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That's right, it's the long awaited Chapter Seven of The Meridean Twins! 4laugh Aren't you excited? I decided to stop procrastinating and do it now, because if I didn't get myself occupied, I'd probably end up killing my bitchface of a mother . . .
But that's another story . . .
Chapter Seven
“Withered Rose”
Luke carried Loki aboard the ship and set her on a back metal med-table. She didn’t move, didn’t made a sound of protest. Didn’t even breathe. She just lay there, still and silent. Her skin was horribly cold and pale, like oleander blossoms. Her hair was wet and fanned out on the table, the ends looking like curving tentacles.
The others climbed aboard the Jade Shadow.
“Go attach the Raptor,” he said without looking around. “Now.”
“Luke,” Mara’s voice said from behind him. Luke knew she was about to place her hand on his shoulder. He sensed it.
“No, just do it, Mara,” he said. She pulled her hand back as if he would burn her. She nodded and turned. Aliea, Roki, and Rio hesitated in following her. “All of you go.”
“No,” came the raspy answer from Rio. “I loved her, Luke.”
“I know, Rio,” Luke said. “But she’s gone.”
“Then why are you staying with her?” Aliea asked, her voice cracking in a high whisper. Luke said nothing. Roki took a step forward and looked into his sister’s face.
The Meridean boy reached a tentative hand out and touched Loki’s forehead. He placed his full palm on it and closed his mismatched eyes. He breathed a few words none could make out. Aliea gasped.
The blood of Loki’s final wound was retreating from where it had puddled on the table. Luke’s eyes were wide and his mouth was open. With shaking hands, he moved her shirt up above her abdomen. The lightsaber wound was healing itself. It was like watching a cut heal in fast-forward. The skin tightened around the wound and slowly closed up into a raised, puffy pink scar. It resembled a J that was drawn by someone who was right handed left handed. Luke traced his fingers over it. Did this mean Loki was alive? He thought.
Loki didn’t stir.
Roki, however, slumped to the floor. He drew in a ragged breath.
“Meridean,” Rio gasped, his own face pale. “What the hell did you do?”
“Healing spell,” Roki replied. “From Jenovia, learned it from Joanna. ‘Posed to heal any wound on anybody.” Luke shook his head sadly.
“Not on the Rose Queen,” he said. Roki closed his eyes. He was so close. He opened those blue-and-yellow eyes again. Roki tilted his head to one side, staring at Luke’s back. He blinked. Could Skywalker . . . ? He thought.
He recounted The Prophecy in his mind.
Aliea saw Roki’s eyes widen. Though he looked ready to throw up, he stood.
“Roki, do you think you should be moving?” Aliea asked. He held up a hand for silence.
“Mara’s taking off now,” he said, sounding distant. He turned and made for the door.
“What about Loki?” Rio demanded, grabbing Roki’s arm.
“Leave her with Luke,” he said. “Go and strap in before Mara takes off.”
Rio pulled Roki close to his face, holding him in an iron grip.
“If you think anyone will ever trust you again, you’re dead wrong.” He spat. Roki pulled his arm from his grip. Rio was surprised by this show of power.
“Just do it, Solo,” he said, softly. He looked at Aliea.
Aliea looked right back.
After everything that had happened to her in the past few weeks, she was certain, if only an hour ago, she would never trust anyone ever again. Too many hardships had come her way. Her father was a demon, her mother was insane because of it, her sister, Raven, was the key to her father’s return from whatever dimension they had banished them from. Her younger brother, Crow, in the process, was killed by her other brother, Nightengale’s mistake. Aliea didn’t trust.
But somehow, she trusted what Roki was saying. She trusted his eyes. She saw truth in them. Those eyes had never lied to her about something this important before. He wouldn’t lie to her about this now. She knew he wouldn’t. Somehow, she knew.
Aliea turned and left the room.
Now it was just Roki, Rio, Luke, and Loki. Rio stared Roki down.
“I’m taking off, you guys,” Mara called back to them. Rio glanced in that direction. Then he looked back to Loki. She looked like a fallen angel, a withered rose.
He looked at Roki again.
