Chapter 2: New Allies and Enemies
While his father was trying to figure out a way to get them off Ord Mantell, Rowan was searching around the junkyards when he saw a ship. "Father," Rowan called. Anakin walked over to where his son was standing.
"Doesn't look like any Imperial Ship," he answered.
He looked closer as they walked down the hill. "It's a Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300 stock light freighter," he informed.
"Is that good or bad?" Rowan asked.
"Depends who's the pilot," Anakin replied.
He continued walking down the hill with his lightsaber raised. "Master Ani, I must implore that we just leave the ship alone. They could be part of the Empire," Threepio insisted. Anakin waved his hand for the droids to stay where they were.
As he walked around the ship, he jumped back with his weapon activated when the ramp lowered. At the same time, a young man who was standing on the ramp had his blaster drawn. "Who are you?" they demanded in unison. Before they could say anything else, Anakin was surprised when he saw a familiar wookie walk off the ship.
"Chewie!" he exclaimed.
Chewie reached Anakin in just a few steps just as he deactivated his lightsaber, the Wookie had his large arms wrapped around him in a bone crushing hug. "I missed you too Chewie, but let go," he told his friend coughing. Chewie let him go and Anakin smiled. "How are you my friend? It's been years," he commented.
"I'm good, thanks to Han here he saved me from becoming a slave again," Chewie replied.
Anakin smiled at the man. "Han?" he asked.
"Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon," he replied.
Anakin shook his hand. "Anakin Skywalker," he replied.
"Well, so the Hero with No Fear has returned, Chewie here has told me all about your interesting adventures," Han commented.
Chewie looked over as Rowan walked over. "This can't be little Rowan," Chewie commented, making Anakin laughed.
"He's not the two-year-old you last saw," Anakin answered, resting his hands on his son's shoulders.
Chewie let out another series of growls before looking at Han. "Hey Chewie, this isn't a taxi service," Han told his wookie friend.
"We just need your help to catch up to my son and a friend of ours who is on a mission for the Rebellion," Anakin told them.
"Hey, I'm not going to get involved in all that rebel business," Han insisted.
"I think you'll be able to help us," Anakin answered.
"Yeah? How do you know that?" Han asked.
Anakin walked around the ship, looking at it. "Father, what are you doing?" Rowan asked. Anakin found a secret compartment.
"Hey!" Han exclaimed.
"He's a smuggler son," Anakin told Rowan.
Anakin suddenly tossed a chip to Han. "There's 10,000 credits on that chip. I have one here that has 5,000 when you get us to our destination," he informed.
"15,000..." Han commented intrigued.
Putting the credit chip in his pocket, Han holstered his blaster. "Alright, you guys have a ship," he told them. He looked at the passengers he would be taking with him.
"Dad, he's a smuggler, he shouldn't be trusted," Rowan insisted.
"If he's a friend of Chewie's he can be trusted," Anakin answered.
"Dad, you always told us that smugglers can't be trusted," Rowan told him quietly.
Han walked over to the controls. "Besides this ship is a piece of junk," Rowan put in.
"Hey, she's in pretty good shape and keep in mind kid I don't have to get you off this junkyard I can leave you here," Han answered.
"Rowan, just sit down and keep your opinions to yourself," Anakin told him, "remember what I told you earlier."
Rowan sat down with a huff, making Anakin shake his head slowly. "Please learn control, son. It'll only bring you trouble," he told him, patting his shoulder. Anakin sat down behind Han's chair.
"Where to?" Han asked.
"Do you have a signal tracking system on this ship?" Anakin asked.
"Wouldn't be a smuggler without it," Han replied.
"Turn the tracking system on, you should see a light blue signal, just follow that one. That's my son's tracking signal," Anakin explained.
Han turned on the tracking system before they lifted off the planet and flew off.
On The Warrior, Luke looked up when he heard the ships tracking signal start to go off like crazy. "Looks like we're close to Amara's signal," he commented as he sat back in the pilot's seat. Tyr sat down in the other seat when they both looked up with wide eyes. "Father won't be too thrilled with this, far from it," Luke murmured.
"They completed the blasted thing," Tyr muttered in shock.
Luke glanced at his friend when the ship shook violently. "Force they caught us in it's tractor beam!" he muttered.
"Now what?" Tyr demanded.
"Come on, Father has hidden compartments on this ship just for occasions like this," Luke answered as they got up from their seats.
