Return to their account

The Face-Off: Special Edition
September 3, 2006 04:03:32 PM
Note: This story was written over a period of several months. I would put a declaimer, but I haven't much time. Basically, if it was one of the six Star Wars movies, then it belongs to George Lucas. If it wasn't in the movies, then it belongs to me. Please don't steal my poor fan
story. Thanks.

~~

Chapter I
The Return to Coruscant

Space. It seemed so dark and lonely with only the billions of stars twinkling in their positions. Below them, hanging free in the nothingness, was the city-planet of Coruscant. From the outside, it appeared serenely beautiful, but as you descended through the atmosphere, it transformed into a hubbub of busy excitement. Drifting high above the streets to the docking bays was a small streamlined ship. As protection, two yellow fighters flanked either side of the craft. The ship's dark blue paint reflected the sunlight in the most flattering way, and its markings identified it as a senatorial craft belonging to the Royal House of Naboo.

Seated in the rear of the elegantly shaped ship was a lovely young woman named Fyoraa Meringo. Her golden-blond hair glistened like cornsilk in the afternoon sun, and her bright blue eyes stared out the oval window. Her mind was churning with turmoil as she contemplated her future. It had been a mere four months since she was listed as a member of the legendary Rogue Squadron and since she had visited Coruscant. With the defeat of the Empire said and done, the queen of Naboo had rewarded Fyoraa for her bravery in the war by appointing her to represent the emerald planet in the New Republic Senate. As she thought about where she had been and all she had done, Fyoraa sighed. As proud as she was to represent her beloved home, her heart ached for the days when she ran hair-raising missions against the Empire. But most of all, her heart longed for the romance she had shared with Luke Skywalker. Loving and being loved had made the seemingly unceasing struggle a little easier for them both. After the Battle of Endor, Luke had promised that they would be married in a few days, but those days came and went, and nothing changed. Then she was asked to serve as senator, and the promotion caused her to make the gut-wrenching choice to leave Luke behind. Besides, she had told him when she left, he had the Jedi Order to rebuild. There was not any way that he would have time for a family. But as her ship touched down on the landing pad, Fyoraa smiled to herself.

"It's good to be back...finally," she thought. "I'll get to see Luke again."

The craft's pilot entered her compartment. His youthful face seemed tired, but more than glad that the journey was over. He bowed at the waist, and the golden fringe on his crimson uniform danced around his shoulders.

"Senator Meringo," he announced. "we've just landed in the docking bays. A transport is waiting to take you to your apartment."

Fyoraa nodded, but did not really hear what the pilot said. She rose from her seat and walked down the ramp, being careful not to trip on her hunter green traveling dress. Almost before she knew it, she boarded a cramped transport and was whisked away to her new home. The short trip went by in a blur, and soon she was being escorted off the transport and up to the senatorial apartment complex. The tall building was nearly dwarfed by the next-door Senate building. Even though it was elliptical, it still managed to cast a shadow of power over everything around it. Fyoraa swallowed hard, and pretended to ignore it for now.

"Well, this is it. Here goes nothing," she thought to herself as a porter wearing a black military-style jacket led her to her sprawling apartment.

Upon entering, Fyoraa was taken aback by the palatial splendor of the apartment. The walls were covered in hand-crafted cream paper, and the floor was carpeted with the most exquisite shade of blue. Delicately carved mahogany furniture accentuated with gilded hardware adorned the rooms. Covering her windows were drapes of the most expensive gold and blue silk. Even the cushions that covered the couch were made of silk and stuffed to overflowing with swan feathers. Her bed was a giant four-poster that was also crafted of the finest mahogany in the galaxy. The mattress was full and luxurious, and was stuffed with the choicest down. Golden silk sheets and a lavish cobalt-blue silk comforter were draped gracefully over the mattress. Everywhere she looked, Fyoraa saw an overflow of grandeur that made her feel classy and out of place all at once. She hardly noticed when the porter set her trunks in a corner of the spacious parlor.

"If you need anything, we're always at your service," he said, backing out the door.

Fyoraa nodded somewhat absently, then suddenly snapping out of her haze, she turned and gave him a tip of fifty credits, an amount that is, for a simple tip, quite extravagant.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said gratefully, gently shutting the door behind him.

Fyoraa strolled about her apartment for a few moments, admiring each beautiful item with a gentle touch. Her femininity kicked in, and she fell in love with the beauty of her new home. Ever since she was a little girl she had dreamed of someday living in a place as magnificent as this. She sat down on the posh couch and sighed. What should she do first? Perhaps an afternoon nap would be a good idea. But then again, she was not all that exhausted. Maybe an early dinner? She was not that hungry.

"I'll go see Luke!" she exclaimed, suddenly springing to her feet.

Happily, Fyoraa rushed to her trunks and pulled out a cottony pale blue tunic-dress. She changed in the dressing chamber, and spent nearly half an hour tweaking her appearance. She combed her long blonde hair until it shone and let it hang loosely about her shoulders. She slipped into cool silk slippers that matched her dress perfectly. She did not need to apply any make-up to her face; it was already glowing. As quickly as she could, she left her apartment and hurried down to the apartment lobby.

"Hello, Senator," said a kind-faced old secretary as Fyoraa approached the front desk. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like a transport to take me to the Jedi Academy." Fyoraa replied.

