Blaze: yay! The next chapter
Darth: God this is a long story
Blaze: yeah, this is a long story
Tigerstar: how long?
Blaze: Forty-six chapters
Tigerstar: cool
Blaze: here is chapter XLIV and I hope you like it
Chapter XLIV
Anakin covered his son's body as debris and stone slabs began falling from the palace ceiling. He winced as several pieces of debris slammed against his body and he glanced at his son. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Luke nodded and Anakin got to his feet before helping Luke up. "Come on," she said before leading the way to the turbolift. Stone slabs and marble began to fall and Anakin reached out with the Force before using it to toss the slabs of stone away.
Suddenly, a large stone beam fell from the center of the throne room and fell swiftly to the ground before slamming into the ground. Anakin and Luke barely dodged out of the way to avoid the beam but when it crashed, dust and rocks flew upward and Anakin was blinded.
"Luke!" he called but nothing answered his reply and he swore under his breath before stretching out with the Force but he couldn't feel his son's Force presence. "Luke!" he called again but nothing answered his reply.
He pushed aside the stones and dust before gazing around as a sudden cracking noise sounded and he gazed around frantically. "Luke!" he called but nothing answered. Worry began to claw at Anakin's heart as he searched frantically, pushing debris and using the Force to move stone slabs.
And suddenly he spotted his son, lying beneath a stone slab and several pieces of debris. Anakin quickly made his way to his son's side as the cracking sound grew louder. He hurried to his son before kneeling down beside him and using the Force to push aside the stone slab that was on top of his son.
"Luke?" he whispered, gathering his son into his arms and placing two fingers on his neck, he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his son's faint heartbeat. The cracking sounded again and Anakin shook his head. He knew there was only one thing to do; he reached out with the Force before gently pressing against his son's subconscious and his son slowly fell into a healing trance.
Picking up Luke's body, Anakin ran toward the turbolift as the cracking sounded again but when the doors opened, the lift was gone and Anakin swore when he noticed it had fallen to ground floor.
Looks as though there's only one thing to do, Anakin thought before putting his son's body on his back and grabbing hold of the ropes and sliding down as he did so, he could help but remember when he was on the Invisible Hand with Obi-Wan so many years ago.
As he came closer to the bottom, the cracking sounding again, louder than ever and Anakin winced as he felt rope burn on his hands. He got to the bottom level before using the Force to rip the door open and stumbled out.
When he got out of the turbolift, he collapsed from exhaustion and Luke's body tumbled off of him. "Just hold on Luke," Anakin whispered, gently touching his son's forehead before picking him up and holding him tenderly in his arms. He glanced as Stormtroopers hurried forward to his side.
"What happened?" They demanded at the same time.
"There's no time for that, get everyone out of the palace, quickly," Anakin shouted before running toward the entrance to the palace. He hurried out into the courtyard before hurrying toward his castle as the main palace shuddered. Running as fast as he was, Anakin reached his castle just as the palace behind him collapsed and Anakin hoped that everyone escaped.
He took a deep breath before reaching out with the Force and sensing a dark presence near the Senate complex and he reached out with his thoughts. Leia, he called silently.
There was a long moment of silence. What is it, Anakin? Leia asked silently.
Anakin winced when he realized Leia still hadn't accepted the truth, at least not fully. Where are you? What is happening? He called silently.
There's this guy known as Fury and… Leia began.
Anakin swore in Huttese before hurrying to his hangar bay and climbing into one of the speeders that he had modified. He then placed Luke in the back seat before starting the speeder up and flying swiftly toward Padmé's old apartment.
Be careful, Leia, Fury is dangerous, are Ahsoka and the others with you? Anakin called.
Yes, Ahsoka's unconscious after the last attack and Jade, Padmé, Qui-Gon and I are trying to hold him off, Leia replied silently.
I'm on my way, Anakin called silently before closing the mind connection and flying as fast as he possibly can toward the landing bay.
By the time he reached it, Fury had made his way near one of the speeders that was parked on the landing bay as well, it was next to a shuttle that was half in the apartment and half out of it. Anakin parked the speeder before igniting his lightsaber. Fury scowled angrily before leaping into his speeder and flying away.
Anakin swore before sitting back down on his speeder and getting ready to fly off after Fury but Qui-Gon suddenly leapt into the speeder beside him. "I'm not letting you go at this alone," he said.
Anakin gazed at his master's master before nodding and flying swiftly after Fury. He was determined to end this once and for all.
