A New Beginning

Chapter 27

When Siri awoke, it was the pain that she noticed first. She put her right hand over her left shoulder and when she touched the spot where Boba Fett's blaster bolt struck her, she felt sticky, wet blood. She was losing blood at a steady rate, but she knew that the wound wasn't life threatening as long as she staunched the blood. She applied pressure with her hand to the wound for several long agonizing moments until at last the blood clotted. Then ripping a long strip off her tunic and fashioned a crude bandage, she made it as tight as she could. Her task done at last, Siri finally looked around at her surroundings.

Siri knew right away that she was on a ship; it wasn't hard to recognize the soft hum of the engines. She could be anywhere, but the only thing she worried about was her son. Would she really be able to save her baby from the hands of the Empire? She had to hope that Obi-Wan was following and that he had a plan, but the truth was that plans hardly ever worked the first time.

Siri drew in the Force and let its comforting presence wash over her, and then she used it to stretch out. She tried to see if she could sense the presence of Riyan or Obi-Wan, but she could detect nothing. She only suspected one presence on the ship and she strongly suspected it was Boba Fett. His plan had been perfect; he incapacitated and weakened Siri without killing her. He obvious knew what a Jedi could do and wanted to subdue her. If he'd wanted to kill her then Siri was sure she would already be dead. Someone wanted her alive and Siri was pretty sure she knew who.

"What is your plan," Obi-Wan asked Ferus as he prepped their craft for hyperspace.

"You do know that we are falling into a trap," Ferus replied, not daring to look Obi-Wan in the eyes.

"I have no desire to face the Emperor or especially Vader, so what do you have in mind?" Obi-Wan snapped, a little more aggressively than he meant. His worry over Siri and Riyan was putting him on edge in a way that he hadn't been in years.

"Why especially Vader?" Ferus asked, confused. "I thought the Emperor was the worst threat."

Obi-Wan bit his tongue, but then sighed. "You should know the truth. Darth Vader is…Anakin Skywalker."

"What?!" Ferus asked in confusion and dismay. "But—how?"

"It is a long a tragic tale," Obi-Wan said sadly. "But what matter is that Anakin has fallen to the Dark Side and is now a Sith Lord."

"But the suit, why disguise himself?" Ferus wondered.

"It is a life support system," Obi-Wan explained. "I nearly killed him on Mustafar, but Sidious found a way to keep him alive."

"It all makes sense now," Ferus muttered.

"The real question is why did Sidious and Vader let you go free?"Obi-Wan asked.

Ferus winced, "They let me go."

"And?" Obi-Wan pressed.

"They want me to lure you to them," Ferus admitted honestly. "Like I said, it is a trap."

"They must know that I'm Riyan's father," Obi-Wan said, frowning.

"I think so too," Ferus agreed.

"I can't face the Emperor and Vader," Obi-Wan said thinking about Luke on Tatooine. "Too much is at stake."

"I know that," Ferus replied. "I have a plan."

After Ferus explained the details, Obi-Wan grimaced. "I have a bad feeling about this, but it is the best plan we have."

"It will work," Ferus replied forcing a smile. "What could go wrong?"