Trapped in a Labyrinth
By Jeni
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Luke, Han, Leia, and the New Republic council members belong to George Lucas. Kasiik and the world Yuotobah is of my creation and belongs to me.
Author's Note: I got this idea several years ago but I didn't start writing until recently. I am still unsure if I'll continue it. If I get a lot of reviews I'll keep writing but if I don't then I probably won't continue it. This is my first Star Wars fic, and the plot and events are of my creation and not to be used without my permission, yadda, yadda, yadda and all that good stuff. Anyway. Onto the story!!
Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Rebellion, lightly tossed his blaster up and down in the palm of his hand. It had been nearly three weeks since the witch Gethzerion from the planet Dathomir had nearly killed him, and nearly two since the marriage of his sister, Leia, to his best friend Han.
He sighed and tossed the blaster in the air again, watching it land in his right hand with a small thud. Once again he found himself marveling at the technology disguised as his original hand. The sensitivity was just as good (if not better) as his old hand had been, and he found himself wondering if some of Vader's strength had come from his mechanical parts. It would explain much, he mused as he eyed the blaster in disgust.
It was strange, he thought ironically, how useless blasters had been against both Vader and the witches of Datomir, yet people insisted on carrying them anyway. Luke still carried his from time to time, but he was seriously considering abandoning it completely for his lightsaber. After all, his blaster fire hadn't even touched Gethzerion, let alone harm her. He snorted, thoughts still lingering slightly on the ease with which he had been defeated. Some Jedi Master he was. He wouldn't have survived if not for the creatures healing him. Even they had demonstrated skill in the Force, and they hadn't been trained in the ways… he turned and gazed out the window of his small apartment, not really seeing the people hurrying from building to building. His mind was focused on one thought and one thought only: he had to become a true Jedi Master. But how?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kassik T'klin, son of Yashoba T'klin and ruler of the planet Yuotobah, stared at the data pad in his hand. The New Republic was offering the chance of a lifetime: an alliance with his planet. Unfortunately, the terms to accept were in their favor. They offered a combination of several fighter ships, which was all very well and good, but they expected a gift in return. Several gifts, actually. They had also offered to give political support to Yuotobah whenever they agreed on something (which meant absolutely nothing, since that's what they did anyway), but the most generous gift they had offered was the alliance itself. With the New Republic rapidly gaining strength it would seem in his best interest to join and become part it.
He shook his head numbly. It wasn't actually the terms to accept the alliance that was bothering him. It was what he'd be partnering with. The New Republic stood for silly things, like justice, and peace… he sneered. If he agreed to the alliance his world would be ruled by them, not by him, who was the rightful leader! But if he outright refused the agreement he'd have no chance to destroy one of their leaders-something he'd dreamed of doing for a long time.
His lips twitched upward into the beginning of a smile. Oh, he would accept to their terms all right, and offer a gift they would never forget.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
*Two weeks later*
"I know you don't like doing this sort of thing," Leia began, "but your presence was requested."
Luke shook his head. "I know. Mon Mothma wants me there."
"I want you there." Leia countered, then paused, turning to face him. "As the last Jedi Knight you should be there. This is a very important meeting for us- even Han will be there! Now what does that say?"
Luke shrugged. "I'd say it means you're definitely married now if he's actually going."
"Oh, you!" She rolled her eyes, and Luke laughed, stepping aside with a small bow to let her enter the negotiation room first. She called over her shoulder, "I'd say you've been around him too much. He's rubbing off on you."
"Not like that's a bad thing," Luke retorted just as playfully. "At least, I'd hope not, since you married him…" he trailed off, grinning as his sister giggled.
They entered the negotiation room, moods instantly sobering.
Mon Mothma, Han, Chewie, Artoo and Threepio were clustered in one area. In front of them, nodding and smiling graciously, was whom Luke assumed was Kassik, leader of Yuotobah. Behind Kassik was an structure greatly resembling a comm booth; it was metal, about six feet with one door being the only entrance.
"President!" Kassik maneuvered around Han and Chewie to stand before Leia. He smelled of spice and of some familiar, yet unrecognizable herb. The alien bowed graciously. "I am honored to finally meet you."
Leia accepted his hand and shook it firmly. "The honor is all mine. Allow me to introduce my brother, Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Knights."
Luke gave a short but polite nod. "First of the new Jedi, I hope," he amended. "It's very nice to meet you, Leader T'klin."
