EPISODE III:

FALL OF AN EMPIRE

ONE

Leia was seated on the floor in Chewbacca's workshop, a wide array of electronic components and pieces of metal and plastic spread out around her. She seemed to be making something, or at least attempting to, but by some arcane means with which Chewie was unfamiliar. She would hold her hands out, palms down, over the items, her fingers moving slightly as if she was feeling for something in the air. Then she would pick up one piece, then another, and attempt to fit them together. Sometimes she would set the pieces aside, as if satisfied, and other times she would shake her head and return one or both of the pieces to the floor before repeating the process, between times referring to notes on her datapad.

Chewie could restrain his curiosity no longer. He growled a question, asking what she was doing.

Leia looked up. "I'm building a new lightsaber. It's difficult. Yoda gave me instructions, but it's more about trial and error, and … well, feeling where everything needs to go. I think it's going to take a while."

The Wookiee yowled again.

"Yoda? He's a Jedi master … he taught Luke. He's dead now, but he visited me through the Force while I was imprisoned."

Chewie spoke again, asking about Yoda, whether he was a small green being, with big ears.

Leia looked quizzical. "Uh … yes, he is. Wait - do you know him?"

Chewie nodded, confirming that Yoda had been on Kashyyyk at the end of the Clone Wars, and that he and another Wookiee named Tarfful had helped him escape when his clone troopers had turned on him. Leia shook her head in amazement. "I had no idea." Then she smiled. "I don't suppose he told you any handy hints and tips for building lightsabers, did he?"

Chewie laughed, ruffling the princess's hair affectionately. He told her Yoda had unfortunately not shared with him any insights regarding lightsaber construction, though he had told him about the crystals.

"Really?"

He nodded, and told her how he had beenwalking with Yoda one day, when they came across a cave where many crystals were growing. Yoda had told him how Jedi use crystals to focus their lightsabers, and said those particular ones would make excellent saber crystals.

Leia stared at him, hardly able to believe her ears. Sometimes, help is found in unexpected places. Perhaps from old friends with knowledge you never suspected. That was one of the last things Yoda had told her. And here it was. She shook her head again, awed once more by the power of the Force. "Can you take me to this cave?"

Chewie barked an affirmative, telling her they could leave right away, but they would need to take the speeder. The area where they had found the cave was far from Rwookrrorro, near Kachirho, where most of the fighting during the Clone Wars had taken place. Leia jumped up, leaving the pieces of her lightsaber-to-be spread over the floor. "Let's go!"

As they travelled, Chewie told her more about the time he had spent with Yoda, how the Jedi master had come to Kashyyyk at the head of a clone army to defend the planet against Separatist forces, and how the clones had betrayed him at the order of the new Emperor. How Yoda had cut down the clones before they could carry out their order, and then how he and Tarfful had helped Yoda escape Kashyyyk in a small ship.

Leia nodded. "My father - Bail Organa - told me a little about that time. He picked Yoda up, after you helped him escape. Chewie, if it weren't for you, he might not have survived to train Luke. Things would be so different now …"

Chewie shrugged, growling that hejust happened to be there, and any Wookiee would have helped Yoda as he did. He was a great warrior.

She nodded again. "He saved my sanity, too. Until he came to me, I was going crazy locked up in the mansion."

Chewie angled the speeder toward the ground, indicating an area where the foothills of a mountain rose from the plain. He couldn't remember the exact location of the cave, but knew it was along there somewhere. He guessed they would just have to land nearby and then search for it.

Once they landed, however, Leia realised the search would not be a long one. Even without trying, she could feel the crystals burning brightly in the Force. It was like they were calling to her. She smiled again, thinking of Yoda. Had he somehow known - that she would come to Kashyyyk, that she knew Chewbacca? He must be incredibly strong in the Force. Perhaps that was the only reason he had told Chewbacca about the crystals all those years ago, because he had sensed his destiny would at some point in the future be entwined with that of someone who would need to know about them. It was awesome to think of it. "This way," she told Chewie. "I know where they are."

