| abstract
| - It was around midday that Leia noticed the first incongruity in the sky. It was only a blip or two, like a descending ship, but it never moved or landed. Then slowly more blips appeared until heavens were filled with specks of black. It was a fleet of considerable size, but if she hadn’t felt the multitude of Force aware minds she would have guessed it too small for the Baci. They had sent only a small portion of their numbers after her, but to warrant an entire fleet still seemed a little like overkill to Leia. She stood out in the harsh Tatooine sun and stared at the bruised sky with one hand shading her eyes. There were too many to count, but as far as capital ships went she counted nearly eighty. From the time she had spent with them, Leia guessed that the whole battle group was perhaps a twentieth of the whole Baci Nation. It was as large as the Fifth Fleet, and far more deadly. Leia sighed. It wasn’t looking good. Her gaze returned to the flat sands around her and the small dissimilar spot on the horizon that was Bestine. She had told Luke that he would find her there, and now it seemed a better place to be than before. As the only city on the whole world considered a metropolis it would make the best hiding place if and when the Baci came after her. On the other hand, they could always pound the planet from orbit and she would die regardless. She shrugged her small pack onto her shoulders and plodded forward.
* * * “Calm down. We’ll find her in time,” Mara soothed, her hands massaging his shoulder affectionately. Luke continued to stare at the message from Leia that had been routed from Yavin to his new home on the Pillory. She was dangerously thin with dark rimmed eyes and a hollow voice, and the mere sight of her threw fear into him. There was something terribly wrong with her, and he would have known it even if her words hadn’t begged for his help. “She’s on Tatooine. That’s not too far. We can be there in a few hours.” Luke nodded and shut of the hologram. “If it’s not a trap, you mean.” Mara sat on the arm of his chair as her fingers soothed his muscles. “We can’t not go.” “I know,” he rubbed his eyes wearily. “How am I going to show this to Han?” “Maybe we shouldn’t tell him until we get there,” Mara remarked hesitantly. “If we’re wrong, it could crush him.” Luke tensed visibly. “I can’t lie to him, Mara. He’s like a brother.” She sighed heavily. “You’re right. I just don’t want him to see her like this.” “Then we won’t show him the message. We’ll just tell him she’s there,” Luke decided. “If he asks, I’ll tell him I can feel it. And it won’t be a lie, because the Force is telling me she’s there.” “And if it’s a trap?” “We take the whole fleet,” Luke determined. “We have to engage the enemy some time. Now is as good as any.” “Are we ready for that kind of battle?” Mara’s hands stopped their ministrations and she dropped down into a crouch so they were face to face. “The fleet’s only been together a week.” “Most of us are veterans who know what they’re doing. All we need is a firm chain of command, and military wise we have that. Ackbar is in charge,” he told her, becoming more resolute with each minute. “We need to run this by everyone else, Luke. It’s not a decision we have the right to make. And if they say not yet, we can go alone after her. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve braved something like that.” He squeezed her hand in silent thanks. “They’ll do it. It’s the opportunity we’ve been waiting for. And if it’s not a trap, no harm’s been done.” She stood up and motioned him to the door. “Then let’s go. We’ve got a lot of pans to lay.”
