"Yes, my Master."

Vader rose and turned away from the holovid. He had just arrived at the construction site for the new Death Star, but already plans had changed. Luke had finally escaped. The Emperor was convinced he was headed to the palace of a Hutt on Tattooine. And the Princess would be on her way there soon as well, to rescue her dashing Pirate Captain. All the time he'd spent waiting for these events to unfold, and now he had to scramble to catch up. He walked out of his chamber. "Prepare my shuttle."

The officer at the doorway jumped. "My Lord? You just arrived."

"And now I am leaving. This station's progress is acceptable. Another commander is on his way to make sure there are no setbacks."

"Yes, my Lord." Hours ago, Vader had been harshly declaring that the construction was behind schedule, but the young officer wisely had no wish to argue or question the logic of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

.

A shuttle went whizzing past the viewport of the Millennium Falcon as Lando transmitted the authorization codes he was given by Rebel agents. "Alliance agents," he corrected himself aloud. The Alliance to Restore the Republic didn't care for the term "rebel" much. In any power struggle, all sides believed theirs was the most legitimate claim. Only being the winner ever mattered, though.

"Shuttle Tiderious, you are cleared to land."

Lando swiveled his seat around to face the others. Jan Ors' arms were folded, her head tilted to one side. "So what's the plan?" she asked.

"We'll have to impersonate a work crew. That ought to enable us access to a few key places where we can plant those explosives. I'll do all the talking."

"You? Why you?"

Lando grinned. "Know any better bluffers than a successful gambler?"

Kyle was unimpressed. "Maybe. But go ahead, this is your show."

Chewbacca howled a question that Lando had been thinking about the entire trip. "Uh… You just hide aboard the ship until we need backup or something."

Lando marched down the ramp, haughty sneer firmly in place. He mustered all the authority he had learned to wield running Cloud City as he stopped at the foot of the ramp and inspected the soldiers lined up on either side. One of them stepped forward and saluted him. "Moff Vansen?" the soldier asked.

"Er… Of course." Lando had planned to be the work crew chief, but this was much better!

The soldier shook his head in wonder. "We didn't realize you'd be here so soon. Lord Vader just left, but he said we were right on schedule and you should have no trouble."

Lando resisted the urge to rub sweat off his face. Lord Vader? Just left? He wondered how much more luck one man could have in a single lifetime. He could certainly use this. "That may be good enough for Lord Vader, but I expect the Empire's Finest to be ahead of schedule!"

"Yes, sir. We'll take care of your… Um… Ship."

"She'd better not get a scratch on her!" Lando affectionately patted the Falcon's old, battered hull. "Also, I have very rare and exotic items stored in there. I trust they will not be disturbed."

"No, sir. Who are they?"

Jan and Kyle had crowded onto the ramp behind Lando. "I'm glad you asked that," said Lando. "This is my team of experts, who will inspect every inch of this operation and make at least fifty recommendations for how to improve efficiency."

Jan walked up to the soldier, sniffing. "Banning use of cologne would cut morning prep time at least two percent, your Excellency."

Lando turned to the soldier. "Make a note!" He then nodded at Jan. "Good start, engineer. Forty-nine recommendations to go, and bonus pay to every suggestion over number fifty!"

.************************************************************************************

Of all the weapons Luke had found in the vault in the Imperial Palace, the light saber with the yellow-gold hue fascinated him the most. Even now, on Nar Shadda, he couldn't help switching it on when he was alone to look at it. As he gazed at the golden glow illuminating a dark alley, a voice spoke from behind him.

"There's a pretty large bounty on those things these days. I'd be more careful where you shine that."

He recognized the voice without turning. "Finally saw your true potential, huh?" He turned to grin at a certain woman with red hair. "You know, I never did get your name."

She hesitated, hundreds of aliases she'd used on assignment flitting through her mind. "Mara," she finally said. "Mara Jade."

"You know, Mara, this crowded place is actually a good environment to start training your sensitivity. The Force surrounds us, penetrates every living thing. The crowds here will overwhelm you, but I think you can overcome them and find individual minds if you practice diligently."

"Diligence I can do."

"I thought so. Now, still yourself. Right here, right now. Stop doing, stop thinking and just listen."

Mara sighed, closing her eyes and emptying herself the way her trainers had taught her since she was a child. Breathe. The crowds of the smuggler's moon were jumbled with every emotion imaginable. Luke was right – it was overwhelming. Breathe. She could sense Luke, just like she was sometimes able to sense what the Emperor was feeling. She decided that was cheating; he hadn't moved since she'd closed her eyes. Breathe. Her head turned slightly, and she opened her eyes, looking directly at a passing Rodian. The alien started to cower when it noticed her gaze.

Mara turned to Luke, her scowl vanishing momentarily. "You know, I think I did feel something there."

Luke flashed her a grin. "So begins your Awakening."

.

