Dack's Revenge

By Strider, Lord of the Sith

A.N. This is my first star wars fic, so be gentle with your criticism. I (unfortunately) don't own Star Wars, or anybody you know. My friend dared me to actually post this story, so here it comes. You might recognize some of the dialogue, but I tried to keep the movie lines to a minimum. Reviews are appreciated (but remember, be gentle).

Luke Skywalker swerved madly to avoid being hit by the volley of laserfire coming from the Imperial Walkers. His gunner, Dack Ralter, jabbed buttons on his console, yelling out the status of theirs snowspeeder. He was nervous, and the odds weren't good. The only hope of taking down those walkers was harpooning their legs and tripping them up. His aim would have to be good.

"Luke, we have a malfunction in fire control. I'll have to cut in the auxillary."

"Just hang on. Hang on Dack. Get ready to fire that tow cable."

Dack struggled to remain seated as bits of flak and flying laserbolts filled the air. Suddenly the speeder was hit, several blasts going through the glass in front of Luke's face. Dack got hit in the shoulder, and another heavy blast sent his head into the control panel, giving him a nasty cut, and effectively knocking him out. Luke turned around in worry.

"Dack? Are you okay? Dack?"

Dack didn't answer, his head lay on his controls, bleeding. Luke feared the worst.

"Hobbie, I've lost my gunner. Take the shot, I'll cover you!"

"Righto Luke, I got it." Hobbie Klivian moved his snowspeeder alongside Wedge's, with Luke behind them, so that they formed a backwards arrow shape.

The battles raged on, and inside his gloves, Luke's hands were sweating. He wanted this to be over. Then another volley of laserfire, and loads of flak hit his ship. He lost control, and crashed to a halt some meters away.

"Luke are you alright?" came the anxious voice of Wedge over the comlink. Luke coughed, and looked around. He was still in one piece.

"Yeah Wedge, I'm fine. You keep going." He opened the cockpit and pulled himself partially out. The ground shook near him, and he looked up to see a walker, heading straight towards him. In moments he would be crushed! He pulled himself out, and then reached in to get Dack out. It was futile.

Sorry Dack. But I have to do this. He crawled away from the craft.

Meanwhile, inside, Dack's eyes fluttered open.

"Luke…where are you?" He saw Luke, with his back turned, crawling away. Wait Luke! Don't leave me! Come back! He thought desperately, but was too weak to say anything. He was completely unaware of the fact that a walker was about to step on him. Then, by pure luck of the Force, the Walker stepped, missing the speeder by inches. Dack pulled himself out, and looked around. Then he heard a shot, and before he could turn around, felt it in his back. He fell with a crash, his head hitting the metal speeder with a resounding clang. Then he felt nothing.

Luke closed his eyes, and turned back to look at his snowspeeder. He'd felt a…ripple in the Force. And sure enough, there was the snowspeeder, still in one piece! He started back towards it, but a walker stepped down before him. He shot his suction gun to the underbelly of the walker, and as he pulled himself out, he saw Dack, lying facedown, injuries slowly staining the snow red. I'm sorry Dack. I'm sorry.

Some hours later….

The Imperial kicked the inert body.

"Another dead one. Gosh, these Rebels die young nowadays." He shook his head and moved on. He was relatively unexperienced. His comrad, an Admiral, walked over.

"No, this one's still alive. Badly injured, but alive. He might be able to tell us something. Medic! Load this one on."

The medics walked over and loaded the body onto a stretcher, then turned it over. They walked on, examining the battlefield.

Dack Ralter was in Imperial hands now.

27 hours later, Dack woke up. His throat was parched, and when he tried to open his eyes, he was blinded by a bright white light. Is this death? Am I dead? Cuz it sure is bright. He opened his eyes and squinted.

"He's regained consciousness!"

"How do you feel?"

"Can you hear us?" The three Imperial doctors questioned him.

"I…can't see."

"What? Was there some kind of side affect?"

"No…it's…too bright…the light."

The light went off with a click. It took Dack's eyes a few moments to adjust, and when they did, he found three men, all graying, in white uniforms peering down at him. "Where am I?"

"You are at the Imperial Hospital on Coruscant. Don't you remember?"

"No. I don't remember anything." Dack lied to them. He did remember something. Blood, lots of blood…on his face, and the image of a man in an orange flightsuit, crawling away from him. Abandoning him. And the thoughts came too. Wait Luke! Don't leave me! Come back! Who was Luke? And why did he leave Dack to die?

"It's as I suspected. Severe trauma induced amnesia. Do you know who you are?"
"No."

"Your name is Dack Ralter. Lieutenant Commander Dack Ralter of Imperial Intelligence."

"Intelligence? I don't remember anything about that."

"Are you quite sure you don't remember anything at all?"

"Yes…well, actually, there is something. I remember a cramped space, and lots of snow, blood and debris. And…and I remember someone walking away, leaving me there. Someone called Luke."

"Luke? That's interesting. What you're remembering is the end of your last mission."

"What was it?"

"You were assigned to keep track of Commander Luke Skywalker. He was a Rebel. In the end he found out, and left you to die. It's the typical, heartless Rebel way. You're just lucky you got picked up."
"Luke…Skywalker. I don't remember."

"Well, in time you will. You need to get some rest now, but when I come back, I'll bring you your service records and any pictures I can find."

"Thank you. By, the way, what is your name?"
"I'm Doctor Elliot Walker." And with that, the doctor turned and left the ward.

So. I'm Dack Ralter. And who is this Luke Skywalker? A rebel. They sound like real scum so far. I wonder how long I had been with them before he betrayed me. Luke Skywalker…if he's not already dead, he will be, by the time I'm done with him.

Five days later.

Dack stood in front of a mirror. He was dressed in the moss-green uniform of an Imperial, and was just neatening his cap, when he…sensed someone coming. He turned around, and faced Lord Darth Vader. He took a step back. The Sith Lord was tall and menacing. He wore black armor, and a deathlike mask. A long cape added to that imposing look of power.

"Commander Ralter." He spoke in a deep bass voice, through the respirator.

"That's me, Sir."

"I am Darth Vader. You are going to help me find and crush the Rebels."

"Yes, Sir."

"Report to the docking bay in 3 hours. You will be briefed then."

Darth Vader walked out of the hospital building and into the awaiting transport. There was something about that boy. Something…familiar, and interesting. Yet Vader didn't know what. He was looking forward to working with this boy.

So that was the great Darth Vader. Dack had spent his hospital time reading up on the Empire, the Rebellion, and himself.

4 hours later, Dack stood at the bridge of the Executor. They were going to Hoth, to track Skywalker and the Rebels. As they left hyperspace and approached the blue-gray planet, Dack took a deep breath. Soon Skywalker would pay. And the Rebels would go down with him.