Once again, I have to express my deepfelt thanks for all the encouraging feedback you readers come with. If not for you, I fear I would have abandoned this and jumped on to a shorter story - but you guys make it all worthwhile!

Kataja

Quagmire - Chapter 25

On the Lam

Han was so absorbed in the Falcon's hyperdrive that he jumped when someone suddenly emerged behind him from out of nowhere. He whirled up and around, blaster already in his hand and aimed dead-on – at what turned out to be nothing but a wry smile.

"It's only me, Han."

"Sure," Han told him, holstering the gun wih a casual swing. "Keeping in practice, that's all."

He threw a glance down Falcon's main corridor where Luke had appeared so silently, then back at the hyperdrive he'd been tinkering with.

"No one saw me come in," Luke added, nudging Han's toolbox out of the way with his foot.

Luke's reassurance that shouldn't have been necessary pricked the Corellian's heart all the more since he actually had wondered that. "Course they didn't," he grunted. "You sneak around like that much more and you could fool a holocam. I was just wond'ring if I could set this aside for a while. Care for a caf?"

"Yes, please."

As they seated themselves by the game table Luke added. "I think I actually could cheat a holocam. I just haven't figured out how yet."

Han cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah? I vote you start working on that. It could come in handy."

Luke set his head a bit to the side. "I thought you didn't trust the Force?"

"I don't," Han muttered, turning the cup in his hands. Then he added, "But I trust you, kid."

Luke swallowed hard, knowing Han meant those words in a larger context too. "Thanks."

Han peered up, taking in his young friend, feeling everything they hadn't talked about since that damn mission butt in. "Look, I know it's gotta be hell for you, kid. Especially what happened to Shira…"

Luke shook his head. "That's not the main thing getting to me anymore, Han. Honestly, it isn't. It should be maybe, but… something happened this morning in the medbay. I did something stupid, I guess, I actually read Shira's mind with the Force. And, well…" He shut up and took a big bracing swallow of caf.

"And what?" Han prompted, holding his breath. "Did she realize you did that?"

"I'll say she did." Luke's grimace shifted into a frown, another thought striking him. "Which she shouldn't have been able to do in the first place. At least I think she shouldn't - it's not like I'm in the habit of mindreading people around me. I pick up emotions and strong stray thoughts but that's it. Anyway, Shira realized I mind-read her and was out of herself, to put it mildly. And I… I realized that... that this whole thing with Shira was just wrong from the start."

He paused for a moment, considering. "It's strange, Han. I think knew it all the time. I just didn't trust myself because my head and everybody around me told me it would be a great idea."

"Maybe something else than your head too, kid?" Han suggested, a wry smile tugging his lips.

"Can't deny that," Luke admitted. "And it was great while it lasted. But there's no way going back. Absolutely no way."

"I'll say. Got yourself into a hell of a mess this time, kid." Han grinned. "Course it ain't the first time. You'll find a way out of it."

"I'm trying," Luke continued slowly. "I still don't know what happened at Aderon Station and I have no idea how to clear my name, if I even can, and no idea how to proceed from here – except one thing. What's really bugging me now is the same thing that has been bugging me since Bespin. And I have to find an answer to that before I do anything else."

Han straightened slightly. This was it. The kid was finally about to tell what he'd been carrying around for so long.

Luke took a deep, bracing breath. "Darth Vader is my father."

There. He'd said it. And the world still stood. The galaxy still turned.

And Han was looking like he'd just told him he liked to wear women's clothing. "Say that again?"

"Darth Vader's my father. He told me at Bespin."

"Hey…" Han scrambled dizzily for words, finding too many and too few of them at the same time. Then his face cleared and he offered. "Kid. You can't trust a word Vader says. He's trying to get to you."

Luke shook his head. "I don't think that's it. I feel it's true. At least... I'm pretty sure he believes it."

"Kid…" Han started grinning, shaking his head – but Luke didn't react, not even the slightest grin, and that meant he was serious as hell. Han stilled and his grin died; his concern for the kid flooded to previously unknown heights. Both of them took very deliberate swallows of caf. "So," Han said finally. "Uh. Is there any way you can tell for sure?"

