“As long as we’re not finding Uncle Luke, I think maybe we shou-”

“Jacen, no.”

“You’re so mean.”

“Only to you.”

Jacen sighed and raised his fist to knock on the next door. “Hello? Uncle Luke?”

“Come in,” Called Luke’s voice from inside. Jacen glanced at Tenel Ka before going inside.

“Uncle Luke? We kinda need to talk to you about-”

“Tenel Ka’s marriage, I know. I was just about to contact your parents, Tenel Ka.” Luke said, looking up from a data pad on his desk.

“Actually Master Skywalker, we wanted to discuss the force tests.” Tenel Ka said.

“Oh, those. Don’t concern yourselves with it, I’ll come see you when I feel you’re ready, or you can set up a set time now.” Luke said.

Jacen and Tenel Ka glanced at each other. “We’ll let you see us,” Jacen said.

“All right then, You two can-”

“Hey Luke, can you hand me my- Oh, hello Jacen.” Mara Jade came out from behind a shelf which Tenel Ka swore had not been there a few seconds earlier.

“Mara Jade? What are you doing here?” Jacen asked. He hadn’t seen Mara in years; why would she be at the Jedi Academy?

“Nephew, what are you talking about? Luke and I have been married for years, we live here together.” Mara answered automatically.

“But you haven’t been around for years! How could you two be married?”

“We got together a couple years before you and your sister came to the Academy, Jacen.” Luke said.

“Then why didn’t you ever talk about her? Why didn’t we ever see her?” Jacen asked.

“Oh, I didn’t want to overshadow your adventures.” Mara said, “Besides, I’ve spent most of my time meditating in some of the other temples.”

Jacen stared at her blankly. “You spent over five years meditating in a temple?”

“Jacen, you know Mara. She really does love to mediate.” Luke said.

“Love to meditate? What are you talking about?” Jacen asked.

“Jacen, she really enjoys her meditating.” Luke said through clenched teeth.

“Yeah but-”

“Jacen, we are finished here. Let us go.” Tenel Ka grabbed his arm and guided a slightly-sputtering Jacen out with her.

“Tenel Ka, I don’t care what they say, but Mara has not been here for years! When did they ever get married? Something’s not right.” Jacen said, as soon as they were a safe distance away from the room where Luke and Mara were.

Tenel Ka gave him a Look. “Jacen, I do not care when they got together. I do not care that we have never heard any inkling of their marriage until now. I do not care how much Mara likes to meditate. But at least I am now certain of one thing.”

“What?” Jacen asked.

“I finally know he’s not gay.”

Honestly, some people are just beyond stupid. Why doesn’t she try to shoot the person before shooting herself? Although her death is hopefully another way for me to get back, Jaina thought.

Angelica’s hand trembled as she backed away from the window. The intruder was fumbling with the latch. She heard the window finally opening and felt the cold night air rushing inside.

The intruder clambered inside and quickly shut the window. The encroacher easily caught hold of Angelica’s arm as she tried to escape. Flipping the nearby light switch, the intruder turned to glower at Angelica.

“What’re you doing? I only needed to wake you up so you could get your stupid droid off your ship!” Anakin noticed the blaster she held. “And why do you have that?”

Angelica had been trying to hide the small weapon in the bedclothes, but he’d seen it. “How was I supposed to know you weren’t some invalid trying to break in?”

“Because an invalid wouldn’t have a key, that’s how. What’s up with you having a blaster?” He motioned towards the lump next to her on the bed.

“Protection! Why should I trust anyone here?” Angelica, giving up on failed secrecy, grabbed her shoe from the ground and replaced the tiny weapon.

Anakin sighed, tried of the argument. “Look, I only came because we found your ship, surprisingly in one piece, and your droid won’t let anyone near it so we need you to come to convince him otherwise. Ok?”

“Fine, I’ll go to my ship. But I need some time to get ready.” She said.

“Why do you need to be ready? We’re just going out into the desert.” He objected.

Giving him a withering look, Angelica said, “Have you even so much as looked at my hair? It’s damaged! The atmosphere here is so lacking in moisture. And my eyes! See the dark rings under them? Those are from your oh-so-polite wakeup call. If I was at home looking like this, I wouldn’t leave the house for days. And here I don’t have any of my staff to help me look better, so I should stay in for about a month, but-”

Seeking an end to her obviously endless tirade, Anakin interrupted her, “You have five minutes, not five weeks. The longer you take the more likely everyone in the wilderness gives up on your arriving and leaves your ship and droid for the Sand People, so hurry up.” He then stalked out, leaving her annoyed and disheveled on the bed.

