Chapter Twenty-Six:

Ben paused just as he finished his task of disabling the tractor beam.

He'd been found out.

Of course, Ben had recognized his former pupil's presence almost as soon as they'd boarded the massive station. However, in order to not incite panic among his fellow travelers, Ben had kept that knowledge to himself.

He'd been surprised when Shmi had been the first to notice Darth Vader's presence. Her innocent description of 'cold' had been spot on. The once warm and vibrant aura given off by the man named Anakin Skywalker now radiated only bitter, harsh things.

Ben sighed quietly and used the Force to once more distract the pair of stormtroopers just on the other side of the door he'd entered in at, and walked quickly the other way.

He knew that it was only a matter of when he came upon the Dark Lord, now that Vader was aware that Obi wan Kenobi was within reach.

Ben also knew that the likelihood of his getting off the Death Star— that's what he'd heard it called by many passing Imperials— was slim to none. But that was okay: he was ready to become one with the Force.

He had lived a good life, overall, and had stayed true to his Jedi upbringing. But now it was time to make way for the rising generation of Jedi Knights. Luke would have to be on his own for some time, but the experience would be good for him.

Ben knew the young man could handle it.

But Ben was not dead yet, and he could still create a distraction for the Imperials so that Luke and the others could flee to safety.

Determined, Ben kept at it, steadily making his way back up to the hangar bay.

00000

Luke finished towel-drying his hair as the rest of the gang regrouped at the end of the room the trash compactor led into. He was now fully out of his armor and back into his familiar desert attire.

He listened to Chewbacca whine when a strange noise emitted from the still-open door of the trash compactor.

"What are you so afraid of?" Han chided him. "You're two meters tall, and you can't stand a little worm in the garbage? Come here."

When Chewie merely shook his head, Han rolled his eyes.

"Chewie, come here!"

"If I recall, you said you didn't like serpents yourself, Captain," Leia reminded him smoothly.

Luke chuckled quietly while Han spluttered in an attempt to come up with a reply. Finally he gave up, grumbled under his breath, and shot into the deserted trash chamber.

"You idiot!" Leia snapped. "Someone will have heard that!"

"Yeah?" Han returned hotly. "Well…"

"Han, she's right." Luke backed Leia up.

That earned him an appreciative look from Leia, and a glare from Han.

"Whose side are you on, Kid?" Han asked.

"Listen to me," Leia got right in Han's face, ignoring the fact that he was a good several inches taller. "I haven't the slightest clue who you are, or where it is you came from, but I am in charge now, got it?"

Han planted his hands on his hips. "Sure thing Your Worship, if you want the Kid to do as you ask. But I take orders from just one person, and he's standing right here." Han jabbed a thumb into his own chest.

"Hmm," Leia looked him up and down. "It's a wonder you're still alive."

With that she began to walk away, with Luke following behind and trying to not laugh harder. Han brought up the rear, grumbling under his breath the whole way.

Chewie caught up to them at the junction to a new corridor, and that was where Leia's theory that someone would have heard Han's careless blast proved to be correct. A squad of four stormtroopers met them face-to-face as they rounded the bend.

"It's them!" shouted the squad captain. "Blast them!"

Han, wanting to prove his point to Leia that he could well handle his own, charged the squad with a loud battle cry.

"Get to the ship!" Han yelled as he disappeared, with Chewie hot in pursuit.

"Han, wait!" Luke cried, but the duo was already gone. "Blast his stubborn streak!"

"I'll give him a point for courage," Leia allowed dryly.

Luke shook his head. "A lot of good that'll do him when he gets himself killed."

With a sigh, Luke motioned Leia down the opposite end of the hall, and they jogged away. Luke had to wonder if Han had managed to scare off all the troopers, because he and the Princess didn't meet any resistance until they were well on their way to the docking bay.

"Look out!" Luke called, jerking Leia back as something told him of imminent danger around the next jog in the corridor.

A red blast hit the wall where she'd just been, and Leia cried out in surprise. Looking to Luke, she squeezed the hand he now held.

"Thank you!"

Luke merely nodded, and leaned out to return fire. He managed to also glimpse a possible escape route. Ducking back, he turned to the Princess.

"I think I see a way out."

"Where?"

"I'll lay down cover fire, you run across to the first doorway on the right. It's open, but I don't know where it leads."

"It'll be progress, anyway," Leia agreed. "Okay."

Luke nodded to her and leaned back around the corner to lay down suppression fire, forcing their enemy to take cover or be killed. As soon as Leia made it to the open hatchway, he scrambled to follow.

He'd barely ducked inside when the stormtroopers regained their wits and shot at him again.

"Luke, wait!" Leia shouted as Luke shot up the ramp and took a step into the room.

Leia grabbed his arm just as he began to fall, but Luke had already lost his balance. Yelping in surprise, Luke started to fall, but twisted midair to try catching a handhold.

His hands slapped onto the smooth floor, giving him a split-second of hope…

… until they began to slide on the slickly polished floor.

Luke scrabbled for purchase as Leia grabbed for his hands. However, as soon as she grabbed him, blasterfire zinged over her head.

Releasing him with one limb, Leia grabbed his blaster rifle and traded fire with the pursuing troops over her shoulder. When she spotted the controls for the door, Leia shot them and then spun back toward Luke.

"Luke!" she dropped the weapon and grabbed for his hands again just before he slipped free.

She strained against his greater weight, and Luke struggled to hoist himself up.

"Leia, just get me up to my elbows," Luke requested. "I can get it from there!"

She nodded and pulled him up as he'd asked, though it took long seconds. When Luke's elbows met the edge of the ramp, he used his arm muscles to heft himself to safety, bringing first his right knee up and then his left.

