The larger Imperial camp lied in the territory beyond Coruscant castle, with large tents, a blazing campfire, horses roaming the area, and a round table in the middle.

At the moment, important Imperial dignitaries were seated at the table, discussing their next move.

"Until we know for sure that the rebels have not received the message, we cannot be certain of a win," Baron Tagge said. "When they are given the time to prepare, the rebels are dangerous and unpredictable."

"Dangerous to your soldiers, Baron," General Motti replied smugly, not to our ultimate weapon." Motti was younger and more hotheaded than his fellow officers, often proposing cocky and impulsive ideas.

Hidden behind the tall tents was a catapult drawn by two oxen, and a barrel of incendiary firepower pulled via wagon by a mule.

"When word of our attack gets out, it may stir sympathy for the rebellion in the Senate," the Baron said to his fellow leaders.

"The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us," Duke Tarkin interrupted as he came into the camp, followed by Lord Vader. They had dismounted their horses and left them behind the tents. "The Emperor has just abolished the council permanently, claiming that it cannot survive with rebellious senators hidden within, namely King Bail of Alderaan. The last of the Republic has gone at last."

Tarkin was dressed in lavish robes in contrast to the battle armor worn by his fellow nobles. He wore a long curly brown wig under his feathered brimmed hat.

Vader still donned his black armor and horned he, with a cape billowing behind him.

"How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?" questioned Tagge.

Tarkin sat down in an empty seat, however, Vader remained standing, gripping the hilt of his sword in its sheath.

"The lords and nobles will keep the kingdoms in line," the duke declared regally, "we shall use fear to discourage future rebellion. Lord Vader will see to it that the message does not get to the rebel camp, and we will destroy it without delay."

Vader now spoke up, pacing around the table menacingly, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"My best men have captured the Princess of Alderaan, who is known to be in league with the Rebels. I shall interrogate her and extract the location of the rebel camp, and I will lead a strike force to exterminate the leadership immediately."

"What assurance do we have that you are up to it?" Motti fired back disrespectfully, "Your sad devotion to that old Sith cult hasn't helped you trace down the message or who it is meant for."

Vader looked calmly at Motti, who immediately regretted his words. The lord stepped backwards and drew his sword.

"Is that a challenge to a duel, Motti?"

Motti and the others knew very well how trained in combat Vader was, as a Jedi knight and then a Sith Lord.

"Enough of this," Tarkin snapped impatiently, "Vader, put that thing away."

"As you wish," Vader grumbled, resheathing his weapon. He would not be subservient to Tarkin for long, he told himself, and he'd make sure these aristocratic fools knew it too.

"Now," Tarkin went on, "Vader shall see to it that the Princess gives away the rebels, and we shall override them with our advanced military power."

The only thing more disturbing than the bloody, dismembered bodies of the Jawas was the sight of the horses, still lined up in their traces in the caravan, all stabbed or beaten to death.

Luke, Ben and Anthony walked along the field mournfully, surveying the damage. The wagons had also been broken into and many valuable goods had been stolen. Ben was now dressed in his full suit of knight armor and carried his shield proudly at his side.

"I don't understand," Luke said plainly as he looked around at the slaughtered Jawas and horses. "It looks like the Tuskens did this, but I don't think they'd dare hit anything this big."

Ben was very solemn as he stared down at the red tainted grass.

"They didn't. We are meant to think they did." He gestured to the hoof prints in the mud with human footprints beside them. "These was the Empire's work. Tuskens always ride in single file to hide their numbers, while the Empire does not hesitate to show their full might."

Luke gazed down at the crime scene, then to Artoo, who paced around the grass in the distance as Anthony tried to soothe him.

His mind was racing as he realized what this all meant. The empire was after that horse, and it had to be because of the message.

"If the Empire traced the horse here," he said aloud, "they'd have learned who the Jawas sold them to, and that would lead them..."

No, it couldn't have been. How could Luke have been so selfish, leaving the farm, thinking only if himself and his wants...,

"Home."

Without another thought, Luke ran towards Anthony and Artoo, panicking. He jumped onto Artoo's saddle and flicked the reins.

"Artoo, come back!" Anthony cried out.

"Wait, Luke, it's too dangerous!" Ben called after the young man.

Luke rode straight in the direction of the family farm. He could still get to them, save his aunt and uncle, the empire wasn't taking them...

Luke still didn't believe it when he approached the landscape with smoke emitting from the house and barn, both burnt completely to the ground.

No, no, no.

"UNCLE OWEN!" he shouted desperately, praying in vain that they were alive and all right. "AUNT BERU!"

Artoo trotted through the opening in the fence. The field and crops in it had been razed, the straw and wood were crumbled on the ground.

The chickens had been roasted, the pigs and cows had been skinned. The longer Luke saw the scene, the worse it was. Then, he finally saw them.

Owen and Beru had been reduced to skeletons, burnt alive inside their own house.

Luke couldn't bear the sight of it anymore. He turned away, still mounted on Artoo the horse, and slowly rode away.

Ben Kenobi was still, along with Anthony, at the ruined caravan when Luke returned on Artoo; both men had taken shovels and were burying the dismembered Jawas.

Luke dismounted from Artoo silently, and with his head down in solemnity, made his way over to the old knight.

Ben looked at him expectantly for a few moments until Luke could bring himself to look at the warrior.

"I want to come with you to rescue the Princess," he declared, "I wish to become a Jedi Knight in my father's footsteps and avenge my aunt and uncle."

Ben had known the boy would come to this conclusion eventually, given proper time.

