The Rebel League and the Death Ray

by starwenn

In May 1977, Luke Skylander is shocked to learn that not only are the superheroes he's read about for years are real, but that he's the inheritor of a superheroic dynasty known as the Jedi Knigh. He's destined to fight the super villain Darth Vader, Father of Death, and other assorted criminals that menace corrupt Coruscant City. Joined by Leia Ortega - aka "Force Girl" - and Harri

The Rebel League and the Death Ray

Rated: PG-13

Pairing: Han/Leia, Mara/Luke

Notes: I was inspired to write this one by several behind-the-scenes photos I've found of the Original Trilogy...and because this was the world the Original Trilogy was released into, and in a way, created. This was also the world of my early childhood – disco, glittering nightclubs, slinky pantsuits, Charlie's Angels in no bras, guys in powder-blue leisure suits, huge boxy cars in shades of orange and brown, gowns based on the 30's or the pioneer era – and I guess I just wanted to get some fond memories out.

Coruscant City, May 1977. On that balmy night, one would look up into the sky and see neither a bird nor a plane, but what appeared to be a random streak of light. Had they looked close enough, they would have seen that the fire surrounded a diminutive, very human, and extremely female figure. Three little girls sitting on a fire escape by a tenement point upwards. The children know. The girls especially know that, where evil lurks, where injustice occurs, you will see that streak. You will know her flame, and you will feel the wrath of Force Girl.

She sped away from the thick plume of smoke at the Erso Shipyards as fast as her flame could carry her. Thank goodness she'd managed to get out just before that crazy new death ray of Vader's blew the entire area sky-high. She was the only one. The rest of her Rebel League team had still been dealing with Vader and The Director – whom she was pretty sure was really snobbish lawyer Orson Krenshaw – when she took off.

"Hello?" The figure, clad in a skin-tight, fireproof white suit with hood with red trim and a mask in the shape of flame, checks her wrist watch. Like all of her accessories, it was made from khyber, a powerful crystal that is only found n the hills outside of Tatoonie County. "Force Girl? Are you there? I can't get the Huntress or El Rio on my radar, and neither can Fulcrum. We heard about the Death Ray and what happened to the Erso Shipyards."

"M...White Queen? I'm sort of busy here. I just got the tapes from The Huntress. Vader's on my tail."

"I know, Force Girl. Get them to The Negotiator as soon as you possibly can. Fulcrum told me he owns a comic book shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie." The voice of the White Queen was known to every operative of the Rebel League. It was she who gave them their commands, who ran the operation. Very few had ever seen her; even fewer whispered her name. There was a bit of a rueful grin in her voice as she went on. "Don't forget, your Uncle Bail wants you back at Aldera Hills in time for supper. He gets worried about you when you're on patrol, Leia."

Force Girl – known to those outside the League as Leia Ortega – chuckled. "I'll be fine, Your Majesty. He's the one who trained me for this! I know what I'm doing."

"Watch out for Vader." The White Queen's soft voice grew more serious. "He's already cut down at least six of our best agents. He's said to be invincible."

Leia snorted. "I can deal with him. Tell Uncle Bail I'll be home by 6."

"All right." She added gently, "be careful. May the light be with you, my Leia."

"And you. Over and out." She tapped the device and saw it blink off just in time. A long plume of scorching red-gold fire nearly slammed right into her side. The glint of shiny, fireproof armor nearly blinded her. More figures, these wearing sleek white and black armor with silver jet packs and round helmets that obscured their faces, sped past her. Every single one had a light gun or a rifle. She dodged two particle light guns and two that shot water.

"Stay on her!" Vader hissed through the grill of his helmet. "Don't let her escape with those plans!"

Leia smirked under her own hood. "You'll have to catch me first, Father of Death!"

She had no sooner arrived at the city than the mountaintop less than four blocks away opened with a great roar. A thin beam of green light shot out from the mountain, hitting the scrapyard with such a tremendous impact, it broke her concentration and nearly knocked her out of the sky. Another, only slightly less powerful beam of jagged red fire nearly clipped her shoulder. "We know you have the tape, Force Girl!"

"Try again, Fire Breath!" Leia raised her hand and let loose with her own fire beam...one that was a lot stronger than she'd planned. She actually burned the top of a tree. "Damn it!" Controlling her powers was something she was still working on. She was lucky she hadn't burnt down half the city yet. She tried again, melting the jet packs of two Shadow Men and sending them down in Yavin Park before ducking into the trees.

Yavin Park was the name of both the wide-open community park alongside the Naboo River and the aging apartment buildings and eclectic collection of bookstores, coffee shops, and New Age collectives that bordered it. The area was mostly made up of artists, musicians, and poets who found the area conductive to their creativity and college students from near-by Coruscant University who were there for the cheap rents and the local dive bars and delis that sold mile-high sandwiches.

Leia landed the alley between the oldest building on the block and the row behind it. It was the same mellow old brick as the other buildings on the row, housing a tiny coffee shop, a popular deli that sold the thickest sub sandwiches in town, and a book store. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she flung the back door open and darted up the creaky old stairs, down the hall, and into the nearest bathroom. "Rudy! Rudy, I need you!"

Rudolph "Rudy" Detonski's short body was, as usual, under the sink. "Rich Girl" by Daryl Hall and John Oates blared on the transistor radio that sat on the top of the toilet. "Did it get stopped up again, Rudy?" she asked, shaking her head. "Oh, hi Charlie," she added to Charles "Charlie" Thompson, the thin young man with the pinched face and cloud of dark brown hair who was handing a set of stubby fingers a wrench. "I thought you'd be at the office today."

"Councilwoman Mothma gave me the afternoon off," Charlie explained in his clipped British accent. "She was supposed to be having a meeting with Mayor Palpatine, Chief Vedder, and the rest of the city council, but it seems that the Mayor and Vedder are stuck in traffic and will be running a little late." He frowned nervously, which was really his default expression. "Pardon me for asking, but...what are you doing here? And in costume, too! What if someone finds you?" He shuddered. "What if...Vader...finds you?"

"I'll be gone before they get ideas." She dropped the white leather bag in Rudy's small and wet hands the moment he emerged from under the sink. "I need you to take this to The Negotiator. The White Queen says he runs a comics shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie. You and Charlie are pretty much the only members of the League he's not on to."

Rudy made a face. "That podunk town? What would one of the greatest Golden Age superheroes be doing running a comics shop in that place?" He was a study in contrasts to his taller friend. Short well under the average, his sharp blue eyes and silvery hair gave him the look of a dwarfish robot. His old blue and white tie dyed t-shirt and jeans were covered in grease stains.

"Probably hiding, I imagine," Charlie sniffed. "Where better for a legend to lay low than in a 'podunk town,' as you call it?"

Leia winced and hastily pulled her hood back over the two buns on either side of her head. "I have to get going. Vader's after me. It won't take him long to figure out where I went." There was a thunk and the hiss of jet fuel and Vader's raspy breathing. "That's him. I'll draw his fire. You two get going!"

"Eh, I'm done with this, anyway." Rudy wrapped up the tape in the bag and shoved the bag into his tool case. "I think it's about time we got moving, before Vader realizes what this is and what really goes on here."

"You mean...he's here?" Charlie's face went from slightly yellowish to white as a ghost. "Vader? The Father of Death? Who has burned every building in town that belonged to an owner that wouldn't pay service to his master, has been known to burn or throttle anyone he doesn't like? That Vader?"

Rudy grabbed his hand. "Aw, he not that bad, Charlie. We can handle him." He turned to Leia. "I think we'd all better get out of here. If he finds the entrance to the secret rooms on the second floor, we're all toast."

"I'll be on the roof." Leia gave them both a quick hug. "May the Light be with you both!"

To Leia's relief, the only people on the roof were Vader's boys. The Shadow Men were basically lackeys, existing to do the heavy work of keeping the Empire's brand of twisted order. They could be easily distracted. She closed her eyes and focused hard on the fire burning in her hands. Her fire could be molded, like melted plastic. When it was as close as she could get to the shape of a human, she threw it in the direction of the men in the white vinyl suits and heavy helmets.

The moment they shot at the light, she blazed into action, melting the jet packs on two before making her way to the edge of the roof. As she looked down, she could see Rudy and Charlie running for their lives towards Rudy's ancient motor scooter. It was pretty much the only vehicle that his short legs could reach the pedals on. He tossed the bag in Charlie's arms, climbed on, took the controls, and grabbed his friend beside him.

The moment they took off down Siegel Avenue, Leia put out her arms and focused on lifting into the air. Her ears were so filled with the familiar rush of heat, she forgot one of the first things Uncle Bail had taught her – always be alert. Don't turn your back on your enemy for a second.

Water suddenly came pouring down over her body, dousing her flame before she could barely get started. "What in the..." She didn't have a chance to find out who attacked her. A puff of yellowish smoke hit her from behind, surrounding her before she could flee. "Sleeping...fumes..." Her eyes were lowering; legs that normally obeyed her were turning into jelly. "Must...resist..." She tried to push out one more flame, but all she got was a small spark before her legs went out from under her and her world went dark.

A metal fist slamming across her head brought her back to life. Her eyes stared into the plastic and metal abyss of a black soul...if, in fact, Vader had a soul. Which Leia suspected he didn't. "Darth Vader," she snapped. "Father of Death. Only you could be so bold. You're lucky the cops didn't arrest you for using that insane killer ray of yours to destroy the Erso Shipyards."

"The Empire has no fear of the police, Force Girl." His voice rumbled like the detonation of an atom bomb. "You, on the other hand, stole something from us. I want it back. I know you're going to turn it over to that group of traitors you belong to."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Leia gave him her best nasty glare, the one that sent every other intern at Councilwoman Mothma's office running for the hills. "I work alone. The smoke from the Erso Shipyards was hard to miss. I followed it and went to help the others there."

"Don't lie to me, girl!" Vader shook his thickly gloved finger in her face. "You are part of the Rebel League and a traitor!" He turned to his men. "Take her to the water cages at Mufasar. She'll be more willing to talk if she's powerless." His rumble became more than a little annoyed. "I know that all too well."

Leia kept her chin high as she struggled. She wasn't going to tell Vader what he wanted to know. That would put everyone in the entire city...and maybe the entire world...in danger. The Negotiator was their only hope. He'd once been one of the greatest super heroes in Coruscant, but people barely spoke of him outside of comic books and rumors nowadays. As two of the Shadow Soldiers bound her with khyber chains made to inhibit her powers, she internally wished for Rudy and Charlie to get very, very far away.

Even as the Soldiers carried her off towards the former Mufasar Iron Works, Rudy and Charlie were two blocks away. Rudy kicked angrily at his motorbike. Charlie sighed and crossed his arms.

"I told you to fill it with gas this morning!" The slender translator wailed. "Why do I ever listen to you? This is worse than the time you dragged me into the middle of that battle between the Jedi League and General Grevious' cyborg army at the old Fawcett Arena! They even thought I was one of the cyborgs! Do I look like a cyborg to you?"

His best friend rolled his eyes. "No. I told you not to stand there when Jedi were falling all around you. You can't shoot for beans."

Charlie sniffed. "I did shoot the gun, didn't I?"

"Yeah. I think you might have taken out two footballs and popcorn vendor." Rudy's blue eyes searched furtively around the road. "There has to be some way we can get to Tatoonie fast, before Vader or those idiots he calls his boys figure out where the tapes went to."

"How?" Charlie's high tenor got whinier with every syllable. "Neither of us own a car, they discontinued the trolley line years ago, the bus won't be here for another half-hour, and we're nowhere near the train station or airport!"

"Hello there." Rudy smirked and stuffed the tapes under his grease-smeared shirt. "I think we have our ride." He dragged Charlie to an ancient brown delivery van with the words "Lars Furniture" scrawled across it in mustard-yellow.

"But..." Charlie didn't have the chance to protest. Rudy leaped in the passenger side and yanked him behind him.

Luke Skylander turned up "Blinded By the Light" as he climbed into the front seat of the van. He swore he heard voices behind him as he was finishing outhis dog-eared copy of Revenge of the Sith Knights #2. He nearly jumped a mile as a short man leaped into the passenger's seat, followed by a much taller and thinner fellow with a sallow horse-like face.

"Kid, we need your help." The shorter man clutched a slightly singed white bag. "This is big, kid. We have to get this to the Negotiator. We were told he runs a comics shop on Kirby Street in Tatoonie."

The young man's eyes widened. "I know that shop! Old Ben MacKenner owns it. I bought all my Jedi Knights comics from there. Which," he added in annoyance as he tugged at a couple of what Rudy thought were magazines under him, "you are sitting on! They don't make those anymore!"

"Jedi Knights?" Rudy lifted himself enough for the blond kid to retrieve his precious comics. "You're into that, kid? Aren't you a little old for that? Besides," he added with a cough, "that series ended twenty years ago."

"I know guys who are older than me who read comics, and Mr. MacKenner is ancient." Luke made a face. "Look, I have to take the van back to my uncle's. I just finished the last furniture haul of the day. After I give it to him, I'll take you to Mr. MacKenner's."

The taller man put up a hand. "We meant no offense, lad, and we appreciate the ride." He pulled what appeared to be a battered notebook covered in scrawls from under his behind. "By the way, my name is Charles Thompson, but most people refer to me as Charlie. You may do the same."

"Yeah, blondie." Rudy shook his hand while they waited for a red light. "Rudolph Detonski. Call me Rudy. It's a lot easier to say and makes me sound less like a reindeer."

Luke gave them his sunny smile. "Luke Skylander."

Rudy raised an eyebrow. "Any relation to Anthony Skylander?"

"He was my father." The sunny smile dropped. "He died in a knife fight right after he came home from the Korean War, or so my uncle says. I never knew him."

"That name," Charlie began as he rubbed his long chin, "sounds oddly familiar..."

Rudy elbowed him. "That's because we were in his unit, remember? Snips called him Skyguy, but we usually called him Tony. He was a great guy," he added, too quickly, "and one of my best buddies."

"You're going to have to tell me all about him later." Luke turned onto a dusty street lined with slightly wilted palms and mellow brick and stucco shops. "Uncle Owen and Aunt Bertha won't talk about my parents. They say my mother died giving birth to me. I didn't know her, either. I don't even have any pictures."

"You're a lot like him," Rudy decided. "Same wavy blond hair and blue eyes. Your smile is more like your mother's, though. She was...she was one of the good ones. Smart, gorgeous, sweet as a honeysuckle."

Two college textbooks on engineering and a heavy book on piloting an airplane were wedged under the passenger seat. "You're attending university, I see, young Luke." Charlie smiled approvingly. "Good for you. Have you decided on your major yet?"

Luke sighed. "Not really." He hadn't entirely decided what he wanted to do with his life. He loved building, sure...but he also loved fantasy. If he wasn't tinkering with his uncle's van or his ancient 1950's Cadillac (it was the only thing at the used car lot he could afford), his nose was deep in the latest issue of X-Men or Justice League or Spider Man or science fiction novels with titles like The Hostage of Zir or Moonstar Odyssey. Someday, he wanted to write his own comics...or at the very least, he wanted to fly, either as a cargo pilot or in the army. If he couldn't fly a plane, he'd repair them. Anything to get him in the air!

He pulled in alongside the boxy brick building and waved to the grizzled man in the shapeless coveralls coming out of the shop. "Uncle Owen! I got the money you wanted from Mr. Carter. He was really weird about it. Sometimes, I swear that man is from Mars or something." He handed him the purse with his uncle's half of the day's take.

"That man is always making excuses." He frowned as he flung open the passenger side door...and two bodies tumbled out. "What in the hell is this?"

Rudy, having less leg, managed to get untangled first."Uh, yeah, hi, Owen." He gave the man his friendliest smile. "Long time, no see. Didn't realize this was your nephew. He's a good kid. He was nice enough to give us a ride."

"Detonski." Owen glared at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with those nutjobs back in Coruscant." He turned his angry face on Luke. "And what are you doing picking up hitchhikers?"

"With all due respect, sir," Charlie tried to explain, "it was really our faults. We needed a ride and jumped into the nearest car. It was quite wrong of us."

Luke shrugged. "I didn't mind driving them. No harm done."

"Gentlemen," Charlie went on in his most fastidious accent, "we don't have the time for argument. We're hardly hitchhikers. It's of the utmost importance that we find a comics shop on Kirby Street and talk to its owner."

"I know that shop!" Luke's grin almost split his face. "I can drive you there. Ben's kind of like a hermit, but..."

Owen rolled his eyes. "Have you been wasting your money on comics again? I've told you to focus on your studies. The Negotiator is just a character, not some hero. Real heroes don't hide behind masks and swords."

"Uncle Owen," Luke started, "I am focusing on my studies! Comics are just a way for me to relax, that's all." He stuck his chin in the air. "And The Negotiator and the Hero Without Fear are real heroes, Uncle. In the comics, they saved thousands of lives during World War II and the Korean War."

"So you say." His uncle waved his hand in his face. "I want you to stay away from that shop. MacKenner is just a crazy old man, and the Negotiator is a fake character from a dumb kid's book. I don't want you in that part of town. There's drug deals that go on there. You could get shot, or mugged, or murdered. That's where your father...where he died."

Luke's eyes shined. "Do you think Ben might have known my father?"

"Just forget about it." Owen made a face. "Let these two take the bus down there, if they want to get killed."

"We don't have time for that!" Charlie wailed. "This is of the utmost importance to national security, sir! People's lives may be in danger!"

While they were arguing, Rudy had edged over to the van. Luke turned around, just in time to see him jump into the driver's side. "Hey!" He ran over, just in time to see the van swing away from the curb and head down Palm and around the corner.

