Rebel Force_ Hostage Part 5

Leia clutched his hand. "I promise you this: No one is moving on. Not without you."

Luke swung the landspeeder abruptly to the left, veering around a corner, straight through a lane clogged with traffic. A luxury speeder behind them slammed on its brakes just in time.

"Luke, what are you doing?" Leia asked in alarm.

"I told you not to let the kid drive," Han grumbled.

J'er Nahj had offered them use of a landspeeder to return to the hotel. Luke didn't understand. "If you can afford a landspeeder, then can't you afford-" He broke off, looking around at the conditions in the warehouse, his question obvious.

"I'm not here out of need," Nahj had said. "I'm here because these are my people."

Luke knew he'd just come within meters of crus.h.i.+ng Nahj's landspeeder (and its pa.s.sengers), but it had been worth it. He'd confirmed his suspicions. "We're being followed," he said, glancing over his shoulder at the red SoroSuub X-31. It was keeping its distance, but it had matched everyone of Luke's twists and turns.

Luke glanced at Leia, who still seemed a bit shaken up from what she'd seen at the warehouse. "We can contact Var Lyonn and have him waiting at the hotel with reinforcements," he suggested.

"That probably is is Lyonn," Han argued. "Or one of his men." Lyonn," Han argued. "Or one of his men."

"Maybe. Maybe not." With a dangerous smile, Leia narrowed her eyes at the SoroSuub speeder. "Let's find out."

Luke pushed the landspeeder as fast as it would go, whoos.h.i.+ng through the streets of the warehouse district. He took a hairpin curve at full speed, nearly flipping the vehicle on its side. The speeder shot down a back alley, then burst out the other side, nearly slamming into a giant borrat frozen in the middle of the road, its furry ears twitching as it stared into the oncoming traffic. Veering around it, Luke skidded across the sidewalk and plowed through a detour sign blocking off the entrance to a street crowded with construction equipment. He threaded the landspeeder through a serum of bulldozers and deactivated construction droids, his teeth rattling as the repulsorlifts bounced over the torn up road.

Still, the red SoroSuub followed. Leia's plan called for them to look look like they were trying to evade their pursuer, even as they drew him deeper and deeper into the abandoned district. As far as Luke was concerned, her rash "plan" was more like a death wish. It sounded like something like they were trying to evade their pursuer, even as they drew him deeper and deeper into the abandoned district. As far as Luke was concerned, her rash "plan" was more like a death wish. It sounded like something Han Han would have come up with. So Luke wasn't just pretending to evade pursuit. He was determined to shake the guy. would have come up with. So Luke wasn't just pretending to evade pursuit. He was determined to shake the guy.

Just one problem: Whoever was following them seemed to antic.i.p.ate Luke's every move.

"Turn in here!" Leia barked, and Luke swung the landspeeder sharply to the right, ducking into a narrow, twisting alley. It dead-ended in a high, durasteel gate with sharp barbs running along the top. "Perfect," Leia said. "Stop."

Luke groaned. What was so perfect about a dead end? What was so perfect about a dead end? But he obeyed her command and hit the brakes. But he obeyed her command and hit the brakes.

"Remind me of this brilliant plan again, Your Wors.h.i.+pfulness," Han said. "We're going to get out of the landspeeder, wait for this guy, whoever he is, to catch up with us, and- what, exactly?"

"And find out who he is and what he wants," Leia said. "You have a problem with that?"

"Let's see," Han said. "It's risky, it's foolish, it's overconfident-"

Chewbacca growled, and Han grinned at him. "Because you didn't let me finish finish, you overgrown fuzzball. I was about to say, sounds like my kind of plan."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Luke muttered.

The red SoroSuub pulled into the alley and drew to a stop.

"Got your blaster ready, kid?" Han asked.

Luke nodded. But I'll only use it if I have to But I'll only use it if I have to, he thought, his hand straying to his lightsaber. According to Ben it was more effective than a blaster.

Of course, Ben had known how to use it.

A single figure slipped out of the red speeder, shrouded by the milky twilight. Han jumped out of the speeder, his blaster raised. Chewie followed, his bowcaster at the ready.

Luke stayed in the speeder, determined to protect Leia at all costs. The man advanced with his arms out, no weapon drawn. Luke tensed. The man could be offering himself up in peace...or it could be a trap.

Leia groaned and reached for the door. Luke grabbed her wrist. "You promised you'd stay in the speeder until we figured out what was going on."

