The Reenian starfighters that came to meet Vader were already in varying states of damage. One of them exploded when a single shot hit its fuselage. The wreckage rained down on the streets below, causing a dozen smaller explosions to erupt between the buildings. Halfway through the dogfight, Artoo whistled.
I've located the Imperial forces. They have activated a homing beacon.
"Good work," Vader said, pulling out of a dive amid the remains of another Reenian starfighter. There was still another one trying to get a lock from behind. He used a building as a momentary shield and then executed a reverse spin to surprise and blast the enemy into another shower of wreckage.
He glanced at the radar and saw Artoo had marked the location of the beacon with a small Imperial logo. It was near the center of the city. On the way over, he blasted a few gun turrets, using careful maneuvering to dodge the incoming laser blasts. As he approached the target location, he saw two AT-ATs standing guard. Now would be the ideal time to broadcast his identification code, if the trail of destroyed Reenian ships hadn't alerted them to his ally status.
Beyond the AT-ATs, the rubble had been stacked up to create a protective bunker. Stormtroopers were standing guard at the wall, but there were no enemies in sight. He brought the ship down to land next to a line of TIE Fighters.
"Stay with the ship," Vader said as he opened the hatch.
Artoo whistled an agreement.
As Vader stepped out onto the ground, three stormtroopers appeared from inside a nearby troop transport and instantly stood to one side. They were joined by a commando and two officers in combat gear, who stared in pure surprise for a moment and then broke into smiles.
"Lord Vader!" They both came to attention and saluted.
Vader didn't think he'd ever seen troops so genuinely happy to see him.
"What is your status?"
The officers quickly assumed a more professional manner, and one of them stepped forward to report. He was fairly young.
"Sir, I'm Lieutenant Tyin. We have sustained heavy losses but have now reached a stalemate with the Reenian rebels. We are currently attempting to break through their defences surrounding the central Bubble Tower, where the president and government ministers are holed up. We believe the master controls for the mine field are contained within that tower." The lieutenant's gaze wandered past Vader and fell on his ship. "But, as you are here, perhaps the starfleet have already found a way to render it inoperable."
"No, Lieutenant, I have come on my own. This city seems largely deserted. Where are the civilians?"
"They've run for their lives, sir, as the energy emissions from the orbital mines are causing radiation poisoning in the Reenians. Without it, we would have undoubtedly been wiped out by now. It has affected a number of our troops as well, but we have managed to procure suitable protection for those reporting symptoms. We suspect the activation of this minefield has had widespread environmental consequences throughout the planet, as there are reports of mass gatherings of refugees in several places."
Vader stretched out with the Force, seeking confirmation of the lieutenant's words. As expected, he sensed a very worrying tremor. A planet's ecosystem and the Force were interdependent. The collapse of one would send the other into turmoil.
"This war must be ended as soon as possible," Vader said. "I sense disaster for this planet if it continues." He stared at the horizon, hearing the distant sounds of laser fire. "I will join the troops at the frontline."
The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, sir."
It was early the next morning when Luke received an expected chime from his bedroom door. Aviry stood on the other side, back in her black-haired teenage girl appearance.
"Go away," Luke said immediately. "I'm not going to school today."
He moved to close the door, but Aviry held out a hand.
"Luke, wait," she said. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Luke narrowed his eyes. "About what?"
"May I come in?"
She sounded unusually subdued. Luke was curious enough to cooperate, despite his still sore mood over yesterday's events. He stood aside, and Aviry walked past him into the middle of the room. She turned to face him with her hands clasped behind her back.
"I owe you an apology."
"Oh, what made you finally realize that I was innocent?" Luke asked. "Did you run a secret blood test on me while I was sleeping?"
"Well, I did run some scans on your bedroom and locker," she said, "but it was after I listened to that conversation you had with Ophelia that I realized I had made a mistake."
"What?" Luke said, confused. "How did you listen to my conversation with Ophelia?"
"I put a bug in your pocket," she said, gesturing at his school uniform, which lay strewn on the floor. "I didn't get a chance to listen to the recording until last night."