"What's he doing?" Charlie screeched. "He doesn't know where he's going!"

"Plus, he just stole my van!" Owen added angrily.

"All my Jedi Knights comic books were in there!" Luke added in a near-whine.

Owen turned his glare to Luke. "How did he manage to do that, boy?"

His nephew's tanned cheeks turned scarlet. "I may have left the keys in there when the guys fell out."

"Mr. Skylander," Charlie went on hastily, "if I may apologize for my companion, Rudy has always been a bit of a problem. Even I can't understand his logic at times. I think it might be his age."

"We may be able to follow him in my car," Luke insisted. "Just let me change and get a few things." Luke rushed upstairs to the apartment as Charlie settled down next to the counter in the well-stocked shop.

On the way out, he nearly ran into Aunt Bertha in the kitchen. Her fingers moved deftly across her bamboo cutting board as she chopped onions and boiled bow-tie pasta for her spring pasta salad. Luke's mouth watered as he pulled on his jacket and snitched two Crunchy Jumble Cookies with chocolate chips and Rice Krispies.

"Luke," she said without looking over her shoulder, "if you're going to snitch from the cookie jar, give two to your uncle, too. He needs the energy as much as you. He still has two chairs and a side table to work on tonight."

"I won't forget." He hoped he didn't see him snitch a third one and stick it in his pocket. "Aunt Bertha," he added quickly as he swallowed his cookie, "what would you say to me moving out on my own? Almost everyone I know has their own place. I'm the only one still at home."

"I'd say it's about time." She turned around to him in her plaid shirt and blue jacket, smiling warmly. "You've grown up so fast. I remember when I held you in my arms for the first time. My heart just melted. And now...college. I'm so proud of you, Luke." She warmly ruffled his hair...but her smile fell. "The one you have to convince is Owen. He had hopes that you'd stay and take over the shop. He only let you go to college to begin with for the business courses."

"Hey!" Luke tried desperately to smooth down his already-messy golden mane. "Aunt Bertha, why won't he let that go? I'm not interested in business. I want to build things, fly planes. I could join the Air Force. I just turned 19 in April. I'm of age."

Bertha sighed. "We'll talk to him about it later, all right? You just be careful out there." She raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing out there, anyway?"

"Driving a few friends across town." He started backing away before he had to explain anything else. "I'll see you later! Won't be long!" The older woman just shook his head as he bumped into the counter and stumbled out the back door.

When he emerged downstairs twenty minutes later, he sported an old plaid shirt over a Howard the Duck t-shirt, bell-bottom jeans, and sneakers. A set of keys jangled in his fingers. "Uncle Owen, I already told Aunt Bertha where I was going. I'm going to take the Caddy. I'll be back as soon as we find Mr. Detonski."

"You do that, boy." Owen sighed. "You know I worry about you, Luke. You and Bertha are all the family I have left since my father died. I know all the crazy stuff you do with Biggs Darkman. I'm well aware of how you got the dent in the Caddy."

"I'll be all right, Uncle Owen." Luke climbed into the slightly dented 1957 Cadillac on the curb with a sigh. "I won't be racing anyone for a long time. Brian joined the army. He's at the Naboo Air Force Base. He might as well be on another planet."

"I've told you, studies first. You're going to make something of yourself, Luke." Owen poked his head in as he turned the motor. "I want you back in a half-hour or less."

The engine starting nearly drowned out Luke's sigh. "All right, Uncle Owen."

"I'm sorry about all this," Charlie started again as the Caddy swung down Palm towards Ditko Avenue and around a shadowy corner to Atlas Boulevard. "We do need to find the Negotiator, but not by taking other people's property."

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have left the keys in the car." Kirby Street, with its older brick buildings filled with dingy stores and trash-strewn lots, came into view. Luke saw the back-end of a familiar brown van. "There he is! If I can get there in time, we might be able to cut him off."

Luke swung the Caddy just as the van turned down an alley lined with metal trash cans between a Mexican grocery store and a gift shop that, from their window, mainly dealt in toys of a sexual nature. He leaped out, followed by Charlie, as Rudy got out of the van.

"Where do you think you're going?" The younger man with the thick blond hair glared at him. "My uncle's livid about you stealing my van."

"Look, shorty, I have to get to the Negotiator." Rudy waved the bag. "It's important!"

"I'm sorry," Luke began, "but he's a character in the Jedi Knights comics. He doesn't exist."

"He might not," squawked Charlie, "but those men out there do!" He pointed to the nine young men in frayed jeans and dirty jackets with "Tusken Raiders" spelled out on the back, sporting what looked like ancient goggles and masks they probably stole from Fury Army Supply Store on the next block. They carried knives in their pockets and baseball bats over their shoulders.

Rudy groaned. "Great. Of all the times to have left my tools in the van!"

"Now, hold on fellas," Luke started, putting up his hands. "We don't want any trouble."

"You're in our turf now, shrimp." The tallest and the strongest took a swing at him with his bat. "Get lost."

Luke barely managed to duck away, grabbing the top of a trash can and throwing it at one of the men. It did knock him the ground, but two more jumped at him. "Well," he admitted sheepishly to Rudy, "it always worked for Captain America."

"Yeah, shorty," Rudy grumbled as he ducked under one of their legs, "but you ain't Cap. Right now, anyway." He kicked one man in the rear, barely missing the knife coming at him.

Charlie was hidden behind two trash cans. "Oh, hurt them! Don't let them get near me! I'm too young and handsome to die!"

"Ehh, they wouldn't want your skinny ass anyway, you coward." Rudy flung over two trash cans onto them before one grabbed him by his collar and shoved him into the wall.

Luke had found an old mop in the trash and was trying to use it a weapon. This was everything he'd dreamed of, fighting crime and cleaning up the city...but it was harder than it looked! The punk moved fast. He managed to sweep his leg under Luke, knocking him to the concrete and breaking the mop in two.

"Say uncle, dickhead." The gang leader was just about to stab him when what sounded like a voice through a megaphone blared through the alley, accompanied by a cop siren.

"All right!" The crisp English accent growled. "Tusken Raiders, you are under arrest! Come out with your hands up!"

"Shit!" The tallest jumped away. "The cops!" He stumbled away from Luke, nearly tripping over one of his men. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

Luke was still seeing stars when a hand reached behind his back. "Careful there, lad. You've had a busy day. You're fortunate to be in one piece." Old Ben MacKenner, clad in tan slacks and a long, shapeless brown sweater that looked more like an old robe or cape, helped him to his feet. Deep blue eyes stared intently from under silvery brows and silver hair.

"Ben?" The youth leaned against the van, rubbing his head and squinting. "Boy, am I glad to see you. We could have been killed!"

"The Jutland District is not to be traveled lightly." Ben joined Luke on the hood of the van. "What brings you out here, lad? I'm not expecting the new Avengers and Ms. Marvel titles for another three days."

Rudy emerged from the wall, rubbing his own back. "It was my fault, Negotiator. I sort-of swiped Owen's van. I've got a message for you from Force Girl and the White Queen."

"Negotiator?" Luke's eyes widened, and his mouth nearly hit the van. "You? You're the Negotiator? But Uncle Owen said he doesn't exist!"

"He doesn't. Well, not anymore." Ben sighed and put his arm around Luke. "I think we'd better discuss this inside. The Raiders will run when they hear a police siren, but they'll be back, and in greater numbers."

A pair of wide amber eyes poked out from behind the trash cans. "Is it safe to come out now?"

"Yes, Charlie." Rudy made a face. "You can stop being a coward now. The Negotiator scared all the nasty gang members away."

Charlie emerged from the cans, brushing the banana peels and old newspapers off his yellow plaid shirt. "Mr. MacKenner! What brings you to this god-awful spot?"

Ben sighed. "We'll explain that inside."

Luke stepped into the interior of one of his favorite places. Every inch of the long, cramped room was covered in crates and boxes of comics. There were reprints, titles dating back to before the war. The racks on the walls were lined with the latest titles. Ben had everything. Horror and mystery comics by Gold Key, romance, Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge. He was tempted to see if there was a reprint of his favorite Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge comic, The Golden Helmet, around.

Charlie wandered to the back end, where several battered recliners and tables were set up for people to read. "If you don't mind, I'd like to relax for a while. All this rushing about has frankly left me exhausted."

"Sure. Go ahead." The young man shrugged as he browsed through one of the boxes. The voices of Ben and Rudy looking for Ben's old tape player behind his ratty plywood counter vaguely reached his ears. He was about to pull out one of the Donald Duck comics when something familiar caught his eye.

"The Jedi Knights." He read the faded blue ink script on the paper tabs between comic collections. "I can't believe it! This must be the whole run." Ben watched as the young man flipped excitedly through the contents, reading each title as he dropped it on the crate next to him. "The Hero Without Fear? He's my favorite! And the Purple Warrior! Oh, and Aalaya Secura, the Mistress of the Blade, and Yoda, the Grand Master. And there's even the one about little Caleb, who could turn into Captain Incredible. And the Negotiator..."

Ben smiled at Luke's enthusiasm. "I see you're a great fan of my work."

That brought him up from the crate, clutching a ratty copy of Whiz-Bang Stories #11. "You wrote these? You're the creator of the Jedi Knights?"

"Actually, we all worked on them." Ben sighed. "They're...about our exploits. We wrote them during and after World War II."

That brought him behind the counter. He dropped his stack on the Formica top, then pulled up a chair. "You fought in World War II? And who's 'we?' The rest of your team?"

Rudy threw an arm around Ben. It barely reached his back. "We both did, shorty. In fact, we all did. Charlie was barely more n' your age then."

His friend made a face. "Please don't remind me. I was traumatized enough with being involved with the war as it was."

"I haven't used the name 'Negotiator' since before you were born, Luke." The floor under Ben creaked as he leaned back in his chair. "Luke," he added softly, "your father Anthony...he was the Hero With No Fear."

"You're kidding." Luke's jaw nearly dislocated from dropping so far. "My father wasn't a superhero. He was a foreman at the Mufasar Iron Works."

Ben's breath drew in a bit at the mention of the Iron Works, but he just sounded annoyed when he continued. "That's Owen talking. His only powers are being stubborn as a brick and making quality furniture. He didn't hold with your father's ideals, or his abilities, for that matter. He wanted him to stay home and weld chair legs together, not run around and help the innocent."

"I wish I'd known him." Luke scooted closer as Rudy fiddled with Ben's tape player.

"He was the best friend I ever had, and an incredible partner." The old man pulled a crate into his lap. "His powers were fire-based, mainly. He could create fire with just his hands, could blow it, could burn or heal anything in his path, depending on how hot he made the flame."

An older Jedi Knights comic landed in Luke's lap. "There. Whiz Bang Comics, #3. That's where your father made his first appearance, when he was only 9." The older man chuckled. "He was my sidekick then. Blazing Boy. We first called him Blazing Man when he came of age, but when that name was taken, he became the Hero With No Fear."

"This is just...so much." Luke paged through the comics, with Charlie peering over his shoulder. "I never dreamed that all of this was real."

"Not only is it real, but you have those powers too, Luke." Ben went to the back of the store, moving two crates and a box of back issues of The Fantastic Four. "I have something here. I wanted to give it to you when you were old enough, but your uncle said no. He feared it would distract you from your studies."

Luke's eyes widened at the beautiful blue-bladed sword Ben pulled out of an old leather case. "Where did you get that? I know that sword. That's Blue Fire, the Hero With No Fear's Khyber Crystal blade. He slew Count Dooku of SITH and helped liberate Ryloth, France with that sword!"

"Well, this is one of them, anyway. He had the habit of losing them or breaking them. It's the last one he had, before..." Ben's voice caught in his throat as he handed it to Luke. "Well, my boy, go on. Give it a try."

The moment Luke's hand touched the silver handle, he felt a...a jolt. Like something warm inside him, something long dormant, was finally awakening from a long slumber. Warm air and soft blue light circled his hands, eventually flowing over his body. To his shock, a blue light blew across the room like a tornado, sending boxes of comics flying and every single item on the counter and shelves onto the floor.

Charlie dove under the nearest table. "It's a tornado! Take cover!"

"No, it's...it's just me." Luke's eyes were as big as blue porcelain saucers. He lifted the blue sword to the one sun beam coming from the dusty window in the back of the store. The moment the light hit the sword, it blasted into the counter, burning a substantial chunk of plywood and metal.

He jumped back from the beam in horror. "I'm sorry, Ben! Really, I am! My uncle should have a table at the shop that'll replace the counter, or I can make one..."

Charlie's lanky frame quivered under the table. "Is it safe to come out now?"

"Yeah, brave boy." Rudy scooted over to retrieve his friend. "The light's gone."

He scurried from under the table as fast as his long legs could carry him. "How did you do that, Luke? I didn't see you do anything like that before!"

"I didn't know I could do that!" Luke wailed, nearly falling into a chair. "This is so incredible."

"Perhaps it's time we listened to that tape," Ben insisted, "before something else happens with anyone's powers." Rudy gave him a thumbs-up and hit the orange play button on the grimy cassette player. "I've been wondering what brought you here, besides buying comics."

Luke put the sword aside and sat down next to Ben at the remains of the counter, avoiding the the smoking bits. "I'm wondering the same thing. They mentioned the message was really top-secret, like something out of a James Bond movie or something."

"James Bond?" Rudy muttered. "More like Wonder Woman, shorty."

The voice that spoke from the turning reels was the rich, warm contralto of a young woman. "General Kenobi," she said with some urgency, "you served in my uncle Bail Ortega's unit with distinction during World War II. Now he calls on you for an equally desperate challenge. You must see to it that the plans for Vader's new Death Star weapon is delivered safely to my uncle at his mansion in Aldera Hills. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Negotiator. You're my only hope."

"She has a beautiful voice." Luke sat listening rapturously, his eyes never leaving the player. "She should be on the stage."

"She's Force Girl." Ben ejected the tape as it ran out. "A member of the Rebel League. You may have heard a bit about them."

"The Rebel League?" Luke nearly fell out of his chair. "I've heard about them! They're the only people who fight against that Darth Vader character who attacked members of Coruscant City's council and destroyed and ransacked a lot of major tech and computer programming labs in Hosnia. Some of my friends say they've been personally rescued by them. Uncle Owen says they're meddlers, but I think they're brave. Vader would have caused a lot more damage if it wasn't for them."

"No kidding." Rudy patted the bag on his side. "The plans are right here on tape. They have some of those new, up-to-date computers with the square floppy discs insteada those big hard drive boxes. You wouldn't believe how many secrets you can store on these babies."

The old man handed Luke the sword. "You'll learn the ways of the Force powers, lad. My abilities are mainly mental, and if you're anything like your father, you probably picked up a bit of telekinesis as well. I'll tell you more about it on the way to Aldera Hills."

"Aldera Hills? That's all the way uptown!" Luke stood, checking his watch. "I've got to get home. I'm late enough as it is. I'll never hear the end of this from Uncle Owen."

"I need your help, Luke. Force Girl and the Rebel League need your help." Ben nodded at the tape. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead Township," Luke eventually admitted. "You can get a bus there to Aldera Hills, or wherever you're going."

Ben just sighed. "I know you're worried about your uncle. You have family. You do what you feel is right."

They'd barely gotten on the road in the Corvette when Luke heard the sirens and pulled aside. Three cop cars and a fire truck sped by them. "What's going on here?" Charlie asked nervously. "It looks more like a chase scene from a film than a day in a small town!"

"Fire. There must be. I wonder what's burning down?" Luke poked his head out the window as he turned his car onto Kirby Street. "I hope they're all right. Some of these buildings are pretty old. I know they don't have sprinkler systems."

Ben's eyes widened as he poked his head out the front passenger side. "Luke, that smoke looks like it's coming from Palm Street! Which block do you and your aunt and uncle live on?"

"Shit!" Luke stepped on the gas, sending the car skidding around the curb and racing across Simon Boulevard. "If the fire spreads to the shop, it'll go up like a matchstick. Uncle Owen keeps a ton of flammable woodworking stuff down there, including most of the wood and furniture."

Luke figured he was lucky that he didn't get a ticket, but at that point, he didn't care. Uncle Owen may have been stubborn and Aunt Bertha thought he was her little boy, but they were the closest things he had to real parents. The Caddy sped by a garbage truck manned by a couple of short guys in mud brown jumpsuits and three snazzy white Corvette Stingrays filled with men in white and black suits before nearly flying onto Palm Street.

He managed to wedge between two cop cars and a fire truck as he pulled up next to the shop. A thick plume of gray smoke wafted out of the roof as the local volunteer firefighter squad battled the flames that licked the windows. Luke shoved his way out of the car and pushed between people, looking for his aunt and uncle.

Aunt Bertha was sitting on a gurney, wrapped in a slightly ratty blue and green calico quilt. She held Uncle Owen's hand...but his squint would never look into her brown orbs again. Red blotches stood out from under the thin sheet, and his skin had the pasty look of newly-mixed whitewash paint.

"Aunt Bertha!" He stumbled into her arms. "Are you all right? What happened? Who did this to Uncle Owen?"

"Luke!" Bertha held him as hard as she could. "Thank god you're alive!" Her cherubic face was smeared with soot, but all Luke cared about was she was warm and alive. "I don't care what Owen thought of Ben. I'm glad you went to him." Luke let her hold him as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

"They came two minutes after you left."

He gulped back a sob in his aunt's arms. "Who? Who came?"

"The Shadow Men. Some people call them the Shadow Warriors. The Empire's men. I've seen their pictures in the papers." She squeezed Owen's hand. "He told me to hide in the basement. I took the back way out as soon as I heard the shots. They were asking him about two men and a bag of tapes..."