She shrugged him off. "I know know what's going on." She pushed past him and climbed out of the speeder. Luke activated his lightsaber and rushed after her. "What are you doing, Fess?" she shouted. "You could have gotten us all killed." what's going on." She pushed past him and climbed out of the speeder. Luke activated his lightsaber and rushed after her. "What are you doing, Fess?" she shouted. "You could have gotten us all killed."

"I need to talk to you," Fess said, approaching. "This seemed the best way."

Luke stepped in front of Leia and activated his lightsaber. "Next time, try a comlink."

The man froze, all color draining from his face.

"It's fine, Luke," Leia said from behind him. "It's just Fess. He's harmless."

"Interesting weapon you have there," Fess said, in a choked voice. " Luke Luke, did you say?"

Luke glanced at Leia, ready to take her lead. She sighed, and her shoulders slumped.

"He's a friend, Luke," Han said. Leia glared at him. "Well, not a friend, exactly," Han added hastily. "But he's no danger to us."

"You want to talk, Fess?" Leia snarled. "Talk."

But Fess wasn't looking at her. His eyes were locked on Luke. He extended a hand and-not knowing what else to do, Luke shook it. A strange current pa.s.sed between them. Luke jerked his hand away.

He reminds me of Ben, Luke thought. But that didn't make any sense. The two men had nothing in common. Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi had been tall and gaunt, dressed in a ragged cloak, his frown hidden by a dense beard, his eyes piercing. Fess was nearly twenty years younger, his soft features rounded by a life of ease and plentiful food, clothed in fine robes, his face frozen in a false smile.

There had been no falseness in Ben. And yet ...

What is it? Luke thought, frustrated. He didn't know, if he was asking himself-or Ben. What is it about this man. This... Luke thought, frustrated. He didn't know, if he was asking himself-or Ben. What is it about this man. This...

"Ferus?" The word popped out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying, as if someone else had spoken it.

Fess took an abrupt step backward, growing even paler.

"Ferus," Luke said again, filled with an inexplicable certainty. The word drifted through his mind like a whisper. He didn't know what it meant, but he somehow knew he was speaking truth.

" No No," Fess said, with quiet intensity. "Not anymore."

CHAPTER NINE.

Ferus Olin.

Not his name. Not anymore, not for a long time.

He'd left it behind, the day he arrived in Alderaan's seemingly infinite sea of gra.s.s.

Created a new life for himself. Not that it was much of a life, tending to the nerfs, wandering the gra.s.slands, trying not to think about everything he'd lost. Trying not to imagine the accusing faces of the dead.

Ry-Gaul. Solace. Garen Muln.

And Roan. It was Roan Lands's face that he saw when he woke, Roan's voice he heard when he drifted off to sleep.

Not that he slept much.

He was hiding, he knew that. He'd tried fighting the Empire, tried fighting Darth Vader-and one bad decision after another had led here. To a life of isolation, a life that wasn't a life, but a mission.

Protect Leia.

Living like a hermit may have worked for Obi-Wan, stranded on a dusty desert planet in the middle of nowhere. But Alderaan was a world of life and crowds, swirling with social networks. A world of meaningful connections. Which might have appealed to him once, back when he was Ferus Olin-former Jedi, former Bella.s.san security expert, former resistance fighter, former enemy of the Empire.

Now he was just former former. He had made himself invisible, and invisible men can form no connection.

Invisible men can, however, blend in. Gradually, Ferus gave up his life in the gra.s.slands for a new life in the city. Took on a new ident.i.ty. Fess Fess, a repugnant name for a repugnant man. It was the only way to stay close to Leia. Disappearing in plain sight meant becoming what he hated most. A man who said nothing that mattered. A man who held no opinions except the opinions of whoever he was speaking to. A man who lived his life on the surface, so empty of purpose and thought, so inconsequential that no one could suspect he had anything to hide.

He became a mirror, reflecting back what people wanted to see and hear, keeping his true self hidden so deeply he'd almost forgotten where to find it. And now Luke Luke Skywalker Skywalker, of all people, had found it for him. Had somehow found him him.

The Force was strong in Luke, but wild, like an untamed animal. And yet he had the lightsaber-Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber. Did he know the truth of its origin? Did he know about his father?

Did his father know about him?

No, Ferus thought. He'd already be dead. He'd already be dead.

Or worse.

Luke, Leia, and Han took him back to their quarters, treating him like a sick, weak old man. And maybe they're right And maybe they're right, he thought, disgusted with himself. His Jedi training had made him adept at finding the calm center of any crisis. Yet here he was, allowing his emotions to overtake him, like an inexperienced Padawan.

