Chapter 18- The Duel and Death
Lena licked her lips hard as the cold foreboding feeling that was the dark side went past her and, while it didn't completely fade away got considerably duller. Lena opened the grating in the floor that was the ventilation system and belly-crawled through it, holding her lightsaber in one of her hands to activate when she needed it. Stretching out through the Force she used it as a directional guide to Han's ship, hoping that Obi-Wan had knocked out the tractor beam.
Vader stood in front of the blast doors, blocking Obi-Wan's way, his lightsaber extended. The Force had logically shown him that this was the only way that Obi-Wan could come. Now his daughter was another matter. The girl had learned to shield herself very well. While her father could feel her, he couldn't determine where she was, but that didn't matter as she would also try to leave the station. Vader could just grab her on her way out. Vader stood taller as Obi-Wan came down the corridor.
Obi-Wan was older than the last time Vader had seen him, but then again that was 19 years ago when Obi-Wan stole Padme and Lena and left him for dead on Mustafar; two facts that made Vader boiling mad. Vader stalked down the corridor. It was inevitable that Vader would fight with his old master. Obi-Wan knew that too as he ignited his own lightsaber. "I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master," Vader said ominously.
"Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan said in that calm infuriating tone that Vader had hated when he was Anakin Skywalker. It had always annoyed him. Of course Vader hated it that Obi-Wan would only call him Darth. At their last duel he had called him Anakin. Vader's thoughts then went to his daughter. How much did Lena actually know about him? What lies had Talon Orran fed her about him and her mother? With a renewed surge of energy Vader lunged and Obi-Wan blocked, old age apparently slowing the old Jedi down.
"Your powers are weak, old man," Vader taunted.
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine," Obi-Wan said, a fact that confused Vader and made him more angrier than he already was. What did the doddering old fool mean? Jedi knights had no power! once Vader could convince his girl of that the happier he'd be. She would realize that the Jedi path was misguided.
"You should not have come back," Vader flung out as he attacked viciously.
Lena ran down the corridor and nearly wept with joy as she saw Han, her brother, Chewbacca, and Leia. "Didn't we just leave this party?" Han asked as they all joined him and the Wookie. Lena then noticed the stormtroopers. Chewbacca howled. "What kept you?" Han asked looking at Luke, Lena, and Leia.
"We, uh, ran into some old friends," Leia said ruefully.
"The ship all right, Solo?" Lena asked, breathing hard from the run she had just run down the corridor.
"It seems O.K. if we can get to it. I just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission," Han said.
The fight continued between Vader and Obi-Wan. Out of the corner of his eye Vader saw stormtroopers come over to the door. And he felt a lightness in the Force. His daughter was in the hangar! And she was next to the untrained one!
"Look!" Leia said as the stormtroopers left their post.
"Now's our chance. Go!" Han said in a hushed hiss. They got out from behind the door and Luke and Lena stopped, horrified at the sight of Vader and Obi-Wan.
"Ben?" Luke asked, moving forward slightly.
Vader stared at Obi-Wan dumbfounded as Obi-Wan looked to the side, gave a brief smile at Vader, and held the lightsaber in meditative position. Vader sliced the lightsaber to his neck, but didn't touch skin. Obi-Wan completely disappeared! "No!" Two voices shouted out in absolute horror. Vader stepped on the empty robe and then heard a lightsaber thrum and blaster shots. Vader looked up at a boy with a blaster and a young girl with a lightsaber deflecting shooting stormtroopers and deflecting blaster bolts. Vader's breath hitched. Lena! Vader moved forward. Now was the time to take his daughter.
"Come on!" Han yelled amidst the discharge of blasters.
"Come on! Luke! Lena! It's too late!" Leia shouted.
"Blast the door, Kid!" Han shouted. Luke looked at the door and hit the console, shutting Vader in as he was walking to them.
"Run, Luke! Run, Lena!" Lena heard Obi-Wan order and they both ran into the Falcon, collapsing at the dejarik table.
Vader looked at the door. His daughter had gotten away and was on the ship, leaving. There was still time to capture her. He would send out fighters and order them to bring his girl back. The tracking mechanism was in place on the ship, but once he had his girl back, he would let her companions go and follow where the tracker led.