* * * “It’s old and so am I. I have no further use of it. And I know you’ll get far more enjoyment out of fixing it up than you would a new ship,” Padmé said with a smile, her gaze set on Jaina. Her granddaughter’s eyes lit up in wonderment. “Padmé, are you serious? You’re actually giving me this ship?” she sputtered, turning round in a circle to face the old Naboo star skiff. It was an antique, but still of a beautiful design with a sleek chrome hull. It was rusted in certain places from the years of disuse, and had many systematic problems Padmé had never been able to fix. She had been able to steal it so many years ago only because it had been under repairs and not under watch in the main hangars at the palace in Theed. She had owned one much like it, and so knew the ins and outs of the vessel. “I am. Do you like it?” Jaina turned back to face the old woman, eyes wide and mouth agape. “Like it? It’s the best present I’ve ever gotten! I’ve always wanted my own ship. Oh, Padmé, how can I ever thank you?” she threw her arms around her, hugging her for all she was worth. “You’ve done more for me than you know, Jaina Solo,” Padmé replied, holding back tears. Jaina pulled away, staring at the ship with new awe. Then her brow seemed to darken as a new thought occurred. “But, it’s Jacen’s birthday too. You can’t give me something as great as a ship. It wouldn’t be right.” Padmé only grinned. “I already gave Jacen his gift, Jaina, and I think it meant a lot more to him than a ship would.” Jaina started to ask what it was, but something about the way Padmé said it made her stop. She would ask Jacen about it later. “Thank you,” she said instead. “I love it.” “You’re welcome, Jaina. I hope it gives you the same freedom it gave me,” she added, casting a look at the floor. Jaina pursed her lips, recognizing the look. It was the one she got when she talked about Anakin Skywalker. She wished that there was something she could do to assuage that hurt, but was wise enough to understand that lost love never fully blunted its edge. “Lieutenant Solo?” Jaina turned around to see a man crossing the hangar of the Pillory in pursuit of her. She recognized him as the one who had been with Captain Darklighter a few days before, the one who had helped her win her spot in the Rogues. She estimated him to be around thirty, tall and spry, with neatly trimmed red hair and the green eyes that sparkled even from a distance. Jaina gave Padmé a quick hug and whispered, “Thank you. I’ll talk to you later.” Then she moved forward to intercept her caller. “Can I help you, Sir?” she asked, assuming a military bearing. “You’re late for a squadron briefing. I was sent to find you,” he told her, a little disapproving. Jaina frowned to hide her embarrassment. “No one told me about any meeting.” “I’m telling you now,” he returned. “Come on, and hurry. We’ve missed too much already,” he turned from her and jogged toward the bank of turbolifts. Jaina followed, confused. “We?” she asked. He extended a hand. “Pash Cracken. Your new flight leader.” Jaina took the hand and grinned mischievously. “Pash Cracken? Shouldn’t you be in a nursing home somewhere?” He gave her a dirty look. “Ha-ha. Aren’t you the little comedian.” They stepped inside the turbolift and he pressed the switch for the right deck. Jaina glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She would have never figured him to be around her uncle’s age. He appeared to be in his mid thirties at the oldest. “So what is this all about?” “Apparently, we’re going on the offensive,” Pash answered as the turbolift jolted away. “Not too surprising,” Jaina shrugged. “That is why we’re here.” “True. But so soon seems a little odd to me,” he muttered. “Something’s happened. I just hope they tell us straight out and don’t feed us a bunch of political garbage.” “This isn’t the New Republic, you know,” she glanced at him. “Wedge and Admiral Ackbar are in charge.” He nodded in concession. “Thankfully.” The doors opened to a wide room with several squadrons’ worth of pilots seated in the middle. Gavin Darklighter was on the stage at the front, in the middle of explaining the plan of action. Jaina spotted the Chiss contingent of squadrons near the back, with Jag Fel in the middle of them. He turned momentarily in her direction when the doors opened, and Jaina took great pains to ignore him. Instead she followed closely to Pash and took a seat beside him on the opposite side of the room. “When we arrive in the Tatoo system,” Gavin said, “there are several things we may encounter. We could find a relatively empty system, in which case each squadron will be assigned patrols. We could also find small resistance, like a smuggling outfit belonging to the Hutts or a small Baci flotilla. The third option is that we will enter the system in the middle of the entire enemy fleet,” Gavin paused to let the words sink in, and a murmur ran through the crowd. “Now,” he continued, “in each of these cases you are to follow the express orders of your squadron leader, but know your main directives. If there is no threat, you must stay prepared at all hours for a possible assault. In case of a small threat, do not engage unless fired upon, and then only shoot to disable. If there is already a task force there, your job is to harry the capital ships and draw their fire so that our ground team can make it through the blockade and onto the surface.” “Sir,” a Gran at the front of the room raised his hand in question. “What are we trying to accomplish on Tatooine?” Gavin glanced at Jaina’s uncle, who stood on the left wall near the front. Luke nodded slowly. Gavin swallowed and said, “Our main objective is to find Ambassador Leia Organa Solo, who has been in Baci captivity since the start of the invasion. Her insight on their weaknesses could bring a much swifter end to the conflict. We also know that if she is there, there is a good chance the Baci will try to take Tatooine to find her. We want to make sure we don’t lose another world to them. This is not only a search and rescue mission, but a defense for one of our worlds.” Jaina felt her throat tighten. How did they know where her mother was? She looked desperately at Luke, but he was looking at Gavin and refused to acknowledge her pleading glances. Why hadn’t anyone told her? “Master Mara Jade Skywalker will be leading the ground forces,” Gavin gestured to the place where Mara stood beside Luke. “Admiral Ackbar will direct any offensive from the [i]Galactic Voyager[/i]. The fleet itself will be divided into two task forces. Your squadron leader will tell you to which you’ve been assigned. Assault Group Red will report to Master Luke Skywalker, and Assault Group Blue to General Antilles. Are there any other questions?” There were none. “Good luck, and may the Force be with you.”
