Reverie - (c) Copyright 1995 Deanna M. Kramer
This story may be freely distributed, with the inclusion of
this notice and the foreword below. If _Reverie_ is
maintained on your BBS, WWW page, FTP site, or other similar
distribution node, please e-mail me at:
dmkramer@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
Foreword:
From May 15 through May 21 of 1995 I posted my nine-
part fanfic to RASS. It was (and still is) called _Reverie_.
In it, Leia has a dream about what might have happened, if
Vader had noticed her Force-potential, and her resemblance
to her mother, while she was his prisoner on Bespin.
revised foreword.
The original idea for _Reverie_ came from the various
RASS threads wondering why Vader didn't sense Leia and/or
did sense Luke. For the inspiration of those discussions, I
would like to thank RASS as a whole. I would also like to
thank Leia from Duke and Scott Schulman for their input in
_Reverie_'s editing stage. Also, thanks to Jeanne/Aunt
Toast, who, along with others, persuaded me to abandon the
spoiler warning before each episode. Below is the only
warning you will get from me:
_Reverie_ draws heavily on _The Empire Strikes Back_
and _Return of the Jedi_. If you haven't seen those movies,
then _Reverie_ will be full of spoilers for you. Of course,
most RASSers have seen ESB and ROTJ, so this warning applies
mostly to Newbies: if you haven't seen ESB and ROTJ, do
yourself a favor, and see them, before reading _Reverie_. I
take no responsibility for the consequences of ignoring this
warning.
And of course, my infinite thanks go to GL, without
whom there would be no _Reverie_, no RASS, and no Star Wars.
May the Force be with you, George...now, and always.
* * * * *
Part 1
Han sat in the waiting room of the local medical
center, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. If there was
one thing he didn't like doing, it was waiting. When a green
skinned medic finally came into the room, Han stood up, more
quickly than he'd originally intended. "Mister Solo, if
you'd come this way?"
Moments later, they were in a small office, discussing
details.
"My assistant tells me you and your spouse had been
sightseeing near the Lusso Orchards," probed the medic.
"Yes," Han confirmed. The trees had been covered in
tiny blue blossoms. Leia had luxuriated in the sweet scent
filling the air...before she had collapsed in their hotel
room.
"Well, that explains a lot."
"Not to me, it doesn't," Han shot back.
The medic put his hands up in a placating gesture.
"Your wife has contracted a viral infection. The Hallux
virus spreads through the air, and it does seem to occur
more often, when the trees are in bloom. We think that's
because the fragrance encourages deep breathing." He
gestured to a tray of instruments. "If you haven't
contracted the virus, we can give you an injection that will
impart temporary immunity. For your wife, that is too late.
We must let the disease take its course."
Han gritted his teeth. "Take it's course? What's that
supposed to mean?"
The medic bowed his head, then looked up; humans were
so protective of their mates. "Mr. Solo, your wife is ill;
but this illness will pass, with no permanent effects. She
is, however, contagious, and must be quarantined. Typically,
this infection lasts five to six days. I may be able to
shorten that to three or four, with nutritional supplements,
and a sedative. Sleeping patients seem to recover faster."
Han stood. "Can I see her?"
"See her and speak with her, yes. But you will be
physically separated."
Leia sat up in her bed, looking paler than usual. She
smiled at Han, coughing and saying, "Sorry."
Han was quick to smile back, although he was shocked at
how weak she looked and sounded. "What about?"
"I'm sure this isn't what you had in mind," she
answered, clearing her throat, "when you suggested a second
honeymoon."
Han shrugged. "Well, Sweetheart, at least you'll be
getting some rest and relaxation." His smile faded. "They
told you about the sedative treatment?"
"Yes."
"So?"
"I want to take it. The sooner I get out of here, the
better."
Leia looked to the airlocked doorway to her isolation-
room. A droid approached her bed, with a syringe attached to
one of its mechanical arms. "I guess this is good-night,
Han."
"Sweet dreams," he replied, blowing her a kiss. She
stretched out a hand as if to catch it, as the room went
dark, and her dreams began...
* * * * *
The bright light of Luke's X-wing penetrated the gloom
of Dagobah's swamp, as he began re-loading his survival gear
into the belly of his craft. Yoda stood on the end of a
rotting log. Though he was nearly half a meter from the
ground, he still had to crane his neck to address his pupil.
"Luke!" Yoda called out. "You must complete the
training."
"I can't keep the vision out of my head," Luke growled
back. "They're my friends. I've got to help them."
The small creature waved his cane at Luke. "You must
not go!"
Luke closed the belly hatch, speaking over his
shoulder. "But Han and Leia will die if I don't."
A booming, echoing voice countered, "You don't know
that."
Luke turned his head; the voice seemed to come from
everywhere, and no where, all at once...there. Beside Yoda,
Luke saw a light that came neither from his fighter, nor
Yoda's cottage. As in the snowstorm on Hoth, Ben had
materialized as a glittering apparition.
"Even Yoda cannot see their fate," Ben continued.
"But I can help them! I feel the Force!"
"But you cannot control it," reminded Ben. "This is a
dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark
side of the Force."
"Yes, yes," Yoda echoed. "To Obi-Wan you listen. The
cave. Remember your failure at the cave!"
Luke screwed up his resolve. "But I've learned so much
since then. Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what
I've begun. You have my word."
Ben spoke with a quiet calm. "It is you and your
abilities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are
made to suffer."
Luke stared directly at his former master. "And that is
why I have to go."
The ghostly image stepped forward. "Luke, I don't want
to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader."
"You won't."
Yoda jumped down from his perch. "Stopped they must be.
On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with
the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If
you end your training now," cautioned Yoda, "if you choose
the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an
agent of evil."
"Patience," Ben emphasized.
Luke had reached his snapping point. "And sacrifice Han
and Leia?"
The elfin master looked straight up into Luke's eyes.
"If you honor what they fight for...yes!"
Luke clenched his hands into fists and gritted his
teeth.
"If you choose to face Vader," Ben added quietly, "you
will do it alone. I cannot interfere."
Luke relaxed visibly. The choice was his to make. "I
understand. Artoo," he called over his shoulder, "fire up
the converters."
Artoo whistled a happy reply. The fighter began to hum
with a throbbing rhythm, as Luke mounted the ladder to the
cockpit.
Ben seemed to sigh, as he spoke once more to his pupil.
"Luke, don't give in to hate--that leads to the dark side."
"Strong is Vader," Yoda reminded. "Mind what you have
learned. Save you it can."
As he slipped his helmet on, Luke called back to his
teachers. "I will. And I'll return. I promise."
Ben and Yoda stood watching while the X-wing head for
space. Though Yoda's robes flew about him in the wind, he
remained as still as Kenobi.
"Told you, I did," Yoda said, watching the fighter
shrink to a speck in the sky. "Reckless is he. Now matters
are worse."
"That boy is our last hope," Ben insisted.
Yoda looked down and started to head for his cottage.
"No. There is another."
"Perhaps...or perhaps not," Ben cryptically said.
Yoda frowned as Ben faded into Dagobah's mists.
Darth Vader watched impassively as two stormtroopers
prepared an elaborate torture mechanism for Han Solo. Vader
calmly keyed the device to activate; slowly, Han was
swiveled, until he was centimeters away from the device.
Suddenly it fired, creating two bursts of sparks. One arced
up, touching Han's face, singeing an individual nerve
ending. As the Corellian contorted with pain, Vader turned,
and left the torture chamber. Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett
were awaiting him, seemingly anxious as school boys.
"Lord Vader," Lando acknowledged, bowing slightly in
deference and fear.
Vader ignored Calrissian's gesture. "You," he said,
indicating the bounty hunter, "may take Captain Solo to
Jabba the Hut after I have Skywalker."
"He's no good to me dead," insisted Fett.
"He will not be...permanently damaged."
Lando heard Han's screams, and shuddered. "Lord Vader,
what about Leia and the Wookiee?"
Vader slowly turned to face Lando. "They must never
again leave this city," the Dark Lord intoned.
Lando's eyes narrowed. "That was never a condition of
our agreement, nor was giving Han to this bounty hunter!"
"Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly."
Vader stepped closer to Lando, menacing without words.
"No," Lando was quick to say, remembering Vader's
lighting reflexes.
"Good. It would be...unfortunate if I had to leave a
garrison here."
Boba Fett, having heard all he needed to, swept into an
elevator. From behind his painted mask, the bounty hunter
glared at Lando before the door slid shut. Lando chose
another corridor, returning to his administrative offices.
"This deal's getting worse all the time," he muttered
to himself, out of Vader's earshot.
Alone, Vader walked to another torture chamber, where
the princess was being similarly treated. He watched her
coolly, as she struggled to repress her screams in the face
of the torture device. He turned his head slightly,
considering her, and his breathing grew faster. He left the
chamber, and called over to a trooper.
"I want a sample of the princess' blood and tissue
taken after this session," he ordered. "Send them to my
command ship for analysis."
"Aye, sir." The trooper saluted and left.
Vader folded his hands before him. "Strange that I had
not noticed before," he mused. "She reminds me of..."
Vader stalked out of the chamber, tortured screams
echoing behind him.
Pipes and chemical tanks filled the large carbon-
freezing chamber, where armor-suited stormtroopers stood at
attention. Steam hissed from a hundred hoses and nozzles; a
myriad of lights glowed in tones of red and blue. In the
middle of the room was a round pit housing a hydraulic
platform. Darth Vader, Lando, and Fett stood near the
platform, as the prisoners were herded into the chamber.
Threepio was still in pieces, strapped to Chewbacca's back;
Leia and Han, although weary, walked of their own accord.
Separated by troopers, they maintained nearly constant eye
contact, periodically breaking from each other's gaze to
observe Vader's actions.
Lando's stomach was a pit as he considered what was
about to happen. He felt as helpless as a child. "Lord
Vader," he pointed out, "we only use this facility for
carbon freezing. If you put him in there, it might kill
him."
"I do not want the Emperor's prizes damaged," Vader
admitted.
Lando furrowed his brow. "Prizes...?"
Vader ignored Calrissian's reaction. "We will test it
first...on Captain Solo," he announced.
Lando's jaw dropped visibly, and he looked to his
friend, shackled only meters away. Boba Fett moved closer to
Vader's side.
"What if he doesn't survive? He's worth a lot to me."
Fett glanced sidelong at Solo, as his voice dropped in
volume.
Vader's voice seemed to boom in contrast. "The Empire
will compensate you if he dies. Put him in!"
Two troopers started to pull Han towards the carbon-
freezing platform. Realizing what was about to happen,
Chewie let out a wild howl, then threw himself upon the
stormtroopers surrounding Han. Ignoring Threepio's screams,
the Wookiee tried to rip armored limbs from their bodies.
The troopers who had been adjusting the carbon-freeze
mechanisms joined the fray, clubbing Chewbacca with the
butts of their rifles. Another trooper pulled Leia back from
the fight, as a rifle narrowly missed Chewbacca's face.
Vader glared at Han, then gestured for the trooper to let
the Corellian go. Han rushed forward.
"Stop, Chewie, stop! Do you hear me? Stop! Chewie!" Han
struggled forward, to lay a calming hand on his friend's
shoulder. "Chewie, this won't help me. Save your strength,
pal. There'll be another time." Chewie finally stood still,
as Han said his final words to his friend. "The princess--
you have to take care of her. You hear me?"
Han winked at his first mate and best friend, as guards
slipped binders on Chewbacca. The Wookiee wailed his
farewell, shaking the metal beneath their feet with his
bellowed cry.
Han turned sorrowfully to Princess Leia. Seeing the
troops preparing to take him, he stepped close to her and
pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him in return and laced
her fingers with his, as though the link of their flesh
could succeed where Chewbacca had failed. Too soon, the
guards pulled him away from her.
Leia watched, swallowing her tears, as they positioned
Han on the platform. She could remain silent no longer. "I
love you!"
Something in her hoped he would say something heroic,
something to give her hope; but instead, he somberly
replied, "I know."
With a mechanical clang, the platform began to drop.
Leia watched as Han disappeared into the pit. Jets of steam
sprayed at him, and Leia turned away in agony, pressing
herself against Chewbacca for support. Lando winced with
sorrow, as molten carbonite streamed down. Moments later, a
huge mechanical claw lifted Han's encased form from the pit,
and stood him on the platform. Two guards rushed to push the
block over onto the platform. They attached an electronic
box onto the structure, and stepped away. Lando knelt beside
his friend, checking the monitor, and shook his head in
relief.
Vader was impatient. "Well, Calrissian, did he
survive?"
Lando looked up at Vader, a new hatred in his eyes.
"Yes, he's alive. And in perfect hibernation."
Vader turned to Boba Fett. "He's all yours, bounty
hunter. Reset the chamber."
An Imperial officer spoke to a trooper, before
approaching Vader. He announced, "Skywalker has just landed,
my lord."
Vader nodded. "Good. See to it that he finds his way
here. Calrissian, take the Wookiee and the droid to my
ship."
Lando's eyes opened wide with shock and dismay, looking
back and forth between Leia and Chewbacca. "You said they'd
be left in the city under my supervision."
Vader stepped menacingly forward. "I am altering the
deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."
Chewbacca growled at Vader, staring eye to eye with the
Dark Lord.
"Don't worry about the princess," Vader calmly replied.
"She will be joining you shortly, Wookiee--if you behave
yourself." He turned to Calrissian. "Take them away."
Lando's hand instinctively went to his throat as he
turned to Chewie and Threepio. Escorted by stormtroopers,
they walked from the chamber, leaving the princess alone
with the Dark Lord.
Leia took a deep breath, as Vader circled behind her.
"You should have known I couldn't leave you here, your
Highness," he rasped. "Your death warrant from the Death
Star still stands."
"Apparently," Leia countered, assuming a diplomatic
tone, "no one has the courage to carry it out, Lord Vader."
Vader shook his head. "It's not your time to die yet,
your Highness."
Leia fought to keep from quaking. "I'm not afraid."
"You do not yet sense your true importance, Princess.
Your destiny is greater than you can imagine." He wrapped a
black-sleeved arm around her shoulders, and walked her
forward. She shrank from his touch.
Leia turned to face him. "My destiny? What are you
talking about? I thought you were after Luke."
Vader took his arm from her, and stepped back. "I have
no time to discuss the details now, Princess; but don't
worry. You will learn everything, soon enough. However..."
Leia realized she was on the platform, as Vader used
the Force to trigger a switch. As the platform began to
lower, she took a step forward; then, her hands reached for
her throat.
"Given your talent for escapes, I can't let you
participate in your own rescue," Vader calmly said.
"No," she managed, through the unseen choking hand.
He watched impassively as the Princess dropped from
sight. Moments later, the molten carbonite streamed down,
with sparks flaring in the dark of the chamber. As she was
encased in carbonite, Vader signaled for his troops. Four
arrived as the tongs removed her metal-plated body from the
pit.
"Take her to my ship, and reset the chamber," Vader
ordered. "Skywalker is nearly here."
Part 2
Luke edged his way cautiously through the deserted
corridors of Cloud City. Somehow the lack of activity made
Luke more nervous than a fearful crowd would. He knew his
friends were here, yet both Han and Leia's presences in the
Force were strangely subdued. Luke felt, then heard, a group
of people coming down a side hallway. Artoo beeped and
whistled with excitement, but squeaked back to silence when
Luke gestured sharply at him.
Boba Fett entered from a side hallway. Walking behind
him were two Cloud City guards pushing Han's floating
sarcophagus. Two stormtroopers followed Fett and the guards,
hands on their blasters, visually scanning the corridors.
They immediately spotted Luke and opened fire on him. Luke's
reflexes, honed to razor sharpness on Dagobah, let him kill
the two troopers before they could get any more shots. Han's
encased body was swept into another hallway, while Fett
lowered his arm and fired at Luke. Luke ran forward,
avoiding the blast easily. Fett, shocked, ran backwards to a
lift. Luke pressed forward, just in time to see a door
closing on the bounty hunter. There was a scuffling of feet
behind him. He turned to see Chewie, Threepio, and Lando
being herded down a second hallway by several other
stormtroopers. Chewie howled at the sight of his friend,
wishing for a second that the youth could understand the
subtleties of the Wookiee tongue. Luke, keeping his blaster
at the ready, raced after the group.
Luke ran around a corner, into an anteroom, and
stopped. The endless corridors of Cloud City were like a
labyrinth; he needed to find his bearings. Chewie and the
others seemed to have disappeared, although they had been
here a short time ago. Luke could sense the residue Han and
Leia left here. There was a bitter aftertaste in the Force:
a horrible injustice had been done. Artoo was rushing up
behind his master when suddenly a giant armored door came
slamming down. Several more doors clattered shut. The sounds
of metal on metal echoed through the anteroom.
Luke cautiously walked forward among hissing pipes and
steam. Seeing an opening above him, he stopped to look up.
The platform he stood on began to rise into the deathly-
quiet carbon-freezing chamber. There was less steam here,
and the room was dark. Warily, Luke approached the stairway.
With each step he took, more steam began to fill the
chamber. Reddish-orange lights began to shine, giving the
room an underworldly glow. Looking up, Luke saw a massive
silhouette standing on a walkway above him. Luke holstered
his gun and moved up the stairs to face Vader. He smiled
grimly to himself, and flexed his right hand in
anticipation. The battle was about to begin.
Lando and Chewie, with Threepio on his back, were being
marched along, by a half-dozen stormtroopers. They passed
through a myriad of hallways on Cloud City, until the group
reached an intersection--where Lobot and a dozen of Lando's
guards were waiting in ambush. Taking the Imperials' weapons
from them, Lobot handed two to Lando. The administrator
holstered one, then stepped towards the Wookiee.
"Well done," Lando commented to his aide. "Hold them in
the security tower--and keep it quiet. Move."
As Lando's guards quickly marched the stormtroopers
away, Lando stood before Chewbacca, and reached for his
binders. The Wookiee howled fiercely, his voice a physical
force. Lando jumped back.
"Hey! Calm down!" he yelled in response. "There's not
much time. We have to get Han!"
The Wookiee growled suspiciously.
"What?" Threepio called out "Get Han? Listen to him,
Chewbacca!"
"There's still time to save Han at the East Platform,"
Lando insisted. "But we've got to move fast."
Chewie glared at Lando, but held out his massive
wrists, to be released from his bonds.
As Lando worked the locks, Threepio rattled on. "I'm
terribly sorry about all this. After all, he's only a
Wookiee."
Lando gave Chewie the second weapon, and together, they
began to run down another Cloud City corridor.
Artoo had been using all his sensors to locate his
missing friends. Once he detected Chewbacca, he rushed
toward them, whistling a frantic greeting.
"Artoo! Artoo!" Threepio cried, as Chewbacca pulled
ahead of the squat droid. "Where have you been? Hurry up!"
Boba Fett's ship, the _Slave I,_ sat ready on the
landing platform, its main hatch open to accept its grim
cargo. The two guards who had been guiding Han's slab
through the city flanked the carbonite encasement.
Carefully, they moved into position to slide him into the
bounty hunter's ship. The slab's repulsor field was adjusted
to a low setting, to allow their burden to be maneuvered
into the tight space.
Boba Fett climbed part way up the ladder on the side of
his ship, pausing when he was two rungs off the ground. "Put
Captain Solo in the cargo hold," he ordered, only partly
aware of a distant hissing.
As the guards moved the slab forward, Chewbacca aimed
and fired from the far end of the platform. One of the
guards was caught square in the chest. Han's encasement
tilted and slid back onto the landing platform, as the other
guard drew his weapon and returned the fire. Fett jumped
from the ladder, and took cover behind his own ship.
