Chapter Thirty-Seven:
"Aright Chewie, prepare for lightspeed!" Han ordered.
"I input the coordinates," Leia supplied from behind him.
"Right..." Han replied somewhat vaguely, and then jumped when Threepio suddenly wailed in alarm.
"Look out!"
Han mentally cursed the protocol droid as he looked up to see a flight of TIE fighters bearing down on the Falcon, their green lasers blasting away. Han took the ship into a steep dive and then rolled away as the TIEs came around for another pass.
Han was about to ask if Mara was still in the gun turret when it came to life, firing at their six.
"Thanks Mara!" Han said instead over the line.
"Han, it's a star destroyer!" Leia pointed to the left.
"I see it..." Han growled, still flipping switches as he tried to level out long enough for them to make the jump to lightspeed. "Chewie, get ready... punch it!"
The Wookiee instantly pushed the levers up and the ship pulled ever-so-slightly... and then the engines whined in protest and the stars remained pinpoints of light. Leia closed her eyes in frustration as Han sat agape in his pilot's chair.
[The hyperdrive's not responding.] Chewie roared agitatedly.
"You think?" Han snapped, dropping the Falcon into another series of maneuvers as Mara continued to trade shots with the enemy.
"No lightspeed?" Leia asked tightly when she reopened her eyes.
"It's not my fault!" Han protested defensively. "But don't you worry; this baby's still got a few tricks up her sleeves! As do I!"
"Oh my!" Threepio wailed. "We're doomed!"
"Shut up!" Han barked at the droid. "And get out of my cockpit!"
Threepio huffed indignantly but retreated while Han breathed sigh of relief at his absence: now he could think clearly.
[Han, there's a...] Chewie began to say, but the comm. unit blared to sudden life.
"Han!" Mara's voice snapped over the comlink. "The Executor is headed our way, so if you can't hit lightspeed, you'd better think of something fast!"
Han used several choice words at that tidbit of information, and began to search about for anything to use to his advantage. Chewbacca smacked his arm to get his attention and tried again to speak.
[Han, there's an asteroid belt at point oh-eleven-three.]
Han bit his lip, trying to live up to his claim to Leia, even as his mind started to go into gambler mode. He didn't relish the thought of risking his ship in a belt of directionless rocks, but on the other hand... it could be just what they needed.
Without another thought, Han turned the ship.
[Where are you going?] Chewie demanded.
"Make sure the shields are at full," Han said grimly.
All eyes in the cockpit turned to the asteroid belt now directly in front of them.
"Wait... you're not actually going into an asteroid belt, are you?" Leia asked incredulously.
"Yes."
"You're nuts!" Leia gasped.
"Who's the more nutty? The nut or the one who follows him?" Han snarked. He was thoroughly proud of himself for mimicking old Ben Kenobi's remarks from almost two years prior.
But apparently he was the only one who thought his remark was funny because dead silence greeted his comment.
"Ah, never mind," Han grumped, returning to his piloting.
00000
Sitting in the main lobby, Shmi was growing both restless from not being able to help, and tired of listening to Threepio's exclamations of doom. Really, didn't he know how depressing that was?
Shmi wanted to help somehow. She didn't want to just sit in her acceleration couch and wait for either their escape or— dare she think it?— capture.
But what could she do?
Uncle Han, Chewie, and Aunt Leia were all in the cockpit, but Shmi would still be useless there... and probably in the way. Her mother, on the other hand, was still battling it out with the TIE fighters harassing her uncle's ship.
But Shmi knew that while Mara's marksmanship was stellar, she could not fight the TIEs if they remained below her gun's range.
Shmi suddenly perked up, wondering why she hadn't thought of it before. There were two gun turrets!
She was out of her seat before either Lars or Threepio could object, and then she was descending the ladder to the belly turret. To her surprise, there were two TIEs swarming the belly of Han's ship, though there was a small gun protruding out from the cockpit module that was returning fire.