"Aunt Bertha," Luke took her by the shoulders, "we know about the tapes. They're in our hands. We're going to get them to the Rebel League. That's all I can tell you."

The older woman gently chuckled, shaking her head. "Luke, I do read the papers. I watch the nightly news. I know all about Vader and his Empire. I know they want to take over the City. Owen liked to think he was shielding you and me from the world, but I knew better. No one can hide forever."

"What are you going to do?" Tears burst in a flood down Luke's tanned cheeks. "Where will you go?"

"I have friends on the other side of town. I'll stay with them until things are settled." Her smile was shaky. "I'm stronger than I look." It fell the moment her eyes returned to her husband's form. "He would have wanted you to be happy, Luke. I think he would have understood eventually about you wanting to move out. About how you had to fly."

Luke gave her one last hug. "I'll find who did this, Aunt Bertha. I'll find who ordered Uncle Owen killed, and I'll help Ben get those tapes into the right hands." He thought of telling her about his powers right then and there, but a police officer tapped her on her shoulder to get a statement. She gave her nephew a kiss on his cheek and let the officer lead her away.

He was about to return to Ben when a towering young woman pushed her way over to him. "Hello? Mr. Lars?" Her scarlet tresses fell in flowing waves down her back, pulled back with simple clips. She wore a dark teal spring suit with black accents that brought out the emerald green in her eyes. Cherry-red lips hovered over a microphone tagged with a Channel 11 block. "My name is Mara Jadeson. I'd like to have a few words with you about the fire."

"I'm sorry," Luke muttered, pulling back. "First of all, my last name is Skylander, not Lars. I was his nephew. Second, I wasn't here when it happened. I was...visiting a friend." He tried to ignore the hot flame rising in his cheeks and his heart thumping in time with "Undercover Angel" blasting from the pizza parlor across the street. "I don't know what happened here. Only what my aunt says."

"I already talked to Mrs. Lars. She told me men in white and black suits shot her husband and burned her home." Her pale aquiline nose sniffed. "I doubt that. She must have seen something else in all the smoke. It was probably one of those gangs that hang out down on Kirby and Simon."

"No!" Luke glared at her. "My aunt wouldn't lie. If she saw Imperials killing my uncle, then I believe her. Besides, the gangs wouldn't have anything to do with us."

Her crimson lips turned up in a smirk. "Maybe that uncle of yours owed them money."

"Uncle Owen wasn't like that!" His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure she could hear it over the noise from the fire trucks and the music. "He owed the usual mortgage on the shop, but nothing worse than that. What are you doing here, anyway? Why don't you go chase an ambulance or something?"

She waved the microphone under his nose. "Is that all you have to say for the audience, Mr. Skylander?"

"Yes." He wished he could blow her off the face of the planet. He settled for touching her microphone and letting a sunbeam fry it. She let out a shriek as the crackling energy caused it to smoke and dropped it, blowing on her fingers. "Now, go chase a real story and stop bothering decent, normal people!" He finally shoved away from her, wiping fiercely at his watery eyes. He didn't think she was cute at all. He did NOT. She was a meddling busybody with no respect for people who just suffered a huge loss.

Ben made his way through the crowd to the sobbing youth. "There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You might have been shot or burned to death, too, and those tapes would be in Vader's hands."

The boy wiped his stinging red-rimmed eyes fiercely with the back of his hand. "Teach me everything you know about these powers, Ben. I want to be as great of a hero as my father."

Maybe it was his imagination, but he swore Ben winced at the mention of his father being a great hero. "We're going to have to be more wary of women like Mara Jadeson. Not only is she one of the lead anchors on the Channel 11 Nightly News, but she's also Mayor Stephan Palpatine's ward and right-hand woman. Anything she finds out eventually returns to him."

Rudy whistled, his blue eyes shining. "Too bad you pissed her off, shorty. She's cute."

"She is not cute!" Luke flushed even redder. "She thought Uncle Owen owed someone money!"

"We'll deal with her later." Ben lead Luke to the car. "Right now, we're going to talk to a young man who's done some work for me in the past. He owes me a favor. He may be able to help us."

Charlie easily kept up with him, thanks to his long, skinny legs in their mustardy plaid bell-bottoms. "I' sure anyone you know would be a good, solid, trustworthy gentleman."

The older man chuckled. "I'm not sure I'd call him that. He usually hangs out at the Mos Eisley Cantina on Kane Avenue."

As it turned out, the Cantina was two streets down from Ben's shop. It was Tatoonie's red-light district, or the closest thing it had to one. Every building was a relic from a hundred years before, with faded bricks and peeling paint. The neon signs advertising cheap bars, liquor stores, girlie clubs, and pawn shops sizzled as they blinked over the pimps, hustlers, and punks on the streets.

"Mos Eisley District." Ben moved his wallet to his front pocket as he emerged from the passenger's side. "You will never find a more wretched hide of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

Luke wrinkled his nose at the dilapidated corner bar with the slightly tattered green awnings. "Are you really sure we'll find your friend here?"

"Most of the men here are willing to be hired for certain...side jobs, for a price." He put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough."

The boy lifted his chin proudly. "I'm ready for anything."

"We're not." Charlie grabbed Rudy by his collar. "There's no way we're going into that awful place. It looks terribly seedy. Why, the whole building could fall down around our ears at any minute!"

"I agree." Ben nodded. "Stay and look after the car. And lock yourselves in. You saw what happened with the Tusken Raiders earlier. There's worse things on the streets than them."

Charlie gulped. "I can see your point, sir. We'll lock the doors tight and only open them to you and Luke/" He had to drag a protesting Rudy away before the other two headed into the heavy black-lacquered wooden door.

The narrow room was so smoky, Luke had to swat a puff away before he could see much besides outlines. A couple of bald guys in rusty black suits played "It's Only Rock and Roll" by the Rolling Stones. The furnishings mainly consisted of a scarred bar with cracked olive-green vinyl stools and matching booths whose seats were pitted with burns and permanent marker graffiti. The customers crowded at the bar were even scarier than the ones outside. Every single one was easily bigger than Luke both ways, clad in greasy jean jackets, battered leather jackets, or loose tank tops that showed off hairy chests. The few women were even tougher than the men, or sitting in their laps.

Luke was surprised to see a big furry mutt of a dog go bounding into Ben and nearly land him on the floor. He petted the creature and whispered at where its ears probably were. It was fascinating, how Ben appeared to almost be able to communicate with it. The dog whined and pointed a paw at the booth in the back.

Luke had just ordered a Brown Derby Beer when he was jostled by a little man on the stool next to him. The fellow had a head as bald as the guys on the stage and bug eyes that looked like they were about to fall out of his head. The youth suspected he'd just been in the bathroom with some pretty interesting drugs, maybe heroin. "My friend doesn't like you." He indicated the man next to him, a frizzy-haired gentleman with a nose that looked like Jack Nicholson's in Chinatown after the thugs got through with him. "I don't like you, either. We're wanted criminals, pal. You'd best keep your mind on that little pansy drink of yours."

It was suddenly getting a little too close in here for Luke. "I'm sorry." He shrank away as best he could.

"That's not good enough." The little man was starting to resemble a frog, complete with a long, sticky tongue that kept licking his lips. "You're gonna be dead, brat."

Ben suddenly appeared from nowhere with the dog by his side. "This little one isn't worth the trouble. Let me buy you a whiskey..."

Everything happened so quickly. Luke jumped away the moment the frog man whipped out a gun. Before he could use it, Ben had a khyber sword of his own out. A neon blue glow briefly lit up the room before the man stumbled out, screaming over a bloody hand.

Luke stumbled into Ben in horror. "What happened? Ben...Ben, how did you..."

"That's one of the things I'll be teaching you." He narrowed his eyes and whipped his head to take in the rest of the crowd. "Anyone else want trouble?" Luke had never seen people back away from someone so fast.

"This is Chewbacca." Ben stroked the huge dog's soft fur. "His owner may be able to help us get to Aldera Hills undetected."

The dog's owner sat in the shadowy corner bar. Battered cowboy boots were propped up on the tables. "Damn, Ben." His slightly nasal drawl reeked of the Midwestern Rust Belt. "I thought you only kept that little rock stick around to scare off burglars. Where'd you learn how to do that, the Lord of the Rings books?" The man was tall and handsome, with messy auburn hair, almond-shaped hazel eyes that twinkled in amusement, and a small, sardonic smile. His collarless white button-down shirt was open half-way down, revealing considerable chest hair. A black cotton vest lead to a belt with a buckle larger than his head and a pair of dirty blue jeans.

"I've studied that all my life, Harris." Ben swiped at his leg. "And please get your feet off the table. It's uncivilized."

"Who wants to be civilized?" The man smirked at Luke, but he did remove his feet.. "Harris Arietta, kid." He patted the dog under the table. "And this is Chewbacca. I've been told you guys need my...particular expertise...to get across town."

"I know you still have that van of yours...and all the equipment in it." Ben leaned across the table. "We need to get to Aldera Hills, the mansion of Bail and Breha Ortega in the Aldera Heights district."

"That fancy part of town?" Harris raised an eyebrow as he slugged back a shot of bourbon. "Can't you just take a bus?"

Ben sighed. "Let's just say we'd like to avoid any entanglements with Vader and his Empire. Besides, neither the bus nor the train would be fast enough. This must be done as quickly and discreetly as possible."

The springs in the ancient booth creaked as Harris leaned back. "That's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you extra this time, Ben. I want ten thousand. In advance."

"Ten thousand?" Luke snapped. "We could buy our own fast car for that!"

Harris directed that little smirk at him. "But I'll bet it wouldn't have the kind of gear my Millennium Falcon has." Chewbacca growled from under the table. His owner gave him half of his hamburger.

"It's good enough!" Luke started to stand, but Ben pulled him back down. "We don't have to stay and listen to this!"

Ben patted his shoulder before returning to Harris. "We can pay you three thousand now," he insisted. "Plus another four thousand when we reach Aldera Hills. The Ortegas are one of the wealthiest families in the city. Bail is a district attorney, and his wife is one of the queens of city society."

"Seven thousand, huh?" Harris' brows furrowed as he appeared to think it over. "All right. You boys got yourselves a driver. Meet me at the parking lot of the Quality Hotel a couple of blocks down the street in about an hour." Chewbacca whined under the table and pawed his owner's leg. "Looks like someone's taking an interest in your handy work there, old man." Harris nodded at the men in white jumpsuits and helmets who were asking people at the bars questions.

Chewie climbed onto the booth as Luke and Ben hurried off. "Seven thousand? Just to help them get across town? Ben must be really desperate. This could really save our necks, boy." Chewbacca looked up, his ears flattening. He growled as another figure, this one in a cheap pale green leisure suit, took Ben's place in the booth.

"Well, hello there, Arietta," the man sneered, his short black pistol trained on Harris. "You know the boss wants that money, and he wanted it last week. And what Jake Hunter wants, he gets. Or you and that furry mountain down there get a long walk off a short pier at Endor Amusements."

"I have the money, Greenie. Or I will, once I take a couple of guys across town." Harris reached into his pocket for his own gun. "Tell Jake..."

"Jake's through with you and your mouth." Greenie's fluffy red curls bobbed with every word. All his freckles stood out on his long and slightly greenish face. "He has no use for guys who don't bring in their deliveries on time."

Harris made a face. "Even I get stopped by the cops every now and then. Do you think I had a choice about dumping the coke?"

"Tell that to Jake." Greenie smirked. "He may only take that rusting hulk you call a van."

The man in the cowboy boots narrowed his eyes. "Over my dead body."

"That's the idea." Greenie waved the gun, snuffling that long, straight nose of his. "I've been waiting for a long time to do this."

Harris grinned. "Yeah, I'll bet you have."

It was too dark for anyone to see what happened clearly after the guns went off and Chewie let out a howl. Later, when the Shadow Men asked the bar patrons who killed whom, some would say Harris shot Greenie first. Others claimed Greenie shot first, but missed Harris.

At any rate, Harris was the only one who walked out. He settled his straw cowboy hat on his head and tossed a few coins to the bartender. "Sorry about the mess." No one got near him or Chewbacca as they sauntered to the street together.

"Are you sure about this?" Luke asked Ben as they walked out of the Coruscant Savings Bank on the other side of town. "That's your life savings!"

The older man sighed as they returned to Luke's car. "Everyone has two or three mortgages nowadays, Luke. It'll be enough."

"I'd sell my car, but it's not in the best shape, and my aunt uses it, too." Luke made a face. "How well do you know this Harris person? Is his van really that fast?"

Ben shrugged. "He claims it is. I've never seen it. He usually parked it in the lot in back of the shop when he built my display racks." He tucked the folded envelope with the check in his pocket. "I don't really know that much about him. He didn't talk much when he was working for me."

The Quality Hotel was just two steps above a flophouse. Harris was leaning over the hood of the most dilapidated Volkswagon van Luke had ever seen. The words "Millennium Falcon" were spray-painted in silver and red across the dirty white sides. "What a piece of junk!" Luke whined. "And we're going to Aldera Hills in that?"

Harris shut the hood, giving him that little smirk. "You'd be surprised, kid. She can do up to 110 on the open highway. I once did the Kessel Run in less than three minutes in this baby." He tugged open the side door, then opened the passenger door and let the dog in. "We're a little rushed, so if everyone would just get a move on." He shook his head as Rudy made for the passenger door. "Sorry, short stuff. Chewie's my co-pilot. He gets shotgun."

Rudy started to protest, but a laser shot at his feet ended his complaints quickly. Five Shadow Men in gleaming black and white armor landed near the van, their shining outfits a glaring contrast to the rusted van. Even as they took more shots at the back, Harris got the engine going, and the car roared to life and out of the parking lot.

They didn't get further than the Siegal Expressway before Harris caught sight of three white and black Corvette Stingrays, shooting laser bullets that nearly melted his tires. "Our passengers must be hotter than I thought," he muttered as Chewie whined in the red upholstered seat next to him. "I'm gonna try to lose 'em. Hold on, boy."

"Why don't you outrun them?" Luke complained as he popped his head through the tattered curtain that separated the front seats from the back area. "I thought you said this thing was fast!"

"Watch your mouth, boy, or I'm dumping you right here." Harris shoved open a panel in the front...revealing a series of blinking knobs, dials, and computer screens that were far more sophisticated than the kind of equipment normally found in a VW bus. "We'll be fine once I get the turbo engines warmed up. Besides, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. We'll lose 'em."

A flick of a switch, and black goop spewed onto the highway behind them. Two of the Stingrays managed to avoid it, but one took it too fast and wound up spinning into two cars and a guard rail. Harris just barely avoided another car as he turned off the Expressway, trying to lead them away from busy roads and onto side streets.

"Ohhhh!" Charlie's yellowish face was now a shade of pea-green more commonly seen in canned pea soup. "Please don't take the turns so quickly! My stomach can't handle the rattling! I get motion sickness easily!"

Harris rolled his eyes. "There's a bucket under the sink if he needs to use it. Just hold on back there."

He winced as one of the Stingrays slammed into their backside. "Oh damn!" Luke peered out a window. "They're riding our tail! That's a nasty dent on that..."

"Probably no worse than all the other dents it has." Harris yanked at a lever. The bumper suddenly jumped out on metal arms, shoving the Thunderbird off the road. It careened through a park and ended up in a duck pond, covered with weeds and droppings from angry fowl.

Chewie howled as the last Thunderbird shoved into the side of the van, sending everyone and everything the back to the floor. Harris growled, quickly checking one of the blinking screens. Then the light for the engine flashed, and the engine made a roar that sounded more like Godzilla eating Tokyo.

"Darn it! Think I bruised my elbow pretty good..." Luke was rubbing his arm as he popped his head in again. "What's that flashing?"

Harris slapped his pointed finger. "The Turbo engine is ready to go. Tell everyone to get strapped in back there."

He'd just managed to get his seat belt on when the bus blasted forward! It swept across Landis Lane and through the Harvey Acres Mall parking lot, scaring more than a few shoppers. Even the Stingrays couldn't keep up with them. It was finally left far behind as Harris swung back on the Siegal Expressway.

Leia was getting very tired of sitting. She'd been tied to the soaking-wet chair in the otherwise-empty room for nearly two hours now. Water occasionally sprayed over her in a soft mist from the old sprinkler system. Other than her and the sprinklers, the room was empty. They were at a factory, probably one of the abandoned hulks in the Mimban district, if the view of corroded pipes and crumbling brick she could see out the windows was any indication. Attempts to use her powers had lead her nowhere. Water flooded the room up to her ankles, probably coming from the near-by Hosnia River.

"Dr. Tarkin." She snarled as the skeletal older man in the gray suit strutted in, followed by Vader in his shiny black suit and mask. "Or should I call you The Doctor of Death? I'd long suspected you were holding Vader's leash. Should have recognized that smell of formaldahyde the moment they dropped me in here. What poor slob have you been experimenting on this time?"

The thin older doctor took her round cheeks between his fingers. "Isn't she charming, Vader? She always was. It's too bad she's going to be caught in a little...accident...with the sprinkler valves here."

Leia narrowed her eyes. "You can do what you want, both of you. You can't intimidate every single business in town. The tighter you hold, the more businesses will slip through your fingers."

"Perhaps." The two men turned to the cracked windows with a panoramic view of the valley. "Since you're reluctant to tell us where the tapes are hidden, we're going to do another practice of our magnificent new Death Star ray in the valley area. Say, around Aldera Hills?"

"No!" Leia nearly shouted. "It's a residential area! People live there! You can't..."

Tarkin glared at her. "You would prefer a less high-profile target, Force Girl? Then tell me where those tapes are."

"Dantoonie," she muttered, looking at the floor, anywhere but at Tarkin. "They're in Dantoonie, off Claremont Drive."