"Yoda knows. The Jedi Master who trained me after Hoth. What I have to do is to go back and complete my training. Which is what I should have done ages ago. But this time I'm going. The situation here is too critical. And I can't act before I know where I stand."

"You're grounded, you know that?"

Luke nodded. "I know."

"Right." Han pursed his lips, hanging on to the nice, concrete inconveniences for a few moments still. Then he scratched his neck. "You really know how to time 'em, don't you?"

"Yeah." Luke bit his lip, forcing himself to break the ice again. "Han, I know what you must be thinking…"

"Hey!" Han shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You have to find out whether that's true or not first. Ok. So go ahead and do it. I'll sleep late tomorrow and won't show up for eleven hours or something."

Luke smiled tightly, knowing what Han agreed to and vowing to himself not to sink the Falcon in a swamp. "And if it's true?"

"Well, then we'll see. But I think we shouldn't tell Leia, not yet anyway. She's kinda mad at Vader. Of course she wouldn't be mad at you, it's not your fault who your old man is. But anyway. Let's not blow any bombs until we know, right?"

"Right," Luke agreed dryly. "And no grenades either. And Han…" His face softened.

"Yeah?"

"You're a pal."

. . .

Ackbar and Mon Mothma stood together in the High Command Assembly Room, the rest of the commanders having retired for the night.

"We can count the days now," Ackbar insisted. "Our decisive move is approaching - and we need Skywalker."

"Admiral Gelsk wouldn't agree with you," Mothma pointed out, her face having lost none of its calm. "He's still not convinced that trusting the Jedi is such a good thing."

Ackbar shook his heavy head in frustration. "He is one out of eleven! Why does his word count for so much?"

"Because about half of the reast of the Alliance are inclined to think like him," Mothma replied. "At least they share his fears."

"But we do," Ackbar insisted. "You do, Mon. What is your view on this all?"

The former senator sighed. "To tell the truth, I've been trying to avoid that question, since it has very little relevance in the larger perspective. But as you point out, I do believe, and I admit willingly that I have always seen young Skywalker as the one who could shoulder the role of continuing the heritage of the Order. If he doesn't, then the light of the Jedi will forever have gone out of the galaxy. We've already seen how dark it can be without them." She shook her head, expression sad. "The question is, however, is he ready? Will he ever be ready? It's his decision, and we can't push him."

"So you don't fear the rumors that Vader could somehow have gotten hold of his mind?"

"No," Mon said firmly. "Not at all. I think Vader gave Commander Skywalker a shock at their last meeting, that's all – and I suspect that the reason why Vader didn't kill him is that he sees the same potential in the boy as we do and hopes to control it himself. In all this time, I've seen young Luke's changed mood as a sign of growth, of maturing. What's less certain is whether he's grown enough. He's still a boy, of years if not of experiences." She gave a deep, troubled sigh. "My hope is that all these recent adversities would make the final push, would force him to see that he simply has to take the step. Make him see that if he doesn't, then no one does."

Ackbar nodded solemnly, remembering the exchange they'd had with Luke some weeks ago. "Do you remember some time ago when he tried to decline the mission but we talked him out of it? Do you think he sensed upcoming trouble back then?"

Mon smiled briefly. "That would be first time I've seen that young man shy away from trouble. No. I don't think so. I just think things have a way of closing in at the same time." She was quiet a while. "There's one thing about Luke Skywalker, though, that we should remember. He's at his best when everyone sells him short. He will find his way still. And so will we. We just have to wait, and prepeare – and trust in the Force."

Ackbar nodded solemnly.

. . .

Mara walked to her shift the next day with a strange mix of apprehention and expectance. She flashed the DO such a smile in return to his routine greeting that he sidestepped and turned to stare after her. Several times.

Something was going to happen. She could feel it, right down to her tingling toes. The discussion she'd had with Skywalker yesterday had left her top tuned, and while she less than ever believed that the Jedi would run into the Empire's arms, she was open to about anything else. He had told her he would do something – and she just knew it would be soon.