Shmi ignored the battle and dropped into the seat, strapping in. The controls were obviously meant for an adult's height, but Shmi was determined to do her part. She'd had time in the flight simulators courtesy of the Rogues, so Shmi knew how to track and target things.
But... she'd never actually killed a real-life target.
Could she do it?
Listening to the bickering from the cockpit and then her mother's warning of a ship called the Executor, Shmi decided that yes, she could.
She situated herself in the seat so she could see better, took careful aim... and waited. She used the lull in action on her end to tap into the Force as her mother had taught her, letting it flow through her as much as her rudimentary skills would allow.
She nearly jumped when the flash of insight came mere seconds before the target swooped into view. She depressed the red trigger buttons on her controls... and then watched as the TIE exploded in to a fireball.
00000
Mara blinked in confusion when the TIE she'd been tracking unsuccessfully disappeared over the edge of the Falcon... and then burst into flames.
At the same time, a whoop came from the cockpit. "Nice shooting Mara!"
"... that wasn't me," Mara said dumbly, still frowning. "It's out of my line of sight."
"Then who..."
More laserfire lanced out from under the Falcon, tracking another TIE fighter and appearing to Mara to be coming from the cockpit's nose. Then a thought occurred to her as she heard a gasp in the tunnel below her.
Mara looked down... and tensed up to see Shmi in the adjacent gun turret, swiveling in her seat even as she tracked the TIE with fiery lances of destruction.
Mara gaped in astonishment... and then beamed in sudden pride.
"That's my girl!" Mara shouted to Shmi.
The child jumped in surprise, glancing up the tunnel to see Mara's nod of approval. Her teeth shown in a wide smile, and both Skywalker women returned to the task of defending their ship.
00000
Han whistled as he realized Shmi was in the other gun turret. "Have no fear, people... we're being protected by Skywalkers. We'll be fine."
Chewie bellowed in a slightly sarcastic manner while Leia rolled her eyes with a smirk. Truth be told, it was comforting to know the Skywalker ladies had their backs. But as Han drew the ship ever closer to the asteroids, Leia sank into her seat with a hard swallow.
"Han, if you're trying to impress me..." Leia blurted in a moment of numb-panic.
But he was already in the field, and varying sized hunks of space-rock were now whizzing by at alarming rates. Some were so close Leia could see the details of their surfaces.
"Han..." her voice trembled.
"It'll be alright, Leia," the smuggler assured her in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Trust me."
Like I have a choice... Leia thought morbidly.
"Mara, Shmi, watch out for any asteroids on a collision course. If they're not too big, blast them."
"Will do," Mara replied.
"Copy that!" Shmi seconded.
Leia's grip on her seat was white-knuckled soon after that, wondering why she was the only person on board— exempting Goldenrod— who was showing signs of fear. Even little Shmi, still so innocent after all this time, was faring better than her Aunt.
Leia grimaced at that, wondering if the Rogue's had rubbed off on the child in more ways than one. Undoubtedly.
And then there was her time spent with Mara: a spitfire of a woman in her own right.
Leia made a conscious effort to calm down, though her body remained tense.
00000
"Do you have them?" Vader demanded as he emerged on the bridge.
After a thorough examination of the Hoth base, Vader had discovered the room occupied by his son. The overwhelming volume of love he'd felt had been nauseating. Vader hadn't been able to stand it, only long enough to gather anything that may have belonged to the child. However, the only thing he'd found was a hair tie.
"They just entered an asteroid field, My Lord..." Piett began somewhat nervously.
"Which concerns you why?" Vader asked leadingly.
"I do not wish to damage..."
"Asteroids are not of any concern." Vader cut him off. "This ship has adequate shielding and more than enough batteries to take out any rocks posing a threat to the Executor. Take the ship in, and instruct new flights of TIEs to pursue as well. I want that freighter, not excuses."