“You were the cause of her death,” he hissed at him as he passed. “Don’t be the cause of her memory’s death.”
That left Roki and Luke alone in the room with Loki.
The engines to the Jade Shadow hummed. They were almost off the ground.
“Luke,” Roki said. “I’m not sure Loki if told you what part you play in The Prophecy, in her fate. She is the Rose Queen; I was the Vine, now I am the Fire Child; Xinix is the Thorn Prince. The four entities mentioned in the ancient prophecy that sealed Lillabeth’s fate and the fate of her brother, Veltan. You, Luke, you are something even more important that the Rose herself.” He paused, his knees threatening to buckle as they took off. The Shadow was not going to be winning any race, what with the extra weight from the Raptor, the Raven tethered to it as well. Roki licked his lips, hoping Luke was listening. “You’re something Lillabeth entered in herself, during the time of the foreseeing of The Prophecy. The Guardian Angel. The ‘Master’ of the Rose Queen. It was not by chance you became Loki’s Jedi Master. You were destined to be her Master since your birth. Your father protected her from death, you will protect her from death.”
“How?” Luke asked, his voice hollow. “How can I protect her from death when I’m already too late?”
Roki shook his head.
“How did your father do it?” He asked. “Do what feels right, Luke.” He turned and began to move for the door. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at the Jedi Master. “Loki’s our last hope. She’s the only thing that can stop the Thorn and the Thorn’s b***h of a mother.”
And then he left. Left Luke alone with the body of his apprentice.
The door hissed shut behind him.
Luke felt a tear on his cheek. It all seemed so hopeless. How could he bring her back from the dead?
“Loki,” he whispered touching her face. “I don’t know what to do. I need your help. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Tell me how to save you.”
He received no response from the girl.
Luke sighed a shaky, shuttering breath and allowed his knees to buckle. He fell to the floor in a sad, pitiful heap. The impact hurt his bad leg, but he didn’t allow a cry to escape his lips. He just lay there and stared at the ceiling.
Luke Skywalker closed his eyes and allowed exhaustion to wash over him, to take him, to pull him into the cool comfort of the darkness of his subconscious.
But it wasn’t his consciousness he was pulled into.
2
He was back at the ice covered lake again. Again, he felt somewhat vulnerable even though he was quite clothed. He swallowed and looked around.
He wanted to see Lillabeth, or Loki, or someone.
Luke hugged himself, feeling the cold of the place that he couldn’t feel. He would never admit it to anyone, but he had one single fear. The fear of being completely and utterly alone. He swallowed again and hoped, no, he prayed, that someone would be here. Some entity, some ghost, someone, anyone, to tell him something about the predicament he was in.
Suddenly, Luke felt a presence in the Force.
Is the Force present in this realm, he thought. Or is this even more of my imagination? Do I want to see someone bad enough to imagine feeling their presence? He ran his fingers through his hair. Maybe I’m going crazy, he thought. I’m certainly imagining the cold.
He felt the presence again, closer this time. It was familiar, but Luke couldn’t place it.
“You’re not going crazy, Luke,” someone said behind him. Luke whirred, forgetting he was standing on ice. It had never happened before, but he slipped and fell on his back.
He couldn’t feel pain though. Either it was because this was all a dream or it was because his mind was too focused to notice the pain of the fall.
Luke was confused.
He didn’t recognize the voice and yet it seemed so familiar to him. His vision was hazy from the fall, but once the stars stopped dancing before his eyes, he saw the owner of that voice. It was a young man, probably about as old as he was when he destroyed the Death Star. He was dressed in a black tunic and pants, as Luke himself was, and a black glove over his right hand.
The entity’s eyes were an icy blue and his hair was somewhat curly and hung down, nearly touching his shoulders. He extended his right hand to Luke.
Luke took it and hoisted himself up.
“That was a nasty fall,” the entity said. “You shouldn’t have doubted the presence of the Force. It would have told you I was right behind you.” Then he smiled.
Luke blinked.
“Father?” He asked. Anakin Skywalker nodded. Luke reached a hand out to touch Anakin’s shoulder. His finger tips went right through. Luke pulled back with a gasp and stared at his father, wide-eyed. Anakin raised an eyebrow. Unsure if it was all an elaborate trick of the Force, Luke went to touch Anakin stomach.
