Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Star Wars, other than Aurora. It all belongs to the bearded genius in flannel. As this is based on the book, some of the dialogue is taken verbatim from Shadows of the Empire. That belongs to Steve Perry and George Lucas. I do not intend any copyright violation and am not making any profit from this.
Luke's insistence had finally gotten Lando to agree to drop out of hyperspace for a brief moment.
"Look, I trust the Force and it's telling me Leia is in danger. So let's just put in a call and check, okay?"
"Can't it wait until we get to Tatooine?"
"No." Luke's voice was final.
Lando sighed. "All right. But you remember I did this. You owe me one."
"How do we call?"
"I've got a little surprise for you." Lando said, smiling devilishly. "Han isn't the only one who can rig the Falcon."
Luke raised an eyebrow and Lando showed him a comm. unit mounted to one wall.
"Go ahead, make your call."
Luke punched in the relay codes that Lando read off to him then waited.
Dash didn't answer, but the there was a message waiting.
The image that appeared once they entered the play code surprised them both. It wasn't Dash at all, but a Wookiee with a really bad haircut who was yelling frantically.
Luke and Lando both listened with dismay. Luke wasn't completely fluent in Shriwook, but he was getting enough to understand the general message. Leia and Aurora were being held on Coruscant by Black Sun. Chewie had managed to escape, at Leia's insistence, but she refused to go and Aurora wouldn't leave her alone. He felt the muscles in his stomach tighten. Bad enough that Leia was in danger, but he damn well knew that Aurora would consider it her duty to put herself between Leia and whatever threatened her, which would put Aurora in even more danger.
Abruptly the image went blank.
"Somebody must have reported the override's theft." Lando said, pulling the electronic card from the comm. unit.
"Let's go." Luke responded, his thoughts already racing ahead to plan the necessary steps.
"To Tatooine, right?" Lando asked, but his tone revealed he knew it was forlorn hope.
"Wrong."
"Somehow I knew you were gonna say that. We can't go to Coruscant! It's too dangerous. Especially for you!"
"You can stay here if you want to." Luke told him.
Lando stared at him incredulously for a moment. "Leia specifically said you were not to go to Coruscant and Aurora was even more emphatic. You want me to ignore both of them? Do I look like I have a death wish?"
"Leia and Aurora need my help. I'm going." Was all Luke said.
Lando stared forlornly up at the ceiling and then shook his head. "Why me? Why do these things always happen to me?" He sighed and headed for the cockpit, muttering under his breath about the dangers of disregarding the specific orders of women, especially armed ones.
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Aurora paced restlessly back and forth on the thick carpet of her room. She knew she was probably being watched on the cameras hidden about the room, but frankly at this point, she didn't care. She was more concerned with this plan Leia had concocted and all the things that could go wrong with it; starting with Xizor killing Leia where she stood when he realized she wasn't under the influence of whatever drug he had subjected her to or Chewie being shot when he tried to escape the immense building they were in.
But what was worrying her most was that she knew damn well when Luke found out that Xizor was holding them captive he'd head for Coruscant just as fast as he could. And Coruscant was the absolute last place she wanted him.
She'd tried to tell Leia that, but Leia was convinced that Luke would listen to Chewie and Lando and not risk himself trying to reach them. That he'd listen to the orders she had given. But what Leia didn't seem to realize was that Luke had come very far from that naïve young farmboy who would simply obey orders. He would no more ignore the danger they were in than he would consider giving up saving Han.
No, Luke would come for them; of that she'd had no doubt. And in doing so, he'd risk far worse than death. Because she had no doubt that Vader would know the instance Luke approached Coruscant, and he'd be waiting for him.
She collapsed on the bed, digging her fingers into her temples, trying to think past the panic that was filling her. But thoughts of the danger that Luke was walking into were consuming her: Vader wanted him turned; the Emperor wanted him captured, and Xizor just seemed to want him dead.
A possibility suddenly occurred to her and she stilled, working it through in her mind. Luke was listed on the Most Wanted list as strictly alive only. Yet Xizor had tried several times to have him killed. That couldn't possibly go over well with either the Emperor or Vader, both of whom wanted him alive and were used to being obeyed. Could she use this?
If Vader had been telling the truth, and he actually was Anakin Skywalker, would he be willing to protect his son from the head of Black Sun? She seemed to recall hearing somewhere once that Vader didn't care for Black Sun at all. Maybe she could use that.
She sank back into the softness of the bed, mulling the possibilities over in her head, and trying to develop some sort of plan.
Page Break
"I really don't think this is a good idea, Master Luke." Threepio wailed. "I believe it would be much better if Artoo and I went with you and Master Lando."
Artoo cheeped an emphatic agreement.