She felt more elated than she had in weeks.

. . .

In contrast, Leia's mood had been as low this morning as it had been for several mornings in a row. And it didn't exactly brighten at the sight of the crew that was hobbling down the modified YT-2400 freighter. Silently quoting an ancient Alderanian prayer for strength, she hurried her step through the small port side hangar. By the time she got there, half the crew was huddling on a troop carrier already, only Wedge Antilles standing alert and talking to Madine.

Good old Wedge, Leia thought fondly. She'd had word that the mission hadn't been successful, but at least he'd managed to get his crew home. Which left this mission in an almost opposite to Luke's; no one missing but mission failed. She eased up from the side, careful not to interrupt Madine and Wedge, and turned to the crew on the carrier.

"How are you?" Leia inquired softly of Wes Jansen who'd eased himself to lie down on the benches on one side of the carrier. He was far paler than she cared for.

Wes opened an eye. "Oh, just a chestshot, Princess," he murmured, flashing his customary cocky smile. "A punctured lung, but don't worry, the other one's still working."

Leia looked up in alarm. "You shouldn't be on a troop carrier - you should be on a med stretcher. Deck Officer…"

"No panic, Princess," Hobbie Klivian assured her from the other side of the carrier. "Deena patched that lung in the life support station two days ago and it has held up fine since. And if you put Wes in a med stretcher he won't be able to wave to the ladies and all his fine plans of a Grand Return will fall flat to the ground. You can't do that to him, he'd relapse."

Leia arched an eyebrow. "And how are you doing, Hobbie?"

Hobbie pulled his trouser leg up and revealed a gaping nothing. "Oh, I was lucky. I got my leg blown off, but it was my prosthetic so I'll just get a new one. It made running a bit hard though, and when sweet Deena tried to help me" – he threw her a kiss – "she got shot too."

Leia swallowed hard and glanced at Deena. "And how bad is…"

"Only my arm, Princess," she assured quickly. "If we hadn't had to inject all bacta into Wes I'd be fixed by now."

Leia shook her head, not able to hold back a proud smile. "You guys are simply the best! I hope you know it. Now get to the medbay! I don't want you to delay here for my sake!"

She waved as the troop carrier set off, then turned to Wedge and Madine, her voice turning serious again. "All right. What happened? Did you find Vrock Sai'men?"

Wedge rubbed his temple tiredly. "We did. In the detention block of Savolak Station as Intel said. But by the time we managed to break in, it was too late. We tried to hack into their computer to find out how much they had squeezed out of him but…" He shook his head.

"You did your best," Leia stated automatically. "You did your best."

Madine nodded. "Well, we knew it was a strong possibility from the outset. Countermeasures went into effect as soon as we heard of his capture. As sad as it is to see a good man go, we've been able to stop the damage from spreading."

Wedge's head snapped up. "You have? And are you aware too, that the mission was sabotaged?"

"Sabotaged?" Leia and Madine gasped in unison.

"That's my view on it, yes," Wedge confirmed grimly. "As I suppose you remember, we carried with us portable gravity convertors –"

"The DK-91's," Madine nodded. "I oversaw that modification project personally."

"Well, when we tested them en route they worked fine – but not when we came to Bothawui. I tell you, any of Wes or Hobbie's bad jokes would have knocked out more gravity than they did. We had our magnetic soles on, of course, and were expecting the guards to be bouncing like bubbles around the ceiling – but they all held ground as firmly as we did. For a while we were confused and thought they wore magnetic soles too but then we spotted a dust-mouse running right smack on the decks and we knew that they didn't work." Wedge shrugged. "Someone must have sabotaged them."

Leia's eyes darted to the hangar exit where the troop carrier had disappeared with Deena, Wes and Hobbie. "You think..."

"Of course not," Wedge growled. "Apart from trusting those people with my life, there would have been plenty of times each of them could have pulled the last ace and got the rest of us captured or killed." He shook his head. "It had to have been somebody here on Home One."