"Yes, Lord Vader." Admiral Piett saluted.
Leaving his capable Admiral to his task, Vader retreated to make a few calls. He put one out to Boba Fett in particular, requesting he bring along several key items in exchange for a generous bounty... and the chance of a new job.
Vader had a hunch that bounty hunters would be useful in tracking Solo should the man— Vader had to give him credit for his skills in sticky situations— manage to evade capture. A boon to this plan was that the bounty hunters were not bound by a higher master or any rigid laws. They were given a task, and then set lose to complete it.
They were useful for that if nothing else.
Boba Fett, on the other hand... now there was a man Vader could work with outside of the Imperial military. The Force told him he could trust the man with his higher goal here: the detaining of Mara Jade.
Once she was out of the way, Vader could proceed unencumbered.
00000
Han had to admit that were it not for the targeting skills of Mara and Shmi, the Falcon would probably be pock-marked with holes right now.
They kept most of the smaller rocks off their backs while Han flew them around the larger hunks. TIEs still pursued them, and so Han used the space-rock to his advantage. He flew close to them intentionally several times, and most of the TIEs had been taken out that way, but in true Imperial fashion, the Executor simply sent out more expendable pilots. Han shook his head, mostly pitying the poor piloting skills of those TIE pilots, but also feeling sorry that they were seen as pawns in Vader's game.
To the Sith Lord, they were disposable in every way.
Han came back to reality when the next chunk of asteroid nearly took out the sensor dish. Han rolled the Falcon away and then dove under the next one. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw two asteroids converge suddenly, cutting off the approach of the next TIE with a flash of light and flotsam.
"Chewie, we need someplace to hide..." Han muttered to his copilot.
The Wookiee harned his agreement, pointing out the viewport to the largest asteroid yet. [Try that one, it might have caves.]
"Good idea." Han nodded, steering the ship in that direction.
The gun turrets fired away again and Han heard the explosions of two TIEs and then their ship was flying first into a crater and then through a short canyon. He heard a brief gasp from Shmi as the rock-face flew by at a suddenly closer distance, and winced.
Sorry Squirt. Han thought at her.
Then he saw what he needed, and pointed it out to Chewie. "There! That looks good!"
[We'll need to come around, Han, were not at the right angle this pass.]
"Got it." Han lowered the ship, hearing Mara take out their last pursuing TIE and then he took the Falcon into a loop which ended with them entering the vertical cave.
Han took them deep into the cave, so much so that they could no longer see the entrance before he slowed the ship and then turned the nose back the way they'd come. Lastly he set the ship down and cut power to anything that wasn't vital.
He relaxed back into his seat, and only then registered the fact that Leia had been abnormally silent for a long time. He turned to find her staring blankly out the viewport, her hands locked into a death-grip on her armrests.
Chewie dismissed himself discreetly to begin working on the hyperdrive, but Leia didn't so much as blink at his passing. Han grimaced and lay a gentle hand on Leia's.
"Hey, Princess... we're okay you know." Han waited, but she still didn't respond, almost as though she'd not heard him.
"Leia..." Han tried again, and this time she blinked, turning her gaze to his face without shifting her head. "Hey, we're safe for the moment. We stopped so we could repair the Falcon."
"We're alive?" she croaked, before she cleared her throat in embarrassment.
Han snickered lightly. "Last I checked."
Threepio's prattling voice floated toward them and Han sighed. "Definitely alive: 'cause if we were dead and at peace, Goldenrod wouldn't be here to nag us."
00000
Mara descended the ladder to the belly turret, determined to have a moment alone with her daughter before they were pulled away to help affect repairs. Shmi was sitting in her seat, silent and contemplative, and Mara was concerned that now the fight was over, the kills the child had made were catching up to her.
"Shmi?" she asked gently, leaning over the seat.
Shmi blinked up at her, and then gave a half-hearted smile. "Hey Mom."
"Can I sit too?"