Anakin’s right hand grabbed Luke’s wrist. A thoroughly confused Luke thought about the physics of this place. Anakin was able to help him up yet Luke couldn’t touch him and now he was holding onto his wrist.
“I know you’re confused,” Anakin said. “This place is like a foreground between the other side and your living realm.”
“So, you’re a ghost?” Luke asked. Anakin shook his head.
“No, only a helpful entity,” he said.
“Then why can’t I touch you?” Luke countered. Anakin rolled his eyes and sighed.
“That’s the thing with you alive people, isn’t it?” He asked, putting his hands on his hips. “You think that just because when you walk through us, we can’t feel it because you can’t feel it.” Luke blinked.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Would it hurt?”
Anakin shook his head.
“No, but if you went through with your experiment, it would’ve tickled like crazy. That’s one of my many curses: I’m eternally hyper-ticklish!” He said, sounding a little unhinged by that situation. Luke blinked again. Anakin calmed down. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
“I have one more question though,” Luke said. “If this is the middle ground, then why does Lillabeth and Veltan fight here in my first dream?”
“They fought on an ice covered lake, yes, and this place takes that form because it is one comfortable to you.” Anakin explained. “Now, can I finish?” Luke nodded. “You asked Lokina for help in how to save her.” He spread his arms out. “Here I am.” Luke was confused again.
“Ookay,” he said.
Anakin rolled his eyes.
“I’m here to show you more about Loki so you can figure out how to save her,” he said. “You saw what happened after she lost her arm?”
Luke remembered. Loki was crushed when Anakin told her to leave.
“Yes, I remember,” he said. Anakin nodded.
“When I found her hanging there I thought it was too late,” Anakin said, sounding far off. “We were right under her.” He looked up. “Luke, when we brought her aboard the ship, she was dead.”
Luke’s eyes widened.
“What?” He asked. “What do you mean she was dead? How is that — what?! How could Loki’ve been dead when you brought her aboard?!”
“She was,” Anakin shrugged. He met Luke’s eyes. “I didn’t understand then because I was foolish. I know now. She was dead though. She didn’t have a pulse, she didn’t even register in the Force. I was terrified. There I was, holding her in my arms and she was dead.”
“What did you do to bring her back?” Luke asked.
“I held her,” Anakin whispered, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. “I cradled her in my arms and I touched her face and her hair, stroked them almost. I called her first by Apprentice. Then by her name, then by her other name.”
“What else did you do?” Luke demanded.
“I . . . kissed her . . . ”
“. . . ” Luke’s mouth moved but no sound came out. “How!?” He finally sputtered. “You had that mask on!!!”
“I kissed her in the Force,” Anakin said. “Because I couldn’t otherwise. It would be the equivalent to a real kiss, I suppose, but something told me that it was the right thing to do.” Luke was still speechless. “I know it’s a lot to take in right now, but if you want to save Loki’s life, you have to follow your heart.”
“So you knew about The Prophecy?” Luke asked, he accused.
“No, not then I didn’t,” Anakin said sadly. “All I knew was vengeance. But when I was around Loki, even if she was just right behind me, doing nothing but taking up space and looking good, I felt alive. Like how I felt with Padme. It was her Life Force, Luke. The thing that made Loki Loki. That precious being could be lost, lost forever, should you choose not to act.”
Luke took a deep breath.
“This is . . . daunting,” he said, honestly. “I’ve never had to bring anyone back from the dead before.” Anakin smiled.
“What? Bringing down the Death Star and the Empire not enough of a thrill for you? Seriously, though. It really doesn’t have a sensation to it,” he admitted. “It only feels right.”
Luke nodded.
There was the whisper of a voice behind Anakin. He turned his head a fraction of an inch. The voice was clearer this time. Anakin smiled.
“Father,” Luke said, thinking that voice belonged to Lillabeth or Loki or somebody. It was like a choir of angels. “Who — ?”
“Ani?” The voice called, much clearer now. Luke looked around. It was someone who knew his father. A light opened behind Anakin and he was smiling now as the outline of a woman came into view. Luke gasped.