"Indeed." The alien leader's nose twitched. Apprehension radiated from his entire being, along with a sense of… deception, was it? Luke wasn't sure. He'd have to keep an eye out for trouble.
"Well!" Mon Mothma clapped her hands. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
Leia nodded. "Let's do." She motioned Luke to follow her. Nervously, he fingered his lightsaber which hung on his belt next to his blaster. Both were hidden well and could not be seen, but the sense of upcoming danger, the dread, somehow seemed wrong… as if a blaster or even a lightsaber would do no good against it.
A hand clapped on his shoulder, making him start and drawing him back. He turned to see Han staring at him with his usual lopsided grin plastered on his face. "Hey, kid. You weren't thinking of leaving, were you?" He glanced at Leia to make sure she wasn't within hearing range. "Because if I'm stuck here, so are you."
Luke shook his head. "Han, old buddy, how are you?"
His brother-in-law shrugged. "Same as always. And you?"
Luke sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Oh, no!" Han groaned. "You had to say that, didn't you. I get back from my honeymoon a day earlier, everything's going well… there are no witches trying to kill us, the empire is being relatively quite, and the only bad thing that has happened to me is being forced to go to this meeting. Until now. You just had to ruin that!"
"I'm not the one who ruined it, Han." Luke glanced around the room apprehensively. "All I know is that something terrible is going to happen and I don't think it involves the Empire this time."
"Really?" Han sounded surprised. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"A bad thing, Han!" Luke whispered urgently. "This threat to us is unfamiliar. It's something new. Something that no weapon can help us against."
Han shook his head. "Great," he muttered. "Just great. You and your predictions, kid."
Luke opened his mouth to respond but Leia cut him off.
"Luke, Han!" As one the they jerked their heads to regard Leia. She was walking toward them, a firm expression on her beautiful face. "That machine over there is Leader T'klin's gift to the New Republic," she reported. "It's customary to try it. Otherwise it's an insult to their world."
"And?" Han prompted when she paused.
"And I think Luke should try it. Kassik seems very nervous around him and I think this would be a good way to break the ice, so to speak."
Luke frowned. He sent a small tendril of the Force and scanned the device. A sense of alarm and dread immediately assaulted his senses, and he took an involuntary step back. "No," his tone was flat. "No. It's dangerous."
Leia crossed her arms over her chest irritably. "Look. I know you don't want to be here. Neither does Han, and frankly neither do I. But if you're not going to accept an offer to try his gift that's not going to sit well with the New Republic or Yuotobah. So if you don't try it, I will."
She turned to head toward the structure, but Luke caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "It's not that, Leia! I have a really bad feeling about this!"
Leia continued to stare at him angrily. "I don't have any feeling about this, Luke. And I checked. Now let me go."
"Wait!" Han stepped forward. "I think you should listen to him, Leia. He's never been wrong before."
Luke shot a grateful look at his brother-in-law, and Han winked.
Leia shook her head. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean he isn't wrong now. The structure was scanned when it first arrived. Nothing's going to happen. Now let me go so I can try it!"
Luke sighed. "I'll try it." He lowered his hand from his sister's shoulder. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
He brushed past Leia. Whatever the consequences, whatever the costs to his own self, he had to protect the others. And he had the power of the Force to help him. He drew it in, gathering as much as he could, and taking a deep breath, stepped into the structure.
Leia watched her brother pause right before entering Kassik's gift. She didn't understand why Luke was being so stubborn! Nothing was going to happen! Beside her, Han tensed nervously and Chewie yowled something in his strange language.
"Be quiet," she snapped. "Everything's fine."
But even she said it she knew it wasn't true. Terror flooded her senses, drowning out everything else. She gasped, realizing that this was what Luke had been trying to tell her. Kassik's gift was a thing of evil. She started forward, trying to reach Luke before it was too late, when the steel door on the structure closed.
A powerful surge of energy flared up. Bright, white-hot light flared, enveloping Luke's form. She screamed. She heard Han's startled cry of anguish, heard Chewie's roar of anger, heard Kassik's gleeful cackling, felt the heat from the structure.
No one can survive that…
And then the light died. The entire room was shrouded in stunned silence save for Kassik's chuckles.
The door to the structure swung open. It was empty. Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Order and first of the new, was dead.
And it was all her fault.
Dropping to the floor in anguish, she began to cry.