"You did what?"
"I admit, I did go a little overboard," she said, looking aside. "I guess I was scared. The thought that I had been with you for an entire day and a half, and not even noticed what was really going on. Even the idea that I could have missed someone sneaking things into your bag. It made me think I had lost my touch. I may have been starting to feel that it was time to retire, but the idea that I was a sub-standard spy really scared me." She looked up at Luke, meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry you had to be a victim of my insecurities." She held out a hand. "I won't say 'friends'. How about we just agree to be 'not enemies'?"
Luke thought for a moment, wondering whether he could really just forgive all these violations of his privacy. Yet her apology was so sincere. There was little point remaining angry when he had to put up with her for who knew how long. He reached out to return her offered handshake, feeling the last of his annoyance fading away. "All right. Not enemies."
"Great," she said, smiling. "Another day of fun-filled school, then?" She paused for a moment, peering at him. "What's that mark on your face?"
"The reason I'm not going," Luke said, moving back to his bed. "Do me a favor and tell the school I'm sick today."
"What happened?" she asked.
"A shaving accident," Luke admitted, reluctantly.
"What were you trying to shave?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"Look, if you're really sorry about yesterday, which you should be, then please go away."
"It's barely noticeable," Aviry said. "I didn't even see it until I looked at you closely."
"It's a big red mark across the side of my face!" Luke said. "Everyone will laugh at me."
"You could always wear a mask," Aviry suggested.
"Yes, I'm sure my father has some spares somewhere," Luke said, rolling his eyes.
"Seriously, you can't not go to school over a little mark on your face. Let's just put a patch on it, and if anyone asks, just say, 'Knife fight. You should see the other guy'. Works every time."
Luke smiled, despite himself. "I guess I could say I was playing with one of my father's lightsabers. I was stupid enough to actually do that once."
"I bet he wasn't happy," Aviry said, returning from the refresher with a bacta patch.
"No, he wasn't," Luke said, standing up so he could see his reflection in the holovid screen. He experimented for a moment and then managed to stick it on straight. The patch sealed against his skin and gradually began to blend in with his skin tone. "I feel sorry about what I've put him through sometimes."
"Well, he does seem to get his revenge," Aviry said.
"Yes," Luke said, giving Aviry a knowing look. "Give me fifteen minutes. I'll meet you in the corridor."
As soon as Luke saw Ben, on the way to school, he braced himself for some remark about his face. Instead, he seemed more interested in the fact that he and Aviry were on speaking terms once again. The morning passed relatively peacefully - like Ben had predicted, the students had largely forgotten about the events yesterday. It wasn't until they were on their way to the cafeteria for lunch that Ben made some tactless remarks about the scar.
"So you managed to burn your face and leave all the actual hair behind?" Ben asked. "What did you use? I thought those safety laser razors were idiot proof."
"Obviously not," Luke sighed.
"Why not just let the hair grow?" Aviry suggested. "I understand it's a sign of maturity in some cultures."
"As Luke isn't yet mature, he should probably pass on that suggestion," Ben said.
"People do look older when they have facial hair," Luke mused. "Perhaps if I grow a beard, my father will actually notice that I'm not a child and let me get a speeder license."
Aviry burst out laughing. Ben took it more seriously.
"It might work, but honestly I think you might have to wait a while to be able to grow anything that's really noticeable. I've been shaving for almost a year, and I still don't have a lot of hair on my cheeks. Anyway, I'll meet you guys in the cafeteria later. I have a dejarik meet." He handed Luke some databooks. "Watch these for me."
"Sure," Luke said, taking the databooks. "Have fun."
Ben left them alone, and Luke took a turn towards the cafeteria.
"You'll need to do a lot more to convince your father of your maturity than growing hair," Aviry said with a smirk. "Trust me."
"Like what?" Luke said, dumping Ben's belongings on their usual table.
"How about cutting back on the reckless stunts?"
"He does reckless things all the time," Luke said. "Have you seen him fly? Yet no one accuses him of being immature."
