Chapter Four

Several long, sweaty days later, Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan, decided enough was enough. "I'm taking a break," she informed Yoda, tossing Obi-Wan's lightsaber on the ground. She had been using Obi-Wan's weapon since Yoda's lightsaber was too small, and Leia had adamantly refused a second offer to use Anakin Skywalker's old weapon. "I'm hot, thirsty, and exhausted. I don't know how to levitate rocks, or jump off a cliff without killing myself. I'm not sure if I even want to be a Jedi. Did anyone bother asking my opinion on this subject?" She shook her head vigorously. "No. It was assumed that since my biological… sire has this talent, surely his daughter must, too." Calling Anakin Skywalker 'father' always left a bad taste in Leia's mouth, so she avoided the word whenever possible.

Yoda pointed his walking stick at Leia. "Complain a Jedi does not. Heat, thirst, exhaustion a Jedi feels not." He moved closer to the young human. "Concentrate you must, and what seems impossible you will find is not. Impatient, Anakin Skywalker was, as are you."

"And that's another thing," Leia said, her voice rising several degrees. "I don't want to be compared to that monster, ever again."

"Not always a monster was your father," Yoda explained, retrieving the lightsaber. "Easy it is to become seduced by the dark side." He held out the cylinder toward Leia, but she refused to take it back. "In order, perhaps, meditation would be. Time reflecting on the virtues of forbearance."

"I know about patience and forbearance," Leia argued. "I'm a politician! I've spent endless hours listening to beings drone on about laws and regulations. Try doing that if you aren't patient. Trust me when I say that it compares to levitating rocks."

"Smoke," Yoda said with a sniff.

Leia frowned at the gruff Jedi. "What?"

"Job of politicians," Yoda said, "is much time spent shoveling smoke."

"Shoveling…?" Leia stopped as the meaning of Yoda's proclamation sank in. "That's not funny."

"That's 'cuz you don't have a sense of humor, sweetheart," Han drawled.

Leia spun around, noticing the Corellian leaning casually against a tall tree. "Have you been watching me?"

"Every chance I get."

She turned an accusing glare at Yoda. "Did you know he's been watching me?"

"Yes," Yoda replied. "Sense him you would, too, if only the Force would you embrace."

"I'd really enjoy being embraced by you, Your Worshipfulness," Han said, grinning.

"Am I allowed to cut him in half with that lightsaber?" Leia asked Yoda, pointing to the weapon in the Jedi's grasp.

"Anger is of the dark side," Yoda admonished.

Furious at Han's spying and at Yoda's constant chastising, Leia could barely think straight. "I'm going for a walk. This planet is way too crowded for my taste." She stalked off, pushing through the thick underbrush and disappearing from sight.

"Isn't it sorta dangerous to be hiking around all alone?" Han asked the old Jedi. "It's getting close to sunset."

Yoda regarded the lightsaber he was still holding. "Unwise and dangerous."

"I ought to follow her, just for safety's sake," Han suggested. "And I should take that weapon and give it back to her."

Yoda handed the lightsaber over to the Corellian. "Care you must take with this weapon."

"Aw, I promise I won't hurt myself with it," Han said, weighing it in his palm. "Thanks for worrying, though."

"Worried not about harming yourself, am I," Yoda replied. "Worried should you be, after the young Princess takes it back."

"Oh. I see," Han said. Then he shrugged. "I like to live dangerously. I appreciate the warning, though." Then he headed off, following the trail the Princess had taken.

Luke Skywalker's eyes were shut tight, and he was concentrating intently on standing on his head while trying to lift a rock using the Force. The rock moved slightly, and floated a few inches off the ground. Luke opened his eyes, and the rock thudded back down. Then he lost his balance, falling sideways. "This is impossible," he moaned.

"It's only impossible because you believe it's impossible. You are getting closer to success with each attempt," Obi-Wan said encouragingly. "The rock actually moved a bit this time."

Luke sighed, and still sitting on the ground, crossed his legs. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"What was my father like? Before he turned into a Sith?"

Obi-Wan gave a sad smile. "He was confident and strong. Young and brave. Impetuous and sympathetic. He was both my padawan and my friend. He had the potential to be the greatest Jedi that ever lived."

"If he hadn't fallen in love with my mother, would everything be okay? Would Palpatine have been stopped? Would the galaxy be at peace?"

"I can't answer that, Luke," Obi-Wan replied truthfully. "Perhaps."

"So my being born was a huge mistake that's costing lives."

"Or perhaps you were meant to be," Obi-Wan said. "Maybe Anakin wasn't the Chosen One, as I once thought he was. Maybe it's you or your sister."

