Landing Bay 65
The Death Star
In orbit around Maridun
Luke Skywalker stood very still in the middle of a large landing bay. Large to him, at any rate. Perhaps this was a small bay for the Death Star but everything about the Death Star was supersized.
When he'd come out of hyperspace a few minutes ago, he'd been hit with a powerful surge of emotion at the image hovering in near space. It just seemed wrong that something mechanical could be so enormous.
The space around Maridun in general, and the giant battle station in particular, was filled with ships of various shapes and sizes – some were clearly Imperial, many others were transport ships and cruisers used for pirates and smugglers and other individuals connected with Dalam Enterprises.
By the time he had 'woken up' from his semi-stupor, his ship was surrounded by Imperial TIE fighters; apparently; showing up in an X-wing was like waving a green flag at a roggwart. His ship had been caught in a tractor beam moments later, and now he was under arrest, hands chained, stormtroopers surrounding him.
A long minute passed, and then the far doors slid open. The officer to Luke's right stiffened noticeably, and the youth could feel the troopers surrounding him shift in their mechanical boots.
A moment later, the Dark Lord of the Sith strode through the doors, his mechanized respirations echoing through the bay. Luke caught his breath in spite of himself; the holo sent by R2M3 had been encouraging in that it seemed his father was inclined favorably toward him. It occurred to him now, perhaps too late, that he had fled the Devastator with his father's greatest enemy, the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Vader might not take kindly to that.
Vader stopped a meter from Luke and bent his blank mask down at him. Luke returned the look boldly. There was no point in being a quivering bowl of blue milk pudding, after all. After a measuring moment, the Sith turned to the officer.
"My Lord, the Rebel came out of hyperspace 10 minutes ago and was tractor beamed in. He was not armed, and has refused to answer any questions thus far."
"Very well," the cyborg responded coldly. "I will deal with him myself."
Luke had always been able to sense the feelings of at least some sentients around him, and he felt the surprise of the officer and some of the troopers. But naturally no one was stupid enough to say anything.
"Come," Vader ordered him, and turned to leave. Luke trailed after him out the bay, into a corridor, and then into an elevator.
Once the doors slid shut behind them, the Dark Lord reached out his hands, touched Luke's manacles, and a moment later they dropped to the ground.
"Thanks," Luke said, a trifle awkwardly.
"Are you all right, Son?" his father asked, concern bleeding through the vocoder.
"Uh, yes, I'm fine."
"Why are you here? Did the Rebels do something to you?"
Now the deep voice was definitely suspicious.
Luke groaned aloud, "Yes, they did. They were so worried that I, the son of Darth Vader, might come to some harm that they took me off flights and put me on sims, apparently with the long term plan of wrapping me carefully in shaak's wool in the middle of a war. I had to get out of there."
The armored figure noticeably relaxed, and his tone, when he spoke again, was amused, "I see. And that was the only reason?"
Luke hesitated, but decided on honesty, "R2M3 has been communicating with Leia's droid, R2D2. I got a holo of ... of Mom crying because she missed me. I felt I should come here to be with her."
He stopped, shyly, then continued quietly, "And to be with you."
He was startled when his father's large hand landed on his right shoulder.
"I am very glad you are here as well," the Sith said sincerely, "and your mother will be delighted."
The elevator door slid open and Vader guided Luke out and to the right along a long gray corridor with the occasional door breaking up the monotony.
"Is Mom doing all right?" Luke asked worriedly, "She's brilliant, I know, but this was quite a change for us. How is she managing in a giant battle station, surrounded by Imperial military members?"
"She's managing very well, Luke," his father replied, his tone pleased. "In fact, she's keeping everyone in a near constant state of activity. Including me."
They halted at a door as it slid open. Padme stood just inside.
Fiercely, she grabbed her son and pulled him inside, hugging him tightly.
"I'm so glad to see you, Luke!" she said with tears in her eyes.
/-
Mon Mothma's private office
The Liberty
10 parsecs from Meridun
"You did what?" Mon Mothma asked incredulously.
Leia lifted her chin and stared directly into the eyes of the Alliance leader.
"Bypassed protocols and gave Luke clearance to leave. He's on the Death Star now."
There was a choking noise from Breha Organa, and Carlist Rieekan was clearly dismayed.
"Leia, do you realize ..." the General, who was one of her mentors, shook his head and turned to Jan Dodonna. "We need to move the fleet. It's a good thing we just took on that load of fuel!"
Leia shook her head in irritation, "That isn't necessary, Generals. Vader won't attack us just because Luke Dalam isn't here on the Liberty."
"You can't know that," Mothma said with a disappointed sigh. "It is all too likely that the only factor staying Vader's hand is that we had his son under our protection."