"Very well then, Luke Skywalker," he said regally, "I officially accept you as my squire. Kneel before me."

Without further hesitation, Luke got down on one knee in front of the old warrior. Old Ben drew his sword and tapped the boy's shoulder with it.

"It is done," declared old Ben Kenobi, "We must head to the harbor quickly if we are to catch a boat."

Princess Leia sat bound to the iron chair that lord Vader had brought into her cell. As the spikes poked deeply into her tied-up arms and legs, she seized all the willpower possible and used it to remain silent. Nothing mattered more than the rebellion, not her physical safety or her life.

She glowered at the hulking Vader who stood before her, arms folded. He watched the blood trickle from her scarred arms, but Leia was not speaking.

"You're going to run out of blood eventually, your highness," Vader sarcastically used her title, "Where is the Rebel base?"

"I'll never tell, Vader," Leia spat at her captor irreverently, "You may as well give up."

Vader squatted at the knees so that his eyes were boring straight into hers. His breath smelled like burnt air and his eyes resembled hell.

Leia turned her face away from him, wincing from the pain but summoning the resolve not to give Vader the satisfaction of crying out.

Back in the camp, Vader paced around the field as he spoke to Duke Tarkin, who stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"She's putting up a braver fight than expected," Vader reported to the nobleman, "It may be some time before we can extract the information on the rebel base."

Tarkin was quiet for a moment as he contemplated the situation. Then he said, "Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion."

"What do you mean?"

At that moment, they were both approached from the other side of the camp by Tagge.

"Our catapult is fully operational and ready."

"Perfect," replied Tarkin, "Prepare the men to move to Alderaan castle. Vader, fetch the princess."

The mounted stormtroopers rode alongside the oxen that pulled the catapult. Another wagon drawn by a horse carried the firepower to be launched onto Alderaan castle. The castle itself was built from diamonds and emeralds, the last safe haven from the Emperor's tyrannical rule.

Inside the magnificent throne room, King Bail anxiously awaited news from his messengers.

Turning to his advisor Vanden Willard, Bail said, "Leia should have been back by now. Something's wrong, I just know it."

"My king, Leia has the protection of Ben Kenobi," Vanden replied, "no harm will come to her."

"I can only hope so," Bail replied.

Just then, a messenger named Porkins came into the throne room, admitted by the two armored guards outside.

"Your Majesty," Porkins was out of breath and red in the face, "Leia... captured... Imperials... outside... seige..."

Bail stood up and quickly strode out of the throne room, Vanden Willard following close behind.

When Bail reached the tower window, he saw the entire perimeter of the palace surrounded by armed knights on horseback, archers at the ready standing on the grass.

A massive catapult drawn by two oxen was aimed directly at the tower, nearly ready to launch.

"Should we raise a defense?" Vanden asked.

"No, it's too late, and it will cost more lives. We'll have to surrender."

Behind the large invading Imperial army, Tarkin's extravagant personal carriage was drawn by two horses, and he awaited as Lord Vader approached from outside, leading the defiant Princess Leia.

Tarkin opened the carriage door to allow them to enter. Vader gripped Leia by the arm with one hand and with the other carried his long straight sword.

Vader forced Leia roughly inside and climbed on after her, shutting the door. He sat down and pulled Leia to sit between himself and Tarkin.

Outside the carriage, the mounted coachman flicked the horse's reins to continue the trek towards Alderaan palace.

"Duke Tarkin," Leia said as Vader restrained her by the bloodied, scathed arm. She looked very beaten and bruised, but was able to retain her signature radiance. "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought over here."

"Charming to the last," Tarkin smiled deviously at her, "You don't know how eager I was to sign the order to terminate your life."

Leia only showed the slightest sign of fear at the news that she would be executed, then her rebellious attitude returned.

"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself."

Tarkin scoffed in disgust and said, "In a way, you have determined the first use of our new catapult."

Leia looked out in horror as she realized the implications. The palace stood so peaceful, surrounded by men with lances and flaming arrows. The catapult was filled up and ready to launch, aimed at the tower containing the throne room, where her mother and father were.

"Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the rebel base, we have decided to destroy your royal palace, with your parents barricaded inside."

"You can't!" Leia begged desperately, forgetting her dignity, "they're not putting up a fight, you can't just kill burn it all down!"

Tarkin stood up and knelt in front of Leia, his eyes glaring into hers. "Would you prefer another, more renegade target. Name it. I grow tired of asking this, so it'll be the last time. Where is the rebel base?"

Leia leaned to the right to avoid the fat face of Duke Tarkin. She looked to the peaceful defenseless castle of Alderaan, thinking of the poor, helpless people in the town.

"Dantooine," she breathed, hoping this would work, "they're at Dantooine."

Tarkin smiled and sat back down beside Leia. "There, you see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable." He opened the door and called out to Baron Tagge.

"Baron! Continue with the operation!"

"Yes sir!" Tagge jogged over to the catapult to relay the orders.

As he shut the carriage door, Leia squirmed in her seat as she realized how foul the Duke of Coruscant was.

Vader kept a tight grip on her arm, holding her back viciously.

"You're far too trusting," Tarkin told her as he grabbed her other arm to keep her down, "It makes no sense to call off the seige now that we're here."

"No!!!" Leia yelled as she saw the catapult launching. She struggled and kicked, but Vader and Tarkin held her arms firmly, squeezing her between them.

The ammunition soared over the heads of the invading soldiers and struck true to its mark. Within seconds, the entire castle was a smoldering ruin