Luke nodded thoughtfully. "Knowing he's my father, I'm not sure if I can bring myself to kill him."

"That might not be necessary," Obi-Wan answered. "If Padmé's plan works, and we can trap him in a place where he is unable to access the Force, then the rebels should be able to dispose of him. The burden will not be on your shoulders."

"Dispose," Luke repeated flatly. "Like he's a piece of worthless trash."

"Many years ago, I tried reasoning with Anakin. He was beyond my reach, Luke. The dark side had consumed him, surely as the fires on Mustafar consumed portions of his body. Anakin Skywalker was not worthless, but that man no longer exists. Darth Vader is undeniably evil and the galaxy will rejoice at his demise."

"I wish I could have known him," Luke whispered. "When he was still Anakin Skywalker."

Obi-Wan felt a stab of sympathy toward the kind-hearted young man. "I wish you could have known him too, Luke. You would have liked the man your father once was."

Neither man noticed the movement coming from behind a nearby tree. This time, Padmé's quiet sobs were very real.

Leia sat down on a fallen tree stump, giving a soft groan and rubbing her sore back muscles. "Why couldn't I have gotten Obi-Wan as my Jedi Master? I think I got the short end of the Jedi Master stick," she muttered under her breath, then giggled at the unintended pun. A rustle from the branches overhead caused her to give a start, then a dark shape dropped on her head. "What the - ?" It took her a moment to realize a native vine snake had fallen on top of her, and it was a very large vine snake, indeed - twice her length, and nearly as thick as her torso.

The Princess attempted to twist away, but the snake was faster. It wound its body rapidly around her frame and Leia fell to the ground, still struggling to free herself from its deadly, vise-like grip. "Help…!" she gasped, trying to scream. Unfortunately, the coiled body of the snake was already constricting her lungs, so the word was barely audible.

With her arms held fast against her body, and her ribs aching from the strong crush of the snake, Leia could only think, I'm about to die and get eaten by a snake.

"Hey," a voice called out. "It looks like you could use some help."

Leia twisted her neck, and saw Han Solo running in her direction. In a second he was next to her, trying to pry the body of the snake off. "Kill it," she whispered, her face contorted with pain.

"If I shoot it, it might restrict so tight in its death-throes, it'll finish you off," Han argued, tugging uselessly at the powerful beast.

"Li…"

"What?" Han asked, leaning closer to hear.

"Lightsab…sab…"

"Oh!" He whipped out the old-fashioned weapon, and frowned at it. "What if I accidentally cut too far, and cut you?"

"Wo…wo…n't mat…ter…soon."

Han turned on the blade, and taking a deep breath started slicing down the thick body. Blood and internal organs spilled out, but with its muscles sliced the snake was unable to maintain its death grip on the Princess. Soon she was able to struggle free of the deceased creature, and allow Han to help her to her feet.

"You actually saved my life," Leia said in disbelief, still bent over as she sucked in precious oxygen.

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

Leia straightened up, and looked Han in the eye. "It doesn't seem in line with your policy of only caring about yourself."

"True," Han agreed easily. "Now, how about a kiss for my reward?" Almost immediately he regretted the joke, as Leia's expression changed from gratitude to annoyance.

"I'd rather kiss the dead snake."

"From my viewpoint, it appeared that's exactly what you were doing," Han returned, more upset with himself for ruining his chance with Leia than her insult. Trying to save face, he waved his finger at her and spoke without thinking, "Don't bother with the kiss, Ice-Princess. Your father is paying me to keep you safe, and I'm just doing my job. It's not like I cared whether or not you ended up as that snake's dinner." His earlier regret was compounded tenfold by the abject look of disappointment that appeared on her face.

"I'll be sure to tell my father you did your job, Captain Solo," she said tartly, before snatching the lightsaber from his fingers then leaving him standing alone.

Han suddenly wished it were physically possible to kick himself all the way back to the Falcon.

Onboard the Falcon, later that evening…

"Thank you for saving Leia," Padmé said quietly as she came up behind the Corellian.

Han paused in his task of tuning one of the sensor coils, and regarded the Naboo woman. "Just doing my job," he said shortly, turning away so he was no longer facing her.

"You're angry at me."

"Why would you think that?" Han snapped, giving his tuning rod an unnecessarily hard twist. "You hijacked me and my ship, your daughter can't stand me, your son belts me in the nose, after you slapped my face. No, I'd say I'm truly feeling the love from your family." He spun around so suddenly, Padmé drew back in surprise. "Why are you keeping up the farce of us being lovers?"

"It was your idea to begin with," she returned.