Lando and Chewie crouched in the doorway, as blasts
exploded above them. Chewbacca slipped Threepio from his
shoulders, as Artoo trundled into the midst of the
firefight. Fett fired a particularly powerful round at the
Wookiee. Lando flinched, while returning the favor. Chewie
growled at Calrissian.
"I know, Chewie. We've got to get closer."
"Closer?" Threepio exclaimed in panic. "You'll be done
for."
Lando's mind was racing. "Maybe not if you cover us,
Threepio."
Threepio threw his arm into the air. "Cover you? Mister
Calrissian, I couldn't possibly do that. It's against my
programming to harm a sentient life form, even a bounty
hunter."
As another volley hit the doorway, Lando rationalized
for the droid. "So don't aim at them. Just shoot near them.
It should confuse them enough that Chewie and I can get
close to them."
Without waiting for further discussion, Lando pressed
his blaster into Threepio's palm. The golden droid, propped
up next to Artoo, muttered, "Oh, dear," before showering
blaster fire on the platform in a seemingly random pattern.
Seeing the administrator approach, the remaining guard
stood and aimed for Lando. Unarmed, Lando ducked and rolled,
as Chewbacca's round hit the guard square in the chest.
Boba Fett saw Lando heading for his ship, and Chewbacca
after him. He started to step towards the block of
carbonite, when the Wookiee shot again, cutting the bounty
hunter off from his prize. "Chewbacca... Calrissian... I
won't forget this," he muttered to himself. He scrambled to
board his craft, and began to take off. Han's slab was left
on the pad, as the _Slave I_ climbed for altitude.
Lando and Chewbacca rushed to Han's side. Chewie barked
at Lando, who shook his head. "No, the sooner the better,"
Lando insisted. Then, touching the controls on the side of
the slab, he muttered, "Here goes nothing."
At first, the hum of the revival cycle seemed part of
Cloud City's incessant winds. The carbonite began to glow,
until it melted away, seemingly turning into human skin.
Slowly, Han's limp body was revealed. Lying on his back, the
Corellian was silent for a moment. Soon, he began to shake,
and breathe. Chewbacca howled at his friend.
"C-c-chewie?" Han managed.
The Wookiee barked again.
Lando put a hand to Han's shoulder. "Han, are you going
to be okay?"
Han shook his head. "Everything's blurry...Lando?" His
voice took on an angry growl, punctuated by the occasional
cough. "What are you doing here?"
"Save it, buddy," Lando said, as Chewbacca put a furry
arm around his friend's back. "We've got to get out of the
city. The Imperials will be back soon, and there'll be more
of them."
With help, Han rose to his feet, and staggered to the
doorway. As they arrived there, Chewie picked up Threepio
once more.
"Now, please, be careful, Chewbacca," the golden droid
instructed. "I don't want you to...oh no! Behind you!
They've found us!"
A squad of stormtroopers began to fire on the group, as
they entered an elevator.
Lando, Han, Chewie and the droids came around a corner
and headed for the door to landing platform three-two-seven.
They glimpsed the _Millennium Falcon_ for only a second
before the heavy door slammed shut. The group ducked into an
alcove as several stormtroopers arrived at the end of the
corridor. The troopers blanketed the group with laser
bolts.
Chewie returned their fire as Lando punched desperately
at the door's control panel. "The security code has been
changed," he yelled angrily.
"Artoo," urged Threepio over the din, "you can tell the
computer to override the security system." Threepio pointed
to a computer socket on the control panel. Artoo rolled
obediently forward.
Unable to guess the new code, Lando activated the
panel's intercom. "Attention!" His voice sounded crisp over
the city's broadcast speakers. "This is Lando Calrissian.
The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone
to leave before more Imperial troops arrive."
"Where are we?" Han asked his first mate. "Where's the
princess?"
Chewbacca howled, as he hit yet another stormtrooper
with a deadly shot.
Artoo attempted to link with the computer socket.
Suddenly, he let out a wild electronic scream. Artoo's head
spun like an out of control fighter. Smoke poured from
beneath him, and through the cracks in his shell. Quickly,
Chewie pulled him away from the wall.
"This way," Lando called after the group. Han and
Chewbacca fled after him, followed by an angry and
disoriented Artoo.
"Don't blame me," Threepio argued. "I'm an interpreter.
I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a computer
terminal."
Still more stormtroopers pursued Han, Lando and Chewie
through the panicking city, but they finally reached another
door to the landing platform. With Lando's help, Artoo found
a real terminal, and set to work unlocking the seal. As his
arm achieved complete linkage with the Cloud City computer,
he beeped fervently at Threepio.
"What are you talking about?" Threepio exclaimed.
"We're not interested in the hyperdrive on the _Millennium
Falcon._ It's fixed! Just open the door, you stupid lump."
The squat droid paused silently for a moment, then let
out a triumphant beep. The door snapped open, and the
fugitives raced through. Seeing the troopers press forward,
Artoo extended a nozzle and spewed out an opaque cloud,
obscuring their retreat.
They raced for the _Millennium Falcon_ as a battalion
of stormtroopers reached the main door. Chewbacca passed his
blaster to Han, then raced up the ramp, ducking the Imperial
fire. Lando and Han held off the troops as the droids got on
board with Chewie. Once inside, Chewie started to warm up
the ship. The giant engines began to pulse with life.
As the troopers pressed yet closer, Lando shouted,
"Go!"
"You go first," Han yelled back. "I want to keep an eye on
you!"
Han shot five more rounds as he backed into his ship,
then hit for the hatch to close. Once in the cockpit, he
barked a command. "Take the controls, Lando. My eyes still
aren't right."
Chewbacca worked the copilot's controls as Lando sat in
the pilot's seat. As Chewie pulled back on the throttle, the
ship began to move. The _Millennium Falcon_ soared
gracefully into the calm sky, and sped away from the city.
Luke moved along a gantry railing and up to a control
room. Vader lunged at him and Luke immediately raised his
lit sword to meet Vader's. Sparks flew as they dueled, with
Vader gradually forcing Luke backward toward the gantry.
"You are beaten," Vader taunted. "It is useless to
resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."
Luke tightened his jaw and thrust his sword at Vader,
catching a glancing blow to the Dark Lord's shoulder. The
black armor sparked, but Vader quickly recovered.
Luke backed off as Vader came at him, slashing at the
young Jedi with his sword. Luke made a quick move around an
instrument complex attached to the end of the gantry.
Vader's sword came slashing down, cutting the complex loose.
Luke glanced at the instruments floating away--taking his
eyes off Vader. In that briefest of moments, Vader's sword
flew down across Luke's right forearm, severing his hand and
sending his sword flying. In great pain, Luke squeezed his
forearm under his left armpit and edged along the gantry to
its extreme end, hanging over the long, deep shaft.
"There is no escape," Vader insisted, following Luke.
"Don't make me destroy you. You do not yet realize your
importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join
me and I will complete your training. With our combined
strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring
order to the galaxy."
Luke put the last of his energy into his yelled
response. "I'll never join you!"
"If you only knew the power of the dark side," Vader
calmly intoned. "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to
your father."
"He told me enough," Luke growled. "He told me you
killed him."
"No. I am your father."
Luke began to shake in disbelief, the foundation for
all his convictions crumbling from beneath him. "No. No.
That's not true! That's impossible!"
"Search your feelings, Luke. You know it to be true."
Luke trembled in fear and anger, as Vader continued. "Luke.
You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is
your destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father
and son. Come with me. It is the only way."
Vader deactivated his sword and held his hand out to
Luke. But the youth looked at the black-sheathed hand, and
his own smoldering stump, and his choice suddenly became
clear. His face was placid, as he let go of the gantry and
stepped out into nothingness. Vader watched his son fall,
until the young Jedi disappeared into an exhaust pipe in the
side of the shaft.
Luke tumbled through the conduit, too weak to slow
himself on the polished metal. At the end of the narrow
tunnel, his feet hit a circular grill and knocked it open.
Luke clawed at the walls, trying to keep from sliding out
into space. His actions were futile, however, as he tumbled
out. At the last second, he caught himself with a desperate
grasp for an electronic weather vane.
"Ben...Ben, please!" he called out to the clouds and
wind.
Luke tried to pull himself up on the weather vane but
slipped back down. A powerful current of air blew at him
from the exhaust pipe, as if urging him to complete his
fall. He closed his eyes, and summoned his voice once more.
"Leia...hear me, please."
Wherever Leia was, she gave him no response. There was
an ominous cracking sound from the base of the weather vane,
and a piece broke off, twirling into the clouds far below.
Part 3
The blood in Luke's head began to pound, the beat
swelling in volume with each passing second. He felt
strangely disoriented, as he looked up and down, and saw
clouds in both directions. Shaking his head, he fought off
unconsciousness once more, and whispered a name into the
wind.
"Artoo..."
Artoo was in the hold of the _Falcon,_ trying to
reassemble his bronze friend, when an alien signal invaded
his electronic consciousness.
"And then the trooper drew his blaster," Threepio was
saying. "I tried a diplomatic exit, Artoo, but there's no
reasoning with one of...hey! Ouch! OUCH! Artoo, you
malfunctioning megacephalic, watch what you're doing."
Artoo buzzed at his companion then rolled for the
cockpit.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Threepio called
after him. "You're not done with me yet!"
Artoo paused, and rolled back to the golden droid.
Extending two short arms, Artoo activated small, but
powerful electromagnets.
Which were strongly attracted to Threepio's head.
"OWW!"
Chewie was operating the ship with his usual finesse,
as Lando sat next to him, watching a readout on the control
panel. Han was behind the two, squinting at the navigational
computer, trying to calculate a jump to hyperspace--for a
nearby star system, for the Rebel rendezvous point--anywhere
but here. Suddenly, Artoo rolled into the cockpit, dragging
the partially assembled Threepio with him. He beeped a
tirade at the organics. Chewie growled in surprise.
Lando's brow furrowed at the electronic announcement.
"What was that?"
"Artoo, that doesn't make any sense," Threepio
complained. "You can't possibly..."
The squat droid beeped at the translator, rocking on
his stabilizers in irritation.
"He says," Threepio explained, "that Master Luke is at
the base of Cloud City, and that we have to rescue him."
Han turned to face the short droid. "Luke? How could he
know that?"
Artoo beeped at length.
"He refuses to say. He simply insists we go there.
Frankly, sir, if I had a leg attached, I'd kick him."
"He insists?" Han was incredulous. "We've got three
fighters on out tail. We can't hang around to..."
Artoo beeped insistently.
Threepio shook his head, before translating. "He says
Master Luke can help us rescue the princess, but we must go
now, to the base of Cloud City. I'm afraid he may be
faulty..."
"The princess..." Han echoed. His face took on a
tortured expression. "Turn her around, Chewie."
"But what about those fighters?" Lando argued.
"Chewie," Han insisted, "just do it."
Lando was still skeptical. "Are you kidding? Vader's
still after us."
Chewie turned to Lando, and bared his teeth. Lando
threw his hands up in surrender, and set course for the base
of the floating settlement.
Three TIE fighters began to close in on the starship,
as it approached its destination. Chewie and Lando scanned
the structure for any sign of life. Suddenly, Lando pointed
up. "Look, someone's up there."
Han smiled, and patted Artoo's head. "It's Luke.
Chewie, slow down, and park us right under him. Lando, you
get up to the top hatch."
Lando rushed from the cockpit, followed by Artoo,
dragging Threepio behind him. Once in the hold, Artoo
released Threepio from his magnetic grip.
"Ouch! Artoo! I hope you aren't going to let being
right go to that swollen computer of a brain you have."
Luke hung by one arm from the crossbar of the weather
vane, only partly aware of the ship rising slowly beneath
him. The light from inside the ship caught his eye, though,
and roused him to reach for the stranger emerging from the
hatch. He let himself slip from the weathervane, to land in
a heap on the _Falcon's_ battered hull. Lando reached out to
help the weary youth inside the ship. As the hatch closed
behind them, the _Falcon_ shot away from the city, and
headed for the stratosphere.
Explosions erupted all around the freighter, buffeting
the ship wildly. Chewie howled as he frantically tried to
stabilize their course. He remained focused on his
instruments, even when the cockpit door hissed open behind
him. Han turned to see a blurry image of Luke, bloody and
bruised. The Corellian rogue smiled.
"That's three you owe me, Junior," Han smirked,
standing to support his friend. He then brusquely told
Lando, "Get us out of here," and helped Luke away from the
cockpit.
Luke lay on a bunk in the crew quarters, as Han wrapped
his stump in a protective cuff. He braced himself and his
friend, as the ship lurched again.
"Where's Leia?" Luke asked, in a delirium.
"Later, Luke," Han mumbled, returning to the cockpit.
All over the ship muted alarm buzzers started to sound.
Lando anxiously watched the flashing lights on the control
panel and hurriedly adjusted a series of switches. Seated
next to him, Chewie pointed out a new blip appearing on the
scope, and barked. Han, watching over his copilot's
shoulder, recognized the shape.
"Star Destroyer."
Lando nodded in acknowledgment. "All right, Chewie.
Ready for lightspeed."
"If your people fixed the hyperdrive, pal," Han
grumbled.
"They fixed it," Lando insisted.
Another explosion rocked the ship. Han noticed a green
light on the panel next to him flash on, and squinted at the
tiny readout. "Well, all the coordinates are set," he
announced. "Let's ditch this dump."
Chewie barked in agreement, as the ship shook again.
Lando turned to the Wookiee. "Punch it!"
The Wookiee shrugged and pulled back on the throttle.
The sound of the engines changed, rising in pitch...then
disappearing altogether. Chewie let out a frustrated howl.
The flak still exploded around them. Han and Chewie fixed
their stares on Lando, who turned, frightened, from one to
the other.
"They told me they fixed it," he hurriedly explained.
"I trusted them to fix it. It's not my fault!"
"I don't want to hear it," Han growled. "Chewie, get
back there. Lando, pour on the speed. Maybe we can
outmaneuver them 'til Chewie really straightens it out."
Chewbacca stormed from the cockpit, denting the
bulkhead with an angry paw.
"We? But you're still half-blind," Lando pointed out,
as the Corellian took the copilot's chair.
"Take it up with my optometrist," Han quipped, fixing
his stare forward.
As the ship lurched again, Lando whispered, "It's not
my fault..."
In the distance the TIE fighters continued their
pursuit, still blasting at the _Falcon._ Vader's Star
Destroyer moved behind them, doggedly following the
freighter. Vader stood on the bridge, watching the chase
impassively, when Admiral Piett approached him.
"They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, my
lord," Piett announced, with a half-bow.
"Good. Prepare the boarding party and set for your
weapons for stun."
Beeping while he worked, Artoo was busy rewiring
Threepio's leg. Chewie entered through the doorway, grunting
to himself.
"Noisy brute," Threepio commented. "Why don't we just
go into lightspeed?"
Artoo beeped in response, soldering another connection
into place.
Threepio was suspicious. "We can't? How would you know
the hyperdrive is deactivated?"
Artoo whistled at his golden friend.
"The city's central computer told you? Artoo-Detoo, you
know better than to trust a strange computer. Ouch! Pay
attention to what you're doing!"
As his Star Destroyer drew nearer, Vader began to
breathe more rapidly.
"Luke," he said softly, channeling his voice through
the Force.
He could hear his son's weary reply in kind.
"Father..."
"Son, come with me," Vader again urged. "It is the only
way. It is your destiny."
He fixed his stony gaze on the freighter.
Lando and Han struggled with the controls of the
_Falcon._ Lando checked the range between the freighter and
the TIEs, and shouted into the intercom. "Chewie! We've got
company!"
There was no reaction from the two men, as Luke entered
the cockpit. He stared out into space, then glanced at the
scope, recognizing the Imperial ships immediately. "It's
Vader," he mumbled to himself, slumping into the navigator's
seat. "Ben, why didn't you tell me?"
Artoo rolled to a control panel and started rewiring on
a circuit board. Furious, Threepio yelled at his friend,
balancing precariously on one leg.
"Artoo, come back at once! You still haven't finished
with me! You don't know how to fix the hyperdrive. I'm
standing here in pieces, and you're having delusions of
grandeur!"
As a silent response, Artoo touched a circuit on the
board. Suddenly, the control panel lit up. Han and Lando
were thrown into their seats as the _Millennium Falcon_
unexpectedly shot into hyperspace. Luke's eyes grew wide,
and then he smiled weakly, finally allowing his body to
relax.
All of the officers on the bridge of the Star Destroyer
saw the _Millennium Falcon_ streak into hyperspace.
Remembering his predecessor, Admiral Piett glanced at Vader
in terror. Vader turned slowly and walked off the bridge,
his hands clasped behind his back.
As the bridge doors closed behind him, and he was
striding through the corridor, an officer approached the
Dark Lord.
"Lord Vader," the officer began, "the test results you
requested." He handed a chip-card to the black-cloaked man.
Vader took the chip-card, and nodded perfunctionally at
the trooper, then continued on his way. Momentarily, he
arrived at an officer's quarters, empty except for two
control panels, a cot, and Leia's slab. He inserted the card
in a panel, and examined the resulting screenful of strange
characters, nodding to himself at the results. When he
removed the card, and put in one of his belt compartments,
the screens went black.
He then turned his attention to Leia's slab, and
activated it. It took less time than Vader expected for the
princess to be released from her metallic prison. He took
the trembling woman in his arms.
"Where am I..." asked Leia, coughing.
"You are on my Star Destroyer, your Highness," he said
softly.
She cringed at the Dark Lord's touch. Ignoring her
reaction, he gently picked her up and carried her to the
cot, gingerly putting her down.
"I can barely see," Leia stammered, passing her hand
before her face.
"That will pass," Vader soothed. "For now, you need
rest. You will be under guard, but you may signal for
anything you need."
Even blind and weak, Leia was defiant. "I don't need
anything of yours."
Vader was silent, walking to the door. Then he turned
back to her. "Your Highness, do you remember your mother?"
Leia's face became an emotionless mask. "I remember you
killed her."
Vader shook his head. "Your real mother, Princess."
Leia turned to face him, grimly puzzled. "I don't know
what you're talking about."
Vader keyed the door to open. "You will, your Highness.
You will," he commented, before the steel door slammed shut
behind him.
The _Millennium Falcon_ was docked with a huge Rebel
cruiser. Though heavily battered, the reunited Rebel fleet
was still active. Rebel fighters patrolled the space around
the giant cruiser, protecting it, and a Rebel transport ship
that hovered nearby.
Luke was laying on an examination table while a medical
droid worked on his hand. Han stood near him while Threepio
and Artoo looked out the window.
"So...any idea why Vader took Leia?"
"No," Luke replied, his face dead sober. "No idea at
all."
Luke looked down at his new hand. The medical droid
made some adjustments in a tiny electronic unit, then
pricked the tip of each of Luke's fingers. Luke tested each
of his fingers, formed a fist, and relaxed it. The
prosthesis was completely functional.
Luke got up and walked over to Han, who was at the
large window of the medical center looking out on the
transport ship.
"I have to find her," Han announced.
"No, Han."
Han stared in shock at Luke.
"What you have to do," Luke continued, "is concentrate
on the Rebellion."
"What?!"
A door hissed, and Chewbacca and Lando entered the
medical center.
"Han, if you value what Leia believes in..."
Han cut his friend off. "What Leia believes in? Luke,
did Vader amputate your compassion along with your hand? We
can't let him take her..."
"He already has, Han," Luke quietly insisted. "Leia's
always been ready to give everything for the Alliance.
Besides, you don't know where he's taken her."
"So I'll find her," Han insisted, his jaw tight.
