Chapter One - Captured
The Millennium Falcon sped away from Bespin, but it wasn't long before three TIE fighters were right on her tail firing their weapons. Princess Leia and Chewbacca sat in the cockpit trying to accelerate the ship to go faster. The door slid open and Lando appeared supporting a wounded and very exhausted looking Luke Skywalker, who had a blanket wrapped round his shoulders. Leia leapt from her seat and took Luke lovingly into her arms. He hugged her back with his good arm.
"Oh Leia" he sighed.
"Alright Chewie, let's go!" said Lando sitting next to the Wookie as Leia slowly led Luke over to the bed cot.
Meanwhile Darth Vader's shuttle had returned to the Star Destroyer and landed in the docking bay. The ramp lowered from the shuttle and the Dark Lord walked down. He spoke to none of the officers or troopers as he made his way across the bay. He just stared straight ahead, his mind fixed on Luke. He knew that his son had survived his fall off the gantry, because he could still feel Luke's Force light still flickering a couple of miles away aboard the Millennium Falcon. He would get him back and he didn't care what it took.
Back on the Millennium Falcon everyone was busy. Lando and Chewie were franticly piloting the ship away from the TIE Fighters that were still pursuing them with their weapons firing. R2-D2 was quickly trying to fix C-3PO who was still missing both his legs.
In the corner Leia was tending to Luke who was lying on the cot with the blanket draped over him. She had put a protective cuff over his stumped right hand and was now gently dabbing his forehead. The ship lurched violently nearly knocking the Princess off balance. After quickly glancing behind her, she kissed Luke.
"I'll be back," she said and headed back towards the cockpit to join Chewie and Lando.
Luke himself was in an awful state. He was still exhausted from his duel with Vader and from hanging underneath Bespin on the vane. Also, he was weak from the blood loss of his injured hand, his face was scarred with sores, and he was completely drenched with sweat.
To cap it all, he was now in a deep state of shock from the discovery that Darth Vader, the enemy who had terrorized the Galaxy for many years, who had murdered many lives and destroyed Obi Wan Kenobi was his father. Luke's mind kept screaming that it wasn't true, but his feelings were telling him otherwise.
In the cockpit Leia was stood behind Chewie and Lando as they piloted the ship. "Star Destroyer," she observed, pointing.
They all stared out at the Super Star Destroyer, which was quite possibly the biggest one they'd ever seen. Quickly they steered the Falcon off to the right.
"All right, Chewie. Ready for Light-speed," Lando confirmed and Chewie howled in response.
"If your people fixed the hyperdrive," Leia said looking at Lando. "All the coordinates are set, it's now or never." She placed a hand on Chewie's back.
"Punch it!" Lando instructed.
Chewie howled again and pressed a few switches before he pulled on the Light-speed throttle.
The engine whirled, the lights dimmed slightly, and then returned to normal, but the ship didn't fire up into Light-speed. Chewie and Leia exchanged a look at each other and then they both looked at Lando who was just as confused as they were. A blasted laser from one of the TIE Fighters brought them back to attention.
Chewie growled in annoyed frustration and waved his furry fists.
"They told me they'd fixed it," Lando exclaimed getting up out of the pilot seat. "I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!" he tried to reason.
Chewie, who also got up, roughly shoved Lando out of his way and hurried out of the cockpit.
The Star Destroyer had now joined in the pursuit of the Millennium Falcon. On the bridge, Darth Vader marched over to a viewport where Admiral Piett joined him.
"They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, my lord," the Admiral informed him.
Vader turned to face him. "Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon?" he asked.
"Yes, my lord," Piett confirmed.
"Good. Prepare the boarding party and set your weapons for stun," he instructed the Admiral.
"Yes, my lord." Piett turned to a young man who stood behind him. "Lieutenant?" he ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The young man responded before leaving them.
Vader stepped right up to the viewport and stared out into space. It wouldn't be long now. Soon Luke would be back with him where he belonged.