"A time-delayed sabotage," Madine mumbled, his hands balling to fists. "Captain, who knew about those convertors?"

"Apart from the techs who modified them and those you've told it was only me and Luke."

Madine and Leia exchanged started glances. "Are you sure no one else knew?" Leia asked intently. "No one?" It couldn't be, it couldn't…

The pilot frowned as he searched his memory. "Well, the idea was Luke's originally but… Oh, I remember now. He got the idea from Shira when they had their dinner date, she told him a story… well never mind that, but she also gave him the tip about the DK-91'ers. But he wouldn't have told her what they'd be used for, of course."

Madine looked tensely at Leia, then at Wedge again. "Did she know that Commander Skywalker was involved in your mission?"

"Well, we always team up. All Rogues would know that – or well, guess anyway," Wedge shrugged.

"And she would have known they wouldn't be used on her own mission," Leia murmured. "General…?"

Madine looked at Wedge. "Captain. Everything that we've been talking these past minutes is strictly confidential! Everything about your mission is still strictly confidential! You run after your crew right now and tell them to shut up about anything that happened on that mission, anything at all, do you understand? Then you are to go to your cabin and make your report. I'll contact you shortly."

Wedge didn't even blink. "Aye, sir. Princess." He saluted, turned on a heel and sprinted towards a parked troop carrier.

Madine met Leia's glance and shook his head. "Well, I'll be damned."

. . .

Han had been slouching in bed this morning, wondering what excuse he should use for not going to tinker with Falcon – he was leaning towards breaking out some Whyren's and (mostly) feigning a hangover – but was relieved from his troubles when his com sounded.

"Captain Solo?" a female voice called. "This is technician Ilo. I suppose you're familiar with a wrecked astromech droid that was left with us some days ago? I have some news about it."

Han was up in a second. "Artoo? Spill it!"

"Actually, I think you should come see for yourself," the voice came back. "I'm in port side hangar nine."

It didn't take Han more than five minutes to be on spot, though he silently chided himself for running like a madman because of a droid. He was met by an athletic, sharp-eyed woman with a shaved head. "Captain Solo?" She held out her hand. "I'm Plourr Ilo. Nice to meet you. Intel left this droid for Chief Tech Kajal so that he could find out if there was anything to salvage, and so he's spent the past days restoring it very thoroughly. In the end, through, he just couldn't get it started again without a memory system replacement – and he'd got specific orders to leave the original memory unit intact. So he gave it up a few days ago, reporting back to them that it was far too damaged. Now, I knew it is Commander Skywalker's personal droid, and knowing all that crap he's been catching lately, I decided to give it a last try. You see, I know this droid has its particular history and I couldn't help putting two and two together."

She led him to Artoo, who'd been shined up and provided with new coverplates where the blast holes had been. "Apparently, Commander Skywalker had never had his droid memorywiped so I went on to check the files of this particular unit. I found out that first time it was reported damaged was during the battle of Yavin. Already then, the techs noticed that it had an outstandingly long memory, going back at least twenty years, maybe more. The last wipes or system updates they could read then were back from the time of the Clone Wars. All this makes this astromech completely unique. It must almost have developed its own personality by now."

"No kidding," Han growled. Artoo was almost a living being to Luke, he knew, about like the Falcon was to him. And Han couldn't deny, that even to him, the little astromech was something of a character.

Ilo crouched beside Artoo. "Now, some of those old updates were very advanced, a few of them even very expensive too – and they certainly were untraditional with all kinds of crosswiring and so forth. And I thought, maybe we should give this particular droid a chance? Who knows what's hiding deep inside its circuits? And since I couldn't find out what to do with it technically, I decided to treat it like a sentient who's lost his memory: I took it to a place where it would feel completely familiar and safe – the socket of Skywalker's X-wing."

Han blinked. That was… brilliant. It was completely whacko too of course, to treat a droid like that, but none the less brilliant! And he who'd just linked Artoo and the Falcon! Funny they'd both be so crosswired and maintained by loving hands. For a moment Han sent a fond thought to the former owner of Artoo, who ever he'd been. "So, what happened?" he demanded.