The older man pulled back, sneering at Vader. "See? She can be reasonable." He turned to the man in the gray jumpsuit behind him. "You may fire when ready."

Leia's jaw nearly hit the floor. "WHAT?!"

"Dantoonie is too far out of range to make an effective show." He yanked Leia by the hair. "We'll show the rest of Coruscant what happens when you go against the Empire."

"No!" Leia struggled wildly. Her seat tipped over, and she landed on the floor with a crash. "You can't! Come back here, you bastard!"

Vader's low hiss was almost drowned out by the sizzle of the green light flashing in the window in front of her. "After Aldera Hills is gone, I want you to flood this room and terminate her." He ignored her shrieks and continued struggles on the floor. "We have no more need of her."

Her breathing was ragged and angry as she continued to flail on the floor. No sooner had Vader left than the sprinklers turned on full-force. She screamed and cursed Vader's name as he locked the heavy iron door behind him.

The engines slowed to regular speed as he turned off the Expressway and onto the winding roads around Naboo Mountains. "You can forget all your troubles with those Imperial assholes," Harris called from the driver's seat. "The last place they'd look for us are the Naboo boonies. I told you I'd outrun them."

There was no reply from the back. Luke was practicing his sword work in the cramped living area, between the hand-made kitchen table and the trunk that held most of Harris' few possessions. Chewie had climbed around back after they entered Naboo and was now playing tug on an old rag with Rudy. Charlie watched the local news from Harris' tiny portable TV on the table. Mara Jadeson could be heard in the background, interviewing Coruscant police chief Darren Vedder about the recent attacks by the Rebel League.

"Don't everyone thank me at once," the carpenter muttered. "Anyway, we should be at Aldera Hills in about a half-hour."

No one paid attention to him. "Do be careful, Rudy!" Charlie fretted. "That creature is bigger than you are!"

"What? Him?" Rudy smirked as he yanked at the toy. "Nahh, he's a big ol' puppy dog. Ain't ya, boy?"

Chewbacca apparently did not like being called a puppy. He let out a fierce growl and tugged so hard at the rag, it tore suddenly, sending Rudy head over heels into the back of the table.

"Let it go," Harris admonished. "It's not wise to upset a wookie dog."

"Sir," Charlie complained, "he's only a dog. No one worries about upsetting humans in that manner."

Harris smirked. "Yeah, well, most humans don't tear off arms and use them for teething when they're upset. Wookies can do that.

Charlie coughed. "I see your point. I suggest you let the dog win this game, Rudy."

His friend made a face. "Eh, I've had enough of this game, anyway." The little man rubbed his rear as Chewbacca gave him a snort and climbed onto one of the benches for a nap.

The other two turned their attention to the sword duel going on. "Tell me more about these powers," Luke asked as he deflected chewed-up balls Ben threw at him. "How do they work, anyway? No one was ever clear on that in the comics. They just seemed to...happen."

"Focus, Luke. That's how they work." Ben put out his own hand. "You must call your own resources, just like you did in the comics shop. Call the force deep within you." He focused on the ball, making it raise into the air. Luke tried attacking it, only for it to bounce on the floor and smack him in the rear, making him jump.

Harris laughed from the driver's seat. "Oh, come on, Ben. Those comics of yours are just comics. Hokey powers ain't nothing compared to a real weapon by your side."

"You don't really believe in much of anything, do you?" Luke insisted as he rubbed his backside.

"Kid," the carpenter claimed, "I've been from one end of this globe to the other. I've seen a lot of strange shit. But I've never seen anything to make me believe that a guy can be Superman or Captain Marvel or whatever. There's no all powerful group controllin' my destiny. It's all a lot of kiddie stuff. This ain't Shazam or The Secret of Isis."

Ben ignored Harris, bringing over a battered motorcycle helmet from the trunk in the back. "Let's try something different. You must learn to act on instinct."

He plopped the helmet down on Luke's head. "Aw Ben," Luke whined, "I can barely see with the visor down! How am I going to fight?"

"Luke, your eyes can deceive you." Ben tossed another chewed tennis ball. "Don't trust them."

Rudy and Charlie managed to squeeze in next to Chewie at the table as Luke attacked another ball. The blue light seemed to flow with his movements this time, bouncing the ball into the wall several times before splitting it in half.

"See?" Ben encouraged him as he tugged the helmet off. "You can do it."

Harris snorted as he returned his gaze to the road. "I call that luck."

"In my experience," Ben insisted sagely, "there's no such thing as luck."

"Look," Harris smirked, "it's one thing to go up against a tennis ball. Goin' up against a livin', breathin' person is somethin' else again, old man."

Luke joined Ben as he settled on the trunk. "You know, I could almost see the ball. I know I felt the light. It was like it was almost a part of me."

"That's good, Luke. You've taken your first step into a larger world." Ben's smile was instantly replaced by a wide eyed, worried stare. Luke gasped and rubbed at his chest, too. "Luke, did you feel it? It was like...a whole home...a family...crying out in terror..."

The wide-eyed college student nodded in horror. "They're all gone. Died in an instant. It was horrible!"

"You want to see horrible?" Harris stepped on the gas. "Take a look out the windows!"

Even as they all rushed to see, a green laser blasted out of the mountaintop near the Mufasar Iron Works and touched down in the valley, probably somewhere in Naboo. Somewhere entirely too close to where they were heading.

"What the hell was that?" Harris' jaw was nearly on the floor.

Charlie's brown eyes were wide as the traffic light they flew through. "I could ask the same thing. It looked like something from out of a science fiction program!"

"Or what we saw destroy the Erso Shipyards," Rudy added angrily. "Old Metal Pants is at it again."

Aldera Hills, one of the most historic mansions in Coruscant City, had been purchased and restored by Senator Bail Ortega and his wife Breha nearly 30 years before, when Ortega won his first big case as a district attorney. It was patterned after the lavish mansions of Los Angeles in the 20's and 30's, and after the mansions in Bail's native Mexico City. Luke once read that it employed more than 100 people to keep running and had at least 60 rooms and extensive gardens.

By the time Harris swung through the charred iron gate, there was nothing left of the house. Rubble and twisted iron stood where graceful arches and elaborate stucco work had once greeted guests. The Coruscant Fire Department was doing their best to put out the remaining blazes and keep it from spreading to the other mansions in the area. The few survivors stumbled into quilts or leaned dazedly against fire trucks and police cars.

"What happened?" Charlie gasped, nearly in tears. "Who could have done such a thing?"

"Vader." Ben joined him at the window. "Destroyed by the Empire."

"How could they do that?" Harris scratched his head. "It would take more firepower than even I could cobble together in a month. I've never seen anything like that outside of Logan's Run."

Even as they were trying to figure out what to do next, the Channel 11 news van pulled up alongside them. "Well, well." Mara Jadeson, looking as elegant as someone who just rushed halfway across town could manage, "look who's here. You seem to enjoy being around fires, Skylander."

"And you enjoy being a nuisance." Luke glared at her. "Go away. These people don't need your meddling. They have enough problems."

"I have no intention of missing the story of the year." She arched an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing here? I wasn't aware you were friends with the Ortegas."

Harris leaned out the window and gave her his usual lazy smirk. "Look, doll, why don't you go cover some fashion show and lay the hell off the kid? He's had a rough day. So have these people, for that matter, if their home is currently in ten thousand pieces on the ground."

"Shove it, asshole." Her green eyes flicked from Harris to Ben. "MacKenner. My my, fancy seeing you here. Senator Ortega was an old friend of yours from the war, if what my guardian said is any indication. Care to make any comments, like, oh, why you happen to be here now, just after that laser obliterated this place?"

Ben's smile was a bit easier. "Oh, just paying our respects, young lady."

"Why don't you try findin' Darth Vader?" Rudy yelled out the window. "You're a reporter. You hear things. You know damn well he's the one behind this."

"Him?" She snorted. "He's just a myth. I don't chase myths. I chase realities."

"That laser seemed awfully real," Luke snapped, waving his hand at the remains of Aldera Hills. "Look at what it did to them!"

That was when another gleaming white and black Stingray sped past them, nearly side-swiping the Falcon on its way. "Hey!" Harris slammed on the horn. "Watch where you're going, asshole!" he screamed out the window.

"Harris," Luke tugged on his shirt, "that was one of the cars that chased us on the way here! What are they doing all the way out here?"

"Don't know." He started backing away from the gate. "But we're gonna find out."

Rudy jutted a finger at Mara Jadeson as she watched from her van. "What about the red-head?"

"Let her find out on her own," Harris grumbled as he pulled about two cars behind the Stingray, staying a respectable distance.

"You may as well let him go," Ben insisted. The Stingray had just turned off Aldera Boulevard and onto Moore Road, down towards the Mimban industrial district. "It's too far out of range."

"Not for long." Harris shoved at the gas, making the car jump ahead. They wound their way down the valley, past crumbling row houses marked with colorful graffiti and ancient rusting factories that hadn't belched smoke in twenty years. The car finally pulled into the collapsing gates of an old Victorian heap of bricks and smashed glass.

Ben's voice rose. "The Mufasar Iron Works. He would hole up here."

"He who?" The van slowed as Harris looked over his shoulder. "What do you mean, he? Do you know who owns this junk pile?"

"Yeah, I can take a wild guess, too." Rudy wrinkled his nose. "Theatrical. Just his style. He always was a drama queen."

Harris looked over his shoulder at the others. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Three Shadow Men in gleaming white and black jumpsuits stopped them at the door. "Where are you going in this pile of rust?"

"Building A, Level 6 C." The carpenter tried to give them his most innocent smile. "Maybe you could give us a hand. I'm kind of new here. Was just hired last week."

The moment the first man leaned into the driver's side, Harris flung open the visor and hit him square in the face. He fell against a pile of metal pipes, unconscious. The other two were lifted bodily and flung into another pile of old tires.

Ben stepped out first. "We need to get inside, before these three sound the alarm."

"Yeah." Harris was already starting to strip off the first man's jumpsuit. "And I know how to do it. Luke, Charlie, get jumpsuits on the other two guys. Ben, there's wire in the trunk you can use to tie up these jerks."

Rudy helped Harris get the other man's boots off. "Phew!" He pinched his nose. "Whatever you do, don't smell their feet. Hot vinyl and old socks do not mix."

"We're not here to criticize their fashion sense." The carpenter grinned as he plopped the helmet on his head. His voice sounded eerie from behind the grille. "This is how we're gonna get inside."

Ben lead them through the twisting corridors of the former Mufasar Iron Works. He seemed to know where he was going, and it was a good thing. Luke was sure they would have never figured that place out on their own. The halls had more rooms than the Timely Building at Coruscant University. At least the halls were mostly in better shape than the outside, with modern computer equipment, polished wood flooring, and repaired ceiling tiles. If anyone asked Rusty, he claimed he was a health inspector, and Chewbacca was his attack dog. Chewie growled and tried his best to look mean.

"How do they deal with this on a daily basis?" Luke complained. "This uniform is too tight, and I can't see a thing in the helmet!"

"I agree," Charlie whined as he nearly stumbled into the wall. "They could have designed these better. No wonder the Shadow Men are notoriously poor shots. They can't see where they're shooting!"

"If this is what it's like to be a super villain, they can have it," Harris grumbled as he shot the lock on the door at the end of the hall. "No wonder Superman always beats the pants off Lex Luthor. He can't move in his gadgets." Everyone followed him as he stormed into a large room filled with rows of blinking green-lined computer panels. "If I ever became a superhero, I'd make armor that was more flexible. More like what Batman wears, but not blue tights."

Luke made a face as he pulled off his helmet. "Could we talk fashion later? Between the dog's howling and your blasting everything, it's a wonder no one's tried arresting us yet."

"You think I'm enjoying this?" The older man swiped at a computer console. "I prefer a straight fight to sneaking around."

Rudy sat down at one of the consoles and started plugging away. Charlie leaned over his shoulder. "Do be careful," he warned his shorter friend. "This is a more advanced system than you've ever dealt with. If they know you've been fiddling with it..."

"Ehh, this is a piece of cake." The shorter man snickered as he tapped away at the shiny keyboard. "Anything you guys want to see? I could call up Hollywood Squares re-runs."

Ben leaned over him. "What I want to see is the area where the main electrical switch is. There has to be something that will shut down the power."

The others were silent as Rudy clicked. "Looks like the main generator is downstairs, Level A, Room 15, just off the main room."

"I'd better go alone." Ben patted his own sword by his side. "I'll be able to do this easier on my own."

"Whatever." Harris was looking out the door. "I've had enough excitement to last me ten years. I'm not going anywhere." Chewbacca barked in agreement before sniffing around, making sure none of those bad men in white were nearby.

Luke wasn't as convinced. "I want to go with you."

"No, Luke. I want you to stay here." The older man leaned in and added softly. "If I don't get out, I want you to find Yoda Yamoda, my old mentor. Tell him the Negotiator sent you. He lives in Dagobah, near the Troma Marsh Reserve." He put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Remember, your powers chose you and your family to do great things. Those powers will be with you. Always."

"Do be careful, Mr. MacKenner," Charlie fretted. "Watch out for guards and loose floorboards. Who knows what might be lurking around the corners in a place like this?"

Rudy continued to click away on the computer. "Yeah, Benny. Don't do anything Tony would do."

"Oh, don't worry." The older man chuckled. "I won't."

Chewie let out a bark that sounded distinctly derogatory as the older man left. "You said it, boy." His owner scratched him between the ears. "Where did you dig up that relic?"

"Ben is a great man!" Luke shot back. "He was in World War II, you know!"

"And I was in Vietnam." Harris made a face. "He's crazy if he thinks we're just going to sit around and wait for everyone to get off lunch. I say we get out of here, before there's more trouble."

Charlie watched nervously as the two men glared at each other. "Who do you think you are?" The younger one shot back.

Harris crossed his arms and smirked. "Someone with a lot more common sense than the rest of you."

"Would you two shove it?" Rudy looked over his shoulder at them, a grin spreading across his face. "Guys, I found her! She's here!" He bounced around in his seat like a child. "She's here!"

Luke sprinted over first. "Who's here?"

"Force Girl!" The little man's grin fell as he tapped away. "She's right along this hall, in room 6!"

Luke gasped. "Oh no! We can't let that happen! We have to rescue her!"

"Are you crazy?" Harris plopped down next to Rudy and somehow managed to lift his long legs onto the console despite the jumpsuit. "I'm not throwing my neck or Chewie's into the fire." The big furry mutt barked at his name.

"They could be killing her right now!" That was when Luke turned to him with a small grin of his own. "You know, she's rich. Her father was one of the most powerful men in town. If you rescue her, the reward would be...astronomical! More than you can imagine!"

"I can imagine a lot." Harris crossed his arms and stuck out his lip, looking even grumpier than usual. "I don't play Batman for nothin', you know."

"You'll get any reward you want. I swear!" Luke looked up as voices were heard in the hall. "Could you and Charlie handle those men? I'll go get her!" He threw his helmet on and dashed down the hall, ignoring Charlie's wails and Harris' snarls of protest.

It was easy to find Room 6. Water was leaking out of it like that old pipe in the sink in Uncle Owen's workshop. His feet slipped on the puddle at the bottom. "Have to be careful," he muttered as he concentrated on getting his sword to work. Once the light sizzled, he brought it down on the knob with one whack, then cut through the rest of the iron door.

Whoosh! A small tsunami of brownish liquid sent him tumbling into the wall. A sopping wet, coughing figure in a chair flowed right into him. Big brown eyes stared right at his as the chair nearly squashed his knee.

"You're a bit short for a Shadow Man, aren't you?" the girl managed to get out between hacking up water.

His mouth worked, but nothing came out. Even dripping wet, she was gorgeous. Tendrils of brown hair escaped from the two buns on either side of her head and curled around her porcelain neck. Full red lips spoke in a voice that sounded like honey on the honeycomb. It took Luke a few minutes to shake off this vision of beauty – not to mention shake the water out of his hair and ears - and remember where he was and what they were doing.

"Oh! Um, yeah. The uniform." He tugged the helmet off and threw it aside. "I'm Luke Skylander. My friends and I are here to rescue you." He started tugging at the ropes around her wrist. The water had made them expand and cling together.

The girl – Force Girl – just blinked. "You're whom? Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I'm here with Rusty and Charlie, from the Rebel League." He hurried down the hall as soon as she was free. "They've got the plans. I'm here with Ben...the Negotiator...sorry we took so long..."

"The Negotiator!" She was already pushing her buns under a white hood and red mask. "Let's go! I need to talk to him."

They were dodging bullets, even before they waded through the mess the water left in the halls and returned to the slightly damp computer room. "What were they doing to you in there, anyway?"

"Trying to drown me." Leia ducked under the hail of bullets, raising her hands in front of her chest. To Luke's surprise, fire shot out of them, making two men run down the hall and melting three consoles. "Oh, damn! I wanted to burn them. Now they're going to sound the alarm."

"Nice going, doll." Harris pulled a gun out of his armor. "Good thing I always bring my own." He tossed a gun to Luke, then to Leia. "You know how to handle these, sweetheart?"

Leia raised an eyebrow. "I think I have the general idea." Instead of bullets, a hail of sticky goo rained out of her gun. The man was so covered in brownish gunk, he could barely move. She smirked and shot three more in succession, then shot around the floor in front of them. Thee more Men running in the door were stuck up to their ankles in thick goo.

"Nice work, Your Force-ship." Harris pulled a smaller gun out of his boot. "Here, kid. See what you can do with this."

"Groovy!" Luke raised the gun, making "pow!" sound effects. Small pellets shot out, exploding when they hit a man and flung them against the wall. Chewie leaped on several men, knocking them over.

