A/N: Hey all!
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SW Ep. V Jedi Assassin Ch. 29: Battle of Hoth Pt. 2
Biggs didn't have time to react when the speeder's canopy ripped open and his crash harnesses were ripped from him. He was flung by unseen forces out of the speeder a second later.
It didn't take Biggs long to spot him: Vader. Among white suited rebels and storm-troopers, the black-garbed dark lord stuck out like a Hutt at a Jawa assembly.
Biggs reflexively struggled as he was slowly drawn towards the awaiting dark lord. Behind him, he heard Dak cry out, no doubt spotting Vader as well.
"Boss!" Dak hollered.
Biggs glanced back, and to his horror, saw Dak tear away his own harnesses, grab his holstered blaster and leap to a standing position, his weapon aimed at Vader.
"Dak! No!"
But it was too late; even as Vader had one had outstretched in Biggs' direction, he merely reached the other towards Dak.
Dak suddenly grabbed his throat, his eyes rolling back as Biggs heard a sound like thunder all around them.
"Dak! Dak!" he tried to reach his own weapon, but it was useless; his arms were pinned to his sides. He could only flail helplessly as Dak made a horrible garbling sound and pitched forward, toppling, lifeless into the snow below.
Their snow speeder was not to be spared either; with a wave of his hand Vader sent it careening towards one of the trenches, where rebels were too focused on advancing AT-ST's to see the danger coming up from behind them.
Thankfully Biggs recognized one of the men. "Hobby! Look out!" he screamed his loudest.
The taller man turned, saw the speeder coming and yelled: "Fall back!"
Most of the men were able to flee before the speeder struck, exploding where the men had been not a few seconds before.
Biggs didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief before he was unceremoniously dropped into the snow before a pair of black boots. He grunted on impact and peered up.
Vader towered over him, seemingly indifferent to the utter chaos all around them.
"How very noble of you," Vader drolly said, "to think of your friends at such a time." He had dropped his arms to let them relax at his sides. He gestured. "I was especially moved at how they rallied to aid you in return."
Biggs snorted. They both knew the rebels had taken one look at Vader and fled.
He voiced his next thought. "What else could they do?"
"Nothing," was the blunt reply, "but that has never stopped you rebels before. I'm…disappointed."
The dry sarcasm made Biggs snarl. "What do you want?"
"The Specter," was the immediate, emotionless return, "where is he?"
Biggs blinked, shocked by the question and answered without thinking. "I don't know."
Vader tilted his head to one side, and Biggs recalled that Luke could sense truth from lies. No doubt Vader wielded the same power.
"Indeed, I can," was the low admission, making Biggs blink again, "your thoughts are no secret to me, rebel. You worry for him. Was he greatly injured from attack?"
Even as Biggs jolted from the shock that Vader was aware of Luke's predicament a picture flitted across Biggs' mind of the slashes marring Luke's front as they lowered him into the bacta.
"Yes," Biggs flatly said, "but unfortunately for you, he'll recover."
The dark lord actually snickered. "Your loyalty is commendable. But your friend will fail as the Jedi before him. But fear not, he is of no use to me dead."
"Use to you?" Biggs echoed mutedly. "He'd never serve you!"
Suddenly he was plucked from the ground again. Invisible talons wrapped around his throat, closing enough to hurt but not kill.
"You will live long enough to see your beliefs torn asunder," Vader avowed in a low, menacing voice, "you will live until I find your assassin friend. And once he is mine…I shall have him kill you."
Biggs clenched his jaw as fresh anger surged through him. He opened his mouth to choke out a scathing retort, but a yell from his far left cut him short.
He turned, seeing Vader do the same in his peripherals. They both saw the Imperial officer running at them…blaster drawn.
And the grenades he threw in Vader and Biggs' direction.
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Piett watched in horror as the Pride's underbelly detonated, a cacophony of explosions ripping her hull to shreds.
And then…it came. That fearsome, invisible ship that he often heard his men whisper of late at night to frighten the new recruits.
Tales of the Revenant were as infamous and widely known as the Specter himself…the lethal skiff flown by him and his unknown henchmen—whatever they might be.
Whatever he might be; no one had ever seen the assassin out of his armor. Therefore he could be anything.
Anything inhuman.
The ship rippled into being only to vanish again a moment later.
The Specter; he was playing with them, taunting them!
The insolence! The audacity! Against the pride of the Imperial Navy!?
Piett straightened, cleared his throat, which was loud in the abrupt silence. "Status," he prompted coldly.
"The Pride is badly damaged sir," an aid reported, "and we've adjusted our sensors to every frequency, every known code…nothing. The Revenant gives off no energy signature, not heat, nor"—
"Analyze the attack patterns," Piett cut in, "find something we can trace." He turned from his men to the long viewports. "He's still out there…somewhere. And so help me we are going to teach him the Executor is no one's prey."
Mutters of agreement were shared behind him by his men.
