The fight to escape Cloud City!

I don't own Star Wars. I just created my own AU.

Chapter 40: Duels and Escape

The whirring and crackling sounds of lightsabers filled the chamber as Anakin and Vader dueled furiously.

"You're slowing down, brother. You're almost shadowboxing," Vader goaded.

"I'd say I'm holding up pretty well, considering all you did to weaken me before this. Afraid you can't take me on at full strength?" Anakin goaded back as he quickened his movements with a new surge of adrenaline.

He was weakened from the torture and he was slowing down, but he couldn't allow himself to. Padmé and his children needed him and he was going to everything he could to make sure he could be reunited with them.

"When you leave Bespin, it will be in my captivity. I'll give you one more chance to come willingly and ensure your wife children's safety as well. Think of the power and life of luxury you're turning down. You could give her everything. She would be your Queen," Vader tempted as their blades crashed together in another deadlock.

"And if you had been my actual brother, you would know that titles and wealth mean very little to us. Love and devotion are the only things your Mother has ever asked me for. I want for the same lies that Palpatine tried to tempt me with," Anakin replied.

"Then so be it," Vader stated dangerously as their blades clashed with feverish strikes and movements.

Anakin struck with an uppercut and swept Vader's legs out from under him. His towering form fell unceremoniously to the floor, but he leapt up with surprising agility and kicked Anakin hard in the chest with his boot.

He flew backwards and landed on his back with a hard thud. He had felt a crack and he was sure that he had just snapped a couple ribs, for his chest felt like it was on fire. Anakin got to his feet, but Vader was ready for him and struck viciously.

Anakin blocked his crimson saber, but was a little late in his defensive move and Vader took full advantage of it. He shoved Anakin back and he fell into the freezing chamber.

Vader strode purposefully to the console, intending to complete the carbon freezing process, but he was distracted as the door opened, revealing a young man with a striking resemblance to Anakin.

"Well, you must be Luke," Vader said as Anakin hung on the edge of the freezing chamber. He ignited his crimson saber again and Luke followed suit, igniting his own emerald blade.

"You'll join your father in the freezing chamber as well and come to Coruscant to bow before the Emperor. I gave him a chance to join me, but he refused. However, you do not have to make the same mistake, young one," Vader stated.

"I'm a Jedi, like my father. And the only place we're going today is back with the people we love and far from you," Luke retorted as they circled each other.

Anakin pulled himself up and climbed out of the freezing shaft, just as they charged at each other and their blades met with crackling friction.

Suddenly, he felt Padmé and Leia's fear wash over him and Luke felt it too. They were in trouble. Something had gone wrong and they had not made it off the landing pad as planned.

"You have to go to Mom..." Luke told him silently through the strong and effortless father-son bond they had formed in the last few years.

"I'm not sure I can leave you with him alone," Anakin said back silently. He was torn.

"I'll be fine, Dad. You've prepared me for this and this is my fight now. Mom, Leia, and the babies need you now," Luke told him.

"May the Force be with you," Anakin said as he started for the door.

"I'll be back for you," he promised, feeling Vader's irritation at his escape.

"Your son will pay for this," he warned.

"My son can handle you. He's a Jedi," Anakin said simply as he quickly left in a sprint. "I'm coming angel."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They reached the landing pad where the Slave I was docked and Leia ran onto it, just as the ship took off. She watched, heartbroken, as the ship sailed out of sight, carrying Han away from her.

"Oh Leia...I promise we'll find a way to get him back," Padmé said.

"I'm sorry...this is my fault," Lando said sadly. Chewie rawled at him angrily.

"This is no time to wallow in self pity. If you truly want to make amends, then you'll help us get off this planet so we can have the chance to rescue Han in the future," Padmé stated.

"The landing pad where the Falcon sits isn't far from here," Lando said as they turned to leave.

Several Troops appeared and fired at them, but Mara and Aisha ignited their sabers and deflected their bolts back at them.

They arrived at the landing pad shortly and started toward the Falcon. But there was a very unwelcome surprise waiting for them. Six Storm Troopers blocked their way and leveled blasters at them.

"Stop right there and keep your hands where we can see them," one ordered. Chewie rawled angrily, but did not move, knowing that if he did, he would be pumped full of blaster bolts. Another raised his comlink to his lips.

"We have them, Commander Cody," he said.

"I'm on my way," Cody replied.

"Keep you hands where we can see them and no sudden movements," the lead Storm Trooper ordered as he lined them up.

