Wicked Dreams
by epithree

Chapter 21: Episode at Dagobah

Dagobah

The men of legion alpha were ready to take action, and their leader, commander Kotaza, gave the order to open fire upon the Slave I. "All guns... fire!" The command reverberated loudly through the Dagobah jungle. Lodged between two gnarled trees, the firespray class vessel seemed unoccupied to the formidable team of clonetroopers.

Along the perimeter of the clearing, twenty-four skilled men bombarded the Slave I with red laserfire. Behind his helmet, commander Kotaza grinned. He found the high-pitched sounds from the rifles and cannons to be rhythmically satisfying. There was an artistic quality to the alternating flashes of light from around the jungle border.

While the first volley of bolts rocked the targeted ship, twelve other troopers, designated group one, assembled rocket launchers on the opposite side of the clearing. Among the talented group, commander Kotaza watched as the Slave I withstood the onslaught of blasts.

The commander immediately realized that the craft's forward shields were operational. He had assaulted enough ships in the past to confirm the observation. Not hearing the satisfactory sound of laserfire against durasteel, Kotaza became perplexed. The Slave I was supposedly abandoned. 'How could the shields be up?'

Red beams continued to pour out of the two dozen weapons. Each bolt struck the shields of the protected ship with a dim green flash. This indicated that the shields were close to depleted, so the commander did not call off the assault. He knew that the shield would eventually give.

As the shots impacted against the forward shields, commander Kotaza's attention was drawn to the center of the Dagobah clearing. He gazed at the ominous spot, and he didn't know why. Quickly, he shook away the temptation to keep looking, and focused upon the Slave I once more. The ship had still taken no damage. Suddenly, he felt compelled to stare at the spot again. It was as if he had no control.

Although the shields were holding, the Slave I finally jostled slightly. However, the commander was unaware, for his eyes were transfixed upon the central area of the clearing. There, the hanging Dagobah mists began to swirl. All around, the winds kicked up, causing pieces of vegetation to fly through the air.

The commander couldn't explain what was happening. "Hold your fire!" he yelled, anxiety noticeable in his voice. All of the perimeter clonetroopers let go of their firing studs. The laserfire stopped, replaced by an eerie howling of wind. These clones would never get the chance to send a second volley of blasts. They would never have the opportunity to break the shield, for they all began to lose their balance, swaying from the gale.

Staring at the center of the clearing, all of the troopers felt their energies siphoning towards that single spot. The swirling mists had morphed into what seemed to be a tiny vortex of pure energy. Heat swelled outwards from the strange eddy, which soon augmented to form a larger ball quaking with power.

The troopers of group one were ready to launch their rockets, but gazed at the bizarre phenomenon instead. This strange miracle was unfolding right before their very eyes. The hot sphere grew larger. Kotaza and his men felt a slight gravitational tug and took their last look at the Dagobah clearing. The wind stopped, and was replaced by a brief silence that tormented the soul of each trooper.

Then, it happened. The magnificent ball of energy detonated. Every clonetrooper was blasted away from the clearing, and sent through the jungle at high speed.

'How is this possible?' There were very few things in the galaxy that could shock Qui-Gon Jinn. However, his most recent feat was one of them. Slinking into the pilot's chair aboard the Slave I, the Jedi grand master rubbed his eyes and nose furiously with one trembling hand.

There was no explanation. He had just known what to do. 'How could an explosion of that magnitude happen with just a mere snap of my fingers?' Puzzled, Qui-Gon sat there and peered out at the now empty Dagobah clearing. Questions continued to assault his reeling mind. He had performed the task just by *looking* at the spot.

Qui-Gon's new powers were enough to actually scare the seasoned Jedi. He wanted answers, for he had never known force abilities like this before. The Jedi master stopped pondering as he was reminded of his urgent situation by Eethree's beeping from the engine room.

Just before the spectacular detonation, Qui-Gon had seen the clone commander making a holo transmission, and he now sensed several force-sensitive individuals approaching the clearing.

The rattled Jedi was even more uneasy about the condition of the Slave I. After the clone bombardment, the forward shields had been reduced to only ten percent of the maximum hold. 'At least the rocket launchers were blown away with the troopers,' Qui-Gon told himself. Then, he sprang out of the pilot's seat.