Plourr Ilo pursed her lips. "I'm not quite sure yet. But something did, that's for sure. When I placed the droid in the X-wing and connected it to the ship's computer its dome started swirling, for about half an hour. Then it suddenly went quiet and all the lights went out and I thought, 'that was that. It couldn't make anymore but at least it died a happy droid.' I was just about to take it out again when I noticed that there was a little blue light burning that hadn't been there before." She pointed at a diode on Artoo's dome that Han had never paid attention to before either.

"About twenty minutes later it started to hum, very quietly at first, a low sound from the direction of its central processing array. It continued to hum the entire night – I went to bed but left a computer to monitor it and alert me if something special happened. For the last twelve hours nothing more has happened than that sound and indicator lights have gone on and off. I took it out of the X-wing when I felt confident that the process, whatever it is, is up and running. Right now it's silent again as you can hear, but that little blue light is still on. It has been on since."

Han scratched his neck. "And what do you think it all means?" His interest in and affection for all things mechanical had never extended to droids. He also felt a bit stupid because his heart was beating, ridiculously hard.

"As I said, I'm not sure yet, Captain." Ilo repeated somberly. "But my best guess is that this droid is in fully occupied with restarting itself. Technically speaking it's quite possible, Lieutenant Kajal has restored all wirings and supplied it with the parts needed. I'm optimistic that if we give it time, it will come back to, maybe not completely to its 'old self,' but pretty near. If I were you, I'd take it some safe place where you could keep an eye on it and where you can be sure no mainstream-thinking technician can be tempted to replace the memory card. Just let it be and see what happens."

"Right…" Han rubbed his chin, wondering if he should try to contact Luke and tell him the news. On the other hand, now might be a bad moment...

"And Captain Solo," Ilo added when Han had managed to get Artoo on a troop carrier and was starting to roll away.

"Yeah?"

She smiled, her face stern face lighting up. "If there is any progress, please let me know."

. . .

About the same time, Luke Skywalker appeared in the main hangar. Not many people noticed him at all, and even fewer reacted at the sight of him as they had the past days. They merely noticed his presence, only to forget it the moment after.

Luke approached the Falcon as slowly as he dared. He wanted to be sure nobody approached him, and that required a great deal of low-level Force-persuasion, even though the hangar was still pretty quiet this early on the day. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to extend all the way to the control-room with his influence, and if he moved too slowly, they might smell the womp rat. He wondered if he'd managed to decieve the holocams. If he had – and if he'd ever be able to find out whether he had or not – he'd tell Han about it, a small gesture of gratitude to the Corellian who'd made sure to update the Falcon's supplies last evening.

He bit down a curse when he observed Mara Jade by one of the starfighters, standing still and staring at him with that fazing, unblinking stare she could put on. He gave her a curt nod and sent her a Force nudge to go on with her work. She cocked an eyebrow in response, then turned demonstratively slowly and continued her work, leaving him in no doubt whatsoever that she was doing it by her own decision and not due to his manipulation.

Luke's stomach did a nervous flip. Clearly she had noticed he was up to something, but it seemed like she wasn't about to try to stop him. Well, why should she? She had herself encouraged him to do something and it seemed that despite declaring allegiance to her employer, the Rebel Alliance, she still had some bond to him too. He'd saved her life, of course, but thatnot withstanding Luke had a profound feeling there was more to it than that. He shook his head, not sure whether he should be annoyed or amused; he had to figure this woman out at some point. I bet it will be full-time work when I finally get to it…

He hurried his steps to get past her and there was the Falcon, right ahead, its familiar, beaten up hull ripping up memories in him. Luke threw a wary glance towards the control room. The freighter was turned in perfect angle to hide it from curious eyes – as well as security cams – probably due to Han's smuggler's habits. Now, all Luke had to do was to hurry onboard and…

"Commander…? Er… Mr. Skywalker…"

