The Trace Which Remains

I know that in this chapter I BADLY yank conversation from Matthew Stover's ROTS
novelization. I'm not meaning to not be original- I'm trying to be precise.

And believe me- I really don't like to hurt my characters. It's really hard to write. But it's what my mind gives me- kind of like the "will of the Force." I can't NOT write it. And yeah, Cassie- about a week. I'm looking forward to some happiness.


Chapter 12: ...memories of demons...

When Leia and Severeth finally got Luke up to sickbay, Leia crumpled up in a waiting couch, struggling for control and begging the Cosmos to end this chaos. Now she wished she hadn't sent Han away- she really could have used his support.

She felt guilty for not going in to offer support to Luke, but she didn't know if she could handle seeing his beaten, mangled body for now. She needed to get a grip on her rage.

So preoccupied with her attempts to calm herself, she didn't even notice as three people
dashed into sickbay. She was startled when Mon rushed to her and asked, "Is Jedi Skywalker
here?"

Leia nodded. "He's been... badly hurt, Mon."

"I know, Leia... we've seen the damaged closet. One of the guards involved confessed that his group was out to hurt Vader, and showed us where they had taken him."

Seething, Leia commanded her voice to remain level as she asked, "What is being done
about the group?"

"They will be arrested and tried for war crimes. They have abused not only a prisoner of war, but a member of the Alliance. I am granting the one who came forward amnesty- he said that the rest of the group made him sick with their methods."

Severeth entered the waiting area, eyes downcast. He seemed exhausted- looked almost as
bad as Leia felt. "He's stable, and bandaged. A bacta tank would aggravate the injuries-
they're too deep for now. He would just bleed to death." Squaring his shoulders, he looked as though he had suddenly gained strength. "Now- where's Vader?"

Leia was shocked when Mon pointed to the room right next to Luke's. "We had to bring him
here- he was sick, as well as injured. No doubt from stress-induced self-mutilation."

The doctor nodded, clenching his jaw- the same way Luke did when he stubbornly refused to
stop working. Turning to Leia, he asked, "Would you like to see him?"

After a pause, she answered, "I need to."

****

Baron's Hed was the standard, backwater-farm-planet-spaceport-town. The people were
nondescript, the buildings centuries out of date but well kept... Han just hoped he remembered his way out well enough.

Passing a Twi'lek map vendor, he asked, "Which way to the Katarn homestead?"

"East, but you ain't gonna find anyone there."

"Dead?" Han looked at Chewie. "Bummer."

"Yeah, dead. Dead a few months before Yavin, buddy. Why, ya got business with him?"

"I did, but it seems like there's nobody to have business with."

"You're wrong on that count, buddy." The Twi'lek whistled, and a Rodian shuffled out to the store front. "Avrax here has business for those who wanted Katarn."

Suspiciously, Han asked, "How'd you come about that situation?"

// I did it legit, human! His home was abandoned! The Empire kill Katarn, years ago! Back
before the Death Star!//

Leaning on the counter, Han lowered his voice. "Ya got any old vids?"

//How old?// the Rodian's fingers twitched with greed. The demand for antiques was high- and so was the price.

"Clone Wars. Anything of Palpatine."

//Ohh, much hard that is to find. Anything specific?"

The Rodian had something. "I need anything that mentions Skywalker, or the Sith."

//In luck you are! I hope you have plenty of credits.//

Grinning smugly, Han pulled a fistful of paper out of his pocket- all hundred-credit bills. "I need those tapes REAL BAD, my green friend."

The Rodian gestured for Han and Chewie to follow him into the back of the store.

****

Anakin, his arms no longer bound, looked up to see his daughter and the physician in charge of Luke's care enter his room. His bitten, bruised lips turned upwards in a slight smile- one that felt like his first ever. Leia rushed to him, grabbing his hand and sitting down, on the verge of tears.

"Luke is strong, Highness. A... terrible thing has happened to him, but with our support, he will be okay."

Anakin was stunned when Leia knelt by the bed, resting her head on his shoulder. "This is... all too much for me. All my life I've worked to stop things like this from happening... and my family is betrayed from within the Alliance. I'm so... lost... Father."

Shocked, Anakin looked down at Leia, before tentatively wrapping a bandaged arm around
her. "I believe we all are... Leia."

Tear-filled dark eyes turned to him, and Anakin was afraid that she would suddenly grow
defensive, but she leaned back down, sobbing. "We need to tell the truth, Father. We need
our allies to know it, not just our enemies. If we don't tell the truth now, then we'll be accused of lying to those we thought were our friends."

"I couldn't have said it any better myself. If Luke wishes it... then I will tell the truth. I am sick of hiding."

A sad smile crept onto Leia's face, and she replied, "So am I."

