to use it for everyday life.

Organa nodded to the droid. "Notify us when the scan is complete.

The droid nodded and went to work

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Darth Vader was coming out of hyperspace, the beautiful planet of Alderaan looming in front of him. He was certain that the so-called bounty hunters would return here after rescuing Alex and Ahsoka. They would not expect anyone to look here for them, and therefore they would not expect what was coming next. The Y-wing landed in the center of the city, on a floating platform, with a connecting path leading into the towers where the senator lived, where his quarry certainly was hiding. No one knew he was here, and they would not know until it was too late. Usually, he did not bother to mask his presence, but he did this time, so as not to alert his prey.

He commanded the shocktroopers that followed him. "Set your weapons on stun. I want to deal with them personally." The dark lord stormed off toward the building, the troopers marching behind him. They entered the building, and definitely had the effect that he was looking for. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Workers dropped things, children whimpered next to their mothers, and beneath his mask, Vader smiled.

Fear was his greatest ally as a Sith Lord. It was true that he had become the thing he had sworn to destroy. He had become what he was to save those that he loved, but in the end, he couldn't save them.

And it was all because of his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had held him back for the last time. This was his chance to destroy all the last remnants of his past, and he would savor the revenge. First, he would destroy Obi-Wan, because of all that he stood for, and all that he had done to Vader himself. He was the reason he was who he was now: a black figure that was more machine than man. Obi-Wan was the reason he was feared. People fear what they don't know, and no one knew who was behind the mask.

Then, he would destroy Ferus Olin. Ferus had always been a pain to him when he was in the Temple. They were rivals. Vader would prove that he was the better one, the more powerful one.

He would go after Alex next. This was the boy that had replaced him. No one could take his place, and it made it even worse that it was someone that Obi-Wan was close to. He shouldn't even be here in the first place, but now, he was defenseless, and he would be cut down before he had the chance to fight. Not that fighting would do much good, since he did not have the Force to help him.

Lastly, he would deal with Ahsoka. She, more than anyone, sympathized with the problems he faced in the Jedi Order, and there was a chance to turn her. Vader knew that she had faced the pull to the dark side almost as much as himself, and she was powerful. And with the dark side to help her, she would be almost as powerful as himself.

Now to hunt his prey. He used the Force to locate the first of his quarries. Obi-Wan was nearby. He was in the gardens. This was it. This was the chance he had been waiting for.

This is where it would end.