"Han, she could be anywhere. You could wander the
galaxy for years, and not even come within five light years
of her--and that won't help her. Defeating the Empire is
your only logical recourse." Luke placed his new hand on
Han's shoulder.
"I can't believe that," Han said, turning from his
friend, shrugging the hand off.
"Then," Lando started, "believe this: we both have to
stay with the Rebels. The Empire and Fett want us both dead.
We have no choice."
"Yeah," Han snarled, "it would be a shame if the Empire
ever got their hands on you."
"Han! This is getting us nowhere," Luke pointed out.
"The Rebellion needs people like you, and you need the
Rebellion."
Han shook his head. Chewie howled plaintively.
"I don't like it," Han said flatly.
"You don't have to," Luke indicated. Then, walking to
the droids, he urged, "Come on, Artoo."
Han turned to watch Luke leaving the center. "Where are
you going?"
"Down to the main hangar," Luke answered, subdued.
There's something I have to finish."
"Something you have to finish?" Han walked menacingly
towards the young Jedi. "Are you crazy? You just got
yourself beat good, Luke. You're not ready to go anywhere."
"I'm not going to pick a fight with anyone, Han. But I
made a promise...to an old friend. I intend to keep it."
Han stepped menacingly toward the youth. "And in the
meantime the Rebellion is going to have to make do, is that
it?"
Luke stepped forward to look Han straight in the eyes.
"Han, I'll be back. And I'll be stronger than before."
Han shook his head in disbelief, then slapped Luke on
his back. "Well, make it quick, Luke. We need you." Looking
out into space, he added, "She needs you."
Luke nodded, then left the medical center, Artoo
rolling behind him. As Threepio watched, Han and Chewbacca
glared silently at Lando. Soon, outside the window, a lone
X-wing came into view, and shot into hyperspace.
Part 4
Leia was marching, bound at the wrists, escorted by
four stormtroopers through the corridors of the Star
Destroyer. After what seemed forever, they arrived in a
tactical diplay area. Vader was there, staring off into
space. With a gesture, he dismissed the troopers, leaving
the princess alone with him.
"I understand your vision has returned, Your Highness.
You should be reassured the officer you stabbed is
recovering well."
"He's lucky Imperial dinner forks aren't any sharper,"
Leia snapped.
Vader ignored her commentary. "I have something to show
you, your Highness." Vader keyed a console, and the enormous
display screen split into three parts.
"Surely," Vader continued, "you can recognize the
standard Genetic Comparison format. Father to left, mother
to right, child in the center. It was used for centuries on
Alderaan to determine eligibility for succession."
"Yes," Leia said impatiently, "of course I do. But I
don't see what this has to do with--"
"I would like you to see a comparison." He touched a
control, and the blank forms on screen filled with strange
characters. "As you can see," he continued, "this subject is
not at all related to the hypothetical parents proposed."
Leia nodded silently.
Vader hit another key, and one more line appeared at
the bottom of the three-sectioned screen.
"Obviously," Vader announced, "Bail Organa and his wife
were not your father and mother."
Leia staggered back a step.
Vader hit another control. The maternal screen was
replaced by one that showed as a match. The paternal screen
went blank.
"Do you remember your parents, Leia? Your real
parents?"
Leia shook her head, confused. "No, I...they were..."
Artoo found himself waiting around in the damp environs
of Dagobah. He worked quietly, repairing the minor damage
the X-wing had suffered in landing. Occasionally, he beeped
disconsolately to himself and turned to look through the
gloom at Yoda's cottage, its window glowing like the eyes of
a nocturnal creature.
A light drizzle fell, as Luke knelt before the cottage
entrance. His clothes were sticking to him, his hair
trailing across his face, but he ignored the physical
discomfort.
"Master Yoda," he softly called, "may I come in?"
"Enter, enter," the familiar voice answered.
Luke crawled in, thankful for the dry, warm space. He
seated himself cross-legged at Yoda's table, as Yoda hobbled
from the kitchen fire to the table with two steaming bowls
of stew. He placed one before his apprentice, and one on the
other side of the table, for himself.
"Always at dinnertime you arrive. Yes." Yoda laughed to
himself.
Luke smiled a nervous, embarrassed smile. "No, I don't
mean to..."
Yoda cut in. "Is good, the food I make. Eat, eat."
Luke took a bite, chewed it thoroughly, and swallowed.
He then stared at his master, who was savoring his own meal.
"Master Yoda?"
Yoda looked up.
"I thought you would be scolding me."
Yoda shook his head, his white hair waving from the
gesture. "A mistake you made, and you know it. You need no
reminder. Punishment enough is the loss of your hand."
Luke looked down with shame, flexing his mechanical
appendage. "Yoda...did you see me fight?"
"Did _you_ see _me_ there?" Yoda countered.
"No. But I mean..."
"The fight was your own," Yoda stated flatly. "Seek it
out I did not. I knew you would return someday."
"But if Vader had killed me..."
"You gave your word, young Skywalker," intoned the
master. "You would have kept it...one way or another."
Luke took another bite, though his appetite was
subdued. Finally, he spoke again. "Master Yoda...is Darth
Vader my father?"
Yoda put down his spoon. "This could not wait until
after we have eaten?"
"Yoda, I must know," Luke insisted. "He is evil, but
his words had the ring of truth."
Yoda sighed before replying. "Your father he is."
Luke looked sadly at his master. "Why didn't you tell
me before?"
Yoda held his head up, and pointed at his apprentice.
"Left too soon, you did. Incomplete was your training. Not
ready for the burden were you." He ruefully shook his head.
"Later, I would have told you later. But you were heedless,
not ready to listen."
Luke realized the sincerity of Yoda's words, and hung
his head in shame. "And now I have another burden. My
mistake...it's cost the princess her freedom."
Yoda's eyes grew wide, and his ears pricked with
interest. "The princess?"
"Vader captured her on Bespin," Luke explained. "The
others got loose themselves, but Vader took her to his Star
Destroyer. We were outgunned and outflanked. We only just
escaped."
Yoda pushed his bowl away, stood, and grabbed his
walking stick. "Unforeseen, this is! Train, you must! Harder
than ever before! Come, come!" He walked quickly for the
door. Luke started to crawl after him.
"Yoda, what is it?"
"You must prepare to save the princess!"
Luke stopped on all fours. "Wait a minute. I tried to
save her from Vader before; that was a mistake. Now I have
to rescue her from Vader again? Why?"
Yoda turned and walked back to his pupil "No. Not from
Vader. From herself."
Leia was staring at the screen before her.
"Leia," Vader announced, "it is time that you learned
of your true heritage!"
Vader revealed a large, sharp syringe, and for a
moment, Leia was reminded of the torture-probe on the Death
Star. But Vader jabbed the needle into his own upper arm.
Leia watched, strangely fascinated, as the red liquid
bubbled into the transparent cylinder. He then fed the
apparatus into an analyzing chamber. His bio-print filled
the screen, and the computer began to highlight matching
characteristics.
Leia was incredulous. "What is the meaning of this?"
"You know the meaning," Vader evenly said. "I am your
father."
Leia stepped back again. "No! That can't be true. This
is some sort of trick. You're using the Force against my
mind..."
"No, Leia," Vader said. "That doesn't work well on you.
You should know that--you have resisted my mind probes
successfully before. Until we were on Bespin, I didn't
realize the reason why." From behind the black mask, Vader
seemed to peer at the princess. "You resemble your mother,
Leia."
Quivering, Leia managed to ask, "My mother?"
Vader hit a control, revealing his wife's name on the
screen. "I was unaware that she bore me any children," Vader
commented, "until I heard of your brother."
Despite her fear, Leia grew angry. "You're crazy. I
have no brother."
"Luke Skywalker is your brother," Vader revealed. "That
name is your true birthright. You need only claim it."
Leia trembled, sensing the truth of Vader's words, but
not wanting to accept them. "Why should I believe you?" she
stammered. "This makes no sense. I am Princess Leia Organa,
of the Royal House of..."
Vader cut her off. "I joined the Empire to bring order
to the galaxy after the Clone Wars, Leia. Kenobi took your
mother from me, because I abandoned his teaching."
"You're lying," she accused. "General Kenobi was a
great man."
Vader circled behind her. "You never met him, child. He
tried to teach me, but seeing I would best him, he sought to
hold me back. That is why he sent you away, my daughter. He
didn't dare teach you, knowing you would defeat him in the
end. The Force is strong in you--in many ways, stronger than
Luke. He and Kenobi knew this, yet they wouldn't share their
powers with you. They feared you, as they fear me."
Leia swallowed hard. "If they fear you, it's with good
reason. You destroyed Alderaan, you tortured me, you killed
Obi-Wan--"
"I did not destroy Alderaan. Tarkin gave that order,
against my wishes. And I may have killed Kenobi," Vader
admitted, "but he wronged me far worse. He took my wife from
me, and turned my children against me."
"You tortured me!" Leia yelled again.
Vader's voice rose. "I _interrogated_ you, on the
orders of the Emperor."
"I hate you!" Leia spat out.
Vader was silent for a moment, before asking, "You care
enough to hate?"
Leia shivered. "I don't care about you at all.
You...disgust me."
He clamped both his hands on her shoulders. "You still
have much to learn, my daughter...about love and hate."
It was dark, on Dagobah. Artoo sat nearby, watching
over Luke, as the youth sat beside his master.
"I am pleased, Luke," Yoda was saying. "Progress, you
show progress. Learned you have from your mistakes."
"But Master Yoda," Luke asserted, "I still don't
understand. Why..."
"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. Life
creates it, makes it grow..."
"But..."
"Listen!" Yoda hissed. "Feel the Force. Through it, you
will notice each breath of each living creature in the
galaxy. Each soul will sing its own song to you. Everyone
and everything has its own destiny in the Force."
"Everything..." Luke echoed.
"Yes. Even Leia. You have sought out Vader. Have you
never sought your friends?"
Luke thought for a moment. "I...I guess I have, but not
consciously."
Yoda closed his eyes, envisioning Luke's adventure on
Bespin. "The princess...called to her, you did, in your hour
of need."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Luke was taken aback. "I...I don't know."
Yoda laughed. "Yes, you know. Not consciously, but you
know."
"I...she has a strong Force presence," Luke realized
with a start. "I think I've always known that, from the
moment I saw her image on Tatooine. She seemed so familiar,
somehow."
"Yes..." Yoda prodded.
"I thought she would hear me."
"Hear you she did," Yoda admitted, "but was powerless
to act."
"So I called to Artoo," Luke revealled.
The little droid beeped at the mention of his name.
"I knew he was there on Bespin," Luke continued, "and
I've been around him so much, lately. He doesn't generate a
Force-signature of his own...but the Force is everywhere."
Luke gestured broadly. "Between you, and me, and the rock,
and the ship, and even Artoo."
Yoda smiled and nodded. "Saved you, he did." The Jedi
master turned to the diminutive automaton. "Brave you are,
for a droid. Brave!"
Artoo whistled modestly.
"But Leia..." Luke's face contorted in horror. "If
she's strong in the Force, and Vader knows it, he'll try to
turn her, like he tried to turn me."
"And that is why you must train now," urged Yoda. "Only
a fully trained Jedi, at one with the Force, can defeat
Vader and the Emperor."
"But, Master Yoda, how can I kill my father?"
A friendly, resonant voice seemed to speak from
everywhere. "Yoda...it's time he knew the whole truth."
Luke looked up to see the shimmering image of Ben
Kenobi. "Ben! The whole truth? What do you mean?"
The ghostly apparition approached him through the
swamp. Yoda stared at his former pupil, then nodded. "Obi-
Wan is right. To face your father, the truth you need."
Leia's stomach churned as she stood before her newfound
father, realizing the horrifying implications of his words.
Darth Vader, her sire! Kept from her brother, discarded by
the Jedi...because of her gender? Her power? Her potential?
It didn't make sense.
"You will be returned to your quarters, Leia," Vader
continued. "If you wish, you may verify this"--he gestured
to the split screen--"via your chamber's terminals. I will
come for you tomorrow morning, and we shall begin your
training."
The tremors left Leia, as she turned to face her
father. "I don't want your training."
Vader stepped towards her again, and she felt a
tightness in her throat. Her hand went to her neck, as he
spoke. "Your friends are not coming for you, Your Highness.
I advise you to forget them. Your feeble Rebellion hasn't
the resources to mount a rescue."
"I expect no rescue," Leia boasted. "The Rebellion will
be using all its powers to bring the Empire to its knees."
"Of course," Vader soothed. "Until that fateful day,
however, you are my guest here. I will make life tolerable
for you; however, a show of your faith would make that task
much easier for me." Vader turned from her, and she relaxed
a bit, as he continued. "Whether or not you want your
training, you do need it, Leia. It is your destiny to learn
the ways of the Force."
"No," Leia softly said, her stomach suddenly churning.
She instinctively threw herself backwards.
Vader's fist connected with her chin, but not nearly as
powerfully as it might have. Her jaw was sore, and would
show a bruise in the morning; but Vader nodded as he rubbed
his fist, and watched her get up.
"The Force is already with you, Leia," Vader commented,
impressed by her reflexes. "If it weren't, you wouldn't be
conscious, now. You have a gift--my gift. You must develop
it. Untaught, you are good; taught, you will be
unstoppable."
"Unstoppable?" she repeated, rubbing her jaw. "Even by
you?"
Vader nodded solemnly. "Not even the Emperor himself
could stand in your way."
Resentfully, she stared at him, and began to plot her
revenge. Vader called stormtroopers into the chamber, to
escort her to her quarters.
Ben Kenobi's spectral form approached Luke Skywalker
through Dagobah's swamp. To any other man, the sight would
have been awe-inspiring, and a little frightening; but to
Luke, the image of the old Jedi engendered only feelings of
bitterness. "Why should I expect truth from you, Ben? You
told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."
Ben sat beside Luke, folding his hands before him.
"Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He
ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader,
destroying the good man who was your father. So what I have
told you was true...from a certain point of view."
Luke turned away, spitting, "A certain point of view!"
"Luke," counselled Ben, "you're going to find that many
of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of
view." He looked into the murky sky, adding, "I don't blame
you for being angry. If I was wrong in what I did, it
certainly wouldn't have been for the first time. You see,
what happened to your father was my fault." He stared at his
own feet. "Anakin was a good friend. I was amazed how
strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to
train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him
just as well as Yoda." He paused sadly. "I was wrong."
"I can't kill my own father, Ben," insisted Luke.
"Had you not been so impatient to defeat Vader when you
first met him," Ben chided, "you could have finished your
training here with Yoda first. You would have been
prepared."
"But I had to help my friends."
"And did you help them? It was they who had to save
you. You achieved little by rushing back prematurely, I
fear."
"I found out Darth Vader was my father." The venom was
still thick in Luke's voice.
Ben faced Luke directly. "To be a Jedi, you must
confront and then go beyond the dark side--the side your
father couldn't get past. Impatience is the easiest door.
Your father was seduced by what he found on the other side
of the door, but you have held firm. Now, you must face
Darth Vader again, to protect your twin sister."
Luke furrowed his brow. "But I have no sister."
Ben's face softened with a smile. "To protect you from
the Emperor, you both were hidden from your father when you
were born. I took you to live with my brother Owen on
Tatooine...and your mother took Leia to live as the daughter
of Senator Organa, on Alderaan."
"Leia?" Luke's eyes grew wide. "My sister?"
Ben's head dipped in agreement. "Leia became a princess
by virtue of lineage...no one knew she'd been adopted, of
course. Following in her foster father's path, she became a
senator, as well as the leader of her cell in the Rebel
Alliance. And because she had diplomatic immunity, she was a
vital link for getting information to the Rebel cause.
That's what she was doing when her path crossed yours...for
her foster parents had always told her to contact me on
Tatooine, if her troubles became desperate."
"If her troubles became desperate... they're more
desperate than ever, now," Luke moaned. "Vader will destroy
her."
Ben nodded. "The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin
were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him.
The Force is strong with her, as it is with all of your
family; but with the wrong training, she could as easily be
turned to evil. There is no avoiding the battle. You must
face Vader once more!"
Part 5
The practice room aboard Vader's Star Destroyer was as
sparse as any chamber Leia had set eyes on. Although over a
hundred times larger than her cell on the Death Star, it
consisted of much the same decor: colored in black and
steel, furnished with simple benches, lit by stark overhead
lights.
Vader held his sword before him, circling her like a
large bird of prey, his cloak rippling with his every
movement. She was dressed in a black uniform similar to that
of an Imperial officer, holding her own ruby saber with both
hands.
Vader stepped forward, bringing his sword down to meet
hers in a wide, curving arc. She deflected the blow, and
performed a thrust of her own, pressing her blade to his.
The hum of the powerful weapons seemed to pulsate with her
heart.
"Yes," Vader encouraged, "you feel the Force flowing
around you. Use its power, to amplify your own."
Leia's eyes narrowed, and she began a blitz of strokes
at her father. He parried them all, matching her moves in
this dangerous dance. Then, he began to return the favor,
mounting his offensive.
"You can anticipate my attack," Vader said, pressing
forward. Leia was defending herself with an economy of
motion. "Good. Very good. Hah!"
Leia parried his thrust, gritting her teeth, exerting
herself more with each passing moment. They fought on like
that, swinging at each other in turn, each surprising the
other with their own abilities.
"Father," Leia finally said, defending herself from one
of his weaker blows.
The deep voice held significantly less menace to her.
"Yes, child?"
She stepped back, held her weapon to the side. "For
five months now, we've been fighting every day. Each day
I've grown stronger. Aren't you afraid that someday I'll
beat you?"
At that, the Dark Lord laughed heartily. "You have
grown stronger, Leia--but not that strong." He pressed
forward with a flurry of blows, stronger and faster than
before. Leia twisted at the waist, parrying them with short
strokes of her own, before locking her sword solidly with
his.
Vader nodded, impressed, as he stepped back. "Still,
you have learned much, and come to accept the truth."
At that, Leia pressed forward. "That an accident of
birth has made you my father?"
Vader shook his head, working the defensive. "There are
no accidents. The Force has its purposes. We are all
merely"--he swung at her shoulder--"fulfilling our
destinies."
Leia crowded the Dark Lord yet again, her blows coming
fast and furious. She varied her stroke, from swing to
thrust, fast enough that Vader found himself backing up.
Finally, with a wrist-strong move, Leia disarmed the Dark
Lord. His saber deactivated as it left his hand, rattling to
the chamber floor.
Leia enjoyed the sense of power her small victory gave
her. "And if your destiny is to die at my hand?" she
taunted.
Vader stood to his full height. "Then so be it."
As she struck for him, he spun to the left, and
extended his hand. The saber sprang to his palm, just in
time for him to parry her latest blow.
While the blasts shook the _Millennium Falcon_ like a
child's rattle, Han muttered to Chewbacca. "Remind me again
why we're here."
The Wookiee howled a reply, as the _Falcon's_ quad guns
roared in response to the Imperial blasts. The strike at
this small Imperial outpost was intended as a delaying
tactic. The Imperials were using outposts like these to
supply their purges of the Bothan populous. If the Rebels
could cripple Imperial supply lines, it might buy their
Bothan spies enough time to gather tactical information--and
flee with their lives intact.
"Right, Chewie, now I remember...damn." He tapped at a
flashing light on the control panel. "We're losing the aft
defensive shields again."
A trio of TIEs showed on the display, and Han spoke
tersely into the ship's comm. "Don't worry about killing
those guys. Just cover our rear until we can high-tail it
out of the system."
"Gotcha, Captain," came the reply, as the guns fired
again.
