Kingdom Wars
Several light-armored figures raced through the forest. The warriors were armed with bows with arrows supplied in the quivers strapped to their backs.
"Quickly, quickly," Commander Antilles urged them, "The princess is waiting."
Several meters behind, obscured by the dark shadows of night, a large battalion of black-clad soldiers carrying spears and shields marched through the forest, in pursuit of the rebels.
"They're catching up!" a young soldier yelled as the Imperial warriors advanced through the trees.
Antilles turned to assess the situation, noticing with a start how close the superior armed Imperial stormtroopers were.
"Archers at the ready!" he shouted.
The rebel soldiers turned to confront their antagonists, arming their bows.
"Ready, aim, fire!"
The arrows of the rebel forces did little against the armor and shields of the stormtroopers, who advanced quickly.
Their spears pierced the chests of the rebels as they attempted to continue retreating.
"Fall back!" Antilles shouted as the remaining two dozen or so rebels continued running. They were nearly at the camp...
Inside her tent, Princess Leia, disguised as a peasant traveler, pulled a scroll from her cloak and handed it to a short, bearded man.
"Take this, and deliver it to Ben Kenobi. Hurry, they'll be here soon."
"As you wish, my princess," the messenger Anthony bowed and quickly exited the tent.
Anthony's trusty horse Artoo was waiting outside, braying as he saw his master.
"We have to go!" Anthony whispered as he climbed onto Artoo's saddle, to which a medium sized transportation pouch was strapped.
Anthony reached over to the side and slipped the scroll into the pouch tied to Artoo, sealing it shut.
Just as Anthony flicked the reins and sent Artoo galloping into the forest, the rebel soldiers came running into the camp.
"Princess, Princess, we've been discovered!" shouted Commander Antilles.
Princess Leia came out of her tent to meet with the men.
"I've sent the messenger on his way," she informed them, "How far behind are they?"
The shrubbery nearby was illuminated by torches carried by the approaching men.
"Run!" Antilles yelled.
Leia scrambled into the nearby grove of trees, sprinting over the leaves and bark scattered on the forest floor.
"After her!" a deep voice yelled, and the sound of neighing and galloping caused the princess to run faster. She was running out of breath...
Antilles watched with dreadful anticipation as the men around him surrendered, laying down their weapons. He raised his own hands as the helmeted, armed stormtroopers formed two isles facing one another, as their leader came through.
Lord Vader was a large man, wearing a helmet with curved horns on top, and a visor that all but obscured his face. He glowered at Antilles as he approached, sheathing the sword in his hand.
Antilles backed away in fear, towards the tents.
As the men on both sides watched with eagerness or anxiety, Vader picked up speed and grabbed Antilles by the throat with both hands before he could run.
Struggling in Vader's strong grip, Antilles felt the oxygen rapidly leaving his brain.
"I want to know what happened to your secret message," Vader snarled as he strangled Antilles, whose face was turning from red to purple.
"I don't... know what... you're... talking... about," Antilles managed as he desperately sputtered for breath, "we're on... a diplomatic... mission..."
As this happened, the stormtroopers were training their weapons on the rebel prisoners, forcing them to kneel.
Vader narrowed his eyes menacingly at Antilles, who was barely conscious.
"If this is a consular party, where is the ambassador?" Vader gave Antilles' neck a final squeeze and flung his dead body against a nearby tree.
He turned to the officer behind him. "Commander, tear this camp apart until you've found that message! And bring me any prisoners, I want them alive!"
The soldiers carrying torches came forth, ready to burn down the rebel camp. Vader strode alongside them, scanning the area broodingly.
Leia continued running as fast as her legs could carry her, though she was gasping for breath.
There were definitely horses behind her, she realized, their hoofsteps growing louder.
All of the sudden, a horse-mounted warrior appeared in front of her, lance raised.
"Freeze!"
Leia turned quickly to find another knight on horseback, lance pointed at her.
She gasped in terror as the horses approached her, both men's eyes boring into her.
Finally, Leia raised her hands in surrender, seeing no way out.
"Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner," the lead soldier told his companion.
"Oh, this is madness!" Anthony exclaimed as he clung tightly to the reins. "Will it never end?"
Artoo galloped across the forest as they grew further from the inflamed camp behind them. Smoke was emerging from the coniferous trees behind them as they raced for their lives.