She had long chestnut hair, just like Leia’s, and mahogany eyes.
The words found their way into Luke’s mouth as the woman entwined an arm around Anakin’s and smiled up at him. She was short, like Luke. Then she looked at Luke and smiled.
“Oh, Ani,” she said. “Is this — ?” Anakin nodded.
“Mother,” Luke said, raspy and disbelieving. “Mom?” She walked up to him and touched his cheeks with both hands. She smiled into his icy blue eyes.
“Look at the handsome boy my baby grew into,” she whispered, her eyes swimming. Then she hugged him and Luke almost lost it. “My son. The Hero of the New Republic.” Then she let go and moved back in line with Anakin.
“Luke,” Anakin said. “You have to get Loki back. You’re her Guardian Angel.”
Luke saw him and his mother turn and retreat into the blinding white light. He reached his hand out, trying to find his voice.
All he heard was Loki’s scream.
3
Luke’s eyes snapped open. He looked around, disoriented. He was on his back, still in the small enclave Roki had left him and Loki. Loki still lay there, serenely silent and unmoving. He wanted to get to his feet but he found that, quite suddenly, his legs were made of gelatin.
“Okay, Skywalker,” he muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair. “Get a hold of yourself. You just saw an apparition of your mother and father and he told you to basically make out with Loki to bring her back.” He exhaled. “You can do this and you are not going crazy.”
The ship rocked ever so slightly, but just enough to cause Loki’s left arm, her real one, to fall over the side and hang there, limply.
“First order of business,” he muttered again. “Get to your feet.” He reached up and took hold of the cold metal edge of the table and hoisted himself up with it. His right leg was achy and borderline numb. He favored it and put all his weight on his left leg.
Loki’s white wings had fine beads of water on them. Luke ran a finger over the curve of the wing itself. It was so finely made, it seemed. The feathers were soft, even if they were a little wet. The drops now clung to his hand and he wiped them on his pant leg.
He realized that his revelation only lasted a little over three minutes, based on the way the stars went past out side the small rectangular view-port he was standing arms’ breadth from.
The spirits have done it all in one night.
Luke smiled despite the situation. He had to stop reading old scripts.
Back on track, Luke remembered when Anakin had told him. How his father had brought Loki back the first time.
I held her . . . I cradled her in my arms . . .
Careful of her fragile wings, Luke gathered Loki in his arms. She fit so perfectly. It was then Luke really noticed his apprentice’s physic. She was a streamlined creature; curved at the hips and busts so gently as to be attractive and not skanky. Her arms and legs were finely muscled, again subtly. Her pale skin and her dark hair contrasted and yet seemed to match each other so finely. Her hands were slim and well manicured, even for Loki.
Snapping himself out of his Loki-euphoria, Luke racked his brain to remember the details of his vision. Like a dream, the more he tried to remember the specifics, the more it slipped through his fingers like water.
I touched her face and her hair, stroked them almost.
Luke quickly found himself on his knees. It would be easier in that position. He laid some of Loki on the floor, still holding her around her shoulders. He stroked her cheek with two fingers and then touched her wet ebony hair. She’s so perfect, he thought.
What else did he say though? He asked himself.
His father’s voice echoed in his mind.
I called her first by Apprentice. Then by her name . . . then by her other name . . .
Luke looked down at Loki.
“Apprentice?” He said, quietly. She did not stir. “Lokina?” Again, she made no move, no sign of life. As if commanded by something deep inside of himself, Luke pressed his forehead to hers, almost with affection, and whispered, “Loki.”
Luke felt a blinding wave of Force hit him. He almost fell over because of it. Blinking rapidly, he saw the most amazing thing he had ever seen before in his entire life.
It was a butterfly.
Not just any butterfly though. This butterfly was an iced purple color, and it was wispy, almost as if it was made of smoke and light. It fluttered soundlessly around Luke, leaving a smoke tendril behind it. Luke reached out a tentative hand to it. The butterfly landed on his outstretched finger.
And then it was gone.