"What is all this?" The girl in the white and red jumpsuit glared at Harris. "I'm assuming lunchtime is over?"

Harris shrugged, a little sheepishly. "Ok, so I had a hard time convincing these guys over the intercom that I was one of them. I was never really good with authority."

"So I see." She tossed her weapon to Rudy, then aimed her fire up at a small grate in the wall. It burned the grate, revealing an opening. She shot another man, heating up his weapon and burning his fingers, before turning her flashing dark eyes under their mask to Harris. "Into the air duct, Batman! Charlie, help me remove the rest of the grate!"

"This may work for you," Charlie fussed as he awkwardly tugged the burnt pieces out, blowing on his fingers, "but what about the rest of us? I'm not climbing around in there!"

Her head popped out of the grate. "You and Rudy cover us. We'll meet you back at the front gate."

"Sounds good to me." Rudy grinned and shot two more men, who stuck together and couldn't take a step forward without falling into each other. "You boys need to learn a little bit about teamwork!" He grabbed Charlie. "Come on! We'll storm the gate! We'll take no prisoners!"

His taller friend groaned. "I'm going to regret this!"

Harris helped Luke into the grate, then shoved Chewie in behind him. "Get in there, you goof!" A whimper echoed from inside the grate. "I don't care what you smell! Follow the kid and the girl!" He took a few last shots with his own gun, grabbed a chair, and just managed to shimmy into the grate himself.

"Where are we?" he muttered as he crawled down a damp, narrow tunnel. "Where are we going? I have a crick in my neck the size of Chewie." His pet barked at the mention of his name.

"Oh, stop complaining." Leia turned a corner. "I got us out of there, didn't I?"

Luke wiped his brow. "Is it me, or is it hot in here?"

"Wait." Leia used her heat to burn the bars on another grate and make them disintegrate. "This is our stop, boys."

They crawled out behind the biggest furnace Luke had ever seen. Rubber and clear plastic hoses directed energy from a giant metal oven in the center of the room. Glowing green rocks were loaded in piles on one side of the wall. The light from the oven was a sickly pale, flickering green.

"Whew!" Harris wiped his forehead. Chewie whimpered. "No kidding. You would lead us into literal hell, Your Worship. It's not going to take them long to figure out what's going on in here."

Leia shrugged. She actually seemed a bit perkier, her pink cheeks almost as radiant as the oven. "Feels fine in here to me. Besides, it could be worse."

Harris picked up one of the rocks. "Please tell me this isn't kryptonite."

"No, it's not." Leia swept one into her hand before Chewbacca could eat it. "It's khyber crystal. According to the comics, the Jedi used to use it to amplify their powers. After they were killed off, what little remained was sent off to be mined into ore for lasers and hush-hush weapons."

That was when a rumble under their feet nearly sent all of them to the floor. Chewbacca let out a howl that nearly matched his owner's. "What the hell was that?" Harris shot at the wall, but the bullet barely made a dent.

"This used to be an iron factory!" Luke wailed. "Even a bullet couldn't get through that!"

"Maybe not a bullet." Leia held up her hand and closed her eyes, focusing on the wall. A stream of fire shot from her fingers, burning a small hole. "Don't just stand there! You," she pointed the finger that wasn't shooting fire at Harris, "see if you can find something to brace the walls with."

"Don't order me around, Your Worship!" Harris grumbled, even as he managed to wrench a metal tube from the wall. Chewbacca got on his hind legs and shoved his big paws as hard as he could. "I was gonna do that anyway."

Luke backed into a sunlit window that hadn't been covered by the moving wall. He lifted his sword, then let loose with a stream of his own light. He felt warm down to his toes, and it wasn't just from the furnace and the adrenaline.

"You're a light power Leaguer?" Leia opened one very surprised brown eye. "Why didn't you say so upstairs?"

He shrugged. "I never had the chance."

The wall kept grinding along, crushing crystal in loud crackling sounds. They all had to move away from the shattered crystal to avoid getting badly cut. Chewbacca howled when he stepped on one and moved next to Harris, who was now shooting at the wall with his ice gun, trying to make it shrink and crack. The heat melted the ice before it could do much damage.

"Wait!" Luke pushed past Harris to a small box on a wall. "The intercom!" He pressed the button and practically screamed into it. "Hello? Anyone? We're trapped in the furnace room!"

"Luke?" Charlie's voice came across in a burst of screechy static. "Where are you? We managed to get back to the main control room. We've had the worst time with the guards..."

He didn't give him a chance to complain. "Tell Rudy to shut down the furnace room! NOW!"

Rudy's low voice could be heard in the background, a weird echo as he asked his buddy what was going on. "Don't ask me silly questions!" Charlie wailed. "Just shut it down! Hurry!"

No sooner was it done than the wall ground to a halt, inches from the furnace. The wall in front of Leia chose the same time to fall forward, revealing a dark, dingy hallway. Leia unthinkingly threw herself into Harris' arms, while Chewbacca howled happily behind him.

"Oh no!" Charlie was sobbing in the background. "They're dying, Rudy! I wasn't fast enough!"

Luke managed to stop cheering and jumping around long enough to respond. "We're all right! It's ok! We're alive! Where are we, anyway?"

The intercom crackled and spit as Charlie's prim British accent came over the airwaves. "You're on the ground floor, Level 0, building 1. It seems to be used primarily by maintenance workers, mechanics, and janitors who repair the machinery and deliver the khyber crystal and cleaning supplies here."

"Thanks, Charlie!" Luke leaned on the intercom. "We'll meet you upstairs as soon as we can. You're a real peach!" He switched off the intercom, cutting off Rudy's laughter and Charlie's protest that he wasn't a fruit, he was a human being.

By the time he'd turned back to the others, Leia had finished burning a hole through the wall large enough for all of them to make it through. "Ok, so I hugged you when the wall stopped," she snapped testily. "I was happy to be alive and not thinking."

Harris smirked as he stripped off his armor, revealing the black bodysuit underneath. "Sure, that's what they all say."

Chewbacca sniffed at Leia as she pulled off her hood and twisted her sagging hair back into buns. "Enough, Batman. If we all want to get out of here, from now on, you do as I tell you, ok? I'm the only one who knows my way around in here, or how to deal with Vader and the Shadow Men."

"Look, fire princess, let's get one thing straight," Harris snapped. "I take orders from one person, and one person only – me. I'm my own boss."

"It's a wonder you're still alive." Leia shoved Chewbacca away from her rear as she yanked her hood back on. "Would you get your giant walking carpet out of my way?"

"Chewie, come here!" His owner grabbed his collar as Leia stormed past them. "No reward is worth this abuse!" he grumbled as Luke followed him.

The younger man sighed. "She does have a point. We have no idea where we're going. She does. She's been here at least a little longer than we have."

"Fine," Harris muttered. "I'll follow her. But I'm not taking any more orders. I'm not some pretty boy from her college classes she can order around."

"That's all I ask." Luke sighed. "Just...try to get along with her, ok?"

Harris made a face. "I'm not making any promises, kid."

Mufasar Iron Works was the twistiest, blackest maze Luke had ever seen. Even the industrial lighting couldn't make the metal walls much brighter. He couldn't take his eyes off Leia as she lead them up three flights of stairs, waving at them to hide around corners whenever they saw troops of Shadow Men or Empire officers. Harris shot at two of them, knocking them into the wall; Chewie ran under the legs of another, sending him crashing downstairs.

They finally stopped to catch their breaths at the catwalk over the main entrance and garage. The Falcon was parked to one side, not looking too different from the delivery vans that made up the rest of the row. Shadow Men and men in gray jumpsuits bustled around, bringing packages of crystal to a loading dock.

"That's how we're getting out of here." Harris pointed to his prized vehicle. "Meet my baby, Fire Princess."

"You came in that thing?" Leia wrinkled her nose. "You're braver than I thought."

Harris rolled his eyes. "Funny." He flipped on the nearest intercom. "Hey Goldenrod, you and the short guy there?"

"Mr. Arietta?" Charlie's British accent piped over the box. "I'm so glad to hear from you. We had a few, er, problems with the Shadow Men and had to abandon our post. We're in what appears to be Dr. Tarkin's office, just off the main lobby and garage."

Luke was leaning over the edge near Harris. "I think we're right above them."

They'd just started down the hall towards the nearest set of metal stairs when they ran almost head-on into a pack of Shadow Men. Harris drew his gun and shot at them almost immediately. "Get out of here!" he hollered over his shoulder. "Get to the ship!" Chewbacca leaped on one of the men, knocking him to the ground, before taking off after his master.

Leia's eyes were shining. "I have to give your friend credit. He's an idiot, but he certainly has courage."

"What good is it going to do if he gets killed?" Luke muttered. He pushed Leia in the opposite direction before the soldier got to his feet.

The Mufasar Iron Works gave the impression of not having had much work done on it before the Empire took over The machinery was up-to-date, but a lot of the catwalks and rooms without computer equipment in them were unfinished and falling apart. It was more likely that Vader had just moved in when he realized it was empty and available.

"Whoa!" Luke nearly ran straight off one of the unfinished catwalks. It looked like the other part had rusted away. "I think we took a wrong turn."

He ducked as more shooting could be heard from the other side of the hall. Leia just stood at the edge of the catwalk and closed her eyes. "What are you doing?" Luke shot gunk at two of the men. "We have to get out of here!"

"We will." She patted her back. "Get on. I'm going to get us out of here. Or at least, down to the surface."

"How?" He dug at the utility belt he'd swiped from the Shadow Man they'd attacked earlier. "I don't exactly have any rope on me!"

Even as he spoke, a soft flame was building under Leia's booted feet. "Grab my back."

"Well, all right." He threw his arms around Leia's neck. "But what if we fall down and break something? My aunt doesn't have health insurance, and I really can't afford..."

"We'll be fine." Her arms went out to her sides, like an airplane. Fire spread all up and down her arms and lower legs, giving her the look of a tiny winged phoenix. "All right. Hold on. I'm taking off!"

Luke's eyes widened. He'd barely gotten out a sputtered "Wait, what?" before she leaped off the catwalk!

He shut his eyes as tight as possible and waited for them to go splat on the ground. It was a few minutes before he realized that, not only were his bones not broken in sixty million places, but he felt...air? Air and heat rushed across his polyester-clad arms and legs.

When he did finally crack his eyes open, he realized he was staring at the ceiling fixtures. "All right!" The loud whoop could be heard all through the main Iron Works garage. "We're flying! You can fly! Why didn't you tell me you could fly?"

"Never got the chance." She grinned down at him. "You know, with your powers, you ought to join the Rebel League."

Luke turned redder than the flame that propelled them across the room. "Thanks. I'm still learning. Ben told me he and some friend of his would teach me how to handle my powers better. I only just found out about them today!"

"You handled them pretty well, for a newbie." Leia sighed as she floated down towards the row of vans. "I've been learning about since I was ten, but fire is one of the hardest elements to deal with. I still have a hard time making sure my flame only damages what I want it to damage and doesn't burn everything in sight."

He smiled dreamily at her. She was so pretty, and really nice when she wasn't arguing with Harris. "If you help me learn more about my powers, I'll see if I can help you with yours."

"I like that." Her sweet smile lit up her face even more than her fire did. "I'll hold you to that, Luke." She winced as a gunshot just barely missed her side. "I think it's time we came in for a landing."

They landed as close to the Falcon as they possibly could, given it was surrounded by Shadow Men and Empire officers. Harris and Chewbacca dashed next to them, ducking away from a hail of bullets.

"What kept ya?" The carpenter's eyes were more on his adored vehicle than the others.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Let's say we ran into some old friends and went flying. How's the hunk of junk?"

"It's fine," he grumbled, "if we could just get to it."

Suddenly, everyone turned their heads. Ben had emerged on one side of the room, his own green khyber crystal sword at the ready. Vader was on the other. He had no problems striding over to Ben, his hand raised.

"Negotiator. I knew you'd come back." Vader put out his hand. "You thought I was still a student when I left. I'm the master now, you old coward!"

Ben leaped away as a flame nearly singed him. "Only the master of evil, Ant...Vader." He threw out his hand, raising Vader and slamming him into the wall.

"What's going on over there?" Luke started to rush over, but Harris grabbed his arm.

"He's giving us the distraction we need." He managed to shove the younger man towards the Falcon, then open the passenger side for Chewie. "Come on, folks. All ashore who's goin' ashore!"

Luke gulped, his eyes riveted to the two older men shooting beams of light across the room. "Do you think he'll be ok?"

"I think he will." Leia smiled at him. "He's the Negotiator. Uncle Bail told me he was a great war hero. He can handle himself."

Almost everyone in the room, including the Shadow Men, raced over as Vader shot another bolt of fire right in Ben's direction. He managed to deflect it with his green sword. "Your powers are weak, Negotiator." Vader's hiss seemed more like a cannon boom in the now-quiet room. "They were never as strong as mine. You were always jealous. You and...her."

"You can't win, Father of Death." The older man's voice was soft and cold. "If you strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Barely anyone breathed. It was so quiet, Luke easily heard Ben's soft voice. "I've passed on my legacy, Ant...Vader. What legacy will you pass on?"

Something between a hiss and a growl escaped from the grill that blocked Vader's mouth. Everything seemed to run in slow motion. He swung both hands across his chest, letting loose with a fire that burned everything in its path. Everyone else went flying to avoid the roaring flame, but Ben stood firm. When the fire blasted through the wall on the other side, there was nothing left of the former Negotiator but a blackened metal tube and a pile of ashes.

"NO!" Luke wasn't sure what happened next, but he was pretty sure he screamed that. With barely a thought, he raised his sword over his head to a shaft of light coming from the tall windows in the front facade. The light blasted into the crowd, incinerating half the machinery in the room and several unwary Shadow Men. Vader barely managed to avoid it, stumbling back behind the door to the main facility.

Harris was already in the driver's side. "Blast the side door, kid!"

Even as Harris spoke, Luke was already turning with the sunbeam. The bolt of gold-blue light smashed the key pad on the garage door, slamming it on Vader's face. He swore he heard Ben's voice say "Run Luke, run!" as he dashed for the van. Leia and Rudy barely got him in before it went barreling through the remains of the vans and Imperial employees.

"Yeeeehaaw!" Harris grinned as the Falcon went flying through the open gate and onto Khyber Drive. "I got to hand it to that old guy." He grinned. "It may have gotten him killed in the end, but at least he kept his word."

Everyone else was sitting around the small table in the back. Luke traced patterns in the scarred checkerboard table. Chewie whimpered at his feet. Charlie and Rudy sat on the trunk, both looking at him sadly. He barely noticed when Leia brought him an old quilt she'd found on the trunk. "I can't believe he's gone," he whispered sadly. "He was going to tell me more about the Jedi, and my father, and my powers, and now..."

Leia stroked the back of his head as the big mutt licked his foot. "There wasn't anything you or anyone else could have done. It all happened too fast."

He was wiping at his eyes when something ramming into the side of the van nearly sent them all to the ground. "We're not out of this yet, kid!" Harris called over his shoulder. "I think it's time we went for a flight." They were already sprinting along Siegal Expressway, no less than five white and black Stingrays on their tail. "If you're not using the guns, strap yourselves in! We're taking off!"

Charlie groaned loudly and Luke cheered as silvery, badly patched wings popped out of the sides of the Falcon. Even as it roared into the sky, the Stingrays shot upwards, trying to clip their underside. Three black and white single-seat jets streaked straight at them.

"This is where I get off." Leia shoved the side door open. "I can handle the ones in the air. You boys deal with the assholes on the ground."

"Your worship, I don't think..." Harris didn't get a chance to finish before she took off, shooting fire at two of the jet pack-clad Shadow Men. "Ok, so she knows what she's doin'. Kid, you man the back cannons. I'll see if we can out-fly 'em."

Chewie was already tugging at the handle of the trunk with his teeth. Charlie and Rudy took either side of the trunk from him, moving it to under the table. Rudy pushed aside a panel in the back wall that the big dog nudged with his nose, revealing a whole wall of blinking, booping computer hardware. An old chair was installed in front of what looked to Luke like one of those new Space Wars and Starship 1 games that were turning up in bars and arcades.

Luke flipped a few switches as he sat down at the controls. "This is amazing!"

"Ain't it?" Harris grinned from his own controller. "Hey shorty, come up here and take the passenger's side gun."

"Really?" Rudy managed to climb into the chair and, as per Harris' instructions, pulled out what looked like a Telstar Pong controller. He pushed a few buttons, shooting rainbow light bullets at the Stingrays on the ground. A bullet hit one, disintegrating the car completely, leaving its drivers sitting dazed on the ground. "This is great! We've got to talk computers and electronics after this is all over."

Harris chuckled at the delight on the small man's face. "Sure, short stuff." He barely managed to get the Falcon past a hail of bullets from three of the Shadow Men. "Hey kid," he called to Luke, "they're goin' your way!"

"I got 'em!" Luke was already maneuvering his Pong controls. "This is better than Space Wars!" He let out a whoop of joy as he shot the jet packs of two Shadow Men in a row, sending them crashing into trees. "I got 'em!"

"Great, kid!" Harris made a face. "Don't get cocky!" He couldn't help laughing himself as he did a loop around another one, sending him right into Leia's blazing flames.

"I have the rest!" Leia burned the jet packs of the remaining two flying Shadow Men, who went careening into tree tops. Her fire melted the tires on the last Stingray. She soared back into the Falcon as they shook their fists at her backside. Chewie gave her a happy bark when she threw her arms around him. "We did it, boy!"

"Help!" Charlie had fallen against the wall and now had a pile of dirty clothes, dishes, and canned goods on him. "I'm trapped! I'm sure this is your fault, Rudolph!"

