Outbreak

Chapter Summary – Luke jumps from the fryer into the fire; Vader finds more than just one rat. And it's all in a days work for the Storm Brawlers.

A/N - I didn't expect to basically finish this story in one chapter (there will be an epilogue). I still hope it's everything you've been waiting for. There will also be a commentary for chapter 9. So you'll get a huge big author's note. ;) like I did for my 21 Jump Street fic. Thank you for reading.

Chapter 7 –

Barrett stalks down the hallway; his back is rim-rod straight, there's a frown on his face and he hadn't seen a Storm Trooper for several decks. They were all busy trying to contain the prisoners. Which is good. Sadly, his plans had gone down the drain as soon as the Rebel's tried to take the Flair and so he had to do the dirty work himself.

Valera stood at the end of the hallway, looking as if she were out of breath. A grate hung loose on its screws a foot away from her head. She glares at him, but he does not hurry his step.

"What's taken you so long?" she demanded.

"Vader has reappeared, we'll have to do this quickly." He growled. Valera clucked her tongue at him, and then, as he got to within a foot of her. She attacked. A slim, long, blade appeared in her hand as if by magic. She stuck it in his neck and slashed away from herself. Blood sprayed the wall and Barrett went down with a gurgle of air before going limp in death.

"Bantha bugslut." Valera hissed then stepped over the dead body. She had work to do and she had to do it fast. While Palpatine was still instructing her in the ways of the Force and she had quite a handle on it, she wasn't a match for Vader. Yet. And she didn't want to actually face him until she knew she could beat him.

She cursed again and stepped into Vader's Anti-chamber. She searched for wherever Vader was keeping Skywalker. The Rebel had a lot to answer to the Emperor for. However, when she came to a room, which had Skywalker's Force stank all over it - that holds a sphere, which could hold a human up to a galactic month – is empty.

Valera sighs and closes her eyes. She's in for it now.

The breathing of Vader interrupts her. She really needs to do more concentration techniques. If that even happened in training she'd be getting quite the lecture from her Master.

"Mara. It's not surprising to see you here." Vader said menacingly.

"Master sent me." She replied. Figuring the truth was better than anything else.

"If it is his pleasure for you to be here, than please do his bidding."
Vader replied.

"You may not like what I have to do." She mutters.

"My Son is safe. And if you want to stay in my good graces, you'll not report it to the Emperor." Vader hisses at her. She schools her face and stomps on the worry that erupts in her chest. She nods, finally.

"Good." Vader turns and his cloak swishes behind him. Mara sighs. She hates when she has to report back with empty hands. She can feel the buzz in her veins all ready; Force Lightning is never a punishment she's willing to endure. At the same time, she can't take Vader.

So. She'll have to either do the job harder or find a different way to kill Skywalker or she'll give up and take her punishment as an Apprentice should.

She hated the options set out before her. So. There really is only one thing to do.

0000

Luke woke to darkness. He also woke to Force Cuffs and walls that were so close that he felt as if he would suffocate at any moment. He pulled the Force to him through a calming, meditation technique. He breathed through the cycles for five minutes before he felt well enough to deal with this new monstrosity Vader had him imprisoned in.

Finally. He opened his eyes and soft blue light slowly filled the vacuum darkness. The Force Light is one of the first techniques that Younglings - as Yoda liked to call them – learnt when they are toddler's in the former Jedi Temple's Nursery. Technically, the light is held in a clear bubble that the children could also levitate at the same time. Luke, on the other hand, hadn't such a toy to help contain the Force and so it appears as a nebula above his head. Still, it's pretty useful.

It illuminates the box; more like a coffin. The durasteel wouldn't be too hard to cut through if he had a light saber. The locks on the sphere also lock the box and Luke cannot maintain the Force Light and try to move the locks at the same time. While he could levitate rocks at a steady pace one by one, this was a bit beyond him.

He let the light go out and then search for the locks. He was about to push on the first lever when someone cursed above him. It was a bit muffled but something broke the lock from the outside. A heavy something and the lid was flipped off.

"Commander!" the scruffy face of Dak appears above Luke. "About farkled time you showed up!"

"I got side tracked, anyway, thanks." Luke mutters. He's helped out of the box to find that they're in a storage room; and if the schematics he memorized before this mission, they're near the bridge. Luke has an easier time of getting the Force Cuffs off and Dak hands him his light saber.

"Where's the data pad?" Luke asks.

"We've got that covered," Kral reports.

"What?" Luke blinks at them. Then Kral moves enough so that Luke can see a Data Entry Point being used to send the information they gathered.

"We don't have much time, but it'll have to do." Kahel sighs. Luke nods.

"What should we do now Commander?" Kral asked. "We were going to take the bridge."

"Yes. How many of ours have died?" Luke frowns.

"Too many, they vented the main prison decks." Kahel bites out.

Luke cringes; "let's take the bridge, together."

"No you're talking!" Dak grinned.

000

Vader felt things go Sideways before the alert sounded over the intercoms.

"To the Crew of the FLAIR, this is Commander Luke Skywalker speaking. My men and I have taken the bridge of your ship. We have your Captain and Med Tech in custody. We demand you relinquish your weapons and leave this ship in the escape pods." The voice of his son sounded professional and yet proud at the same time.

Vader made for the flight bay; the Rebel's could have the Flair. At the end of the day they mattered less than his plans against Palpatine.

000

It didn't take hours for the Empire to abandon ship. And at the end of the day Luke let Tonnil La and Doctor Alexis go as well. He sent a message with them, while he didn't exactly want to save their careers, he didn't want them dead either.

Dak, Kahel, and Kral manned the bridge while Luke went to the re-vented decks to see if anyone survived. At the end of the day when Luke reappared on the bridge. Looking grim faced. They all knew the truth and no one said anything.

"Set course for Rebel outpost one." Luke ordered, "We also need to deactivate the tracer. I'm sure Mon Mothma can find a use for this old thing." Luke said, he patted the arm rest of the captains chair he now sat in.

"Yes Sir," Dak nodded. He left his post and went to Engineering to find the tracer the Empire put on all their prison barges.

Luke frowned. He didn't feel Vader on the ship, planning an insurrection of the Rebel's. Which worried him. But, at the same time he's glad for it. His Father – no, Vader – is on the planet below. Probably doing damage control with the Emperor.

"Take us into the jump, Kahel." Luke orders.

And then the space around the Flair goes from dark with specks of light into the backdrop; which is always associated with light speed jumping.

000

Vader ends the transmission with Emperor Palpatine; he's sure that the Emperor did not find his deceit; His plans are still in motion despite loosing his son a second time.

Now, the Rebellion will come in handy as a nice diversion for the Emperor. Who, in a few weeks time, will meet him on the Second Death Star before it's finished. And its' there, Vader decides, that the Emperor will meet his death at Luke's own hands.

TO BE CONTINUED