Aboard the Death Star

Lord Starkiller hated these conferences. Though his father had trained him to deal with the Grand Generals and Grand Admirals and Grand Moffs and their lackeys, he still despised the bureaucracy that was involved. But Emperor Vader had ordered him to the Death Star to oversee and inspect Grand Moff Tarkin's command of it. With a fortifying sigh, he strode into the room behind the Grand Moff. Even as he did, he heard one of the officers, Admiral Motti he thought it was though he wasn't sure. These Imperial officers were beginning to all look the same to him. "Until this battle station is fully operational, we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more dangerous than you realize."

"Dangerous to your star fleet, not to this battle station;" retorted General Tagge. Growing frustrated with the other's overconfidence in the Emperor's new weapon, the Admiral snapped, "The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial senate..."

"The Imperial senate," said Tarkin, cutting him off, "will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away."

Starkiller had never liked Tarkin very much. He was a needlessly cruel, sadistic man and had wiped out an entire Imperial military base for no other purpose than to eliminate a rival. Oh, Tarkin had claimed he had done it to stop Rebels from getting the Death Star plans and had also claimed that he had not known of Starkiller's presence on the planet. It was only Lord Starkiller's own skill and skill of his pilot that had allowed him to escape the monumental destruction and only the command of the Emperor that had kept Starkiller from killing Tarkin. He understood that, in a war, soldiers would die and that sometimes, soldiers had to be sacrificed for victory. But what had happened on Scarif was unnecessary and a waist, no matter what Tarkin said.

Admiral Motti's words pulled the Sith Lord out of his dark musings. "That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?"

"The regional governors now have direct control over their territories;" explained Tarkin. "Fear will keep the local systems in line - fear of this battle station."

"And what of the Rebellion?" asked the admiral, not letting the issue go. "If the rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they will find a weakness and exploit it."

Starkiller respected this man a little more. Motti was thinking of the improbable and not dismissing it out of hand. It was a wise policy. Even so, the Sith Lord said, "The plans that you refer to will soon be back in our hands."

As if Starkiller hadn't even spoken, General Tagge leaned forward and said, "Any attack by the rebels on this station would be a useless gesture no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it."

Galen felt a wry, if cold smile cross his face. Ultimate power in the universe? "Don't be too proud with this technological terror, General. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant when compared to the power of the force."

To the shock of many around the conference table, General Tagge looked askance at the Sith Lord. "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Starkiller. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you to conjure up the stolen data tapes, nor given your the clairvoyance to find the rebels' hidden fortress. Perhaps you should devote more of your time to seeking out and engaging the rebels instead of meditating on a faith that has been rendered utterly irrelevant."

The temperature in the room went down as Starkiller's smile widened slightly. In a slow deliberate pace, he began to move around the room towards the general. "Gentlemen, you are all old enough to remember the Jedi Order and it's ways and the rumors of its power, are you not? How is it that in a single lifetime, you forget how they protected the galaxy for generations before becoming corrupt by their masters? Perhaps I am not powerful enough to conjure something out of nothing but rest assured, I will find those tapes and the rebel base and when I do, you will all witness the full power of the force. In the mean time, I recommend that you prepare for any and all sorts of attacks that the rebels may or may not make on this station. Remember that, during its construction, we had a prison break and an infiltration of rebel commandos so clearly there are some flaws in its security. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go and question our prisoner."

He had ended directly behind General Tagge and had placed his hands on the back of his chair and pinned him in place so that he could not move while simultaneously putting into the man's mind images of painful death. As Starkiller swept towards the entrance to the room before turning and saying, "Oh and General Tagge, do try to remember military decorum. Am I not the Supreme Commander of all of my father's forces, including this battle station and all aboard it? If you dare talk to me in such a manner again, the things that an interrogation droid or, indeed, that you have seen in your mind's eye are as nothing compared to punishment that I will inflict upon you."

Starkiller's voice had remained casual throughout and as he went silent, he lifted his right hand and blue electricity sparked up and down his forearm. All within the room, including Tarkin to the Sith Lord's gratification, leaned back wearily. With that, he extinguished his power and left the room. Silence followed his departure.