"No, I think people value their lives too much to accuse your father of anything. I know I do."
"Do you think I'm immature?" Luke asked, as they joined the food line.
Aviry appeared to be considering the best way to answer.
"You can say yes," Luke prompted.
"I think your maturity is typical for your growth stage. You are a surprisingly typical human sub-adult, considering your unusual upbringing."
"I've only been living here three years," Luke explained. "I spent most of my life on Tatooine, with my aunt and uncle."
"Tatooine?"
"It's in the Outer Rim," Luke explained. "Desert planet. My aunt and uncle owned a moisture farm."
"I suppose your father thought you would be safer there."
"He thought I was dead," Luke said. "And I thought he was dead."
Aviry's curious expression meant Luke knew what they'd be talking about for the rest of the break. It wasn't something he could talk about with just anyone, and it felt surprisingly good to talk about some of it. As they made their way through their lunch, Aviry began telling him more about her own upbringing on Zolan.
"I wasn't much older than you when the Clone Wars reached Zolan," Aviry said. "My parent had made the decision to have me educated offworld, which probably saved my life." She shook her head. "He sacrificed so much for me, it's painful to think about it. I was extremely fortunate to be awarded a scholarship to the First University of Coruscant."
"So how did you end up working for my father?"
Aviry's face took on a slightly pained expression. "I don't know if he'd want me telling you that particular story."
"Come on," Luke said, grinning. "It can't be that bad."
"I'll give you a censored version," Aviry said. "After graduating with a specialization in interplanetary relations, I joined the Imperial Security Bureau recruitment program. After years of office-based investigations and boring supervised reconnaissance missions, I was called into my manager's office for an evaluation meeting. It was full of flattery and praise. He then said I'd been chosen for a very special mission."
"What did you have to do?"
"Spy on your father."
Luke frowned in confusion. "Why?"
Aviry shrugged. "Politics, mostly. Power struggles. If I'd been a little wiser, I'd have realized straight away they were simply trying to have me killed in the cleanest possible way."
"Killed? Why did they want to kill you?"
"When a tree in a forest grows higher than the rest, some people feel the need to chop it down. The management perceived my shape-shifting abilities as a threat. Being young and naïve, and yes, a little arrogant, I didn't see any of this. I thought I was such a brilliant field agent I was being trusted with an important mission." She shook her head. "Instead I was a mere rookiee in way over his head. It took your father about seven minutes to realize I was an ISB agent."
"Seven minutes?"
"I know. Embarrassing. Anyway, then he ... he started doing what he would normally do upon discovering an ISB agent pretending to be someone else."
Luke had a fair idea what Aviry meant.
"As I came face to mask with my own impending death, I was so frightened, I lost control of my shape-shifting ability and reverted back to my default form. It surprised your father enough to release me. He then said that I must have considerable talent for my superiors at ISB to send me on a suicide mission. One brief converation later, and I was recruited." She smiled. "So my near destruction turned into the greatest career move any agent could hope for."
Luke shook his head. "I can't believe your own bosses tried to kill you. Aren't you all on the same side?"
Aviry smiled. "So you'd think."
She was followed by the signal for the end of lunch. Luke glanced at the chronometer in surprise. "I wonder where Ben is? His dejarik meet is usually over well before now. Maybe we should go and find him."
"I'll go," Aviry said. "You go on to class, so you're not late. Where's the meeting room?"
"Beside the library," Luke supplied. "I'll be in Room 32. Science."
"Very well."
Aviry disappeared out the doors. Luke collected Ben's datapads and soon followed the stream of students leaving the cafeteria. He didn't think anything more of Ben's disappearance, until they were ten minutes into the science class, and there was still no sign of him or Aviry. Science was one of Ben's favourite subjects. He wouldn't miss it without a very good reason.
When B-60, the school receptionist droid, entered the classroom, Luke knew it would be with a message for him. As expected, it was a summons to the school office. The entire class stared at him the entire distance from his desk to the door, obviously all thinking he was in some kind of trouble. Right now, he didn't care. As soon as he and B-60 were in the corridor, he moved quickly to catch up to the droid.