"Yeah, but when I tried admitting the truth you turned on fake tears and gave me a slap for good measure!"

"I'm sorry I hit you. It was uncalled for." Padmé sighed. "You remind me too much of Anakin. Both of you are good pilots. You're handsome, and an overconfident risk-taker, just like he was." She hesitated slightly, then added, "And both of you had difficult childhoods."

"How would you know that?" Han asked, annoyed. "I've never told you about my childhood."

"I can see the pain in your eyes, just like I could see the pain in Anakin's eyes," Padmé answered quietly, thinking back to her Rebel friend waiting on Myrkr, trying to deflect Han's suspicions. "I may not be a Jedi, but I also can see Leia falling in love with you, just like I fell in love with Anakin. It would be a mistake, and she doesn't need to make the same mistake I made."

Han felt his face flush. "I'm not good enough for her."

"No," Padmé said. "I'm not an elitist, Han. But I am a realist. Do you have any intentions of ever getting married or settling down? Making a commitment to one woman, for the rest of your life?" When Han looked away, she continued, "You're the kind of man that would break her heart, and since I'm her mother, I want to protect her from that kind of hurt. So that's why I'm maintaining the illusion we're involved. If she thinks you're my lover, it's less likely she'll be interested in you."

"Maybe I'll leave all of you sitting on this planet and blast off in my ship," Han threatened, trying to hide the depth of his hurt feelings. Why should it matter so much to him that Padmé considered him a free-wheeling smuggler with no ties to bind him down? Didn't that describe him, exactly?

"You won't do that," Padmé stated.

"You sure of that?"

"Yes. Because, despite everything you've been through, you have a strong sense of honor and loyalty," Padmé replied. "Just like Anakin did."

A month later….

Han was cleaning his DL-44 when Luke sat down on the log next to him. The young man hadn't exactly been overly friendly to him during their stay on Dagobah, so the gesture, however small, surprised him. "Hey, kid. How's the Jedi training going?"

"Alright, I suppose," Luke replied, eyeing the disassembled blaster pieces. "Do you know how to put that back together?"

"Sure," Han said, rubbing a small piece of metal with a clean cloth. "I've been getting lots of practice lately. This planet is so damp, if I don't take it apart every few days and give it a good cleaning it starts to rust."

"The droids keep complaining about getting rust in their parts, too." Luke shifted slightly on the uncomfortable seat, and changed the subject. "Leia told me you saved her life a while back."

"That was nearly a month ago, kid. I would've helped her, even if her father wouldn't be paying me," Han responded, unable to keep the defensive tone from his voice.

"I know." Luke cleared his throat. "And I realize I'm long overdue in saying this, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for hitting you."

"Kenobi insisted you apologize, huh?"

The younger man grinned. "Yeah. He says that a Jedi can't have a short temper, and apologizing builds character."

The Corellian fitted the cleaned section back into the blaster, and picked up another small piece to buff. "I'm not your mother's boyfriend. Never have been." Han tensed, waiting for the kid to explode again.

"Master Kenobi thinks that you're telling the truth," Luke replied. "We haven't been able to figure out why my mother keeps pretending it's true."

"Padmé told me why," Han said.

"Why? What did she tell you?"

"It's her weird attempt to protect Leia from me. She thinks I'm the 'love 'em and leave 'em' sort of guy."

Luke laughed. "I'd have to agree with her assessment."

"I'm not that bad," Han said in annoyance as he fit the last part of his blaster together. He aimed at a distant tree, and fired at a small branch. The branch dropped to the ground, smoldering. Then an eerie moan sounded from the area near the gnarled old tree.

"Do you hear that? Did you hit something?" Luke questioned, standing up and squinting to see through the constant, lingering mists.

"No, there wasn't anything on that branch," Han stated, rising as well.

"I'm going to check it out."

Han opened his mouth to argue, then sighed and followed the young man over to the tree. "See?" Han pointed to the ground. "Nothing but a branch."

"There's something else here," Luke murmured. "Something cold… evil."

Han swung his blaster around. "Where?"

"It's nothing I can see," Luke tried to explain. "It's more like a feeling."

"I don't feel anything," Han argued.

Luke moved closer to the tree, and crouched down. "It looks like a cave entrance, right under the tree." He looked up at Han. "I'm going to check it out."

"What?!" Han asked, barely able to comprehend what he was hearing. "Why? There ain't no reason under this system's moldy sky we gotta go down into that cave. Didn't you just say it felt evil? That's a damn good reason not to go down there, if you ask me."