Thinking back to when he'd last seen him, the Dark Lord didn't understand why Luke had made the foolish choice of letting go of the gantry and possibly committing suicide instead of coming with him. But none of that mattered at the moment. What was important was that soon they would catch the Millennium Falcon and Luke would be safely in his hands.
The mood on the Millennium Falcon was now somewhere between frantic and panic. Chewie and Lando were both desperately trying to find out why they couldn't jump to Light-speed.
Meanwhile, outside the cockpit, R2-D2 had almost finished connecting C-3PO's right leg. Chewie hurried into the room and yanked up a floor panel.
"Noisy brute." Threepio complained to Artoo. "Why don't we just go into light-speed?"
Artoo beeped in response.
"We can't? How would you know the hyperdrive is deactivated?" The gold droid questioned the smaller droid doubtfully.
Artoo whistled knowingly.
"The city's central computer told you?" Threepio asked still doubtful.
The silver and blue droid beeped again in positive confirmation.
"R2-D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer." A spark unexpectedly flew from Threepio's foot where Artoo was wielding it and Threepio's upper body flinched.
"Ouch! Pay attention to what you're doing!" he scolded the droid. Artoo went back to his work.
Chewie who was down below in the pit, and Leia and Lando who were both still in the cockpit continued searching desperately for a solution to escape.
The Millennium Falcon made a sharp turn to avoid the Star Destroyer. Still standing at the viewport, Vader watched the Falcon maneuverer away just missing their tractor beam with the TIE fighters still in firing pursuit behind it. His mind was still fixed on Luke as he watched the ship.
He felt his way through the Force and found his son's still flickering light. "Luke."
On the Falcon, Luke's eyes snapped open as he heard Vader's voice speak to him inside his head.
"Father," he verbally responded instantly, staring into space, momentarily snapped out of his state of shock and listened closely.
"Son, come with me."
Luke didn't respond to Vader's insistent and almost pleading words.
"Ben, why didn't you tell me?" he begged. He tried to find Obi-Wan's light through the Force but he was still too weak to use the Force that strongly. He tried to sit up, but his body also wouldn't obey him. So, he rested his head back onto the cot. He felt resigned to his fate and that he was completely beaten, more emotionally than he was physically as he felt Vader's ship drawing even closer to him and his friends.
The ship gave a very violent lurch, but Luke hardly seemed to notice and closed his eyes. However, on the other side of the room R2-D2 who had just finished fixing C-3PO's other leg was toppled over by the lurch, rolled away across the deck and crashed hard into the wall sparks exploding from his cylindrical body. Threepio was also knocked to the ground in the process
"Artoo! Oh dear, this can't be good," he said lying on his back.
In the cockpit Lando and Leia both realized with horror that they had been caught in the Star Destroyer's tractor beam.
"Chewie!" he called.
The frustrated Wookie roared angrily and began hitting the mechanism in the pit with a wrench.
Luke heard Vader's voice in his head again speaking through the Force. "Luke... it is your destiny." There was a gentler note to Vader's usual menacing voice.
It sounded more like the way a father would assure his son. And again, Luke didn't respond to him, because he knew there was no hope for them now and that he didn't have the strength to fight and protect his friends. With his eyes still closed he was almost unconscious from his pain and depression.
Chewie climbed out of the pit and returned to the cockpit. Leia watched sadly as they drew closer to the Star Destroyer.
Lando placed a comforting hand on the Princess's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
Leia glanced at him then stood up. "If we're going to go down, I'm going to go down fighting."
Chewie howled in agreement and grabbed his bowcaster.
"You'd better try and get Luke up," said Lando.
Leia shook her head sadly. "Luke is too injured and he can hardly stand."
Lando's face fell.
"I'm afraid it's just the three us."
Lando nodded as drew his blaster and turned to watch as they were pulled toward the docking bay of the Star Destroyer. Already he could see the Stormtroopers awaiting them. This fight was not going to be an easy one.
Leia fetched her own blaster and looked up at Chewie.
