STAR WARS: A NEW DECEPTION
This chapter is now posted: Thanks to my wonderful beta DarthGladiator45
Chapter 10
STAR DESTROYER…
Vader hasn't come to the bridge for two standard days.
It was a relief for the crew. No depletion of the ranks for two days!
As previously instructed by Lord Vader, the Destroyer was heading to the Bespin system.
"Code 3 X 10 AB4, requesting communications with Lando Calrissian." Admiral Piett spoke over the commlink.
BESPIN
Lando Calrissian pressed the digital panel. His fingers were trembling… he remembered the day, months ago, when his illegal enterprise was discovered by the Empire…by Lord Vader himself!
Lando was aware of the Dark Lord's destructive powers. He begged for the life of his crew and his own, he swore he would be indebted to the dark lord for life and that was the best luck he ever had. He was a gambler and he knew the odds of surviving an encounter with Darth Vader were pretty slim. He had played the best Sabacc game of his life…
The Dark Lord agreed upon leaving his enterprise secretly….for a price:
LANDO'S POV"Your facilities and services shall be at my disposal whenever I wish, I will send you a coded message and you will immediately give me access to your base." The dark lord had said…
"Yes, Lord Vader, my services are yours." Lando had replied…
"Code 3X 10 AB4," the imperial soldier handled the code to Lando….and for his momentary relief, the imperial stormtroopers along to the dreadful dark lord had left….
Lando pushed the memories aside…this was now happening…
"Permission granted." Lando replied through the commlink.
STAR DESTROYER….
Vader was meditating…
Memories of the Princess' mind probe the walls she held. It reminded him of the conversation he had with Padmé all those years ago, "Are you going to use a Jedi Mind Trick?"
"No, those only work on the weak-minded; and you are anything but weak-minded." The untamed power of a father to an unknown daughter his enemy. For the first time in almost two decades his heart felt pain. Her eyes pierced through his soul, but it was not Organa's eyes, the eyes that burned his heart were Padmé's…his angel.
He was fighting the conflict on his mind. He had a son who was working for him behind enemy lines against his own daughter. It disturbed him greatly having his son betray his own sister. While he was deeply tapping in the Force to find strength to deal with this predicament, he sensed a burst of fear…it was Captain Needa approaching the hyperbaric chamber.
"What is it?" Vader's deep voice echoed around the room. Instilling fear that was already present in Captain Needa; causing him to have difficulty in standing at attention.
"My…m-my Lord, we have arrived to Bespin."
"Prepare the crew for an imminent formation of a garrison here." Vader replied.
"Yes, milord." Captain Needa bowed and left, grateful that he was leaving with the sweetness of breath in his lungs.
ECHO BASE – HOTH
"I am glad to see you're fully functional, master Luke." Threepio cheerfully spoke.
Luke smiled. "Thanks, Threepio." Luke replied and walked towards the hangar.
He saw Chewbacca fixing up the Millennium Falcon, Han greeted Luke from the other side, "Hey kid!" Han Solo shouted excitedly.
"It's good to see you!"
"Hi, Han." Luke replied. "Why are we going back to Sullust?"
Luke asked.
"You know. The Imps have been there before. We get to use the base again…they would never suspect." Han smiled. "They ain't gonna look twice, you know."
Chewbacca growls as he shakes a hydrospanner at Han to get him motivated to help.
"I'll be right there, Chewie!"
"That is very interesting. I suppose the next base would be Hoth?" Luke asked with interest.
"Nope….too soon; we would go back to Ord Mantell or Dantooine."
"Interesting." Luke said mostly to himself. He made a mental note to inform his master about this.
Chewbacca growled again.
"I'm coming!" Han spoke. "You take care now, kid." Han said and left to help his friend.
Luke walked along the hangar bay. Most of the ships had already left, except for the Falcon, his X-Wing, Leia, Wedge and three others.
He took his X-Wing and Artoo was already secured in the droid socket.
"Let's go, R2." Luke entered the cockpit and reached hyperspace. He started to override the astromech unit's piloting mode.
R2D2 beeped several times as the binary language was translated to Luke over the computer monitor in Basic.
"We are not regrouping with the others. I want to pilot myself."
He remembered the vision on Hoth…
As he set the course to Dagobah, he was determined not to fail his master for he knew that the consequences would be most dire. He placed his hand over the lightsaber and continued to pilot through the dark stars…
He had a Jedi to kill….