Chpater 5

I am planning on showing the almost everything of the Empire strikes back, and I hope do so.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

"I am sooo excited!" Ashoka said, rubbing her hands.

"We share your sentiments, Tano." Mace commended.

The Empire Strikes Back

It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy.

"Great, my future son has been dragged into a cat and mouse chase!" Anakin was already fighting a war in his 20s. He didn't want Luke to experience the same.

"I agree, Anakin." Obi wan said before realising something.

"What is a cat and mouse chase?"

"No idea." Anakin shrugged it off.

Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.

"It seems Skyguy junior has your leadership skills, Skyguy!" Ashoka nudged Anakin in the shoulder. Seriously, how has she been sane without him? She had been pretty lonely, and had followed her old master over the holonet.

The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space…

"It makes sense. After all, with young Luke having destroyed their greatest weapon, he is probably the most wanted man of the Empire now." Plo Koon observed.

"And he knows of Luke's force sensitivity which makes him even more of a threat." Kit Fisto added.

The planet of Hoth appeared.

"Echo 3 to Echo 7. Han, can you hear me?" he said.

"Loud and clear, kid." The voice of Han said back. "What's up?"

"Well, I finished my circle. I'm not picking up any life readings."

"There's not enough life on this ice ball to fill a space cruiser." Han responded, making Luke chuckle. "Sensors are in place. I'm headed back."

"Gotcha. I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here. I'm gonna go check it out. Won't take long." Luke closed the link and his mount began braying and bucking in place. "Whoa, easy girl. What's wrong? You smell something?"

As if in response, Luke turned and saw a giant white face roaring at him.

The audience was taken aback by the sudden appearance of that snow monster.

"Am I the only one who doesn't recognise that creature?" Ashoka asked, a hint of confusion on her face. After all, they learned about all creatures and how to handle them in their studies.

"Know this creature, I do. But presumed extinct, they were, around 200 years ago. Mistaken we were, hmmm?"

"Well, we were all not born than master Yoda." Anakin said, a bit amused by Yoda's forgetfulness. He is reaching his 900 years soon, so that was predicted to happen.

"Oh, forgot that, I did. Forget an old man, hmm?"

"Of course, master Yoda."

The creature was able to "defeat" Luke, dragging him by his ankles into his icy cave.

Back in the rebel base:

"Chewie? Chewie!" he called up to his Wookie first mate, who was busy working on the Falcon, a soldering tool in one hand and a face shield at his face on the other.

Chewie stops his work and lifts his face shield, growling an irritated greeting to his boss.

"All right! Don't lose your temper!" Han said defensively. "I'll come right back and give you a hand. "

"Solo." he said, acknowledging his presence.

"No signs of life out there, General." he reported. "Sensors are all in place, you'll know if anything comes knocking."

"Commander Skywalker report in yet?" he asked.

"Commander and General Skywalker. Got a nice ring to it." Rex commended.

"Well, I guess it's in his blood. After all, his father is a great General." Kit Fisto complimented the Jedi knight.

"No. He went to check out a meteorite that impacted near him."

"All the meteor activity in this system, it's gonna be hard to spot approaching ships."

"General, I gotta leave. I can't stay anymore." Han said bluntly.

"Why would he leave? I thought he wanted to stay in with the Rebels now." Ashoka asked puzzled.

"He used to be a smuggler. Maybe he still has debts to pay. After all, if my memory serves correct, he still has to pay Jabba the Hutt." Ki Adi Mundi answered her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rieekan said genuinely.

"Well, there's a price on my head. Either I pay Jabba or I'm a dead man."

"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with." Rieekan agreed, offering Han his hand. "You're a good fighter, Han. I hate to lose you."

Ashoka only knew too well how it is when you're a wanted person. Even though it had only been for a few days, that time when she was on the run was not a peaceful nor pleasant one.

"Thank you, sir." Han said, shaking the hand. Then, he walked over to Leia. "Well, Your Highness, I guess this is it."

Han's face soured immediately. "Well, no need to get all mushy on me. So long, Princess." With that, he stormed off.

"Han!" Leia called after him, following him into a hallway.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Han said sarcastically.

"I thought you had decided to stay."

"Well, the bounty hunter we met back on Ord Mantell kinda changed my mind."

"Han, we need you!" Leia pleaded.

"We need?" Han asked, "Well, what about you need?"

That situation kind of reminded Padme of her and Anakin. Even though the situation was different. It dint help that Leia looked so much like herself.