"I'm going to protect Luke. You both take a defensive position and try and hold off as many as you can."
Chewie whined sadly but nodded and leant down to give the Princess a hug. Leia almost shed tears as wrapped her arms round him stroking his warm fur. She thought of Han and wished he was here. But she knew how he wouldn't go down without a fight either. So, she gave Chewie one last squeeze then left the cockpit to go and join Luke again.
Luke looked even worse when she stepped up to the side of the cot. He was still damp all over with sweat and his scarred face was starting to look very pale. She gently touched the protective cuff on his stumped hand. If he wasn't seen by a medic soon he would probably die from the blood loss he had already suffered. Then again, he already looked completely gone, the easiest target of them all. It took all of her strength not to cry then and there.
She looked across the room at the droids who were on the ground. Artoo seemed to have been damaged when the ship had lurched because he wasn't moving, none of his lights were on and he made no sound. Threepio sat up and looked from his old friend to the Princess, but he too said nothing. Leia dropped her gaze and closed her eyes in despair, placing her hand on Luke's shoulder.
The Millennium Falcon landed softly in the docking bay of the Star Destroyer. The boarding party was ready as Vader had commanded. Almost immediately Vader himself arrived in the docking bay and marched to the front of the army. He stared at the Falcon and sure enough Luke's flickering light was so close now. But he also felt that it was changing as if it was slowly fading. Vader realized that Luke must have been succumbing to the injuries he had obtained during their fight on Bespin. If he was to save his son, he would have to do it quick.
He turned to his army. "Board the ship and remember to keep your weapons set for stun, I want all the prisoners alive," he commanded.
There were a few silent clicking sounds as the army of Stormtroopers checked that their weapons were set correctly.
Vader stepped aside as the boarding party marched forward.
The Falcon's loading ramp was lowered slowly. Leia gripped her blaster determinedly and gave Luke one final kiss. She turned round taking a up protective stance in front of him so he was shielded from firing range. She looked over at Lando and Chewie who had also taken up their positions as she had instructed. Leia raised her weapon and was ready to do or die.
The first load of Stormtroopers that hurried up the ramp were easily dispatched by Lando before they could shoot to kill. But then a larger number followed and spread round open firing. What caught Leia by surprise was that the troopers were firing at them with stun blasts. They're going to take us alive!.
Leia and Chewie immediately started firing endless blasts at their enemies. Soon the second group were all dispatched as well. Lando jumped out and fired angrily at another approaching party, but suddenly he was struck in the chest by a blue stun blast and he collapsed to the floor.
Leia gasped in fright, but still continued firing whenever she saw a trooper trying to enter. Chewie howled loudly and hurried to stand near Leia and shot down another load of troopers that tried to gain entry. An even larger number of troopers than before entered and Leia and Chewie fired franticly. She managed to dodge a shot which hit the wall off to her right. She turned round in time to see Chewie get hit in the shoulder by another blue stun blast and collapse in a furry heap.
"No!" she screamed looking down in dismay at the poor Wookie.
Turning her attention back to the army she froze. The group of troopers had multiplied, and Darth Vader had joined them. He was standing at the front of the group, staring straight in her direction. She quickly aimed her blaster and was about to fire at the Dark Lord, but just like he had done to Han earlier, the blaster flew from her grasp right into Vader's who handed it to a trooper. Leia pressed herself against the edge of cot defensively in front of Luke.
"Take them away," Vader commanded with a gesture, his gaze fixed on Luke.
The Stormtroopers removed the unconscious Chewie, Lando and the droids from the ship. Soon the only ones left in the Falcon were Vader, Leia, Luke and three Stormtroopers who stood behind their master.
Vader slowly approached Leia who had not moved from her spot in front of Luke.
"I won't let you kill him," she said determinedly, trying to keep all fear out of her voice as she stared up at the black mask just like she had done all the other times she had stood before the Sith Lord.
Vader pointed a black gloved finger at the Princess. "Your assumptions are entirely wrong, your highness. And you'd better cooperate, unless you want to meet the same fate as all of those you knew on Alderaan."