"You don't have to come with me," Luke said, already maneuvering his legs into the cave's opening. "As a matter of fact, you probably shouldn't."

"If you get killed, I'll never hear the end of it," Han groused, dropping to his knees in order to climb into the cave. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

Inside the cave, Luke had already ignited his lightsaber in order to see. Dark, twisted roots formed the ceiling over their heads, and the floor of the cave was ankle deep with a thick, dark muck. There was an overwhelming stench of rot and mold, and Han had to suppress the urge to gag.

"Okay," Han said, peering around. "Nothing's in here. Let's leave."

"I'm going deeper into the cave," Luke stated.

"Goody," Han muttered, his fingers tightening around his blaster.

With Luke in the lead, both men headed deeper into the gloomy depths of the oppressive cavern. Although Han had no use or abilities for 'the Force' even he could sense an almost menacing, unseen presence lurking in the darkness. It took all of his willpower not to turn around and run to the exit.

Luke stopped walking. "The dark side is strong in this place."

"Yup, I gotta agree that it's dark. Not to mention it's stinky," Han said, trying to keep his tone light. "Dark side means bad, am I right? So why are we trying to find a bad thing?"

"Master Kenobi has been trying to impress on me the importance of confronting evil, and not being afraid of it," Luke replied. "We can't run from the dark side. We have to face it and defeat it."

"What if you can't see what you're suppose to defeat?" It seemed like a good question, considering their current circumstances.

"Show yourself!" Luke shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern. "Or are you too much of a coward?"

"Uh, Luke? Do you think calling it names is such a good idea?"

Luke ignored Han. "I'm waiting! Come out and take us on, you skulker!" A shadow loomed across Luke's field of vision, and he could make out the dark shape of a humanoid several feet away. "So you've decided to come out and play," Luke taunted, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck raise, and a cold chill sweep through his very soul. The shadow being was huge and hulking - evil roiled from its direction. Luke suddenly wished he hadn't been so hasty in his decision to enter the cave.

"Who are you talking to?" Han whispered to Luke. "I don't see anyone."

"He's right in front of us," Luke replied, pointing at the dark form.

Han squinted harder in the direction where Luke indicated. "Still don't see anything, kid."

The shadow stepped forward, and Luke raised his blade in preparation for defense. "Who are you?"

"I am your father, Luke," an artificial voice rasped.

"Then it's my job to destroy you," Luke responded.

"No. You cannot kill me."

"You are evil," Luke stated. "Everyone has told me this. Do you deny you're a Sith?"

"Who're you talking to, kid?" Han asked worriedly. "Who's evil?"

"I am a Sith," the dark form replied. "I will not deny the truth."

"It's my destiny to kill you," Luke insisted. "Obi-Wan, Yoda, and my mother have told me this."

"Padmé is still my wife," the Dark Lord stated. "When the time comes, she will not wish to have me killed. She knows the same as I know."

"Knows? Knows what?"

"That my children will rule the galaxy. That is your true destiny, Luke. You will become the next Emperor."

"That's a lie," Luke said hotly. "I'll prove it to you!" Rushing forward, Luke clashed his lightsaber with Darth Vader's blade. For a few minutes, they battled, the humming blades throbbing and skittering against each other. Then Vader's lightsaber flew up, and away from his grasp. Luke stood his ground, pointing the tip of his saber against Vader's chestplate as the Sith dropped to his knees before him.

"Kill me, my son."

Shaking, Luke tried to force his weapon forward, yet found he was unable to complete the movement. "I … I can't do it."

"Luke?" Han's voice broke into Luke's reverie as he shook the young man's shoulder. "What can't you do?"

Luke blinked at Han, and when he turned back, the Dark Lord was no longer kneeling before him. Darth Vader had simply vanished. "He was here, Han."

"Who?"

"Darth Vader. My father. I was fighting him, and I won. But I couldn't finish him off. I couldn't kill him."

"I didn't see him," Han said, sounding doubtful. "All I saw was you talking to yourself and slicing at these tree roots like a man possessed."

Luke tentatively touched the blackened tree roots, still smoking from the contact with his lightsaber. "We should go back now."

"Best idea I've heard all day," Han said, relieved.

As they turned and walked back to the cave's entrance, Luke was unable to shake the feeling he had seen into the future, and that he wouldn't be able to alter the ending when it truly came to pass.

Two weeks later…

It was late at night, and Padmé felt restless, and unable to sleep. Rising from her berth from inside the relative comfort of the Millennium Falcon, she checked Leia's bunk and was alarmed to see that her daughter was missing. Quietly, Padmé slipped past the main hold which held two cots and their sleeping occupants - Obi-Wan and Luke - and headed outside. She looked to her right, focusing briefly on the small hut that Yoda called his home. She could see a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney, and started to move in that direction. It was only then Padmé noticed Leia, sitting alone beside the flickering campfire, poking at the dying embers with a small stick.