The first TIE fired again; but Chewbacca guided the
_Falcon_ through a twisting, dipping course that saw the
blasts impact on the freighter's topside. Han swallowed
hard, his stomach leaping into his throat. Then he heard the
quad guns again, and the TIE flared, turning into a shower
of metal and sparks.
That left two more patrols to worry about. Han pushed
the sublight throttle forward one more notch, hoping that
the increased speed would put his ship out of the fighter's
range.
As he was pulling away, the nearest TIE seemed to
rotate, and then fired once more. But it wasn't aiming for
the _Falcon's_ vulnerable backside.
A scream came through the ship's intercom. "Arrgh!"
Han groaned. The TIE had fired at the top quad guns. He
called over the comm to his gunner. "You okay back there,
Pilus?"
Pilus' tone said it all. "I think I singed my
fingerprints off, but I'm fine. The quads are fused, though.
I couldn't even shoot the broadside of a Star Destroyer.
Sorry, Captain."
Han shook his head, and turned to Chewbacca. "Pour it
on, Chewie. I think we've outstayed our welcome."
The _Falcon_ edged further away from Onso, a grey-green
world, and Han leaned back to the navigation console,
plotting his escape course through hyperspace. The ship
shook again; he heard Hemic, his remaining gunner, returning
the fire. Another explosion rocked the _Falcon,_ as Hemic
squeezed off a round.
"Got him!"
"Good work, Hemic," Han muttered, returning his
attention to the starfield before him. It would be another
half-minute before it would be safe to make the jump into
hyperspace, and the last TIE on his tail knew the _Falcon's_
defensive blind spot was on top. At the rate the fighter was
gaining, he wouldn't have a chance.
Chewie barked, and twisted the ship again, trying to
give Hemic a clear shot at their pursuers. The TIE merely
mirrored the _Falcon's_ course, turning swiftly, then
leveling its wings. The freighter would be in the TIE's
range in seconds.
Han watched his tactical display, his palms beginning
to sweat. He counted the seconds mentally, before he would
be able to make the jump to hyperspace. It wouldn't be soon
enough, and he knew it. He took a deep breath, and started
manipulating the controls, as the TIE came into range.
The Imperial's first shot impacted harmlessly on the
_Falcon's_ belly--Han's aerial gymnastics had bought him
precious seconds. But then, he heard an ominous chime from
his console: the TIE had a clear lock on the _Falcon._ He
held his breath, closed his eyes and waited for the vacuum
of space to envelop him, as the _Falcon_ shook once
more...and then he exhaled.
He inhaled once again, as if to reassure himself; he
could breathe! He was alive. He looked at his scopes; the
TIE was gone, replaced by another ship. Chewie was laughing
a hearty Wookiee laugh, and Han smiled to himself.
A speaker in the control board buzzed at him. "You
doing okay, Fugitive Leader?"
For the first time in months, Han smiled at Lando's
voice. "Just fine, Fuge Three. What took you so long?"
"I had a few little problems of my own to take care
of." Somehow, Lando sounded more casual than ever.
"Is Wedge there too?"
"Back over here," came the other fighter's pilot over
the speaker. "I guess that last TIE was the one jamming us.
I'm making my jump. You guys?"
"I'm just about ready to go," Lando announced from his
Y-Wing. "My navcomp's mashing the final numbers now."
"Us too." Han watched the X-Wing pass him to starboard.
"We'll see you at the rendezvous point."
"Right, Fuge One. See you there."
"Clear skies, Fuge Two," Han replied, as the X-Wing
streaked into a bright blur, and disappeared. Then, on the
same channel, he commented, "Thanks, Lando."
"What for?"
"For saving our butts back there," Han resentfully
growled.
"All in a day's work," Lando replied, pulling alongside
the _Falcon_ and dipping his wings.
Han shook his head. "Just don't start thinking we're
anywhere near even. You still owe me big."
Lando sighed into his microphone. "I'm gonna spend the
rest of my life paying you back, aren't I?"
"You're damned right. Fuge One out," Han answered, as
Chewie pulled back on the throttle, and the stars shot past
them.
Once in hyperspace, Han left Chewie to the _Falcon's_
controls, and started for the sleeping berths. Passing
through the hold, he told the gunners, "Good job." The
Rebels seemed too tired to care, however, drinking from
large mugs, and playing a slow game of holo-chess.
He entered the sleeping area cautiously, closing the
door behind him. Sitting on his bunk, he pulled a glassy
sphere from beneath his pillow. At the warmth of his touch,
it began to glow, with Leia's image.
He stretched out on his bed, held the holo-globe above
him. "Well, Leia," he softly said, "wherever you are, that
bastard Vader had better be taking good care of you.
I...know you'd want the Alliance to continue without you.
It's taken me a while to realize that. But we're doing good,
Leia. Better than I ever thought we would be. I've...I've
almost forgiven Lando, too. I hate to admit it, but the old
pirate can still fly and shoot as good as ever. I haven't
heard anything from Luke, but that's probably a good sign. I
hope it's a good sign."
He turned over to his side, placing the globe on the
pillow by his head. "Of course I miss you, Sweetheart, but
every time we push the Empire back a step, we get closer to
finding you. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. It's
one of the few things that keeps me sane." He licked his
lips with concentration. "I'll find you yet, Leia. I
promise."
Solemnly, Han returned the glassine ball under the
cushion, and attempted sleep.
Over the months that Leia was in Vader's custody, the
Dark Lord began to allow her certain amenities. She noticed
that the food she was given improved in its preparation.
While she was still kept under guard, she was allowed to
monitor communications, and examine low-level Imperial
documentation, via her terminals. She felt more like a
princess in exile, than a Rebel imprisoned.
At first, she used her newfound freedoms to examine
communications, hoping that, if she escaped, she could use
this information to help her Alliance friends. Eventually,
however, her thoughts wandered from her idealistic goals.
Considering his reputation, it didn't take long to find
images of Han Solo in the Imperial archives. They ranged
from a younger, profile shot, from when he was an officer in
the services; to a more modern picture, from Jabba's Death-
Contract.
She sat before the screen, cupping her chin in her
palms, when Vader blew in like an icy storm. She whirled in
her seat to face him, covering her embarrassment with
indignity. "Don't you know how to knock?"
"The ship's computer system alerted me," Vader
announced. "Why did you access those files?"
Leia defended herself curtly. "They aren't classified.
Besides, he is my friend."
Leia envisioned her father's eyebrows arching behind
the mask. "Solo is more than that..."
"That's no concern of yours," she quipped.
"It is every concern of mine, Leia," he thundered.
"Surely you must know he played you for a fool."
Leia turned back to the screen. "I don't know what
you're talking about."
Vader turned her around, along with her chair, until
she was facing him. "He is a pirate, a thief, and a cheat.
You don't need his kind of affection."
Leia stood, and spoke loudly. "Han Solo is no thief. He
never took anything of mine."
"Except your heart," Vader boomed.
Leia was on the verge of yelling. "That was freely
given."
Vader placed a gloved hand on her collarbone. "You must
forget him, Leia. He can no longer mean anything to you, if
you are to stay here."
She stared up at him, craning her neck. "If I'm to stay
here? I'm your prisoner. I don't want to stay here. Why
should I obey you?"
The hand tightened its grip. "I can make your life much
more uncomfortable, Leia. Take a good last look at your
pirate. From now, those files will be denied you."
A shiver ran down her back. "You don't need to do this.
You're... inhuman," she grimly whispered.
"I am a realist, Leia," Vader insisted. "This is what
life does. It is grossly unfair. That is its nature." He let
her go before continuing. "If life were fair, Luke would
have begun training you, long ago. If life were fair, Kenobi
would never have taken..." He shook his head. "_She_ would
never have left."
Leia spat her words at him. "If you treated Mother
anything like you're treating me, it's no wonder she left."
Vader's voice boomed at her. "Do you really want to
know why she left?"
"I think I've already figured that out," retorted Leia.
"You know nothing!" He pushed her roughly back into her
seat, knelt before her, and held his right hand up to her.
She blinked with surprise, but refused to turn away.
His left hand grasped at the wrist of his gauntlet, and
pulled it towards the fingertips. There was a ripping sound,
and Leia was shocked to see metal, where there should have
been a wrist. His entire hand consisted of a metallic
skeleton, surrounded by sensor pads, interwoven with control
cables, extending into his forearm. Leia swallowed hard. The
burn scars were clearly visible, where metal met flesh.
"Kenobi did this to me," he growled, the lower volume
somehow seeming more dangerous. "She would not have me after
that." He flexed the mechanical hand into a fist. "He took
from me my wife, and my dignity, but spared me my life. That
is the injustice. He was a thief, like Solo. He took the
best for himself."
Subdued, Leia suggested, "You've had your revenge.
Kenobi is dead, now."
Vader stood, shielding his mechanical hand under his
cloak. "That was no revenge. What he took cannot be returned
to me. She is gone; and I can never show my face to the
galaxy again. He made sure of that." He turned away from his
daughter. "He was jealous of me, and tried to bring me down
to his level. But he knew I could never have my revenge on
him, because he had nothing of value that I could take from
him. He was a completely destructive force."
Leia stood, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"No, not completely. In a way, he created you, Father."
He whirled to face her.
Leia's face was full of compassion and understanding.
"If you hadn't suffered, you would never have become so
powerful." She stepped forward, and embraced him.
Vader was startled, but after a moment, returned the
gesture, enfolding his daughter with his left arm. Leia's
ear was pressed to his chest, as they stood there for a
moment. For perhaps the first time in decades, Darth Vader
had embraced another person, in a peaceful manner. Finally,
the contact was too much. He withdrew his touch.
"Leia," he quietly said. "I am cutting off your access
to the Imperial network."
"What?" She was shocked at his cruelty.
"You must focus on your training," Vader continued.
"You need to be free of outside distractions." He strode to
the door, pausing before leaving. "It is for your own good."
As the door shut behind him, Leia anxiously turned to
watch her screen, only to see Han's image fade before her.
Despair and hatred filled her heart.
Yoda watched Luke as he meditated in the Dagobah's
morning mists. Morning was a relative term, of course.
Neither sunrise nor sunset were distinct under the swamp
planet's thick cloud cover. Still, the chill of the night
was only beginning to evaporate, and the nocturnal creatures
were starting to subside. The small green man approached
his pupil. Luke sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, but he
nodded as Yoda came closer. After a moment, he opened his
eyes again, and smiled.
Yoda peered at his human apprentice. "Why make you that
face?" he asked.
"It's you, Master Yoda," Luke calmly answered. "I
remember when you told me that I would know the difference
between the dark and the light when I was at peace. You were
right. It seems so clear now."
Yoda laughed aloud. "Heh heh. Yes, yes, clear now. But
not so clear when Vader you face."
The smile faded "No, not so clear. But I think I know
why."
"Oh?"
Luke began unfolding his legs. "There's still good in
him. I can feel it."
Yoda sighed, leaning on his stick. "Luke, Obi-Wan once
thought as you did."
"Yoda, he is a man, and he is family. Can I deliver him
to his fate?"
Yoda stirred the ground with his cane. "He chose his
own path, as you must do yourself."
"But has he ever been at peace?" Luke questioned. "Has
he ever had a chance to see the real difference good and
evil, and choose the good?"
"Perhaps. I do not know; I will not use the Force to
invade another's mind, least of all Vader's. But Vader
should not be your concern," he admonished. "Leia. You must
concentrate on Leia."
Luke stood. "Leia knows the good."
"But Vader has given her reason to hate," Yoda
reminded. "That may be the beginning of her path to the dark
side. If she and Vader both serve the Emperor, the galaxy
will suffer."
Luke contemplated the truth of Yoda's words. "Master
Yoda, I feel ready to find her. When will I leave?" he
asked.
"Soon, Luke." The old creature laughed to himself, the
laugh segueing to a cough. "Heh. Yes, leave very soon."
Vader and Leia sat meditating, face to face, in the
practice room, as they had on a daily basis for the better
part of a year. Their privacy was interrupted by a door
chime. Vader casually swept his hand at the door, to admit
an officer.
"Yes?" Vader asked impatiently. Leia looked at the man,
and licked her lips.
The officer unconsciously rubbed the back of his hand,
as he announced, "The Emperor wishes to speak to you."
"Channel it here," Vader commanded. The officer bowed
and left, as Vader stood and walked to the room's comm-
station. He glanced at Leia, who stood back, and watched, as
her father communed with his master.
Vader knelt before the console; momentarily, a
holographic image materialized above the station. The
Emperor's hood was drawn around his face, revealing few
details of his wrinkled features.
"What is thy bidding, my master?" Vader prompted.
"You shall go to Endor's moon, my friend," the Emperor
rasped. "Progress there must be improved."
Vader looked up. "What of Skywalker?"
The holograph shimmered. "You may continue your search
after the battle station is complete. When word is released
of our power, he may even seek you out."
"Yes, my master."
Palpatine's head turned downward. "I understand you
have kept the Rebel princess. Does she amuse you?" Out of
the Emperor's view, Leia's face went sour.
"She may yet prove useful, my master," Vader calmly
answered. "Skywalker will seek her out."
The Emperor nodded. "Yes...yes. Proceed to Endor, my
friend."
"By your leave," Vader spoke, bowing his head once
more. Palpatine waved a holographic hand over Vader, then
faded away into nothingness. Leia approached her father from
the shadows.
"You haven't told him about me?" She turned her head to
the side, trying to read her father's mood.
Vader looked up at her. "He does not need to know,
yet."
"That's a great risk you're taking, Father." She
crossed her arms, looking down at his kneeling form.
Vader slowly stood. "And I may yet take greater steps."
He clasped his hands behind him, as he paced before her.
"The Emperor grows old, and weak."
"So I saw," Leia commented.
"He cannot live forever," Vader continued. "The Force
is strong in him, however. I cannot defeat him alone."
"Defeat him?" Leia's jaw dropped. "You're suggesting
treason?"
Vader stopped his pacing, to face her. "Leia, together
we can stop the destructive conflict that divides the
galaxy. But I will need your help." He held out his arms.
"We can rule the galaxy, as father and daughter."
Leia stared, aghast. "Do you think I want that? A fleet
of ships, my own Death Star?"
Vader stood ramrod-straight, looking down at his
daughter. "You were raised as a princess. You can be a
queen."
Leia's face twisted with distaste. "The Empire
destroyed everything and everyone I ever loved. Why should I
want to be a part of it?"
"Do you truly want peace? The Rebellion will never
destroy the Empire," Vader reasoned, "because no matter how
many victories you achieve, there will always be more of the
Empire in reserve. Only from within," he emphasized, "can
you end the conflict."
Leia balked at his offer. "The Empire would never allow
that to happen."
"The Emperor would not," Vader admitted. "But with the
Emperor gone, all things are possible. We could wield the
power as we saw fit. You could wield the power."
Leia turned away, her head held proud. "I don't want
the power."
Vader came to her shoulder, purring into her ear. "Yes,
you do. Perhaps the Rebellion has tricked you into ignoring
your own desires, set you up as a slave to duty, but you
want power. I've seen how you enjoy controlling a fight,
pressing your advantage. Now that you know your own
capabilities, can you truly go back to being the Rebellion's
message-girl?"
Fire rose in Leia's eyes, as she turned to face her
father. "I was not the Rebellion's message-girl!"
"Yes, you were," Vader countered. "That is how you
started in the Rebellion. We know well enough that they used
your diplomatic immunity to channel communications between
cells of resistance. They have been using you ever since.
You've been a figurehead, an inspiration. But you've never
had true power in the Alliance. You can have it in the
Empire."
"You still don't understand," Leia insisted. "I want no
part of the Empire. I hate the Empire, and everything it
stands for."
Vader commented, "So you would take any chance you had
to kill the Emperor."
"Yes, I...no." Leia stopped herself. "Not if it was
what you wanted."
Vader cocked his head, stepping closer to her. "So is
it me you hate, or the Emperor?"
Leia closed her eyes a moment. "I..."
"If you could choose," Vader goaded, "between Palpatine
and myself remaining alive, or only myself, which would you
choose?"
"I want to see both of you dead," she growled.
"I'm giving you a path that goes halfway to your goal,"
Vader intoned. "It is up to you to tread upon it." He
reached his hand out to her, his palm open.
She stared a moment at her father's hand, suspicious of
his motives. Surely he would not give her the power once
Palpatine was dead, but...Palpatine would be gone. And,
despite the fact that Vader was evil, she found it difficult
to believe he would be any worse than the Emperor now
living.
Tentatively, she reached out, and put her hand in his.
It was raining on Dagobah, as it often did in the early
mornings. Luke sat cross-legged on the floor of his master's
cottage, looking at his master. Yoda had been unusually
quiet, that morning, forgoing his breakfast in favor of a
hot cup of tea. Luke joined his master in the brew; but was
concerned, pondering the bitter drink. It had a medicinal
taste, unlike most of Yoda's flavorful inventions. He
seemed to be leaning harder on his cane; the cough Luke had
noticed earlier in the week was growing deeper, and more
insidious.
The cough returned, as Yoda looked at Luke, and laughed
softly. "Heh heh. Humans, all alike. Look I so old to your
young eyes?"
Luke tried to dismiss the thought with a kindly smile.
"Master Yoda, I...of course you don't."
Yoda shook his head, laughing more deeply. The laugh
ended in another hacking cough, shaking Yoda's body--and
Luke's soul. "I do, yes, I do! Sick have I become. Old and
weak." He hobbled to his pupil, and poked a long green
finger into Luke's chest. "When nine hundred years old you
reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" He chuckled again,
then shuffled to his bed. "Soon," Yoda announced, "will I
rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have."
Luke shook his head again, his heart heavy. "Master
Yoda, you can't die," he started, then stopped himself,
hearing his own words.
"Strong am I with the Force," Yoda chided, "but not
that strong! Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall.
That is the way of things, the way of the Force; but that,
you already know. You have learned all a Jedi must learn.
Now you must complete your final task: Find Vader, defeat
him, save your sister if you can." He beckoned the young
Jedi closer to him. "Luke...Luke...Do not underestimate the
powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you
will. Your sister, too." He coughed again, and Luke helped
the ancient master pull his tattered blanket over himself.
"Luke, when gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be."
Yoda's voice had faded to a whisper; Luke had to lean close,
to hear his master's final words. "Luke, the Force runs
strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned,
Luke...there will be...another...Skywalker."
Yoda caught his breath, and a shiver ran through the
ancient green creature. Then he seemed to relax, and his
face froze in a patient grin. His chest sank, and his last
breath escaped his lips. Luke stared at his dead master, as
he disappeared in front of his eyes.
A Super Star Destroyer and several ships of the
Imperial Fleet were in space above the half-completed Death
Star and its green neighbor, Endor. Four squads of TIE
fighters escorted an Imperial shuttle toward the Death Star.
Lord Vader strode down a hallway, accompanied by the
very nervous Death Star administrator, Commander Jerjerrod.
When they arrived in the docking bay, they saw thousands of
Imperial troops in tight formation. Vader and the officer
walked to the landing platform, where the shuttle was coming
to rest.
The shuttle's ramp lowered and the Emperor's Royal
Guards emerged to create a lethal perimeter. At a silent
signal, the assembled troops stood at rigid attention.
The echo of the soldiers' boots faded; and slowly, the
Emperor appeared. His curved frame slowly made its way down
the ramp with the aid of a gnarled cane. He wore a hooded
black cloak. His face was shrouded in the hood, save his
piercing yellow eyes. Commander Jerjerrod and Darth Vader
knelt to him. The Supreme Ruler of the galaxy beckoned to
the Dark Lord.
"Rise, my friend," came the husky voice.
