Chapter 84: 84. Chapter: (Shared Universe 26.)

My collar was let go suddenly as I scrambled towards the room that Hondo mentioned. I had already pulled away Luminara from the dark force energies that were getting hold of her mind. The influence of the dark side was spreading rapidly, as the number of living jedi was less and less by the minutes. Thousands of jedi had died, but the light was still present. It seems many had survived the initial assault of the clones; they were either hiding or fighting back at this very moment.

I finally reached Hondo's rented room and all of us entered after he opened the door, inviting us in with a kingly magnanimity. We marched into the room, which had quite a few empty wine bottles laying about in the company of some leftover food from this morning. An empty bottle of liquor rolled across the floor after the opened door accidentally hit it.

I looked at Hondo with a mock glare and said.

-Man will be man… it seems…

He smirked, but didn’t say anything. Feeling shy, eh?

We laid down the injured senator on the bed, and I sat down next to her, looking over her arm injury. Hondo's man stood guard, their hands on the blaster pistols hanging on their belts. They were vigilant, watching over us, but their focus was placed on that other woman. To my surprise, they have suddenly tied together both Luminara and that other woman's hands. 

After they tied her hands behind her back, Luminara came over to my side looking at the injured senator with a dire expression... She was still doubting the truth of Padme being in a relationship with Anakin. It was clear from a glance. Oh, girl... how will she react when she realizes the true extent of that relationship? 

More importantly, I looked at Hondo with a questioning glare and asked him. 

-What is this supposed to mean? Why do you tie them up? 

He smirked and said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

-I saved them from a bunch of commando droids that were obsessed with exterminating them. They should have been thankful for such an act, but you know how it is. Nobody appreciates genuine heartfelt kindness and things like that nowadays... I am a pirate, not some white knight. My boys need to eat well, and drinking isn't exactly cheap either. One leads to another, and well, here we are. As my dear mother always said, you can't live well just from honest work.

-In other words, you kidnapped them!

I shouted angrily... it was a typical Hondo thing... I felt foolish, that I didn't realize it earlier. 

-Bingo, but I wasn't the one who injured her, so do not look at me with those eyes, kiddo. Come here, let me give you a hug. No need to worry your pretty little head over such grown up stuff.

I turned away from the smirking bastard, who even dared to act hurt, because I ignored his request.

-Ah… she must be in her rebellious phase. They grow up so quickly. Sniff…

-But… boss she looks the same as two years ago.

Pointed out one of his men, but Hondo ignored it.

I whispered to Luminara while channeling powerful healing energies into Amidala's injured arm.

-So... do you have a tracker on you? 

Luminara looked at me with a suspicious glance. She was far from trusting me. I guess she was right to doubt my words at this point. To my surprise, she eventually nodded, while saying. 

-Yes, it is in my pocket right here... wait? Where is it? 

She started to check over her pockets in a frenzy. Then I heard a feminine voice speak up for the first time since I saw her again. It was the voice of Claire.

-Are you looking for this, perchance? 

She asked while twirling a small circular device between her thin fingers. There was a proud smirk on her face, so much similar to Hondo's that I felt irritated seeing it.

Claire was currently smiling at us, feeling somewhat haughty, no doubt. 

Luminara shouted in surprise. 

-You? But when did you take it!? 

Clair looked annoyed for a second as she shouted back to Luminara.

-Come on! Why do you think I searched you so throughly while you were sitting next to me in the hovercraft, acting like a maiden in bloom hi-hi!

-You did... oh? So you did it because of that... I thought... well, nothing... 

There was a smirk crossing the facial features of Claire as she asked coyly. 

-Are you disappointed, perhaps? We can do other things, if you are interested... 

-I... I knew that you were a pervert! 

Said Luminara in a burst of red-faced anger, no it was more like burning embarrassment. She was trying to cover it up with anger. I guess these two had a story to tell... but I was not exactly keen on listening to it. I turned back to Hondo and said.

-Look... I can't let you sell these two... 

I felt a dangerous killing intent thrown at me from a certain corner of the room. This one was no joke. I could sense raw bloodlust filling the room all of a sudden. 

I turned towards the direction and saw the other woman, whose name I didn't know, glaring at me like a chained wild beast ready to pounce on its juicy prey. I decided to change my wording. 

-... I mean, these three, tell me how much do you want for them. I will pay for it, as long as it is reasonable.

Hondo looked at me with a clearly surprised gaze. He didn't expect that, and was suspicious of my offer. 

-And, from what money do you exactly plan to pay me? Forgive my doubts, sweetheart, but seeing that you don't even have the credits to buy a full pair of socks... I can't see how you would be able to fulfill such a claim. Or did you mean to take their place instead? But I am not into the slave trade industry, especially with children.

Everyone in the room looked at my feet, and sensing their ridicule, my face burned bright red. 

Seeing my reaction, the other pirates laughed at me without further hesitation. Even Claire giggled.

Hondo added with reinvigorated confidence. 

-Now, you see. We are old friends and all. I know that you are pretty troublesome, so I won't mess with you. It simply isn't worth it. In exchange, I wish you to not mess with my business ei-the-...r... argh? 

