Han clasped his heavy head. Battle reports, statistics, all the new policies and procedures the Republic leadership was implementing felt like more and more red tape for him to trip over. Wedge swallowed the last of his synthehol and thumped the conference table with his hand. The battle review meeting was finally over, and he was ready to get back to his quarters.

"Well, it's been a lovely evening boys. The battle has been successfully reviewed! " He laughed jovially then stood up quickly and started towards the exit, " But now I've got a date with an Aqua shower in about 3 minutes, and I really must be going. " He winked at Luke as the door slid to a close.

"See you soon Luke."

Luke's head was fuzzy, and he'd barely paid any attention during the meeting with Han and Wedge. Damage reports, shots fired, casualties; key words skimmed the surface of his mind. But Luke was a thousand miles away, replaying the mysterious voice in his head. Luckily his new Green Squadron had performed exceptionally well, so very little input was needed from Luke for the final report. Han notably omitted any mention of the delay in firing on the TIE.

" I guess I'll be going too," Luke tossed his data cards to the table as he stood up, getting ready to leave.

"Luke, wait." Luke snapped back to the present moment. So Han was going to call him out after all.

"What?"

Han swiveled in his chair from across the round table. He grimaced. Heart to heart chats were not his forte.

"You ok, kid? You know I've gotta ask..." He glanced knowingly at Luke's hand, the knuckles dark and swollen from the impact with the bathroom wall. Luke jerked his hand away, hiding it from view. But it was obviously busted; he should have kept it concealed.

"I'm fine," he snapped. Luke looked away, trying to hide a dark scowl. It was beginning to feel a little too claustrophobic, being under Han's command. Luke was a Jedi, afterall. He'd survived mental and physical tests none of them could even imagine. There's nothing they can do to help me. Why can't they just leave me alone? And Han was about to become his brother in law, which meant even more supervision. Soon he'd be family.

"I'm just asking!"

Before Luke could respond Nezol's voice interrupted over the com system.

"General Solo, Senator Organa requests you contact her on her personal channel." The communications channel clicked off. Han cringed at the bad timing.

"So now she's checking up on me? " Luke crossed his arms indignantly. "It's not enough that I'm already under your command, General?" Luke angrily spat the last word. He rolled his eyes petulantly and stood up abruptly. What right did Han and Leia have to spy on him like this?

Han held up both his hands and shook his head defensively.

"Hey-it's more likely she's checking up on me!" He stood up. "I don't know if you've noticed it, but nothing gets past your sister. She knows my schedule better than I do!" Luke's expression softened momentarily. Han took the opportunity to continue.

"But seriously, Luke. Leia and I- we trust you. She just wants you to be ok. We've all been through a lot." Luke hung his head. He could sense genuine care from Han. He was right. Han and Leia had always been there for him. They were the only people who knew the truth about Bereil and Ryloth. Originally Leia wanted to immediately send a task force to hunt down the kidnappers, to bring them to justice for what they'd done to Luke. But Luke didn't want that. He didn't want the Republic to know of his moment of weakness, his failure. He just wanted it all to go away. So they'd faithfully kept his secret.

"I know, Han. I'm sorry" Luke slumped. "It's just hard to feel like I'm...being held back." Luke shifted uncomfortably, staring at the floor "I don't know how to explain it. It's like they've won now, I guess. Maybe I'm not meant to be part of the Republic anymore."

Han felt his face darken. Those bastards.

"Hey, listen kid, you're a great commander, we all know that. Green Squadron sure proved that today. I'm sure the Senate will see that you're doing good work." Han paused. "You know I'm going to respect your wishes Luke," he sighed, and looked the younger man in the eyes. "But I'd kill that creep myself if you gave the word." Luke finally looked up from the floor, his anger diffused.

"I know, Han." He held Han's gaze for a long moment.

"Alright kid, let's get some rest. The briefing for Sluis Van is at 700 hours." He nodded at Luke as he made his way towards the exit. Just before the door slid shut with a hiss Han called out.

"Hey Luke! Just remember- there's plenty of eligible ladies on board, and it's still 2 days til we reach the rest of the fleet. " He grinned. "You could use a good distraction!"

. . .