Little Aiden, who was in Leia's arms blew a raspberry at one of the Troopers and then hid his face in Leia's shoulder. Bella whimpered and started to cry and Padmé gently swayed her back and forth.

"Keep that brat quiet," one of them snapped.

"She's just a baby and you're scaring her," Padmé spat at him. He grabbed her arm and jerked her toward the entrance to the landing pad.

"Where are you taking her?" Leia demanded to know.

"Commander Cody said earlier she would be taken directly to Lord Vader upon her capture," he said.

Mara and Aisha wanted to do something, but because of the risk of the little ones getting hurt, they couldn't.

"Let go of me!" Padmé cried as Bella wailed uncontrollably.

"Shut that kid up!" he yelled as he reached the entrance, only to find a tall, built, sandy blonde haired man with piercing sapphire eyes in his way.

"Anakin!" Padmé cried in relief. He hadn't been frozen in carbonite as she had feared.

"It's him! Shoot him!" the Trooper cried. Anakin's lightsaber cut him down before he had time to scream.

He stepped in front of Padmé and absorbed their blaster fire with his blade, before Mara and Aisha cut them down.

Padmé ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she cried as Bella finally started to calm down.

"Never angel," he promised, but then hissed as he felt pain in his ribs.

"Where's Luke and what happened?" she asked, looking at his chest.

"Luke is fighting Vader, but don't worry, because I'm going back for him and I'm fine. It's just a couple cracked ribs," Anakin promised.

"But the Clones called Commander Cody. He's on his way here with more of his men," Mara warned. Anakin thought for a moment.

"Lando, the freezing chamber has an exhaust spire, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, at the top of the compound, there is a spire and an outside platform," Lando replied.

"We'll get the Falcon and fly to the top spire. I'll go in there, find Luke, and get him out," Anakin said.

Lando went over to a control console on the wall and picked up the microphone, making an announcement to the city,
"Attention, this is Lando Calrissian. Attention, the Empire has taken over the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial Troops arrive."

His voice rang throughout the entire city. Everyone got on board the Falcon and strapped in. Lando and Chewie took them up and flew them around toward the top spire.

Commander Cody arrived just a minute too late and spied the fleeing ship.

"We'll meet again Rex and I'll make you and your friends pay," he growled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke was thrown back against the wall by Vader as they dueled.

Not long after his father left, he realized that he was in over his head with this battle, but he was determined to escape with his family. Vader made a deadly slash and Luke rolled away from him.

As he turned, he watched the young man latch onto the exhaust tubes above the freezing chamber and disappear through the vent hatch. Vader's controlled breathing slowly returned to a normal state and he headed for the lift in order to cut the young Jedi off before he could escape.

Luke slid down the vent shaft and the hatch opened. He was dumped out into a dark room with a large window. He heard a familiar snap hiss as a crimson blade extended forth and Vader's black silhouette became visible in the darkness.

Luke's emerald blade blazed to life as well as he charged the Sith monster that was a clone of his father.

He knew his father felt mixed feelings when fighting Vader, but Luke didn't have the same emotional hindrance. To him, Vader was the reason he had been raised by people other than his real parents and the reason the galaxy was so filled with evil. And it was his destiny to free the galaxy of this evil.

"You're angry at me. You want to strike me down and you can if you give into that hatred and anger," Vader goaded.

"I will not. Father has taught me better than that," Luke retorted.

"Love has made your father pitiful and weak. I know, my Master told me how powerful he once was. But now, he can't even bring himself to strike me down, even though I would do the same to him in a heartbeat," Vader retorted.

"That's because Father isn't evil like you, nor am I," Luke retorted back.

"Good and evil are so black and white, young one. That's the dogmatic view the Jedi have. But if I know your father like I think I do, he's told you that there is a lot of gray area out there. He's considered neither dark nor light by the Jedi himself just for breaking their All Mighty Code by being married. Why would you follow such a judgmental Order? An Order that thinks your Mother seduced your Father away from the Code? An Order that thinks you and your siblings are all bastard children; too dangerous to live? Why do you think your sister isn't fully trained? Father has already taught her far more than they deem safe," Vader goaded.

"You're right, Father doesn't agree with most things the old Council used to mandate, but that doesn't make them completely wrong about everything. They aren't wrong about the Sith being evil. That much I know and that's all that matters," Luke replied.

"Keep telling yourself that. Do you really think that there would be anything to stop them from taking the young ones away if your Father wasn't standing in their way? I bet that old troll is even hoping he dies in his fight against me and his Master, because your Mother couldn't stop them from taking them by force if they wanted to," Vader taunted.