"What is it?" he asked. "Is Ben sick? Is he okay?"
"I was only ordered to deliver the message," B-60 said. "Not to converse with you."
"Come on," Luke said. "Please?"
B-60 twisted his head around so his photoreceptors were facing the opposite wall. Surprisingly, his body still moved in a straight line.
"Remember that time I helped solder you back together after that level one class played dodge ball with you?" Luke asked.
After a few seconds, B-60 rotated his head back. "Did you have to remind me? All right. I believe your friend Ben was assaulted by that droid-hating meatsack, Tak."
"What?" Luke started to run.
"Stop running," B-60 called. "It is forbidden! I will be forced to inform a teacher."
Luke sighed and obligingly returned to a hasty walk. He could do without any more run-ins with the school administration. "Is Ben all right?"
"From what I saw, Tak came off worse," B-60 said, sounding bored. "My predictability assessment program must be malfunctioning because I would have assigned low odds to that outcome. Regardless, they are both in violation of school policy. I hope they are expelled. But given the track record at this school, the odds of that are 658 to 1."
"What's Ben ever done to you?" Luke said, surprised.
"Nothing. The less students the better. Would you like to hear all the late excuses I had to listen to this morning?"
Fortunately, they arrived at the administration area before B-60 reached the end of his list. Luke was about to walk on ahead, when he felt the presence of a very familiar person. He followed B-60 into the front office and found Ben's father waiting at the desk. His expression was a mix of worry and impatience.
"Luke!" he said, his eyes widening at the sight of him. "Is Ben all right? Where is he?" He made to move around the desk to join Luke, but B-60 raised a hand.
"Stop. Please state your name and purpose. You will require a visitor's pass."
Ben's father looked like he was about to lose his temper.
"Believe me, it's quicker to just do what he says," Luke said, hastily. "Ben's all right, as far as I know."
Once B-60 allowed Ben's father through, he followed Luke down the corridor into the administration offices. There were two business-attired women sitting on either side of a door halfway down. One had a comlink headpiece, and the other was holding a holographic day planner. Luke could sense Ben's presence inside, so he stopped and moved to enter. The women didn't look at them as they walked through the door.
Inside, Tak was seated on one side of the table, holding an ice pack against his head. A man that Luke could only assume was Tak's father was standing over him, wearing an expensive high fashion suit and white gloves. Ben and Aviry sat on the other side. The principal and vice principal were seated at the head of the table, a few datapads spread out in front of them.
"Ben!"
Ben's father shifted past Luke, and Ben stood up to greet his father.
"You didn't need to leave work, Dad," Ben said, sounding a little embarrassed.
"It's no problem," his father replied. "Were you hurt?"
"What happened?" Luke said, glancing over at Tak. He could see what B-60 had meant about Tak being the worse for wear.
"Who are you?" Tak's father asked, his eyes roving around Luke's face. When no recognition was forthcoming, his gaze narrowed and became a glare. "Were you involved in the assault on my son?"
Before Luke could respond, Aviry attracted his attention by dragging out the chair next to her.
"Sit down," Aviry whispered. "Clearing up this little incident seems to be taking longer than I anticipated. I'll need you to stay here until this is sorted out."
"What happened?" Luke repeated, not bothering to sit.
"Who is this boy?" Tak's father said, glancing in the principal's direction. "Another ill-brought up pleb you insist on exposing my son to?"
"Dad!" Tak protested. He sounded nervous.
"He wasn't involved," Aviry said. "Please, disregard his presence."
"I'm involved now," Luke said, putting his hands on the table and leaning forward towards Tak. "What did you do, you Hutt slime?"
"Luke, sit down!" Aviry repeated.
"Nothing!" Tak replied, shifting back from the table. "Your cousin was just playing hard-to-get."
"What did you just call my son?" Tak's father demanded.
"Gentlemen, please!" the principal protested.