Vader rose and fell in next to the Emperor as he slowly
made his way along the rows of troops. Jerjerrod and the
other commanders stayed kneeling until the Supreme Ruler and
Vader, followed by several Imperial dignitaries, passed by;
only then did they join in the procession.
"The Death Star will be completed on schedule," Vader
announced.
Palpatine smiled thinly. "You have done well, Lord
Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for
young Skywalker."
Vader looked at the Emperor, but merely answered, "Yes,
my Master."
"Patience, my friend," the Emperor counselled. "In time
he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him
before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn
him to the dark side of the Force." He looked around. "You
keep the princess near you."
"Yes," Vader admitted.
"A dangerous thing, that," Palpatine considered. "She
may strike out at you."
"Her spirit is long since broken; I control her
completely," Vader insisted.
Focusing, Palpatine looked up at the princess. She felt
disconcerted; it was as if the ruler were looking straight
through her. "You have armed her with a saber," Palpatine
mentioned.
"It is one of the ways in which she amuses me," Vader
replied. "And, she is a...contingency. The Rebels would
never knowingly attack her, and Skywalker still seeks her
out. I can feel it."
"He is a compassionate fool," the Emperor spat out.
"Still, she may help us to turn young Skywalker. Yes," he
said, pondering the possibilities, "everything is proceeding
as I have foreseen."
Palpatine laughed to himself as they passed along the
vast line of Imperial troops. Leia watched silently from the
gantry above, clad in black, armed only with a saber. Her
desire to destroy the Emperor was tempered by her fear of
what she might become, should she take his place. The
Emperor's yellow eyes flitted throughout the hangar,
lighting on people, and things, and appraising them with the
same cool detachment. She shuddered, and put a hand to the
railing to firm her posture, if not her resolve.
Part 6
The war room of the Home One was a hive of activity, as
a multicultural meeting of Rebel commanders was about to
begin. Han and Chewbacca edged their way through the crowd,
greeting old and new friends along the way. Han waved to
Wedge, and another commander he hadn't seen since his days
on Hoth. He shook his head; it seemed so long ago, although
he knew it had only been a year. Eventually he found the
droids near the holographic projection system. Before long,
Lando found them as well.
Han peered at Lando's collar, and was amused. "Well,
look at you, a general, huh?"
Lando straightened his shirtcuffs. "Oh, well, someone
must have told them about my little maneuver at the battle
of Taanab."
Han raised his hands in a defensive posture. "Well,
don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I
didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this
crazy attack."
Lando smiled broadly. "I'm surprised they didn't ask
you to do it."
"Well, who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy," Han
insisted. "You're the respectable one, remember? Baron-
Administrator Calrissian?"
Lando shook his head ruefully, sitting before the
tactical display area. "You're never going to let me live
that down, are you?"
"Not if I can help it," Han said, taking a seat beside
his friend.
Mon Mothma signaled for attention, and the room fell
silent. "The Emperor has made a critical error," she
announced, "and the time for our attack has come." As an
excited murmur travelled throughout the room, Mon Mothma
turned to a holographic model of a Death Star. "The data
brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact
location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know
that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet
operational. But most important of all, we've learned that
the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final
stages of the construction of this Death Star. Admiral
Ackbar, please."
Admiral Ackbar stepped forward and pointed to the Death
Star's force field and Endor's moon. "Although the weapon
systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the
Death Star is protected by an energy shield, which is
generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor. Once the
shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while
the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to
knock out the main reactor. General Calrissian has
volunteered to lead the fighter attack."
Han turned to Lando with a look of respect. "Good
luck." When Lando nodded his thanks, Han added, "You're
gonna need it."
Ackbar called General Crix Madine forward. The bearded
man spoke. "We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle.
Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code,
a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the
shield generator."
The assembly began to mumble again. Han squirmed in his
seat, as General Madine turned to him. "General Solo,"
Madine asked, "is your strike team assembled?"
Lando looked at his friend, who seemed to be on the
verge of blushing. "Uh, my team's ready," Han announced,
"but I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."
Chewbacca raised his hairy paw and volunteered with a
long howl. Han looked up at him.
"Well, it's gonna be rough, pal," Han explained. "I
didn't want to speak for you."
Chewie waved off the sense of obligation with a deep
growl.
"Well, that's one," Han proclaimed.
A voice sounded from the back of the assembly. "And I'm
with you, too!"
Everyone turned around and peered into the crowd. Soon,
cheers started, and became louder as source of the voice
made his way to the front. Then a cluster of commanders
parted, revealling Luke. Han was surprised and delighted. As
the assembly broke up, Luke found himself surrounded by his
old friends.
"Luke! I was wondering when you'd get back," Han said,
as Chewie pounded the young Jedi on the back.
Luke smiled before answering. "You knew I wouldn't miss
something this big."
In a vast docking bay, the _Millennium Falcon_ was at
rest near the stolen Imperial shuttle. Chewie barked a final
farewell to Lando and led Artoo and Threepio up the shuttle
ramp, swarming with the Rebel strike team loading weapons
and supplies. Lando turned to face Han.
"Look," Han was saying, "I want you to take her. I mean
it: take her. You need all the help you can get. She's the
fastest ship in the fleet."
Lando acquiesced. "All right, old buddy. You know, I
know what she means to you. I'll take good care of her. She
won't get a scratch. All right?"
"Right," Han agreed, then looked suspiciously at his
friend. "You know, I don't let just anyone fly the _Falcon._
I've got your promise, now. Not a scratch."
"Look, would you get going, you pirate!" Lando saluted
his old friend. "Good luck."
Han answered the salute, and simply said, "You, too."
In the shuttle cockpit, Luke was at the rear control
panel, priming the engines for take-off. Chewbacca was
crammed into the copilot's seat, carefully deciphering the
Imperial controls. "You got her warmed?" Han asked.
"Yeah, she's comin' up," Luke answered.
Chewie growled in irritation, bumping his knees on the
console.
"No," Han agreed. "I don't think the Empire had
Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie."
Chewie barked and hit some switches. Han's glance stuck
on something out the window: the _Millennium Falcon._ Chewie
noticed this, and looked longingly out at the battered
freighter, too.
Luke nudged them gently. "Hey, are you guys awake?"
"Yeah," Han said dreamily, "I just got a funny feeling.
Like I'm not gonna see her again."
"Han, you're a general, now," Luke reminded him, "and
we've got a mission to do."
Han took a deep breath, snapping back to life. "Right.
Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready,
everybody?"
The stolen Imperial shuttle left the main docking bay
of the _Home One,_ lowered its wings into flight position,
and zoomed off into space.
As far as the Emperor was concerned, he was was the
center of the universe. Here, more than anywhere else,
reality seemed to confirm his belief.
The makeshift throne room had been created to highlight
Palpatine's importance. His throne was bathed in light,
while the rest of the room was in shadow. He merely had to
swivel in his seat to look out an enormous window. There he
could see whichever planet he cared to spare or destroy.
Darth Vader stood with other members of the Imperial
council, awaiting an audience with his master. The back of
the throne faced Vader. After several tense moments, the
Emperor's chair rotated around to face him.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Vader intoned.
"Send the fleet to the far side of Endor," the Emperor
ordered. "There it will stay until called for."
"What of the reports of the Rebel fleet massing near
Sullust?"
"It is of no concern. Soon the Rebellion will be
crushed and young Skywalker will be one of us! Your work
here is finished, my friend. Take your princess to the
command ship and await my orders."
"Yes, my Master." Vader bowed before exiting the
chamber.
Outside the throne room, Leia was waiting for her
father. "So?" she prompted.
"We are returning to the command ship," Vader
announced, starting towards the hangar.
"Good," Leia agreed, walking beside him. "I'm getting
tired of watching my back around here."
Vader turned his head to look at her, then faced
forward once more. "You will become accustomed to that."
Leia felt a shiver run up her spine. "I'm not sure I
want to."
"You have no choice, Leia," Vader proclaimed. "It is
one of the prices we pay for our position. A sign of our
power, if you will. Of your power."
"Hmm." Her hands clenched into fists, then relaxed.
"The Emperor still suspects nothing?"
"The Emperor suspects everything," Vader admitted, "but
his focus is on Skywalker."
"The perfect diversion...a real one," Leia considered,
as they marched into the waiting shuttle, and launched from
the Death Star into the void.
Imperial ships swarmed like insects around the Death
Star. Fighters, shuttles, transports, and even Star
Destroyers flitted about, feeding the Death Star's
construction and completion. Supervising the chaos was a
single, enormous Super Star Destroyer.
Han looked back at Luke, as Chewie flipped several
switches. Through the viewscreen, the Death Star and the
huge Super Star Destroyer loomed before them.
"If they don't go for this," Han commented, "we're
gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewie."
Chewie growled his agreement. They both knew their
chances for escape were grim, should it come to that.
The communications system crackled, and an unfamiliar
voice filled the cockpit. "We have you on our screen now.
Please identify."
Han took a deep breath before replying to the hail.
"Shuttle _Tydirium_ requesting deactivation of the deflector
shield."
The voice was crisp and efficient. "Shuttle _Tydirium,_
transmit the clearance code for shield passage."
"Transmission commencing," Han answered, like a
regulation-worshipping Imperial pilot. He keyed for the
stolen code to be broadcast.
Chewie whined nervously. Luke stared at the enormous
Super Star Destroyer that loomed ever larger before them,
trying to discern its individual passengers...there. _He_
was there. "Vader's on that ship," Luke announced.
Han glared at his friend. "Now, don't get jittery,
Luke. There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance
though, Chewie," Han added to his copilot, "but don't look
like you're trying to keep your distance."
The instruction confused the Wookiee. He barked a
question, minutely adjusting the controls.
"I don't know," Han admitted. On further thought, he
added, "Fly casual."
Luke continued to stare at the Destroyer. "I'm
endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come."
Han scoffed at the youngster. "It's your imagination,
Kid. Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here."
Chewie barked his worries while they drew closer to the
Super Star Destroyer.
Lord Vader stood next to Princess Leia, as both of them
stared out a window at the Death Star. Only the incessant
sound of his respirator indicated that the Dark Lord still
lived, until he turned with a snap. He walked down the row
of controllers to where Admiral Piett was leaning over a
tracking screen. Piett straightened at Vader's approach.
"Where is that shuttle going?" Vader calmly asked.
Piett looked at Vader a moment, then leaned over the
console, and spoke. "Shuttle _Tydirium,_ what is your cargo
and destination?"
The modulated voice of the shuttle pilot replied
quickly. "Parts and technical crew for the forest moon."
The Bridge Commander looked to Vader for a reaction.
Vader considered the voice a moment, then looked to his
daughter for confirmation. Leia had turned her head,
recognizing the voice as if from a dream. She raised one
eyebrow as she considered the implications.
The Dark Lord turned back to Piett. "Do they have a
code clearance?"
Piett curtly nodded. "It's an older code, sir, but it
checks out. I was about to clear them," he admitted.
Vader looked upward, as he sensed Luke's presence. He
glanced at his daughter, who nodded knowingly.
"Shall I hold them?" Piett anxiously asked.
"No," Vader confidently replied. "Leave them to me. I
will deal with them myself."
"As you wish, my lord." Piett turned to the controller,
to conceal his surprise. Vader returned to his daughter's
side.
The group waited tensely. Moments passed, until
Chewbacca began to squirm in the too-small seat.
"They're not going for it, Chewie," Han said in a low,
sing-song voice. He began to look for escape paths.
Just then, the ship's comm squelched at them. "Shuttle
_Tydirium,_ deactivation of the shield will commence
immediately. Follow your present course."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for Luke.
Chewie barked his approval of Rebel intelligence.
"Okay!" Han said, on the verge of nervous laughter. "I
told you it was gonna work. No problem."
The stolen Imperial shuttle soared toward the green
Sanctuary Moon.
Vader went to his daughter, and together, they walked
from the bridge, to the main hangar.
"So," Leia began, "they're going to attack the moon,
then the Death Star."
"And," Vader added, "they sent your brother."
"Well, you have to admit, Father," Leia pointed out,
"he is good."
Vader paused before answering. "Yes. He has grown more
powerful than I remembered," Vader mused. "Almost as though
someone were training him..."
"Training him? But that's not possible," asserted Leia.
"Obi-Wan is long dead, and there's no one else."
"It is of little consequence," Vader dismissively said.
"I must go to the Emperor, now. He is strong at predicting
the future through the Force, but he can be curiously blind
to individuals."
"Luckily for us." Leia observed.
"Patience, child," urged Vader. "The time will come,
very soon, for us to strike. The Emperor wants Luke brought
before him. I believe I can arrange for you to be there, as
well. Luke will want to attack him, of course. Between the
three of us, Palpatine will not escape."
Leia considered their situation, and was concerned. "I
know the Death Star's weapon systems are almost on-line,"
Leia probed, "but what about propulsion?"
"No," confessed Vader. "They were given secondary
priority. They are nowhere near complete."
"So we'd better not stay on the Death Star long after
the shield is taken down."
"If it's taken down," Vader added.
"It will be," Leia assured him.
Vader glared at his daughter, before facing forward
once more. "The Rebels are tenacious," Vader reluctantly
admitted.
"I know. I was one of them. Besides...I can _feel_ it.
At least in that, they will succeed. We'd better make sure
there's a shuttle ready and waiting in the station's main
hangar." Leia's eyes took on a far-away look, as she
inwardly focused on the Endor moon. "It's almost time."
Darth Vader once again entered the gloom-filled throne
room. It appeared to be empty, except for a pair of control
consoles, and a dark throne. His footsteps reverberated in
the deathly quiet chamber as he approached the dais. He
waited like a dark statue, deathly still. The Emperor sat
with his back to the Dark Lord.
"I told you to remain on the command ship," Palpatine
said, irritated.
"A small Rebel force has penetrated the shield and
landed on Endor," Vader revealled.
"Yes, I know," the Emperor said with a dismissive flick
of his wrist.
"My son is with them," the Dark Lord added.
The throne rotated until the Emperor was facing his
servant. "Are you sure?"
"I have felt him, my Master," Vader asserted.
"Strange, that _I_ have not. I wonder if your feelings
on this matter are clear, Lord Vader."
"They are clear, my Master."
"Then you must take the princess to the Sanctuary Moon
and wait for them."
Vader was taken aback. "He will come to us?"
"I have foreseen it. His compassion for you and need to
protect her will be his undoing. He will come to you and
then you will bring him before me."
Vader bowed deeply before his master. "As you wish."
Chewbacca growled, sniffing the air, then, with a bark,
pushed off through the foliage.
"What, Chewie? What? Chewie!" Han called after his
massive friend.
The Wookiee hushed the general with a low howl,
pressing forward in the bushes, keeping low. The others
rushed to keep up with the giant Wookiee. As he scooted
along, Artoo whistled nervously. Soon, the group reached a
break in the undergrowth.
"Hey, I don't get it," Han whispered.
Chewie gestured at the clearing, pointing out where
four Imperial troopers stood. There, before the troops, were
five small, furry, bipeds. Their nattered cries carried
through the forest, as they held short, primitive spears in
defensive posture. The troopers were laughing cruelly. Han
noticed another of the creatures was lying nearby,
apparently dead. Its fur showed several blaster burns.
Luke looked at the small body, and was struck to the
heart. He remembered of the day when he had found the
charred remains of Owen and Beru on Tatooine. "I know,
Chewie. It's horrible."
Han looked down, depressed. "We might as well go around
them while they're occupied," he said resignedly. "There's
nothing we can do."
This was an opinion Chewie did not share. He couldn't
resist stealthily starting towards the troopers.
Luke reached out, to restrain his statuesque friend.
"Chewie, wa-wait!" he whispered. "Don't!"
Han unholstered his blaster. "Come on, Luke. You know
how he is. It's all or nothing." They started out, to help
the Wookiee.
The troops remained focused on their captives, as
Chewbacca cunningly crept up behind them. Their jocular
sniggering continued, until a broad furry arm encircled an
armored throat, and jerked back. There was a sickening
crunch of bone, as Chewbacca broke the trooper's neck,
killing him.
Another trooper turned around, just in time to see Han
Solo creeping forward, his blaster drawn. Faced with an
opponent taller than his kneecaps, the trooper elected to
flee. He ran to a speeder bike, flinging himself on the
seat, as Solo fired a shot at him. The shot missed the
trooper, but hit the bike's control vane, as it took off.
The craft gained a meter of altitude, before veering sharply
to the left, and crashing into one of the enormous trees.
Luke came up behind the other two soldiers, and
activated his saber. The hiss caught their attention
immediately. One of them drew and fired at the youth with
the strange weapon. Luke merely reflected his shot back at
the other trooper, cooking several internal organs through
the white armor. As his partner fell beside him, the trooper
turned, to find himself looking at a large, woolly chest.
Chewbacca swiftly dispatched the patrolman with a twist of
his hairy wrists.
The Ewoks, watching this, were clearly disturbed. Luke
had the suspicion that they, like the Wookiees, would have
very clear senses of obligation to those who had saved them.
It would be an uneasy feeling for them, being in debt to
people they didn't know.
Although the rest of the Rebel troop stayed hidden,
Artoo and Threepio trundled into the clearing, when they saw
the danger had passed. Artoo used his sensors to try to
detect any further Imperial patrols in the area, while
Threepio walked over to Luke, for further instructions. When
the Ewoks saw Threepio, they let out a gasp and chattered
among themselves. Threepio turned and spoke to them in their
native tongue. The Ewok nearest him dropped his spear and
prostrated himself before the droid. In a moment, the other
Ewoks followed suit. Chewie let out a puzzled bark. Han and
Luke regarded the bowed creatures in wonder. The Ewoks began
to chant at Threepio.
Luke was uncertain of how to proceed. "Threepio, do you
understand anything they're saying?"
Threepio jerked his head to face his master. "Oh, yes,
Master Luke! Remember that I am fluent in over six million
forms of communication."
Han was rapidly loosing patience. "So what are you
telling them?"
"Hello, I think. I could be mistaken," Threepio
admitted. "They're using a very primitive dialect. But I do
believe they think I am some sort of god."
Chewbacca and Artoo thought that was very funny. Han
merely rolled his eyes and said, "Well, then, just tell your
little worshippers good-bye and we'll be on our way."
Threepio spoke to the small creatures, who immediately
picked up their spears, and began to shout.
Luke and Han looked around with concern. The rest of
the Rebel troops remained hidden, although Han thought he
heard several snickers. Han asked, "Are you sure that you
got that right?"
"General Solo," Threepio said, after a pause, "I'm
afraid they're very insistent that we must return to their
village."
The general had had enough. "Return to their village?!
In case you've forgotten, Goldenrod, we're here to
deactivate a shield generator. Tell them it's your...
almighty decision to leave."
Threepio shook his head sharply. "I beg your pardon,
sir, but it's against my programming to impersonate a
deity."
Han moved toward Threepio threateningly. "Why, you--"
Several Ewoks' spears were thrust in Han's face at the
affront to their god. The Ewoks moved in to protect their
Golden deity and Han was surrounded by a menacing circle of
spears, all aimed at him. He held up his hands placatingly.
"My mistake. He's an old friend of mine. Really," he said,
pitching his voice in higher tones.
"It'll be okay, Han," Luke assured his friend.
Han called out to the troops still further back in the
forest. "You guys! Looks like we're going to be...delayed a
while. We'll meet you at the shield generator at oh-three
hundred." He saw a grizzled commander salute, with a grin on
his face.
The Ewoks began to gesture for the humans and droids to
follow. Chewie howled, and walked over to the body of the
dead Ewok. Gently cradling the limp creature in his broad
arms, he joined the others in a procession to the Ewok
village.