Tatooine - the Jundland Wastes

The trip had been mostly silent. Luke's mind was in turmoil as he contemplated Ahsoka's words. Suddenly, she gripped his shoulder and pointed. A pillar of smoke was rising over the horizon. Wordlessly, Luke angled the speeder that direction. The site that greeted them was gut wrenching. A sandcrawler, the very sandcrawler that had sold Artoo and Threepio to Luke and Uncle Owen, burned and the bodies of the jawas were everywhere. Luke, Ahsoka and the droids got out of the speeder and began to look around. After some study, Luke said, "It looks like the sand people did this alright. Look there're bantha tracks, gaffi sticks - I've just never seen them hit anything this big before."

Ahsoka was examining some scorch marks and carbon scoring along the outer haul of the burning sandcrawler. "This wasn't Tusken Raiders but it is a convincing enough job for local observation. But see here, these blast marks, at just the right place to cripple the treads. Only elite stormtroopers are so precise."

Luke nodded and said, "These were the same Jawas who sold us Artoo and Threepio. Why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?"

There was a long, uncomfortable silence and Luke suddenly realized something. "If they tracked the droids here, then they would have found out who they sold them to and that would them back..." and his face lit with fear and he all but whimpered, "...home!"

He turned to bolt back to his speeder but Ahsoka caught his arm. "Luke, these are Imperial stormtroopers! It's too dangerous!"

Luke shook free and sprinted to his vehicle. Ahsoka jumped in behind him. "Artoo, keep and eye on Threepio! Stay out of the open."

They zipped across the desert. It wasn't long before they saw yet another column of smoke. Luke's heart pounded and his stomach clenched. There, over the rise, was his home. The entrance was cracked and smoke poured from the inside of the underground structure. Beside the hovel lay two bodies unrecognizable as Luke's Uncle and Aunt. They were burned to black husks. Tears welled up in Luke's eyes. His entire life, his family and his home were gone. "No..." he whispered. "No."

Slowly, he turned to Ahsoka. "But... but why?"

Ahsoka herself looked to be on the verge of tears. "There was nothing you could have done, Luke."

She wrapped her arms around him comfortingly as he began to sob quietly. "You would have died too and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire."

For some time, neither of them really knew how long, they stood there as Luke shed all his tears until he had no more to give. Finally, he straightened. "I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing left for me here. I want to learn the ways of the force and become a Jedi like my father."

Ahsoka gave a sad smile. "Believe me when I say that, even were you to decide to stay, I wish that none of this had happened to you and your family."

Luke sighed. "I know. Come on. There's no reason to stay now."

Mara Jade was not pleased. Not at all. "Commander," she said calmly, "please explain to me why you decided that it would be a good idea to destroy the sandcrawler and the farm?"

The Stormtrooper commander's face mark did not betray his nerves, nor did his voice but Mara could sense it radiating off of him. "Considering your involvement, Lady Jade, I determined that keeping our presents in the area a secret would be best for mission success."

"But why?" queried Mara. "At the farm, we could have set up an ambush, waiting for the farm boy to return with the droids. Now, however, they may have returned and there will be no one to catch them. Instead of neatly tying it up without senselessly slaughtering Imperial citizens, you have now allowed to droids to fade into the wind, essentially bringing us back to square one. Tell me, commander, how would my brother have dealt with this incompetence?"

The stormtrooper did not answer. He did not need to. "Fortunately for you, commander, I am not my brother. Lieutenant," she called to the company's executive officer. He hurried over. "You are now the commanding officer of this detachment under me. Switch insignia and identifying markers with the former commander. We will make sure that the paper work is finalized when we return to the Devastator. In the mean time, we should make for population centers. If I were a farm boy on this dusty rock, I would get off as quickly as possible after losing my family. Where is the city with the largest spaceport?"

The newly promoted commander used his datapad and said, "Mos Eisely, my Lady; it isn't far. We should be there within a few hours."

"Excellent. Let's go. Call ahead to the local garrison commander. I want every single ship watched."

Luke and Ahsoka zipped through the town of Mos Eisley, taking care not to disrupt local traffic. It was an ugly town with ugly and not very reputable people. Swoop gangster zipped by on their vehicles. Jawas and other aliens crowded in markets with livestock and beasts of burden. Ahsoka, who had pulled the hood of her brown cloak over her head, directed him to a cantina. Suddenly, a checkpoint appeared, manned by Imperial stormtroopers. Four of them walked up on the speeder, two to each side. "How long have you had these droids?" asked one briskly. In as casual a voice as possible, Luke answered, "Maybe a couple of seasons now."