Artoo let out a terrified neigh as the trees got thicker, and he was forced to slow down.
"It's all right, Artoo," Anthony patted him on the side, "I think we lost them."
Artoo turned his head backwards as he trudged through the vines with Anthony on his back.
Anthony shuddered as the moonlight and stars were hidden from view by the canopy. "Oh, I don't like this. I don't like this at all."
Artoo neighed again as something rustled in the bushes. Hidden from their view by the shadows, four small men armed with ropes and daggers emerged. These men were known as Jawas, scavengers who roamed the land to capture and sell whatever they could find.
"Jawas!" Anthony gasped, "I can't abide those disgusting creatures."
The leader of the four Jawas muttered something in their native dialect.
As the Jawas began to lasso Artoo, the horse brayed in fear as he reared, kicking his front legs and sending Anthony sliding off his back into the bushes.
"Artoo!" he yelled as more of the little man came into sight, wrapping thick rope around the helpless horse.
Artoo's legs were now tied and his mouth was muzzled. He kicked lightly at the tight ropes as the Jawas began to lead him away.
"No, Artoo!" Anthony ran forward, but one of the little Jawa men held up a knife, brandishing it threateningly.
"Oh, dear me!" the timid Anthony shivered as the men began to disappear in the dark forest, dragging the poor horse Artoo with them. "Artoo, don't leave me!"
The crack of dawn loomed over the forbidding forest. The camp lay in smoulders as smoke emitted from the burnt tents and bags.
Lord Vader walked through the area impatiently, clutching his shield in his hand.
An officer cautiously approached him, ready to report.
"My lord, just before we attacked, we believe a horse escaped from the camp, with a man."
"They must have hidden the message with the man," Vader realized, seething in anger, "Trace their every step until you've found them. Send your heat scouts and hurry, there'll be no one to stop us this time."
The man nodded and hurried to give orders to the mounted soldiers.
Two more warriors emerged from the thickened forest on horseback, between them walked the elegant yet tough looking Princess Leia. At the sight of Vader, Leia tipped her head upward in contempt.
"Lord Vader," she addressed him defiantly, "Only you could be so bold. When the Imperial Senate heads you attacked..."
"Don't act so surprised, your highness," Vader cut her off derisively, "you weren't on any 'mercy mission' this time. You received a secret message from a group of spies. I want to know what happened to that message."
Leia kept a brave face as she faced her most hated enemy, the oppressor of her people and the most feared man in the kingdom. She was not going to play his game.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I am a representative of the state of Alderaan..."
"You are a member of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor!" Vader had had enough. He turned to the horsemount men behind Leia.
"Take her back to the castle. I will meet you there before noon."
"Let's go," Commander Cody said to Leia, waving his lance, "if you try to run, you're dead."
Leia regally kept her chin up as she marched forth, past Vader and in front of her captors.
Artoo futility squirmed in the ropes that bound his legs and shook his neck that was tied by a lasso. A Jawa was carrying the leash, dragging him along towards the first clearing.
As daybreak illuminated the field beyond, the terrified, helpless Artoo could make out a caravan of wagons, with other captured horses tied to the wagons and forced to pull. Miscellaneous goods such as farming tools and weapons could be vaguely seen in the wagons.
The Jawa dragging Artoo along murmured something to his companions as they approached their kin who waited by the caravan. A few neighs came from the horses bound by harness to the wagons, but a muscular Jawa marching in line parallel to the horses was carrying a whip, silencing them effectively in fear.
Artoo silently brayed as the Jawa led him in front of the back of the caravan, next to a white stallion.
Whistling to himself, the Jawa attached the still lassoed Artoo to the traces, trapping him.
Artoo spat on the ground as the Jawa untied his ropes.
Artoo immediately kicked out, at the Jawa, at the other horses who kicked back. He struggled in the restraints binding him to the caravan, desperate to escape and completed his mission.
The Jawa with the rope came running over and gave a hard whack to Artoo. The young mustang was immediately subdued, groaning quietly as the sting ached his body.
"Utinni," the chief Jawa pointed at the horses in front of the lead coach. The caravan started moving, the whip Jawa punishing those who were too slow to start.
In resignation, Artoo began to tread alongside the other horses, forced to pull the train of wagons along as the Jawas remained scattered around them.