Padmé walked up to her pensive daughter. "What's the matter? Can't you sleep?"

"I keep having dreams," Leia whispered in reply. "No, not dreams. Nightmares."

The former queen felt her flesh crawl as she remembered the nightmares Anakin had, right before his fall to the dark side. "May I ask what kind of nightmares you're having?"

Leia looked up at her mother, her eyes dark and haunted. "I'm being held prisoner on some monstrous black ship. I can see Alderaan through the viewport, and stormtroopers are holding me, taunting me. Then this terrible, gaunt face appears, blocking out my view of my planet. The flesh falls away from the face, revealing a skull. The skull starts laughing, and laughing.. and then it explodes." Leia shuddered. "But then … then I realize it wasn't the skull that exploded - it was Alderaan. All my family, friends, everyone I know and love … is dead."

"That truly is a nightmare," Padmé agreed, placing her hand on Leia's shoulder for comfort. "Are you certain it's just a horrible dream?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've been told that when Jedi dream, often it's a vision. Perhaps you are seeing the future."

Leia leapt to her feet. "That's a terrible thing to say!"

"I'm sorry," Padmé quickly said. "But if the Force is providing us with a warning, we shouldn't ignore what it's telling us, either. We've wasted too much time here. I'm certain the battle station that Palpatine calls the 'Death Star' is nearly complete."

"Wasted, time has not been," Yoda said, startling both women. "Jedi, the Skywalker offspring must become to have any hope of prevailing against the Sith."

"It's time we leave for Myrkr," Padmé stated with conviction.

"Not ready, are they."

"If we wait, Alderaan may be the first on the list to be destroyed," Padmé argued. "We can't ignore Leia's vision."

"Always in motion is the future."

"What's going on?" Luke spoke loudly from the interior of the ship. With Obi-Wan and both droids following him down the ramp, Luke rushed over. "Is there a problem?"

"Leia's had a vision of Alderaan being blown up," Padmé replied, her frustration evident. "And Yoda thinks we should simply ignore it, and remain here."

"That seems like a fine idea," Threepio said, as Artoo gave a worried beep. "I have found that oftentimes a problem ignored is a problem avoided."

"Not all dreams are visions," Obi-Wan told Leia.

"But I've been having this same dream, over and over," Leia said. "It's not like any dream I've ever experienced before and every time I have it, it's more real." She looked at Padmé. "I couldn't live with myself if I shrugged it off, and the nightmare turned out true."

"It's settled, then," Padmé said with a firm nod. "We're leaving for Myrkr in the morning."

Luke and Obi-Wan exchanged wary looks, while Yoda shook his head in dismay. "Much risk, this path holds. Fraught with peril is your decision."

"Will you come with us, Master Yoda?" Leia implored the ancient Jedi.

Yoda's expression became downcast. "Time I have is short. Help you, I must, so come with I shall."

"Thank you," Padmé said, while Yoda merely looked off into the distance without responding.

"Hey!" Solo yelled from the top of the ramp. "Are you guys having a party? Why wasn't I invited?" He hurried down the ramp, and over to the group, looking around. "Where's the booze, Goldenrod? What kind of party is this if it doesn't have alcohol?"

"I'm afraid I was unaware that this assembly constituted a party, Captain Solo," Threepio replied, sounding confused. "I am also unaware of how to obtain alcoholic beverages on this planet."

"Quit teasing Threepio, Solo," Leia said, exasperated. "We've decided to leave for Myrkr in the morning."

Han let loose with a loud, Corellian war whoop, and whisked Leia off her feet, spinning her around in a big circle before setting her back on the ground. "That sounds like a damn good reason to party if you ask me, Princess!" He ran a few steps back to his ship, before pausing and turning back to say to the group, "I've got some Whyren's Reserve stashed away. I'll be right back." Then he ran up the boarding ramp, and disappeared into the corridor.

"That man's simply impossible," Leia stated, trying to sound put out, and not quite pulling it off. The sensation of being held in his arms had made her blush, but it had felt unexpectedly good. Leia was glad it was dark enough to conceal her emotions from everyone.

Unknown to Leia, Padmé was far more observant of her daughter's pleased reaction than even the Force-sensitive Jedi that surrounded her. And from what she could tell, her ruse of being Solo's lover was failing to prevent her daughter's attraction to the Corellian from growing. Padmé wasn't pleased.

