Imperial Corvette Disruptor
Obi-wan Kenobi jumped forward with his lightsaber, and deflected a blaster bolt back into the hapless stormtrooper who had fired it. The man fell without a cry. Kenobi stretched out his Force sense and found no additional hostiles close by.
The retreat back to the landing bay of the Disruptor had been relatively peaceful, as the majority of men on board seemed disinclined to confront Darth Vader regardless of his level of disability. Kenobi was thankful that he only had to deal with periodic attacks from one or two men at a time, not a concerted effort on the part of the remaining Imperial troops.
Kenobi was feeling his age. This entire fight was stressful on so many levels.
How had he ended up here? He was supposed to protect the Skywalker twins, not let them dragoon him into mounting an insane rescue mission for their Sith Lord father!
With a sigh, he glanced at the Sith Lord in question. Vader (Anakin?) was definitely not doing well. He had seemed unsteady back in the control room, and now he was positively lurching along. Still on his feet, yes, but fading quickly. He had obviously sustained significant injuries during the battles of this day. Furthermore, Kenobi knew that Vader had been injected with some drug – no doubt something vile given Palpatine's predilection for such things. He briefly touched the left pocket of his robe. He had broken off the needle and closed off the vial so that it could be given to a medic. Perhaps whatever it was had an antidote. And thankfully, most of the liquid in the vial was still there, so Vader hadn't gotten much of it. Whatever it was.
At that moment, Vader stumbled. Luke, who was obviously already bonded to his sire, had moved to his father's side before the misstep and put a determined and wiry arm around his father's body, trying to support him.
Leia moved to Dark Lord's other side. Kenobi shook his head slightly with both amusement and dismay. The children were so short compared to their father that it seemed a hopeless case for them to actually support the giant mechanical body but actually…Kenobi frowned…they weren't doing a terrible job. Both were stronger than they looked.
Which was to be expected of the twin children of Anakin Skywalker.
Vader didn't seem to agree though.
"My children, I am slowing you down too much," he gasped, "Please, leave me. Save yourselves."
Leia unleased her most ferocious scowl, though it was unlikely her father could see it, "Don't be ridiculous. We're not far from the Millennium Falcon and we're definitely not leaving you here."
Kenobi hesitated. He could try to pick Vader up with the Force, but he was tired and couldn't possibly protect the group and carry Vader at the same time. And carrying a sentient with the Force was somewhat challenging, especially when the individual was already injured. It was all too easy to clasp the person too tightly, causing further damage.
Solo suddenly spoke up, "Wait, I've got an idea."
/-/-/
Emperor's Dominion
Main Command Center
From Darth Sidious's perspective, this day was not improving.
He was beyond angry now. Beyond furious. Beyond incandescent with rage.
Back in the days of the Old Republic, annoying things had happened frequently to him. He'd had practice coping with internal irritation when the Senate did something stupid, when Senators Amidala and Mothma muttered on and on about democracy and justice, when the Jedi had pontificated about the Light Side of the Force and service to all.
He'd been used to it back then. He'd built up an outer shell of charm and diplomacy while stewing in anticipatory rage over his plans to destroy the Republic and create the Empire, with himself at its head.
He had to admit he'd gotten rather soft in that respect. It had been at least 15 years since anything really enraging had happened to him. The Jedi had fallen. Anakin Skywalker had fallen (to the Dark Side.) The Death Star had been built. The Rebel Alliance had even proven a lovely excuse for building up his military to its current levels.
All had seemed entirely right in the galaxy until a few short weeks ago, when his previously loyal servant had gone completely to the shaaks.
And over a son. Over a pathetic, 19 year old, farmboy.
And to add a major insult to the injury of losing the Death Star, the attempt to capture Vader had been a near fiasco.
Palpatine had watched with admittedly some trepidation when his special troops had broken into the command center of the Disruptor and attacked Lord Vader. The video feed had been from a holocam mounted on one of his men; indeed, this particular aide had been tasked with injecting Retolivan 96 into Vader after he was disabled.
The Emperor knew his (former) apprentice to be a powerhouse in the Force and though he sensed the man was injured, Sidious wasn't confident that his own troops would prevail.
But all had worked beautifully. His trained men had distracted Vader from the doorway, which had allowed a perfect shot with the electromagnetic pulse device. He had kept a slew of them on hand for some time now, ready for the day when his apprentice would seek to overthrow him. They had been carefully calibrated based on the mechanics of the suit, the suit that Sidious himself had put the former Anakin Skywalker into 19 years ago.