The woman smiled and nodded, and Fyoraa sat down on a soft leather ottoman as she waited for the transport. It was not long before a sleek red air-taxi pulled up in front of the apartment complex. Fyoraa nearly ran to meet it, but remembering the four months of agonizing political and social training she had undergone, slowed to a walk. She was almost bouncing with the excitement of seeing Luke again. The short ride across town seemed excruciatingly long to her, and when the taxi arrived at the Academy, she all but forgot to pay the driver for his time.

Chapter II
Meeting Luke

Fyoraa half-walked, half-ran up the pathway to the Academy's door. She did not stop to stare in awe at the stately entrance to the building. She did not stop to admire the brand-new statues that honored the most famous Jedi of the past. She did not stop to revel in how wonderfully soft the Academy's new carpet was under her feet. She did not stop to observe the Jedi going about their daily business, or even listen to the identifying hums of lightsabers in action coming from the end of a long corridor. She merely made a beeline to the main desk.

"Where can I find Luke Skywalker?" she quickly asked the secretary.

"Oh," answered the tall young lady behind the desk. "Master Skywalker isn't here right now. In fact, you just missed him. He left not even an hour ago."

It took all of Fyoraa's willpower to keep from stomping her foot, pounding her fist on the desk, and screaming "Drat!". She collected herself and took a breath. Smiling, she turned back to the secretary.

"Have you any idea where I could possibly look for him?"

"Of course," answered the secretary. "You could try looking at his apartment building. It's next door at the complex. His apartment is on the penthouse level. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it since it's the only one up there."

"Thank you," Fyoraa said as she hurried back out the door.

She began to run next door, but quickly slowed to a walk. She stopped beside a statue of the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. All of a sudden, her stomach was twisting with nervousness. Her heart began to pound, and her mind raced with doubt.

"What if he doesn't remember me?" she thought.

She entered the coolness of the apartment building and started toward an elevator. This place seemed completely uninhabited with all the Jedi next door, and the solitude frightened her.

"Don't be silly," she told herself. "Of course he'll remember you!"

It only took a matter of seconds for the lift to ferry Fyoraa to the penthouse level. As soon as it stopped, she saw Luke's door in front of her. Her heart began to pound even harder, and her mouth went dry. Swallowing hard, she knocked on the door. There was no answer. She sighed and tried again. Still nothing. Finally, with kind of a "Oh-what-the-heck" mentality, she shrugged and tapped the 'open' button on the control panel. The door slowly slid open with a hiss.

"Strange that it wasn't locked," she thought suspiciously.

When the door opened completely, Fyoraa stepped into the apartment and looked up. There was Luke, lying on his couch...and lying directly on top of him was a beautiful woman with jet-black hair. The woman was kissing Luke! Fyoraa felt her cheeks grow hot and red with anger, and her fists clenched. She could not decide whether she wanted to storm out of the apartment and never come back or run over Luke with a steamroller. The thoughts that then popped into Fyoraa's mind were "This will make quite a story for the tabloids" and "How could he?!". She closed her eyes and cleared her throat. Both the raven-haired woman and Luke sat up so quickly that the other woman tumbled off the couch and onto the floor.

"Luke," Fyoraa said coolly, raising an eyebrow. "I see you've made a friend."

The other woman pushed her hair out of the way flippantly, and Luke scrambled to get off the couch.

"Oh, Fyoraa! You're back. It's SO nice to see you again! But, uh, I didn't expect to see you, er, here. W-well, anywhere, for that matter. Ohh..."

With a groan of humiliation, he sank back to the couch and put his head in his hands. Fyoraa cast a glance down to the woman who was still sitting on the floor, and instantly recognized her. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She had just found Luke with her worst enemy: the bounty hunter Orin Keno!

"Hello, Orin."

Orin Keno jumped to her feet and shot an icy glare at Fyoraa. Fyoraa could feel the bounty hunter's pale green eyes scrutinizing her every move. She walked nearer to her.

"What a pleasant surprise," she continued. "I didn't expect to find you - a lying, conniving, no-good bounty hunter - to be the one I'd find my boyfriend cheating on me with."

Orin looked over at Luke, who sat shaking his head and mumbling "You moron" to himself.

"So, this is the twiggy little girl you call the 'love of your life', eh, Luke? I have to say, she is relatively cute. Reminds me a bit of a puppy that can't leave its boy's side."

Luke looked up into Fyoraa's eyes and whispered "I'm sorry". Then his head went back into his hands and he began muttering "Stupid, stupid, stupid". Orin laughed.

"Would'ja looks at that. He's sorry!"

Fyoraa nodded a forgiving acknowledgment to Luke, and made eye contact with her archenemy. Her body still kept a rigid posture that was so characteristic of her.

"Oh yes," Fyoraa retorted. "He's sorry because I found him, shall we say, sleeping with the enemy!"

Orin's nostrils flared.

"I'm surprised he ever saw anything to you," she hissed, her hands akimbo.

"I was just about to say the same thing to you."

Tension was mounting between the two women, who just stood staring at each other with fire and hatred in their eyes. Each woman stood toe-to-toe with her worst antagonist. Fyoraa was breathing deeply, trying to control her anger. Orin was breathing in quick gasps, evidently not caring one iota about controlling her anger. Finally she stormed out of the apartment, brushing past Fyoraa as hard as she could. Fyoraa was knocked off balance for a moment, but soon turned to watch Orin leave.