"And you still have his daughter," Leia responded firmly.
"Leia!" Breha cried out in horror.
"No, Mama," she said affectionately, "this has been a secret for long enough. We shouldn't broadcast it to the galaxy, but Rebel High Command should know the truth. It's a significant factor in our dealings with Darth Vader and Padme Amidala."
"Vader and Padme have a daughter?" Dodonna demanded blankly.
"Yes, me," Leia returned promptly. "I'm Luke Dalam's twin sister."
There was a minute long pause, and then the heads of Mon Mothma, Carlist Rieekan, and Jan Dodonna swiveled to gaze at Bail and Breha Organa. Kenobi, who was sitting in one corner of the room, seemed to shrink slightly.
"Padme was very ill after the birth of the twins," Bail explained weakly. "Indeed, we were certain we would lose her. Breha and I had long talked of adopting a baby girl so we took Leia ..."
He trailed off at the expression on Mon Mothma's face. She rose to her feet now and took a step toward her old senatorial friend.
"You took Darth Vader's daughter," she stated in a dangerous tone.
"We thought ..." Bail said miserably. "Obi-Wan said Anakin, Vader really, had died on Mustafar. It was some weeks before Vader appeared on the galactic scene and of course we were very much in love with Leia by then. We couldn't imagine giving her up, and we hoped, perhaps foolishly, that Vader would never learn about her."
"It's just as well he did learn about me, " Leia said wearily. "It is fortunate that he recognized me on the Tantive IV or I almost certainly would have been subject to one of his infamous interrogations."
Breha winced as Mothma spoke, "How did he recognize you?"
"I was on Siskeen watching over Luke and Padme from afar, without their knowledge;" Obi-Wan Kenobi interpolated. "Leia knew I was there and fled to me with the Death Star plans. Vader was on planet searching for the head of Dalam Enterprises at Palpatine's behest. He found Padme, she told him she had borne a daughter named Leia, and Vader recognized Leia on the Tantive IV. I was able to rescue the twins, but as I said, Padme refused to leave Anakin."
Mothma took a deep, cleansing, calming breath, then looked straight into Kenobi's eyes, "Which is it, Jedi Kenobi? Anakin Skywalker, or Darth Vader?"
The old man sighed, "Where his family is concerned, he is more Anakin than Vader, though a temperamental, obsessive form of Anakin. Though my former padawan was always rather obsessive, I suppose, about people he cared about. It's a complicated situation but I agree with Leia; so long as she is here, Vader will take care not to unleash wanton destruction on the fleet."
"But he might possibly attempt to abduct her?" Rieekan asked worriedly.
"Oh no you don't!" Leia exclaimed.
Her elders stared at her in bewilderment.
"Don't do what?" Dodonna asked reasonably.
"Lock me up to keep me safe," she returned indignantly. "That's what partially drove Luke to leave!"
"How did he find out about our plans to protect him carefully?" Mon Mothma asked suspiciously. "That was a top secret meeting!"
Leia hesitated, then came clean, "R2D2 told him."
Kenobi coughed, then chuckled, "That droid! He was eccentric when he was Anakin's droid, and he's only gotten more odd with age."
"Memory wipe, perhaps?" Rieekan asked hesitantly.
Leia's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Don't you touch my droid!"
The Organas chuckled, but Mothma's eyes were distant.
"Kenobi, you believe that ... that Vader will be very careful to keep Leia safe?"
The old Jedi hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, I am quite certain of it."
"Then perhaps the time has come to contact Padme again, General Rieekan. The Death Star is a veritable storehouse of treasures. Given the situation, I believe we have more to risk by hanging back then by moving forward."
Bail spoke up now, "But you will remain safely away from there, Leia. We won't lock you up in a comfy padded cell, but let's keep at least one of your biological family away from that floating death trap."
She frowned hideously, "How boring."
/-
Random warehouse
Random city
Lucazec
Outer Rim
The Rodian gazed at Han Solo, then down at the crates of portable heaters at their feet.
"You must understand, Captain Solo, that prices ebb and flow with galactic supplies. The decrease in my offered price is regrettable ..."
"Don't give me that bantha fodder," Solo interrupted, "20,000 credits, no less."
The rather bulbous eyes crinkled in what was probably amusement, "I think you will take 14,000, Solo. The alternative is that you receive nothing."
He and his two companions, one a Barabel, the other a Twi'lek, promptly pulled their blasters and pointed them at Solo.
A moment later, the Barabel was on the ground with a large hole in his chest, and the Twi'lek was on the ground, groaning in pain from a shot to the shoulder.
The Rodian trader had dropped his blaster as soon as the shots began emanating from the upper balcony of the storehouse, and now he raised his hands up very high.