The Wookiee followed her, keeping all his senses alert as they walked. Leia was like a hunter scenting her prey, intent on her goal and oblivious to anything else. But that was all right, because Chewbacca was watching her back. He would never let her come to harm. He knew Han would never forgive him if he did. Actually, that was not quite true. Han trusted him to look after her, and Han would eventually accept, if something did happen, that Chewbacca had done everything he could to protect her. It was Chewie who would never forgive himself, just as he would never forgive himself if Han, to whom he owed a life debt, came to harm. He suddenly realised his life debt had grown. It now encompassed Leia, as well as Han. He growled, warning off the few predators - small and not so small - he'd scented following them. None of them were especially dangerous, but he wasn't going to even allow them to get close.

Leia stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. "Yes …" she murmured. "It's close. This way."

Moments later, they were at the cave. Chewie blocked her way with one massive arm. He sniffed and listened at the cave entrance, then, finding no danger, told her to go ahead, he would stay on watch outside.

She touched his arm, thanking him, and started into the cave. The entrance tunnel widened out a few metres in, but it was dark, so she waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust before looking around properly. A pale glow off to her left drew her eyes, and she followed it to the wall. Near the ground there was a clump of aqua-coloured crystals. She crouched down to inspect them, suddenly feeling a little foolish: she'd brought no tools, how was she going to get the crystal out of the rock?

She could still feel them in the Force, like a light in a dark place, one in particular burning brighter than the others. She reached out to it. The moment her fingertips contacted the crystal, it fell right out of the rock. Surprised, she drew her hand back, catching her breath. Then she smiled. "Of course," she whispered. She picked up the crystal. It was perfect. "Thank you," she whispered, not sure who or what she was thanking. Maybe Yoda. Maybe the Force itself.


Lord Starkiller looked up from his datapad as Lord Vader entered the office, then gestured for him to take a seat.

"What do you have to report?" he asked. "Have Senators Chii and Iklodo been taken care of?"

Vader nodded. "Iklodo has been arrested for embezzlement, and is in custody. Chii has been unfortunately murdered, it is believed due to his inability to pay gambling debts owed to a Hutt. Preparations are underway to appoint their replacements."

Starkiller smiled behind his mask. "Excellent. And what of the search for my sister, have you made any progress there?"

"Unfortunately not," Vader told him. "The investigations into the ships which left Coruscant following her … kidnap … have proved fruitless. I have progressed to a more general search, dispatching probe droids to known Rebel-aligned worlds, former Rebel bases and uncharted habitable planets and moons. I would now like to take the Executor and head out to the Outer Rim, so I am closer to the search areas and able to react immediately should any information be obtained."

"Hmm." Starkiller inclined his head. "It seems the most logical plan. But something about it bothers me."

Vader waited, but he said no more for a while. Then he finally seemed to come to a decision. "I'm no longer sure I should trust you in this matter, Father."

Vader evinced surprise. "Why? Have I given you any reason to doubt my loyalty?"

Starkiller seemed thoughtful. "Not as such, no. But something about this feels … wrong. I wonder if your intentions toward Leia are clear."

"They are clear, my son," Vader assured him. "Your orders are to return her to you undamaged, and if this is possible, I will do so."

"It will be possible," Starkiller insisted. "If we allow her to remain free, she will destroy me. She will destroy everything we have fought and worked for. But I don't want her dead."

"What if that is the only way to stop her?"

"Find another way," he said. "I know you tried to kill her before. If you kill her, if anyone else with you kills her, if she dies by accident … if any harm comes to her, you will die. I promise you that. I will kill you myself. Is that clear?"

Vader bowed his head. "It is completely clear, my son. You have my word: Leia will not be harmed."


They left Kashyyyk the next day. Leia knew Vader would track them down sooner or later, and staying on an Empire-controlled planet was just too risky. Lando had sent word that he'd been cleared of any suspicion of involvement in her "kidnap", which she was glad about. But for now, it was safer for her to stay away from any kind of civilisation while she concentrated on preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

They had contacted the Alliance to let them know what was happening, and Madine had sent a small team of commandoes, led by Page, to meet up with them. They'd taken refuge on Ealor, an abandoned Outer Rim world. Ealor had once been host to a civilisation, though it had died out long ago, no-one knew why, leaving behind only ruins and wilderness. But it was a comfortable enough place for them to make their temporary home.