*Okay, now don't kill me! Luke isn't dead! But that's all I'm saying, otherwise it might spoil the surprise. Please review and tell me if I should continue! If I get enough, I'll keep writing.*
By Jeni
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Luke, Han, Leia, and the New Republic council members belong to George Lucas. Kasiik and the world Yuotobah is of my creation and belongs to me.
Author's Note: I got this idea several years ago but I didn't start writing until recently. I am still unsure if I'll continue it. If I get a lot of reviews I'll keep writing but if I don't then I probably won't continue it. This is my first Star Wars fic, and the plot and events are of my creation and not to be used without my permission, yadda, yadda, yadda and all that good stuff. Anyway. Onto the story!!
Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Rebellion, lightly tossed his blaster up and down in the palm of his hand. It had been nearly three weeks since the witch Gethzerion from the planet Dathomir had nearly killed him, and nearly two since the marriage of his sister, Leia, to his best friend Han.
He sighed and tossed the blaster in the air again, watching it land in his right hand with a small thud. Once again he found himself marveling at the technology disguised as his original hand. The sensitivity was just as good (if not better) as his old hand had been, and he found himself wondering if some of Vader's strength had come from his mechanical parts. It would explain much, he mused as he eyed the blaster in disgust.
It was strange, he thought ironically, how useless blasters had been against both Vader and the witches of Datomir, yet people insisted on carrying them anyway. Luke still carried his from time to time, but he was seriously considering abandoning it completely for his lightsaber. After all, his blaster fire hadn't even touched Gethzerion, let alone harm her. He snorted, thoughts still lingering slightly on the ease with which he had been defeated. Some Jedi Master he was. He wouldn't have survived if not for the creatures healing him. Even they had demonstrated skill in the Force, and they hadn't been trained in the ways… he turned and gazed out the window of his small apartment, not really seeing the people hurrying from building to building. His mind was focused on one thought and one thought only: he had to become a true Jedi Master. But how?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kassik T'klin, son of Yashoba T'klin and ruler of the planet Yuotobah, stared at the data pad in his hand. The New Republic was offering the chance of a lifetime: an alliance with his planet. Unfortunately, the terms to accept were in their favor. They offered a combination of several fighter ships, which was all very well and good, but they expected a gift in return. Several gifts, actually. They had also offered to give political support to Yuotobah whenever they agreed on something (which meant absolutely nothing, since that's what they did anyway), but the most generous gift they had offered was the alliance itself. With the New Republic rapidly gaining strength it would seem in his best interest to join and become part it.
He shook his head numbly. It wasn't actually the terms to accept the alliance that was bothering him. It was what he'd be partnering with. The New Republic stood for silly things, like justice, and peace… he sneered. If he agreed to the alliance his world would be ruled by them, not by him, who was the rightful leader! But if he outright refused the agreement he'd have no chance to destroy one of their leaders-something he'd dreamed of doing for a long time.
His lips twitched upward into the beginning of a smile. Oh, he would accept to their terms all right, and offer a gift they would never forget.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
*Two weeks later*
"I know you don't like doing this sort of thing," Leia began, "but your presence was requested."
Luke shook his head. "I know. Mon Mothma wants me there."
"I want you there." Leia countered, then paused, turning to face him. "As the last Jedi Knight you should be there. This is a very important meeting for us- even Han will be there! Now what does that say?"
Luke shrugged. "I'd say it means you're definitely married now if he's actually going."
"Oh, you!" She rolled her eyes, and Luke laughed, stepping aside with a small bow to let her enter the negotiation room first. She called over her shoulder, "I'd say you've been around him too much. He's rubbing off on you."
"Not like that's a bad thing," Luke retorted just as playfully. "At least, I'd hope not, since you married him…" he trailed off, grinning as his sister giggled.
They entered the negotiation room, moods instantly sobering.
Mon Mothma, Han, Chewie, Artoo and Threepio were clustered in one area. In front of them, nodding and smiling graciously, was whom Luke assumed was Kassik, leader of Yuotobah. Behind Kassik was an structure greatly resembling a comm booth; it was metal, about six feet with one door being the only entrance.
"President!" Kassik maneuvered around Han and Chewie to stand before Leia. He smelled of spice and of some familiar, yet unrecognizable herb. The alien bowed graciously. "I am honored to finally meet you."
Leia accepted his hand and shook it firmly. "The honor is all mine. Allow me to introduce my brother, Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Knights."
Luke gave a short but polite nod. "First of the new Jedi, I hope," he amended. "It's very nice to meet you, Leader T'klin."