"It was more completely uninterested," Aviry clarified.
"She was hanging around with that weed," Tak pointed at Ben with his free hand. "To try and make me jealous!"
"We were walking along having a private conversation," Aviry explained, "then Tak ran up behind Ben, took his belongings and threw them on the ground."
"He dropped them!" Tak protested. "It wasn't me."
"I then told Tak to pick everything up and apologize to Ben, or he would regret it," Aviry continued.
"Then you hit him?" Luke said, staring back at Aviry in surprise.
"Of course not. He retaliated by pushing Ben into the wall -"
"He fell!" Tak interrupted.
" - and then turned on me, trying to pin me against the wall. Ben, bravely I might add, distracted him by throwing a squashed fruit skin at his head. Tak then tried to head butt Ben, but I pulled him out of the way, and Tak hit the wall head first. I'm surprised he isn't concussed."
"I don't think he has a brain to damage," Luke suggested.
"Enough!" Tak's father shouted. "I won't tolerate another word of this! That boy -" He pointed a white-gloved finger at Ben, "- assaulted my son. Now I don't give this school the amount of money I do to have to put up with such insults! He's an uncouth thug that should never have been admitted in the first place! How many times have I told you people? You can't mix rodents with fireflies!"
"Who are you calling a rodent?" Luke said, feeling his temper starting to wear thin. Aviry yanked on his arm, trying to pull him down into the seat.
"The manner of an Outer Rim yokel, yet the arrogance of Coruscant nobility," Tak's father said, staring at Luke. "Who do you imagine yourself to be, boy?"
"Leave him alone, Dad," Tak said, fearfully. "He's Lord Vader's son."
Luke had to wonder how his father managed to have such influence when he was so far away. The sound of his name caused the previously noisy room to fall silent. It was a good twenty seconds before Tak's father responded.
"Lord Vader?" he said, clearly surprised. He glanced at the principal. "Is this how you operate here? Attempting to bully me into silence?"
"Luke's parentage is not a consideration here," the principal said. "He wasn't even at the scene."
"And you were just suggesting you should be treated differently because you give lots of money to the school!" Luke scoffed.
"So I should!" Tak's father replied. "When it comes to lazy sponges who coast through life on the charity of hardworking people." He gestured at Ben. "My son, who has paid his own way many times over, should be given due respect."
Before Luke could respond, the principal interrupted.
"Perhaps if Ben apologized to your son," she suggested. "The school will increase security patrols in the corridors to ensure this doesn't happen again."
"That sounds reasonable," Ben's father said, glancing at Ben. "I would also like to offer my own apologies."
"What?" Luke said, unable to believe what he was hearing. "This wasn't Ben's fault!"
"Not good enough," Tak's father said to the principal. "I want the boy expelled." There was something about his tone that said he was used to always having his way.
"Sir, I must ask you to consider our position," the vice principal said. "Ben has a spotless record. I am sure you are aware of the numerous complaints we have received about your son from other parents. Please, I beg you, accept his apology and we will all move on."
"Don't apologize," Luke said, pointing behind Aviry at Ben. "It's that sleemo who should be apologizing."
Ben's father was shaking his head at Luke.
"Numerous complaints," Tak's father scoffed. "Jealous vindictive insults. An apology isn't good enough. Either you expel that boy, or I go to the media. And I assure you, they will not let this issue rest. I am friends with all the HoloNet producers on this planet."
"That won't be necessary," Ben's father said, a note of fear in his voice. "I will withdraw Ben from this school myself. Please - I ask you as a parent yourself - don't expose my son to the media."
"You are clearly an intelligent man," Tak's father said. "Very well. It is settled then. He'll leave immediately."
"No!" Luke said. "This isn't right."
"I will take my son home to recover from this violent assault," Tak's father said, gesturing for Tak to stand up. "I expect you to ensure better levels of security in the future."
He herded Tak out of the room, while Luke watched in disbelief. Once he was gone, the principal stood up.