"Duty calls." Rudy tossed the controller back into the dashboard. "I'm gonna hold you to revealing your building secrets to me. You tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine."

The carpenter behind the wheel chuckled. "Sure, short stuff. Someday."

Leia replaced Rudy in the passenger seat as Harris gave her a smirk. "Not a bad bit of rescuin', huh doll? You know sometimes, I amaze even myself."

"That doesn't seem too hard." Leia rolled her eyes. "They let us go. It's the only reason we got out of there so easily."

"You call that easy?" Harris pointed back towards the Mimban district. "We got shot at, flooded, nearly crushed, and lost a perfectly nice old guy, and you call it easy?"

She frowned. "They're tracking us. There's probably some radar on this van somewhere."

Harris gave her that little grin. "Not this van, sister."

"At least the tapes are still intact." She leaned back into the tattered plaid blanket on the back of the seat. "Rudy told me he put them in the trunk on the way to the Iron Works."

Harris started to turn the van back around towards Yavin. "What's he carrying that's so important, anyway?"

"The blueprints and technical readouts for that gun at the Iron Works." She sighed and tucked her legs under the seat. "I only hope that they can find a weakness in that gun, or more homes will go up the way Aldera Hills did. It's not over yet."

"It is for me, doll." Harris shook a finger at her nose. "I'm not in this for your Rebel League. I don't read comics, and I don't give a flaming hell what Vader's doing with that gun. I'm in this for the money. I have people I need to pay off, and they shoot real bullets, not fire and sunlight."

"You needed worry about your reward." Leia's hiss didn't sound that far from Vader's. "If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive." She turned angrily to Luke as he came up from the back. "Your friend is quite the mercenary. Ask him if he actually cares about something besides this rust pile and the mountain of fur back there."

"I care!" Luke tried to call, but she'd already laid down on the bench, her back to them. He returned to Harris. "What do you think of her?" he said to the carpenter in a soft tone. "I think she's kind of cute."

"She's got a lot of spunk, I'll give her that." Harris couldn't help grinning at the tinge of red on the kid's cheeks. He was really gone about this girl. "I don't know. You think a rich chick like that and a guy like me..."

"No!" Luke turned away from him, but he'd gotten the reaction he wanted. The truth was, though...he was kind of starting to like the fire bitch himself. He meant what he said about her spunk. He'd never seen a woman with balls like that. Not that he'd admit it to Luke, or even really to himself. Besides, he'd be leaving once he dropped the kids and the nerds off at Yavin Park. He'd probably never see them again.

Tarkin watched the battle from the wide windows in the suite on the third floor of the Mufasar Iron Works. "Are you sure the homing beacon is secure aboard that van? I'm taking an awful risk, Vader."

"Absolutely." Vader had already changed back into the expensive Italian spring suit he had custom made larger to fit over his breathing apparatus. He pulled the wide-brimmed fedora low over his damaged face. "I have to go to City Hall to meet the press and talk to the Phantom. By the time I return, we should have a line on the rebels."

The Doctor of Death never left the window. "Watch what you say to the press. We don't need work leaking about this place." He raised an eyebrow. "And please don't choke any of them to death, like you almost did with Motti this morning."

Vader made a face that looked distinctly like Leia's. "He was annoying me."

"He can be annoying, but we may need him in the future." Tarkin finally looked over his shoulder, his icy blue eyes steady on him. "I know how you feel about the laser, but the Phantom is adamant that it's the best way for him to bring Coruscant to its knees."

A briefcase resting on the desk soared into Vader's hands. "Very well. I'll leave him alone, for today, anyway." He shook a glove-clad finger. "But so help me, if he ever makes fun of my abilities ever again, I'll..."

"He won't. He learned his lesson."

Vader wasn't so sure. He wished he could choke almost every one of his subordinates in the Empire, but the Phantom wouldn't let him. He never got to have any fun!

Mara Jadeson was the first person there when he drove up to City Hall. "Chief Vedder!" The tall redhead shoved her Channel 11 microphone under his nose. "How do you explain the green light that destroyed Aldera Hills this afternoon, including District Attorney Bail Ortega and his wife Breha?" She turned to her cameraman. "We're coming in live at City Hall, with Coruscant's Chief of Police, Darren Vedder."

Vedder remained stony-faced. "The Coruscant Police Force is looking into the blast."

The younger woman kept shoving herself into Vader's face. "What about the Rebel League? There's rumors flying around all over the city about how they've saved dozens of people from the Father of Death and his Empire. What can you tell us about them? Or Vader?"

"The Empire is working with the city to insure the safety of its residents." His blue eyes narrowed. "There is no such thing as the Rebel League. There's only groups of meddlers who refuse to allow companies to do their jobs. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have a conference with Mayor Palpatine."

"But Chief Vedder..." The door slammed on Mara's face before she could get anymore out of him.

They finally landed in Yavin Park, just across from the older buildings with the deli and the book store. Leia directed them to the parking lot behind the alley, bordered by a dilapidated fence. "Ok, boys," she said as she lead them to a screen door between the coffee shop and the deli. "All right, boys," she admonished. "What you see here is secret. You can't tell anyone else about it, including your friends and relatives. Everything we do depends on staying anonymous."

Harris shrugged. "That's fine. I don't really have too many of those anyway, besides Chewie." The big dog barked his agreement.

"I wouldn't tell." Luke nodded. "I'm no snitch."

The door and the narrow, sparsely carpeted stairs and whitewashed hall going up to the second floor were perfectly normal. They looked like the ones that lead to the second floor apartment at his uncle and aunt's house. What wasn't normal were what they found when Leia lead them through the door on the top of the stairs.

Every available space was taken by banks of large, blinking computers, maybe not as top-of-the-line as he'd seen at the Mufasar Iron Works, but still better than most businesses were using. Maps of the Coruscant City area and outlying towns covered the walls. The most surprising of all was the people. There were people shooting ice and electricity into targets made of old boxing bags one room. Others polished and repaired jet packs in another room filled with shelves of tools and parts. One man lifted his "Hang In There!" coffee cup and brought it to his desk without using his hands. A hulking fellow with slightly lavender skin and pointy ears lifted a couch so a woman with long brown braids tied with green ribbons could retrieve a dropped pencil.

"Welcome to the nerve center of the Rebel League." Leia waved her hand at the computers. "This is where we send our recruits and keep an eye on what the Empire is doing and where they might strike next."

"Leia!" An older man with a beard and a rumpled suit ducked around two stacked boxes of papers and a crate to put his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're all right. When we heard about Aldera Manor, we feared the worst."

Leia drew in a breath when he mentioned her destroyed home, and her lip shook for a second. She finally handed him the bag with the tapes and blueprints instead. "We have no time for sorrows, Dr. Dodonna. We have to go over the information contained in this bag right this second. Call as many people as you can get in for a meeting. It's our only hope."

"Dr. Dodonna?" Luke's eyes widened. "I've never seen you outside of the classroom. I didn't think you existed outside of the classroom!"

"Hello, Mr. Skylander." Dodonna chuckled. "I guess now you know what I do in my off hours. The question is, what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh." He waved at Harris, who was gazing around with a wary eye, and Chewbacca, who sniffed at several legs. "We brought Force Girl here. We were supposed to bring The Negotiator, but...uh..."

Harris ambled up to them, giving them an easy smile. "The old guy didn't make it. Some giant robot man in black armor took him down. It was a shame. He fought pretty well, for someone his age." He shook the wary Dodonna's hand. "Name's Harris Arietta, and that's Chewbacca. Chewie, come here!" The dog had wandered into the kitchen area, where two young men fed him chicken sandwiches from the deli downstairs. His owner turned back to the older professor. "Mr. MacKenner and the kid here hired me to take 'em to Aldera Manor. They owe me ten thousand dollars."

"We'll see to it that you get it." Dodonna shook his hand firmly. "You'll get whatever you ask for helping to rescue Miss Ortega." He turned back to Luke. "And you, young man..."

"Can I stay?" Luke was grinning ear to ear. "I really want to help. I was glad to rescue Miss Ortega. I'd like to do more."

Dr. Dodonna nodded. "I'll have to talk to the White Queen. She's really the one who's in charge. Matter of fact, I need to tell her that Leia's all right."

"I'll go with you." Leia rejoined them, followed by Chewbacca at her side. "I need to warn her. Vader and his men could be here at any minute. Matter of fact, Dodonna, is there any way we could round up everyone and call a meeting?"

"We'll do what we can," Dodonna insisted. "I'll go downstairs and get Ahsoka and the mechanics."

Luke raised an eyebrow as they made their way to the back of the building. "Leia, who's the White Queen?"

"Yeah." Harris made a face at Chewbacca. "Chewie, get over here!" His dog whimpered and went to his master's side, licking his hand and barking. "Traitor." He still got a scratch on the belly that made him whimper with delight. "I've heard the name 'White Queen,'" he added as he rubbed Chewie's scruffy fur. "Some of my boss' people have talked about her. They say she's a ghost, a shadow. Someone told me she doesn't exist." The smirk popped up again. "Though I've heard a lot of stories about her for someone who doesn't exist."

"Oh, she's real, all right," Leia insisted as she them into a small room with a wide, much used round table in the center. "She's the one who gives us our orders. She has her own office downtown. Most people don't see her. They just take orders from her. She prefers to remain anonymous." The back walls were dominated by three windows covered in orange, yellow, and gold floral shades. The remaining walls were lined with more blinking, beeping computer banks.

"How come?" Harris snickered. "Is she that nasty looking?"

Leia settled down on one of the brown vinyl chairs with the shiny metal legs. "No. She just doesn't want her real name to get out to the wrong people, namely Vader and the Empire. If they get her, we're all done for."

Others trickled in, grabbing the chairs around the room, bringing their own chairs, or leaning against walls when there wasn't enough room to sit. Some even plopped on the floor. Chewie settled down between Harris and Leia's chairs. Luke took the chair next to Leia. He grinned when he saw who sat on his left.

"Biggs!" Arms clad in a "fire sale" t-shirt flung themselves around the somewhat older college student in the expensive tan suit with the Burt Reynolds-esque mustache. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd joined some student union at Coruscant U."

"I did." He waved his hands at the growing crowd. "This one. Dodonna talked me into it. I don't exactly have what you'd call superpowers, but I know engineering. I've been working with a bunch of the guys here on these winged jet packs. They let you fly with no plane. They are so hip. You wouldn't believe what we can do to Vader's jet jockeys in those babies." He grinned. "What brings you here? I didn't think you had any classes with Dr. D."

"I don't." Luke sighed. "Let's just say it's been a long day. Vader killed my uncle and a good friend of mine, and I want to make sure no one else gets hurt."

Biggs' big grin dropped. "That's a major bummer, man. I'm sorry about your uncle. He could be a grouch, but he was usually pretty cool. Taught me a lot about basic building principals when the two of us used to hang around his shop."

"I feel terrible." Luke bit his lip. "I'm pretty sure they were after something I had on me. Or something my friends had."

The young man next to Biggs frowned. "I'm sorry about your uncle, man. He was one of the good ones."

"Thanks, Wedge." Luke leaned over and patted his shoulder. "What brings you out here, anyway? I thought you were joining the Air Force."

Wedge traced the scars on the old Formica table. "I was, until the Empire burned my dad's gas station down. Killed Dad and put Mom in the hospital with severe third-degree burns. I'd heard about the Rebellion before that, but I didn't join until Sabine and her buddies recruited me and a couple of other college kids."

"They seem to be good at that." Luke put an arm around him. "We'll avenge them, Wedge. We'll make things right."

"Shh!" Leia nudged Luke. "They're just about ready to start."

There wasn't a space left to even wiggle one's toes when Rudy finally finished hooking up the tapes to the wood-paneled computer. Charlie and a middle-aged man in a light blue suit whom Leia called Carl Rieekian flipped on a wood grained box as Rudy wheeled over the computer console.

"Do you hear us, White Queen?" Charlie flipped the switch around. "Are we coming in?"

"Loud and clear, Charles." A warm, gentle voice filled the room. Luke thought it was one of the prettiest voices he'd ever heard. It was like honeysuckles on the vine. "Force Girl...Leia...I'm so glad you're safe."

The girl nodded, trying not to turn red. "I'm fine, Queen. Thanks to Charlie, Rudy, and two...er...gentlemen...who helped me escape the Iron Works." Chewbacca, who was gnawing on a bone Harris dug up in the kitchen, barked. "Oh," chuckled Leia, "and the dog helped, too."

"I did hear about Ben MacKenner...the Negotiator." A sad sigh escaped over the intercom. "He was a good man with a good heart, and a very old and dear friend." The Queen's voice became more urgent. "That's why it's of the utmost importance that we find a way to destroy this weapon. It's already burned the Erso Shipyards and Aldera Manor to the ground. Who knows what Vader and the Empire would go after next?"

"That's where we come in, Queenie." Rudy pulled the computer around to face everyone. "Me n' Charlie n' Dr. Dodonna went over the plans, and I think we might have found a convenient weakness we could exploit."

Leia nodded. "Jenny Erso...the Huntress...told me about that, before she..." The girl frowned deeply before she went on. "Before she and the rest of her team were destroyed along with the Erso Shipyards. Her father was one of the people who helped build the Death Ray. He apparently added a small thermal exhaust port that leads right to the main reactor. An explosive dropped in the shaft will start a chain reaction that will blow up the gun. The shaft is sealed with heavy iron. Miss Sabine Wren," he nodded at the teenage girl in the pink armor, "and her family have provided explosives heavy enough to take out the grill."

"Guy was lucky no one noticed that," Harris muttered. "If it was me, the first thing I'd do would be to cover that grill with somethin' besides iron. Maybe light beams, or heavy double-thick lead." Leia kicked his shin lightly and made a face at him.

"I don't think that's possible," Wedge burst out as the green and black hillside showed a tiny spot, barely more than a few inches. "Even the computers on our packs couldn't hit that!"

Luke elbowed him. "It'll be all right. Remember when Uncle Owen used to take us hunting? Some of the smaller animals we shot couldn't have been more than two inches."

"Your mission," the White Queen went on, "is to get the explosive in that hole. Think of it like Space Wars or Destroyer, only far larger. Those who aren't dropping the explosives will cover the rest. No less than four squadrons of Shadow Men have been spotted flying towards Yavin Park." Her voice became gentler. "Those of you who are flying, man your jet packs. Everyone else is to remain in the control room until further notice. And may the light shine for all of you."

"Thank you, White Queen." Dr. Dodonna switched off the intercom box and turned to the others. "You heard the lady. All those in the Jet Pack squad, report to the roof. Everyone else, you're assigned to the control room starting this second."

Biggs was the first one to his feet. "Hey Luke," he started as he stretched his long limbs, "you gonna join the Jet Pack Squad? I know you were studying flying. We could us a good guy like you."

The younger man grinned back. "A wild Vader couldn't keep me away."

He was less happy to see Harris accepting a wad of cash from Dr. Dodonna as he made his way to the control room. Chewie whimpered at his master's side. "So," Luke snapped angrily, "you got your reward and you're just leaving now?"

Harris looked up from counting his cash. "Sure. I've got some old debts I need to repay with this stuff. Besides, I'm not crazy like you college boys. Attackin' that death ray ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide. I ain't no superhero, boy. I'm just a man tryin' to get by." He shrugged. "Hey, why don't you come along? You're good in a fight and are pretty smart, for a college kid. I could use you."

"I can't. They need me." Luke nodded, trying to imitate Harris' eternally cool glance. "Take care of yourself then, Harry. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?"

He'd just turned to follow Wedge to the roof when he heard Harris' voice. "Luke?" He turned around...to see Harris nod at him, his smile genuine for the first time since he'd met him. "Good luck."

"You too." Luke tried to stay as cool as Harris, but he couldn't help but show how hurt he was. Chewie whined by his master's side, but ultimately followed him downstairs to the alley where the Falcon was still parked.

The rooftop garden had been built in the early part of the 20th century, when it was a popular nightclub and theater. After the advent of Prohibition closed the club, it had fallen into decay until just a few years before, when Senator Patricia Amidala bought the entire block of buildings to restore as low-cost housing for small businesses, artists, and college students.

"People assume we're working on class projects up here." Wedge fitted Luke with one of the sleek, lightweight metal packs. "What we're really doing is perfecting these."

Roger Porkins, a heavy-set man with thinning blond hair and bristly mustache, was doing last-minute adjustments on his straps. "Yeah. The first ones didn't always land well. Sometimes, they'd flare out in the middle of a dog fight. Once, they blew up on a guy." He waved a hand when Luke's eyes widened. "Just once! We figured out it was the fuel line. Never did it again after that."

"Great." Luke tried to grin, but it just made him look nervous. "So, how do you turn the thing on?"

"Like this." A Hispanic woman with curly black hair and sparkling cocoa eyes pressed a small yellow button on the side. Wings made of shiny metal and non-flammable white and orange fabric unfurled, giving her the look of a majestic eagle. "By the way, I'm Shara Bey." She smirked. "They call me Captain Aero, because I'm the best flyer in the skies, male or female."

"With the biggest ego." Johnny Brannon, an ex-Army officer, glared at her. "Why don't you go downstairs and help your man Kes in the coffee shop? Leave the flying to us real professionals."

"Hey," snapped Shara, "it's not my fault the Air Force thinks women are second-class citizens for some reason. I've done a lot of flying for them here in the US, and my mother was a member of the WASPs during World War II."

"Enough." Leia pushed between them. "Save it for the Empire." She turned to Luke, tugging at the sleeves of his orange and white jumpsuit. "Hey, are you all right? You've been a little out of it for the past hour."

