Chapter 50

Death Star – Conference Room

Imperial Officer Cass came into the conference room and saluted both Tarkin and Darth Vader. Tarkin turned to the Officer Cass as he approached. "Yes."

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems." Officer Cass informed them.

Tarkin started to become angry, slamming his fist down onto the conference room table. "She lied! She lied to us!"

Vader started to laugh. "I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion."

Tarkin just glared over at Vader before turning back to Officer Cass. "Terminate her...immediately!"

Vader looked at Tarkin with anger and fear. Not if I have anything to do with it. "Tarkin, I think killing her would be a mistake. She may still prove to be useful to us."

Tarkin turned to glare at Vader again. "And just how do you propose that she could still be useful, Lord Vader? She certainly is not going to tell us where the rebel base is; and I see no other use for her at this point."

"Perhaps she could be used as a bargaining tool with the Alliance." Vader suggested.

Tarkin just looked at Vader suspiciously. "Lord Vader, why are you so intent on saving the Senator's life?"

Vader just stared back at him, starting to panic. I better think of a good excuse and quick. "Because…she is a key leader of the Rebel Alliance; and killing her would only make her a martyr. It would fuel the Rebels determination to try to overthrow the Emperor even more. Do you really want that, Tarkin, especially now that the Death Star is not operational?" Vader mentally patted himself on that back for that one. Even he thought it was brilliant.

Tarkin looked over at Vader in thought as he placed his right hand on his chin. "You make a good point, Lord Vader. She could be considered a martyr if we kill her now." He sighed. "Very well. I will put her into your care for now. The technicians inform me that it could be another week until they fix the problem; but as soon as this space station is operational again, then she has lost her usefulness. Do you understand, Lord Vader?"

Vader mentally sighed in relief and then glared at Tarkin from behind the mask. "Yes, I understand completely." At least I've bought her some time. Vader thought to himself.

"Good." Tarkin said with an evil smile as he turned back to Officer Cass. "Delay that order to have the Senator executed."

"Yes, Sir." Officer Cass responded.

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Millenium Falcon – Approaching the Alderaan System

Han looked over at Chewie as he took a hold of the controls. "Stand by, Chewie, here we go. Cut to the sublight engines."

Chewie reached up and pulled down some levers as Han pulled back on a control lever. The stars streaked passed them and became more visible as they came out of hyperspace. Ahead of them they saw Alderaan and what looked like a small moon becoming larger the closer they came.

Han turned to Chewie. "See, no problem. We should have that other fifteen thousand and be able to pay Jabba off in no time." Han said with a smile as Chewie growled in agreement.

Anakin and Obi-Wan entered the cockpit just as soon as they felt the ship come out of hyperspace. "Well, Alderaan is still here." Obi-Wan said as he looked over at Anakin with a smile.

"Yes, thank the Force. Bail's plan must have worked." Anakin replied.

Han and Chewie, overhearing their conversation, turned to look at them with puzzled looks on their faces. "What do you mean, Alderaan is still here? Of course it is. How wouldn't it be?"

Anakin looked out the window and pointed to what looked like a small moon orbiting the planet. "Do you see that?"

Han squinted his eyes and looked at where Anakin was pointing. "Yeah…It's a moon. What about it?"

"And when did Alderaan ever have a moon?" Obi-Wan asked.

Han thought for a moment. "Well…come to think of it…never." He paused looking at them with confusion and awe. "Now wait a minute. Then how does it have a moon now?"

"Because it's not a moon, it's a space station." Anakin responded. "And a very deadly one at that. It can blow up entire planets."

Han's and Chewie's jaws dropped. "What? That's impossible. The entire starfleet couldn't destroy a whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've..." But he was interrupted when a signal started flashing on the control panel and a muffled alarm could be heard. "There's another ship coming in."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said as Anakin and he exchanged worried glances.

"It's an Imperial fighter." Anakin told them just as Chewie growled in concern and a huge explosion occurred just outside the cockpit window, causing the ship to shake violently. They then watched in horror as a tiny Imperial TIE fighter flew over top of them.

"Oh, this can't be good. We're getting out of here." Han declared as he started flipping some switches and turning some knobs again. Chewie was doing the same as he was growling his concerns at Han.

"Han, can you jam its transmissions?" Anakin asked as he and Obi-Wan sat in the seats behind Han and Chewie. "If you don't, they will most certainly identify us and send some squadrons after us."

Han turned to look at Anakin. "Not if I can help it". He told them as he turned to look at Chewbacca. "Chewie...Do as the man says and jam its transmissions." Chewie growled in compliance as Han raced after the TIE.

"It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range." Obi-Wan tried to tell Han as he continued to pursue the TIE.

"Not for long..." Han exclaimed as he pressed forward.

Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged knowing looks. "I hate to admit it, Obi-Wan. But you're right. He is a lot like me. This isn't a good idea." Anakin told his former master though the Force.

Obi-Wan only smiled, not wanting to say 'I told you so' as Han continued his pursuit of the TIE; but then became serious as he sensed distress coming from his 'brother' and turned to see Anakin with a blank stare on his face as he stood up, looking out the cockpit window. "Are you ok, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked up at Anakin with concern.

Anakin just turned to look at Obi-Wan. "Leia's on the Death Star."

"What? Are you sure, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked him with concern in his eyes. "I'm not sensing anything."

"Yes, she's my daughter, Obi-Wan. I'd know her Force signature anywhere." Anakin replied with anguish on his face. "We have to get her off of there."