"I'll be seeing you," she said.

Orin's back straightened and she turned slowly. One could almost feel the anger seething inside her.

"Make that tonight, at midnight, in the hangar that is farthest from this building before you reach the old astro droid factory. We'll see who is worthy of Luke."

"I'm going to tell you right now, it won't be you," Fyoraa replied, accepting the challenge.

"It will be whoever is left alive." Orin rebutted tightly. "And that won't be you."

With that, Orin turned on heel and stormed down the hall. Fyoraa looked over at Luke. Their eyes met, and she shook her head in disappointment. Nothing was said. There were simply two pairs of blue eyes staring at each other. Fyoraa's shoulders slumped, and she bowed her head in sadness before turning and quietly leaving the apartment. The door closed with a pop, and Luke was left staring about it. He balled his hand into a fist and punched the couch.

"Idiot!" he shouted at himself. "What have I done?"

Deep down in his heart, he knew that he had wronged Fyoraa more badly than words could mend, and that he had broken a promise he had made to her while holding her in his arms onboard the Home I all those years ago. "I will never do anything to hurt you," he had said.

As Luke remembered the words he had spoken, the look of pure anguish in Fyoraa's eyes gave him a stomachache. Abruptly he realized that she was now on the verge of dueling the infamously deadly Orin Keno on his behalf! He reeled with the thought of her lying dead in that hangar, and cringed when he realized that would leave him stuck with Orin for the rest of his life.

"I can't do it," he said aloud. "I can't let her fight Orin. She'll be killed!"

Chapter III
Luke Pays a Visit

Several hours later, Fyoraa returned to her apartment after the extensive ceremony that made her an official member of the Senate. The pomp and circumstance of the whole occasion had begun to wear on her about halfway through it all. At the banquet that was given in her honor, the noise of hundreds, maybe thousands, of senators talking continually had nearly worn her nerves raw, but thank goodness the food was good. The chairman of the Senate had given a huge speech that took at least two hours to complete, and to make matters worse, Fyoraa had already made an enemy with the notoriously spiteful senator Aak Shec. And on top of all that, her brand-new purple velvet ballgown was beginning to itch. Now, her head throbbed with a terrible headache, and the thought of the luxuriously soft bed in her brand-new apartment was all too appealing. But as she entered the security code to unlock her door, she had a sickening thought.

"Oh, great. I have to face Orin Keno tonight!" she groaned.

Fyoraa stepped into her apartment and flipped on a light. When the room brightened, she almost screamed, for she had a visitor sitting on her couch.

"Relax, it's just me!" said Luke.

Fyoraa sighed, the adrenaline stopped pumping so hard, and her heart rate slowed considerably.

"How did you get in here? That door is locked with the most high-tech security box on the market!"

"Well," Luke replied, scratching the back of his neck. "I mind-tricked the security guard downstairs and got him to tell me the entrance code. And that got me wondering: how did you get into my apartment this afternoon?"

"I guess Orin left the door unlocked," Fyoraa answered, throwing her deep blue cloak onto a nearby chair. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"I came to apologize for what happened this afternoon, and I came to warn you."

"I've already forgiven you." She paused a moment, thinking. "But warn me? About...?"

"About Orin. Fyoraa, you absolutely cannot fight her! Not only can you not win, she's a bounty hunter. Who knows what kinds of weapons she's got on her."

Fyoraa groaned.

"So that's what you got in here for?"

"Yes."

She looked into his eyes, and in them she saw fear and worry. She did not like the way his eyes looked. There was something else in them that she could not quite place a finger on. Trying to ignore the strange feelings in her stomach, she walked off to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and retrieved a painkiller from the pantry. She returned to her parlor in but a few moments.

"So, you're saying that if I go out and defend myself against her that I'll be cut down in a matter of seconds?" she asked.

"Yes!" Luke exclaimed, almost shouting.

Fyoraa flashed her trademark smile. Years ago it was the broad grin of a self-confident, gung-ho pilot, but now it was the broad grin of a self-confident, gung-ho senator. Luke wondered to himself how she could seem so calm when she was about to go forth and possibly be killed. Then he remembered that Fyoraa had always been that way, always confident about every situation she got herself into, and that was what made him fall in love with her in the first place. For a split-second, he smiled reminiscently.

"I'll think of something," she said. "No worries."

Luke stood and walked toward the door. Then he just stopped and started twiddling his thumbs. It seemed as though he did not even want to leave her alone for five minutes for fear something would happen to her.

"I still don't want you to go out there."

"Then why don't you come with me? Oh, come on, Luke, you know I'll be fine. I promise. Now get going! I need to get my rest before I get out there and give Orin what-for."

She smiled again. Luke was, for a short moment, reassured. He turned to leave, and Fyoraa almost had to shove him out the door. She had just gotten him out and the door almost shut when he stopped it.

"You're sure you'll be okay?"

"Will you quit worrying? I'll be great! And hey, I bet you five hundred credits I come back without a scratch."

"Okay," Luke said, but was still uneasy about this whole ordeal.

Once the young Jedi was gone, Fyoraa triple-locked the door and sank to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself and heaved a shuddering sigh. Tears welled up in her eyes as she contemplated what she was about to do. Her stomach twisted with fear and nervousness, and she looked around like a child does when left alone in a dark room.