"What you expect us just to hide in these little hiding places until your dad shows up?" Tyr demanded.
"I have a plan, just follow my lead," Luke answered.
Tyr shook his head as they went into hiding on the ship.
Luke watched as Stormtroopers started searching for them. He saw Tyr peeking out his hiding spot and saw his friend holding up a blaster. Holding up his hand, Luke quickly put on the safety so Tyr couldn't fire his weapon. When he realized that his blaster wouldn't work, he looked at Luke who was shaking his head furiously at him. "You'll get us caught," Luke mouthed to him.
Putting his blaster away, Tyr waited to see what Luke had planned. Luke held up his hands and concentrated. Soon, it was like the two Stormtroopers had fallen asleep at their post. Getting out of his hiding place, Luke pulled the Stormtroopers aside. "Put on their uniforms, that way we can blend in," he told Tyr.
"You're crazy Skywalker," Tyr told him before he started putting on the uniform.
"If you want to get Amara back, you'll have to follow my lead. You're too emotionally involved to listen," Luke answered.
"She's my wife! How do you think I'm supposed to act?" Tyr hissed.
"A little more responsible than you are now," Luke answered as he put the helmet on.
Tyr nodded before he finished putting on his disguise.
As they walked through the halls, Luke saw that they were walking by the bridge and stopped Tyr. "That's Alderaan," Tyr said quietly when they saw the planet the Death Star was in front of. Luke glanced at Tyr.
"I'll go disable this weapon's systems. You go find Amara," Luke told him.
"Luke are you insane?" Tyr demanded.
"I am my father's son," Luke replied before they went their separate ways.
During his search for the Death Star's core, Luke shed his Stormtrooper disguise, quietly sneaking around corners with his blaster raised. Looking around a corner, Luke suddenly felt a surge from the dark side energy go through him like a bolt of lightning. He let out a shaky breath as he looked around another corner to see a figure walking down the hall with a hood over their head. Thinking fast, he hid around the corner, hoping that the masking skills his father taught him would hide him from the new Sith Lord.
Once he was able to bypass the Sith Lord, Luke let out a sigh of relief when he found the core to the Death Star. Holstering his blaster, he carefully made his way around to the tractor beam and the weapons system. Letting out a deep breath, he turned off all the power to the beams and the weapons when he heard alarms going off everywhere. "Intruder in the detention area," the alarm system called out.
"Great Tyr," he muttered.
Jumping back up onto the platform, he saw two Stormtroopers there. "There's an intruder, set your guns for stun," the leader called out. Luke pulled out his lightsaber rolling across the platform to dodge the stun blasts. Jumping back to his feet, he sliced his saber through their wrists, making the troopers fall to the ground in pain.
Hurrying through the halls, Luke stopped in his tracks when he came face to face with the cloaked Sith Lord. "I had a feeling I would be meeting a Skywalker sooner or later," the Sith Lord sneered. Luke stared at his enemy. "Except, you are obviously too young to be Anakin Skywalker," he added, "so you must his spawn."
"Funny how you know who I am, but yet I have no idea who you are," Luke answered as he started circling his enemy.
"Darth Scourge," he answered.
Luke took out his lightsaber. "Let's see if you're like the "Hero with No Fear"," Scourge sneered as he pulled out his own weapon. Luke got in the fighting stance as his opponent ran at him.
On the other side of the Death Star, Anakin met up with Tyr and Amara. "Are you two alright?" he asked.
"We're fine," Amara answered.
Anakin looked to see if Luke was anywhere nearby. "Where's Luke?" he asked.
"He went to disable the tractor beam and the weapon's system," Tyr replied.
Looking at the two of them, he then looked at Rowan. "Rowan, get them back to the ship," he told him.
"Father let me go with you," Rowan insisted.
"No, Rowan get them to the ship safely," Anakin answered.
"But father…" Rowan started.
Anakin gripped his son's shoulders. "Rowan, stop, for once do as I say. Take Tyr and Amara back to the ship," he ordered, "do you understand me?" Rowan was silent for a minute. "Rowan…" he started.
"I understand, father," he muttered.
Anakin nodded before he hurried down the hall to find Luke.
Luke blocked an attack aimed at his head, shoving the Sith Lord back. Scourge aimed several more attacks to the young man before Luke jumped over his head, turning around to block another attack aimed for his back. Backing up, Luke kicked Scourge in the stomach, making him stumble back. Acting fast, the Sith Lord suddenly held his hand up to try to Force choke the young man. Luke concentrated hard to try to block the attack, feeling a little bit of pressure against his larynx.