It had been a long time since Leia had felt such impatience. She arrived with Yoda at the rendezvous point with the Alliance fleet only to learn that Katarn and the others had not yet returned from their own mission. Would they ever come back? How long should she wait for them? Leia would have preferred to set out for Tattooine and at least survey the area while waiting, but Yoda was adamant.

"Wait for your friends, we must. Crucial to your success, they are."

So she found herself wandering the medical facilities, trying to learn more about the restorative technique that had brought Yoda back from the brink of death. She found it could heal wounds, but she was not strong enough in the Force yet to experiment with more dramatic ideas, like re-growing limbs or organs.

"There you are, your Highness!"

Leia tried not to grimace at the well-meaning droid. "Here I am."

"May I have a word?'

"Of course, Threepio. What is it?"

"Artoo and I were simply wondering about… Master Luke. Is he ever coming back?"

Leia rubbed her cheeks with the palms of her hands. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she had almost forgotten about him again. "If he could have gotten away on his own, I'm sure he'd have been back with us by now."

"I see, your Highness."

"The best we can hope for at this point is to somehow find out where he is and get him out of there. Unfortunately, nobody's been able to find out anything at all. I hate to say it - I hate to feel like I'm just abandoning Luke, but I have to focus on things I can do something about."

"Namely, Captain Solo?"

"Exactly."

"Is there any way I may be of assistance?"

Leia smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Is there anything you can tell me about the planet Tattooine, or about Jabba the Hutt?"

.

Lando woke with a start, and was horrified to realize the meeting was still in session. The Junior officers continued to drone on with their endless reports, clearly not even aware that he had dozed off. Or perhaps just not daring to notice. He'd had to deal with meetings on Cloud City, but Imperial bureaucracy was an entirely different animal. He looked up and saw a couple of familiar faces in the doorway he was facing. Smiling, he stood and silenced the officers. "That will be all for now."

"Yes, sir."

He walked over to the doorway where Jan and Kyle were waiting for him. "I will conduct a visual inspection of the outer armor of this station from my own ship, now that the engineers are done with their interior inspection."

"As you say, sir. Your escort will be ready in ten minutes."

Lando frowned. "Escort?"

"Well, yes. Of course, sir."

All his bluffing experience couldn't come up with a reasonable objection. "Indeed. Yes. Very well."

In the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon everyone was giddy. "I swear," Kyle said, "we planted enough explosives to blow the thing out of space ten times over!"

Lando glanced out the viewport. "Someone will need to take care of the escort."

Chewie howled and Jan said "Got it" simultaneously. Kyle looked between the two of them and shrugged. "Go get 'em." He put his feet up on the empty seat in front of him as the others left.

"How long do we have?"

Kyle checked a chronometer. "I'd say about…"

The ship was rocked by an explosion behind it. Lando grabbed the arms of his chair as Kyle lounged with aplomb, feet up and hands behind his head. "… Now."

.

Vader regarded the mechanical eye that protruded from the wall curiously. How reasonable the Hutt was willing to be could have far-reaching implications for the future of his New Empire.

The massive door opened, and Jabba's pig-snouted Gammorean escorts came out, bowing and scraping. Not quite as stupid as they looked. Vader ignored them as he entered the dark passageway, his long strides forcing the guards to scurry to lead the way. Jabba himself would not be intimidated by his presence, Vader knew. But the crime lord's minions certainly would be.

All music and motion stopped as the Dark Lord of the Sith stepped into the Hutt's audience chamber. A battered droid stepped forward. "To what does the mighty Jabba owe this… Rare honor?" Jabba and his people spoke in Huttese, as Hutts always do. Vader hadn't bothered to learn the language, as Imperials never do. This was but one example of the reasons the two groups preferred to pretend the other did not exist, despite each being a clear threat to the other's power. Fortunately, Hutts often dealt with creatures too poor or ignorant to learn their language, and the local Jawas were always willing to sell a scavenged protocol droid at a discount.

Vader saw no reason to indulge in pleasantries. "The Empire is willing to pay handsomely for the use of these facilities, for a brief time. And the carbonite smuggler you recently acquired."

"Credits Jabba has. Amusing decorations are much harder to come by."

Negotiation. Vader had never had much patience for it – nor need. "Imperial intelligence is not always accurate. It would be a shame if they accidentally identified a rebel base on a remote planet in the Outer Rim."

The Hutt swung its arm irritably, catching the droid on its shoulder. As it stumbled, the droid gave Jabba's reply. "The Empire has been efficient and clever in avoiding such unpleasantness in the past. The Cartel is not likely to understand, let alone forgive such things."

So that was how it stood. Open hostility, if not all out war with the Hutt Cartel. Over the worthless carcass of a smuggler who would not ever use the Force. Perhaps the new Death Star would be worth completing after all. "Your co-operation with my forces is preferred, but not necessary," Vader replied.