Part 7
A parade of Ewoks wound through the trees while
darkness swept the forest. As they approached their village,
one of them put a horn to his lips, and blew. More Ewoks
came running. With quick words, they discussed some strange
topic among themselves, then several Ewoks left, to return
with a makeshift litter. After a few more words, Threepio
was persuaded to sit on the wooden throne, and Artoo was
tied to the back of the stretcher.
The reason for the mode of transport became apparent,
when the Rebels saw where the Ewok village was, high in the
enormous treetops. The gnarled tree bark gave Chewbacca easy
purchase, and he moved easily up the trunks, even with his
grim burden. The humans were slower, but managed to scale
the trees without much difficulty. The droids were hoisted
on the litter, thick vines bearing their weight.
The procession wound its way into the village square,
and stopped before the largest hut. Threepio's throne was
gently placed on an elevated platform near the hut. He
watched with rapt fascination as Artoo was carefully cut
from the litter. Han, Luke, and Chewie were less than
fascinated by the sharp knives the furry creatures used.
Several scurried forward to the Wookiee, who released the
body of the slain Ewok into their care.
"I have a really bad feeling about this," Han softly
told his friends. Chewie growled his concern.
Suddenly, all activity stopped as Logray, the tribal
medicine man, came out of the big hut. He examined the
captives carefully, then went to join Threepio. A larger,
gray-haired Ewok, Chief Chirpa, was examining the humans
with great curiosity.
Logray spoke to Threepio and the assemblage of fuzzy
Ewoks, pointing to the humans. Many gathered their spears,
and put on hunting hoods.
Han was frustrated by the language barrier. "What did
he say?"
Threepio looked at the Ewoks, then the humans. "I'm
rather embarrassed, General Solo, but it seems that the
Imperials have not been kind to these people."
"No big surprise there," Luke commented.
"Since the Imperials are human," Threepio continued,
"and you are human, they think that killing you will please
me."
Han's jaw dropped. "Wait a minute. We just saved their
flea-bitten little pelts!"
Threepio tilted his head in a thoughtful gesture.
"Unfortunately, General Solo, they don't quite see it that
way. Since you prevented their warriors from proving
themselves in battle, they want to execute you immediately.
They are quite offended that I should suggest otherwise."
The medicine man gestured toward the prisoners and
barked some orders. Several Ewoks stepped forward,
brandishing knives. Han reached for his blaster, but Luke
put his hand to his friend's arm.
"Don't," Luke urged. "It'll make you look like an
Imperial in their eyes." Then he turned to the droid.
"Threepio, tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll
become angry and use your magic."
Threepio reacted to this order with a start. "But
Master Luke, what magic? I couldn't possibly..."
"Just tell them," Luke insisted.
Threepio spoke to the Ewoks, who were disturbed by the
decree. Logray stepped forward and challenged Threepio. Luke
closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
Threepio turned back to his master, and gestured at the
small creatures. "You see, Master Luke; they didn't believe
me. Just..."
Slowly, the throne, with Threepio sitting upon it, rose
from the ground. At first Threepio didn't notice and kept
talking.
"...as I said they wouldn't," continued Threepio. "Wha-
wha-what's happening! Oh! Oh, dear! Oh!"
The Ewoks fell back in terror from the floating throne.
Then, Threepio began to spin as though he were a top winding
down, turning and wavering in mid-air. The golden droid
started to call out in total panic at his situation.
"Put me down! Help! Master Luke! Artoo! Somebody,
somebody, help! Oh! Ohhh!"
Chief Chirpa yelled orders to the cowering Ewoks. They
rushed up and prostrated themselves before Threepio, whose
litter settled to the ground as gently as a butterfly
alighting on a flower. Spears were thrown down, and Ewok
warriors encircled the Rebels, bowing profusely.
"Oh, oh! Thank goodness," Threepio said, standing and
leaving the throne as quickly as if it were contaminated.
"Thanks, Threepio," Luke said, smiling broadly.
The golden droid shook his head in disbelief. "I...I
never knew I had it in me."
A crackling fire danced in the center of the room,
creating a zoetrope display of shadows on the walls. Along
one side, a group of ten Ewok elders flanked Chief Chirpa,
who sat on his throne. The Rebels sat along the walls of the
hut, with Threepio between the two groups. Wicket and Teebo,
two of the young Ewoks they had saved, were standing off to
one side.
Threepio squeaked a speech to the Ewoks, detailing the
Galactic Civil War. The Endor natives listened attentively
and discussed points among themselves. The golden droid
pointed several times at the Rebel group, mimicking
explosion and rocket sounds, mentioning words like Darth
Vader, Death Star, Jedi, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Artoo began beeping excitedly at Threepio.
"Yes, Artoo. I was just coming to that," Threepio
quickly answered, then continued the story. Though the tale
still sounded like gibberish, more familiar words were
discernible: _Millennium Falcon,_ Cloud City, Vader, Han
Solo, carbonite.
Finally, Threepio completed his narrative. At the end
of it, the Ewok elders huddled to confer, then nodded in
agreement. The chief stood and made a brief speech. Drums
began to sound, and all the Ewoks stood, screeching at the
top of their lungs.
"What's going on?" Han asked. The screeching sounded
suspiciously like a war-cry.
"I don't know," Luke admitted. The mood here was
suddenly happier; but in the midst of it, he recognized
another presence nearby. The smile evaporated from his face.
"Wonderful! We are now a part of the tribe," announced
Threepio.
Several of the bundles of fur ran up to vigorously
embrace the Rebels.
"Just what I always wanted," Han said, nonetheless
putting on a friendly face. He laughed when he saw an Ewok
try to topple Chewbacca with a knee-hug. The Wookiee howled.
"Well, short help is better than no help at all,
Chewie," Han said, smirking.
"He says the scouts are going to show us the quickest
way to the shield generator," Threepio added, for Han's
benefit. The droid watched as Luke drifted to the back of
the hut, then pushed back a leather curtain, and wandered
outside. He wondered where his master was going, when Han
asked a question.
"Good," Han enthused. "How far is it?"
Threepio shrugged. "I really don't know, General Solo."
Han gestured at the Ewok. "Well, ask him, then."
Threepio stepped towards the chief, when Han yanked
back on the golden droid's shoulder.
"We need some fresh supplies, too," appended Solo.
Threepio set his metallic shoulders, and turned once
again to the chief. Han pulled the droid back.
"Hurry it up, will you? I haven't got all day."
The wooden walkway was deserted. The windows of the
little huts glowed and flickered from the fires inside. The
sounds of the forest filled the soft night air. Luke had
wandered away from the chief's hut and stood staring up at
the Death Star, his face filled with dread and resolve. Han
found Luke there, and smiled at his old friend.
"There you are, Kid," Han said. "I was wondering where
you'd got to. What's up?"
Luke looked to the east. "Vader is here...now, on this
moon."
Han was skeptical. "How do you know?"
Luke's face was expressionless. "I felt his presence.
He's come for me."
Han would have brushed this off, had Luke told him the
same thing, a year earlier. The Force was something he
hadn't cared to acknowledge, then. But now, he believed.
With all he had seen, and all he had felt, he had to. He
believed in something, now; and that made it easier to
believe in more things. Han came closer, and spoke more
softly. "Does he have Leia?"
"I can't say for sure," Luke admitted. He thought about
the strange, dark crosscurrent he had noticed earlier, and
hoped she wasn't nearby. "But Vader," Luke added, "can feel
when I'm near. That's why I have to go. As long as I stay,
I'm endangering the group and our mission here. I have to
face him...alone."
"What?" exclaimed Han. "You don't have to face him. I
need you down here. This is going to be tricky enough as it
is. Why do you have to go?"
Luke thought of all he had learned, over the past year.
He had trained harder than ever before, for this
confrontation. His reasons were many and varied; but, in the
end, he had to bear this burden, alone. "I can't tell you."
"You can't tell me?" After taking a commanding role in
the Alliance, Han wasn't used to being refused. "Hey, I'm a
general; you're a commander. I order you to tell me."
"Han," Luke began, "it's personal. If I make it back,
I'll tell you. If I don't make it back," he added, turning
away from Solo, "it won't matter anyway. You'll all be dead,
and the Rebellion will fail."
Han shook his head. "You're wrong, Luke. If there's
anything I've learned, it's that the Rebellion is bigger
than any one of us. If you die, it might be the end of me.
Hell, it might be the end of the Jedi. But the Rebellion
will go on."
Luke stared into Han's eyes. He began to understand;
and, though it didn't free him of his destiny, he nodded
silently in agreement. As he walked away, Han gestured to
him.
"Hey, Kid...may the Force be with you."
Luke nodded solemnly. "And you."
The young Jedi walked into the forest, and merged with
the shadows.
An Imperial shuttle floated down from the Death Star,
to settle gently on a huge landing platform. While an
Imperial walker approached the platform from the darkness of
the forest, Darth Vader and Princess Leia Organa walked down
the ramp of the shuttle onto the platform, into an elevator,
to appear on a ramp on a lower level. They walked in unison
toward another exit and were met by two troopers and a
commander with Luke, in binders, at their center. The young
Jedi fixed his eyes on Darth and Leia with complete calm.
"This is the Rebel who surrendered to us," the
commander announced. "Although he denies it, I believe there
may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a
further search of the area. He was armed only with this,"
the commander added, handing Luke's lightsaber to Vader.
Vader looked at Luke for a long moment, before turning
away and speaking to the officer. "Good work, Commander. Now
leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to
me."
"Yes, my Lord," the commander answered, withdrawing
with his troops. Vader, Leia and Luke were left standing
alone, a family reunited in a strangely peaceful stillness.
The tranquil sounds of the forest softly rained upon them.
"The Emperor has been expecting you," Vader announced,
considering the verdant canopy.
"I know, Father," Luke answered, his expression placid.
Leia sauntered closer. "I was wondering if you would
accept the truth of your birth."
Luke turned to Leia, surprised at the tone of her
voice. "I've accepted the truth that he was once Anakin
Skywalker, my father."
Vader whirled to face the youngster. "That name no
longer has any meaning for me."
Luke spoke to his father in kind. "It is the name of
your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good
in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That is
why you couldn't destroy me before, and that's why you won't
bring me to your Emperor now."
Vader looked down from Luke to the lightsaber in his
own black-gloved hand. Leia smiled and shook her head,
knowing that Vader wanted precisely to bring Luke before the
Emperor.
Vader ignited Luke's sword and examined its glowing,
azure blade. "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber.
Your skills are complete. Indeed, you are powerful, as the
Emperor has foreseen."
They all stood still for a moment, until Vader
extinguished the lightsaber.
"Come with me," Luke urged, looking back and forth
between his father and sister. Though the Force, Luke could
sense Vader's resolve, and Leia's trust in the Dark Lord. It
made no sense.
"Obi-Wan once thought as you do," Vader answered.
Leia held her head up, to look her brother in the eyes.
"It won't work, Luke. We're not so foolish as you might
think."
Luke's heart sank. "Leia, what's he done to you?"
Leia stood firm, hubris in her eyes. "He taught me who
I was, and who I could be."
Vader stepped close to Luke. "You don't know the power
of the dark side."
Luke planted his feet, and spoke slowly, deliberately.
"I will not turn, and you'll be forced to kill me."
Vader was nonchalant. "If that is your destiny."
"It's not as though you're irreplaceable," Leia added,
fingering the saber at her own waist.
Luke felt the desperation welling inside him. "Search
your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the
conflict within you. Let go of your hate."
"The Emperor will show you the true nature of the
Force," countered the Dark Lord. "He is your master now."
Vader signalled to some distant stormtroopers. He and
Luke stood staring at one another for a long moment. Leia
watched them, her mouth halfway between a smile and a scowl.
Luke finally tore his gaze away from the obsidian-clad
man. "Then my father is truly dead," he sadly said. He
looked at Leia, and seemed to see a dark light shining from
her heart. _I'm too late,_ he thought to himself.
Han, Chewie, the droids, reunited with the Rebel strike
squad, were being led to the Imperial bunker by their Ewok
guides. The group was spread out among the shrubs and trees.
Below them was the bunker that led into the generator. Four
Imperial scouts, their speeder bikes parked nearby, kept
watch over the bunker entrance. Chewie growled an
observation, and Paploo chattered away to Han in Ewok
language.
"Back door, huh? Good idea." Han visually scanned the
bunker entrance, while Wicket and Paploo continued their
Ewok conversation. "It's only a few guards," added Han.
"This shouldn't be too much trouble."
Chewie howled.
"Then we'll do it real quiet-like," Han answered his
friend. He looked for an easy but well-hidden path down.
Threepio explained what was going on to Wicket and
Paploo, their guides. The Ewoks nattered back and forth,
then Paploo jumped up and scampered into the underbrush.
Threepio asked Wicket where Paploo went and was dismayed by
the reply.
"Oh! Oh, my," Threepio exclaimed, shuffling to the
Corellian general. "Sir, I'm afraid our furry companion has
gone and done something rather rash."
Paploo emerged from the undergrowth near where the
Imperial scouts were lounging. He silently swung his plump,
furry body onto one of the scout's speeder bikes and began
flipping switches at random. Suddenly, the bike's engine
fired up with a tremendous rumble. Paploo grinned and
continued flipping switches. The scouts leapt up in
surprise.
Han and company watched in distress. Chewie barked.
Han sighed. "There goes our surprise attack."
The Imperial scouts raced toward Paploo just as his
speeder zoomed into motion. Paploo hung on by his paws and
shot away into the forest.
One of the guards pointed with anger. "Look! Over
there! Stop him!"
Three of the Imperial scouts jumped on their rocket
bikes and sped away in pursuit. The fourth watched them go
from his post at the door.
Han and Chewie grinned at each other.
"Not bad for a little furball," beamed Han. "There's
only one left. You stay here," he told the droids. "We'll
take care of this."
Han and the Wookiee nodded at each other, and began to
slip down toward the bunker.
Threepio moved to stand next to Wicket and Artoo. "I
have decided that we shall stay here," he announced.
Han snuck up behind the remaining Imperial scout's left
side, and tapped him on the right shoulder. He then let the
scout chase him behind the bunker into the arms of the
waiting Rebel strike team, who were camouflaged in the
undergrowth. Returning to the front, Han tapped out a code
on the bunker door's control panel. Everyone stood out of
sight, weapons drawn, as the door opened. Han peered inside,
but saw no sign of life. The group entered the bunker
cautiously, leaving one lookout behind.
Part 8
Two Imperial guards in crimson robes stood to either
side of an ebony Imperial elevator. Momentarily, the
elevator door slid open, and Leia, Vader and Luke entered
the converted control room. They walked across the dark
space, father and son side by side beneath the gaze of the
Emperor, Leia following after, guarding her emotions.
Ascending a dark, wide staircase, they arrived before the
throne. Vader bowed to his Master.
The Emperor's yellow eyes appraised his guests.
"Welcome, young Skywalker. I have been expecting you."
Luke peered at the hooded figure defiantly. The Emperor
then glanced down at Luke's binders.
"You no longer need those," the Emperor said, extending
a single digit. Luke's cuffs clattered to the floor.
"Guards," Palpatine ordered, "leave us."
The red-cloaked guards turned and disappeared behind
the elevator.
Palpatine returned his attention to the youth before
him. "I'm looking forward to completing your training,"
confessed the Emperor. "In time you will call me Master."
Luke stood as tall as his posture would allow. "You're
gravely mistaken. You won't convert me as you did my
father."
The Emperor got down from his throne, walked up very
close to Luke, and looked into his eyes. For the first time,
Luke could clearly perceive the evil visage within the hood.
"Oh, no, my young Jedi," maintained the Emperor. "You
will find that it is you who are mistaken...about a great
many things. Your princess has already discovered this. Now
it is your turn."
"His lightsaber," said Vader. He extended a gloved hand
toward the Emperor, revealling Luke's sword.
The Emperor took it. "Ah, yes, a Jedi's weapon. Much
like your father's. By now you must know your father can
never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you."
"You're wrong. Soon I'll be dead...and you with me."
The Emperor laughed. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent
attack of your Rebel fleet."
Luke looked up sharply.
"Yes," continued Palpatine, "I assure you we are quite
safe from your friends here."
"Your overconfidence is your weakness," goaded the
youngster.
"Your faith in your friends is yours," answered the
Emperor, scowling.
"It is pointless to resist, my son," added Vader.
The Emperor leaned on a black staff. "Everything that
has transpired has done so according to _my_ design. Your
friends up there on the Sanctuary Moon are walking into a
trap, as is your Rebel fleet! It was I who allowed the
Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is
quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion
of my best troops awaits them."
Leia turned away, her face contorting with surprise.
Han was in more danger than she had originally thought. She
suppressed her fears for him, to focus on the moment at
hand.
Luke's look darted from the Emperor to Vader and,
finally, to the sword in the Emperor's hand.
"Oh...I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite
operational when your friends arrive." The Emperor's voice
dissolved into a sinister cackle.
Han, Chewie, and the Rebel strike team stormed through
a door and entered the main control room, taking all the
personnel prisoner.
"All right! Up! Move! Come on! Quickly, quickly!"
ordered Han, gesturing at the Imperials with his blaster.
The Rebel troops herded the generator controllers away
from their panels.
"Chewie! Charges! Come on, come on! The fleet'll be
here any minute." Han called in troopers, who began planting
high explosives in key positions.
Outside, Threepio watched nervously in the bushes as
several more controllers and stormtroopers ran into the
bunker, leaving guards at the door.
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Threepio. "They'll be captured!"
Wicket chattered in Ewok language, and then took off
full steam into the forest.
"Wait! Wait, come back!" He watched helplessly as the
little creature ran at full speed, then turned to his
counterpart, fixing his metal hands on Artoo's domed head.
"Artoo, stay with me."
Inside the bunker, Han looked up from setting charges
as an Imperial commander entered.
"Freeze! You Rebel scum."
Han spun, to find dozens of Imperial weapons trained on
him and his comrades in arms. A poised force of Imperial
troops surrounded them. Even more poured into the room,
roughly disarming the Rebel contingent. Han looked at
Chewie, his heart sinking. They were helpless.
The Death Star and its Sanctuary Moon hung distant in
space as the Rebel fleet came out of hyperspace with an
awesome roar. The _Millennium Falcon_ and several Rebel
fighters were at the front as the space armada bore down on
its target.
Lando flipped three switches, checked his screen, and
spoke into the radio. "All wings report in."
The tiny speaker crackled with the responses.
Wedge was first. "Red Leader standing by."
"Gray Leader standing by."
"Green Leader standing by."
There was a pause, and then Wedge barked the first
order to his squadron. "Lock S-foils in attack positions."
From the bridge of the Rebel Headquarters Frigate,
Admiral Ackbar watched the fighters massing outside his
viewscreen. "May the Force be with us," he prayed.
Lando looked worriedly at his alien copilot, Nien Nunb,
who pointed to the control panel and talked to Lando.
"We've got to be able to get some kind of a reading on
that shield, up or down," Calrissian reasoned.
Nunb spoke again, gesturing frantically at the panel.
"Well, how could they be jamming us if they don't
know...if...we're coming..." Lando shot a concerned look out
at the approaching Death Star as the implications of what he
had just said sink in. He hit a switch on his comlink.
"Break off the attack! The shield is still up."
Wedge's voice was quick to respond. "I get no reading.
Are you sure?"
There was no time to argue. "Pull up!" Lando yelled.
"All craft pull up!"
The _Falcon_ turned hard to the left. Out the window
the stars and the Death Star moved off right. The fighters
of Red Squad veered off desperately to avoid the unseen
wall. An X-wing grazed the shield with its port wing; sparks
of feedback flew, confirming Lando's worst fears.