Qui-Gon Jinn left the cockpit to check on Eethree's progress with the repulsors. The loyal droid beeped that the repulsor system would be back online in half a minute. 'A lot can happen in thirty seconds,' Qui-Gon thought. 'Just think about the last seven minutes.'

Suddenly, the ship jostled once again. Qui-Gon grabbed Eethree's dome in order to maintain his footing. 'The force explosion must have dislodged the craft from the trees.' The Jedi master was right. Slave I began to slide along mossy branches.

Qui-Gon dashed back to the cockpit. The vessel slid awkwardly until it was free of the gnarled trees. Thrown back against the bulkhead, Qui-Gon stared out the viewport as the vehicle fell towards the muddy surface of Dagobah. He no longer saw the clearing, for the craft had tipped over, making the viewport face upwards. Luckily, the repulsors went online just before Eethree went flying towards the back of the engine room.

Recognizing the familiar whine of the repulsors instantly, Qui-Gon used the force to influence the main controls of the Slave I. The ship turned to its vertical position once more and Qui-Gon quickly made his way to the pilot's seat. Using mechanical arms to push off the floor and right itself, Eethree went to work on the hyperdrive unit as Qui-Gon had commanded.

The soft rains had stopped and a thin mist clung to the surface as Qui-Gon flew the Slave I into the clearing. Slowly, the firespray class vehicle began to ascend. The Jedi master would have to rely upon the force if he was going to navigate upwards through the mighty branches and foliage. Even with the force as his ally, Qui-Gon wasn't sure if the Slave I could take much more damage. 'There must be an easier way to get off-planet.'

Then, an idea struck Qui-Gon. 'All I have to do is follow the clonetroopers' path back to their transport.' The clone transport ship had sliced its way through the foliage, making way for the imperial shuttle that had just landed. If he flew the Slave I to that landing area, Qui-Gon could then get off-planet unobstructed. Of course that would mean flying by the individuals that were headed towards the clearing, and those people were clearly force sensitive.

'Was Obi-Wan's claim accurate? Had Darth Sidious actually been aboard that shuttle?' Obi-Wan Kenobi had warned Qui-Gon through their force bond. The message had journeyed through the cosmos all the way from Mustafar. Qui-Gon knew that the dark lord's force signature was unmistakable. It had been etched into the Jedi master's mind on the day they had battled.

However, Qui-Gon was still unsure. And considering the day's events, it was quite apparent that anything was possible through the force. Lord Sidious just might be masking his dark side presence.

The pair of bounty hunters, Boba Fett and Dengar, had broken off from the group of imperials. They had been trailing so far behind the pack that Sidious took no notice.

A young Boba was sprinting north through the dense jungle, and Dengar did his best to keep up. Just moments ago, they had heard Palpatine's order to destroy the Slave I. Boba had immediately taken off northward, positioned just west of the Dagobah clearing.

Dengar knew what his colleague was up to, and he cursed the stars that they were a team. Boba dared not ask the emperor to spare his ship, so he was acting upon instinct. He was going to attempt to enter the clearing from the northern side, where he could hopefully intercept the Slave I before the clones destroyed it.

Unfortunately for Boba, he was only halfway along the improvised route when he heard the shots from the clearing. The clonetroopers had opened fire upon his one and only ship. 'Damn!' the bounty hunter thought to himself. Then, he realized there was something amiss about the sounds he heard.

'Those blasts are hitting shields!' He had come to know the distinct sound. Boba knew that the bolts of laserfire were not making contact with the hull of his sleek vessel. He quickly opened the piece of armor upon his left wrist. This revealed the keypad that allowed him remote access to the Slave I's systems. Sure enough, the display next to the keys told him that the forward shields were activated.

'What?' The determined hunter was surprised. Still sprinting at top speed, Boba took another glance at the tiny display. A message was blinking in a brownish-orange hue. It indicated that the Slave I had two occupants; a droid and a human. 'Who the hell repaired my ship?'

At this stage of the game, Boba decided that it didn't matter who was controlling his ship. Whoever it was had just saved the Slave I from destruction. Before the bounty hunter could ponder anything else, he felt an intense heat emanating from the direction of the clearing. Next, a sharp explosion reverberated from that area as well. The mighty sound was unrecognizable to Boba. 'What was that?'