Jabba's swat caught the droid fully on the back of its head and sent it sprawling to the floor, several circuits flying loose and sparking on the translator's chassis. For a few long moments, the only sound in the room was the respirator in the Dark Lord's mask. Finally the droid's lights flickered back on, and it got back up to deliver the latest translation as if nothing had happened. "Operations of yours are dangerous and destructive. Jabba was on his way to Nar Shadda for a long-overdue vacation, but the Cartel will be watching any misuse of property or possessions very closely."

Vader had little confidence Jabba's 'palace' would remain intact during the capture of his daughter. He was certain she would be even more formidable than Luke had been, and his preparations took that into account. "A fair payment for any damage will be offered, beyond the price agreed upon today." He would have to insist on Jabba taking all his thugs with him on his 'vacation'. He and his children must be alone when they faced each other.

.

Leia stood outside the door of the bunkroom, trying to go through the Jedi meditation techniques. Complete calm would be required here.

She knew she should be happy to have Yoda's trust to take care of this, but she was a little angry he was not going to help her at all. This was more complicated than moving a pile of rocks! One last deep breath, and she knocked on the door.

"Yeah, what is it?" The voice on the other side sounded irritated.

"Leia Organa, Kyle. May I come in?" Seconds dragged on as she waited for a response.

"What is it?"

Impossible man! "Something far too sensitive for me to shout through a reinforced door! If you're busy, I'll come back another time."

The door opened immediately. The mercenary inside looked up from his datapad and scowled. "If you're that eager to threaten continued pestering, I might as well get it over with now."

"Good to see you too," she remarked as she entered the bunkroom.

"Whatever this is, it has to be better than discussing my latest mission with the Grand Rebel Committee."

I don't have time to discuss this with a committee!

Leia took a moment to gather herself as Han's words came back to her. She wasn't sure what was frightening her more: the possibility that Yoda would force her to choose between Han and becoming a Jedi, or the fact that the pain of missing Han was starting to fade. She was already beginning to move on, and she hated herself for it.

"I am not a committee," she muttered with a smile.

"What? I never said you were, Princess." Leia lifted an eyebrow as Kyle tried to stifle a snicker unsuccessfully. "Now what's so sensitive that you can't shout it in an empty corridor?"

"A gift," said Leia, tossing something at him, "from your father."

Kyle stared at the light saber hilt after snatching it out of the air. "What kind of sick joke is this? My father died only a few years ago. He was never any Jedi."

"True, but hardly the whole story, is it? And I believe I've learned a thing or two about losing people in the last few years." Kyle winced at her tone – only an entire planet, including her father, not to mention countless comrades-in-arms since the Rebellion started - but Leia continued. "I doubt even you were blind enough to claim your father never knew any Jedi."

"Okay, so this belonged to a friend of his. Why give it to me?"

"There is a reason these are signature weapons, Kyle. Very few creatures in the galaxy have the reflexes and bodily control required to use one of these effectively without calling on the Force to enhance their abilities. For the sake of clarity, humans are not one of those rare species."

Kyle scowled at the cylindrical object in his hand, unable to meet Leia's gaze.

"You were right, by the way."

Kyle did look up at that, just as Leia was turning to leave. "Right about what?"

"Balance is the key," the princess replied over her shoulder, waving her own light saber hilt at him. "Just like you showed me."

The door shut behind her, and Kyle was free to fill the room with curses.

.********************************************************************************

Two hooded figures hurried through Mos Eisley spaceport. One turned to the other as they went outside into the streets. "How do I know I can trust Vader?"

Luke turned to Mara with a smirk. "You can't. But I can trust you to take care of yourself."

Mara snorted. "I'm not invincible, you know." She turned away, hiding the biggest smile she'd had in a very long time. After a moment, she asked another question. "You're sure he's already here?"

Luke sighed. "Being family makes it much easier, but you really ought to be able to feel him yourself, this close. Reach out. Feel the air around you. The tension. The aura of the planet. Vader creates great turmoil in the Force, wherever he goes."

Mara chuckled. "Not even the Force likes him. Nice."

Luke tried not to show annoyance. "The turmoil he brings is his own. He is conflicted within himself, therefore the Force around him reflects such upheaval."

That seemed a little too much to the former Emperor's Hand. "What does the Force reflect about me, then?"

It was Luke's turn to smile. "No, I'm not going to get into that. There's no time. Maybe later."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I've been right so far, haven't I? Why shouldn't you believe me?"

"So what's the plan?" She wouldn't be surprised if she had to come up with one for him on the spot.

"He seems to be expecting Leia to come to him, which can only mean he's already in the palace. Perhaps in control of it."

"So we join forces with him?" Not something she was looking forward to.

"Again, no time. She's on her way. We'll just have to infiltrate whatever Vader's doing and try to be in the right place at the right time."

She already knew Luke was impulsive, but this was ridiculous. "That's what you call a plan?"