"Look, you'll be fine here on the ship." Luke told them. "We need you here in case we need help. Besides, it'll be a lot more dangerous out there than in here."
"Ah." The golden droid nodded. "Well, in that case, perhaps we should stay here."
Artoo blatted in refusal.
"No, you heard Master Luke, he needs us on the ship in case anything goes wrong."
"Wrong? What could possibly go wrong?" Lando asked as he came into the hold, wrapping himself in a torn and ragged cloak. "Just because we've got huge rewards posted everywhere in the galaxy for us, dead or alive, and we've plunked ourselves down smack in the black and evil heart of the Empire?"
Luke grinned. "Come on. Where would be the last place you'd look for us if you were an Imperial operative or a bounty hunter?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right. They'd figure nobody would be that stupid. Lucky for us they don't know we are that stupid." Lando agreed.
Luke smiled at the quip, but the plain truth was, what they were doing was stupidly dangerous. More so than even Lando realized, because it was entirely possible that just his presence on Coruscant was enough to alert Vader. He'd been carefully monitoring the Force ever since they had snuck onto the planet by hiding in the shadow of a robotic freighter, but so far there hadn't been any trace of that cold, dark feeling he'd begun to recognize as the Dark Side.
Turning back to Threepio, he let the smile fall from his face. "Look, I'll be honest. There's a good chance we won't make it back. If that happens, don't call the Alliance for help. There's no point in putting any part of the fleet in jeopardy."
Threepio looked as dismayed as a droid could, but he simply said, "I understand."
Artoo, however, wasn't going to be nearly as complacent. He whistled and beeped urgently.
Luke squatted down next to him, resting his hand on the smooth dome. "Just stand by the comm., okay? We'll call you if we need you. If we get in trouble, you can try to come and get us. Threepio has the hands and feet, you have the astronavigational skills. I'm sure the two of you working together can fly the Falcon in an emergency."
"There's a happy thought." Lando snorted. "Han knew that, it would thaw him out faster than a laser torch."
Artoo didn't seem very confident with the idea of them flying the Falcon either.
"Don't be rude." Threepio told him. "I wasn't always a protocol droid, you know. I've programmed converters, and I once ran a shovel loader for an entire standard month. I've watched Master Han and Master Lando and Chewbacca often enough. I daresay I can pilot this ship better than you can!"
Artoo made another rude noise.
"Oh, really? Well, at least I don't look like an overgrown garbage can!"
Lando shook his head and looked at Luke. "Han is going to kill you when he finds out." Then he sighed. "But you'll be in good company 'cause Aurora and Leia are going to kill me." He sighed again. "Come on. If we're going to go, we need to get moving. We can get ourselves some disguises, and if we hurry, we can be underground before daylight."
"Okay." Luke rose. "See you in a little while." He told the two droids.
"Do be careful, Master Luke." Threepio said anxiously.
Artoo whistled his agreement.
Luke nodded. "We will."
He followed Lando down the ramp, wrapping a ragged scarf around his face. That, along with a tattered robe which covered his regular clothes, would have to serve to conceal his identify until they could find something better.
He and Lando left the abandoned building that sheltered the Falcon and headed down the street. There weren't many people around. They were in the Southern hemisphere, pretty near to the pole, and it was cold. Apparently there were better places to hang out in on the planet sized city. Luke glanced back at the abandoned warehouse that concealed the ship. An acquaintance of Lando's had allowed them to hide the Falcon there in return for a favor that he owed Lando.
"Just how many people owe you favors?" Luke asked him curiously.
White teeth flashed in the shadow of the cowl Lando wore. "A whole lot of them who should never gamble. Lucky for me they do."
"So now what?"
"We catch a ride into the Southern Underground. Keep that lightsaber out of sight, but close at hand – this is not the kind of place you want to take your granny for tea, if you know what I mean."
"Bad as Mos Eisley?"
"Parts of it are worse."
"Great."
Some time later, Luke found himself struggling into the armor of an elite Stormtrooper. He and Lando had lured two of them into the 'fresher where they had then proceeded to divest them of their armor. He stared at himself in the mirror, memories of their frantic escape from the Death Star playing through his mind. "You know, I really hoped I'd never have to wear one of these again."
Behind him Lando emerged from the stall where he had tucked one of the troopers. He adjusted his belt and brushed imaginary lint from his sleeve. "Women love a man in uniform."
"Maybe that will keep Aurora and Leia from killing you." Luke replied.
Lando paled slightly at the reminder. "If I thought that was possible, I'd fight Vader for his."
"You think they're more dangerous than Vader?"
"Don't you?"
Luke considered it. "Good point. Come on."
They squared their shoulders, stuck their chests out and affected an Imperial swagger as they exited the 'fresher