Approximately twenty-five minutes later Angelica was ‘ready’ to go. Jaina was utterly bored while Angelica was fixing her hair and eyes, and it wasn’t any more interesting to listen to Anakin and Angelica bicker while they hiked to her ship.

“Can’t you walk any faster?”

“Can’t you walk any slower? The soles of my shoes are wearing down, and you have no idea how hard that is to do with heels!”

Anakin turned around to look back at her. “And it’s pretty hard to wear your shoes down in sand, so something’s wrong with your feet.”

Angelica’s temper flared, and she drew herself up indignantly. “Wrong with my feet? How dare you speak to me like that? You are nothing more than an insufferable peasant in some backwater world, which by the way I did not ask to crash onto, and I have had a very long and tiresome week, so if you expect for me to quietly walk another twelve kilometers in heels, for the second time today, then the delusions you suffer from are most definitely worse than any ailment that could possibly be wrong with my feet.”

“Whatever, we’re almost there.”

About bloody time, thought Jaina. The redundant squabbles arising every few minutes were worse than the preliminary force lessons she’d been subject to on Coruscant.

The pair continued in silence for awhile, Anakin stopping every so often to wait for Angelica to catch up. In less than ten standard minutes they had reached the well-lit site where Angelica’s ship was.

A young man waved them over. Angelica studied him carefully; he was wearing a Jedi cloak, and that could get her in trouble. She glanced at Anakin and smiled to herself at his grimace. No wonder the he’d been able to tell she was lying.

The Jedi smiled at Angelica. “So you’re the one they’ve all been talking about. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight at your service.” Obi-Wan bowed his head slightly, and then focused on Anakin. “Any chance you’ve reconsidered my offer?”

Anakin glared at him. “No, I have not reconsidered in the past two hours, and I will never reconsider. I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

Angelica smiled. This was going to be fun. “Well, doesn’t that clear a few things up.”

Anakin watched her warily. “Clear what up?”

She batted her eyelashes innocently. “Why, I’m talking about your little mind reading habit. How could you possibly do that, if not by the force?”

Obi-Wan’s head shot up. “You mean he’s used the force in your presence?”

She smiled sweetly. “Oh course he has, and he’s quite good at it too.”

Obi-Wan looked sternly at Anakin. “You told me you couldn’t use the force, and I didn’t catch you lying, which means you were using it then.”

Anakin glared at Angelica. “I only use it when I think I need to. And aren’t were here for your ship?”

“Naturally.” Angelica said, “Do you need me to unlock anything?”

Anakin sighed, grateful or the reprieve. “No, we got it open. Problem is, your hyperdrive’s shot and we’ll need to order a new open.”

Angelica frowned. “So I’ll be able to leave sometime tomorrow?”

Anakin shook his head. “Shipment won’t be in for a few months, what with Tatooine being so far out.”

Her eyes widened. “What? I need to be in less than a week, and you’re telling me I’m going to be stuck here for months!”

Anakin snickered at her anger. “Months if you’re lucky. Sometimes shipments don’t come in at all.”

“Excuse me,” said Obi-Wan. “I have a working ship, and I’d be glad to give you a lift to wherever you may be going, if you could convince Anakin to come with us.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard.” Angelica said. “Anakin, how much would I have to pay you to convince you to come with us?”

Anakin frowned. “How much do you have?

“How much do you want?” She countered.

“Fifteen million, cash, and then I would go.” Anakin answered without hesitating.

Angelica smiled to herself; he obviously thought she couldn’t pull fifteen million up in a single day. In fact, he probably didn’t think she had fifteen million, one could buy as many ships as the thousands with that kind of money, and the wealthiest being on this planet couldn’t have more than a few hundred thousand capital. “You do agree to come with us if I supply you with fifteen million by tomorrow morning, and we leave immediately thereafter?”

Anakin looked at her incredulously. “Yes, I agree! For that kind of money I’d go through with bathrobe man’s Jedi thing.”

Obi-Wan smiled, Anakin had to go to the Jedi Counsel now. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the docking bays. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Angelica.” The young Jedi turned and walked slowly away from them.

Anakin laughed nervously. “Angelica, you don’t really have fifteen million, do you?”

She smiled again. “In my ship, I’ll show you.”

Anakin followed Angelica as she cut through the mechanics who were still at her ship. She strode up the ramp and went straight to the seats in the ship’s lounge. Angelica knelt down to the left seat to pull out a heavy durasteel case. She punched the four number code in, and started pulling out hundred thousand credit chips.

Angelica looked up at Anakin’s shocked expression. “Now, how much was that again? fifteen or sixteen?

I finally finished this part! And only in three short months!