Shmi scooted over, and Mara squeezed in with her, not in the least bothered by their close proximity. Instead of launching into a multitude of questions, Mara allowed Shmi to think on things, and then come to her when the child was ready.
Mara knew what it was like to be lost in thought on a matter of great importance, and have that moment ruined by someone who had to know answers she didn't have right then. She would not pressure Shmi like that if it wasn't necessary.
"I really killed people, didn't I Mom?" Shmi finally murmured, turning her head from where is rested on Mara's bicep to look her in the eye.
"Yes." Mara didn't sugar-coat it. That would not help Shmi: it was imperative that she understood that taking a life was not a laughing matter. She also had to know that at times such an act was unavoidable.
"Isn't it murder to kill someone?" Shmi whispered, and Mara saw the fear now in her blue eyes.
"Not in war," Mara assured Shmi, stroking her hair soothingly. "Or at least, not on the battle field; no matter the setting. See, you were defending this ship— and by extension the people on it— from those who were trying to hurt us. You were fighting to keep your loved ones safe; you were also fighting to be free, just like your father does every time he leads the Rogues. And if the Empire had captured us alive back there, that would have been far worse." Mara shuddered. "Imperial interrogation is no laughing matter."
Shmi was listening with rapt attention.
"The difference is when you seek someone out specifically with the intent to kill them... for reasons that are not in self defense." Mara felt a pang of guilt, something Shmi did not miss. "There are, of course, hits sanctioned by government officials in order to avoid major conflicts that would lead to unnecessary loss of life. So sometimes a person must be killed for the greater good. But that is not something to be taken lightly."
"Mom?"
"Yes Shmi?"
"... have you ever murdered someone?" Shmi asked gingerly.
Mara closed her eyes, feeling tears sting them. She'd known she would have to tell Shmi the truth of her past at some point, but it was still hard. She didn't want Shmi to hate her... but Mara refused to lie to Shmi.
"Yes," Mara whispered sadly.
Shmi tensed somewhat beside her, thinking that over, and Mara continued. "Shmi, I need to tell you something."
Shmi returned her gaze to Mara, who looked her dead-on.
"I wanted to wait, but your father was right... we could get separated, and if you find out the truth from anyone else... you'd probably hate me, and I don't want that."
Shmi shook her head fervently. "I could never hate you Mom."
Mara smiled softly. "You're so like your father, you know that?"
Shmi shrugged sheepishly: a very 'Luke' gesture.
"The truth is about my past," Mara began again. "I used to be an Imperial agent. But not just any agent: I worked specifically for Emperor Palpatine. He was my master. Do you remember when you first met me, and I told you that my father figure had abandoned me?"
Shmi nodded.
"That was my former master. You see, I had been taken as a small child from my family, and I was raised by the Emperor to become his personal assassin. I was known to a very select few as the Emperor's Hand," Mara explained further. "My entire life consisted of training to be the perfect operative, and I got very good at my job. I killed many persons... all of my targets chosen by the Emperor. I have a lot of questionable blood on my hands Shmi."
Shmi placed a hand on her arm. "But the Emperor chose them, not you. You were taught all that stuff, so it was all you knew. You were doing what you were told. Dad says when an order is given by your commanding office, you have to obey, or you get in trouble. You were doing what you were told, so it's not your fault, not really."
Mara could only stare at the child for long minutes, trying and failing to see any shred of mistrust or disgust in Shmi's gaze or demeanor, but there was none. Her daughter had accepted her past wholly and without complaint.
"How can you be so smart?" Mara finally asked, only half-joking. "And... you don't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you? You're my mother." Shmi looked puzzled. "All I have known from you is kindness. So even if you were trying to hurt us then, you didn't. I love you Mom, and I don't care what you did then. You're not that person now."
Mara's eyes spilled over and she pulled Shmi tightly to her. "I don't deserve you... or your father."
"Don't ever say that!" Shmi gasped. "Dad and I love you! We'd be heartbroken if..."