As soon as he was completely on the walkway again, he collapsed with relief, shaking from near-death-experience number three.

Luke shook his head, thinking of the others that had happened within the last day or so: the burning homestead, the trash compactor, and now an almost-fall to unknown depths.

Is it just me? Luke wondered as he allowed Leia to help him to his feet.

"What now?" Luke asked as they leaned against the closed door. "Shouldn't this ramp have an extending bridge on the other side?"

"Uh…" Leia looked down. "It used to."

"Huh?" Luke glimpsed the blasted wall panel, and grimaced. "Oh."

"Well this is just great!" the Princess muttered. "I just trapped us into a bottomless chasm with no way out!"

"Don't give up just yet," Luke urged.

"Did you…" her reply was drowned out by the sudden scream of blasterfire from above and to the left.

Luke, the closest to their weapon, grabbed it up and returned fire; but though he got one soldier, the others kept ducking out of range. During the brief respite the troops gave them, Luke looked down at his equipment belt, plus the one he'd kept from the stormtrooper armor.

A belt that had a grappling hook and cable!

"Leia, take the blaster!" Luke instructed, handing it over and trading places with her.

Leia was professional enough not to waste time arguing. She intermitted returning fire and looking to see what her companion was doing.

Luke uncoiled the entire length of cable as quickly as his fingers would allow him to, keeping it in a neat loop in his hand so he could throw it. The door behind them began to inch upward as though someone were trying to hotwire the thing from the other side.

"Hurry, Luke!" Leia urged. "They're almost through!"

"Just a sec…" Luke stuck his tongue between his teeth, and then felt the tell-tale tug that marked the end of the feed.

That was when he realized he didn't know where to throw it. Cursing, Luke looked about hastily, and finally spotted a likely place high above their position. Praying to the Force to let this work, Luke took aim… and swung the cable up and out.

To his amazement, it caught on the first try and he crowed with delight. Leia ducked and return fire, before she shot the last trooper from above. Then the door behind them began to open a little more, and soon the troops would be able to blast their feet.

"Let's go, Princess!" Luke waved at her to join him.

She stepped to his side, threw her arms about his neck… and then kissed his cheek.

Luke looked to her in utter surprise, blushing pink.

"W-what was that for?" he asked.

"Good luck," Leia replied, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Luke nodded once and took a deep breath. When he jumped, he only then stopped to wonder if the cable would even hold their weight. But to his immense relief it didn't snap and drop them.

"Yes!" Luke hissed happily, even as he released the cable and let go.

Leia was already on the move, and it was easy work for Luke to catch up to her. They arrived in a room just above the hangar bay, where the Corellian freighter was visible.

"Threepio, do you copy?" Luke asked into his comlink then.

"I do, Master Luke."

"Where are you two?" Luke inquired.

"We are off to the side in the hangar bay, Sir," the droid said.

"Any sign of Ben?" Luke worried at his lip.

"None yet, Sir."

"Okay," Luke sighed. "We're almost to the bay as well."

He put the device away and shook his head: he hoped Ben was doing okay. He didn't want to have to leave without the Jedi: though Luke wouldn't put it past Han to do just that if the situation called for it.

When Han and Chewie suddenly appeared, breathless, everyone aimed without thinking. But once the group recognized each other, they simultaneously relaxed.

Leia lifted a brow as if just realizing something, and turned to peer at the ship again.

"You came here in that thing?" she asked with a cheeky grin. "You are much braver than I took you for."

"Ha ha…" Han griped. "Let's get the hell off this thing."

"Right behind you," Luke agreed as they moved quietly along.

00000

Vader stood tall and proud in the corridor, very much aware that Obi wan was on his way to meet his doom on the blood-red blade Vader held at the ready.

He could have hidden among the shadows; but even if the old fool hadn't seen him, he'd have heard the respirator Vader needed to survive.

He lifted a wry brow. If only his men knew just how easily their feared leader's life could be placed in jeopardy…

But as Obi wan's sense drew ever closer, Vader cleared his mind off all distractions, and instead focused on the moment he'd been denied for well over a decade now. It had been nearly twenty years since the day that Darth Vader had truly risen from the ashes.

Vader felt the stir in the Force's current, and lifted his head imperiously as his prey finally came into view.

The Sith Lord had the satisfaction of seeing Obi wan do a double take, coming to a stop and blinking once. But then Obi wan thinned his lips, no doubt resigned to his fate, and pulled his lightsaber from his belt.

Vader tilted his head. "Do you even still know how to use that thing, Master?"

Obi wan lifted his chin. "Would you like to find out, Darth?"

Vader snorted. "If you can stand the exertion, Old Man, then come and have a go at me."

The Jedi smiled softly, and did as Vader requested, stepping closer. "I see the years have treated you well," he said conversationally as he inched ever closer.

"I would say the same about you, Obi wan, but I'd be lying." Vader shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

He stepped up, tired of the wait, and thrust his glowing blade at his former master. Obi wan deflected the first few blows, but it was obvious to Vader that he had the upper hand.

Obi wan used to be one of the finest swordsmen in the galaxy, and now look at him. Vader mused haughtily.

"So, tell me." Vader was curious. "Where did you hide out that I wasn't able to find you all this time?"

Obi wan actually smiled. "Some place homey."

Vader frowned. The only place Obi wan had ever considered to be 'home' had been the Jedi Temple in the Old Republic days.

They dueled on, with Obi wan tiring more and more, yet he didn't concede the fight. Part of Vader was happy to have the man trying to hold out, but there was a larger part that was disappointed that the fight wasn't as… grandiose as he'd anticipated.

Then it hit Vader: Obi wan wasn't trying to best him… he was stalling the Dark Lord.

But why?