Chapter Two:

(I found the jokes online, just so you know.)

Deep in the blackness of space there was nothing to do to entertain oneself. And yet, despite that fact, a certain group of pilots somehow managed to defy that logic.

A scattering of twelve X-wings floated in loose pairs, scattered about the area to better spot their incoming target. Behind them a ways was a small Corellian CC-9600 Frigate, waiting to lend a hand if needed. But their main purpose in being here was to collect their spoils.

"Okay Boss." Wes Jansen's voice came over his headset. "One more."

Luke Skywalker managed to stifle a groan. Wes Jansen had been 'entertaining' his fellow Rogues with horrid jokes amid the squadron's small talk.

"Wes, I don't think Luke's too keen on hearing another one." Wedge Antilles spoke up, obviously thinking along the same lines as Rogue Leader.

"Awe… come on!" Wes whined. "It's a lot better than the last few, promise!"

Luke shook his head with a small smile. He loved his fellow pilots, they were great friends, but sometimes their shenanigans got a little too weird, even for him.

"Alright Jansen, let's hear it." Luke allowed, listening to other pilots moan in protest over the open line.

"Okay: Knock knock."

"Who's there!" Derek "Hobbie" Klivian— Wes's partner in crime— piped up with far too much enthusiasm.

"Luke!"

"Luke who?"

"Luke out! Here comes another knock knock joke!" Wes finished happily.

Luke slapped a hand to his face, glad his squadron mates couldn't see his red visage.

"UUGGH!" Tycho Celchu complained loudly.

"Wes!" Rogue Eight joined in protesting.

"That was horrid!" Someone else grouched.

Luke merely shook his head again, letting it go in favor of keeping the squadron's spirits up. It would help them stay more alert for the mission.

"Besides; if you plan to tell a joke, Jansen, you need to be sure it's actually funny." Wedge challenged good-naturedly.

"Yeah?" Wes returned. "Well then, Rogue Two, let's hear it!"

Wedge cleared his throat while the entire squad listened in to the banter. "What do you call a potato that has turned to the Dark Side?"

Silence as everyone thought, and even Luke had to admit his interest was piqued. Finally, someone ventured a guess.

"Uh… over done?"

"Nope… Vader tots!" Wedge finished.

It took all of a heartbeat for the squadron to burst out into various stages of laughter, making the comm. lines ring with the sound. Luke was caught in-between sputtering almost indignantly and trying very hard not to laugh at the double meaning for him.

Eventually however, his humorous streak won out, and he chuckled with his friends, feeling tears of mirth leak from the corners of his eyes.

"Ha!" Rogue Ten piped up. "Can you just imagine little three-feet Vaders' running along behind that man?"

Luke's smile and mirth abruptly faded even as more laughter spewed forth from his squadron-mates.

"Yeah! I can just see that hulk of wires trying to conduct a battle while keeping an eye on them on the bridge!" someone else chortled.

"No, no!" Hobbie piped up. "He'd have a new job created: Vader-tot sitter. If you survive daycare, I'll let you live!"

Luke shut off the comm., not wanting to hear anymore as images of him in a very familiar black suit wafted up hauntingly in his mind's eye. His friends had no idea just how close to the mark they were that Vader had a son… or that said child had the potential to become just like the Dark Lord.

A click over his private com sounded, and Luke took a steadying breath before answering.

"Skywalker."

"Hey, Luke," Wedge said, a note of concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"

Luke thinned his lips momentarily, shoving aside his thoughts of Vader so he could focus.

"Yeah, Wedge… I'm okay."

The other man didn't sound convinced. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, it's just…" Luke sighed.

He felt something click in Wedge's mind just before he spoke again. "Memories of Bespin, huh?"

"Yes," he whispered, nodding even though the other man couldn't see it.

"Ah Luke, I'm sorry man." Wedge apologized. "That was careless of me."

"No, it's okay Wedge…" Luke assured him, knowing Wedge was speaking of his duel. No one aside from Luke knew of his newfound heritage. "Let the men have their fun."

"Still, I should have thought before…"

Wedge was cut off by an alarm signaling Luke that a ship was exiting hyperspace near them. Reopening the squad-wide frequency, Luke called for attention.

"Alright everyone, let's focus. Our target is coming out of lightspeed… now."

A convoy of three ships appeared on their scopes, just out of firing range: an Imperial Star Galleon escorted by two smaller cruisers… and according to their Intel, a flight of TIE fighters.

Luke kicked his X-wing into gear. "Let's do this people, just as we discussed: aim to disable, we want the cargo in that Galleon. Form into trios and come at them from different angles."

"Copy that, Rogue Leader." Several voices chorused.

Luke led the way for his own trio, Wedge and Tycho flanking him. Their only chance to get anywhere would be the element of surprise, and so they wasted no time in firing at the flagship's engines when they were in range to do so.

"Luke, I've got a name for the Star Galleon," Tycho alerted him. "It just came up on my readout: the Plunder."

"Seriously?" Wedge remarked dryly.

"Cut the chatter, Rogue Two." Luke ordered. "Aim for their shields."

"Yes sir." Wedge followed him in, Tycho on their tails as they opened their s-foils and spewed red laser-fire at the larger ship.