He tried to shrug in the heavy yards of cotton and spandex. "It's Harry. I guess I'm just disappointed. I really thought he'd change his mind."

"He has to follow his own path, Luke. No one can choose it for him." Leia blushed as she stood on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. "You be careful out there. Good luck!"

He couldn't help turning red. Three of the guys near him whistled and nudged him. He didn't even feel it. He'd barely gotten one girl to notice him for a lot of his life. Most of them took one look at him and thought "cute little brother." Today, he'd been noticed by two and kissed by one. Granted, the first one was interviewing him and was an annoying pain, but that didn't mean she wasn't beautiful...

"Hey, Earth to Skylander." Biggs elbowed him. "We're about to take off, buddy. I can already see the Shadow Men coming. If they find our headquarters, we're toast." He gave him a knowing smirk under his mustache. "Tell me all about the lady on your mind when we get back, ok?"

"Oh, yeah." Luke flipped the switch on his jet pack. "I guess it's time to go, right?"

"Flying first, buddy." Biggs flipped the switch on his. "Women slightly second. Watch me, and I'll show you how it's done." He took off after the leader Garven Dresdan, an older man who had flown in World War II. Biggs flew effortlessly, gliding like one of the real birds in the sky, looking like he'd been there for years.

"Well," Luke gulped, "here goes nothing." He flipped on the switch and shot into the sky!

He wished he'd asked the others for an instruction manual. It was hard for him to keep the jet pack under check at first. It wanted to glide all over the place. Once the wings came out, it was a little easier for him to catch the wind. After that, it felt natural. Like...like he should be there. Like the air and the wind were his true home.

"You're doing good there, Luke." Rudy came up behind him, flying on his own jet pack sized perfectly for his dwarfish height. "Let me show you how to shoot the gun on this thing." He pushed a button on the handles. Bright green lights shot out at the top, exploding in mid-air. "I designed 'em. I designed almost everything we use, shorty. Dodonna n' some of his students n' I created the jet packs in one of their classes."

Luke took a couple of practice shots on the sign on top of the old National Allied Bank. The first one went too wide, taking out a chuck of a building. The second went just under the sign, singing the bank building's roof. "Damn it!" He fiddled with the small scope on his handle. "I wish I'd had the chance to practice. I haven't shot at anything in almost a decade, since Uncle Owen stopped doing hunting trips."

Biggs tapped his shoulder and pointed at the fifty figures flying in black and white jumpsuits coming from the Mufasar Iron Works. "You'd better figure it out fast, buddy. We're almost there."

The gun was already starting to emerge from the mountain behind the Iron Works when they arrived. "Look at the size of that thing!" Wedge exclaimed in shock.

"Never mind the size!" Shara flipped up the visor on her helmet. "Look at where it's aimed! They're going to vaporize Yavin Park!"

Rudy flipped his own visor. "Not if we can help it, doll." He waved to the others. "Come on. Let's go get 'em!"

Suddenly, the sky was so filled with sparks, smoke, and light beams, Luke could barely see where he was shooting, never mind who was who. Good thing the Rebel League wore orange and white jumpsuits. It made it easier to focus on the black and white figures. He was having a hard enough time aiming his laser, never mind flying.

"Luke! Red Five!" Biggs' warning shot through the haze. "Watch out! They're coming for you!"

He didn't have the time to flee. Blazing heat shot out, burning his jet pack and melting most of his systems. "I'm hit!" He tried to tug it off, but was falling at too fast of a rate. "I'm going to try to land on the roof of the main Corellia Ship Yard building."

It was an odd sensation, but as he fell, he didn't feel afraid. Wind rushed through his clothing. The waning sunlight poured over him as he tumbled, and yet, he only knew he was at home. The air, the wind, the sun...this was his element.

Luke, Ben's voice said on the breeze. He looked around, but only saw a few surprised hawks. Concentrate. Focus on the air. Use it. Don't fight it. Let the light and the air carry you. Remember, you are the Chosen One...and you have a job to do.

As he closed his eyes, he felt the quickly vanishing sunlight warm him to his toes. The wind rushed under his feet. He was light; he weighed nothing. The wind was him, and he was the wind. Golden light spread around his entire body, blowing him from the near-collision with the ship yard and allowing him to soar.

"Luke!" Biggs and Shara nearly flew into him. Biggs' eyes were wide behind his visor. "I didn't know you could fly without wings, buddy! Why didn't you tell us?"

Shara was grinning. "Far out! You're a supes! That is, you've got superpowers. Some of us have 'em. Some of us don't. Me," she smirked as she shot two Shadow Men into the windows of Channel 11 offices, "I don't need them. I'm just that good."

"Or that egotistical." Wedge had just rolled his eyes when a light bolt shot between them. "Damn it! Our men are being taken out left and right here!"

As they neared Channel 11, the flap of a helicopter's wings managed to cut through the sounds of laser fire. Mara Jadeson hung out of the helicopter's door, holding on with one hand and talking into her microphone with the other. "And yes, we're bringing to you live from the skies over downtown Coruscant, a real battle between the terrorist groups known as the Rebel League and the Empire."

Luke glared and kicked his legs out, zooming over to the young woman. "Are you crazy?" he hissed. "This is no place for civilians! You could get killed up here!"

"I'm doing my job," she snapped, "which is more than can be said of you. You're obstructing the truth!" She raised a perfectly sculpted ginger eyebrow. "By the way, your voice sounds familiar. Have we met before?"

His body was starting to lose the warmth as the sun continued its slow descent into the pale pink horizon. "Look, miss, I don't have time for this. We have to get to that Death Ray, before it blows us all to hell and gone!" As they argued, he turned around in time...to see Vader coming straight at them. "Ms. Jadeson, look out!"

Fire sizzled from Vader's hand, hitting the helicopter straight on. The impact threw Luke off-course, sending him crashing into a billboard for the Twin Suns Casinos in Nar Shadda. The fire melted the back end entirely. Garven Dresden shot at his leg, just missing him, but distracting him enough to spare Mara.

Even as the two exchanged fire and light beams, the helicopter was spinning out of control. Mara had been thrown to the remains of the landing rails, which she clutched for dear life. The pilot had already leaped to saftey. Luke came to just as the copter's remains started to dive towards the Calamari River. Mara's fingers slipped as the rest of it broke apart, and she too started falling.

He did it without thinking. Using the last rays of the setting sun, he took off for Mara, zooming so fast, onlookers later reported seeing little more than a blur and trailing smoke and gold light in the sky. A pair of sun-warmed arms in an orange and white jumpsuit reached out and caught her seconds before she hit the ground.

"How did you do that?" She turned towards his face, trying to see his eyes behind the smoky visor. All she could see were sweet pink lips on a gentle chin. "Who are you? Why did you save me? You're one of them!"

"We're not as bad as you think we are, Miss Jadeson." Luke tried to make his voice deeper, but it only came out in a squeak. "I'm...I'm the Jedi Knight." He remembered what Ben said earlier, about how he was chosen to take his powers. "I'm the Chosen One, the last Jedi."

Mara frowned as she put her arms around his neck. "But they're all dead and gone. Mayor Palpatine said they betrayed the city. They had to be stopped. Just like the Rebel League."

"He's wrong." Luke didn't mean to squeeze her so hard, but he didn't like how she was talking about his new friends. "The Rebel League is working for good, Miss Jadeson. We're here to stop people like Vader and the Empire."

He set her down on the roof of the Channel 11 building. "I'm sorry about the loss of your copter and footage," he said as he hovered in front of her. "I'll see if I can take a collection around later and try to get at least some money to replace it."

"That's all right." She squinted up at him. "You know, there's something crazy familiar about you. Maybe it's that chin, or the way you talk. Have we met before?"

"Uh, no, never." He was glad she couldn't see her blush when she took his hand. "Look, I have to rejoin my unit..."

She didn't let him go. "When will I see you again? Maybe we could go see that new Star Wars movie down at the Endor 6 Theater. I heard it's amazing."

"Uh...someday. Maybe never." He finally pulled away. "I have to go." She kept her eyes on him, even after he rejoined the others over the derelict, scarred remains of the shuttered factories in the Mimban District.

Wedge flipped open his visor and raised an eyebrow. "What happened back there? Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Biggs added. "We saw the helicopter crash, but there were too many Shadow Men on our tail."

"It's a long story. I'll explain later." He looked up, just in time to catch the sight of Vader still exchaning fire with Garven. The older man was slowing down; Vader's fire just barely caught him on the shoulder. "Come on! We have to help him!"

They arrived just as Vader swooped in from behind. "Don't worry about me!" Garven pushed Luke away. "Go set up for your attack run. I can handle this!"

"No!" Luke didn't have the chance to shoot his own fire before Vader sent out a wide flame that spread across at least a mile. The others scrambled away just in time. Garven, slowed by his injuries, wasn't so lucky. When Luke looked over his shoulder, all that remained of the older man was dust.

Biggs put his hands on Luke's shoulder. "It's up to us now, Light Boy. We're the only ones left."

Four Shadow Men were still following closely behind them, though Vader was nowhere to be found. "I'll take care of these jerks!" Shara swooped around them, shooting even as she did loops. "You boys go on ahead to Mimban! I'll cover you!"

Luke threw all his concentration into staying in the air. It wasn't easy. The sun was very nearly gone, and he could feel his powers diminishing. They weren't entirely gone, but they were stronger in the light. He could just barely feel the warming presence of Biggs and Wedge on either side of him.

The Mufasar Iron Works and the Hoth Mountains loomed behind them, a blackened mass of pipes and cinder blocks. Biggs shot ahead as the mountain itself creaked and groaned, then opened like the top of a sports car.

Wedge's brown eyes were wide under his helmet. "Look at the size of that thing!"

"Cut the chatter, buddy," Biggs warned. "We don't need to give away our location."

Luke pointed at the four remaining Shadow Men flanking Vader behind them. "I think that's the least of our problems right now!"

"I'll get the gun!" Biggs darted around shots from Vader's fire, which now more closely resembled fireballs. "You handle the others!"

Wedge took out one before another clipped him on his jet pack. "Damn it," he yelped, "I'm leaking fuel!"

"Get back, Wedge!" Luke ordered. "You can't do any good back there."

His friend nodded. "Sorry, buddy." He flew off, heading for a soft landing at Redwood Memorial Park.

Biggs had already made it to the Death Ray. He stopped and shot at the tiny hole on a boulder on the side of the mountain, but his shots went wide. He was setting up to shoot again when intense heat blew against his side, nearly knocking him into the roof of the main Iron Works building.

"You stay on the smaller one." Vader pointed his men towards Luke. "I'll take the leader."

"NO!" Luke tried to dash towards Biggs, but it was all he could do to fend off the three men who attacked him. He could feel his powers start to fade with the rapidly setting sun. Flying was starting to tire him out, and the bursts of light from Blue Fire were growing weaker. Vader's fire obliviated his best friend into dust, even as he clipped the arms of one of Vader's men and soared towards the Iron Works.

"No," he sobbed, trying to blink the tears out of his eyes. He had to be like Leia. There was no time for sorrow. He'd mourn Biggs later, when he blew this thing half-way back to Mos Eisley. "This one," he growled, "is for Uncle Owen and Biggs. And," he added, a little softer, "my father."

Blinding flames nearly melted his faulty jet pack just as he reached the Hoth Mountains behind the Iron Works. "I have you now," Vader hissed. "You won't escape me this time!"

Luke narrowed his eyes. "Try me, Father of Death!" He held Blue Fire, shooting another thin stream of light. "I am the Jedi Knight, and I won't let menaces like you destroy this city!"

"The Jedi League was disbanded years ago." Vader's booming hiss somehow managed to drown out even the Death Ray's sizzle. "They're forgotten, little more than a footnote in history." He raised his hand to turn him into dust. "Which is what you'll be in mere seconds."

No sooner were the words spoken than a shower of water slammed over Vader. "Yahoooo!" Luke looked up...just in time to see a pair of black-booted feet fly into Vader's side, sending him into a billboard for Miller's Daredevil Motorcycle Show. "You're all clear, kid!" Harris wore a long black, red, and silver jacket over the tight black trousers and shirt leftover from the confiscated Shadow Men armor. A wide-brimmed fedora shadowed most of his face. "Go blow this thing so we can get the hell out of here. The chick who calls herself Captain Aero already went home."

Luke laughed as he realized that Harris was hanging on a wire from the axle of the Millennium Falcon. The flying van soared past him towards Yavin, its lasers shorting out the jet packs on the remaining Shadow Men. Maybe it was his imagination, but it looked like Chewbacca was leaning on the wheel, somehow managing to navigate around the rooftops.

The hole in the boulder appeared within seconds. Even as he prepared to shoot his remaining laser, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. "Luke," Ben MacKenner said softly, "trust your powers. Trust yourself. You're better than you think." As he fiddled with the scope, the voice whispered again, as if on the wind, "Luke, trust me. Let go."

The sun was almost behind the horizon. It was now or never. He lifted the sword Blue Fire to the final rays of the setting sun. They warmed his hands, his fingers, his toes. Every part of him was warmed. The light was a part of him, and he was a part of the light. Air and light swirled around the glittering khyber crystal blade, creating a bright blue globe. He swung his hand...and the wind knocked it directly into the shaft.

"Great shot, kid!" Harris was somehow managing to cheer wildly, even as he swung on the end of the cable. "That was one in a million! Now, let's get out of here, before that thing blows us back to Yavin the hard way!"

Luke didn't hear him. The sun had finally vanished, leaving an inky indigo sky...and he was suddenly exhausted. The light under his feet flickered out, sending him tumbling to the mountainside below him.

A leather-clad arm scooped him up, just as an ear-damaging blast came from the Mufasar Iron Works. "Don't worry, kid." Harris' grin was almost as big and bright as the fiery explosion behind him. "I got your back."

Luke could only manage a weary smile. "Yeah, it looks like you do."

They landed at the back alley behind the Yavin Park building. Leia was the first person to bounce into their arms. "Leia!" Luke had enough juice left in him to hug her back. "I did it! We did it!" He nodded as Harris and Chewbacca jumped out of the van. "We all did it."

Harris gave him a noogie. "You think I'd let you take all the credit and get all the rewards, kid? Besides," he pulled a sheath of bills out, "I owe you and Her Hotness this much." He thrust the bills in Luke's hand, then Leia's. "I don't know what The Fire Queen's going to do with hers, but kid, I want you to put yours towards Ben's funeral. I kept enough for my own needs."

"Mine will go back into the Rebel League." Leia's own smile was as warm as her fire powers. "I knew there was more to you than money!"

Chewie whimpered and nudged Harris, just as Charlie hurried up to them. He and Shara carried a blackened, battered, unconscious Ruddy. Blood was caked on his purplish face, and his arm hung at a crazy angle. "He got shot down," Shara explained. "He was hit dead-on and landed side-first on the cliff side of Siegal Expressway. He's lucky I was able to help him out of there before he ended up getting jarred to bits on the mountain."

Paramedics were already looking over Wedge, checking his arms and legs from his own rough landing. "Gentlemen," Charlie insisted anxiously, "if I can help, I would be glad to donate any parts he may need. He's my best friend! I don't know what I'd do without him, no matter how much he can drive me to distraction at times."

Luke patted his shoulder. "He'll be all right, Charlie. He's tough."

A doctor in an olive-green jumpsuit was already checking Shara's arms and legs. "We're having a party to celebrate our victory at the Force Tree Cafe downstairs." She gently patted Luke's arm. "Everyone's invited, especially the heroes of the hour."

"Wouldn't miss it." Luke took two steps before nearly ending up on his knees. Leia and Harris helped him back to his feet. "But first, I think I'd better rest. I really need a ride back to Tatoonie to talk to my aunt and see what I can help her salvage from my uncle's shop."

Harris let him lean on his shoulder. "Maybe we ought to get you to the hospital, kid. You look bushed."

"No, I'm fine." The younger man waved it off. "I just need to sit down."

Shara pointed in the direction of the coffee shop. "My boyfriend Kes should have a couple of seats open. They're usually pretty quiet at this time of day."

"I'll go with you. I could use a good cup of java." Harris turned his smirk to Leia. "How about you, Princess? Are you allowed to mingle with us mere mortals?"

"I'll be down later," Leia sniffed. "I need to contact the White Queen and give her the full report on the destruction on the Death Ray, if she doesn't already know most of it."

"Sure, doll. You just can't get enough of me." He winked at her, then put an arm around Luke. "Come on, kid. Let's get you settled down, before you end up sleeping on the concrete." Chewie sniffed around the corner and barked happily. "And I think he smells the sweet rolls."

"All right, Harry." It was all Luke could do to not pass out on his friend's shoulder. It had been a very long day. They finally followed Chewie around the corner as the paramedics got Rusty out on stretcher, his best friend by his side.

The White Queen was in her pristine office on the last floor of the Royal Naboo Hotel on the edge of the thriving Bespin District. She'd lived here since she and her husband had separated after her children were born. Leia always felt a shiver when she walked in, and not just because the air conditioning was already turned up full-blast. Everything in her world was white, cream, or the softest yellows and beige, from the thick velvet carpet to the vintage Art Deco furnishings. It was all soft, quiet, and in the height of impeccable taste, and that included the White Queen herself.

"Hello, Leia!" The former Senator Patricia Amidala went right to her daughter the moment she dashed in the office and gave her the biggest hug she could. "You don't know how worried Martha and I were when we found out Vader had you. We owe your young men more than we can ever repay."

"Mother," Leia blushed, "they're not my young men. They rescued me, and I'm grateful, but I barely know them."