"Calm down, calm down..." Mara soothed. "I'm not going anywhere: it was just an expression."
"Oh." Shmi relaxed. "Good."
Mara smiled softly, kissing her daughter's head and then just settling down for a quiet, much needed moment with her daughter.
00000
Luke gazed down at the misty atmosphere of the planet called Dagobah, wondering why anyone would make a home here. Then again, if he were a Jedi in hiding, he'd choose an out-of-the-way place too.
Shrugging, Luke brought the ship down with practiced ease... only losing some of his cool when the atmosphere proved to be far more unstable than he'd thought.
Master Luke, the ship's losing altitude at a dangerous rate! Artoo squealed.
"I know!" Luke replied shortly, concentrating on making a semi-safe landing. The thick fog was all around. "I can't see anything..."
Then, with a burst of clarity that had him slapping his helmeted head in a 'duh' gesture, Luke realized that he didn't need to see. He quickly relaxed, the action coming far more naturally to him now that he'd accepted his abilities and taken on the AT-AT.
To say that battle had boosted his morale and self-confidence would be an accurate statement. But he had to make a conscious effort not to be prideful: after all, he wasn't a Jedi yet, and he'd only just begun to truly come out of his Force-shell.
Artoo's panicked squeals faded away and Luke sought the path to a safe landing through the Force, almost seeing it as a trail of yellow-green amidst the all-encompassing grey fog. Tree limbs appeared out of nowhere, taking him by mild surprise, but Luke kept his link to the Force open, so he knew exactly where to go, when to turn... and where to safely land his ship.
He settled down on the boggy ground with a final sigh from his snubfighter, and heard Artoo moan in obvious relief. With a light chuckle, Luke sat back and contemplated his next move.
Now what?
Should he set up a camp? Or should he try to locate this mysterious Yoda first? It's not like he'd ever...
Abruptly, Luke sat upright, banging his helmet on the transparisteel in the process. What if that voice in his head from Hoth had been Master Yoda? Was it possible to speak to someone from that distance?
Mara had said she and Palpatine could converse, but they knew each other. Luke did not know Yoda at all, so did that make a difference?
Luke wasn't sure of that, but his instincts said he was on the right course, so he grabbed into that line of thinking and used it as a starting point. He had a voice, now he needed to find the being attached to it.
But where to start?
Luke surmised that sitting in his cockpit all day wouldn't get him anywhere, so he popped the canopy and removed his helmet once Artoo deemed the air breathable. The humidity hit Luke like a brick wall, and he nearly suffocated at the sudden increase in moisture.
He'd never felt humidity like this before, not even on Helska Six. The versatility of the many planets in the galaxy still amazed Luke, and he wondered briefly if he'd ever grow out of that.
Leaving his helmet on the seat, Luke used the Force to bring out his ladder— there was one stowed in the underbelly compartment for situations like these— and then left the fighter. He gingerly placed his booted feet on the ground, and then chastised himself for hesitating like that.
If the ground could hold the weight of his fighter, it would certainly hold him.
Luke stopped a few paces from the ship and looked around curiously. Behind him Artoo warbled, and Luke looked up to see him trying to get out of his droid socket.
"Artoo, stay put for a minute, I want to have a look ar..." But it was too late. Artoo had already gotten himself most of the way out, and then he lost his balance and slipped over the side of the X-wing... right into the swampy water.
"Artoo!" Luke shouted in alarm, racing to the water's edge. "Artoo?!"
He waited for several tense heartbeats before Artoo's periscope-lens popped out of the murky water and swerved about in search of land. Luke relaxed with a breath of air.
"You need to be more careful, little droid," he rebuked his metallic friend.
When Artoo tootled sheepishly, yet still hadn't moved, Luke shook his head in amusement.
"Over here Artoo..." he drawled.