Suddenly, Boba could see blurs of white through the thick foliage. What happened next baffled him to the core. As his sprint continued, Boba noticed clonetroopers falling from the trees above. Plowing through branches, and careening off of solid bark, these troopers seemed to have been thrown outward from the clearing.

Boba ignored the moans of each clone, and finally reached the northern edge of the Dagobah clearing. Looking ahead, he saw the Slave I ascending at the center of the large area. 'They won't make it off-planet that way,' Boba hypothesized for himself. 'The branches and foliage are too thick.'

Glancing at his wrist display again, Boba noticed that the forward shields were at ten percent. He blew out a sigh of relief when he saw the Slave I alter its course and head for the southern path rather than try to escape straight up. Just then, a panting Dengar caught up to his temporary partner.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Dengar questioned. "It's raining clones."

Boba responded with his typical brand of sarcasm. "Thanks for the insight."

"Damn it, Boba!" Dengar wasn't in the mood for his peer's attitude. He was going to voice his opinion about Boba's most recent strategy. "I can't believe you broke off from the main group!" The panting continued. "Do you know what Palpatine is going to do to us?"

"That's *my* ship," Boba said sternly as he stuck his t-shaped visor in Dengar's face. "And *nobody* is going to destroy it!" The raspy electronic voice was adamant. "Besides, he doesn't even know we left."

Now curbing his speech, Dengar spoke much more quietly. "What do you intend to do?"

"Reclaim my ship before it reaches the landing site." Keeping his eyes upon his vessel, Boba began to traverse the clearing.

Dengar followed. "Don't try it," he pleaded. "I'm beggin' ya Boba." The bounty hunter was beyond scared. "There's no way you can do that without Palpatine knowing!"

"Good point," Boba declared to Dengar's surprise.

After a brief pause, Dengar spoke up. "Why don't you just use your wrist communicator to shut off all systems?"

"That won't work," Boba explained. "Palpatine would just reissue the order to have it destroyed." Boba's hand went to his chin. "The only option is to let them escape."

Relieved, Dengar exhaled. "Now that's smart."

"Don't get too comfortable." Boba stared at the other bounty hunter. "We're going after them. Now pick up the pace... we have to plant a homing beacon on the hull."

Dengar's shoulders slumped. "But Palpatine is never gonna let us go after them!"

"Just relax," Boba said coolly. "I have a plan."

Darth Sidious had exited his special class imperial shuttle with tremendous confidence. However, his self-assurance was shaken when clonetroopers started raining upon the muddy surface of Dagobah. They were falling awkwardly from out of the trees.

Palpatine, and his six elite protectors, had nearly reached the clearing when an intense heat blasted towards them from the northeast. The blast was accompanied by a loud explosion, and at that moment the emperor felt a great disturbance in the force.

The crimson-clad guards were assembled around Palpatine in a diamond formation, none of them knowing what had transpired.

Darth Sidious knew.

The dark lord was instantly aware that the explosion had been created by use of the force. Such a light side display could only have been orchestrated by Jinn. Sidious knew that Qui-Gon's powers had been steadily growing since their last encounter.

'It seems my new apprentice has become more powerful than I had anticipated.' The emperor's thought came with a gleeful smile, for he knew what was truly fueling Qui-Gon Jinn. 'Good... this shall work to my advantage.'

The imperial group forged ahead along the jungle path. Suddenly, a flailing trooper came rocketing through the branches. The clone smashed into the lead guard and they both fell to the mud-covered surface.

Palpatine motioned towards the imperial guard in front of him. Quickly, the guard moved so that his emperor could approach the wrecked clonetrooper. Stripped away due to his flight through the trees, most of the trooper's plasteel armor was gone.

The man weakly crawled along to the first set of feet he found, not knowing who they belonged to. Hoping for assistance, the trooper pushed out one word. "Help." Then, he let out a quiet moan.

Darth Sidious stood there, his yellow reptilian eyes transfixed upon the helmetless clone. "Where is your commanding officer?" The question was spat out with contempt for the pitiful trooper.

While his dark master's attention was on the unfortunate clone, the crimson guard that had been knocked over quickly got back to his feet.