Myrkr

A group of smugglers-turned-rebels watched from the platform as the battered freighter set down in the center of Talon Karrde's smaller, secondary base of operations, located in the plains of Myrkr.

"I still can't get over Karrde deciding to become a Rebel," Han groused. "He was always quick to claim you can't get ahead in life by choosing sides."

"He was the first to have knowledge about the construction of the Death Star," Padmé explained patiently. "What it will be capable of doing was overwhelming enough to change the mind of even the most pragmatic of men."

Inside the ship, Obi-Wan peered out the cockpit window, trying not to seem nervous. "I can still sense the Force," he said, sounding relieved.

"I sent a message to Karrde when we left Dagobah, asking him to clear away all the ysalamiri around this base," Padmé told the Jedi Master. "The forests are where the ysalamiri live in high concentrations, so that's where Talon has his main base. This particular base was created recently, and only for this mission. Talon's very good at using the creatures to mask his main base, and the rebels can transport a single creature to hide themselves from Force-sensitives, as well."

"Normally, this information wouldn't make me happy at all," Obi-Wan admitted. "But I do see the value of using the ysalamiri to defeat Vader and Palpatine."

"I wish Yoda would be as open-minded as you are, Obi-Wan," Padmé said, unfastening her seatbelt.

Yoda's voice spoke from the doorway of the cockpit. "Fall out a brain can, when too open-minded a being becomes."

Padmé rose from her seat. "You still don't think my plan will succeed?"

"Fail it cannot, for all hope then is lost."

Everyone was silent, allowing those words to sink in. After a moment, Han stood. "On that cheery note, let's go meet your Rebel friends, sweetheart."

Padmé led the group down the ramp, embracing Talon warmly. "Hello, Talon."

"Welcome back, Padmé," Talon replied, returning her hug. "We were getting worried about you."

"The first part of my mission was a success beyond my wildest hopes," she said, waving for the rest to come forward. "Not only have I brought back my children, Luke and Leia, I've also managed to bring a couple of Jedi Masters back, as well."

"Welcome to my base," Talon told them, bowing formally.

A deep voice boomed out from the group, "Master Kenobi? Master Yoda?"

Obi-Wan smiled as the man pushed forward. "Senator Bel Iblis. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

"I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances." Garm Bel Iblis turned to regard Princess Leia. "Thank you for coming, Princess Leia."

"After hearing my mother's story, I could do nothing less," Leia responded, taking his hand.

"Your base is really impressive," Luke added, gazing around in awe at the buildings and the many rows of sleek, one-man fighter ships.

"Thank you, son," Garm Bel Iblis replied as he shook Luke's hand. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. Bel Iblis turned to face Han Solo, and said to the smuggler, "I see my faith in you was not misplaced, Captain Solo."

Talon grinned at the embarrassed Corellian. "We highly recommended you to Padmé, Solo."

"Yeah? A recommendation to poke me in the back with a blaster and pirate my ship?" Han grumbled. "I oughta pound you into the dirt for getting me involved in this, Karrde."

"You'd probably better think twice before attacking me," Talon replied, amused. "I have a bodyguard that you wouldn't want to tangle with."

"Really?" Han asked, smirking. "I'm not afraid of anyone."

"Han?" Padmé questioned. "It wasn't just Talon and Garm that spoke highly of your character. It was someone else, too."

"Who would that be?"

"He's Talon's bodyguard, actually, and one of my most trusted friends."

"I don't know Talon's bodyguard," Han declared firmly.

"You sure about that?" Talon asked, stroking his mustache thoughtfully.

"Positi- " Han started to say, when a second later, he was attacked by a large, powerful beast covered with russet-colored fur.

If he had been able, Han would have grabbed his blaster to defend himself. Fortunately for his 'attacker', the Corellian's arms were pinned tightly to his sides, and he was only able to give a muffled cry of surprised mixed with a good dose of fear. It took his brain several long seconds before he realized that he wasn't being attacked at all. "Wookiee…bacca?" he mumbled incoherently as his face was pressed against the fuzzy chest.

Talon gave a hearty laugh. "Partially correct, Solo. Let him go, Chewie. The man can't breathe."

The strong arms released him so quickly that Han nearly fell backwards. *I knew one day we'd meet again, Lieutenant Solo.*

Padmé stepped forward. "Chewbacca! I'm so glad to see you."

*And I am glad to see that you are well, Senator Amidala,* Chewie responded. *Did Solo and his ship serve your needs?*

"Perfectly."

It was only then that Yoda moved into view. "Long time since our last meeting, my good friend."