Luke suddenly felt panicked. Anakin never told me about this! He thought. Then a thought hit him. What if the light in that Imperial freighter was too bright for it to be seen, even by him? What if it landed on him, but he just didn’t notice it?
“Father, what do I do now?” He whispered, not feeling at all strange.
I kissed her.
That was it. That was how the Angel was meant to bring the Rose back. Luke realized he was only a converter, a passage for Loki’s soul to pass from that middle ground to her body, through Luke himself.
But . . .
Wouldn’t it go against all the Jedi teachings? To pull someone from that oneness with the Force only to continue the fight? Plus, could Luke betray Mara and kiss Loki, if only to bring her back? Would Loki regain consciousness as soon as he kissed her? If she did, would she ever trust Luke again? Would she believe he had taken advantage of her in her vegetative state?
These were odds Luke was going to have to work against.
“Here goes nothing,” he breathed.
Luke tilted Loki’s head upwards and bowed his head.
He leaned in for the kiss . . .
4
Rio could not believe his eyes. He hoped he wasn’t going crazy.
His confirmation of his sanity came in the equally shocked faces of Aliea and Mara. Roki, however, still looked like he was off in La-la land.
Skywalker was bending in to kiss the body of Loki.
Necrophilia much?
“Hey!” He yelled, fairly outraged. Mara said nothing. She reached an arm out to stop his charge. She had seen what he had missed in his shock and fury.
Skywalker and Loki were glowing.
“Luke?” Aliea said, sounding almost as if she was in a trance. She licked her lips. “Hon, what are you — ?”
Luke’s lips connected with Loki’s.
A tremor in the Force hit all of them like a tidal wave. The epicenter, they realized, was Loki and Luke, locked in a passionate kiss. Luke’s eyes were closed, tears streaming from them. Loki remained utterly motionless.
Then it really got interesting.
The eerie glow around Luke and Loki got brighter, almost blinding so.
5
Luke never felt such a feeling in his life. It was like his first time only purer. Instead of losing innocence, it was like he was regaining it, a reverse orgasm, almost. It wasn’t over yet either. Somehow, he knew when it was time to let go, when it was over.
Visions of Loki’s life flashed before his eyes. Only they seemed to be running in reverse from the last moment of her life to the very beginning.
Realizing Xinix had struck the blow she knew would end up taking her life, fighting Roki to the death, finding the room where Roki would later attack her, bidding goodbye to Aliea in the hall, being with Rio, striking Rio, saving Aliea’s hand, leaving Yavin IV, discovering Roki’s Turn, the fights with Xinix, the day she told Luke everything, coming to Yavin, leaving the giant garden like place Luke somehow knew to be Florakane, leaving Skip One, a parade with the Imperials, freeing two Rebels, meeting her original friends, denouncing the Empire as Vader sent her back to Naboo, losing her arm, discovering her father was Palpatine, pleading with Vader on Curoscant. Living on the paradise that was her home, Jenovia.
He saw her then.
All at once he was no longer kissing her but nothing at all. He saw her, coming out of some sort of portal made of white light. She was beautiful, like an angel. Her wings were folded against her back. She was wearing a bright white, slim gown.
Loki kneeled next to Luke.
The sight of her left him breathless.
“Only through you can these prophecies be stopped,” she said, her voice clearer than clear. “Your future, the future of your father and your son and your daughters and your grandsons and your granddaughters. The Skywalkers have helped shaped the galaxy since the galaxy was. And now you continue what will never end. Our fates, Merideans and Skywalkers.”
Luke was breathless.
“Does this mean,” he said, finding his voice, “that you are going to be alright? You’re going to be alright, right? Alive again?”
Loki smiled. She leaned into him, her face mere inches from his.
“Wake up and see for yourself,” she whispered.
Then she kissed him.
6
Luke opened his eyes and let go of Loki.
She didn’t stir.
“Loki?” He muttered, touching her cheek.
“Dude, what did you do?!” Rio yelled, shrilly.
“Quiet!” Luke snapped. He took Loki by her shoulders. “Come on, Loki. You told me. You said you’d be alright.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, he knew. She told him to see for himself.
“Luke,” Aliea said. “You’ve been traumatized. It happens to the best of us. Just, come away and lay down.”