"I am so dead."

Chapter IV
Orin and the Imperial

Meanwhile, back on Orin Keno's ship, the Crosswind, the bounty hunter readied herself for her upcoming battle. The dimness of the ship's interior reflected the darkness of Orin's heart. Perhaps she just did not see a need for better lighting, but it was much more likely that she had found it was better to work under the cover of darkness.

"Four hours to go," she told herself, polishing the various weapons she had in her arsenal. "I bet that Meringo won't show. She's too much of a coward. She'd never give her life for Skywalker."

Nearby, a communicator screen buzzed. Orin stood and answered the call. When the hologram came through, it was the image of a frighteningly disfigured old Imperial officer. His uniform was tattered and patched a hundred times over. His hair was completely gray, save a small area at the nape of his neck. A huge scar perhaps six inches long ran down the left side of his face, and where his right eye had been was now simply skin sewn over the socket. He spoke with an accent that just screamed evil.

"Yes?" Orin said.

"Orin Keno," the man hissed. "Have you got Skywalker for me yet?"

"Not yet. I've run into a little trouble."

"A little...trouble? Keno, I am not paying you to run into obstacles. I am paying you to bring me Skywalker so I may torment him as I have been tormented ever since the day he attacked my base."

"I know that. But anyway, Skywalker's girlfriend got to town today. After a little digging, I found that she's been away from Coruscant for several months and that she's now representing Naboo in the Senate. She kind of...well...caught me in the middle of Stage 2 of my plan, and is officially determined to kill me."

"No doubt you mean the part of your plan in which you get on Skywalker's 'good side'?"

"The same one."

"Hmm." The Imperial seemed troubled. "No, this is not good at all. What is the name of thissss...girlfriend?"

Orin flipped open a data pad, where most of Fyoraa's personal and political information popped up, except the few little things about Fyoraa's life that no one knew or dared to know.

"Let's see here...Fyoraa Amira Meringo. Born in Emidé, Naboo, to Rafayell and Rashella Meringo. She has two siblings, a brother and a sister. Brother was supposedly killed at the Battle of Endor, but nodody's ever followed through with finding out for sure. Not that it matters...but anyway, her sister is now living alone in Theed in the service of the Queen. Uh, says here that Meringo served in the Rebel Alliance from the time that she was fifteen years old and became a top pilot at an early age. She was promoted until she became second only to Rogue Leader, that is, Skywalker. After the defeat of the Empire, she spent a few weeks on vacation until the Queen of Naboo called her to duty as senator. That was four months ago, and she's been away from Coruscant for those four months to undergo political training."

Orin flipped the data pad closed. The hologram of the Imperial seemed thoughtful.

"Then perhaps both she AND Skywalker are to blame for this...haggard appearance."

"Not likely. Remember, Skywalker led the actual attack on the base at Jzaal. Meringo merely took out the shield generator. And remember, you're not paying me to bring Meringo to you. You're paying me for Skywalker. If you wanted Meringo, I'd have been hunting for her, and there would be a bigger credit number next to my name on your pay list. Which reminds me: when do I get the money?"

"When I have Skywalker."

"All right, then. How do you want me to take out Meringo?"

"Eliminate her any way you see fit."

"Anything you say."

Chapter V
Obtaining a Weapon

Nearly two hours after Orin's conversation with the Imperial, Fyoraa sat bolt upright in bed, and for once was completely awake. Throwing the heavy silken comforter back, she climbed from her bed and hurried to pull on her clothes. From her closet, she chose a black blouse with flowing sleeves that cinched at the wrists, and black trousers that were not baggy in any way. Over these she pulled a pair of newly-shined black boots. Her choice of wardrobe was ironic, because not only was she going against evil, her entire world felt completely dark. As Fyoraa tied her hair back with a crimson ribbon, she looked out the wide bay window at the thin air traffic, and realized that this might be the last time she would ever see that sight. The gleaming speeders were more beautiful than ever before in the night sky, and the stars twinkled even brighter far beyond the tallest of Coruscant's skyscrapers. Reaching down to a small crystal jewelry box, Fyoraa clasped her favorite locket around her neck. She opened it, and gazed down at the small picture of Luke she had put in a couple of years ago. She sighed.

"Now, for a weapon," she said to herself.

She loaded a fresh charge into her blaster pistol, and strapped a utility belt and holster around her waist. Slipping the pistol into place, she took a deep breath. She had only one more weapon to retrieve, then she would be ready to face Orin Keno. Fyoraa wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, and smiled, pleased with the fact that it concealed her blaster.

"Orin will never know what she got herself up against," she chuckled aloud, trying to stifle her nervous fear.

Slipping out of her apartment and locking the door behind her, Fyoraa moved like a shadow until she was out of the building. As she emerged from the complex, a cool evening breeze rippled across her face. She breathed deeply of the fresh air and felt slightly more certain of herself. She wasted no time hailing down a taxi and getting herself to the Jedi apartment complex. When she arrived, she had no problem getting past the night security guards. One of them was asleep, and the other was too tired to even ask for her identification.

"So much for security."