"Indeed." The alien leader's nose twitched. Apprehension radiated from his entire being, along with a sense of… deception, was it? Luke wasn't sure. He'd have to keep an eye out for trouble.
"Well!" Mon Mothma clapped her hands. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"
Leia nodded. "Let's do." She motioned Luke to follow her. Nervously, he fingered his lightsaber which hung on his belt next to his blaster. Both were hidden well and could not be seen, but the sense of upcoming danger, the dread, somehow seemed wrong… as if a blaster or even a lightsaber would do no good against it.
A hand clapped on his shoulder, making him start and drawing him back. He turned to see Han staring at him with his usual lopsided grin plastered on his face. "Hey, kid. You weren't thinking of leaving, were you?" He glanced at Leia to make sure she wasn't within hearing range. "Because if I'm stuck here, so are you."
Luke shook his head. "Han, old buddy, how are you?"
His brother-in-law shrugged. "Same as always. And you?"
Luke sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Oh, no!" Han groaned. "You had to say that, didn't you. I get back from my honeymoon a day earlier, everything's going well… there are no witches trying to kill us, the empire is being relatively quite, and the only bad thing that has happened to me is being forced to go to this meeting. Until now. You just had to ruin that!"
"I'm not the one who ruined it, Han." Luke glanced around the room apprehensively. "All I know is that something terrible is going to happen and I don't think it involves the Empire this time."
"Really?" Han sounded surprised. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"A bad thing, Han!" Luke whispered urgently. "This threat to us is unfamiliar. It's something new. Something that no weapon can help us against."
Han shook his head. "Great," he muttered. "Just great. You and your predictions, kid."
Luke opened his mouth to respond but Leia cut him off.
"Luke, Han!" As one the they jerked their heads to regard Leia. She was walking toward them, a firm expression on her beautiful face. "That machine over there is Leader T'klin's gift to the New Republic," she reported. "It's customary to try it. Otherwise it's an insult to their world."
"And?" Han prompted when she paused.
"And I think Luke should try it. Kassik seems very nervous around him and I think this would be a good way to break the ice, so to speak."
Luke frowned. He sent a small tendril of the Force and scanned the device. A sense of alarm and dread immediately assaulted his senses, and he took an involuntary step back. "No," his tone was flat. "No. It's dangerous."
Leia crossed her arms over her chest irritably. "Look. I know you don't want to be here. Neither does Han, and frankly neither do I. But if you're not going to accept an offer to try his gift that's not going to sit well with the New Republic or Yuotobah. So if you don't try it, I will."
She turned to head toward the structure, but Luke caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "It's not that, Leia! I have a really bad feeling about this!"
Leia continued to stare at him angrily. "I don't have any feeling about this, Luke. And I checked. Now let me go."
"Wait!" Han stepped forward. "I think you should listen to him, Leia. He's never been wrong before."
Luke shot a grateful look at his brother-in-law, and Han winked.
Leia shook her head. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean he isn't wrong now. The structure was scanned when it first arrived. Nothing's going to happen. Now let me go so I can try it!"
Luke sighed. "I'll try it." He lowered his hand from his sister's shoulder. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
He brushed past Leia. Whatever the consequences, whatever the costs to his own self, he had to protect the others. And he had the power of the Force to help him. He drew it in, gathering as much as he could, and taking a deep breath, stepped into the structure.
Leia watched her brother pause right before entering Kassik's gift. She didn't understand why Luke was being so stubborn! Nothing was going to happen! Beside her, Han tensed nervously and Chewie yowled something in his strange language.
"Be quiet," she snapped. "Everything's fine."
But even she said it she knew it wasn't true. Terror flooded her senses, drowning out everything else. She gasped, realizing that this was what Luke had been trying to tell her. Kassik's gift was a thing of evil. She started forward, trying to reach Luke before it was too late, when the steel door on the structure closed.
A powerful surge of energy flared up. Bright, white-hot light flared, enveloping Luke's form. She screamed. She heard Han's startled cry of anguish, heard Chewie's roar of anger, heard Kassik's gleeful cackling, felt the heat from the structure.
No one can survive that…
And then the light died. The entire room was shrouded in stunned silence save for Kassik's chuckles.
The door to the structure swung open. It was empty. Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi Order and first of the new, was dead.
And it was all her fault.
Dropping to the floor in anguish, she began to cry.
*Okay, now don't kill me! Luke isn't dead! But that's all I'm saying, otherwise it might spoil the surprise. Please review and tell me if I should continue! If I get enough, I'll keep writing.*