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

"You probably don't." and Han walked off, a rather frustrated Leia following after him.

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" Leia asked loudly, practically stomping after Han.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

"I like Han and all, but I think he is imagining thinks." Anakin said, clearly not their "hidden" love.

"I don't think he is, General Skywalker." Padme smiled at Anakin.

"Yes! You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader."

"No! That's not it. Come on." As a worker walked between them, Han saw Leia's cheeks darken and pressed. "A-ha! Come on."

"You're imagining things." Leia shot back with a laugh.

"What did I say…" Anakin couldn't help himself.

"General, when a woman says something like that, it is mostly because they don't want to admit it themselves."

And Anakin understood. Padme didn't want to confess her love for him at the beginning as well.

"Am I? then why are you following me? Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie."

"I can arrange that." Han stormed off back towards the hangar, yelling back her last word. "You could use a good kiss!"

The audience couldn't help but laugh, well most of them anyway.

A short while later:

"Don't try to blame me." Threepio argued with his beeping counterpart. "I didn't ask you to turn on the thermal heater. I merely commented that it was freezing in the Princess's chamber." Whistles from Artoo. "But it's supposed to be freezing. How we're going to dry out her clothes, I really don't know." "Oh, switch off."

"What would this story be without Threepio?" Padme said with a smile.

They walked up to the Falcon, where Han was busy arguing with Chewie underneath the ship.

"Why'd you take this apart now?" he asked, "I'm trying to get us outta here and you pull both of these- "

"Excuse me, sir." Threepio said as the two droids approached.

"Put 'em back together right now!" Han ordered as he walked over to Threepio. "What?"

"Well, it's Princess Leia, sir. She's been trying to get you on the communicator."

"I turned it off. I don't wanna talk to her."

Ashoka rolled her eyes. Men, always so pig-headed.

"Oh. Well, Princess Leia is wondering about Master Luke. He hasn't come back yet, and the Princess doesn't know where he is."

Han frowned slightly. "I don't know where he is." "Nobody knows where he is." Threepio told her, and Han's frowned deepened.

"What do you mean 'nobody knows?'"

"Well, it seems Han really cares about Luke." Shaak Ti said.

"Well, uh, you see- " but he was cut off as Han moved past him, calling for the deck officer. He tried to speak but Han cut him off again.

"Do you know where Commander Skywalker is?" he asked the man.

"I haven't seen him." the officer admitted. "It's possible he came in through the south entrance."

"It's possible? Well, why don't you go check? It's getting dark out there."

"Yes sir." The soldier nodded and ran off.

"Excuse me, sir," Threepio asked, "But might I inquire what's going on?"

"Why not?" Han said absent-mindedly, his mind was wandering towards his little friend. "Impossible man." Threepio shook his head. "Come along, R2, let's find Princess Leia, between us, I think Master Luke is in considerable danger."

"Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in the south entrance." The deck officer reported. "It's possible he forgot to check in."

"Not likely." Han said, "Are the speeders ready to go yet?"

"Well, he didn't inherit that from his father." Ashoka laughed.

"Yes, I agree with Tano. You rarely check in, Skywalker." Mace said, sending Anakin one of his famous glares.

Anakin turned a little red.

"Well, thanks for that." Obi wan to found that very true.

"Not quite. We've had some trouble adapting them to the cold."

"Then we'll have to go out on tauntaun." Han said and walked over to one of the beasts that still had a saddle on.

"Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly." The officer protested.

"Yeah, and my friend's out in it." he fired back as he climbed into the saddle.

"Your tauntaun'll freeze before you reach the first marker." He warned him one last time.

"Then I'll see you in hell. Hyah!" he snapped the reins and led his mount out of the hanger at a full gallop.

"Han is a very loyal friend." Kit Fisto said. It reminded him a bit of Anakin. Though they only go on missions together from time to time, it was always clear how much Anakin cared about Obi wan, and when she was still there, Ashoka. He, Obi wan, Yoda and Plo Koon had all voted in favour of Ashoka, but were outvoted by the rest of the council.

The scene shifted to Luke, who was hanging headfirst in an icy cave. He saw the monster eating his lunch, realising his fate.

The audience was relieved to not be eating anything, as they would probably not have kept it.

Luke found his lightsabre lying out of his reach. He tried to reach out with the force.

"If I am correct, he has maybe a few hours of training. Simply things, like reaching out with the force are difficult for him." Mace commended.

The beats started to realise something was going on, making his way towards Luke.