Chewie knelt down, and gave the old Jedi a careful hug.

"Wait a kriffin' second," Han protested, shocked. "You two know each other?"

*Many years ago, during the Clone Wars, we aided each other during battle,* Chewie replied.

Head swimming with this information, Han turned to Padmé. "And how did you meet Chewbacca?"

"Chewbacca told me how you rescued him from his Imperial captors, and then refused to accept his life-debt. So, unable to locate you after you took off, he decided to join the Rebellion," Padmé answered. "We became friends at that point."

"You rescued Chewbacca from the Imperials? That must have been something to see," Luke said.

"Ah, it was nothing," Han said, uncomfortable with the praise.

"It hardly sounds like 'nothing,'" Obi-Wan said.

"I wasn't aware that a Wookiee life-debt was considered negotiable," Leia added.

Chewie let loose with a loud, accusing roar, and stared pointedly at Han.

"It's not," Han admitted reluctantly. "I just, um, … left him behind in a spaceport. I figured he was better off without hanging around an unemployed ex-Imp with a criminal record."

"You're an Imperial?" Leia asked, shocked.

"Was. Formerly," Han corrected quickly, not wanting Leia to get the wrong impression. "I got kicked out of the Navy when I freed a group of abused Wookiees, an' prevented my Commanding Officer from shooting Chewbacca in the process. That sorta thing ticks off the Higher-ups for some odd reason, so it was pretty much the end of my military career after that."

"There's apparently more to you than meets the eye, Flyboy," Leia said, mulling over this latest revelation about the mysterious past of Han Solo.

"Many current smugglers and rebels are ex-Imperials," Bel Iblis pointed out. "Those that once served in the Empire and left because they have a conscience count among the strongest revolutionaries."

Han shook his head at Bel Iblis's statement. "I ain't in this for your revolution. I'm only in this for the money."

"Don't you think it's time you give up the mercenary act, Han?" Luke asked, noting his sister's grimace. Luke couldn't figure out why, if Han truly liked Leia, he continually sabotaged his chances with her. "We've got you figured out. The question is - when are you going to finally figure yourself out?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Padmé sighed at the stubborn Corellian's words, and turned to look up at Chewie. "Did you manage to purchase what we need?"

Chewbacca nodded. *It was costly, but your contacts came through.*

"What did Chewbacca say?" Leia asked.

"I had undercover operatives locate a dissident Imperial engineer, and Chewie purchased the blueprints for the Death Star from this man," Padmé explained. "I'm hoping that the plans reveal a flaw, and we can figure out a way to destroy the Battle Station before it's completed."

"My engineers are studying the plans as we speak," Bel Iblis told the group.

"In the meantime, have you set up the ysalamiri containment cages?" Padmé asked.

"Everything is set, and ready to go," Talon said.

"May I ask what these cages look like? How they work?" Obi-Wan questioned.

Talon Karrde grinned. "I can do better than that. I'll show them to you."

Garm Bel Iblis remained at the base with Han and Chewie, while Talon Karrde escorted both of the Jedi, Luke, Leia and Padmé to a transport. They left the base, and after several klicks, stopped next to a small block building. It appeared to be partially camouflaged, as it was covered with vines. Talon pressed a code into the entry-panel, and when the door opened, inside was a lift.

The lift lowered them several hundred feet, and upon exiting the lift, Yoda paused. "Weaker becomes the Force in this place."

"I've sensed the diminishment as well, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan agreed. "But it's not completely gone at this point."

"We don't want Vader or Palpatine to know it's a trap until it's too late," Padmé told the group as they moved into a large, empty room, which was nearly fifty feet across, and almost as high. "This is the room that I'll be waiting in, after Ani, um, Vader has been contacted and is told where I'm hiding."

"He'll come in here to find you," Obi-Wan surmised, craning his neck to look at the high ceiling, and noticed the edges of the ceiling around the center of the room, an area of about twenty feet square, appeared to be ridged and indented, as opposed to the flat, dura-steel walls. The floor also had this same impression, directly below the indented area in the ceiling. "Won't he suspect a trap, considering he's being told to come to Myrkr?"

"I'm sure he will," Padmé agreed. "I'm counting on his emotions overruling his reservations."

Obi-Wan nodded his agreement. "Then what?"

"Then… this," Talon replied, pressing a button on a wrist control unit hidden under his sleeve.

The grooved edges at the top quickly parted, and with astounding speed, bars dropped from the top, and simultaneously shot up from the floor, meeting in the center and forming one solid bar.