"They're for sale if your interested?" said Ahsoka, her voice almost cheerful. The trooper paused for a moment and said, "Let me see your identification."

With a disarming smalling, Ahsoka waved her hand infinitesimally. "You don't need to see his identification."

"We don't need to see his identification;" said the trooper. Luke was amazed. Somehow, it seemed that Ahsoka was altering the trooper's mind. "These aren't the droids you're looking for;" she stated simply and the trooper repeated. "These aren't the droids we're looking for."

"He can go about his business;" she murmured and again, the trooper 'agreed'.

"Move along."

"Move along;" said the trooper, waving them through. "Move along."

When they were parked outside of the dark, troublesome looking bar, Luke looked at Ahsoka. "I can't understand how we got by those troops. I thought we were dead."

Ahsoka nudged him playfully. "It's a trick your father taught me. I can even remember his words. The force has a strong effect on the weak minded. These stormtroopers are so pathetic compared to some of my old clone trooper buddies during the Wars."

"Really? What happened during the wars?" asked Luke eagerly. Ahsoka winked at him. "I'll tell you later when we're safe and on our way. Come along, but be careful. This is not a place for the faint of heart or the foolish."

Luke stood as tall as he could. "I'm ready for anything."

"Good man;" said Ahsoka and turned to enter the building. Luke was going to follow when he caught something out of the corner of his eye and froze. There, among a squad of stormtroopers with extensive desert survival gear, stood a short woman in a tight, tan leather bodysuit with a black cloak. Her face was dusty and had the outline of goggles on it but even from that distance, no more than twenty meters, he could see her sparkling green eyes. She stood out and Luke was shortly trapped by her. She was beautiful and obviously a high ranking individual among the Imperials because she issued orders and they followed without question. Then, just before Luke was going to turn away and enter the building, he saw something swinging from her hip. It looked different but there was no doubting what it had to be - a lightsaber. Quickly, Luke turned to enter the building when he nearly ran into to Threepio. "The bar tender would not let us in, Master Luke;" said the droid indignantly. "Go wait by the speeder then. Stay out of site and don't cause any trouble, either of you."

As he ducked into the establishment and headed toward the bar, he saw Ahsoka talking to some spacer or another. With a sigh, he went to the bar and ordered a drink, settling in to wait. On Tatooine, drinking age laws were barely enforced. The bar tender handed him the drink as soon as the money was seen. Luke was about to take a sip when an alien, an Aqualish to be precise, gave a guttural snarl, glaring at him. Luke just ignored him until a withered hand tapped his shoulder. It was an old man with a deformed face. "He doesn't like you;" explained the man. Luke furrowed his brow. What had he even done? "Sorry;" he muttered before turning back to his drink. The man tapped his shoulder again, drawing his attention back. "I don't like you either. You just watch yourself..."

"Now boys;" came a smooth, if slightly husky voice, "no need to make something out of nothing."

They all turned and there stood the woman that Luke had observed on the street. She was smiling and the hood was down around her shoulders, revealing golden-red hair in a tight braid. With a wave of her hand, she said, "Go back to your drinks."

Just like that, the two rough characters were ignoring him again. Luke was suddenly very weary. "Um... thanks."

"Don't mention it. I couldn't help but notice you watching me early. What's your name?"

Luke hesitated for a moment before saying, "Owen. My names Owen."

One of the woman's perfectly groomed eyebrows rose.

Mara could read this boy like an open book. He was perhaps her age or, perhaps, even a couple years older but that didn't matter. Certainly, he wasn't a very good liar. What mattered was that he had been staring at her and that he gave her a feeling that told her she should inquire about him. She ordered her own drink and, when she flashed an official Imperial Center government issued I.D. card, the bartender gave her the drink, took her money and moved on without a word. "So, Owen, are you a local boy or just waiting for a departure slot."

"Waiting for a departure slot;" he answered much too quickly. "Yeah, I want to get off this rock."

"Really? Why's that?"

He gave a truly genuine smile then, highly amused. "Do you want to stay here miss..."