"Come on Luke, come on…" Anakin didn't want his sons fate to fall to the hands of some snow monster.

"Have faith in your son, Anakin." Obi wan said with a playful tone.

Luke was able to get lightsabre, freeing himself and cutting of the arm of the beast. Using the moment, he ran to his freedom.

"Your influence has rubbed up on him, Obi wan." Anakin laughed at his master, relieved that Luke had made it.

"What do you mean, Anakin?"

"Well, you like to cut of limbs too."

Ashoka couldn't help to add:

"Mauls*cough*legs*cough*Savages*arm*cough*."

"Oh, Snips, have you gotten sick?" Looking at Ashoka, the two started to laugh.

"Haha, Anakin, very funny." Obi wan shipped in sarcastically.

Outside of the cave, Luke had caught himself in a storm, slowly freezing.

Meanwhile, Han continued his search for his missing friend.

Back at the base:

"Come along now, R2." Threepio said as he walked up to hom, "There's really nothing more we can do. And my joints are freezing up." Artoo beeped something in response. "Don't say things like that! Of course we'll see Master Luke again. And he'll be quite alright, you'll see!" he began muttering to himself as he walked off.

Luke collapsed into the snow. He had been walking for hours.

"I hope Luke will make it." Shaak Ti said with worry on her face.

"Of course he will." Anakin said more for his own sake than for hers.

"Sir, all the patrols are in. Still no- " he looked over to Leia listening in, and quickly lowered his voice. "Still no word from Skywalker or Solo."

"Princess Leia," Threepio said as he walked up to her, "R2 says that he has been unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope."

"Princess," Derlin officer said as he and his subordinate joined the brown-haired woman and the droid, "There's nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed."

Leia closed her eyes in defeat and nodded the unspoken order. The officer gave the order as Chewie walked up, worried for the lives of his best friends.

"You can see how much it pains her to do this." Ashoka said, she too pained for Luke's and Han's life.

"As a leader, you have to think of what is best for tha group, rather than for the individuals." Padme explained. She, as a former queen and current Senator knew that all too well.

Anakin disagreed. When his friends and family are at stake, he would do anything to help them.

Artoo beeped nearby. "R2 says the chances of survival are 725 to 1." Threepio translated.

"Threepio and Artoo always get our hopes up, don't they?" Anakin said sarcastically.

"Of course, Artoo has been known to make mistakes." Threepio said in an attempt to be helpful, "From time to time."

"I appreciate the effort, Threepio." Leia said with a small smile.

"Reassurance is not my forte." He admitted.

Leia nodded as she walked up to Chewie and pulled her into a hug. Threepio walked up next to Artoo and placed a hand on his dome. "Don't worry about Master Luke. I'm sure he'll be alright. He's quite clever, you know, for a human being."

In the tundra, Luke lay where he had fallen, giving up on getting back to base, much less surviving for much longer out here. That was, until his heard a voice call out to him.

"Luke." It said to him.

"Luke."

"Obi wan? Your…a ghost!" Anakin was relieved to see that Obi wan was able to communicate with Luke. His hopes for Luke getting up.

"It would seem that way, Anakin."

"I have certainly seen crazy things serving under General Skywalker, but a ghost… that brings it to a whole new level."

"Ben?" he said confused. Obi-Wan was supposed to be dead. Maybe the cold was making him go crazy?

"You will go to the Dagobah system." He told him.

„Dagobah? Isn't that the planet you went to on your mission with Qui Gon, master Yoda?" Mace asked his former master.

Yoda just nodded.

"Dagobah system?"

"There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."

"Master Yoda?!" "Thank the Force!" "He is still alive." Not all the Jedi were wiped out than."

The relieve was visible on everyone.

"But wasn't Obi wan instructed by master Qui Gon?" Anakin asked.

"Well, yes, I was his Padawan. But master Yoda teaches the younglings, which included myself."

"Ben! Luke croaked out, reaching for him with all the strength he had left. But Obi wan just disappeared. And that on time, as Han came towards Luke.

"Luke!" Han cried out. "Sorry, kid." Han said as he pushed the boy into the opening, "This isn't gonna smell great, but it'll keep you warm until I get the shelter up." With his friend safely inside the belly of the beast, Han took time for a quick breather. "Damn. And I here thought they smelled bad on the outside."

Ashoka made a face. "That is so gross. Even worse than the garbage scene."

"Yeah, I agree Snips. But as long as it keeps him alive, I won't complain."

Reviews would be appreciated… even though I dint mention them before.