Glowing red text rapidly filled up the small computer screen in Luke's shuttle. R2 was earnestly questioning him about their departure from the rest of the Republic fleet.

"We're not joining the rest of the fleet at Sluis Van. "

More words lit up the screen.

"No R2, I didn't clear it with General Solo first. I don't need his permission for every single decision. Besides, he's got Green Squadron now." Luke didn't mention his unauthorized use of the Xwing.

A final question scrolled across the screen. Luke's exasperated countenance softened.

"No R2, I'm not in trouble. We've just got our own mission now." He paused. He grimly remembered the glimpse of the Emperor's Holocron and the Ssi Ruvvi Star Cluster he'd stolen from Bereil's mind. Bereil was still out there, still in possession of Palpatine's stolen secrets. The shadowy figure from the vision, could it be him? Luke shivered at the thought of the Emperor's decrepit flesh, his sunken yellow eyes.

By now Wedge would have discovered the note Luke left in their quarters, ordering him and Han not to follow him. And now they were too close to the Unknown Regions. Luke knew his friends wouldn't be able to pursue him this far out. This was not a battle that could be won by brute force.

Although he didn't have an exact plan, Luke intuitively knew he would find the Emperor's Holocron on the precipice of the galaxy. He could feel it in the Force. Bereil would make himself known. Not since Endor had he felt so compelled by destiny, the Skywalker destiny. It felt as if the force was pulling him towards some unimaginable crescendo. Somehow he alone must take possession of the Holocron. Now that he'd left his friends and the Republic, nothing else mattered. He now realized he could not stand by and allow the secrets of the Force to be exploited.

. . .

A button on Luke's control panel began flashing bright blue, signalling that the Xwing was about to drop out of hyperspace. His navicomputer was set on a course to Bakura, the world closest to the edge of Republic territory. The whole ship shuddered as the starlines suddenly turned into glowing white dots in the viewscreen, revealing a most unexpected scene.

There appeared to be an Imperial garrison outside Bakura. Luke's Jedi reflexes snapped into action. He swerved the Xwing sharply, and narrowly avoided colliding with the enemy ships.

"I see it R2! It's not supposed to be there!" A looming Imperial Dungeon Ship filled his vision. Luke flinched as sickening waves of agony and despair slammed in to him through the force. The suffering of the ship's prisoners, past and present, were embedded within the very atoms that comprised the ship itself. He'd only ever read about these long mobile prison complexes in the Imperial Archives. They were used in the Clone Wars to transport and interrogate force sensitive prisoners. Until the Jedi were eradicated, that is. What was it doing so far out here?

Luke struggled to catch his breath, to shield himself from the dungeon ship's Force signature. He could sense captives within, their collective terror clawing him from within the metal walls. But a darker, more potent feeling was nagging him, grasping at him. It was as if he being slowly drawn into quicksand, sinking deeper and deeper with every moment. What is yours awaits... The same voice from his visions echoed in his mind once again. Suddenly Luke was certain another Force user was onboard.

"Skywalker! We've been expecting you." Bereil's dreadfully familiar voice rasped over the com channel, just as Luke had predicted. A tractor beam promptly locked onto the Xwing and R2 began frantically spewing text onto the computer screen. As much as he was loathe to see Bereil again, Luke knew he should not fight. He had to get onboard the detention ship, to take possession of the Holocron. Luke scrambled to adjust the engine controls, hoping to minimize any damage to his vessel. As if you'll ever get out alive Luke brushed the thought aside. Self doubt would not serve him in this moment.

The ominous black prison ship bristled with weaponry, which became ever more visible as the Xwing was pulled in closer and closer. He raked through his memory for anything he could remember about the repurposed Dreadnaughts. The Lictor-class detention ship, also known as an Imperial dungeon ship, was a versatile warship and mobile prison based on a design used by the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders. The models used by the Empire were equipped with universal energy cages, force sensitive holding cells, drop bays, and sparring chambers where Dark Side Adepts could battle captive Jedi. They were designed to intimidate, and gained a reputation for never returning a captive who entered them. Guard droids were used to help prevent Jedi escapes. By the time of the Rebellion they had been retired in favor of penal worlds. Except this one.