Still, if his weakness gained him more time with Leia-with Luke Luke-perhaps it was worth it. And so he smiled and nodded and allowed them to believe he needed their help.

"Luke Skywalker," he said, settling into a soft chair. "Unusual name." Luke and Leia hovered anxiously over him, while Han took a seat on the sofa. Across the room, another man leaned against the wall, casually scanning a datapad. At least, that's how the man wanted it to seem. But his dark eyes were fixed on Ferus, measuring his every move.

"You're not from these parts, I suspect?"

Luke shook his head, his familiar smile a faint, terrifying echo of the past.

Anakin had smiled rarely when Ferus was around, but occasionally even Ferus had caught glimpses of the boy's easy charm. It had been an excellent mask.

When they were boys together, Anakin had not yet taken his first steps down the path to the dark side. But there had always been something, hadn't there? Something only Ferus had sensed-something that called to the darkness.

Leia is his child, too, Ferus reminded himself. But it wasn't the same. There was no darkness inside of Leia, only light.

"Nowhere near these parts," Luke said, peering at Ferus like he was trying to solve a puzzle. "I'm from Tatooine."

That much, I knew, Ferus thought. But how did you come to be here? And why didn't But how did you come to be here? And why didn't Obi-Wan warn me? Obi-Wan warn me?

That was Obi-Wan for you. The Jedi only dispersed information on a need-to-know basis. And he seemed to feel there was little Ferus needed to know.

He hadn't heard from Obi-Wan in more than a year. Ferus had contacted him after the destruction of Alderaan, but Obi-Wan had responded to none of his transmissions. "You're very far from home," Ferus said. "You must miss it."

Several emotions flashed across Luke's face. Grief. Regret. Guilt.

Luke chose determination. "I'm where I need to be. It's like Ben said-" He stopped abruptly, shaking his head.

"Ben?" Ferus prompted him, something clenching in his chest. Years before, he had visited Obi-Wan on Tatooine. The Jedi Master lived as a hermit in the desert wasteland, but he had occasionally traded with some of the local creatures. They had called him by a different name. Ben. Ben.

Luke glanced at Leia, as if reminding himself that Ferus was not to be trusted. Ferus felt something in the boy shut down. "It's nothing," he said quickly. "Just something an old friend of mine used to say."

"Is he with you on Delaya? Can I meet him?" Ferus realized he was sounding too eager. "To thank him for protecting Her Highness," he added with more restraint. "As I thank all of you."

Luke looked down. "He's dead."

A shock wave crashed over Ferus, drowning out all sound, sight, and thought. The thought was unbelievable, unacceptable unacceptable.

This "Ben" could have been anyone, he thought. There was no evidence linking him to Obi-Wan. Ferus wanted to grab for the tiny sliver of hope-but the Jedi in him rebelled against denying the truth.

And the truth was, some part of him had already known. Hadn't wanted wanted to know, but known nonetheless. to know, but known nonetheless.

Obi-Wan was gone. Ferus was alone.

He realized there was a gla.s.s of water in his hand. Lost in his daze, he hadn't even noticed the watchful stranger cross the room: Now the man knelt before him, peering intently into his eyes. "You went rather pale again-perhaps it would help to drink something."

Ferus shrank away from the man's touch. There was something in him-not wrong wrong, but missing.

"And you are?" Ferus asked, his voice creaking like he hadn't used it in years.

"Tobin Elad," the man said, offering a hand to shake. Ferus forced himself to accept.

The Force flowed through every being in the galaxy. Good or evil, they all pulsed with different shades of the same energy. But there were a few beings in the galaxy who, for reasons even the Jedi didn't understand, lived beyond the energy flow. They couldn't be categorized into light or dark-they were simply null points, empty, as if they didn't exist.

This man existed, but the Force flowed around around him, not through him. Nothing could penetrate the hollow at his center. him, not through him. Nothing could penetrate the hollow at his center.

Ferus released the man's hand with poorly disguised relief. Touching him had been like grasping a puff of cold air.

"You're ill," Leia said, torn between annoyance and concern. "Is there someone we can call for you?"

Not anymore, he thought sourly, shaking his head.

But that wasn't true, was it? He wasn't alone in the galaxy, not with Luke and Leia standing before him. He need only speak the truth of their united past, reveal himself as a Jedi...It would be a shock for Leia, but perhaps it was time. Wasn't it wrong of him to deny her the truth, that most powerful weapon?

No.

The voice came from inside his head and outside at the same time.

Have patience.