The droid responded meekly again and trudged his way over... until something large caught him in the water. Artoo screamed as he was dragged under the surface, while Luke gasped in shock.
"Artoo!"
He was about to jump into the swamp to help when a strange groan came from the waters below. With a huge splash and an electronic squeal, Artoo went sailing through the air to land somewhere in the jungle beyond Luke's position.
Luke hustled through the forest as quickly as he could manage, following Artoo's disgruntled tootles and beeps to his location.
"Artoo?" Luke called as he finally spotted the poor astromech lying upside down in a tangle of roots. "Hold on little guy."
Luke used his arms to carefully pull his faithful friend from the tree roots and then onto his treads upon solid ground. Artoo promptly spat muddy water from his compartments, and Luke jumped back.
"Warn me next time, will you?" he remarked dryly.
"Trouble with your droid, are you having?"
Luke spun about at the sudden voice, his heart racing as his eyes searched out the source. He couldn't help but gape a little at the sight that greeted him.
Sitting upon a large fallen tree was a little green alien with long pointed ears and a tuft of white hair atop the crown of his head. In his grasp was some sort of gimer stick and the being was dressed in homespun clothes that looked somehow familiar...
In fact, Luke had only ever seen that type of wardrobe on Ben...
He abruptly straightened, blinking again in slight disbelief as the facts came together.
The voice from Hoth, the Jedi attire... and now that he was paying attention, the odd creature's demeanor spoke of power.
"... Yoda?" he gaped.
The alien nodded knowingly. "Judge me by my size, do you Young Skywalker?"
Luke realized his mouth was still hanging open some, and he shut it before fumbling to cover his misstep.
"No, of course not, I just... well, wasn't expecting..." Luke trailed off when he realized he was only digging himself a deeper pit. "Forgive me Master Yoda. I didn't mean to offend you."
Yoda lifted a brow, and continued his first lecture. "Appearances should not be how you judge, for deceiving they are. Trust in your instincts you must have. And well you should not judge me, for my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. All around us, it is, binding it is." He pointed for emphasis as he went on. "Between the rock and the tree it is; the person and the land, and yes; even the air around the ship. Everywhere, the Force is."
Luke listened intently, determined to soak up all information he could from this Jedi. When the being was done, Luke thought long and hard.
This was his one chance, his last opportunity to seek out his desire to be a full-on Jedi. No more half-efforts or self-doubts. He wanted to have the confidence that was born from formal training... or did it come with that?
He wasn't entirely certain; but he did know one thing...
Dropping to his knees, Luke bowed his head to Yoda. "Master Yoda, I have travelled here to seek your guidance and instruction. Would you teach me the Force?"
Luke waited patiently while Yoda hummed to himself... and then began to speak, but not to Luke.
"Strong already he is; learned somewhat in the Force... tempered..."
"He has had a good teacher for several months."
Luke lifted his head in surprise to hear Ben's voice again... only this time there was no ghost to accompany it. Luke could only conclude that the conversation must not be his to join, and so he waited quietly.
"Hmm... certainly not of the old code, is he..." Yoda said quietly."Married, he is, and a father as well. Done him much good, fatherhood has." Yoda pursed his lips. "Will he finish what he begins?"
"He only needs a few more lessons, Master Yoda," Ben answered. "He is ready."
"Hmm. Still some fear in him, I sense," Yoda finally addressed both Luke and Ben.
"I'm not afraid," Luke murmured before he could really think on it.
Yoda leaned forward. "Hmm... no? Remains to be seen, that, my Padawan."
00000
"My Lord, the Rebel ship hasn't left the asteroid field, that I'm sure of," Piett reported. "I wish permission to send bombers to try and flush them out of hiding."
"Permission granted," Vader allowed. "Bring them to me alive, though."
"As you wish."
Vader returned to his musings, feeling in the Dark Side that things were fast coming to fruition for him. His patience was about to be rewarded greatly.
Under the protection of his helmet, his lips stretched into a smile.