Obi-Wan stood up and put his right hand on Anakin's left shoulder. "Anakin, you do realize that we must get the plans hidden in R2 to Bail on Alderaan. We have a mission to do."

Anakin just glared at Obi-Wan. "Now don't start that whole 'the mission is of greater importance than any attachments' crap, Obi-Wan!" Anakin snapped back at him. "She's my daughter and I'm not going to leave her there to die!"

It was then that Padme came walking in behind them, hearing Anakin's sudden outburst and put her arms around his waist from behind, trying to calm him. "Ani, Leia will understand if we don't come for her first. She knew what kind of danger she was getting herself into when she joined the Alliance. If we fail to get the information to Bail, then we have failed her and all that she's fought for. Do you really want to do that to her?" She tried to reason with her husband as fearful tears came to her eyes.

Anakin turned to face Padme with tears also forming in his eyes and sighed. He put his left hand on Padme's face and looked into her eyes, realizing what she was saying was true, no matter how much he'd like to deny it. He sighed again and then kissed her on the forehead as he pulled her close to him. "No." He finally answered her, kissing her hair, before looking back over at Obi-Wan with regret. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. You're right. We should get the plans to Bail on Alderaan."

Obi-Wan smiled back at his former padawan. "Apology accepted, Anakin. I know you're just worried about Leia's safety. And if there is a way to rescue her, we will."

Anakin and Padme embrace each other tighter as they both smiled over at Obi-Wan. "Thank you." Was all Anakin was able to say.

"Well, unless we catch that TIE fighter…" Han interrupted. "…We won't have the chance to deliver whatever plans you're talking about to Alderaan OR save your daughter because the Empire will know we're here!" Han declared as they continued to gain on the TIE they saw was heading for the Death Star. "I think I can get him before he gets there...he's almost in range."

Unfortunately, they all noticed they were getting closer and closer to the Death Star and wondering if getting so close to the space station was such a good idea. "I think we better give this pursuit up and take our chances on heading for the planet's surface." Anakin suggested. "We're never going to catch him in time."

Han turned back to look at Anakin and decided to agree. "Yeah, I think your right. Full reverse, Chewie. Lock in the auxiliary power." But instead of going into reverse as they wanted to, the ship started to shudder as the TIE fighter continued to accelerate towards the space station.

"Why are we still moving towards it?" Padme asked apprehensively with her arms still around Anakin's waist.

Han got a nervous look on his face as he frantically started flipping switches and controls. "We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!"

"Can you pull out of it?" Obi-Wan asked, dreading what he knew would be the answer.

Han shook his head. "There's nothin' I can do about it. I'm at full power. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!" He exclaimed as he and Chewie started flipping switches to shut things down.

Obi-Wan put his right hand on Han's shoulder. "You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting." Obi-Wan suggested as everyone looked over at Obi-Wan with bewilderment.

"What are you planning, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked him through the Force.

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"Ow! Luke, get off of my foot!" Sarah's muffled cry could be heard from the smuggling compartment where she, Luke, Tobin and Obi-Wan were hiding as the ship was being towed into the Death Star's hanger bay.

"Sorry, Sarah. How was I supposed to know that was your foot? It's dark in here." Luke replied.

"Well, think, Luke. What else would be in here?" Sarah retorted.

"Hey! Will you two be quiet! Or the Empire is going to know we're down here." Anakin yelled over to his bickering children from the next compartment where he, Padme and Ben were hiding with 3PO.

"Well, you better all be quiet, or they definitely will know we're down here!" Han's muffled response came from the third compartment where he, Chewie and R2 were hiding.

"Shh." Anakin responded as they could hear the ship being gently set down within the hanger bay. "Everyone stay quiet until we say it's safe, ok children?" He said, trying to comfort his them.

"Yes." The all responded quietly in unison.

"You know, Anakin. I'm sensing Vader here too. Perhaps we should be cloaking everyone's presence from him." Obi-Wan said through the Force.

Anakin reached out in the Force and sensed the same thing. He'd been so focused on Leia's Force signature that he had completely missed it. "You're right. We better do that now."

Outside the ship, thirty stormtroopers were standing at attention in a central assembly area. "To your stations!" An officer ordered and then turned to another officer. "Come with me." He ordered as the other officer nodded in compliance and then the stormtroopers were all running to their posts down an adjoining hallway to the docking bay area. A line of stormtroopers marched towards the Millennium Falcon to prepare to board the vessel while other troopers were standing with weapons ready. "Close all outboard shields! Close all outboard shields!" The officer commanded as his orders were complied to.

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Death Star – Conference Room

Tarkin and Vader were in the conference room when the comm buzzer went off. Tarkin pushed the button to respond. "Yes."

"We've captured a freighter entering the Alderaan system. Its markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley." A voice over the intercom declared.

Vader turned to Tarkin. "They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the Senator. As I told you, she may yet be of some use to us." He told Tarkin and then paused in thought, trying to think of a good plan. "We could use her as bait, allow them to rescue her, and escape with a tracking device attached to the hull of their ship. Then we can track them to the Rebel base and send a full attack force down to crush them."

Tarkin looked over at Vader and thought about his proposal for a moment. He then got an evil smile on his face. "Very good, Lord Vader. Go see to it." He said as he waved him off. "I will inform the Emperor of our new plan."

"I will see to it." Vader replied with a bow and a smirk under his mask as he left the conference room. Well, Leia, I can't promise you anything; but at least now you'll have a fighting chance. Vader thought to himself as he headed for Docking Bay 2037 where the Millennium Falcon had been brought in.