"ENOUGH!" Luke yelled as he slashed furiously at Vader with anger. As he brought his blade down on Vader's own crimson blade, he suddenly stopped and stepped back, realizing his error and released his anger into the Force.

"Dad told me that you'd do this...that you'd say all these things to make me question everything and to make me angry. But it's not going to work," Luke stated firmly.

"I seem to recall your burst of anger that suggests otherwise just moments ago," Vader taunted.

"A momentary slip was all it was. I'm human after all, something that Dad taught me too. The Jedi strive for perfection, but no one can truly achieve perfection," Luke replied.

"Through the Dark Side, you can," Vader assured him.

"No, the Dark Side only leads to a blackened soul. I'm not dark and maybe I'm not light either. Maybe I'm not even a Jedi, not by traditional standards anyway. But I am a Skywalker. We Skywalkers are unconventional, but we love deeply and powerfully. We have our faults, like our tempers and our habit of rushing into things head on. We don't play by the rules, neither Jedi or Sith rules. We have our own set. I'm a Skywalker. I'm my Father's son through and through. He has brought honor to the Skywalker name and I'll do the same, following in his footsteps," Luke said.

"Then I'll have to destroy you, just like I defeated your Father. I put him in a coma the first time, but I'll make sure to finish the job with you," Vader said as he leapt at Luke with surprising speed.

They dueled feverishly and Luke was slowly backed toward the window. Vader knocked Luke against the railing, sending him over. The young Jedi padawan hung onto it as Vader loomed over him.

"You are beaten. It is useless to resist," Vader declared.

Luke watched his crimson blade come down and he braced himself for the pain as he realized that he was about to lose one or both of his arms. But Vader's blade stopped just above his right arm, humming there and Luke looked up.

Vader was struggling to control the blade and that's when Luke sensed his Father's presence as he revealed it. Anakin's outstretched hand stopped Vader's blade and the lightsaber suddenly flew out of the Sith's hand, clattering to the floor below, extinguishing upon contact.

"If it's a battle of the Force you want, then so be it," Vader said as he outstretched his own gloved hand and pushed against him.

Anakin pushed back and the unseen battle between them waged. As that was going on, Luke swung himself up and back onto the platform, watching the Force battle between his Dad and Vader.

A bead of sweat slid down Anakin's temple and with a surge of pure adrenaline, he shoved Vader back, causing him to lose his footing and slip.

"Let's go," Anakin said as they jumped down from the platform and through the hatch to the outside spire. The Falcon's ramp dropped and they ran onto it. It closed behind them and Vader watched, his blood boiling as the ship carried its escapees away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rex cut the transmission they had just received from Anakin and turned, beaming a smile at the others. Sola threw her arms around Darred in relief.

"Oh, I'm so glad they're okay. I can't believe what they went through and he only summarized it for us," she said.

"I know, I can't wait to hear the full story. Talk about close calls," Darred replied.

"Anakin and close calls usually go hand in hand," Obi-Wan quipped as Annie tugged on his pant leg. He lifted his little girl up.

"Are we going home yet?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"Yes sweetheart, we're going to leave this place for home right now. Aunt Padmé and Uncle Anakin will be meeting us there," Obi-Wan told her.

"Should we contact Master Yoda, Windu and Qui-Gon and tell them?" Ahsoka asked. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"We'll wait until we're all together at home on Ragnos IV. Besides, Master Yoda and Master Windu are not very happy with me and I'd like to give them a few days to cool off," Obi-Wan replied.

"Upset with you? Whatever for?" Sola asked.

"They approached the subject of Annie's training again yesterday...and suggested that we allow Master Windu to take her and begin her training. I refused," Obi-Wan said. Satine huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"They're lucky YOU'RE the one that gave them the news. I would have told them off and taught them a few new curse words that would have turned their gray hairs stark white," she spat.

Obi-Wan winced. She would have too. He wasn't sure what it was, but both he and Anakin had married a pair of strong willed women with sharp tongues, for he remembered Satine's tirade when he had first told her what the elder Jedi had suggested regarding their daughter.

And Anakin had told him about Padmé's similar tirade regarding Aiden and Bella. Both women were certainly a force to be reckoned with in their own right.

"Now darling, you know that I'm not going to let them have their way on this one. We will do what's in Annie's best interest and that means keeping her with us," Obi-Wan assured her.

"Good answer, my love," she teased as she pecked him on the lips.