Scourge pulled out his lightsaber, swinging at the young man, making Luke block the attack when Scourge kicked his legs out from under him. Luke hit the floor hard, making his head spin a little. "You're a good fighter, Skywalker, but just not good enough," Scourge told him holding his lightsaber above his head. Before his red saber could pierce through Luke's chest, a blue blade blocked his attack.
"Maybe you should try your evil tricks on me," Anakin told him with a glare.
Scourge glared as he pulled his lightsaber away. Anakin grabbed his son's arm, pulling him up from the floor. Just as more Stormtroopers showed up, both Anakin and Luke through the halls to find the ship.
When they got back on the Millennium Falcon, Luke sat down when he touched his head, pulling it back to see the blood on his fingertips from hitting the floor. "Let me see," Anakin told his son, checking his head, "it's not so bad."
"I failed," Luke muttered as Anakin took out the bacta.
"What do you mean you failed?" Anakin asked.
"I should've defeated Scourge," Luke answered.
Anakin sighed as he tended to the cut on his son's head. "Luke, your mission was to rescue Princess Amara, you saved Alderaan. You didn't fail," he assured him. Luke sighed when Han walked in.
"Hey, hate to break up the father/son bonding moment but we're not out yet," Han told them.
Luke got up. "I'll pilot the ship, you and Han will take the blasters," Anakin informed.
"Why should I trust you with my ship?" Han demanded.
"My dad's the best pilot in the universe that's why," Luke replied.
"Not a scratch on my ship Pops," Han told him before he went to get behind the blaster.
Anakin shook his head slowly before he sat next to Chewie in the pilot's chair. "Alright, just like old times," he commented. Chewie let out a growl as an answer, making the Paladin General chuckle. "Everyone better buckle up, this is where the fun begins," he commented.
As TIE Fighters began approaching, Anakin started swinging the ship around so the fighters would head toward Han and Luke. "I got him!" Luke announced when he got a Fighter.
"Great kid, just don't get cocky!" Han answered.
Anakin chuckled a little as he swung the ship around again. Then he noticed that there weren't as many TIE fighters as he was expecting. Just as the last TIE Fighter was finished off, Anakin set a course for the Star Forge. "General Skywalker, what is it?" Amara asked. Anakin glanced at the Princess.
"That was too easy," he answered.
"Are you kidding?" Rowan exclaimed.
"No son, that was too easy, they're tracking us," he answered.
"They didn't put a tracking device on this ship," Han insisted as he sat down.
"Han, don't be naïve about this. You don't know the Empire like I do," Anakin insisted.
"Hey, I used to be an Imperial Pilot so don't tell me I don't know how the Empire works," Han told him.
Anakin turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. "Question is, how do you know how the Empire works?" Han asked.
"That is my business, not yours," Anakin answered.
He let out a sigh. "How far are we from Base?" he asked Luke. Luke looked at the map.
"We're about a parsec away," he replied.
"Your base? Wait, wait, wait, this wasn't part of the deal," Han insisted.
"Don't worry about it Captain Solo, you can drop us off at our base then you can get the rest of your money, then you can leave," Amara told him as she sat in Tyr's lap.
Anakin walked away with a sigh.
When the ship landed on the Star Forge, Anakin walked off the ship, smiling when he saw Helena running to him. "PAPA!" she exclaimed, jumping up to hug him. Smiling, Anakin hugged his youngest, lifting her up off the floor.
"General Skywalker, it's good to see that you all returned safely," Mon Mothma told him.
Anakin nodded to her. "We need to get the plans out of Artoo before the Death Star gets here," he informed.
"The Death Star is coming here?" Ackbar asked.
"Yes, which is what we want. So that way they can see that we're fighting fire with fire," Anakin replied as Padmé hurried over, embracing him.
Luke and Rowan walked beside their father. "Luke, I need you to get ready to get into your Fighter for when the TIE fighters come out," Anakin instructed. Luke nodded. "We have a lot to do, assemble the fighters into the conference room, we are limited on time," he ordered as the Generals hurried to get their pilots. Padmé held onto her husband's hand. "The war is just about to begin, Padmé," he told her.
"I know," she answered softly.
She hugged him with a sigh as they went to meet with the pilots about what will happen during this fight.