"Just call me Arica, Owen and no but I don't have much choice. I work for the Imperial Military and I am currently stationed here until further notice. No, I don't want to stay here but since I am, I figured I would get to know the local population."

Luke nodded. "Well this would definitely be the place to do it, Arica."

Ahsoka watched for a moment, very uneasy. Luke was still young and naive. While she doubted he would intentionally give anything away, if that young woman was who Ahsoka thought she was, they were in a very, VERY precarious situation. What was her interest in Luke anyway? Ahsoka had been about to step in when the young woman had shown up.

Putting those thoughts aside, she followed the massive form of Chewbacca, whom she realized she had met once before a long time ago, to the figure of a man not too much younger than she was. The Wookiee made a couple of grunts and growls and the man widened his eyes. "Really? Met an old friend, did you. Well my name's Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a fast ship that can get me from here to Alderaan - myself, that boy by the redhead over at the bar and a couple of droids."

Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon, gave a smirk that would have had almost any other woman catching her breath. "Well you're in luck, sweet heart. My ship is the fastest. Why the need for speed though?"

Ahsoka gave him a cool look and placed both hands on the table. "First of all, do not call me sweet heart, Captain. Second of all, I think it would be better for everyone involved if we agreed on no questions being asked."

The stupid smirk only grew. "Huh? Are you in some kind of local trouble then... look what am I supposed to call you?"

"Just call me Fulcrum for now, alright?"

Han stifled a chuckled and said, "Well, Fulcrum, I don't know how much you're keeping up with current events but the leggy red head over there with your friend is Lady Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand. She doesn't tend to take interest in random farm boys on dusty planets like this one for no reason. I'm guessing your into Imperial trouble. That means to accommodate you would put me at a rather large risk now wouldn't it?"

Ahsoka knew what was coming but didn't change her stern expression. "Then why don't we work on a price?"

Han smiled. "Ten thousand, all in advance."

Ahsoka gave a quiet scoff. "You are joking, right? I could by a freighter right now if I had that kind of money."

"You could but who would fly it?"

Ahsoka gave him a cold smile. "Me, actually. I've piloted a few ships in my time. Anyhow, how does this sound. I can promise you two thousand now plus another fifteen when we get to Alderaan."

That caught him off guard. "Seventeen?"

"Plus a chance at stable work too, if your interested."

Han laughed. "I don't know about the stable work, lady, but for seventeen, you got yourself and your boy over there a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Meet me in Docking Bay 94. Oh, and I'd get the kid away from the Imperial or you may find that he wants to ditch you and go with her."

Ahsoka looked over and Luke was smiling and laughing with the girl. Uneasiness filled her and she stood.

"Wait a second, I thought you said you weren't local;" said Arica as she sipped her drink. "No;" said Luke with obvious care, "I just said that I was waiting for a departure slot. I never answered whether I was local or not. Anyhow, how about you? What do you do on Imperial Center - or would you have to kill me if you told me?"

Arica gave him a mock serious look for just a moment before chuckling again.

Whoever this kid was, Mara had Luke eating our of her hand like a well trained kath hound. "I'm just an assistant to a Moff. He sent me here to check on some things and, since there was recent illegal activity in the area, he wanted me to go heavily escorted. I must have irritated him somewhere along the line though."

Using the force to nudge his mind just a touch, she asked, "So what did you do around here, Owen?"

He was about to answer when a drunken Nikto staggered over and said in his guttural voice, "Hey, pretty lady, how bout a kiss?"

"Buzz off, poodoo kicker;" she said, not taking her green eyes off of Luke. "Hey now;" growled the alien, "that's not very friendly."

He grabbed her shoulder and Mara turned, struck him in the sternum and then drove him back. She must have misjudged her strength because he slammed into a group of Klatooinians. The three of them and the Nikto stood, growling. "Stand down;" she said but they were too ready to fight.

Suddenly, Luke felt someone grab his sleeve. "Let's go while she's distracted;" said Ahsoka.

Quickly, they slipped quietly through the bar and out the back entrance. "Thanks, she was beginning to make me nervous;" said Luke. Ahsoka chuckled. "No she wasn't. Anyhow, I got us a ship. You'll need to sell your speeder, collect the droids and then get to Docking Bay 94. Let's go."

