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.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.
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CHAPTER FOUR ━━ the death of a friend

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ARTEMIS felt numb. Her glassy green eyes were fixed on the body that hung onto a small stone arc over the street. The oh so familiar body.

A tear fell, and then another one. Artemis tried to hold them back but Nari had not deserved this. His eyes were closed but she could still remember them. The dark blue had reminded her of the lakes of Naboo. They had been full of life, full of passion when he talked about fighting for what was good.

He had been a great Jedi—better than she had been.

"Come now, child," Hana said, nudging her into the shop. "People are watching."

At this point, Artemis could no longer care. Fury filled her chest as she balted her hands. They would pay for this.

"A package came for you," Hana said, handing her a box.

"I do not want it," Artemis said, pushing it away. She was still grieving for Nari, how could Hana expect her to get over it so soon?

Hana pushed it back to her. "You'd wanna see it."

Artemis glanced up at her, stared for a couple of moments, before her green eyes darted down. She pushed the lid open and her eyes widened when she saw the hilt of a lightsaber. Not some lightsaber, Nari's lightsaber.

Hana looked grimly at it. "He must have known."

Artemis stared at it, her eyes filled with tears. She suppressed them and instead wore a determined expression, knowing exactly what she'd do next.

Taking the hilt, she stood up and ignited it. Blue light filled the room, identically to her own saber, and Artemis was surprised that it felt so good in her hand. She turned it off again and hung the hilt on her belt. She then turned to Hana who had been watching her in awe.

"I have things to do," she informed her boss. "I do not know when I will be back."

Hana nodded slowly. "I understand. I will be waiting."

⋆⋆⋆

By the time Artemis arrived at the cave, her fury had not calmed down. When she saw Obi-Wan, she strode over towards him, ignoring the other person in the room.

"Did you see him?" she asked, her voice surprisingly steady, although her emotions ones were raging on inside of her. "They killed him."

"They did," Obi-Wan said quietly. "I'm sorry, Artie. I know how much he meant to you."

Artemis pursed her lips and averted her eyes, not wanting him to see just how much she had cared. Instead, she looked at Bail, who was glad to change the subject.

"She's headed for Daiyu," he told the two Jedi.

Obi-Wan turned away. "You should not have come."

"They hid their signature behind a freight transport," Bail went on. "The ship is on its way there now."

"I can't," Obi-Wan stepping closer to the Senator.

"I can," Artemis said, having enough of Obi-Wan's stubbornness. "And I will."

She turned to Obi-Wan. "I'm going, Master, whether you like it or not." She the added, a bit more gently, "You couldn't save Anakin, but you can save Leia."

A flash of uncertainty crossed Obi-Wan's face. "What if I can't?"

Artemis stepped closer to him and placed both hands on his shoulder. "You are not alone in this, Master. You have me and we will succeed." She gave a small squeeze before letting her arms fall back to her side.

"She is right," Bail said, as the two Jedi looked back at him. "There is no one I trust more with my child than you two. Please, old friends. For her. One last fight."

Artemis looked determined. She was ready to get back in action. "I'm in."

⋆⋆⋆

"Where did you get that lightsaber?" Obi-Wan asked, as he was digging to get to the place where they had kept their lightsabers for almost a decade.

"It's Nari's," Artemis said. "He knew he was going to die so he sent it to me."

Obi-Wan did not reply. He kept on digging until his shovel hit something hard. He leaned forwards and pulled out a small chest. As he opened it, Artemis looked over his shoulder, seeing three lightsabers wrapped in an old cloth.

One was Anakin's. One was Obi-Wan's. One was hers.

Obi-Wan sighed when he saw them, but Artemis simply reached for hers and hung it onto her belt on the opposite side of Nari's lightsaber. Her blaster was adjusted onto her upper leg. She was ready.

The two of them made their way to Mos Eisley, both of them were wearing long dark brown cloaks as they hid their faces from people passing by.

They bought their tickets and headed into the ship that would bring them to Daiyu. It was a commercial flight but Artemis did not care. She felt nervous and excited at the same time while Obi-Wan looked as if he was forced to join her—which he kind of was. Artemis was not bothered by this, though, she knew she was right. They had to save Leia.

⋆⋆⋆

Artemis had fantasized about finally being able to leave Tatooine. She'd see the beautiful palace of Naboo again or Mandalore's enormous domed cities. However, she did not imagine herself walking through Daiyu's dark and crowded port, feeling absolutely lost.

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan said, approaching an employee who worked at the port. "I'm looking for a ship. I was tracking its signature."

"You're in Daiyu now," the man said. "All signals in or out are blocked. People like their secrets out here."

"That did not work out as well as we hoped it would," Artemis said, as soon as the man was gone. "What are we going to do now?"

"Let's just walk through the streets, see if we can pick anything up," Obi-Wan said and the two of them headed into the dark streets that were lit with neon lights.

The two of them looked around and Artemis could hear Obi-Wan mutter, "If ever I needed guidance, Master, it's now."

She knew he had been trying to contact Master Qui-Gon for the last ten years but he had never actually succeeded.

"Spare any credit?" a voice behind them said and Artemis turned around, catching her breath as she who had spoken.

It was a clone from the 501st Legion. Anakin's battalion. The one she had been in charge of during Order 66. The one who had tried to kill her and Ahsoka—

"Help a veteran get a warm meal."