Talon waved his hands to indicate the cage around the room. "The inner bars coming up from the floor are a special, extra strong dura-steel, and the outer section of the bars from the ceiling –which are actually more like a tube - are coated with a special compound, made out a mixture of phrik and cortosis, two of the most expensive metals in the galaxy. Even using a laser torch, it would take hours to cut through them."

"What's phrik and cortosis?" Luke questioned.

"Rare minerals that are highly resistant to lightsabers," Talon stated. "It was extremely difficult to find enough, but I believe the cost will be worth it, in the end."

"Can't Vader just use the Force to pry the bars apart, anyway?" Leia asked worriedly.

"This is where the second piece of magic enters the picture," Talon stated. He pressed a second button, and the outer walls opened, revealing cages containing odd-looking creatures.

And just that fast, the Force inside the room completely vanished for the four Force-sensitive beings.

"Those are ysalamiri, which negates Vader's ability to use the Force. Combine those with the cage's ability to short out his lightsaber, and we'll have ourselves one powerless Sith Lord."

"I'm not certain I like this sensation," Obi-Wan admitted, looking down worriedly at Yoda, who was swaying on his feet, with his eyes tightly shut. "Are you alright, Master Yoda?"

"Crushing, is this feeling," Yoda murmured. "Unnatural it is."

"Shut the cage doors," Padmé ordered Talon. "We don't want to harm Master Yoda."

"Of course," Talon agreed. He pressed several different buttons on the control bracelet, and the bars pulled back into the ceiling and floor, and the doors to the ysalamiri cages shut.

Yoda breathed a sigh of relief as the Force, albeit still weak, returned.

"Once we have him trapped, what happens next?" Luke asked.

"Then you, Leia and Padmé leave this room," Talon stated firmly. "Even without the Force, his cybernetic limbs give him great strength. My men will take care of what needs to be done, and they will do it quickly, before he has a chance to escape the cage."

Luke frowned at Talon's words. "You intend to kill him in cold blood? Can't we just keep him as our prisoner?"

"What would be the point of that?" Leia shot back. "Look at how many beings he's killed in cold blood! He's not worthy of our mercy."

"What do you know of his worthiness?" Padmé admonished her daughter, surprising everyone in the room. "There may still be a chance."

"A chance, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked quietly. "For what?"

"To convince him that he's been manipulated by Palpatine!"

"Far too late, that is," Yoda stated firmly. "Once the dark side path he traveled, forever it dominated his destiny."

"Without the dark side blinding him, his own reasoning and goodness might return," Padmé said stubbornly. "You can't know for certain that it won't."

"You never mentioned wanting to rehabilitate Vader back on Alderaan," Leia informed Padmé, feeling betrayed by her mother's apparent deception. "I don't believe it's even possible."

"We need to give him that chance," Luke argued.

"Mistakes, we are multiplying. One following another," Yoda insisted.

"May I ask you a question, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked the former Naboo queen.

"Of course," she responded.

"Why did you need Luke or Leia to enact this plan at all? Wouldn't Vader have come to Myrkr if he knew you were waiting for him?"

Padmé looked at the floor, clenching her fist. "No, Obi-Wan, he wouldn't…he didn't come." She forced herself to look at the Jedi. "I've already tried to lure him to Myrkr by sending him a message I was alive and waiting for him. He… he sent a message back, stating that even if it were true, I'm still dead to him." She seemed crushed at this admission, and her shoulders sagged under the heavy weight that Anakin no longer cared whether she lived or died.

"Love, a Sith cannot feel," Yoda said sadly. "Proof this is that Vader is beyond redemption."

"He'd love his children," Padmé argued passionately. "That's why I know he'll come this time."

"You're only using us as bait," Leia stated, her face flushing with anger.

"He'll come because he loves you," Padmé insisted, then looked down at Yoda. "And that will be proof that he still can be redeemed."

"Come he will," Yoda agreed. "But not for love. Attempt to turn his younglings to the dark side, he will."

Padmé turned her imploring eyes at Obi-Wan. "Whose side are you taking? Mine and Luke's? Or Leia's and Yoda's? What if I'm right? Can you live with yourself, knowing you didn't even try?"

"We tried on Mustafar," Obi-Wan replied. "That got us nowhere, and he's been submerged in the dark side far longer, now."

"Luke and Leia weren't around, then," Padmé told him, nearly begging the Jedi Master to see her viewpoint. "It will be different this time. One more chance, Obi-Wan. That's all I'm asking."

Obi-Wan sighed, feeling much older than his years. "One more chance."

Padmé threw her arms around Obi-Wan. "Thank you."

"Thank him you should not," Yoda stated. "Greater danger are we now in."