Among the Fires
By Rey
For once in his life, Han Solo obeys a haughty stranger-girl. For once in his life, Luke Skywalker sets aside idolised dreams of his father. For once in her life, Leia Organa thinks beyond grudges and deep-rooted doctrines. For once in his life, Chewbacca gets quite an important role in all three. And for once in his life, Darth Vader gets what he truly wants, what he really needs.
One thousand words, of chances not forsaken.
Story notes:
1. This story is a collection of 10 related drabbles, so I apologise if it doesn't satisfy you, in terms of details and visible chain of events. It refused to be written any other way; and believe me, I tried. It might be similar with one or two (or more) of my other stories, but indeed I'm fascinated with this premise.
2. Characters other than Luke and Leia are written with their full names. This is because, to me and in this case, Luke and Leia hit it off quickly, but they – especially Leia – needed some time to be close enough to the others for first names or even nicknames, not enough time as prescribed in this storylet. From ANH, I got the impression that Leia was never close to Threepio and Artoo before the Death Star too, so they're included in the "others" category.
3. Points of view are somewhat deliberately vague most of the times, partly because of the constraints of narration in regards to the 100-word count. Again, I apologise, since it's how the story wrote itself. And for you who don't like contractions, I'm sorry, I use those to cheat the word count here. :grin:
4. There are points that, for lack of space, I couldn't explain in the narrative. It would be silly too, to bog down such a little piece with so many footnotes. So if you've got any question or wish to rail at me, please do so by review or PM. Thank you for your understanding. :) Oh, and I invented the blood-tracker here, as far as I know, so you most probably won't find it on Wookieepedia.
5. Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! Or spring equanox, if you'd prefer it. this is an Easter egg/green branch for you, dear readers, however paltry and gloomsome it is. Please humbly accept it. :) Oh, and in case somebody would ask, no, I don't think I'll continue on this storylet, so it's kind of a jigsaw one-shot.
1.
Four sets of eyes – or what passed for eyes for Artoo-Deetoo – goggled when the mild-mannered Chewbacca suddenly loomed threateningly over Han Solo, who had just boasted cockily that he'd checked all over his ship and found no Imperial tracking devise whatsoever. Neither Luke nor Leia could tell what the wookiee was moaning and growling at the self-titled captain of the beaten-up freighter, but his mannerism was unmistakable.
And the unexpected additional jump vector, ironically once they'd come close to their former destination, was just as equally unmistakable, even though through all the ride the Corellian kept sullenly quiet and unhelpful.
2.
With See-Threepio as interpreter, Leia interrogated Chewbacca on the where and why, every time they went out of hyperspace. The travels themselves were irregular; sometimes long, sometimes short. All of them could see, however, that they were slowly, circuitously, inching towards the depths of the Outer-rim territories.
"The Empire doesn't have much of a presence here," was all that the huge hairy guy would say, every time Leia asked. She was relentless, Luke noted quietly from his seat by the stormily-mute Captain Solo, but somehow, he knew, she did that to escape from reality, in her own way. He understood.
3.
They came out of hyperspace, again.
But before Leia could say something, before Luke could suggest the next jump, they froze, eyes transfixed beyond the cockpit's viewport.
Out there, a planet the colour of muted fire lay cradled by the blackness of space, like a displaced bit of half-banged old-fashioned coal. Mustafar, or so the screen display said.
Hands found each other, gripped each other with desperate strength, as if afraid of being torn away forever. And still, both kept staring at the planet, with echoes of wrenching sorrow and fury ringing in their souls.
Mustafar was… familiar, too familiar.
4.
Leia was usually driven by duties and principles. However, now, she was the cause of their visit to the ball of fire, which turned out to be truly fiery indeed, instead of seeking for another jump vector to fool the Death Star.
Luke understood. The others didn't.
Han Solo raged, hurling insults at her. Artoo-Deetoo was almost equally offended somehow. Chewbacca moaned concerned questions, meanwhile, translated and added to by See-Threepio.
But none of them detered her. Hand-in-hand with Luke, she went down the ramp, with echoes of desperation, horror, anger, betrayal, and love torn apart nipping at their heels.
5.
The small star-fighter, covered and corroded by volcanic ashes, perched on the landing platform as though still waiting for its owner. Echoes of eager bloodlust and determined love churned here, though somehow incongruent with the sight of a water bottle peeking out of the half-ajar compartment on its underbelly.
Leia was curious. Luke felt regretful.
Both, however, were horrified when See-Threepio, who'd been following them there together with Artoo-Deetoo, translated for the shorter droid: "Master Ani was burning and screaming. I tried to get some water to help him, but General Kenobi lifted me away before I could do that."
6.
The door was hard to open, but Artoo-Deetoo turned out to be great with machinery.
There was only one seat, but it's meant for a large man, so both petite youths fit in it.
The dashboard compartment wasn't empty. They felt like a pair of childish intruders, but ones with right for those booty, somehow.
And the last holomessage in the comlink that they found there…
"Anakin… Ani… I'm… I'm going there, okay? Obi-wan said… but I don't believe him! You… Just… just wait for me there. Let's just… go somewhere. I love you, Ani. You're my world! Don't… Don't…"
7.
The embankment of the lava river was marred, but other than by nature. The duo knew that.
Hard not to, while their eyes were transfixed to a herendous duel between friends, between love betrayed and torn loyalty.
They weren't surprised, either, when Artoo-Deetoo reported five smallish scattered smears of charred human remains round the vicinity.
They couldn't be.
Anakin Skywalker had been mutilated and then free-fell down hard and then burnt alive, after all, right in this place.
Luke wept hard. Leia was no better.
It felt blasphemous, somehow, that the tears couldn't quench the fires from years long past.
8.
"How long have you been knowing each other?" was the suspicious question that Han Solo threw at his unwanted passangers, right after they'd recovered slightly.
They just stared.
Their looks, perfectly identical.
They knew, but the others didn't.
They just knew. Blond-haired blue-eyed and brown-haired brown-eyed: wretched, loving couple; wretched, loving parents.
And the beaten-up blood-tracker the captain found in his stash proved it with hard facts.
They'd found each other, at last, unwittingly, if not their birth parents.
Nineteen years too late for that.
But somehow, Leia felt it's wrong. One of them was there, still there, equally unknowing.
9.
The Death Star loomed overhead, Chewbacca reported, confirmed by Artoo-Deetoo.
It's too close, Artoo-Deetoo continued, translated by See-Threepio. The clashing magnetic fields of the unstable planet rose up and battled for supremacy with the excess projected by the monstrocity.
But still, one modified TIE Advanced drifted down to their position, unerringly accurate and unnervingly close.
Darth Vader.
Leia was torn between laughing hysterically and brandishing her stolen blaster.
"He's alone," Chewbacca pointed out, his arms warm round her. "Parley. Give him chance."
"There's still good in him." Forgotten memory arose. Love, faith, against all odds. She shivered.
Good in him?
10.
Strange, that the sight of Darth Vader sprawled jerking and twitching on the deck was… horrifying, but not in that way.
Incapacitated by the chaotic magnetic fields, Artoo-Deetoo reported.
Incapacitated by memories, the twins knew, in addition to that.
And once they touched him, Leia knew.
The dorment link blaised to life.
"Father."
A broken whisper. But what was more fitting for a broken man and his broken daughter?
And broken illusions, she knew, as she gazed into Luke's eyes.
Chewbacca helped them haul him into the ship.
He staid still.
His children were there, huddled on his either side.