Once they were settled, Leia had immediately resumed work on her lightsaber. Most days, Han and Chewie hardly saw her at all except at mealtimes. She was making progress on it, and it was finally beginning to look like something that could eventually become a lightsaber. But it was all she did. Han understood that it was important, but after a week of it, he was beginning to wonder if it was healthy for her to be so consumed by it. He wandered into the starboard hold, which she'd adopted as her workshop, and stood just inside the door, watching her work.

After a few moments, she looked around at him, amusement in her eyes. "Hello," she said, brushing loose hair out of her face. "What's up?"

Han shrugged. "Nothin'."

She smiled. "You're bored, huh? I'm sorry. It's my fault we're stuck here."

He came closer, sat down on the floor beside her. "No, it's okay," he told her. "I know we have to stay out of sight for a while, that's not a problem."

Leia reached up to touch his cheek. "Then what?"

He shook his head, smiling slightly, as he leaned in to kiss her. "It's late," he whispered. "Why not leave the work for tonight?"

She gave him a wistful smile, taking his hand and knitting his fingers with hers as she spoke. "Han … I don't know how much time we have … I don't know how long it'll be until Vader finds us. And I don't know how long this is going to take. I have to be ready …"

He nodded, sadly, wishing things were different, but understanding. "Okay, sweetheart." He kissed her fingers. "If I'm sleeping when you're done, feel free to wake me up." He winked at her, and she smiled that shy smile he loved.

Leia watched him as he left the hold. A large part of her wanted to go with him. While she was on Coruscant, she'd missed him so much, and now that she was back with him, she couldn't find the time to actually be with him. It seemed unfair, and yet she knew it was how it had to be. She knew time was short. She knew the danger was real. And she knew she had to be ready to meet it when it arrived. She had not used a lightsaber in over eight months, and she urgently needed to start training again. She stretched, loosening her tense shoulders, and then turned back to her work. Just another hour …


Han returned to the main hold, where Chewbacca was playing Dejarik against Page, and C-3PO was amusing himself - and irritating them - by giving a running commentary on the game.

Chewie growled as he entered the room, and Han shrugged. "I tried, pal, but she won't leave it. She's determined to get that lightsaber made as soon as possible."

Page looked from the Wookiee to Han. "Well, you know, if Vader does find us, I for one would rather have a fully-armed Jedi knight in the party than otherwise."

They both had to concede his point, though reluctantly. Han sighed, taking his seat in the console chair.

"I'm tired of all this waiting around," he mumbled.


Starkiller turned to the comm station. "Lord Vader, what do you have to report?"

"Nothing yet," the Dark Lord told him. "We have had reports from many of the probe droids we sent out, but none of them as yet have reported any signs of Rebel presence, or given me any clues to Leia's location. We will continue our patrol, and as soon as we have any information, I will pass it to you."

"Of course you will," Starkiller said, sounding sceptical. "I sense great conflict in you lately, Lord Vader. Are you still sure your feelings on this mission are clear?"

"They are perfectly clear," Vader insisted. "I will find Leia, and when I do, I will return her to Coruscant for you to deal with her. There is no reason for me to do otherwise."

"I will not tolerate her coming to any harm," Starkiller insisted. "You will do only what is necessary to bring her back to me. No more."

Vader inclined his head. "Your orders were clear, my lord. There is no need for you to restate them every time we speak."

"There is need when I sense your reluctance to follow them," he said. His voice was low, but it carried an undercurrent of threat which fed Vader's own anger.

"You are mistaken," he growled. "I will find your sister, and when I do, I will return her to you."

"Very well." He deactivated the comm, and Vader turned away from the holoprojector, clenching his fists. Starkiller was overstepping the mark more every day. He was becoming dangerous. Some day soon, Vader knew his son would turn on him. His anger faded as his sadness grew. This was not how he had intended it to be. This was not how it was meant to be. They were meant to work together. They were meant to bring peace, not cause more conflict. The Force had told him … he shook his head. The Force had told him to work with Leia, that was what it had told him. He had been asking the wrong questions all along. He had asked who should rule the galaxy, and the Force had told him it did not matter … as long as Leia was involved. He had ignored that, thinking they could do just as well without her. But she was the key. She was the nexus around which it all revolved. He saw his mistake now, and it all became clear. Why he had hesitated to kill her. Why Luke couldn't let her go. Why he couldn't kill her now.