Artemis turned her head away, still in shock, while Obi-Wan handed him some credits. The clone did not seem to recognize him but Artemis did not want to take the chance.

"Move it." Two Stormtroopers passed them as Artemis and Obi-Wan continued down the street.

"You want some spice, old man?" a young woman with pink hair said, approaching Obi-Wan. "I got Kessel pure, glitterstim and Felucian. What do you need?"

"How about some information?" Obi-Wan replied. "I'm looking for my daughter. She was taken, and she's on this planet."

"Isn't she standing next to you?" the woman questioned, gesturing at Artemis, who looked surprised. "I can see the similarities."

Artemis and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance before the latter specified, "My other daughter."

The woman sighed. "Well, if she's here, you're never gonna see her again. Nobody leaves this place." She paused. "I was someone's daughter once, too." He grabbed her back, took out some spice and shoved it into Obi-Wan's pocket. "Here. That one's free. Couple more of those and you'll forget she ever existed."

The two of them watched the woman leave and Artemis raised her eyebrow. "That was weird."

"I'm not surprised," Obi-Wan stated.

"No, I mean what she told us about looking alike," Artemis said, looking at her master. "I don't think I look like you. Perhaps it's because we were born on the same planet."

"Yeah," Obi-Wan said, his thoughts clearly somewhere else. "Perhaps."

"You having trouble?"

Artemis and Obi-Wan turned around to see a young boy standing behind them, his arms crossed.

"There is a Jedi," he went on. "He helps people."

Artemis frowned and Obi-Wan said, "The Jedi are all gone."

"I'll take you to him," the boy said. Then he paused. "For the right price."

Obi-Wan glanced at Artemis, who shrugged. It was their only option.

⋆⋆⋆

The man was everything but a Jedi, Artemis soon discovered. She and Obi-Wan watched him 'help' a mother and her son with his 'powers' in dismay.

"Thank you for helping us, Haja," the woman thanked him.

"Oh, the Jedi must protect their own," Haja said. "With your son's abilities, they will come for him. Get him safe."

The woman nodded in relief before taking his bag and handing Haja several credits. "It's all there," she said. "Every credit."

"Oh, you didn't have to," Haja said, but he accepted the credits a bit too eager.

"We will never forget you," the woman said.

"You must," Haja stated, looking up from where he'd been counting the credits. "My safety depends upon it. Now, go." He gestured at the door. "Go. Be safe, little one."

As soon as the door closed behind the two of them, Obi-Wan and Artemis stepped out of their hiding spot and into the light.

"They're on their way," Haja told his comlink. "I'm gonna take a quick break, okay? Call you in a bit."

"Roger that."

"I'm looking for a Jedi," Obi-Wan spoke up, making Haja jump up in surprise.

"How'd you get in here?" Haja questioned, looking as if they caught him doing something wrong.

Obi-Wan did not answer his question. Instead he said, "A girl has been kidnapped. I need your help to find her."

Haja sighed, stood up and lowered the panels using 'the Force'. Artemis was ready to bet anything that he was using magnets.

"I am Haja Estree, Jedi," Haja introduced himself, dipping his head. "I help all who are in need. In return, o ask only a few credits. The shadows are my realm, for the light is an unforgiving place for my kind."

Artemis crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow—not impressed at all.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, going along with it. He had always been better at pretending. "How much?"

"Five hundred to locate the girl, another three hundred to take you to her," he said, after a small calculation.

Both Artemis and Obi-Wan looked visibly shocked at this.

"Goodness, that light is unforgiving," Obi-Wan said, placing his hands on his sides.

"I mean, that's a really good deal," Haja defended himself. "Oh, make it a thousand, I'll even show you some tricks. What do you know of the Force, my friends?"

Artemis gritted her teeth. A lot more than you apparently.

Obi-Wan took out his blaster and put it against Haja's chest. Artemis placed her hand on hers but did not take it out.

"Just that it's a lot of remotes and magnets," her master told Haja and as he raised his hands in surrender, Obi-Wan took the magnets from his hands.

"Okay, I know how this looks," Haja said, knowing his cover was blown.

"It looks like you just took money from that family," Obi-Wan said angrily.

"I got them safe," Haja promised. "Just a little poorer." He then looked slightly afraid. "You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

"That depends on what you tell us," Artemis piped in, stepping closer to the two men.

"What are you?" Haja said, his dark eyes darting from Artemis to Obi-Wan and back. "Bounty hunters?"

"You're a bottom-feeder, a rat who preys on weakness," Obi-Wan stated. "But in my experience, rats know more about the sewers than anyone else. So judgmental." He threw Haja's comlink on the table. "You'll help us find this girl we're looking for."

"Yeah, I'll do it," Haja said quickly.

Obi-Wan frowned, surprised he'd give in so soon. "You'll help us?"

"Yeah," Haja said casually, as he nodded.

"Can I trust you?"

"Definitely."

Artemis wasn't so sure of that.

08.06.2022

Hello there! & welcome to chapter three! :) do tell me what you think of it! :) & thank you guys for 1K reads!! :)

RIP Nari you went too soon 💔

Next up: finally meeting Leia!!

Also check out this graphic I made for Artemis:

Until next time! May the Force be with you!
—Laura