The aide was just injecting Retolivan 96 into Vader when the door had burst open and that blond guttersnipe had torn in, waving his lightsaber around with only moderate skill. But then that old man, Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi, had stormed in as well, plus the irritating Princess of Alderaan (accompanied by a requisite thug) and the aide had been incapacitated almost immediately, knocking out the video feed.
He could sense through the Force that his former apprentice still lived, though the man was weakening rapidly. But the boy was a bright beacon, and Kenobi seemed to be positively blooming as the tides of the Force shifted irrevocably toward the Light.
Totally exasperating.
He couldn't afford to allow Vader to live, nor Kenobi. That was entirely too risky.
The boy would need to be sacrificed. A pity.
"Destroy the corvette Disruptor," he rasped.
"Yes, Your Highness."
/-/-/-/-
The Corvette Disruptor
Vader clenched his teeth in exasperation. He was weakening more and more, unable to steadily put one foot in front of another even with the support of his children. And Obi-wan, who should have known better, was just going on with this ridiculous rescue attempt. Why didn't they leave him behind?
There was a sudden roar, and a gigantic Wookie suddenly appeared in his rather wavering vision. To his stunned amazement, the Wookie abruptly clasped large and hairy arms around his upper torso.
There was a confused babble and then he found himself, to his incredulous dismay, being carried rapidly down the corridor with the Wookie carrying his upper body and his twins carrying his legs.
Some small part of his mind, the part that was still Anakin Skywalker, laughed at the indignity of it all. The holonet tabloids would have had a field day with this holovid.
But he was fading, fading, fading. Fading from exhaustion, from his injuries, and from the small amount of Retolivan 96 which had been injected into his bloodstream.
The last thing he saw before he lapsed into unconsciousness was a ramp leading up into the battered hull of the Millennium Falcon.
/-/-/-
The Disruptor rocked under external fire.
"What's going on?" Luke demanded, panting heavily as he helped carry his father up the ramp of the Falcon.
"Palpatine has no doubt ordered the destruction of the Disruptor," Obi-wan shouted, "We need to leave now!"
"We're already gone," Solo shouted as he ran for the controls of the ship. Obi-wan followed him, uncomfortably aware that he couldn't do much. Flying unknown ships was Anakin's gift, not his. But just in case Solo needed another pair of hands…
Chewie, Luke, and Leia successfully hauled Vader's now unconscious body into the main lounge of the Falcon. With a grunt, Chewie laid him gently on the floor, as there was no bed large enough for the giant Sith Lord, and then ran off to assist Solo.
"I think he's unconscious," Leia said worriedly.
Luke nodded, "He is. I don't know what is wrong, but he's obviously injured."
"Should we remove his mask?" Leia asked doubtfully, "I know Han has some oxygen among his medical supplies."
(Han? Hmmmm, Leia had obviously moved past the 'Captain Solo' phase of their relationship.)
Luke forced himself to focus on the matter at hand, and considered for a long moment.
"No," he said finally, "I don't think we dare try to take off his mask or do anything specific for him. His medical issues are so complex. I am going to try to link with him through the Force and if I can help him, I will. So don't worry if I get a little weird."
Leia smiled slightly in an effort to relieve the tension, "You are always a little weird, big brother. Ok, go ahead. But don't get so deep that you can't pull yourself out."
Luke nodded and lay down next to his father, putting a hand on one prosthetic arm. He closed his eyes, and sank deeply into the Force.
In the cockpit, Solo had the engines up and the ship lifting from the hanger bay even as the Disruptor rumbled more under external Star Destroyer fire. Kenobi felt the terror of the men trapped behind on the ship, but there was nothing he could do about them.
If they survived this themselves, they would be doing extraordinarily well.
The landing bay floor disintegrated just as the Falcon burst from the bay opening.
"How are the shields, Chewie?" Han snapped at his Wookie copilot, who had joined them.
The accompanying roar was apparently positive, as Solo replied, "Good!"
"Better hold on, old man," he added, "This is going to be a bumpy ride."
Kenobi nodded and quickly headed for the lounge. He could do more good now helping the Skywalker clan.
He found Vader and Luke lying on the floor next to each other, Vader clearly unconscious, with Luke in deep meditation. He sensed the bond between the two, and that the younger man was pouring his love and strength and healing presence into the battered body of the former Anakin Skywalker.
Or perhaps the present Anakin Skywalker? His old friend was changing so fast that perhaps … perhaps he was truly back into the Light.
The old Jedi grandmaster Yoda would say that was impossible, that a Sith could not come back, but Kenobi was inclined to think he was wrong. The power of love and compassion and grace could, apparently, break into the darkest heart.
Leia spoke in a hushed tone even as the Falcon rocked dramatically under them, causing them all to shift toward the back wall of the ship.