But then he saw them: a volley of rockets that flickered into existence from nowhere.
And they were targeting the crippled Pride.
"Interceptors! Fire!" Piett ordered.
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Luke savored watching the target-lock swivel around until it found the Pride.
Oh; this was going to taste so sweet. Another destroyer…gone.
"Noc…make my day," he said.
The falcon made a show of raising his talon and dramatically swinging it down at the firing mechanism.
The rockets launched themselves forth.
You realize there will be reprisal for this, friend.
Luke grinned, not seeing Fade's worried face. "They can send me the bill. I'll pay it when I do my taxes."
We still do not pay taxes, friend.
"Then I guess they're going to be waiting for a while, aren't they?"
As Luke watched the rockets near their quarry, he turned to Noc. "Lock onto the super ship. I have a promise to fulfill."
And that's when the super ship proved its intercepting cannons were actually quite accurate.
Such a pity then that the rockets Luke fired off came equipped with built in diversion-systems.
Noc chirped, and Luke got the gist of it in his helmet.
More ships are approaching. They finally figured out we're in this area.
Luke chuckled. "Took them long enough. They're probably worried about their precious new toy." He straightened and grabbed the controls. "Let's show them their worry is valid."
And before them, the Pride blew apart in a glorious conflagration, a firestorm that continued to illuminate even as Luke took the Revenant out of stealth and deliberately dove at the super ship.
Let them see it coming, he thought.
As the super ship's cannons spewed green death at them, Luke expertly dodged and weaved, plunging into a pattern of cloaking and de-cloaking.
Humans fear what they can't or can't always see…and what was the Empire nearly all comprised of?
Humans.
So Luke let them fear.
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As Noc repeatedly fired their super-enhanced laser cannons at the super ship, it struck Luke they probably had a worried princess still on Hoth.
"Well, comms should be open now," he mused and pressed the channel to Echo Base. "Leia?"
Instantly she was there. "Luke! Where have you been?" A cough. "Uh, I mean, yes?"
It took a lot of effort to not laugh. She was so decorous moments like this were precious few…which was a pity because she was so adorable when upset.
Luke quickly pushed the thought away. He coughed too, then realized what he'd done.
Maxims, remember your maxims….
"Princess, one of the destroyers was a communications jamming vessel but we…took care of it. We've taken out two destroyers and are currently engaging the super ship. The Navy is effectively distracted, you should be clear to launch the rest of the evacuees."
A sigh of relief. "That's wonderful news…I'll let Rieekan know at once." A pause, and when she spoke again the Princess's voice was so quiet Luke was certain no one at the base could hear her. "And Luke…please promise me that…that…you'll be careful."
The worst part was he clearly heard everything she wasn't saying there and that made the unspoken words all the louder.
It can never be, it can never be, it can never be….
He had to force his suddenly leaden arm to press the comm. "I will…princess." A long pause where Luke struggled whether or not to add anything. Sense fought sentiment and lost. "Only if you promise that…you'll do the same."
Stupid emotions, stupid emotions…STUPID EMOTIONS!
"Let your heart pump blood but never let it beat."
"Emotions are the Assassin's Bane; the beginning of the end."
"There are hunters and prey. Hunters live; prey dies."
Luke shook his head violently.
Friend?
"I'm all right," Luke quickly dismissed.
You are panting.
He realized a second later Fade was right; he was.
No, this was wrong. They were doing a job…a job!
Dromerick would have beaten him for weeks over this.
He gripped the console, twisting his emotions back into forced exile. Took a steadying breath. "Is the super ship still locked?"
Noc gave him a look that clearly said: a ship that size? You have to ask?
Luke could only grin. "Point taken." He leaned back in his seat. "Do your magic trick, Noc. Make the ship disappear."
Noc fluttered his wings gleefully and seemed to dance across the firing controls as he released a full arsenal of fiery death on the super ship.
Luke's hands dashed across the piloting systems, expertly darting and evading the tsunami of weaponry pouring at them. "We should probably get some distance between us and the light show."
Fade nodded in agreement.
They vanished again.
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Biggs only had a second to sharply inhale and wait for death as the first grenade closed in—
Before it froze midair, detonated, but made no more than a fireball the size of Artoo.
And Biggs only felt a light breeze of destructive force hit his face.
Vader's outstretched hand closed a fist, and the fireball collapsed on itself, extinguishing with a 'flit' sound, when it apparently struck both of them the man was still coming.
Vader whipped out his lightsaber, no doubt intending the run the man through, when it happened.
The snow below their feet exploded everywhere and Biggs heard noises that he was certain were the roars of hungry Wampas.
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A/N: Hello all; so…I was gonna add more to this in about a week, but as Skylanian Writer, who is one of my long-time reviewers gave me 'puppy eyes and et al.' via the last review, I've decided to put this up now and continue with a fresh chapter later on. So…you guys get a two for one special today! Be sure to say thanks to Skylanian Writer as I would not have done this otherwise! Till next time!