They think I’m crazy, he thought. He looked at them. Aliea and Rio certainty looked it but Roki and Mara seemed to be calm about the whole situation. Perhaps it was their Master/Apprentice bond, Roki reflecting his calm emotions to Mara.
“Look, Luke,” Rio said. “I don’t know what happened to your head back on Korixban, but maybe you need a lobotomy!”
“Shut up, Rio!” Luke yelled.
Loki’s eyes snapped open and she screamed in Luke’s arms.
Rio, Aliea, and Mara also screamed, frightened by the outburst from the thought-to-be-dead girl. Loki’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she went limp again.
“Holy s**t!” Aliea said, shrilly. Luke stood, the limp girl in his arms.
“I told you she was alive!” He said. Rio’s eyes went from Luke to Loki.
“What the hell, dude,” he breathed. Luke ignored him.
“Luke, how the hell did you do that?” Mara said.
Luke set Loki on her feet. She stood and swayed, eyes half closed.
“Loki?” He whispered, taking her head in his hands, looking into her dazed eyes. “Loki, are you all there? Can you show me some sign?”
Loki raised her right hand and moved the limp limb back. Then brought it forward in a hard slap to the side of Luke’s face. The momentum from the movement snapped Luke’s head to the side and he let go of her. She turned 180 degrees and fell into Rio’s waiting arms.
Luke laughed.
“I told you she was back!” He said, holding his cheek.
“Skywalker, I don’t know whether to kiss you or kick your a** for what you just did,” Rio said. “How the hell did you pull that one off?”
Luke swallowed and rubbed his face.
“To be honest, I have no idea,” he said, still laughing. “I’m some thing in that prophecy that screwed her over and — ” Luke broke off laughing again.
“Okay, now I’m sure you’ve lost it,” Aliea said, throwing her hands in the air. “I had my doubts, but damn!” Mara moved forward and touched Luke’s face.
“Baby, what the hell just happened?” She asked.
“I-I-I brought her back,” he said. “You see, my father was this angel thing to her, ‘cause she’s the Rose and Roki’s the Fire Child and all that crap, but, see, he was supposed to kill her but I brought her back because that’s my job and stuff. The fail safe or something.”
“Luke, you’re not making sense,” Mara said.
“It’s true, Mara,” he said. “Anakin told me what to do.”
“Your dead father told you what to do,” Mara said, eyebrows raised.
“Yes! Yes, exactly! I know it sounds crazy.”
“Damn right it does!” Rio said.
“Just hear me out for a second,” Luke said, holding up a hand. “I’m telling the truth about all of this. I swear!” He was giddy, giggling in between words. “I’m not crazy!!!”
“Luke is telling the truth,” a voice said. They all turned to Rio. Loki was lucid again and in her lover’s arms. Rio was dumbstruck. “Let me down,” she whispered to him. He set her on her feet. “I am alive now. And Luke isn’t crazy. All of what he said was the truth.”
“So, you died?” Aliea asked. “For real? Like dead-dead?”
Loki smiled and nodded.
“I was dead. No pulse, no nothing. Flat line,” she said. Luke was nodding, although he had gone a little more than pale. Loki’s eyes landed on Roki. “So, you have changed?”
Loki’s lips moved, but it was not her voice. It seemed more mature.
Lillabeth, Luke thought.
Roki’s eyes went glassy.
He kneeled before Loki, really went down on one knee.
“Yes, My Queen,” he said, though it was not his voice.
Veltan, Luke thought again, his mouth dry. What the hell am I seeing?
“Then rise, Fire Child,” Lillabeth said. Veltan did so. “And serve your Rose Queen. Help thee strike down the Thorn Prince before he slaughters the spring lambs.”
“I shall, My Queen,” Veltan said. He moved his open hand out to her. “I shall, my Sister.” Lillabeth nodded.
“And I shall fight along side you, my Brother,” she said, taking his hand.
The two closed their eyes and shuddered once.
The Meridean Twins opened their eyes.
“What the hell is going on?!?!” Rio squeaked. “Who the hell are you guys now???”
“It’s me, Rio,” Loki said, Loki once more.
Mara and Aliea blinked.