Alarms were screaming and lights flashing as the huge
ships changed course abruptly. Other ships in the fleet shot
by outside as the armada tried to halt its forward momentum.
"Take evasive action!" Ackbar cried. "Green Group,
stick close to holding sector em-vee-seven."
A Mon Calamari controller turned away from his screen
and called out to Ackbar, quite excited. The Admiral rushed
over to the controller. "Admiral, we have enemy ships in
sector forty-seven." The moon, Death Star, and the massive
Imperial fleet loomed large on the controller's viewscreen.
_The Imperial Fleet?_
Ackbar moved to the comlink. "It's a trap!"
General Calrissian's voice came back over the speaker,
panicked. "Fighters coming in."
There was much excitement on the bridge as the attack
began. The _Millennium Falcon_ and several squads of Rebel
fighters headed into an armada of TIE fighters. The sky
exploded as a fierce dogfight ensued in and around the giant
Rebel cruisers.
"There's too many of them," whined a rookie pilot,
before exploding into so much space dust.
"Accelerate to attack speed," barked Lando. "Draw their
fire away from the cruisers."
The battle continued around the Rebel fleet.
Luke's heart was heavy, as he stood near the top of the
staircase. The Emperor was sitting in his throne, with Vader
standing at his side. The round window behind the Emperor's
throne revealed the space battle in progress. Leia watched
from one side, her lips tight.
"Come, boy," Palpatine beckoned. "See for yourself."
Luke moved to look through a small section of the
window.
"From here," Palpatine declared, "you will witness the
final destruction of the Alliance, and the end of your
insignificant Rebellion."
Luke was in torment. He glanced at his lightsaber
sitting on the armrest of the throne. The Emperor watched
him and smiled, touched the lightsaber.
"You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you
now," the Emperor observed. "Take your Jedi weapon. Use it.
I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger.
With each passing moment, you make yourself more my
servant."
Vader watched Luke in his agony. Soon, his son would
strike. He could feel it.
Luke rooted his feet to the ground, refusing to give in
to the dark urges in his heart. "No!" he growled, more to
himself than the Emperor.
"It is unavoidable," maintained Palpatine. "It is your
destiny. You, like your father, are now mine!"
Han, Chewie, and the rest of the strike team were led
out of the bunker by their captors. The surrounding area,
deserted before, was now crowded with two-legged Imperial
walkers and hundreds of Imperial troops. Han's stomach sank,
as he realized his failure would cost the Alliance this
battle, and hundreds of lives--if not more.
The Imperial commander barked at his prisoners. "All
right, move it! I said move it! Go on!"
The troopers were not above abusing their captives,
shoving them along like cattle. They herded them further
into the clearing, as a wild series of beeps and whistles
came from the undergrowth. Then, from behind a huge tree,
Artoo rolled into view. Han looked skyward, exasperated.
Soon, Threepio shuffled into view, waving his golden
arms. "Hello! I say, over there! Were you looking for us?"
The bunker commander pointed at the droids, and
scowled. "Bring those two down here!"
A stormtrooper gestured to his comrades. "Let's go!"
As six Imperial stormtroopers rushed over to take them
captive, the two droids ducked out of sight behind the tree.
"Well, they're on their way," whispered Threepio. "Artoo,
are you sure this was a good idea?"
The troopers came around the tree, and trained their
blasters on the mechanoids. "Freeze! Don't move!"
Threepio raised his arms in the air once more. "We
surrender."
As the Imperial troops moved to restrain the droids, a
band of Ewoks dropped down from above and overpowered them.
Threepio put a protective hand on his counterpart.
"Ohhh! Stand back, Artoo."
In a nearby tree, an Ewok raised a horn to his lips,
and blew long and loud. Chaos erupted as hundreds of Ewoks
threw their fuzzy bodies into the fray against the assembled
stormtroopers and their awesome two-legged walkers.
The clearing was a whirlpool of weapons, armor, and
fur. In the confusion of the battle, Han broke away and dove
for the cover of the bunker door as explosions erupted
around him. He went to the bunker door control panel.
"Here's the terminal. Okay, now the code...damn!" Han
fumbled in his pocket, finally extracting his comlink.
"Artoo, I need you at the door right away."
Artoo and Threepio were hiding behind a log as the
battle raged around them. Suddenly the stubby little
astrodroid let out a series of whistles and shot off across
the battlefield. Threepio, panicked, ran after him.
"Going? What do you mean, you're going? But--but going
where, Artoo? No, wait! Artoo! Oh, this is no time for
heroics. Come back!"
Biker scouts raced around and over the two droids,
blasting away at the little Ewoks scurrying for cover.
The _Falcon_ and other Rebel fighters were engaged in a
ferocious combat with Imperial TIE fighters, the battle
raging around the cruisers of the Rebel armada.
Lando was in radio communication with the pilots of the
other Rebel squads. "Watch yourself, Wedge!" warned Lando.
"Three from above!"
Wedge called to his wingmen. "Red Three, Red Two, pull
in!"
"Got it!" Red Two banked closer to Wedge.
Red Three adjusted his scopes. "Three of them coming
in, twenty degrees!"
"Cut to the left!" barked Wedge. "I'll take the leader!
They're heading for the medical frigate."
Lando steered the _Falcon_ through a complete flip, as
his crew fired at the TIEs from the belly guns. A
disquieting alarm sounded from a rear console.
"Pressure's steady," observed the navigator, adjusting
for the acrobatic flightpath. The copilot Nien Nunb
chattered an observation.
"Only the fighters are attacking," Calrissian mumbled.
"I wonder what those Star Destroyers are waiting for."
The Emperor, Vader, Leia, and a horrified Luke watched
the aerial battle fireworks out the window and on the
viewscreens. Another Rebel ship exploded against the
protective shield.
"As you can see," Palpatine said, "my young apprentice,
your friends have failed. Now witness the firepower of this
fully armed and operational battle station." He keyed a
switch on the armrest of his throne. "Fire at will,
Commander."
Luke, in shock, looked out across the surface of the
Death Star to the Rebel fleet beyond. The room seemed to
quaver around him, as a blue-green ray reached across the
field of view, to touch a Rebel cruiser. Instantly, the ship
exploded in a flurry of fire and sparks. The Force shook
with the death-cries of the Rebels aboard the ship,
weakening Luke, and strengthening the Emperor.
Artoo and Threepio ran to the door, as Han provided
cover fire.
"We're coming!" called Threepio, silently cursing his
stiff, mechanical joints.
"Come on! Come on!" called Han, shooting at yet another
stormtrooper.
"Oh, Artoo, hurry!" Threepio gestured to his shorter
companion. In seconds, the little droid moved to the
terminal and plugged in his computer arm. Suddenly, a
powerful energy bolt hit Artoo, knocking him head over
heels, until he finally landed on his feet. The stubby
astrodroid's head was spinning and smoldering. There was an
ominous, loud creaking and Han turned around to see Artoo
with all his compartment doors open, and all of his
appendages sticking out. Water and smoke spurted out of the
nozzles in his body. Han hurried to the terminal, as
Threepio rushed to his wounded companion.
"My goodness!" gushed Threepio. "Artoo, why did you
have to be so brave?"
Han looked at the smoldering droid, and shrugged.
"Well, I suppose I could hotwire this thing," he muttered to
no one in particular.
Out of the window and on the view screens, the Rebel
fleet was being decimated in blinding explosions of light
and debris. But in here there was no sound of battle.
The Emperor turned to Luke. "Your fleet has lost," he
gloated. "And your friends on the Endor moon will not
survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The
Alliance will die...as will your friends."
Vader watched his son with suspicion. He was still
unsure of where or when his son would strike. The Emperor
was pushing Luke to his breaking point--Vader knew that
much. But Palpatine would be completely prepared for Luke's
first attack. He realized he would have to fight his son
again, at least until Palpatine would be off guard. Timing
would be crucial.
Luke's eyes were full of rage. He had come so far,
trained so long, and so hard. But his sister and father were
impenetrable, lost to him. The Alliance's plans were being
thwarted at every turn.
"Good," the Emperor mused. "I can feel your anger. I am
defenseless. Take your weapon! Strike me down with all your
hatred, and your journey towards the dark side will be
complete."
Trembling with a dark desire, Luke could resist no
longer. The lightsaber flew into his hand. He ignited it in
an instant and swung at the Emperor. Vader's lightsaber
flashed to life, blocking Luke's blow before it could reach
Palpatine. The two blades sparked at contact. Luke turned to
fight his father.
The battle raged on. Stormtroopers fired on Ewoks with
sophisticated weapons while their primitive adversaries
snuck up behind the Imperial them and struck with large
clubs. The bewildered Imperials began to realize, too late,
that their armor was better suited for protection against
energy weapons than physical ones.
Imperial walkers marched through the undergrowth,
blasting Ewoks as they went. The Ewoks, however, realized
that the walking machines could be tipped off balance. They
let loose a hundred of logs, that rolled under a walker's
feet. The mechanical legs splayed awkwardly, as the huge
machine slipped and slid until it finally toppled over with
a great crash.
Chewie swung on a vine to the roof of one of the other
walkers. Two Ewoks clung to his fur. They all landed on the
top of the lurching machine, then hung on for dear life. One
of the Ewoks peeked through the window.
Inside the walker, the Imperials were more irritated
than frightened by the sight. "Look," groaned one. "Another
one of those little rodents."
"Get him off of there," ordered the other pilot.
The first walker pilot opened the hatch to see what was
going on. Chewbacca yanked him out and tossed him overboard
before he could scream. The two Ewoks jumped into the
cockpit and knocked the second pilot unconscious with heavy
stones, leaving the mighty machine without a controller.
Outside, Chewie was almost knocked overboard. He stuck his
head into the hatch with a series of angry barks, but the
Ewoks were too busy and frightened to listen to his
complaint. With the Wookiee equivalent of a sigh, Chewie
slipped inside the walker.
His walker moved through the forest, firing laser
blasts at unsuspecting stormtroopers, and destroying other
Imperial walkers. The Ewoks shouted and cheered as the giant
machine helped turn the tide of the battle in their favor.
Han worked furiously at the control panel; wires
sparked as he attempted to hotwire the door. He motioned to
a nearby Rebel officer, who was blasting away at some
stormtroopers.
"I think I got it," Han revealed. "I got it!"
The three wires sparked as the connection was made.
With an ominous, thundering report, a second blast door
crashed closed in front of the first.
Han frowned and turned back to the wires again. The
Rebel officer exchanged shots with stormtroopers in the
bushes. Han suddenly cried out in pain, his left shoulder
hit by a laser blast. His legs crumpled under him, and he
sank to his heels.
"Oh! General Solo, are you all right?" asked Threepio,
shuffling closer.
The Rebel officer was similarly concerned. "Let's see,"
he gruffly urged, still trying to cover the clearing. He put
himself between Solo and the forest, and examined the wound.
"It's not too bad," he commented. "You're lucky, just a
little to the left, and--"
Han's heart leapt to his throat, as he heard a
modulated voice yell, "Freeze!"
Two stormtroopers stood in the clearing, their blaster
rifles trained on the bunker entrance. The Rebels froze.
"Oh, dear," muttered Threepio.
"Don't move!" barked the first trooper.
Han held his laser gun ready, behind the Rebel officer,
out of view of the two stormtroopers moving toward them. The
officer nodded slightly, mouthing a countdown.
_Three..._
"Hands up!" ordered the other Imperial.
_Two..._
"Now! Stand up!"
_One!_
Han stood up and disposed of the stormtroopers in a
flash. Before the Rebel officer could turn back to Han, he
looked up to see a scout walker approach and stand before
him, its deadly weapons aimed right at them.
"Stay back, General," he told Solo, turning to face the
destructive giant. He kept his hands in the air, and stepped
tentatively towards the mechanical monster.
The hatch on top of the walker opened and Chewie stuck
his head out and barked triumphantly. Han stepped forward
and tried to cheer, and narrowly missed aggravating his
injury.
"Chewie! Yes! Ouch!" He lowered his arms, and rubbed
his shoulder. "Get down here, and bring a medipak...no,
wait....I've got a better idea..."
Luke and Vader were engaged in a man-to-man duel of
lightsabers even more vicious then the battle on Bespin. But
the young Jedi had trained hard, and grown stronger since
the battle of Cloud City. Vader stumbled back, lost his
balance, and was knocked down the stairs. Luke stood at the
top of the stairs, ready to attack. Leia grasped her hands,
and bit her lower lip.
Palpatine laughed at the spectacle before him. "Good.
Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow
through you."
Luke looked momentarily toward the Emperor, then back
to Vader, and realized he was using the dark side. He
stepped back, turned off his lightsaber, and relaxed,
letting the hate trickle out of him.
"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Vader complimented his
son.
"I will not fight you, father," Luke blankly stated.
Vader walked back up the stairs to Luke. "You are
unwise to lower your defenses," advised the Dark Lord. He
attacked, forcing Luke on the defensive. The young Jedi
leapt in an amazing reverse flip up to the safety of the
catwalk overhead. Vader stood below him.
"You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before," Luke
pointed out, "and I don't believe you'll destroy me now."
Vader squared his shoulders. "You underestimate the power of
the dark side. If you will not fight, then you will meet
your destiny." He threw the laser sword and it cut through
the supports holding the catwalk, then returned to Vader's
hand. Luke tumbled to the ground in a shower of sparks and
rolled out of sight under the Emperor's platform. Vader
moved to find him. Leia watched anxiously, not sure who to
cheer for.
The Emperor rocked back in his throne, laughing. "Good.
Good."
The two armadas blasted away at each other in
individual point-blank confrontations. Under the barrage
from a Rebel cruiser, a Star Destroyer exploded. The Rebel
victor limped away, its own back afire with a series of
minor explosions. The crippled cruiser managed to move in
next to a second Star Destroyer before it exploded
completely, taking the Imperial craft along with it.
The _Falcon_ and several fighters strafed one of the
larger Imperial ships. Lando broadcast a warning to the
fighters. "Watch out. Squad at point oh six."
A younger pilot answered the hail. "I'm on it, Gold
Leader."
They soared in closer, and an X-wing crossed in front
of the _Falcon,_ locking on a TIE and vaporizing it with
two, neat shots.
"Good work, Red Two," commended Wedge.
They continued their strafing run along the ship's port
side. Finally pulling away, maneuvering to avoid flak, Lando
looked at the blue moon. For a second, the pirate crossed
his fingers. "Now...come on, Han, old buddy," Lando urged.
"Don't let me down."
Imperial controllers within the bunker watched the main
viewscreen on which a vague figure of an Imperial walker
pilot could be seen. There was a great deal of static and
interference. "It's over, Commander," the pilot said. "The
Rebels have been routed. They're fleeing into the woods. We
need reinforcements to continue the pursuit."
The controllers cheered, as the commander patted his
fellow officers on the back. "Send three squads to help.
Open the back door," he ordered.
"Yes, sir," his second in command cheerfully answered.
As the door to the bunker opened and the Imperial
troops rushed out, they were surprised to find themselves
surrounded by Rebels, their weapons pointed at them. Ewoks
holding bows and arrows appeared on the roof of the bunker.
The Imperial troops threw down their guns as Han and Chewie
rushed inside the bunker with explosive charges.
Vader stalked the low-ceilinged area below the throne,
searching for Luke in the semi-darkness. The Dark Lord held
his lightsaber ready, a red beacon in the gloom. "You cannot
hide forever, Luke," Vader taunted.
"I will not fight you," came Luke's echoing voice from
the shadows.
"Give yourself to the dark side," Vader counseled. "It
is the only way you can save your friends on the forest
moon."
_Save your friends._
Luke thought of his error at Bespin when, to save his
friends, he had rushed off to face Vader, unprepared for the
battle. He shook his head, understanding, at last, his own
motives.
"Save my friends?"
As much as he wanted to release the galaxy from the
Empire's rule, as much as he wanted Palpatine's reign of
terror to end, as much as he wanted this prince of darkness
to be swept into memory; these were not his reasons for
fighting.
To truly embrace the good and the light, he had to
believe the good could, and would, triumph. He had to
replace his fear with calm, and act on the hope for peace
and love. Strongly but fairly, he had to defeat Vader.
"That's not what this is about. It's about me...and
you. It's personal."
Luke ignited his lightsaber, and pressed at his father
with a new determination. Sparks flew as Luke and Vader
fought in the cramped area. Luke's skill forced Vader to
retreat out of the low area and across a bridge overlooking
the deep elevator shaft. Each stroke of Luke's sword drove
his father further toward defeat. He could taste the victory
in the Force. He could defeat Vader, destroy the Emperor,
take Leia, and leave this place.
The Dark Lord was knocked to his knees, his breathing
labored. The polished helmet drooped, as he weakly attempted
to fend off Luke's powerful blows. Luke brought his saber to
bear, swung hard...
And found his blow blocked by a much more sure hand.
Leia had deflected his killing blow, defending Darth Vader.
Luke frowned. "Leia, what are you doing?"
"It's time you picked on someone your own age," Leia
retorted, standing her ground before the young Jedi. Her
sword seemed a comfortable extension of her hands. Behind
her, Luke could see Vader struggling to his feet, pulling
himself up along a railing.
The Emperor, watching this, frowned. Luke would not
fight the princess; he did not hate her, did not want to
destroy her. How could he be turned now? Vader had failed.
Or perhaps...another possibility. He focused his attention
on the petite woman, and began to smile.
"Yes," the Emperor goaded. "Fight her. She was but a
girl, when last you saw her. See how the dark side has made
her powerful. Learn a lesson at her hands."
Palpatine's words stung Luke, but not as much as the
malice in his sister's eyes. "Why are you doing this, Leia?"
Leia remained silent, lettering her actions speak for
her. She swung at the young Jedi with strong, fast blows.
Luke parried them all, but found himself being herded away
from Vader. The Dark Lord had staggered back from the
railing, and was hobbling to the Emperor's side. Leia
ignored the elders, focused on her brother.
Luke shook his head. "I don't want to fight you, Leia,"
he softly said.
"He was right," Leia murmured. "You are afraid. Afraid
of him," she added, slashing at Luke with a twisting arc,
"and afraid of me."
Luke parried her blows, and returned the favor,
pressing her back in kind. She was skilled with the saber,
however, and turned away his blows more easily than he had
expected. They circled each other, until Leia swung, and
locked swords with Luke. In that moment, he looked at her
pale face, lit by the crimson glow of her saber. It seemed
as though her soul had become an unstoppable force, as she
withdrew, then attacked again.
Part 9
Han and several of the fighters ran out of the bunker
and raced across the clearing.
"Move! Move!" Han yelled, diving behind a clump of
bushes, just as the charges exploded.
Through the leaves of the shrubs, he saw the bunker
flaring and collapsing on itself, followed by the shield-
generation dish. He rubbed his sore shoulder, then looked to
the sky.
Ackbar, sitting in his control chair, spoke into a tiny
microphone. "The shield is down! Commence attack on the
Death Star's main reactor."
"We're on our way," Lando replied. "Red Group, Gold
Group, all fighters follow me. I told you they'd do it!"
The _Falcon,_ followed by several smaller Rebel
fighters, headed toward the unfinished superstructure of the
Death Star.
The Emperor watched the two youngsters fighting with
increased interest. "She is amusing, Lord Vader," commented
Palpatine. "I am beginning to understand why you kept her."
The Dark Lord breathed uneasily, watching the
proceedings, trying to control his anxious thoughts. The
Emperor still had no idea of Leia's origins, or potential.
Leia swung at Luke with renewed strength. He parried
her blows, but was keenly aware of her skill. She was using
the Force for defense, and offense. Luke found his every
blow anticipated, and his every block had to be swift and
accurate. She was a worthy opponent.