Their lasers hit the marks with noted explosions before Artoo Detoo whistled at him. Luke glanced at the translation screen, and then grimaced.

"Okay, their shields are up at full capacity now." Luke announced.

Bright flashes appeared as a second flight of X-wings appeared over the hull of the Plunder. Luke sensed a warning in the Force, and gave a command to his wingmen.

"Rogues Two and Three, pull up!"

Luke and his wingmen pulled up in time to avoid return fire from the cruiser they'd attacked. Luke barrel rolled as another salvo came at them from a different area.

"We only have a few minutes Rogues, so let's make this count!" Luke called over the line.

"Luke, I've got incoming enemy fighters at heading Oh-Nine-Three." Wedge told him.

"Alright, stay alert you two." Luke dove again as the first wave of TIE's spewed green spits of laser at him.

00000

Mara felt the warning in the Force just before she dropped from lightspeed; making sure to stay far enough behind the small convoy to be out of sensor range. She pulled the hyperspace levers on her tiny ship that could hold only two people, and saw what the Force had been trying to tell her.

Ahead of her position, and appearing as a swarm of flies pestering a larger animal from this distance, a battle raged as someone attempted to take the supplies being hauled by the Plunder.

Mara would have bet a month's salary that it was the Rebel Alliance.

She pursed her lips, seeing an opportunity before her now. She could help the Imperials… or she could come to the aid of the Rebels. If she helped the Rebels and her master found out, she'd be severely punished if not killed.

Indecisive, Mara picked up speed to get closer, using the time to think

A niggling voice at the back of her mind was telling Mara to err on the side of caution, and she got a sense of… something in the Force. She wasn't a fully trained user, since the Emperor only allowed her to learn enough to perform her given tasks, but she got the distinct impression that there was another Force-user out here.

Mara could feel this person draw on the Force, and as she got close enough to see better, she had little trouble picking him out from the crowd.

While fighters on both sides flew with the accuracy and experience of many battles, one snub fighter stood out above the rest. This ship seemed to know beforehand when a shot would come, and simply not be there when it was fired.

The ship jinked and juked madly as it was pursued by a quartet of TIE fighters. Then it dove into an ever-tightening corkscrew that caused two of the four TIE's pursuing to clip wings and disappear into a flaming ball.

Mara had to admit she was impressed. She was a great pilot herself, but to see it from someone else was a new thing for her. If fact, only one other person Mara knew of could fly like that: Darth Vader.

Interesting. Mara thought.

She used her specialized communications equipment to listen in on the Rebel frequency while she continued her approach. Suddenly a large explosion ripped through one of the escort cruisers, and the thing began to float away from the fight, spewing flotsam and atmosphere.

The X-wings who'd been hassling that ship peeled off to help their peers with the other escort, even as the Force-using ship and his wingmen attempted to disable the Plunder.

"Luke, the Plunder's shields are nearly spent: two more strafing runs should do it!" someone piped up.

"Copy Rogue Two."

Mara blinked in surprise. Rogue Squadron?

Even in the Empire that group of pilots was well known, as they often caused the most trouble… and contained some the Rebellion's top pilots. Then the name Rogue Two had used came back even as Mara recalled who the squadron's current leader was: Luke Skywalker.

The lead X-wing banked hard to port before letting loose with a red salvo, which made damage again as the Plunder's shields flickered dangerously.

"Rogue Leader, I have a clear shot to the shield generator," someone said.

"Fire at will, Rogue Four." Skywalker replied.

Moments later another explosion hit open space as the generator blew, and that was when Mara's scope came alive with a new blip. She looked to her starboard side and saw a larger Rebel ship bearing down on the cruiser even as the Rogues disabled the engines, preventing the Plunder's impending escape into hyperspace.

Mara shook her head. Why the blasted Moff had ordered a jump change was beyond her, when they could have easily used a different route and made the journey in one take.

"Rogue Leader, this is Captain Manthra onboard the Titan's Pride, ready to attach to the Plunder."

"I copy, Captain." Luke's voice returned. "We're taking out their turbolasers now. Rogue Ten, take Eleven and Twelve and protect the Titan."

"Will do!"

Mara was now in firing range, yet she was coming in at an angle just under the crippled Imperial cruiser. If she timed it just right, she could slip in unseen.

More explosions ripped across the stern of the Plunder as their weapons placements were shot to hell. Then, to her surprise, the lead X-wing sped into the hangar bay onboard the Plunder.

She knew she had to make her choice, and fast.

Did she continue to blindly and willingly serve a man she no longer held much— if any— faith in? Or did she help the Rebels?

Mara didn't know where she sat on the fence just yet, but she did know that the Rebels were causing trouble for Palpatine. And hadn't she already resigned herself to the fact that he would never love her?

She had also decided on her way here that she was done playing her role as his 'queen', moving about the game board at the will of her master, completely enslaved to his demands. She wanted freedom; she wanted it so badly it hurt. But she would never truly have it… unless she did something to make it happen.

But she could not just blatantly aid the Rebels; she had to be more subtle.

Making up her mind, Mara piloted her ship into the hangar to join Rogue Leader, who she now saw was making his way to the storage hold just off the bay.