Inside the building, there were no more than two students hanging around. No one even noticed when she let herself into the security chambers. There was no shortage of disorganized shelves in the office, and Fyoraa felt as though she had run into a dead end. But a quick scan of the area proved fruitful: the large binder containing the security codes for every apartment in the building was sitting forlornly on an empty shelf. Fyoraa grabbed it and began to thumb through the pages. Then she stopped, and ran her finger down the page.

"S...S-k...S-k-y...S-k-y-w-a- oh yes. Here it is. 'Skywalker, Luke. Code: 3207'."

Fyoraa smiled as she picked up a nearby writing utensil and scribbled the code onto the palm of her hand. Leaving the back room exactly as she had found it, she slipped silently to an elevator and rode to the top level.

"This is easier than expected."

The lift stopped, and Fyoraa stepped off. She moved slowly across the hall, even though she did not really need to hide. Soon she was standing right in front of the security code box. Taking a deep breath, she opened the pad, typed in the code, and pressed "open." She almost passed out with relief when the door slid open.

"Well, thank goodness that it was an active code, because this time there wouldn't have been a chance that someone would kindly leave it open for me!"

Entering Luke's apartment, Fyoraa shut the door behind herself. She gave herself a minute to adjust to the darkness, and when she could see fairly well, peeked across the living room and saw Luke's bedroom. After sneaking across the room and nearly colliding with a desk, she was close enough to hear his gentle breathing.

"Now, I know he keeps his lightsaber in the drawer beside his bed. Well, at least that's where it was four months ago. This should be pretty easy...I hope..."

To her surprise, but more to her dismay, Fyoraa found that the drawer was locked, and would require yet another security code. For the second time that day, it took all her willpower not to scream "Drat!" at the top of her lungs. As she sat musing over the situation, Luke began to move in his sleep. Fyoraa instinctively dropped flat on the floor and quieted her fast breathing. A few moments later, Luke rolled back to the other side of his bed and was again sound asleep. As soon as all was perfectly silent again, Fyoraa picked herself up off the floor and opened the keypad.

"There is absolutely no way I'll be able to figure out that security code, unless...nah, he wouldn't make it something so obvious! Or would he?"

Fyoraa carefully typed in the date she and Luke had first met: 000-ABY, or, immediately after the Battle of Yavin. To her delight, the drawer slid open, and lying on a velveted stand was Luke's lightsaber.

"Yes!"

Happily, she lifted the weapon from its resting place, and clipped it onto her utility belt. A quick check of the room assured her that she had succeeded in "borrowing" the saber, and as quietly as she had entered, Fyoraa stole out of the apartment. Now she was finally ready to face Orin Keno.

Chapter VI
The Duel

Twenty minutes later, Fyoraa arrived at the deserted hangar on the far end of town. The ceiling of the old hangar was nearly caving in, and worthless speeder parts were strewn all around. A rusty old speeder was sitting in a lonely corner of the hanger, as if waiting for its owner to return. Fyoraa pulled her cloak tighter around her as if to shield herself from the cold gloominess of this place. Anxiously, she stole a quick look down to her timepiece. With dismay, she realized she would have to wait even longer to meet Orin.

"Blast it! I'm a whole fifteen minutes early!"

Leaning against a roof support, even though it was slightly unstable, she took a moment to relax. Suddenly she remembered that she had absolutely no idea whatsoever of how to use a lightsaber.

"Oh, boy. This isn't gonna be pretty. Oh, I've got a bad feeling about this."

Without advance warning, Fyoraa heard footsteps approaching. Her keen ear recognized Orin's fast-paced, off-balance stride, and she tucked herself behind the roof support. Then she saw Orin's black hair, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Meringo! Come out here, Meringo! I know you're here!" Orin shouted.

Fyoraa stepped around the support. She unhooked the clasp of her cloak and let it drift to the floor. Somehow, that act, which was supposed to make her feel bigger and braver, only made her feel smaller and more nervous.

"Right here, Orin. You didn't think I was gonna run, did you?"

Orin laughed. She crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head.

"Fyoraa, my dear, you surprise me. I didn't think you'd actually have the guts to come out here."

"I was about to say the same thing about you."

Orin huffed, then burst out with an unexpected roll of laughter when she saw Fyoraa's blaster sitting tranquilly in its holster. She unclipped a lightsaber from her belt.

"You brought a blaster?!" she jeered. "To use against what, a monkey?"

Fyoraa's shoulders squared and her eyes narrowed. There was no way that she could insinuate she had brought something far more deadly than a blaster.

"Yes. You have a problem with that? Besides, what's a bounty hunter doing with a lightsaber?"

"Well actually, as spoils of war, my family has been collecting lightsabers for genera--" She broke off quickly. "That's not the point."

Orin doubled over with raucous laughter when she took another glance at Fyoraa's blaster. Fyoraa sighed, exasperated.

"Would you just cut the cackling and let's get on with it?"

Orin's laughter was cut short, and she smiled evilly.

"Nice to see someone who wants to get to their death quickly. I like that. Just give me a few seconds with this (here her lightsaber sprung to life) and you'll be dead."

"Actually, Orin," Fyoraa answered. "I could send three quick shots at your head, and in a matter of seconds I would be victorious."

Orin bristled.

"We'll see."

She came charging at Fyoraa, who stood perfectly still until Orin was within striking distance. Then, in a flash, she reached over to her hip, pulled Luke's saber off her belt, and hit the activation switch. Orin skidded to a standstill.