He would have to find her, and when he found her he would somehow have to convince her to put this right. Whatever the cost to himself. She was the only one in the galaxy who could. She was his last hope.


Leia closed her eyes, and hefted the saber hilt in both hands. She was almost there, she could feel it. It had been a strange process. Each piece she had added had increased the potential of the weapon, and at times she had had to stop working just so she could take it all in. It was almost frightening, feeling the power it held, and at times she wondered how she could have taken her old saber so lightly. Luke had made it for her, and she valued it for that, as she did any heartfelt gift; but beyond that, it was just another weapon, albeit a very good one. But this one was different: it was a part of her, in a way the other never could have been. She understood now why Yoda had told her the building of a lightsaber was the traditional last task of the trainee Jedi.

She was close, then, to becoming a real Jedi knight, for really the first time, and she hesitated. She wasn't sure she was ready. She wasn't sure she could trust herself with the power. All the doubts she had had when Luke had first asked her to train with him returned, and this time even more strongly. Last time, she had doubted herself because she was Vader's daughter. She didn't want to end up like him. Now she also had the example of Luke to add to that. And yet, if she refused this challenge, she would be giving the galaxy to the Sith as surely as if she had worked with them every step of the way.

It was time.

She opened her eyes, and reached for the crystal she'd found on Kashyyyk. It seemed to resonate in her hand, the infinitesimal vibration of its atoms aligning with her heartbeat. She took a deep breath, and fitted it into its chamber, fastening the hilt closed around it. The saber positively thrummed with potential now. She stood up, holding it out in front of her, and activated it. It sprang into life, the pale aqua blade dazzling in the dim light of the hold. She gazed into the light, and a vision came to her: she was standing with Darth Vader, with him. They were not fighting, they were … allies. They were working together for a common goal. And she had an overwhelming feeling that it all made sense. Everything came together, all the pieces slotting into place at last. She searched for more detail, some further insight, but the vision faded.

She frowned, deactivating the saber, confused. And yet, she still felt that overwhelming sense of knowing. She had been shown the path, or a part of it, at least. All she had to do was find her way onto it.

She attached the saber to her belt, at the same time becoming aware of some kind of commotion in the main hold. Realising it had been going on for some time, she hurried down the corridor. Han and Page were having an animated conversation, while Chewie howled over both of them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Han turned to look at her. "Well, that's one argument settled," he said. "They wanted to tell you straight away, but I didn't want to disturb you while you were working."

"Tell me what?" Leia said.

Page jumped in. "One of my guys just destroyed an Imperial probe droid, a few kilometres from here," he told her. "Looks like you were right about Vader tracking us down."

She nodded. "Good."

"Right," Han began. "Let's start getting things loaded then, we don't know how much - wait - good?"

Leia nodded again. "I need to talk to Vader. It might as well be sooner rather than later."

Han and Page looked at each other, then back at her. "Have you gone mad?" Han demanded. "We've been hiding from the guy for weeks, and now you want to talk to him?"

"We were hiding because I wasn't ready, Han," she told him with exaggerated patience. "I'm ready now."

His eyes flew to her belt. "You finished it," he said.

"Yes. And making it has helped me understand a lot more things than I understood before. I know what I have to do. I need to talk to Vader, so I can't run. But that doesn't mean everyone has to stay."

Han was shaking his head. "Oh no, no, no," he said. "There's no way I'm leaving you alone to face Darth Vader."

"Nor me," added Page. "He won't come alone. If you're determined to speak to him, you'll need someone to hold the stormtroopers off while you do it."

Chewie also added his determination to stay, with an emphatic bark. Leia looked round at each of them, again humbled by their loyalty to her. "Thank you," she said quietly.


Vader felt a surge of irritation as the comm sounded in his meditation chamber. He activated the comm, selecting audio-only. "I gave orders I should not be disturbed."