It didn't take long. Luke pulled his poncho from the speeder, as well as another few odds and ends he needed and sold it. Of course, he didn't get as much as he was hoping for but it was enough to pay the ship's captain his initial fee with a little extra to set aside for later. They collected the droids and hurried towards the docking bay.

Aboard the Death Star

Starkiller was gazing out the viewport into the vast emptiness of space. All Imperial ships had been sent to continue their operations against rebel forces and generally to enforce the Emperor's will. The Sith Lord thought it foolish. This station may have tens of thousands of defenses but no one was ever defeated because they protected their greatest weapon - or at least, one of their greatest weapons. Tarkin strode in and, without even waiting for a proper greeting, Starkiller said, "Princess Leia's resistance to the mind probe and other interrogation techniques is considerable. It will be some time before we can get any information out of her using those methods."

Before Tarkin could respond, one of his lackeys ran up and said proudly, "The final checkout is completed and all systems are operational."

General Tagge looked to the Grand Moff and asked, "What course shall we set?"

Slowly, a cold smile crossed Tarkin's face. "Perhaps she will respond to an alternative form of interrogation. Set course for Alderaan."

Galen gazed at the Grand Moff and silently upraised him. He seriously hoped that the man wasn't thinking of blowing up the planet . It was a largely passive planet without weapons. What's more, it was the cultural center of the galaxy, even more so than Imperial Center. To destroy it would only enrage the people of the galaxy. That was something that they could not afford.

Tatooine - the City of Mos Eisely

Mara Jade was furious. She was sorely tempted to kill the thugs who had distracted her but instead had them locked in the local detention center. After finishing a conversation with the alien that had bought the farm boy's speeder, she looked up and down the street. Suddenly, her commander came up. "My lady, we have a local who has informed us that the droids are headed to Docking Bay 94 with that farm kid and a Togruta wearing a cloak."

Mara immediately headed that way. "Gather the troops. Call the local garrison commander and have him ready any emplacements and shut all Docking Bays down. Also call the Devastator and the Conquest and have them ready to intercept any ship that leaves. Hurry up. We cannot let them escape again."

She drew her blaster pistol and there was a series of clicks, hums and whines as the troopers behind her loaded their weapons and took their safeties off. Just around the corner from Docking Bay 94's entrance, a Kubaz, apparently the local informant, was squeaking and snorted through it's short trunk. "Get them!" hissed Mara, allowing the first four troopers to enter before going herself. A hail of blaster fire greeted them. Three stormtroopers were brought down quickly and Mara narrowly avoided taking a blaster herself. Before she could take careful aim, the man was gone and the ramp was rising. "No!" she hissed. But it was far too late. The ship lifted, it's haul plating easily too durable for the blasters she and her troopers had. "Why aren't the emplacements firing?" she snapped. Her commander was listening to his coms for just a moment before he answered, "They do not have any, My Lady."

"Well tell him that I need a shuttle. Now. And have him send a second one to gather you and the rest of your detachment. We're returning to the Devastator."

Aboard the Millennium Falcon

Chewbacca gave a low growl and Han nodded, "Yup, looks like an Imperial cruiser. Try to hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to lightspeed."

Han ran the equations and got the coordinates. Looking out the front viewport, he noticed the other two Star Destroyers coming in fast. "Stay sharp. There's two more coming in. They're going to try to cut us off."

"Why don't you just out run them?" asked Ahsoka dryly. "You said this thing was fast."

Han shot her a glare. "Take it easy, Lady. We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to lightspeed. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose them."

Suddenly, turbo laser fire flashed overhead. Han gave a very forced grin and said, "Here's where the fun begins."

"How much longer?" snapped Ahsoka. Han shot her another glare. "It'll take a few minutes to get the coordinates from the nav computer."

"Are you kidding?" demanded Luke. "They're right there, gaining!"

"Cruising through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy;" snapped Han. "Without precise calculations, we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a super nova and that would end your trip real quick now wouldn't it."

Suddenly, the ship rocked and a light began beeping. "What's that flashing?" asked Luke as he pointed. Han swatted his hand out of the way and said, "We've lost the rear deflector shield. Go strap yourselves in and I'll make the jump to lightspeed."

Ahsoka and Luke strapped in tight and Han pulled the lever.

Updated 12.12.2017