"Well, I say we pack up and head home. The sooner we do, the sooner we'll be there," Rex said. They all agreed and went to go pack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anakin and Padmé hugged Luke and Leia closely with Aiden and Bella huddled between everyone. Even Mara and Aisha were in it, because they were part of the family too. Mara was Luke's girlfriend and Aisha was Ahsoka's daughter.

They stayed like that for several long moments, thanking the Force they were all together once again. Lando waited patiently until they broke apart to speak.

"We're safely in hyperspace and no one is tracking us. Your droid set the course, but he wouldn't tell me where," he said.

"And when I determine whether or not you can be trusted, I'll tell you," Anakin replied.

"I know I don't deserve your trust, but you have to know that I want to do the right thing in the end," Lando assured him.

"He did try to help us rescue Han in the end, but it was too late," Padmé told her husband.

"And now Han is in the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, because of him," Leia said, glaring at Lando. Chewie rawled angrily, agreeing with Leia.

"And I hate that! I want to help you rescue him. My allegiance is with all of you and Han. Vader just had me backed into a corner. I had no choice but to cooperate with him back on Bespin. I'm sorry," Lando said sincerely.

"I can sense that you're sincere," Anakin replied, looking to his wife, who nodded. "And we'll welcome your help and welcome you into our home."

Leia huffed in annoyance and stormed off. Padmé started to go after her, but Anakin touched her arm.

"I'll go," he told her and she nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leia sat by the view window in the cabin and as he suspected, he found his princess crying, something she did very rarely; or at least pretended that she did rarely.

Leia tried to bottle her emotions, which usually resulted in a volatile temper. She furiously wiped her tears away, as Anakin sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. Leia accepted his embrace and cried against his chest as he stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry Princess, I know you're angry with Lando and rightfully so, but I did sense that he wants to make things right," Anakin explained. She sniffed.

"It's not that...not really," she cried. "I...I told Han that I love him before they put him in carbon freezing...but there's so much more I need to say and more I need to tell him."

"I know and you'll get that chance. As soon as I can, I'm going to Tatooine to rescue him from Jabba's palace, I promise," Anakin said. She sniffed.

"You hate Tatooine," she said. He smirked.

"With a passion, but I'll do anything for you, Princess, you know that. Besides, Snips and I have had a bone to pick with that greasy gangster since the Clone Wars," he replied. Leia smiled, as he wiped her tears.

"Everything will be okay in the end," Anakin assured her. She nodded.

"I told Han that I loved him, but he didn't have time to say it back. He just said, "I know"," she said uncertainly. Anakin patted her shoulder.

"He loves you too, he's just not good at expressing his feelings. That being said, he better get good at it and make my little girl happy or he's going to have to answer to me," he said. Leia smiled.

"I love you Daddy," she said as she hugged him.

"I love you too Princess," he replied as they returned to the main sitting area with everyone else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leia joined Luke, Mara and Aisha on the bench where they sat playing with Aiden and Padmé approached her husband.

"Is she okay?" she asked. He nodded.

"She'll be fine. She just misses Han, but I told her we would get him back," Anakin said. Padmé looked at her eldest daughter.

"She misses the man she loves. I know how painful that is first hand," she mentioned. Anakin kissed her forehead.

"I know, we went through far too many separations, but it made our love stronger. It will do the same for Han and Leia," he assured her.

"I know. But for now, I need to get you to the med bay and look at your injuries," Padmé said.

"I'm fine angel," he insisted.

"Maybe, but you're still going to the med bay with me. March," she ordered and he obeyed reluctantly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Scene Change~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Padmé finally coaxed him to the med bay, she made him sit up on the exam table and gingerly helped him out of his jerkin and tunic. She observed the angry, purple bruises with concern.

"Oh Ani..." she fretted as she got out the medical tape.

"It's nothing angel, just a couple of cracked ribs," Anakin said. But she didn't look convinced. "It's worse than it looks."

"Maybe, but hold still," she said as she started taping his ribs with bacta tape so they would properly heal.

"I'll be fine, because you're the most beautiful nurse in the galaxy," he told her. She smiled.

"Trying to charm me?" she teased.

"Always," he replied. She finished and wrapped her arms around him.

"What are the chances of getting you to take it easy for a couple days so those ribs heal properly?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I'll try to be good, but you know me," he joked. She rolled her eyes.

"Do I ever and I love you very much, despite your inability to behave," she joked back as their lips met tenderly.

"I love you too, beautiful angel," he replied as their lips met again with passion.

Return home next time!

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