"My apologies, Solo," the Rodian accent was stronger now that its speaker was nervous. "I will indeed pay you the 20,000 credits immediately. It is a fine cargo."
"Yes, it is. Transfer the credits now," Solo said, his expression grim.
He watched, his own blaster joined with Chewbacca's in pointing at the sentient, as the trader quickly typed data into a holopad. Solo checked his account and noted the transfer had gone through.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you," the smuggler said drily, and nodded toward the dead Barabel. "Sorry about the mess."
"Let's get out of here, Chewie!" he called out, and backed his way onto the Falcon's ramp. A moment later, the Wookiee had descended from the catwalk and was also aboard the ship.
"Let's get out of here before that double crossing bantha finds another way to mess up my life."
Within minutes, the Millennium Falcon had soared into the night sky of Lucazec, into orbit, and then into hyperspace. They were safe.
Solo twisted the knots out of his shoulders and placed a hand on his giant copilot's shoulder.
"Thanks a lot, Chewie. You saved my life again."
The Wookiee patted him on the shoulder, then asked a question.
Solo grinned, "Yeah, it's enough. Jabba is paid off, and as soon as we touch down on Corellia I'll move the money to Dalam Enterprises. It'll feel good to finally be out of debt."
Another roar, and Solo frowned, "Really? When did that come in? I guess it doesn't matter."
He wandered into the main crew area, grabbed a flask of Corellian ale, and collapsed into his favorite seat. For a long moment he closed his eyes and relaxed as he drank down a few sips of the good stuff.
It was really really good to be out from under Jabba's fleshy thumb. He'd take care to never be indebted to the Hutt again. What he would do next wasn't entirely clear, but he'd take care to stay out of Hutt businesses as much as possible.
With a sigh, he opened his eyes and stabbed a button on the com board in front of him.
"Captain Solo, this is Padme Dalam," the recording said, causing Solo to sit up in surprise. Dalam was contacting him directly?
"I have a rather special job for you, based on your history and your fast ship. Please let me know if you are interested ..."
/-
Imperial Palace
Imperial City
Imperial Center
"Vader is doing what?" Emperor Palpatine hissed, his yellow eyes blazing with incredulous indignation.
His agent twitched in fear, but managed to keep his quavering to a minimum, "Tearing the Death Star apart, your Highness, according to several smugglers and galactic scum who have contacted us for a reward."
Palpatine gritted his aged teeth together, the fury temporarily almost overwhelming him. For his precious Death Star to be torn apart like so much scrap metal ..."
"I want Grand Admiral Thrawn on the com, immediately," he snarled.
/-
Padme Amidala Naberries Skywalker Dalam's quarters
The Death Star
"I see it, Luke," Vader commented as he stared at the Death Star plans on the terminal. "A thermal exhaust port which leads directly to the reactor system."
Luke nodded, "Dodonna said that a direct torpedo hit would destroy the Death Star."
"Indeed ..."
There was a moment of contemplation, and then Vader continued, "A fascinating flaw. It is either a great oversight or deliberate. In any case, yes, the Death Star can be destroyed though it would be a difficult shot."
"I can make that shot, Father," his son responded confidently.
The Dark Lord turned his focus on Luke. The boy was assured but not arrogant, which led the Sith to believe that yes, Luke could make the shot.
Not that it would likely be necessary ...
"I have more experience, my son, and thus I should do it."
"But ...," Luke hesitated, then continued, "Ok. But what about Mom? I can target a thermal exhaust port, but I can't really protect her if, you know, things get complicated."
Vader's heart thumped on, but his mechanical chest twinged painfully.
"An excellent point, Son. I will keep her safe, I promise you. And you will be my back-up. We'll analyze the situation carefully and you can practice on sims while we wait for the Emperor's fleet to arrive."
A door slid open and Padme stepped out, a slight smile on her face.
"How did that go, Mom?"
"It went well," she said, walking over and staring at the terminal, her brow wrinkling slightly. "Bail openly admitted that many are nervous about our intentions, but they'll be sending numerous ships to help strip the Death Star of supplies and valuables."
"Is Leia coming?" her son asked hopefully.
A shadow crossed her face, "No. Bail said she will be staying on the Liberty, safe from harm. I suppose I can understand that given that Palpatine's forces will likely arrive in days ..."
"He does not trust me," Vader stated coldly.
"Should he trust you?" Padme asked with a lift of one eyebrow. "Admit it, if Leia was at hand, wouldn't you want to grab her and put her in your own protective custody?"
Wife and son stared at him until he admitted, "Yes, I would."
Author Note: Many thanks to my wonderful beta, my husband!