****

The quality of the recording was terrible, like it had been recovered from crash wreckage.
Static hissed regularly, but enough of the conversation was audible.

"... be... an embarrassment to be captured by him." This was said by a tall, elderly figure Han recognized as the infamous Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists.

Bound in a chair that looked exactly like Palpatine's typical throne, Han saw the Emperor,
much younger and unhooded, but still clearly Palpatine. Han was around ten years old at the end of the Clone Wars, so he remembered the faces and events- barely, but enough.

"An embarrassment you can survive, Lord Tyranus. After all, ... the greatest Jedi alive, is he not? And have we not ensured that all the galaxy shares this opinion?" Yes- this was exactly the recording Han needed.

"Quite so, my Master. Quite so." A sigh, then Dooku continued. "It is... fatiguing, to ... villain for so long, Master. I find myself looking forward to an honorable captivity." The two of them watched a small recording of their own, Han couldn't make out the details. Dooku again spoke. "May I suggest, Master, ... give Kenobi one last chance? The support of a Jedi of his integrity would be invaluable in... political legitimacy of our Empire."

"Ah, yes. Kenobi. You have long been interested in Kenobi, haven't you?"

Put on the defensive, Dooku answered, "Of course. His master was my Padawan; in a sense,
he's practically my grandson-" He was cut off.

"... Too old. Too indoctrinated. Irretrievably poisoned by Jedi fables. We established that on Geonosis, did we not? In his mind, he serves the Force itself. Reality is nothing in the face of such conviction."

"True enough, I suppose," Dooku sighed. "How fortunate ... I never labored under any such
illusions."

"Kenobi must die. Today. At your hand. His death may be the code key... seal Skywalker to us forever." Skywalker! Obviously Anakin. Clear evidence that Palpatine had been plotting to obtain the Jedi for quite some time.

"But I must ask, my Master: is Skywalker truly the man we want?"

"He is powerful. Potentially more powerful than even myself."

Dooku seemed as though he didn't like that idea. "Which is precisely why it might be best if I were to kill _him,_ instead."

"Are you so certain that you can?"

"Please. Of what use is power unstructured by discipline? The boy is as much of a danger to himself as he is to his enemies. And that mechanical arm- revolting."

"Then perhaps you should have spared his real arm." Han cringed. Dooku was the guy who
cut off Anakin's first arm? Ouch.

Dooku scoffed. "A gentleman would have learned to fight one-handed... no longer even
entirely human. With Grievous, the use of these bio-droid devices is almost forgivable... such a disgusting creature already that his mechanical ... improvement. But a blend of droid and _human?_ Appalling. The depths of bad taste. How are we to justify associating with him?"

Palpatine was pissed. "How fortunate I am to have an apprentice who feels it is appropriate to _lecture_ me."

Automatically, Dooku returned, "I have overstepped, my Master... observing, not arguing. Not at all."

With a grin, Palpatine countered, "Skywalker's arm... for our purpose, even better. It is the permanent symbol of the sacrifices he has made in the name of peace and justice. It is a badge of heroism that he must publicly wear... rest of his life. No one can ever look... doubt his honor, his courage, his integrity. He is perfect, just as he is. PERFECT. The only question... whether he is capable of transcending the artificial limitations of his Jedi indoctrination. And that, my lord Count, is precisely what today's operation is designed to discover."

Han's stomach roiled at how much thought was put into the whole thing- he figured it had taken a long time for Palpatine to win Anakin over, but to see the plotting, the deliberate plan to enslave somebody- it made Han sick to his stomach. Chewbacca gave a low "hrrrrrrn" of sympathy.

"But- forgive me, Master. But Kenobi having fallen to my blade, are you certain Skywalker will ever accept my orders? You must admit his biography offers little confidence that he is capable of obedience at all."

"Skywalker's power brings with it more than mere obedience. It brings creativity, and luck; we need never concern ourselves with the sort of instruction that Grievous, for example, requires. Even the blind fools of the Jedi Council see clearly enough to understand this... no longer try to tell him 'how,' they merely tell him 'what.' And he finds a way. He always does."

Han watched Dooku nod as he shook with terror. Palpatine clearly had EVERYTHING figured
out in that twisted mind of his the whole time. He shut off the recording, satisfied that this would be perfect evidence to help Anakin. Turning to the Rodian, he offered, "One thousand credits."

//No! Five!//

"Two."

//Three!//

Han fumbled with his wallet, pulling out a wad of bills. "Two and a half."

//Deal!//

Han and Chewie left the store and made their way back to the _Falcon_. Grimly, Han clutched the old recording under his arm, more determined than ever to help bring justice for Anakin.

***********************

If you don't have an AFF account, you can reach me at the_skywolves@yahoo.com. I would
love to hear what you think!