"What the--?" she gaped.

Fyoraa waved it around, smiling at the green glow and low hum. Luke had shown her a lightsaber once before, and now the familiar sound restored some bravado to her.

"Lovely, isn't it?"

"Where'd you get that?"

"Oh this? Well actually, Orin, my family has collected lightsabers for generations as well." She paused, and chuckled. "No, really, I borrowed it from a friend."

Orin just stared at her.

"From a friend? You idiot, that's Luke's saber. It's got L.S. carved on the hilt as big as all get-out."

"...Oh?" Fyoraa said, feigning that she could not care less, but in reality she got even more frightened to fight.

Orin shrugged and charged her again, and Fyoraa swung her saber around to greet her. The two blades of pure light energy clashed with a rumble, and purred with power as the two women held them locked together. They just stood staring hard at each other, and Fyoraa felt herself being pushed backwards. To break free, she spun around, but as she did, she forgot one very important thing that all Jedi know: cover your back with your saber. Orin saw her chance and reached out with her weapon, expertly carving her initials into Fyoraa's back. Fyoraa cried out as the shockwave of surprise and pain washed over her. This crash course in lightsaber dueling was not working out well at all.

"What in blazes did you do that for?" she muttered as she dropped to her knees.

Orin laughed cruelly.

"I think lightsabers are for Jedi, hun, not scrawny senator children."

She picked up the fallen lightsaber, and Fyoraa looked up at her.

"Interesting," she hissed through her pain. "I always knew they gave sabers to Jedi. I just didn't think they gave them to cheating bounty hunters."

Then she gathered herself and jumped to her feet, and, kicking Orin squarely in the jaw, sent her enemy flat on her back. Luke's saber dropped from the bounty hunter's surprised hand, and Fyoraa stooped to pick it up. As soon as she had it back in her possession, the green blade buzzed to life. Fyoraa smiled a little even as she felt her own blood running down her back. Orin stood and rubbed her jaw.

"You kick well," she said tightly, and her blue saber sprung to action.

The two ran at each other, and for at least fifteen minutes they locked themselves in the most heated of hand-to-hand combat. Finally, Fyoraa began to run out of tricks. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she struggled to keep the upper hand over her opponent. And on top of this, the wounds to her back were really beginning to make an impact on her fighting abilities. Seeing that her enemy was weakening, Orin took the initiative. With carefully timed precision, she brought her saber around just in time to slash Fyoraa right beneath her ribcage. Fyoraa dropped to one knee in agony, and as Orin moved in for the kill, she swung her lightsaber hard enough to completely sever her adversary's right arm. Orin fell to the ground, screaming.

"Wimp," Fyoraa said through clenched teeth as she staggered to her feet.

"All right. All right! You have me," Orin said, panting. "But you will NEVER have Luke. You won't see the end of me. I'll be back. And when I return, you will die, Fyoraa Meringo. You will die."

Fyoraa could not stand it anymore. Her heart burned with hatred for this beast. The memory of the day she and Orin had first laid eyes on each other was rekindled in her memory. Orin had had blood on the brain and was out to get her when they met. Then Fyoraa had been shot; now she had been slashed with a lightsaber. How was it that every time she and the bounty hunter met, Fyoraa always came out the injured one? Orin had already tried to kill her once before, and now she was trying to get Luke away from her. There was only one thing she could do: kill Orin. With all her remaining strength, Fyoraa lifted the lightsaber above her head and drove it through Orin's back. There was a little twitching movement and a cry, and then it was silent. Fyoraa sank to the floor of the hangar, her whole body trembling.

"I...I just killed her," she whispered, looking at the lifeless body on the ground before her.

Chapter VII
Back at Luke's Apartment

Fyoraa grimaced as the pain from her injuries overtook her again and struggled to her feet. She picked up her cloak from the floor and wrapped it around herself. At least she could hide her wounds until she got to Luke again. Luke...that was all she could think of now. One step at a time, Fyoraa managed to get out of the hanger and hail an airtaxi. When she boarded, and the pilot asked her where she would like to be taken, she replied simply, "Luke Skywalker."

Thankfully, the pilot knew where Luke would be found at that hour of the night, and delivered Fyoraa right to the door of the Academy apartments. She paid him, and, as best she could, hurried inside. By now, those two security guards were both asleep, but she did not stop to notice.

She took another elevator up to Luke's room, and as soon as the lift stopped and she stepped out, she realized how much blood she was losing. The whole world seemed to be getting fuzzy as she approached the door. Then, with a moan, she slumped to the floor.

"There's no hope for me now," she thought. "Luke will never find me here. Not until tomorrow morning, but by then I'll be...dead."

With the little strength she had left, Fyoraa reached up and knocked softly on the door.

"If he hears that, it'll be a miracle."

She slipped in and out of consciousness on the floor in front of Luke's door for what seemed like hours. She was sure that this was the end and was just about ready to accept her destiny when the door slid open. She looked up, her eyes not even half-open. There was Luke,
and he was bending down to her.

"Oh, my gosh," he gasped. "Fyoraa, what happened?"

"...Me?" she said weakly. "Oh, nothing. I just...well..."

Fyoraa passed out as Luke gingerly lifted her from the floor. Her back was wet with all the blood she had lost, and which had pooled up on the floor. Hastily, Luke carried her into his apartment and laid her face-down in his bed.