* * * Anakin’s right leg had a habit of bouncing slightly when he was nervous. It was a tick he took great pains to control, but as he sat in the dropship’s carrier bay it was impossible to gather enough concentration. He rested his hand casually on his knee to restrain the anxious trembles. He looked around, and none of the armored troops stuffed in the compartment with him seemed to notice. Mara, on his left, nudged him in the ribs. “Calm down. We may not have anything to worry about.” His leg started bouncing again. “I know. I’m fine,” he assured her. And he was. It wasn’t fear for his own life that plagued him, but for what he would find on Tatooine. They all said he would find his mother there, and rescuing her was tantamount in his mind. But a deeper part of him was afraid of the reunion. He had clearly felt her catapult into darkness, and even the most sincere of reassurances hadn’t cleared away all his worry. All his life he had been preached to about the evils of the dark side and giving in to anger. He also knew that if dark siders couldn’t be rehabilitated, it was his duty to rid the galaxy of their threat. The possibility that his mother might be the first such person he had to face was beyond traumatizing. Mara laid her hand over his, and a cool calm originated from her touch and swept over the rest of his jittery frame. His leg ceased its rebelliousness, and he gathered that calm in the Force around himself. “I had you come with me on this mission because you are strong, Anakin,” Mara whispered in his ear. “Strong in the Force and strong of will. You can face whatever we find with the poise of a Jedi. Have faith in yourself and in the Force.” He nodded, eyes closed. There were several Jedi in the ground forces team headed for Tatooine. Mara was at the head, but he—as Luke’s apprentice—should have been in space at a gunner’s station, or with Han, Jacen, and Chewie on the Millennium Falcon. But Mara and Luke had both thought he lacked experience more than anything, and this mission should be easy enough on him. The possibility that they would face much resistance from the Baci on the ground was minimal. “I just wish I could sense her,” he grunted, frustrated at not being able to feel his mother’s Force presence. She had withdrawn shortly after the initial fall into darkness. “Leia is stronger than you give her credit for,” Mara reminded him softly. “She faced many battles and wars before you were ever born. We’ll find her in time.” Her certainty gave him a little more confidence. The deck under his feet vibrated for a long moment then lurched slightly. “We’ve exited hyperspace,” Mara announced to the troops. “In a few moments we’ll leave the Pillory and make for the surface. Is everyone clear on their orders?” She received a chorus of affirmatives. Mara started rummaging around in her pack and pulled out a comlink. Putting it to her lips she said, “Luke?” “Here,” he announced immediately. Anakin noted the pained sound in his voice. “You feel that?” “How could I not? There’s a whole fleet out there,” he responded, sounding rigid. “It’s going to be a tough haul.” “We’ve got it covered on our end,” she assured him. “I love you, Farmboy. Mara out.” She instantly switched to another frequency. “Eelysa? Kyp?” she called to the other two Jedi Masters landing on Tatooine in other shuttles. “Here,” Eelysa replied, and Kyp Durron double clicked in acknowledgement. “Prepare for ground assault. We have confirmation of the enemy in the system.” “Acknowledged,” Kyp sighed, sounding bored. “Understood,” Eelysa replied. Mara swung her jade eyes to the edgy troops clustered around them. “Get your weapons ready. We may have to fight our way in after all. And secure your crash webbing, it’s going to be a bumpy ride down.” She looked at Anakin and said in a softer tone, “Just keep a good grip on your lightsaber and remember to look with the Force instead of your eyes. It will give you a better picture of the danger around you. If we encounter any Baci, they’re going to be Force sensitive so be watchful of any tricks you might expect in a sparring match at the Academy. I doubt that they’re as well trained as we are, but you never know. Don’t underestimate them.” He swallowed hard and fingered the hilt of his weapon. He was more than ready for combat, he had been training with an unhealthy persistence for months, and was sure of himself and his abilities. He was not afraid to die. What bothered him was that he was going into a situation with too many unknown variables. The teachers at the Academy had always warned him against that. Mara seemed to sense his hesitancy and sent him a warm smile. “Don’t worry. Stick close to me and we’ll be fine.”
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