Binary Skies

Chapter 20: Submerged

In the cockpit, the timer on the navicomputer pinged a warning of five minutes to reversion. Anakin touched the ship's intercom button and spoke. "Alright everyone, were almost there, buckle up!"

Luke tensed slightly at the reminder their mission was coming to a close, though he forced himself to relax, kissing Nakari one more time on the lips. "Duty calls. I better get up there," he commented, pulling away to make his way towards the cockpit.

Nakari swiftly cleaned up so there wouldn't be any chance of loose items flying about dangerously if things went sour. Then she hastened to the cockpit as well and strapped in behind Anakin, who had moved over to the co-pilot's seat while Luke took the pilot's seat.

"Reversion in ten seconds," Anakin announced, beginning the countdown.

Nakari closed her eyes and sent Luke a soft thought of love, then stopped distracting him when Anakin neared zero.

"Three...two...one...revert," Anakin finished for Luke.

Hyperspace bled to realspace, and Luke paused when he realized...there was no one shooting at them. No threats on the scanners and hardly any ships in orbit around the planet. The tension he hadn't realized had been there drained from his shoulders, and he leaned back in his seat.

"Oh...No one's gunning for us. That's a nice change. Kind of galaxy I want to live in, honestly."

"I'll take it," Nakari said wryly as she got a good look at the planet. "Uh, guys, are we sure there's land on this planet? It looks like it's one hundred percent water!"

Drusil's voice came over the comm. "I assure you there are islands and small landmasses."

Anakin nodded in agreement. "This is an ideal, neutral place for people to lie low and possibly disappear."

"I have provided the rendezvous coordinates to your outstanding droid," Drusil chipped in, and Luke couldn't help but grin at the fact that Artoo had gone from adequate to outstanding in a few day's time in Drusil's eyes.

"Thanks. Artoo, go ahead and put them in and set our course. I'll take back manual control if necessary." Once Luke heard his beep of confirmation, Luke looked over at his two companions and smiled. "Almost through with this mission."

"I know," Nakari said. "Part of me can't believe we made it."

Luke's smile faltered at her words and he tensed again. He'd learned the hard way destiny found it amusing to strike people who thought they were safe.

"What? Luke?" Nakari asked, obviously concerned.

"It's nothing," Luke said to sooth her. "I have part of me that can't believe it either. The war's made me believe that nothing is ever easy. But maybe we really did fake out the Empire with those uncharted hyperspace jumps..."

Even as he tried to reassure Nakari, he couldn't help the small, gnawing sensation in his gut that something was going to go terribly, horribly wrong.

Anakin glanced at Luke, sharing his sense of something being wrong. However, as they made their way to enter the atmosphere, Anakin's danger sense flared, and he thinned his lips.

"Luke, take manual control," he said softly. "I think we're about to have unwanted company."

Nakari tensed. "What? Who?"

Luke had already been reaching for the controls, both because of the growing feeling he had in the pit of his stomach and because of the engine trouble they were starting to have. Luke didn't look anywhere but at the controls, already feeling the tremors in the ship.