"Well, I don't care what happened. I've got to get you some help," he said softly.

He bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek, then rushed away to get some medical supplies for her. The blood stain outside his door would have to wait until the morning. Wasting no time, Luke gathered a bowlful of warm water, a bottle of antiseptic, and bandages. He carried them back to his room, and set them down on his bedside table. Luke then pulled Fyoraa's cloak away, and tore open the back of her blouse. He choked on his breath when he saw the bloody symbol of Orin Keno's handiwork.

"Oh, Fyoraa," he whispered. "You promised."

Sighing heavily and trying to push the dreadful thoughts from his head, he dipped a cloth into the water and began to clean her back. Soon, though, the wounds began to bleed all over
again. Luke dutifully washed them clean, and carefully poured some antiseptic on them. He tenderly bandaged her back, but was completely oblivious to her bleeding side. He wrapped her in his Jedi robe and made an emergency call to the Coruscant Medical Center. Luke returned to sit with Fyoraa until the Center sent a transport. Soon it arrived, bringing with it morning's sunlight and a whole host of excitement in the building.

The medical team entered Luke's apartment, and gently lifted Fyoraa from the bed and onto a stretcher, which they carried all the way down to the first floor. Luke followed closely, even though his students kept pressing him with the usual "What happened?". He was about to board the transport to be with Fyoraa when a medical assistant pushed him back.

"I'm sorry, you can't come along," the assistant said.

"But I need to be with her!" Luke protested.

"I'm sorry, Master Jedi, but you'll have to come to the Center later."

Luke stiffened, but stepped back obligingly. As the transport took off in the direction of the Medical Center, his eyes followed it wistfully until his students crowded around him.

"Master Skywalker," said a young Twi'lek boy. "What happened with the new senator lady?"

Luke shook his head, even though he knew all too well what had happened.

"I don't know," he lied.

The students began to whisper among themselves, and Luke strode quickly back into his building. The Academy's best student, a young lady named Jaden Korr, followed him, easily keeping up with his pace. Determined as ever, she followed him, stretching her stride to meet his.

"Master Skywalker," she said, reaching his side. "I know you know what happened. Why don't you tell us?"

Luke stopped and turned.

"I don't want to." he said defiantly before starting in the direction of the Academy's hangar.

But Jaden still followed him. She would not take no for an answer, and would find out what happened if she had to buy a team of horses and drag it from him.

"Well, you could at least tell me!"

"I could."

"Why are you so stubborn suddenly, Master? I've never seen you like this before."

Luke stopped in front of his speeder, and sighed. His bottom lip trembled for a brief second. He had had plenty of time to think that day, and had by now figured out Orin Keno's motives. His brain told him that he had been used, that the whole thing had been a trap. His shoulders squared, and he turned to face Jaden again. The young pupil was, for a moment, actually frightened of him. His jaw was set tighter than it had ever been before, and his eyes were on fire. They flashed so much like lightning that Jaden half-expected to hear a distant roll of thunder.

"Because," he said angrily. "I am on the verge of losing the only person who really meant anything to me, and all because I fell for a stupid trap!"

He spun around and sent one well-aimed, angry kick at the poor speeder. Jaden took a few steps back. She could feel the anger seething within him, and half expected him to turn around and perhaps take out his anger on her. But Luke did not turn back around. Instead, he just jumped into his speeder and shot off towards the Medical Center, leaving Jaden staring after him.

Chapter VIII
The Medical Center

Luke blew into the hospital like a hurricane. He was fuming at himself, and any person at any time could almost have seen smoke coming out of his ears. For the second time that day, he was screaming "You moron" and "Stupid, stupid, stupid" to himself. He about slammed himself into the receptionist desk, but when the gentle nurse droid approached him, he got his emotions in check.

"Master Skywalker, you're here to see Senator Meringo, I presume?"

Luke nodded, and the nurse motioned to an empty chair in the deathly quiet waiting area.

"She's in surgery right now, but you may wait there for her."

"Surgery?" Luke asked, a little unnecessarily surprised. Maybe it just had not occurred to him that, yes, you do need surgery after being wounded with a lightsaber, or maybe he had not been thinking about that at the moment.

"Yes, of course," replied the droid. "To repair the great gashes in her back and side. Oh, and the surgeon in charge said you did an excellent job cleaning her back up."

The droid turned and hovered off as Luke sank into the chair pointed out to him.

"Back and side?" he asked aloud.

Now he felt even angrier with himself. First, he had allowed Fyoraa to go off and duel Orin Keno and had not even done more to stop her. Second, he had not noticed that she was wounded a second time. He made it worse for himself now by assuming that the villain responsible was running free again. Luke suddenly realized how infuriated he was with himself, and sighed.

Relax yourself, Luke! A Jedi isn't supposed to feel this way! Oh, just hang how Jedi are supposed to act and feel!

He closed his eyes and tried to calm down, but it was hard. Soon he found himself drifting off to sleep, with beautiful memories of holding Fyoraa in his arms to comfort him.

~•~

It seemed like several hours had passed when Luke finally jerked himself awake. Standing over him was a kind-eyed surgeon droid. It took Luke a minute to fully realize where he was, but when he did, he leapt from his chair and nearly knocked it over in the process.