Hondo's hand quickly reached up to his neck. There was disbelief and fear crossed his eyes for a fickle second. The other pirates did the same except for Claire, who I didn't want to traumatize any further. Sensing the growing invisible pressure around their throats has quickly dispersed their overly jovial mood. My eyes turned to a glistening yellow as I whispered coldly.

-I believe that it is not me who is in a misunderstanding, my old friend. But since we are so called old acquaintances, let me give you a choice this time. You can give me a reasonable price, and I will pay you, or I will kill you and be done with it. Now how does this sound to you?

At this point, Hondo's face was covered in layers of perspiration. He had to gather his strength to nod back at me, accepting my offer.

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With that, I lowered my gaze and continued to focus on Amidala's injury, which I never stopped treating. There were a few loud gasps in the room, as the pirates could breathe normally once more. I heard Hondo complain to Claire almost immediately. 

-Damn... you should have told me that she was crazy... 

I heard her whisper back in a weak, fearful tone.

-I told you exactly that! You just never listen to me! 

-But how was I supposed to believe that she had that kind of money? She works as a server in a random restaurant!

-Think for once dad, if she is that strong... do you think she couldn't take as much money as she wants? 

-Now that you mention it that way... hmm... But then why is she working here.. Is she retarded...

-Who knows... she is a kid, kids will be kids no matter how strong they are... She could be acting as an adult intentionally for all we know.

-Hmmm... you are right. I didn't think about that, also the half pair of socks, actually it might be some sort of new fashion trend here... Coruscant people are completely crazy with ridiculous fashion trends. Do you remember that woman wearing a banana formed hat just the other day?

-Ah, you might be right, Da... I will look it up on my holotool.

-...

-Did you find something, is that it? 

-Eh... no, she might be just that poor, actually...

At this particular moment, I was seriously contemplating if I should just smother them with my bare hands, but I somehow managed to swallow my anger and pride. Deciding to act like I didn't hear them at all.

Unfortunately, the fools didn't make that part easy. They were talking loud enough for me to hear without even trying. Crazy fuckers. I can't believe this. I just threatened them and they ignored it almost entirely.

Then I felt another called threatening aura focused on me. My hand shook from the unexpected intensity.

-You are a Sith! You have revealed your true nature! I should have realized this much earlier!

Luminara shouted at me with a betrayed expression fueled by righteous anger.

-Eh?…

Oh, shoot… my eyes must have changed to yellow… I forgot to cover it up since I spent most weeks in the near past at home where it doesn’t matter…

The moment my attention was strongly focused on my eyes, I found my vision blurred, and with a powerful wave of nausea, my vision gradually darkened as spots of colorful dots began to dance everywhere, making my head suffer a splitting headache...

Ahhh…! This pain… why does it have to change right now? At the worst possible time, what did I do to… wait…

In the moment of clarity, as the pain hammered against my temples and a series of shouts filled the room. Just before my vision turned completely dark, I saw a green lightsaber being ignited as a few blaster shots were sent around wildly. What was going on? Did she get a hold of her saber? How did she get rid of the binding around her hand? I decided to throw myself on the floor next to the bed the moment the first blaster shot whisked by my head.

It was at that moment, when I had this eureka moment. My eyes! I was almost entirely sure about this. It was so simple! They turn when I focus on them strongly. It can explain why it always changed back to normal while I slept, and the moment I concentrated on them, just after I awakened in the morning, they immediately turned to this new form. Since I was so focused on figuring out how they work, I concentrated on the fact that I was mostly blind almost every wake hour. I have managed to overlook something so simple.

Now I must stop focusing on my eyes, and then it will turn back naturally, at least if my assumption is correct.

The chaos in the room seemed to calm down evidently. I was lying on my back, while concentrating on anything, then my eyes, and eventually it happened. My eyes began to clear and change back to normal.

I was feeling so happy about this outcome I wanted to jump up… Almost missing to register the green lightsaber pointed at my neck.

-Eh?

I slowly looked to the side and saw as Hondo and his man had run away.

-Turn on your stomach, kid. I won’t let a dark-side user roam freely, especially not after today. No matter your explanation, you are under arrest. If you oppose any further, I will have to use violence, since you dared to impersonate a jedi padawan and have those hateful eyes…

Oh no! Not again!

-…-You must be losing your grip, master… you seriously have to condemn me while your temple is on fire! I was trying to help you here, without causing trouble… yet you had to damage the restaurant room, no doubt scaring away the customers and such…

-Silence, you come here, bind her hands tightly mercenary… We can’t let her slip away, she might be one of the people behind this entire mess.

-Now turn around, kid… I won’t say it again.

I was looking at the brainless idiot with a shocked glare… I was trying to help them… yet she was doing this to me without no reason… I hate these indoctrinated idiots!

I heard a pair of heavy feet running towards the room, then a colossal form with four arms, all equipped with a different type of heavy blaster weapon, burst into the room.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Ava took in the scenery.

I was lying on my stomach with a lightsaber pointed at the back of my head as a mercenary was about to tie my hands together. The room was in shambles, filled with still smoking blaster shots, and while the kidnapped senator was lying on the bed, injured and unconscious.

All of that is in the hotel where she works.

-…

-…

-…

-…

-Anakin… please… hurry…

Amidala breathed out tiredly.

-Get your hands off that girl, before I decide to shoot you fuckers to bits. I don’t give a shit if you are jedi or not.

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