"Captain Jarnet, we will provide you with the appropriate forms. My apologies once again for this incident. We will regret losing Ben. Your son's presence at this school was the only thing keeping our GPA within the top ten percent of this planet."
Ben didn't smile. He'd been staring blankly throughout the conversation.
"I can't believe you're doing this," Luke said, struggling not to shout at Ben's father.
"Luke, please try and understand," Ben's father said, standing up. "I know how weak my attitude must seem to you, but that is the way things have to be. Tak's father is rich beyond the dreams of mortals. He could have Ben and I disappear overnight at the snap of a finger. The HoloNet producers aren't likely to be his friends - they'll owe him millions in gambling debts through his casinos. He could destroy our lives in a matter of hours."
Luke was silent as he took in the words. There was a better solution. There must be. So why couldn't he think of it?
"Don't worry," Ben's father said to Ben, patting his son on the back. "We'll find you a new school. You and Luke will still see each other. Perhaps you should go and collect your belongings while I fill in the forms."
Ben stood up. "All right," he said, sounding resigned to the situation. Luke could tell from his expression that he was burying his disappointment to avoid making his father feel worse.
"We'll help," Aviry said, standing up and giving Luke a gentle push towards the door.
Once they were alone in the corridor, Luke felt his frustration reach breaking point.
"This is all your fault!" he said, turning on Aviry. "I told you that look would only cause trouble!"
"Luke!" Ben said, in a shocked tone. "Is isn't her fault that Tak is an out-of-control nerf with a trillionaire father!"
"No, Luke's right," Aviry said, looking down. "I should have restrained myself. For a spy, I have a problem with being inconspicuous."
"You can say that again," Luke grumbled, under his breath. "What are we going to do? We can't let this happen."
Aviry sighed. "I really don't know. It's amazing how inconsequential I was to that discussion. Tak's father didn't even cotton on to the fact that I, being your cousin, must also be a relative of Lord Vader. I never realized how society regarded young human girls before."
"It's not society," Ben said. "It's just people like Tak's father."
"If my father had been there, it would have been a different story," Luke said, thinking. "Maybe I could convince him to help. When do you think he'll be back from Reeni Core?"
"Could be weeks," Aviry said.
"Blast! He can't do much from there."
"I don't know if he would help, even if he was here," Ben said. "He hates me."
"Not true!" Luke said. Secretly, he wasn't so certain. His father had a variety of nicknames for Ben, none of them flattering.
"Why does he hate you?" Aviry asked, glancing at Ben.
"You know what they say about first impressions. Lord Vader was having a meeting with some important people," Ben explained, "and Luke and I stumbled out of a trash compactor. That was the first time he saw me."
"A trash compactor?" Aviry said, confused. "What were you doing in a trash compactor? Yuk!"
"I'm sure he doesn't even remember that," Luke said.
"He hates me, Luke," Ben said, firmly. "Face it."
"I'll tell you what he does hate," Aviry said. "Men like Tak's father. He'd have gone down gasping in moments if your father had been there. Especially when he found out he owns casinos."
"I don't want anyone killed," Luke said, frowning.
"Well, I for one wouldn't be disappointed if Tak's father met with an unfortunate accident," Aviry said. "Perhaps I should arrange it."
Luke gave Aviry a disbelieving look.
"Hey, it's how we do things on Coruscant," Aviry said.
"No, Luke's right, no killing," Ben said, sounding scared.
"I wasn't serious," Aviry said. "Stars, look at your faces! All right. What's Plan B?"
She stared at both of them, expectantly.
"Speaking of the way things are done on Coruscant," Ben said. "Maybe we could bribe him."
"Bribery? You?" Luke said, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm desperate here!"
"Do either of you have any credits?" Aviry asked.
Luke pulled one ten credit coin out of his pocket. "That's it."
"I don't even have that," Ben said. "I spent my allowance on a new viewscreen."
"I'm sorry, but I think bribery is most decidedly off the list," Aviry said.
"Well, you must have some credits, right?" Luke asked.
"Rolling in them," Aviry said. "But you'd need to own a planet to have the means to bribe Tak's father."