Luke froze, his foot on the landing ramp. He'd slipped his attention. Jade, damit! A few meters from him stood a guard who he recognized as Zevv Irischtan. Not one of Luke's close friends but a good and upright soldier, Luke knew. And unfortunately also someone who both knew and did his duty. Luke's heart pivoted. Zevv wasn't weak minded, not the slightest, and he was already alert on Luke's presense and the suspicious nature about it… Here you go, Skywalker. You've had months to leave but you just had to wait until you got grounded…

Zevv cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to inform you that according to my information you are grounded at present. Therefore I can't allow you access to a ship. Not unless it's in the presence of the owner who has a clearance or you can show me papers that…"

A dampered rumble interrupted him. Out of the shadows Chewbacca appeared and was at Zevv's side with a few long steps. Without further ceremony he grabbed the man's weapon and broke it in two. Then he leaned down to look the guard into the eyes, snapping the com from his belt and rumbling quietly again.

Zevv turned whiter than the ship hull above him. "I… er, I didn't mean to… Of course you count as the owner as well, Mr. Chewbacca… I just… um… " He started to back away.

Mara Jade chose this moment to appear from behind her B-wing. "Sergeant?" she called in a husky voice Luke had never even dreamt she possessed. "Is it time for your break as well? I wonder if you'd join me for a caf…"

She gave Luke a light smile and laced her arm into Zevvs "…in the control room?" she finished. "I thought we could cheer the boys there up a little. Did you happen to see my dance the other day?" She started to stroll towards the exit, pleasantly chatting in a tempo where it clearly would take them several minutes to close the distance.

Luke woke from his paralysis. "Thanks Chewie! I'd better use the time you've bought to me to get out of…"

The Wookiee rumbled and Luke started. "'We'd better go?' No, Chewie, I can't let you get into hot water because of me. I appreciate it but… Hey!"

The Wook had come up to him and before Luke had guessed his intentions, Chewie lifted him up, tugging him under his mighty arm and started carrying him onboard the ship.

"Let go! Put me down! That's an order, blast it! PUT ME…" Luke kicked and protested but one look into his friends eyes told him he would have to use the Force in the harshest way imaginable in order to get Chewbacca to change his mind

"Oh, what the kreth…" With a sigh he relaxed and allowed the Wookiee to carry him onboard, silently praising that stubborn, loyal heart beating under the thick, brown-furred chest.

.

Mara babbled amiably as she pulled Zevv with her, strolling towards the entrance. Not before they ambled more than halfway to the control room did the shocked sec officer finally wake up. He tore his arm back and started to run. "C'mon! Hurry!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"What for?" Mara pouted, and began to jog herself at a slightly slower pace that she hoped might slow the Sergeant down a bit. At least it might if he got the impression she was following the best she could.

She managed so well with a mix of questions and breaks that the Falcon was well into its start cycle when they finally reached the control room.

"Right, Millenium Falcon, you're clear to leave," she heard the attending officer state into his com.

"Stop!" Zevv rushed in as if a pack of nexu were snapping at his heels. "Rescind that! It's Skywalker! He's trying to leave!"

The attending officer turned, face a mixture of surprise and straight-tout astonishment. "What? But it's Chewbacca piloting and he's as cleared as Captain Solo…?"

"Take the clearance back! Immediately! I take full responsibility!" Zevv bellowed.

The officer turned the com back on. "Millenium Falcon, Millenium Falcon. Your clearance is withdrawn. I repeat; you clearance to leave is withdrawn. We will not open the gates and…" His eyes grew wide when he realized what was about to happen. "Do not power up! We will not open the gates…" He silenced in confusion as the freighter lifted on its repulsors and turned its nose cannonstowards the closed hangar opening.

"He can't do that…" he said in a meek voice.

Mara took a deep breath. Skywalker was as crazy as she'd believed him to be. And now it was up to her. She reached out with the Force, focusing on one, specific button on the panel, feeling its form and size through the Force. She concentrated all her will – and pushed.

Followed by the shocked cries from the bystanders, the Millenium Falcon shot out through the suddenly revealed hangar opening - and disappeared into space.

T.B.C.