Admiral Piett sounded impatient. "Yes, my lord," he said. "I apologise, but your standing orders were to inform you immediately should any evidence of Rebel activity be gathered by the probes. We just received these images, from Ealor, in the Bysis system." A viewer activated, showing a man, unmistakably a Rebel soldier, spotting the probe droid on the other side of the camera and aiming a blaster at it. An instant later, the image collapsed into static. A wave of certainty filled him, exactly like the one he'd felt when the images of the Rebel base on Hoth had arrived on the Executor.

"You have done well, Admiral," he told him. "That is exactly what we were looking for. Set your course for Ealor."

"Yes, my lord." Piett closed the connection.

Vader took a deep breath. He had a few minutes before the Executor entered hyperspace, and he knew he should use it to contact Luke and tell him of his discovery. But something stopped him. If he was unable to capture Leia, Starkiller would be angry, far angrier to know that Vader had had her and lost her than if Vader had never found her at all. He reached into the Force, seeking insight, but found only more uncertainty. Everything was hanging in the balance. His encounter with Leia, he realised, would be pivotal to all their fates, and indeed, to the fate of the entire galaxy.

He withdrew his hand from the comm. This was certainly not something Starkiller needed to know right now.


Initial scans of Ealor had revealed nothing close to the level of technology required by a major Rebel base, and Vader used that discovery as a reason to take only a small squad of stormtroopers down to the planet with him. Piett had tried to argue, of course, but to no avail. He knew who was in charge, and even he dared not go so far as to suggest that Darth Vader did not know what he was doing.

They landed the shuttle near the location from which the probe had sent its last transmission. "Fan out," he told the stormtroopers. "If you see the girl, do not engage her. Inform me of her location and track her. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my lord."

He waited as they moved out, stretching out in the Force, searching for traces of Leia. Her presence came back loud and clear, and he started. She was looking for him! That was unexpected.

He began walking in her direction, thinking as he did so. Her presence was guarded, she was giving nothing away. But for her to be looking for him, she must have a plan. He fed his impatience to the Force, strengthening himself with it. He would find out what her intentions were soon enough …


Leia looked at Han. "He's here," she said. "Heading this way, alone. The stormtroopers are spreading out through the forest."

Han pulled out his comm, quickly apprising Page of the situation. "What's your plan?" he asked Leia.

"You help the others," she told him. "I have to face Vader alone."

"If I've told you once -" he began, but she cut him off.

"It's me he wants," she insisted, already walking in the direction where she'd sensed him. "He's not interested in you, or anyone else. There's no point you risking your life."

"I could risk it with Page, or I could risk it with you," he told her. "You know which one I'll choose, sweetheart."

Her expression softened, though her voice didn't. "Fine," she said. "But when we get to him, stay out of the way."

As they walked, Han realised they were heading toward a large crater they'd explored in their first few days on the planet. Some ancient primitive civilisation had built a circle of massive standing stones down there, and it gave the place a weird atmosphere. Even he had felt some strange power in the stone circle, and it had given him the creeps. He rolled his eyes. Of course that would be where they were going. You couldn't ask for a more perfect setting for a confrontation between two of the most powerful, mystical people in the galaxy. He glanced at Chewie. The Wookiee gave a soft moan, confirming his own opinion.

Leia paused, reaching for his hand. "He's close," she whispered, nodding as Han indicated the crater. "Stay up here," she told him. "Don't get any stupid ideas, you can't help me down there."

Han looked at her, wanting to say a million things, unable to get any of them out. She gave him a tight smile. "I know," she whispered, and kissed him quickly. Then she was gone, running down into the crater. Han took up position on an outcropping at the edge of the crater, motioning Chewie to a rock nearby. At least he could cover her from a distance. At least he could see what happened this time.

Leia paused halfway down the side of the crater. "I'm here," she called to the Dark Lord. "You don't need anyone else. Call off your men."

Han couldn't suppress a shiver as Vader stepped out from behind one of the standing stones. He held his lightsaber in his hand, unlit, as Leia did.

"Good," he said. "It is you I wanted to see, Leia."

"I know why you're here," she told him. "I know what you want. But I'm not coming back with you. I've had enough of being a prisoner. I've had enough of being powerless."