Never looking up to see who had addressed him, the clone attempted to answer. "I... I don't know." He gasped for air. "We were all... blasted... away..." Palpatine cut off the man's sentence.

"Incompetent fool!" Lifting him by his pale blue shirt, the dark lord held the man up just above eye level. The entire motion was a blur to all that witnessed it. None of the royal guards could explain how the wretched Palpatine was able to move so fast.

The unlucky clone got one look at a disfigured face before Sidious cast him away with the force. Throwing the man back towards the clearing, Palpatine watched as his victim sailed through branches and foliage once again. Now it was the emperor's sheer strength that impressed the crimson-clad guards. Where the man landed was anyone's guess.

Darth Sidious could sense the Slave I approaching from just around the bend, and he now knew who was behind the controls. "So... commander Kotaza has failed me," the emperor said calmly. "It is of no consequence." He was speaking aloud, but to no one in particular. Then, he turned to face his top guard. "Get me the admiral," Sidious ordered. The holo appeared instantly as the comlink crackled.

"Yes, my lord," came the voice from the comlink. It was the admiral, who was back at the landing site aboard Palpatine's shuttle.

Sidious addressed his admiral by name, and wasted no time. "Admiral Cagi... an urgent matter has arisen. The plan shall be altered." The words were spoken eerily.

"What are your orders, my lord?" the admiral quickly asked. He had grown accustomed to speaking with Palpatine, but it still gave his co-pilot the chills.

"I am allowing a firespray class vessel to enter the landing site. You are *not* to engage." The emperor was hissing his plan. "I shall disappear into the jungle with my group, and then ambush the ship from behind," he explained as a deranged smile formed across his face. "I have something *special* planned for Jinn. You only need to keep him from escaping."

"It shall be done my lord," the admiral responded. Then, the emperor cut the transmission.

Half a dozen royal guards flanked the emperor as they all left the path and entered the jungle. Immediately afterwards, the Slave I came flying by, hovering just above the now vacated pathway.

Sure enough, the ship headed for the landing site.

Qui-Gon Jinn sat behind the impressive controls of the Slave I. He had been able to study the ship for ten minutes prior to the confrontation with the clonetroopers. So he now knew the activation sequences for most of the advanced weaponry systems.

Knowing what he would face upon reaching the imperial landing site, the Jedi master thought about his options. He would find a damaged clone transport and an imperial shuttle when the Slave I arrived there. 'Those ships shouldn't be heavily armed. Perhaps I can escape without a battle.' Qui-Gon hoped that was the case, but knew he had to be ready for anything.

The most powerful weapons aboard the ship were the seismic charges. Qui-Gon quickly dismissed the idea of using them upon the planet's surface. There wasn't much room to navigate along the jungle path, and the landing site up ahead was most likely no bigger than the clearing. Therefore, the Slave I would be caught in any seismic blast that Qui-Gon deployed.

Heat seeking missiles were also part of the Slave I's arsenal. Again, the confined space posed a threat. Any such missile could easily turn and seek out the ship's realspace engines.

Qui-Gon would have to rely upon regular missiles and laser cannons if a battle became imminent. 'The force is my ally,' he reminded himself, letting out a quiet chuckle. 'I could always concoct another explosion.' His newfound ability still shocked the Jedi master. He gathered that replicating such a force detonation would prove to be difficult. After all, he wasn't sure how he had accomplished it the first time.

Suddenly, the jungle path opened up to reveal the imperial landing site. Qui-Gon brought the Slave I to a stop, allowing it to hover there at the entrance.

During the flight from the clearing to the landing site, Qui-Gon hadn't run into the force sensitive beings he had detected. However, he could sense them quite easily now, for they were nearby. The force now told him that seven humans were hiding amongst the jungle, just a click to the northeast.

Qui-Gon now focused his mental abilities upon the two ships ahead. The imperial shuttle in the middle of the landing site contained a pair of occupants. They were not force users. 'No Palpatine,' the Jedi thought to himself. The larger ship, a damaged clone transport, held six engineers who were making repairs. It was located at the eastern edge of the site.