"Fyoraa! Where is she? I've got to see her!"

The droid smiled, and probably would have laughed if it is possible for surgeon droids to do so.

"Relax, Master Jedi. She's fine. She's sleeping now, but if you want to see her, she's in room 423. Just go down the hall and to the left. You shouldn't miss it."

Luke shot off like a bullet, tearing through the hallways as fast as he could. Several times, he almost turned other medical droids into broken-up junk piles as he rushed to get to Fyoraa. His heart nearly thumped out of his chest as he ran along. As he raced to room 423, he knew in his heart that he needed to marry her, but more importantly, that he wanted to marry her. He finally had to make her his.

Almost before he knew it, Luke found himself skidding to a halt in front of room 423. His heart rate, which had slowed substantially when he stopped, suddenly began to rise as he just stared at the door. His stomach twisted in anxiety. Taking a deep breath, he hit the 'open' switch, and the door slid open with a hiss. There, lying in a clean, white bed in a clean, white gown, was Fyoraa. As Luke slowly entered the room, he realized just how badly she had been hurt. Her cheeks were as pale as plaster-of-Paris, and next to them, her hair seemed unusually dark. Luke glanced over at the machine that was measuring her vital signs with beeps that seemed deafening in the silence of the room. He sighed heavily and sat down beside her bed.

"What have I done to you?" he said, taking one of her hands and holding it against his cheek.

Just then, Fyoraa's bright blue eyes opened, and she turned her head. When she saw Luke sitting beside her, watching her with darkened eyes, she smiled.

"Hi."

Luke smiled half-way, relieved that she was all right.

"Hi."

"I guess I owe you some cash," she said softly.

"I guess so," Luke replied just as softly.

They said nothing for a few minutes. There was not a sound in the room except for the little machine beeping for every beat of Fyoraa's heart. Finally, Luke spoke.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I guess so." Fyoraa paused. "Quick question: how did you get here? And a better question: how did I get here?"

"I found you outside my door, and dressed your back as best I could before calling an ambulance."

"Oh, okay." There was another pause. "You found me? Oh, that's good. I was hoping you would."

"I'm glad you're okay," Luke said, and his eyebrows began to unfurrow as his tension eased.

"You sound so mushy when you say that," Fyoraa smiled.

"Say what?"

"'I'm glad you're okay'." She tried to laugh, but everything still hurt too much. "You sound mushy when you say that."

Luke chuckled.

"That's my job."

Fyoraa reached up and tenderly touched his cheek. A shiver went down Luke's spine. This was the same shiver that had rushed through him when she had first spoken the three most important words in the dictionary.

"You've been worrying."

"I have. I...I was afraid I'd lose you."

She looked at him as though she did not quite comprehend what he had just said.

"You were afraid...to...lose me?"

Luke nodded.

"I was. And, I was angry with myself for letting you go and face off with Orin."

"Aww, Luke. That wasn't any of your fault. It was my own decision to go out and risk my life, and it was my fault that my back got sliced open. Heh."

"How did you manage to do that?"

"Well," Fyoraa said, scratching her head. "I forgot to cover my back with your lightsaber when I spun around."

"You forgot to--wait. MY saber? Fyoraa, I don't even want to know."

"Good, because I don't want to tell you." She smiled cockily. "One thing, though. How did you manage to dress my back without finding your saber? It was hanging from my belt. Oh, and the doctor said that he put it in that drawer over there."

"I guess I was too preoccupied with getting you taken care of," Luke answered as he rose to retrieve his precious weapon. "By the way, how did you get this?"

"It's a long story. Besides, you didn't want to know, remember?" She grinned, then paused. "What were you saying about being afraid to lose me?"

"Well," Luke said, sitting down beside her bed again. "I was afraid I'd lose you to Orin, and I was scared that I'd never get to chance to tell you again what I've told you for the longest time."

"Which is...?"

Luke took a deep breath and clasped Fyoraa's hand in both of his. Now a shiver went down her spine as he held her hand tightly.

"Which is...that I love you with all of my heart. Fyoraa, I know I've said that a million times, but for some reason, I'd never actually realized that it was the truth until today. I do love you, and think that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Fyoraa was speechless. She could hardly breathe. Butterflies seemed to just explode into full flight in her stomach. This moment felt better than the first time Luke had spoken those three little words to her. Then her heart had just flip-flopped inside. Now it was flip-flopping and dancing with all its might. Her face lit up with a smile.

"Luke...I...I almost don't believe it. You ARE telling me the truth...?"

"Yes."

"But what about that...thing...with Orin?"

"That? I had plenty of time to think, and I realize now that she had set me up, and I'd nearly fallen right into a big, stupid trap."

"A trap! Why that little-- I'm glad she's lying dead on that hangar floor."

"Fyoraa, you didn't...?!"

"I did. Drove the saber clear through her back."

"Oh, my Force. I didn't think you had it in you!"

"Well, I guess sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do."

Luke shook his head and smiled.

"At least you won't have to worry about her anymore."

Fyoraa cracked her trademark self-confident, gung-ho smile. The world seemed absolutely perfect now. She felt as though nothing could stop her. Luke was in love with her, and she with him. She was so terribly happy that nothing would ever go wrong again. No sir, nothing would stop her now.

"No, I guess not."

~•~

Back to entries