Ben stared miserably at the ground for a moment and then reached for his locker keycard. "I guess that's it then."
"It's not it," Luke insisted, as Ben started loading his belongings into a bag. "We'll find a way out of this! I'll convince my father to help."
"Thanks for wanting to try, Luke," Ben said, giving him a small smile. He looked around the room for a moment. "When I came this morning, I never imagined this would be my last day here. I never realized it before, but I actually quite like this school. Why didn't I just run away when Tak showed up, like any sane person would have?"
"This isn't the last you've seen of this place," Luke said.
They all turned when they heard footsteps, and Ben's father entered the locker room.
"It's all done," he said, shortly. "I'll be waiting in the reception area."
"Wait, Dad," Ben said. "I'm finished here." He closed the empty locker and glanced at Luke. "Can you download all my work off the school network? They'll probably disable my access before tonight. Say goodbye to the teachers for me. Oh - and stop by the dejarik club next week and tell them I'm sorry I won't be joining them for the regional champs."
Luke nodded. "I'll take care of it."
"Thanks, buddy." Ben turned to Aviry. "Bye, Aviry. Thanks for making life interesting around here these last few days."
"I did my best," she said, reaching out to shake his hand. "Take care of yourself."
He nodded, and then turned to follow after his father. Luke stared after him, until Aviry pulled him away.
"Come on. Let's go back to class."
"I don't want to go back!" Luke said. "I want to do something about this. I should start a protest."
"Any stirring you did around here would only put Ben at risk," Aviry said. "Tak's father might reverse his decision to expose this incident to the media."
Aviry was right, and it made Luke more frustrated than ever. How could you defeat someone who was using your friends as leverage?
"Why are you never here when I need you?" Luke complained, staring at the ceiling.
"Excuse me?" Aviry said. "I'm standing right beside you."
"I was talking to my father," Luke said. He paused for a moment, realizing how mentally unstable that sounded. "And … uh … he can't hear me, anyway, so let's just go to class."
"You really think he'd help?" Aviry asked, as they walked into the corridor.
"No," Luke said. "He'd probably say -" Luke switched to an imitation of his father's voice. "I have no interest in hearing about the misfortune of your pathetic excuse for a friend." Luke sighed. "Then he'd probably launch into a lecture about the dangers of friendship. He's against it on principle."
The building that housed the Reeni Core government was shaped like a twisting vine growing towards the sky, with giant circular protrusions at regular intervals on the way up. Hence the 'Bubble Tower' nickname. Vader was very pleased with their progress. His presence had boosted the morale of the exhausted troops. That, combined with the terror the sight of him induced in the enemy, resulted in a speedy advance on the streets surrounding the Bubble Tower.
Before taking the building, Vader briefed the squads that had been selected for this all-important task.
"You may shoot to kill," Vader said, addressing the troops who were gathered loosely around him amongst the smoke and rubble. "The people of Reeni Core have no use for this government now. But President Gysin is mine."
It was more than revenge that motivated that particular order. The controls for the mine field were undoubtedly secured with codes only the president would know. He would rip them from his mind if he had to.
The stormtrooper captain stepped forward. "Sir, how will we know which one is the president?"
The Reenians had a humanoid form, but their skin had the stark appearance of black and white horizontal stripes. It had evolved as a camouflage against the native predators. It also had the effect of making them difficult for those of other species to tell apart.
"In my experience, the leader of a planet is usually the first one seen running for the door," Vader said. "If you are unsure, set your weapons for stun."
He glanced up at the sky above the building, seeing it buzzing with TIE Fighters. The sky and ground were well guarded to ensure there could be no escape for the criminals inside.
He signalled the stormtrooper captain that it was time to go. He responded with a salute, and then turned to his men.
"Squad Delta, with me!"
The troopers sprung into action without a moment's hesitation. They had been fighting almost non-stop for days now, which made this chance of ending the war all the more appealing.
Vader's hand flexed around the grip of his lightsaber. It was about time it had some exercise.