It was easy to spot the huge pathway that the transport had plowed through the jungle canopy. Qui-Gon's vantage point allowed him to see the clouds of Dagobah. 'Hmmm... I have a clear path all the way to the upper atmosphere.' Qui-Gon massaged his bearded chin with one hand. 'It can't be this easy.' His musing would prove to be true.

All of a sudden, the force warned Qui-Gon of an impending danger from behind the ship. "Eethree! All power to the rear shields now!" The loyal droid complied instantly as Qui-Gon heard a familiar noise. He quickly recognized it as the distinct sound of a rocket launcher. A high-pitched whistling noise followed. As the tone of the sound increased, Qui-Gon realized what would happen next. "Brace for impact!" he yelled, hoping Eethree could react in time.

The Slave I lurched when the rocket exploded against the rear shields. It sounded thunderous. Qui-Gon was thrown out of his seat while Eethree tumbled into the cockpit. The droid bleeped explicitly as its master wasted no time getting back up. Leaping behind the controls once more, Qui-Gon brought the ship around quickly to face this new threat. His hands working ferociously at the control panel, Qui-Gon transferred the shields to the front again. They were now holding at only three percent integrity.

When he finally looked out the transparisteel viewport, Qui-Gon Jinn gazed upon a sight that chilled him to the very core. Situated next to a rocket launcher upon the southern path, a dark figure glowered at the Slave I from behind a hood. Qui-Gon feared this shadowy, robed individual more than anything else in the galaxy. 'It can't be.' Qui-Gon could not sense any dark side presence, yet the Dark Lord of the Sith was standing right before him. "It can't be." This time the Jedi master spoke the words aloud. Despite the utterance, Qui-Gon knew the disturbing truth.

It *was* Darth Sidious.

He was being flanked by six imperial guards, each of them wearing crimson. Qui-Gon could still sense their signatures glowing through the force. However, Palpatine's distinct aura eluded the Jedi master. He simply sensed the dark lord as a seventh royal guard. 'How can this be?' Qui-Gon questioned about the peculiar development.

Lord Sidious could barely contain his glee. The rocket had worked perfectly. All he had wanted was for Qui-Gon to turn the ship around. Now Palpatine would demonstrate his newfound power, as was his plan. The emperor was about to unleash an advanced form of dark side force lightning. Purple and precise, this new power should tear right through the Slave I's viewport, and fry the entire cockpit including Jinn.

Qui-Gon never sensed the evil assault. The violet lightning flew from Palpatine's knotty fingertips toward the Slave I's forward shields. Once again, time seemed to decelerate as Qui-Gon meditated through the force. The potent lightning of purple was halfway to the Slave I, and before he could formulate a plan, Qui-Gon heard a familiar warrior's yell.

Emerald lightsaber lit, Jedi master Yoda sprang out from the brush that was adjacent to the hovering Slave I. His Jedi robes billowing, Yoda landed upon the outer surface of the viewport in the most regal of fashions. The diminutive Jedi used his feet and one hand like suction cups against the transparisteel, and his timing was impeccable. With his other hand holding the emerald saber aloft, Yoda blocked the advanced force lightning before it struck the Slave I.

Back in the cockpit, Eethree was up and about once more. The droid was warbling its excitement over the return of master Yoda. Qui-Gon took no notice of Eethree dancing in circles, for the Jedi master was shielding his eyes from the mighty spectacle playing out before him.

The green of the lightsaber blade against the violet of the force lightning created a magnificent aurora. Throughout the dimly lit jungle, a bright radiance was produced.

Qui-Gon Jinn shook his head in astonishment. This was a lot to process all at once. Though he was quite aware that Palpatine had launched an advanced form of force lightning at him, Qui-Gon still couldn't sense the dark lord's force signature. 'Purple force lightning?' he questioned. 'Thank the force that Yoda arrived when he did.'

'Yoda.' Qui-Gon thought about his comrade. They hadn't seen each other since Qui-Gon had left Yoda at the mouth of the cave. Qui-Gon knew that Yoda's trial in the cave had caused a dangerous brush with the dark side. However, as Yoda now clung to the Slave I's viewport, Qui-Gon could sense only a light side presence from his friend. Something, or someone, had placed Yoda back upon the right path.