"Do you think this is safe for Luke?" she demanded worriedly.
Kenobi knelt down and closed his eyes, ignoring the buffeting of the ship from the blasts raining on them from outside in space.
Luke was so strong. Not well trained yet, but he was as much a powerhouse as his father. Obi-wan had never felt the young man's raw potential so intensely.
He opened his eyes, "Luke is fine, Leia. Don't be alarmed for him. Vader is very weak and struggling. He was injected with something before we rescued him. Possibly a poison, possibly some kind of control drug. I have the vial so we can give it to our medical staff when we arrive at the Liberty."
Leia sighed and put what could be construed as an affectionate hand on Vader's other arm, "I only hope we're in time. Vader is very important to Luke. And Mother."
(And you? Obi-wan wondered.)
The Millennium Falcon gave one final lurch, and then the occupants of the lounge felt the ship make the leap into hyperspace.
They had made it.
/-/-/-/
Emperor's Dominion
"Order this ship and the Imperial Fleet back to Imperial Center, Admiral Zutar," Palpatine hissed.
The new Admiral Zutar carefully stepped around the bodies of his three former superiors and, after nervously clearing his throat, began giving orders to the Fleet.
The Emperor cast a last disdainful look at the smoking bodies of the three command staff and stalked angrily off to his temporary, though thoroughly luxurious, quarters.
Killing his men with Force lightening had reduced some of his ire, and he was able to think more clearly now.
So, Vader had escaped, and Kenobi, and the young Skywalker.
The Death Star was destroyed.
Sidious's hands tightened into claws. This would send a shock wave throughout the galaxy, there was no doubt. He would need to discuss this with his propaganda staff as soon as possible to mitigate the effects of Vader's treachery and the Death Star's destruction.
Given the battle station's fate, perhaps it was best that Alderaan had not been destroyed. There was no direct evidence that the Death Star had been a planet killing machine. With proper massaging of information, the galactic trillions could largely be convinced that she was an agricultural station, or a medical station, or something benign and beautiful. And the evil Rebel Alliance had ruthlessly destroyed it, and its million occupants too.
Well, that wouldn't work since most of the million had been evacuated to Krylon. Because Vader didn't want to kill the men before destroying the Death Star? What had happened to the man? He had been brutal, ruthless, hard hearted, cruel – the sort of apprentice Sidious could be proud of. And now? Weak, compassionate, caring, even loving.
It was enough to make him nauseous.
Or perhaps the nausea was from the poor handling of the Emperor's Dominion as the ship prepared to go into lightspeed. There were several awkward jerks and Palpatine had to use the Force to stay steadily on his feet.
He was tempted to reach into the command center and kill the pilots from afar, but that would probably result in even more incompetence. His men were definitely spooked.
With a muted sigh, the Emperor entered his quarters and sat down on his luxurious bed.
This day had been so exasperating that sleep seemed rather appealing now.
He pulled the covers back and rolled into bed.
However, for a long time, he lay flat on his bed and stared at the ceiling, seething silently.
Someone would pay for this.
/-/-/-/
Millennium Falcon
"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh Princess?" Solo said as he swaggered out of the cockpit, "You know sometimes I amaze even myself."
Kenobi chuckled softly to himself even as he carefully wrapped Luke's injured arm with gauze. Luke was still in a hibernation trance so didn't notice. Fortunately, the blaster shot had indeed merely grazed the youth, and it would heal quickly.
"That doesn't sound too hard, Captain," Leia said as she stood up, "You appear to have such a good opinion of yourself that I'm sure you 'amaze yourself', as you put it, all too frequently."
Kenobi interrupted before the tiff could escalate.
"We are deeply appreciative of all you have done, Captain Solo," he said genuinely, "And we are most grateful to Chewbacca as well. Where are we headed?"
"Back to Yavin…and before you say anything, I didn't set our course straight to Yavin. We'll drop out of hyperspace and set a new course in about 2 hours. We'll be there in less than 6 hours."
"Good," Kenobi said, and looking down at Vader and Luke, added, "I only hope we're not too late."
"What's wrong with him?" Solo inquired.
"We're not sure," Leia said gravely, "He was injected with something just before we burst into the room. Obi-wan has the vial and we hope there will be an antidote."
"And what about the Kid? Is he all right?"
"He's assisting his father," Kenobi explained, "They have a strong Force bond and Luke is pouring his own strength into Vader."
Han Solo stared at them, a frown gathering between his eyebrows. Finally he said, "I'm just going to say it. In a career that has brought me back and forth across the galaxy at least 50 times, you are the strangest family I've ever come across."
Leia sighed, "You're not wrong."