"You don't have to do this, Leia," Luke counselled,
turning to ward off another thrust.
Leia shook her head grimly. "Lord Vader is my master."
Luke crossed swords with her. "He doesn't have to be.
You can leave at any time."
"Why should I?" She slashed at him again and again,
every blow an accusation. "You wouldn't train me, and he
would."
"I wouldn't train anyone," Luke argued. "I'm not ready
to teach yet."
"Too bad," shot back Leia. "I was ready to learn, and
your father was ready to teach."
Luke remained silent, blocking yet more of her attack.
_'Your father'--not 'our father'? Why would she...surely she
knows, and Vader knows...doesn't the Emperor? Have they
conspired to keep this a secret from Palpatine? What are
their plans?_
He had to jump back, as Leia again pressed forward.
Palpatine continued to observe from his throne. "Very
good...she is very good, Lord Vader."
Though still weak, Vader managed to speak clearly. "She
knows how to concentrate."
The Emperor focused on the Princess with his inner eye.
"And she seems to have some small understanding of the
Force."
Vader inhaled deeply, before conceding, "Some small
understanding? Perhaps."
Palpatine gleefully wrung his hands.
Luke was fighting hard, keeping an eye both on his
sister, and the Emperor. The siblings circled each other
like dogs, looking for weaknesses. Seeing no physical chinks
in her armor, Luke reluctantly decided to try a verbal
assault.
"If Vader trained you, it was because he wanted to use
you," Luke taunted.
"No matter his reasons," Leia replied, "I am more than
I was."
"Yes," Luke considered, blocking one of her blows, and
crossing swords with her. "You're more cruel, more jaded."
"More powerful," Leia added.
"More fearful, more hateful," Luke maintained. "I can
feel it."
"Feel this," Leia spewed, twisting at him with all her
might. Despite its power, however, Leia's blow lacked the
accuracy to be a threat. Luke turned it away easily.
"Hate and fear don't make you more powerful," Luke
explained. "They prompt you to act too late or too soon.
They will cloud your mind--like they now cloud the
Emperor's."
Leia considered Luke's words. _Like they now cloud the
Emperor's._ Yes, that would explain why this was a good time
to attack Palpatine. But Luke would have to make the primary
attack. Once occupied by Luke, she and Vader could finish
the job...and then, perhaps, she and Luke could finish with
Vader.
She looked at Palpatine once more, the hatred in her
heart a palpable entity. She stared at Luke again. "You will
have to defeat me," she jeered, "before you can face them.
That is your destiny, and mine."
Luke looked at the robed Imperials, then back at Leia.
She held her sword before her, and nodded her readiness.
"Then so be it," he said flatly, and began to swing at
her.
She defended herself against his blows, and for a
minute, stood her ground; but eventually, she let herself be
pushed back. Luke had the impression that, despite the beads
of sweat on her brow, she was allowing herself to be beaten
back on purpose. He pressed forward, and she began to back
up. The fight was edging closer to the staircase, closer to
the Emperor himself.
Leia slashed back at Luke four more times; he parried
the blows easily, and twisted his wrists, answering her
offense. She stumbled back, and Luke pressed forward into
the void she created. He cut at her, his every move
controlled and powerful. She panted from exertion, barely
able to defend herself. True fear crept into her heart--that
her brother would strike her down here and now. In
desperation, she raised her sword once more. As an answer,
Luke rotated his own blade, to whip her sword from her hand.
It deactivated and clattered uselessly to the floor at the
base of the staircase, as she fell backwards. Luke held the
tip of his sword to her throat. She stared at the glowing
rod in fear and awe.
The Emperor watched with uncontrollable, pleased
agitation. "Good! Very good, boy. You have proven yourself
worthy to be my apprentice. Come, join me."
Luke looked skeptically at the Emperor, then down his
sword, at his sister. Leia cowered, frightened of him; yet,
seemingly hopeful that he would strike the Emperor down.
Though he could sense Leia's hopes and fears, he was not
here to fulfill her dreams.
He remembered, in that one moment, why he had come
here. Though he might have thought it was to face Vader, to
save his sister, the truth hit him with sudden clarity. He
was here to face the darkness in his own heart. He had known
that Palpatine wanted to turn him; but here, as on Dagobah
so long ago, the choice was his to make. His fears were
gone.
Luke stepped back and hurled his lightsaber away.
"Never," he calmly asserted. "I'll never turn to the dark
side. You've failed, your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my
father before me. Like Leia one day will be."
The Emperor's glee turned to rage. "So be it...Jedi."
Luke stood still, as the Emperor reached the bottom of
the stairs. The Emperor's smile had transformed to a scowl
of anger. He raised his arms toward Luke. "If you will not
be turned, you will be destroyed."
Blinding bolts of energy, evil lightning, shot from the
Emperor's hands at Luke. Even in his surprise, the young
Jedi tried to use the Force to shield himself. At first he
succeeded, but soon the bolts of energy were coming with
such speed and power the young Jedi buckled from the effort,
and gave in to the torture. Still weak from the battle with
his son, Vader shuffled forward to stand at his master's
side.
"Young fool...only now, at the end, do you understand."
The Emperor paused only long enough for Luke to feel the
full pain of his injuries. Luke was almost unconscious
beneath the continuing assault of the Emperor's lightning.
He clutched a canister to keep from falling into the
bottomless shaft as the bolts tore through him. Leia weakly
stood, and moved slightly toward the Emperor.
Palpatine took no notice of her. "Your feeble skills
are no match for the power of the dark side," jeered the
Emperor. "You have paid the price for your lack of vision."
Luke writhed on the floor in unbearable pain, reaching
weakly up toward where Vader stood watching. "Leia, Father,
please. Help me."
Vader watched Luke a minute more, then looked at his
master, the Emperor. His daughter was nearby, fatigued but
alive. She had every intention of attacking the Emperor as
they had planned; but alone, she would fail. He looked back
to Luke on the floor, then to Palpatine, and cursed
inwardly. His son squirmed in pain, and the Emperor was as
strong as ever.
Still, this was the last opportunity they would have.
Leia was tired, but willing. Shouldn't he act as well,
fulfill his commitment to her? He took another step forward,
the motion itself an exercise in agony.
The Emperor ignored his dark servant, focused
completely on the younger man. "Now, young Skywalker...you
will die."
"No," Leia softly said to herself. The Emperor took no
notice, increasing the outpouring of bolts from his fingers.
Luke's body writhed in pain.
Leia lunged at the Emperor. "NO!"
The Emperor turned at her cry. "Foolish girl--what!?"
Vader grabbed the Emperor from behind, as Leia seized
him from the front. The Emperor struggled in their embrace,
his bolt-shooting hands lifted high, away from Luke. His
anger refocused as they tried to carry him to the railing.
Vader's betrayal must be punished, he thought furiously, all
the while aware of what his fate would be. The boy on the
floor was tired, but urged them on through the Force. The
three of them were united against him, were pitting their
wills against his own. The white lightning arched back to
strike at Vader, the power nearly enough to shatter bone;
but the Dark Lord had a mechanical strength that was
heedless of pain.
Leia and Vader stumbled as the sparks rained over
Vader, head to toe. They held the evil creature at the edge
of the abyss at the central core of the throne room. With a
united effort, Darth Vader and his daughter hurled the
Emperor into the bottomless shaft.
The Emperor's body spun helplessly into the void,
twirling as it fell. Halfway down the shaft, the body
exploded, forcing a rush of air through the room. Vader's
cape was whipped by the wind and he staggered, and collapsed
toward the bottomless hole. Leia grasped him by the arm and
pulled him back, as he sank to his knees. Luke crawled to
his father's side and helped pull him away from the edge of
the abyss to safety. All three rested against each other,
too weak to move.
"Now what, Father?" Leia asked, panting.
The only sound from Vader was his respirator. Luke
looked at Leia's face, and was surprised by what he saw:
concern, and love, for Darth Vader.
Their father.
The Dark Lord remained prone. "Now...you must leave
this battle station. The Rebels...have brought down the
shield, as you foresaw...my daughter."
"I had a good teacher," Leia muttered.
"But there will be no Empire fit for you to rule,"
Vader managed. His breathing was still labored.
"I never really wanted that, anyway," she answered,
positioning herself under Vader's left shoulder, to help him
to his feet. Luke was incredulous, watching his sister with
the massive encumbrance of Vader's deadweight. He then
joined her, on Vader's right side, easing her burden.
"Why...are you helping me?" Vader managed, looking at
his son.
Luke adjusted his stance. "You're my father. I may hate
everything you've done, but I know there's good in you.
You're worth saving, Father."
Luke's words whirled around Vader, catching him up in
their truth. His son loved him. His daughter loved him. He
was free of Palpatine.
Still, it had been a long time. "It's too late for me,
Son," he mumbled. He wanted to stand of his own accord, free
his children, but his legs would not cooperate.
"It's too late to argue," Luke countered. "I felt it in
you. When Palpatine died, you let go of your hate. The Dark
Side no longer possesses you."
The Death Star shook around them, and Vader's head hung
forward. Leia urged her brother, "Come on, Luke. There's not
much time left."
Rebel fighters followed the _Falcon_ across the surface
of the Death Star to the unfinished portion, where they dove
into the gridwork of girders, followed by many TIE fighters.
"I'm going in," Wedge announced, pitching his craft in
a steep dive.
"Here goes nothing," muttered Lando, following the tiny
craft through the web of metal.
Imperial troops ran in all directions, like flotsam and
jetsam in a whirlpool. They knew the end was near; confused,
they were desperate to escape. In the midst of this uproar,
Luke and Leia were carrying the weighty bulk of their
father's weakening body toward an Imperial shuttle. Finally,
Luke collapsed from the strain, and Leia fell beside him.
The explosions grew louder as Vader drew them closer.
The Dark Lord's voice was a rasping whisper through his
mask's filter. "Luke, Leia, help me take this mask off."
Leia frowned at her father. "But you'll die."
Vader slumped even further in his children's arms.
"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once...let me look on
both of you with my own eyes."
Leia nodded solemnly, reaching for her father's helmet.
Tentatively, she pulled; it released easily, and she set it
aside, revealing the scars along his scalp. She looked
expectantly at Luke.
Hesitantly leaning forward, Luke removed the mask from
his father's face. His father's skin was wrinkled and
scarred, twisted lines running in a hundred different
directions. The folds of pale skin revealed the visage of an
elderly man. His eyes glazed over at the sight before him.
His voice was thin, as he weakly told them, "Now...go, my
children. Leave me."
"No," Luke insisted. "You're coming with us. We can't
leave you here. We've got to save you." He swallowed hard,
keeping a stoic expression on his face.
Anakin Skywalker smiled benignly at his son. "You
already have, Luke. You were right about me."
Leia began to weep. "Father...I won't leave you."
He turned sadly to his daughter. "Then I must be the
one to go." He pressed his lightsaber into her palm, and
carefully wrapped her fingers around it. She accepted the
gift, as the tears flowed in rivulets down her face.
Luke was suddenly aware of the covenant between Leia
and their father. Maybe if Anakin could hold on to that
bond, he could survive until they got to the medical
frigate. "Father, please," he urged.
"No Father, don't go," Leia pleaded.
But their supplications were too late, as they both
realized. A chill ran through them, as they held their
father there. When Anakin's life energy left his body, the
hangar turned quiet, and the Force seemed still. In that
moment, Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, died.
A huge explosion rocked the docking bay. Slowly, Luke
and Leia rose and, respectfully carrying the body of their
father, they entered the shuttle.
The _Millennium Falcon_ led a swerving bomb run through
the immense superstructure of the half-built Death Star,
while the Rebel Star Cruisers outside continually bombarded
the huge station. Each direct hit was answered by
resonating, chain-reaction explosions within the station
itself.
Lando's crew fired away at the pursuing TIE fighters as
the general and his alien copilot homed in on the main
reactor shaft. A lone X-wing was just in front of the
_Falcon._
Wedge's voice crackled through the speaker. "There it
is!"
Lando checked his readings on the reactor. "All right,
Wedge. Go for the power regulator on the north tower."
The X-wing dove for its target. "Copy, Gold Leader. I'm
already on my way out."
The X-wing aimed for the top of the huge reactor and
fired several proton torpedoes at the power regulator,
causing a series of small explosions. The _Falcon_ homed in
on the main reactor, and when it was dangerously close,
Lando fired the missiles.
The weapons shot out of the _Falcon_ with a powerful
roar, and hit directly at the center of the main reactor. As
the core started to collapse, Lando maneuvered the _Falcon_
out of the winding superstructure. The chain of explosions
continued behind him, expanding out in a fiery ball.
Ackbar and other Mon Calamari leaned on the railing of
the bridge, watching the large screen showing the Death Star
in the main briefing room. The Admiral's face contorted into
the Calamarian version of a grin. He confidently ordered,
"Move the fleet away from the Death Star."
Luke sat beside his sister in the cockpit of the
shuttle. He was in the pilot's seat, and controlled the
craft as they fled the Death Star. A large metal beam
collapsed directly behind them, as the graceful vessel flew
from the hangar. Leia glanced at the scopes, then increased
the sublight engines' power. They rocketed away from the
crippled battle station, just before the hangar they had
been in was engulfed with flames.
Luke looked at her, as he plotted a course for the
Sanctuary Moon. How had she managed it, he wondered to
himself? How had she kept alive the spark of love and hope,
after being in the Dark Lord's grasp for so long?
Leia looked at her brother, as if sensing his thoughts.
"He cared for me," she said.
"Father?" Luke asked, not sure if he understood.
Leia nodded. "After he had been training me for so
long, it was hard for me to hate him. And he found it hard
to hate me." Leia focused on the planet before them,
preparing the craft for atmospheric entry.
Luke homed in on the remains of the shield generator,
and used it as a landmark to navigate the descent. "So
that's why I sensed the uneasiness and confusion from him."
"That, and other things," Leia confirmed. "It's also
what made his original voyage to the dark side complete. He
thought Mother didn't love him anymore. It wasn't the only
thing that turned him, of course, but it was the final
straw. With her gone, he only had Palpatine to turn to. And
with Palpatine gone, he had no one left to hate."
As the atmosphere began to glow on the shuttle's hull,
Luke quietly said, "Han's down there."
Leia smiled wistfully. "I know. Actually, I've known
since you arrived."
Luke stared at the instruments, before saying, "He
loves you, Leia."
"I know that, too," she replied. "It's one of the
things that kept me from turning completely."
Luke was about to probe further, when Leia coaxed the
shuttle into an arcing path. "We should have a good view,"
she said, looking up and gesturing at the forward window.
The _Falcon_ flew at top speed, with a single X-wing as
escort, through the seemingly endless tunnels of the Death
Star. A series of explosions within the superstructure
followed, then swiftly overtook the small craft as it raced
for an exit.
Lando checked the readings behind him, and his speed.
He turned to Nien Nunb and shook his head, then keyed his
comlink. Solemnly, he said, "Wedge, I don't think we're
going to make it."
The response was grimly insistent. "You'll make it.
Just follow me, Gold Leader."
Riding the waves of the explosions, an X-wing, piloted
by Wedge Antilles, raced out of the exploding superstructure
and whizzed toward the Sanctuary Moon. Though singed on the
hindquarters, the _Millennium Falcon_ managed to escape the
doomed battlestation intact. Moments later, the Death Star
exploded in a supernova of glory.
Luke set a torch to the logs stacked under a funeral
pyre where his father's body lay, again dressed in black
mask and helmet. Leia watched impassively, her arms wrapped
around herself. The flames slowly licked their way through
the wood, as Luke returned to his sister's side. His face
blank, as the blaze leapt higher to engulf the body of
Anakin Skywalker. Leia leaned against Luke, and he put an
arm around her shoulders.
"It's finally over," Luke flatly said.
Leia slowly shook her head. "Don't be a fool, Luke."
Luke stared at his sister, her face illuminated by the
yellow flames.
"It's only the beginning," she stated, still looking
into the fire. "There's still so much to do; I still have so
much to learn."
Leia looked up at her brother, as he reminded her,
"There are no Jedi Masters to teach you."
"Not yet, I know; but I have faith that there will be.
In the meantime, I'll have to make do with what teachers I
can find." She returned her attention to the bonfire before
them, and turned her head up to follow the escaping smoke.
The light of the bonfire pierced the forest's darkness,
a joyous beacon to Rebels and Ewoks alike. A trio of X-wings
dropped fireworks overhead, which exploded in ecstatic
mimicry of the Death Star's demise. The freedom fighters
danced to the sound of the drums and the songs of a dozen
languages, yelping their victory to the sky.
Han and Chewie were drinking mugs of a local brew, when
they saw a bruised Luke Skywalker approach from the far side
of the bonfire. Chewbacca enfolded the Jedi in a tight
Wookiee hug, while Han cheerfully punched his friend's
shoulder. Then, looking to the flames, Han saw the figure in
black he had hardly dared hope to see again.
He rushed to Leia, touching her hands tentatively, not
sure she was real. Then all doubt left him, and he kissed
her with a passionate reverence. Luke watched, happy for his
sister and friend, and the victory they had won.
Lando Calrissian and Nien Nunb finally joined the
group. Han handed them each a drink, all the while keeping
Leia close to his side. She looked up at him, and he kissed
her again, a final reassurance of her existence.
As the embers of the Death Star faded in the sky, Luke
went to his sister's side, and pointed into the shadows.
Leia followed his gesture, to see the faint, shimmering
figures of Yoda, Ben Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, smiling
in the darkness. Feeling the saber at her waist, Leia
considered her future, and smiled in return.
* * * * *
Leia's eyes fluttered, then squinted, adjusting
gradually to the bright lights of the medical center.
Raising herself up on her elbows, she was immediately aware
of a friendly presence.
"Han..."
Her husband was sitting in what looked to be the
galaxy's most uncomfortable chair, watching over her. "Good
morning, Sweetheart...how are you?"
"I feel fine...better...maybe I should ask the medic."
She rubbed her eyes, then adjusted the pillows behind her
back. "What are you doing here?"
Han gestured vaguely. "There didn't seem to be a lot
else that needed doing, so I thought I'd stay with you."
Leia blinked with surprise. "In that chair? You're
dumber than I thought."
"I know," Han ruefully admitted, rubbing the small of
his back.
Leia was puzzled. "But what about the virus?"
Han shrugged. "I took their immunization shot. After a
day, they said I was perfectly safe to be with you, so..."
Leia finished his sentence for him. "...so you sat
beside me, bored out of your mind." She shook her head,
incredulous.
Han took his wife's hand. "Leia," he softly insisted,
"I could look at your face for a year, and never be bored."
"Flatterer," she demurely accused. She rearranged the
bedsheets, avoiding his eyes.
"How did you sleep?" Han asked, trying to change the
subject.
She looked thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I had the
strangest dream."
Han raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to tell me about
it?"
"Not right now," she said flatly. "Just give me a hug."
Han was surprised by her request, but came forward to
the edge of the bed, and embraced his wife. He was surprised
by the fervor of her touch.
"I missed you," she sighed into his shoulder.
"Hey! It's only been three days," Han comforted.
"I know," Leia admitted, "but in the dream, it seemed
longer."
"Some dream," Han sniggered.
"Oh, you were there for part of it," she added. "But in
the sad parts you weren't."
"Sounds more like a nightmare," Han commented, softly
kissing her forehead.
"Almost. Just almost."
Leia shook the reverie from her head. Despite the
troubles she and Han had faced over the years, they were
still together, supporting each other. And despite all the
adversity they had faced, she was glad that things had
happened as they had, in the real world.
The End
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