Now, Qui-Gon sat there, amazed at Yoda's knowledge. The little Jedi master was somehow using his energy blade to absorb the tendrils of the purple lightning. Qui-Gon wasn't sure how Yoda knew the way to defend against such an advanced tactic. 'Perhaps Yoda's knowledge can be attributed to those Sith holocrons he possessed.' Qui-Gon sighed. 'Perhaps I was wrong. Learning about the dark side might be the only way.'

Yoda leapt off of the Slave I. The lightning, somehow attracted to the green blade, followed him to the Dagobah surface. There, Yoda pushed forward, closing the distance between himself and Palpatine.

This was Qui-Gon's chance to escape. While Sidious was busy with Yoda, he could fly the Slave I off planet right now. However, he would not leave his green friend to battle Palpatine alone. The emperor had bested Qui-Gon and Yoda as a team upon that fateful day. Qui-Gon doubted the outcome would be any different today, even with his newfound abilities. 'No.' He gritted his teeth. 'We have to get off planet and save Obi-Wan.'

Darth Sidious was surprised when Yoda had jumped out to defend Qui-Gon, but his evil glee did not diminish. The little green Jedi would make a fine apprentice as well. The dark lord continued to bombard Yoda with advanced force lightning until he could perform the task no more. Yoda's emerald blade had absorbed all of it, and the newly discovered dark side ability weakened Palpatine considerably. Yoda was a few steps away from the emperor when the lightning stopped. The six royal guards immediately rushed at Yoda before he could make a move.

Slowly, the Slave I began its ascent. Qui-Gon opened the main hatch, hoping that Yoda could leap high enough to get on board. Surrounded by crimson guards, Yoda recognized Qui-Gon's plan immediately. The green Jedi master jumped before any of the guards could engage him. Ten stories above, after the impressive flight, Yoda landed upon the open hatch of the Slave I. Qui-Gon was there to lend a hand. "Welcome, my friend," he said with a quick smile. He then pulled Yoda onboard and sealed the hatchway.

Dumbfounded, the guards looked up at the ship, and then at each other. All six of them guessed that punishment would come swiftly. When they finally mustered up the courage to look at their master, they saw him leaning against the now empty rocket launcher. Palpatine was regaining his strength, and laughing maniacally in the process. Aiming his fingertips towards the now rising ship, Darth Sidious prepared to launch another volley of advanced force lightning. However, he wouldn't get the chance, for a powerful rocket was headed straight at him.

The Dark Lord of the Sith acted quickly. He crouched, curled himself up into a ball, and summoned the power of the dark side. A protective shield formed around him, emanating outwards to include the royal guards standing nearby. This force cocoon was another advanced tactic learned recently by the dark lord. The rocket, which had been launched by Qui-Gon and Yoda aboard the Slave I, impacted against the invisible dome-shaped barrier. A marvelous explosion caused flames to envelop the force cocoon. Half a dozen royal guards, all shielding their heads, were amazed to find themselves unharmed. Awestruck, they didn't understand how they had been saved.

Qui-Gon Jinn pulled at the controls of the Slave I. The ship shot upwards toward the dank, grey clouds of Dagobah. Yoda was now sitting in the copilot's seat, and Eethree had returned to the engine room to repair the hyperdrive unit.

Both Jedi had witnessed their rocket explode against the force-induced cocoon. It was clear that Darth Sidious had grown even more powerful since their last meeting. "By the stars!" Qui-Gon said with disappointment. "How is Sidious learning these new powers?"

"A pathway to many abilities the dark side is," Yoda warned. "By the ancient Sith teachings, there is much to be learned."

Qui-Gon's eyes turned into narrow slits while he continued to fly. With an annoyed smirk across his face, he spoke. "I'm sure *you* would know!"

Yoda just ignored the obvious insult. He had expected that Qui-Gon would be a bit hostile when they reunited. "The Sith holocron Sidious took back. Learning from it, he is."

The Slave I began to wobble before the Jedi masters could finish the conversation. Qui-Gon was shocked. "What's happening now?" Just as the ship was about to clear the jungle canopy, it jerked to a stop. Then the vessel began approaching the surface once more. The Slave I was being pulled back to the landing site by some unseen force.

"Stuck in a tractor beam, we are." Yoda seemed calm considering the situation.

"Tractor beam?" Qui-Gon couldn't believe it. "A tractor beam from where?"

