Saga Unanswered Questions (ROTS-ANH, Ghost Story)

[image=http://circusfiretragedy.com/FanArt/unansweredquestions.jpg]




Title: Unanswered Questions
Author: oqidaun
Timeframe: InterTrilogy
Summary: The things that go bump in the night?


He heard it that time?really heard it. Silently, he swung his legs over the edge of bed, slipped his feet into his soft soled running shoes and reached for his robe with his free hand. His other hand already grasped the blaster he kept under the edge of his bed; he had been clutching it since shortly after midnight when the noise first woke him.

Seven nights in a row was no coincidence.

Holding fast to his blaster and tying his robe proved difficult, yet he managed even with his arthritic hand. Eschewing the possibility of a squeaky door mechanism alerting the intruder, he pushed the door open manually using his good shoulder. Leveling the old Security Forces standard issue S-5 blaster in front of him, he stepped out into the cavernous hangar bay. Briefly, his hand hovered over the control panel as he debated activating the emergency lighting. In the end he decided against it, not so much out of bravery, but an eagerness to avoid having to explain the late night power surge to his supervisor, a soulless Imperial accountant.

Enough light still filtered in through the dirty transparisteel windows to bathe the hangar in a ghostly blue haze. He sank into the shadows using the light to guide his search, yet careful not reveal himself. Tonight was the night, he was either going to find the noise he knew with every ounce of his being to have heard every night that week or turn in his resignation in the morning. A sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach warned him that he might end up doing both.

Dirty white tarpaulins covered old ships, broken down speeders and a pair of the big statues pulled down from the west wall. A thick layer of dust covered the hangar floor. He edged around the shadowy perimeter becoming more relaxed as the silence persisted. Finally, he stopped and lowered his blaster.

How did it come to this? He reflected as he leaned back against the wall and scratched his head. Thirty years ago he was called ?the quickest eyes on Naboo?, Captain of the Royal Guards and the personal bodyguard of a young headstrong queen. Now he was just a washed up security guard in a striped bathrobe with a crippled hand chasing after rodents in the boarded up hangar bay of the old Jedi Temple.

He sincerely hoped it was rodents.

The old ships and what was left of the temple treasures stored in the hangar enticed thieves, thus necessitating the employment of a twenty-four hour watchman in addition to two daytime guards. Fortunately, Nubian connections still drew some special preference in the new regime. The job came with room and board and while it certainly was no place to entertain guests, it helped him save a little extra to send back to his six granddaughters whose mother had died in a transport accident outside of Theed three years ago.

It was getting cold. He pulled the robe tighter and turned to head back to his little room, put on a pot of tea and wait for dawn to continue his investigation. Then he heard it. Distinctly, he heard it behind him. He stopped, set his jaw and slowly turned around as the noise retreated. Chills crawled down his spine like tree spiders.

He knew what he heard.

Quickly he retreated into the shadows making his way stealthily towards the main lift. Part of him pulled him back towards his room to wait it out behind a locked door, but that other part of him?that old, courageous Captain part?pushed him forward, despite how his heart pounded in his chest and the awful feeling rising in his stomach.

Just as he had feared, some one was using the lift and taking it to the upper levels of the building. He watched the light stop at Level Two, one of the old mezzanines. The Temple was restricted access and if someone had gotten up to the Second Mez he was going to lose his job. There was no turning back. He was not paid to be a coward. Driven by a y

 

Dang, when you said you were on a creepy kick you weren't kidding. I'm glad you cross-posted here or I would have missed this one.

Poor Panaka. I like the long build-up of suspense before we get any clues as to what's wrong. It doesn't take a genius to figure out based on the time-period and subject that it will involve a little ghostage, but you still manage to create a tense mood.

she had led him to a marble seat at the base of a pair of tall windows looking out towards the mushroom shaped Senate arena in the distance.

Is this the location where Anakin made his fateful decision, whilst gazing toward Padme's location? If so, that is an amazingly subtle, but deep, reference. Excellent work.

 

Alright, I am a Sith, and such stories have no effect on me...

But...

*looks around to make sure that no one is watching*

Oooooo.... *shiver*

Absolutely wonderful job! So eerie and well writen. Incredible.

Ani-maniac

 

Thanks for your reviews!
I love ghost stories and I was glad that you guys liked this one.
You know that after the Purges there's going to be an really evil aura left around the Temple.

Stick with me Gents and I'll try to give you a couple bad dreams along the way.

 

I am certain that I would retire, too!

A very chilling tale...and like the little girl said, Why, Anakin? Why?

Thank you, Ani-maniac, for telling me about this haunting vignette, I think...

 

Creepy, but SO WELL DONE! Consider me a fan! And I loved the artwork, too!

 

*finally blinks* Wow, now that was creepy. And incredibely cool at the same time. Great job, I love the little girl. And Panaka was a great choice, no one seems to know what he ended up doing after TPM.

 

Yikes! Well done; very eerie. BTW, Panaka became a Moff after the rise of the Empire.

 

You caught me on that one. I thought Typho became the Moff until I checked after I'd written the story. I was wondering how long it'd take for somebody to call me on it.

 

Wow. creeeeepy. GREAT job. Wow.

 

Wow! That is so absolutely creepy!

Ok tell me this? How did I go from creepy to crying?
Err the "Why, Anakin? Why?" line must have goten to me!

 

Oh wow! This was just amazing! oqi, where to you get this stuff?

*pokes under Evil Master's bed, looking for spare bunnies*

Panaka? Oh, I love it!

 

Great story, oqidaun!
Ther atmosphere is wonderful and I love the descriptions. That hangar must be a rather creepy place to work.
And Panaka in a striped bathrobe.
You've written very visual (Probably because you couldn't say a word due to the challenge), but it worked perfectly. i could really 'see' things.
Thanks a lot.

 

Wonderfully creepy!