Patricia gave her a daughter a grin similar to her own. "That's not what I heard at the meeting earlier. I think they both sounded very interested in you." In looks, she took a lot after Mother. She was still gorgeous and elegant, even in her early 60's. Her crisp cream-colored linen suit was impeccably tailored, and her silver-streaked fawn-colored locks were pulled back into a sleek bun. Her lips were a deep crimson against her pale powdered face and wide dark eyes.

Her daughter shook her head. "I like Luke a lot. I think he's very sweet, but Mother...there's just something...about him. Something familiar. It's like I know him from somewhere, but I can't place it." She chewed thoughtfully on her lip. "His powers are familiar, too. He's strong with them, despite claiming he only found out about them today."

"What about the other one?" She smirked. "Sounds like a hell-raiser to me. Reminds me of your father in his younger years. He always questioned everything the Jedi League ever said or did. Drove Ben and Ahsoka up the wall."

Leia chuckled. "That's what Ahsoka always told me." She leaned back in the plush white chair. "All I know is his name is Harris Arietta. He drives a van that looks ratty, but has more gadgets than Rudy's storage room, dresses like an urban cowboy, and has an ego that could dwarf entire planets."

"But you like him." Patricia gave her a knowing smile. "I know that look. That is the look of a woman who has fallen head over heels with a man she just met and doesn't want to admit it."

"Mother!" Leia groaned. "All we did most of the time was argue! He's just a friend, all right? Barely that."

"Uh-huh. We'll come back to this subject later." She ruffled a stack of papers and pulled out a pen. "Vader. I want to know more about him. Did you see his face?"

"No, never. He wore the helmet the whole time." The black and white clock on the wall ticked several seconds before Leia went on. "Mother...there was something about him, too. Something familiar. He knew The Negotiator. Knew him well, from what he said during their duel. I think he may have been a Jedi at one time."

Patricia took in a deep breath and finally nodded. "I've felt the same thing. Every time I've seen him, heard his voice, it's like...I know him from somewhere. Know him well. I just can't figure it out." She went to the window. "We have to find out who he is, Leia. With Tarkin reportedly having gone up with the Mufasar Iron Works, he's the head man now. If we can stop him, we might be able to end this whole thing."

"I don't really remember much about what he said. He and that walking skeleton Tarkin mainly asked me a lot of questions about you and the Rebel League." She rubbed her arm where she'd been injected with the sleeping drug. "They tried to drown me. I'm lucky Luke was able to get me out, or I wouldn't be here right now."

"We owe those two a great deal." She turned her child towards the door. "You go change. You can stay with me at my penthouse until we can find you a new place to live." Her red lips dropped sadly. "We'll talk about Bail and Breha's funeral later. Right now, this is a happy occasion."

Leia nodded. "Permission to talk freely, Mother?"

"Of course."

Her daughter threw her arms around her mother, giving her a big hug. "I love you, Mother. You're all I have left now. Don't ever leave me."

Patricia patted her on the head. "I love you too, dear. Now, go snap up those young gentlemen of yours, before some other woman gets her hooks into them."

"Mother!" Leia groaned, but it came out more as a laugh. "All right. I'll talk to them."

"That's all I ask. Have fun. Save me a few of Kes' M&M Cookies. He needs to patent those things. They're addicting."

She chuckled. "I just hope there's a few left for me!"

Patricia settled back down in her chair as Leia headed to the bedrooms to change out of her Force Girl jumpsuit. There was something about Vader. She didn't often use her wind powers anymore, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel it. She'd felt him before. It almost felt like...like someone she'd known very well. Known, and loved.

She grabbed her vintage ecru and gold phone and slid her fingers into the rotary dial. "Hello, City Hall? I'd like to have a chat with Police Chief Darren Vedder..."

Luke felt much better after he'd changed and taken a shower. Wedge offered him the bathroom at the apartment he shared two blocks down with Wes, Hobbie, and Deak. It was a tiny three-room affair with a shower that was little more than a closet, but at least he was cleaner. He borrowed a black t-shirt and jeans from Hank and finally got the yellow jacket he'd loaned Wedge months ago back from his closet.

"So, Aunt Bertha is staying with a friend in Anchorhead until we see how much insurance money we're getting and she can start rebuilding the apartment," he was telling Wedge and Hobbie. "I don't know where I'm staying until then. I need to go through my stuff at the apartment and see what I can salvage."

Wedge shook his head. "You saw our place, man. We barely have enough room for us."

"Yeah, dude." Hobbie chugged his extra-strong coffee. Kes got it super-cheap from family who lived in Gutamala. "But you're free to visit whenever you want. We hold insane parties all the time, especially in the summer."

"Hi, kid." Harris' idea of "dressing up" was buttoning his white shirt up to his chin and wearing a clean vest. "How are you feeling? You're up and moving, so that's a good thing."

"Tired." The young man gave him a shaky smile. "Thanks. For everything. I literally owe you my life."

Harris grinned through his cup of black coffee. "Maybe someday, you can repay the favor, Junior."

"Actually, maybe I can." Luke sipped his own home-brewed sweet iced tea. "My uncle had several customers who were still waiting for furniture when he died. I know you're a carpenter. I thought you could take on a few new clients." Harris' brow furrowed. He went on quicker. "It would be a new, legitimate business. You could probably make more money building quality shelves and tables for rich business owners in Nar Shadda than you ever did with...whatever you did before. You'll pay off that debt in no time."

The light went on in Harris' eyes, but he only gave him a nod. "I'll think about it, kid."

Chewbacca poked his nose at Luke, snuffling around his side. He scratched his ears, eliciting a happy whimper from the furry dog. "Hey, boy. I owe you one, too. You're a good pilot, for a dog." The canine nudge Luke's side, hoping for more scratches. His new friend stroked his shaggy back.

Harris chuckled. "I think Chewie likes you. He kept whimpering until I turned around and went after you guys." As soon as the last drops of his coffee was gone, he tossed the cup in the nearest metal trash can. "Hey kid, do you have a place to stay? Heard you mention a while back that you were out a place until your aunt figures out what she's doin'."

"Not yet." Luke took another sip of iced tea. "I might ask Leia, or my buddy Rob from school. He's hoping to make horror movies, but right now, he's a waiter at the Elm Street Diner a couple of blocks from here."

"My van isn't the Ritz, but it might be a good place to hang out until you can get back on your feet." He leaned on the pink, turquoise, and yellow square-print Formica counter, settling on one of the slightly cracked vinyl seats. "I've got an extra bunk. Chewie usually sleeps on it, but he can sleep with me while you're here."

Luke couldn't help smiling as he hopped onto the stool next to him, putting his glass on the counter. "I wouldn't want to put Chewie out of his bed."

"Nahh, he doesn't mind." Harris leaned over and scratched Chewie's ears, then gave him a muffin he'd snitched from someone's plate. "Right boy?" The big dog barked and bumped Harris' knuckle before slurping up his treat.

Kes Dameron, a short Hispanic man with thick sable curls and bright eyes, turned up the small black and white TV on the counter as he came to see if anyone wanted more coffee. "Hey, isn't that the chica bonita you rescued tonight, Luke?" His smirk was almost as dirty as Harris'. "I think you like her, the way you talked about her upstairs earlier."

Luke took one look at the TV screen and spit tea all over the counter. Even in black and white, Mara's red hair and green eyes stood out like jewels. Her hair was perfectly brushed and shiny, and her dust-smeared pantsuit had been replaced by a black and white houndstooth dress suit. "It is her!" He wiped off his shirt, then tried to do Harris before he pushed his hand away and wiped himself. "Kes, turn it up! I want to hear what she's saying!"

A photo of the fight and the explosion popped up in a box behind her as she turned her piercing gaze to the camera. "Today, citizens over downtown and the Mimban and Yavin districts witnessed the titanic battle between two supposedly mythical organizations. A group of rebels destroyed hundreds of dollars worth of property, including the mysterious Death Ray that was connected to the terrorist organization known as the Empire. Darth Vader, aka the Father of Death, lead the Imperial attack. The Empire is said to have several splinter factions in high places, including City Hall and among the high rollers at Nar Shadda."

A brief shot of Coruscant's hulking Chief of Police popped up next. He was an intimidating presence in his shiny black and blue Coruscant Police uniform, with the wide-brimmed hat that forever shadowed his face. "In an interview at City Hall less than an hour after the battle, Chief Darren Vedder refused to answer any questions about the incident. He claimed that these rebels would be under investigation for destruction of private property and the death of over sixty government workers, including Dr. Peter Tarkin, one of the most prominent members of the City Council. He said that Mayor Palpatine is aware of the problems with these rebels and is doubling their efforts to end the corruption and the reign of terror of these menaces."

They watches as the footage switched from City Hall to the skies over the Channel 11 building. The back of Luke in his orange and white jumpsuit could clearly be seen streaking across the sky in the shaky footage; if he squinted, he could see the outline of the Millennium Falcon, with Harris dangling on the rope. "I would have met certain doom if it wasn't for the brave efforts of one young rebel who called himself 'The Jedi Knight.' I never saw his face, but he rescued me when my helicopter was about to crash. It's he you have to thank tonight for this news getting through." She gave the camera a genuinely warm smile that turned Luke's insides to mush. "Whoever you are, Jedi Knight, wherever you are...thank you."

Wedge slugged his arm as Mara announced the weather forecast. "Oooh, I think she likes you!"

"Looks like you've got yourself your own Lois Lane." Harris' smirk was out in full force. "And she's almost as cute as the one in the comics." Chewbacca threw in his own wolfish howl between bites of the peanut butter cookies Harris let him eat off his hand.

"So," Kes went on as he refilled Luke's iced tea, "when are you going to ask her out?"

"Guys!" Luke wished he wasn't so inclined towards blushing. "Not only do I not actually know her, but she doesn't know that the Jedi Knight is me...or, that I'm him. She probably thinks I'm some annoying dork, if she thinks of me at all."

"Hey," Harris said with that grin as he ate the last peanut butter cookie himself, "that works for Superman."

"I'm not Superman!" Luke groaned. "I've known about my powers for less than 48 hours."

Kes handed him the glass. "And you took down a Death Ray in that time. Don't be so hard on yourself, nino."

Leia walked up to them next, seating herself next to Luke on the other side of the counter. She was a vision in a white gossamer sundress with a ruffled collar and skirt and silvery accents. "Hi, Luke," she began with a smile. "I was hoping to find you." Her dark eyes caught Harris leering at the tight ruffles. "Oh, are you still here? I thought you left and went back to whatever it is you were doing."

Harris somehow managed to lean back casually on a chrome and vinyl stool without falling over. "Chewie and I decided to hang around for a while, Your Hotness. We were just offered a job making quality furniture for real paying customers."

"Real paying customers? Ones that don't deal in illegal substances? Imagine that." She turned her back on him, swinging to Luke. "I have a proposition for you. I thought you could be my partner, and we could help each other."

Luke's grin nearly split his face. "Really?"

She chuckled. "You claim to be new at this, but you're already doing very well, enough to blow up a weapon the size of a small moon, anyway. I can help you learn about your powers if you help me control mine."

"I'll make the deal," he insisted, "on one condition. Harris and Chewbacca have to be allowed to join. They helped destroy the Death Ray, too...and more to the point, they saved me."

She raised an eyebrow at Harris' own grin and Chewie's long howl. "And what do you bring to the table, Mr. Arietta? Besides that giant ego of yours."

"You saw my van, doll." Harris pulled a slender, long-barreled gun out of his vest. "I'm not just skilled with wood. I can build anything. This is one I'm working on now. Shoots my own special crystal bullets that can take out an elephant in an instant."

"Too bad we don't have an elephant to practice on." Leia picked up the gun and casually shot it across the room. The sound made Wedge drop his coffee cup and Charlie throw his in the air. It shattered three cups and a coffee carafe. "Very nice." She handed it back to him with a small smile of her own. "You might be useful after all."

"Thanks." Chewie barked and nudged Leia's leg, giving her a lick. She scratched under his chin, prompting whimpery noises from the furry dog. "Chewie's a big dog. He sinks his teeth into ya, he can take out half a leg. But if he loves ya, it's for life. I rescued him from being used for dog fighting by one of the Army units in Vietnam."

"Just take the gun outside the next time you want to use it." Kes made a face and rushed out with a pan and a small whisk broom. "I don't have the money to constantly be replacing crockery because you idiots are shooting off your weapons in here."

Harris gave him that easy smirk. "Sorry, man. We'll be careful."

"That's right," Leia added. "We'll replace the cups if you're low on them." She turned to Luke and Harris. "So, boys, are we in business?"

Luke nodded. "Sure! I'm almost done with school for the summer, anyway. It'll give me something to do while I help Aunt Bertha with the repairs on her apartment." His grin was a little more shy. "I'm thinking of buying Ben's comics shop. I love the place. I don't want to run it forever, but it might be something to do this summer when we're not chasing Imperials."

"Need a couple of good comics salesmen?" Wedge waved his hand at himself and his friends. "We're not ashamed to admit that we read Spider Man and Batman and Heavy Metal. We know superhero lore like the back of our hands. We could help you."

Harris nodded. "And I'll see if I can build you some new counters for that place, maybe expand the shelves so you can hold more inventory."

"Hey, kidlets!" Rudy and Charlie ambled over. Rudy had a bandage on his pug nose, and his right arm was in a sling. "How's things?"

Charlie was dressed in a mustard plaid leisure suit and sipping iced tea. "I'm so glad to see everyone back on their feet, including Rudy. I don't mind telling you that I never want to go through anything like what we just did ever again!"

"Actually," Leia admitted as she sipped her iced coffee, "we're going to form a team within a team, you might say. I was thinking you'd like to join us."

Rudy spoke before Charlie could open his mouth. "Sure, kidlets! What did you have in mind?"

"For one thing," Harris swung his stool to him, "I wanna talk gadgets with you. I heard you were one of the ones who invented the Jet Packs."

"Oh, yeah." He sat down next to Harris at the counter. "Worked on 'em with Hera Sylendulla, Doc Dodonna, Gary Erso, and a couple of other folks for years." He took a swig of his can of RC Cola, then fished a wrinkled paper out of his pocket. "I have a lot of ideas, but I need someone smart to toss 'em around with. You and shorty back there," he nodded at Luke, "seem like you know what you're doin'."

Luke peered over his shoulder. "A snow pack?"

"Yeah." The shorter man spread the blueprint out on the table. "The weather ain't gonna be nice like this forever, and we may need to accept calls for help in other climates. We have to adjust the packs and be ready for anything."

Harris nodded on his other side. "Yeah, I know a few folks I could get parts off of."

Leia stood between Luke and Harris, Chewie at her heels. "So, gentlemen, do you accept my proposal? Are you ready to become part of our team? We can't exactly afford medals for you, but this might be something even better."

Luke put his hand on hers, surprised at the simple familiarity of that gesture. "I have nothing to lose. The Empire took everything from me, and you too, Leia. We'll show Vader and his boss that no matter how many people he thinks he can intimidate, he can't knock us out of the skies."

"Sure, why not?" Harris threw his hand on theirs. "We're not doing anything. Not now, anyway. At least until we can get more money." Chewie barked an affirmative and managed to throw a paw on his owner's hand.

Wedge put his hand down. "I'm speaking for myself and the rest of the Rogue Squadron. Just give us a party, a jet pack, and a cute chick, and we're ready for anything."

"We're in!" Rudy slapped his small palm down and grabbed Charlie's. "This is gonna be fun!"

Charlie only groaned. "Why me?"

He was nonchalant, Vedder gave him that. Most men would have quaked with fear the moment he stepped into the room, or at least stood and acknowledged him. Bob A. Fettman showed no signs of fear. He continued to lean on the side of his desk in his leather jacket and dark glasses, a green Harley Davidson t-shirt and red stripes down his wide-legged trousers. His long black hair hid most of his other features but a prominent nose.

"First of all, get off my desk." Vedder gave him a shove.

He moved, but raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Police brutality, pig man? Let's not get nasty here. I can help you. I know the jerk in the flying van who rescued that kid's bacon today."

The chief of police stood where he was. "You know him. Tell me about him, then."

Long fingers tossed the cigarette on the floor; steel-plated toes ground it into tobacco particles. "Name's Harris Arietta. He says he's a carpenter and handyman, but he mostly runs coke for my boss Jake Hunter. His last shipment never made its destination. Had to dump it after the feds caught wise. Boss ain't too happy about that."

"Hunter." A long, bony hand in an expensive black Bill Blass suit waved from the seat behind the desk. "I know him. Or at least, I know his name. Chief Vedder has been working with him for several years. He looks the other way if Hunter provides us with a small percentage of his profits."

"Who's he?" Fettman crossed his arms at the back of the high leather chair. "Look, pal, I don't work with voices. If we're going to play hardball, I wanna know who I'm dealing with."

Vedder only nodded. "He's corpulent, ugly, and has terrible table manners, but he does have his uses." He waved a hand at the chair. "Mr. Fettman, meet my mentor, my boss, and, you might say, my master, Mayor Stephan Palpatine."

The chair squeaked as it swung slowly around to face the duo behind the desk. "Hello, Mr. Fettman." He looked like a death's head with thick, slicked-back silver hair grinning over a blood-red tie. "Welcome to our team. I think we may be able to come to a...mutual agreement. You want that Arietta. We want the Jedi Knight." He steepled his heavily knotted fingers. "I think I have a plan that may benefit all of us."

Fettson didn't look convinced. Or like much of anything. "What about that Mara Jadeson chick? She keeps buttin' her nose into shit."

"I can deal with her." Palpatine's chuckle sounded more like the cackle of a Halloween witch. "She's my ward. She hears what I want her to hear." A feral grin with the sharpest teeth this side of Bruce the Shark split his face. "Hear me out, gentlemen. The Rebel League will never know what hit them...and the Jedi Knight will be ours."

To Be Continued...