Yoda wasn't sure, but he knew what to say. "Never underestimate the emperor, and his new empire."

Aboard Palpatine's special class imperial shuttle, admiral Cagi had implemented the newly installed tractor beam. Sidious had instructed the admiral to prevent the firespray class vessel from escaping. The admiral and his copilot shared a snicker, for they knew that the occupants of the Slave I would never expect a tractor beam to be produced by such a small ship.

Unbeknownst to the imperials, the bounty hunter Dengar had snuck on board and located the beam's main power core. He was performing his part of Boba Fett's newest plan. 'Boba better be right about Palpatine,' Dengar thought. 'This had better work.' Hiding, Dengar waited for his comrade's signal.

Outside, a careful Boba waited for the Slave I to get close enough. He had just witnessed a rocket explode upon Palpatine and his men. The blast did no damage. 'How the hell?' Boba contemplated from his hiding spot behind the brush. It was the only secure area amongst the landing site. He shook his head. 'Back to work.'

Behind his t-shaped visor, Boba's eyes were focused upon the approaching Slave I. The young Boba adjusted his right wrist plate, a piece of armor that was loaded with the homing beacon he would launch at his ship.

'The time is now.' Boba Fett aimed the launcher within his wrist plate squarely at the Slave I's forward hull. Then, he fired the homing beacon. The tiny device sped through the damp air of Dagobah and struck the hull cleanly. After he was certain that it had stuck firm, Boba buzzed Dengar by comlink.

Dengar was relieved when the signal had come. He didn't want to get caught slinking through Palpatine's shuttle. He turned the central switch upon the tractor beam's main power core. A satisfying sound was the result, decreasing in pitch over a few seconds. The tractor beam was now rendered inoperative.

Aboard the Slave I, Qui-Gon Jinn and Yoda were surprised when the realspace engines propelled them upwards again. The lock of the tractor beam was gone. They had never shut the engines, so the Slave I rocketed through the jungle canopy and into the clouds as soon as the beam was disengaged.

The Jedi masters traded content smiles as the ship hurdled through the upper atmosphere. Soon after, the Slave I had conquered Dagobah's gravity by reaching escape velocity. The dull grey of the wispy clouds suddenly became a canvas of blackness, dotted by distant stars.

Yoda stared back at the planet of his exile. It appeared no bigger than a marble. Qui-Gon placed a hand upon Yoda's shoulder and soothed him through the force. Dagobah was behind them now.

Back at the imperial landing site, Dengar had joined Boba Fett near the thick brush, just a few feet away from Palpatine and his six crimson protectors. The imperial unit had just come out of the force cocoon, and Sidious was regaining his strength.

Slowly, the dark lord of the Sith walked toward the pair of bounty hunters, with his guards flanking him. He did not stop until he was face to face with the young Boba. Sweating profusely, Dengar waited for punishment, but it didn't come. Due to Boba's timing, it was as if they had never left the group in the first place. Of course, Palpatine knew they had broken away, but he had use for them yet.

"It appears that admiral Cagi has failed me," the emperor announced with menace in his voice. "The Jedi have escaped."

"Allow me to go after them," Boba suggested with a bow of reverence. "I can track that ship."

"Yes." Darth Sidious motioned at the bounty hunter. "I believe you can." The dark lord paused, and looked to the east. He sensed that the engineers had completed repairing the clone transport. Turning his attention back to Boba and Dengar, Palpatine spoke again. "You are to track the Jedi and report to me when you have found them. Round up as many of the clonetroopers as you require. The incompetent fools shall accompany you aboard the clone transport."

"As you wish," Boba responded serenely. Then, tilting his head, he stared at Dengar with a look that dripped of 'I told you so.' Dengar just turned around and headed for the larger vessel. He wanted out of there as soon as possible.

Aboard the other craft, Palpatine's shuttle, the admiral awaited his fate anxiously. However, Sidious had other plans for now.

The six royal guards began to approach the special class imperial ship. They just assumed that Palpatine would deal with the admiral and get off planet.

Hissing eerily, Darth Sidious stopped his men. "You shall accompany me immediately." Then, the dark lord cackled. "I have business to conduct elsewhere upon this wretched planet."

~to be continued