~*~
Lando flew his B wing fighter into the 'Home One' hangar bay and he climbed out of it before leaping to the ground. "The last Star Destroyer fled into hyperspace just in time," Han commented as he walked out of the Falcon.
"Yes," Lando agreed.
"What are we to do now?" Han asked, looking at the Alliance leaders as they made their way toward Han and Lando.
"Congratulations on defeating the Imperial Forces," Mon Mothma said.
"And now if you don't mind, I want you to check in Princess Leia, without the Imperial Forces, the only thing you have to worry about is the Emperor," Ackbar said.
"I must contact Admiral Piett and thank him for his aid in the battle," Mon Mothma said before punching in the frequency and waiting for the reply.
"Hello Mon Mothma," Piett greeted her.
"Admiral Piett? How are things there?" Mon Mothma asked.
"We have many of the TIE fighters on the run and without the Star Destroyers, they are helpless," Piett replied. "It looks as though Coruscant is the Alliance's for the taking."
"Thank you for your help, Admiral Piett," Mon Mothma said gratitude in her eyes.
"You are welcome, Mon Mothma, I will follow my Lord's orders and I have done that," Piett replied before disconnecting the transmission. Han was already walking toward the Millennium Falcon and he glanced over his shoulder at Lando.
"Are you going to come with me to check on Leia?" he asked.
"Sure," Lando said. Both of their voices were somber as they relived the death of Wes Janson that had caused the Battle of Coruscant to be turned in their favor.
"We will miss Wes Janson," Mon Mothma said. "And once Coruscant is officially ours, we will hold a memorial in his honor."
Lando and Han nodded before walking into the ship and Han sat down in the pilot seat, Chewbacca was already in the co-pilot seat and Lando sat down behind Han. The smuggler started the ship up before the Falcon got into the air before flying toward the city-planet of Coruscant.
~*~
Leia glanced up at the sky as a ship began to fly toward them and she gazed at her mother. Padmé was sitting down beside Ahsoka and gently resting the Togruta's head on a pillow from one of the couches. Mara, whom Leia now knew was Jade's first name, was gazing around before she walked over to join Leia.
"You're the princess of Alderaan Luke was talking about, aren't you?" asked Mara.
"Yes, you know Luke?" Leia asked.
"Yes, he and I became friends during his stay on the Executor after the hyperdrive had been damaged above Datooine," Mara replied.
Leia nodded. "He's my brother and I hope he's going to be all right," she said, turning her attention to the speeder chase that was occurring in the airways of Coruscant.
"Yes, so do I," Mara said softly.
Leia narrowed her eyes. "Why?" she asked.
Mara shrugged. "We are friends," she said softly but Leia could feel there was something else behind what she was talking about; a sense of anger came off of Mara but it was also filled with concern and tenderness. The last emotion Leia felt startled her most of all and she began to wonder if she had sensed it at all.
The Falcon slowed down before it parked near the landing bay and Han and Chewbacca, followed by Lando, appeared before leaping to the ground. "Han!" Leia cried, rushing over to join him.
"Why hello your Worshipfulness," Han greeted her as he wrapped his arms around her.
Leia narrowed her eyes. "Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" she asked.
Han laughed. "Yeah," he replied but Leia could sense there was no humor behind the laugh and there was sadness in his eyes.
"What happened?" she asked.
Han sighed. "Wes Janson is dead," he said.
Leia's eyes clouded. "Luke will be sad when he finds out, he and Wes, just like he and Wedge, were very good friends," she said.
"Where is the kid?" Han asked.
Leia sighed. "He's with Anakin and Qui-Gon, they took off after Fury and we haven't heard from him since," she replied.
"I hope he's all right," Han said before smiling at Leia. "I know this is a somber occasion but there is something I want to ask you."
Leia narrowed her eyes. "What is that?" she asked.
Han fell down to one knee in front of Leia before taking her hand. "I know this ain't as romantic as I thought it would be but nonetheless, I love ya, Princess Leia Organa, will ya do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked.
Leia gazed at Han in shock, her eyes were wide and for a moment she was speechless. "I…I don't know," she stammered out.
Han nodded. "I'll wait for your answer than, Leia," he said before getting to his feet and, putting an arm around Leia's shoulders, he turned his attention to the airways.
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: short author's note
Tigerstar: as if
Blaze: (hits Tigerstar upside the head with a sledgehammer) please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can