Leia glared up at him, choosing not to respond as she was reminded of her father and all the people she had once known on her destroyed home planet.
"Take her away," Vader ordered as two of the three troopers walked over.
Leia contemplated fighting them off with her bare hands, but what chance did her small unarmed form have against their more massive armoured ones and their laser weapons? So, she allowed the trooper's to restrain her and move her away. As she was pushed towards the boarding ramp she glanced back to take one last look at Luke. The last thing she saw was Vader stepping closer to loom over him, then she was stepping down the ramp onto the docking bay.
Vader stepped right up beside the cot bed and looked down at Luke. His son looked worse than he had expected, but he could feel that he was still just barely alive.
Reaching forward, Vader gently turned Luke's head onto its side. Luke made no response to his Father's touch. He needed medical attention immediately. Vader wanted to carry Luke, but the boy looked so delicate at present and Vader didn't want to risk causing Luke any further injury.
He turned to the one remaining Stormtrooper standing at the entrance of the Falcon. "Send for a medical capsule, now!" His last word was a shout.
The trooper fled from the ship as if his life depended on it, which it probably did from the way Vader sounded.
Once he was alone with his son, Vader knelt down on one knee, reached forward and cupped Luke's cheek in his gloved hand examining his son's scarred face.
"Luke?" He made no response to his Father's voice just as he'd made no response to his touch.
Vader felt a pain begin to form in his chest. It was a pain he had suffered many times before but now it felt almost foreign to him. It was the pain of fear. But he wasn't going dwell on this because he was not going to lose his son. Not now that he had finally found him.
A whirl of painful memories suddenly swarmed his mind.
His poor mother dying in his arms on Tatooine, tortured by Tusken Raiders. His beloved Padmé collapsing onto the ground of the docking bay of Mustafar, her long hair tied back in a long braid and her belly swollen with their child…their child…
Vader quickly pushed those painful memories away, he wasn't going to allow Luke to suffer the same fate as Padmé had by his hand. He wouldn't. Luke was all that was left of Padmé and her good, kind-hearted spirit.
His gaze moved to the protective cuff Leia had placed on Luke's stumped hand and he was briefly reminded of when he'd lost his arm during his duel with Count Dooku with Obi-Wan Kenobi so many years ago.
He wasn't at all surprised that his former master had not been completely honest to Luke about his true identity. It seemed that the damn fool had filled Luke's head with lies and had expected Luke destroy him without revealing that Luke was Vader's own flesh and blood. Well, his plan had failed.
The Dark Lord sensed that the troopers were returning, presumably with the medical capsule as he had ordered. He gently rested Luke's face back down and rose to his feet.
"It won't be long now, my son," he said keeping his voice in a low tone. "Soon you will stand by my side."
Vader stepped aside as the trooper returned, the medical capsule hovered onto the ship just ahead of him and came to a stop right next to the cot. Vader did not want the trooper to try and lift Luke, due to the condition Luke was in. So, he raised his gloved hand and used his Force powers.
Luke floated up from the bed and was lowered gently onto the capsule, the blanket still draped over him. Once he was set down, the trooper stepped forward and applied the oxygen mask that was attached to the device, onto Luke's face.
The trooper led the way off the ship and Vader followed behind the capsule, which carried Luke down the loading ramp. They walked across the docking bay past the other troopers, officers and soldiers who all watched curiously.
Luke remained completely unconscious as he slumbered on under his father's dark shadow.
Author's Notes
Hi there, well well. My first Star Wars fanfic. Didn't think I would have been able to make one.
Inspiration came to me and I just had to write it down and see what readers would think of it. At the moment this is just going to be an alternate ending for now. But if you think it has potential then please leave me some reviews on what you think. Then I might consider giving this a proper title and try to make a story out of it.
It might not be quick, but as I have said many times, I don't just go and forget about any of my stories. As with many authors some books take a few years to write if not a few months.
Kind Regards, LouisaJane007