"You were never powerless," Vader said. "You were the only thing restraining Starkiller. Since you left, he is becoming … uncontrollable."

"You created him. You must have known this could happen."

The Dark Lord shook his head. "He created himself. I merely enabled him. I believed I was steering him in the right direction. I was wrong. He has not brought peace to the galaxy. He has not brought balance to the Force. Only you can do that."

"No," Leia insisted. "None of us can do that. No one person can bring peace, or balance. That makes no sense. The only way to bring peace is to give the galaxy back to the people."

They were close now. Vader ignited his lightsaber, and a moment later Leia followed suit. "You were there at the beginning," she told him. "You helped create the Emperor, and the Empire itself. You sought to control the galaxy. But the galaxy resisted, and brought down your Emperor. You should have realised then. But you tried to replace him, and all that happened is that you created something worse. That was inevitable. It's not the holder of the position that's wrong, it's the position itself, and the whole system. Your plan was never going to work. I told you this from the beginning."

They circled each other, slowly. "Yes … You saw that all along," Vader agreed. "That is why you resisted us." She could almost see him thinking as he paced. "That is what the Force was warning me of when it told me to choose you over him. I have failed, my daughter. I tried to bring peace, and I have only created a monster, in the form of my own son."

He attacked without warning, without even any change in the tone of his voice, but she was ready for him. Han clenched his teeth and gripped his blaster tighter as their lightsabers clashed. He didn't want to watch, but he couldn't look away.

The last time they had fought, Leia had been overwhelmed. But the work she had done with Yoda had taught her much. Last time, he had been too strong for her, but now she saw how to use his strength against him, and use her own smaller size and faster speed to confound his tactics. But she soon realised Vader was not really fighting her. His intention was not to kill her, or even to subdue her so he could return her to Coruscant. He merely wanted to force her into attacking him, put her in a position where she would have to take him down. He wanted her to kill him.

She disengaged from the fight, springing back out of range. He hurled his saber at her, still lit, and she held out her hand, redirecting it with the Force so it buried itself harmlessly in the ground.

"I see your plan," she told him. "It is foolish."

"It is the only way," he insisted. "Strike me down, and your way to your brother is clear." He fell to his knees, bowing his head.

She thought about it as she walked slowly toward him. She could be rid of him forever, and he would never be able to hurt her, or anyone else, again. It was what she had intended for so long. But the path no longer seemed as clear as it had. Kill Vader, she had thought. Kill Vader, and his hold over Luke is broken. But he no longer had any hold over Luke. Starkiller was the one giving the orders now. Vader merely did his bidding. He was no longer the master.

She looked from him to her saber, paused a moment, and then deactivated it, feeling a wave of confusion from Vader as she did so. "No!" he exclaimed. "You must! It is the only way."

She looked down at him, her face impassive. "Some things we agree on," she told him. "Luke has to be stopped. And dealing with him is my responsibility. But it's too late for your death to make any difference."

"Then what?" he demanded. Anger was beginning to consume him again, as it always did when he didn't understand.

"Let me go," she said simply. "Return to Coruscant. Tell him you saw me, but I escaped you. Tell him I will come to him when I am ready. Tell him if he fights me, he will lose." She paused. "Tell him, Father. And when I do come, do not get in my way."

And then she simply turned and walked away from him. Han watched in astonishment as Vader retrieved his lightsaber and then pulled out his comlink, telling his troopers to return to the shuttle, they were too late, their target had fled the planet.

He ran to meet her as she reached the lip of the crater. "What the hell -?" he demanded.

She merely shook her head. "Let's get out of here."

As they followed her, Han found himself seeing her in a whole new light. This woman, barely more than a girl really, had just faced down Darth Vader, the most feared man in the galaxy, told him to stay out of her way, and Vader had meekly complied. He shivered, realising he was probably looking at the most powerful person in the entire galaxy right now. Did she know that was what she was? She showed no sign of it. He exchanged a glance with Chewie, seeing his partner was just as intimidated.

Leia looked round at them, sensing their unease. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Han blinked at her. "Oh, I don't know. Just - in what dimension is telling Darth Vader what to do no big deal?"

Leia smiled humourlessly. "Even Dark Lords of the Sith can see reason sometimes," she told him.