“Can someone please explain all this to me?!” Aliea burst out.
“In time, Aliea,” Roki said. “But for now, we all need rest.”
“Screw rest!” Rio said. “I want answers, now.” He whirled on Luke, who was swaying. “Starting with you!” Luke swallowed and licked his lips.
“I’ll be happy to answer all your questions, Rio,” he said. “But for now, I think we should listen to Rokion.”
“I said it once, and I will say it again,” Rio said. “Screw Psycho’s idea about rest! I’m way to pumped with adrenaline from that s**t for your s**t!”
“Rio, lay off him,” Loki said, sternly. “He’s had as long a day as the rest of us. Just chill out. I’m fine. I’m alive! You should be happy.” Rio pointed a finger at her.
“Just let me talk, Lo,” he said. Loki blinked.
He is really on a tirade, she thought. Her wings shuddered, begging to be stretched out and used. She made a mental note to try them out when they got back to Yavin IV. For now, however, she watched Rio rave before the inevitable happened.
“Rio, this line of questioning really needs to be put off, at least for a little while,” Luke said, putting a hand to his forehead.
Rio put his hands on his hips.
“Oh yeah?”
Luke nodded.
“And why in the nine Sith hells should I do that?”
Luke swallowed, suddenly very hot.
“You should,” he said, thickly. “Because I’m about to pass out.”
Rio had the funniest huh? look on ever. That look turned to shock as Luke crumpled to the floor. Mara was down beside him, trying to rouse him.
“Leave him, Mara,” Loki said. “Exhaustion is to be expected, especially after what he just did.” Mara looked up at her. “I’ll explain everything. In the cockpit. We should leave Luke to sleep for now.”
They followed.
Little did they know, dark forces were conspiring against them as they spoke.
7
Revan, back on her skyhook on Curoscant, opened her eyes in utter disbelief. She had always been able to feel the girl’s presence in the Force. How couldn’t anyone with the Force? The Meridean girl glowed brighter than any sun or super nova she had ever witnessed, second only to Skywalker, himself. When the girl had died, she felt that absence, that lack of warmth.
But, now, it was back and if anything, glowed more brightly than before.
“It can’t be,” she muttered to herself. She heard the slight beep-beeps of some handheld holovid game and knew who it was instantly. “Xinix!” She yelled roughly. The boy jumped, thinking his old lady asleep or something and dropped whatever he was holding with a clatter.
“Yeah, waddya want?” He asked, a little dazed due to the surprise.
“Don’t speak to me as if I was one of your stupid, dim-witted droids!” She snarled. “Come here, NOW!” Xinix swore under his breath and walked to where she sat, in a high backed chair, gazing out the large a** window. “You said you finished her, that the Meridean girl died?” Xinix grinned, showing his pointed teeth.
“Oh, most definitely,” he said.
“If I recall correctly, you said that no one could survive what you did to her,” Revan said, nonchalantly. “What was it exactly?”
“I gutted her with my saber,” he said. “Or, my new saber, the one I made after I came here. Remember?” Revan remembered all right. His old saber was the most unattractive color of violet she had ever seen.
“And you’re sure it made contact? That it went straight through?”
“I couldn’t have missed.”
“Tell me. Do you feel that light in the Force?” Xinix looked at her as if she was crazy. Revan lashed out, catching his throat in her claws and pulling him forward. “SHE’S ALIVE! CAN’T YOU FEEL HER?! LOKINA MERIDEAN IS ALIVE!” Revan threw him back. Shallow digs were in his throat and they bled a green liquid. “You’ve failed. You were supposed to kill her. Kill her dead.”
“I killed her,” Xinix insisted. “She must’ve come back. She’s special, I told you that. Spawn of Palpatine himself, how couldn’t she be?” Revan drew in a shaky breath. This was true.
“This is only a small set back,” she said. “We will proceed with our plans. The Jedi will be no match for what we have in store for them.” Revan smiled, crazily. She was insane with the power associated with the Sith that brought down the Jedi Order. Once and for all.
To Be Continued . . .
 Blakaize · Sun Apr 13, 2008 @ 03:25pm · 0 Comments |
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