Chapter 39- Bounty Hunters, Evasion, and Training
Vader hated bounty hunters. That hadn't changed since he had been Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku and the Trade Federation had sent Jango Fett to murder Padme. And now Vader was doing the same thing; using a bounty hunter to track down Padme's daughter. If a bounty hunter killed her, Vader would never forgive himself, but if he became one with the Force, Padme might take him to task as well. The best thing he could do was make sure that the bounty hunters knew not to kill Princess Lena Organa Skywalker,
But that might be easier said than done. Especially since Boba Fett was there. Fett had a grudge against the Jedi since Mace Windue had killed Jango Fett in self-defense at the Battle of Geonosis and that grudge had gone to all the Jedi in the following years. It didn't matter that Mace Windue was dead. To Fett all the Jedi were to blame. Fett would kill Lena just for being a Jedi.
"There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations," Vader said, stopping in front of Fett and pointing his finger at him in a warning gesture.
"As you wish and what of the Jedi girl?" Fett asked with barely controlled contempt.
"I especially want her alive. She is not to be harmed," Vader said.
"Lord Vader. My Lord, we have them," Captain Needa said, coming to stand in front of Vader.
Lena stretched out with the Force to calm her nerves as the Stardestroyer fired at them and rocked the ship as they came out of the asteroid field. "Oh, thank goodness we're coming out of the asteroid field," Threepio said, with as much relief as a droid could have.
"Let's get out of here. Ready for lightspeed? 1...2...3!" Han said, pulling back on the toggle that would cause the ship to go into lightspeed. Instead of lightspeed, though, they heard the sound of the engine run and then die. Lena and Leia both looked at each other. It didn't take a Jedi to realize that the lightspeed hadn't been fixed. "It's not fair," Han said with a dumbstruck look on his face.
"Gahhh!" Chewbacca growled, hitting Han's arm roughly.
"Transfer circuits aren't working. It's not my fault!" Han yelled at Chewbacca.
"No lightspeed?" Leia asked.
"It's not my fault," Han said almost too low for Lena to hear.
"Han, it not being your fault is not going to help us out of this and the Force won't prevent us from being blown apart if one of these shots hit us in the wrong area," Lena said stiffly as the ship was rocked by blasts.
"Sir, we've just lost the main rear deflector shield. One more direct hit on the back quarter and we're done for," Threepio said, the ever-present voice of doom.
"Turn her around," Han said to Chewbacca as he stood up and went to a panel behind him. Chewbacca growled a question they were all thinking. "I said turn her around. I'm going to put all power in the front shield," Han said.
"You're going to attack them?" Lena and Leia both asked as if they hadn't heard right.
"Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Stardestroyer-" Threepio started to say.
"Shut up!" Lena barked in an unJedilike way.
Lena stretched out with the Force as Han turned and dodging blaster bolts, went past the Stardestroyer and attached the ship to their blind side.
Talon watched, seated on a log as Yoda had Luke standing on his hands and standing on Luke's foot, was teaching him to move rocks and toolkits with the Force. All Jedi Padawans had learned how to do this by the time they were five seasons. "Use the Force. Yes. Now the stone," Yoda said softly as Luke moved the stone with the Force.
"Feel it, nephew," Talon said as Luke put the stone down and Artoo beeped wildly. Talon looked in the direction of where the droid was and saw Luke's ship sinking in the water. Apparently Luke did too as he lost his focus and tumbled.
"Concentrate!" Yoda yelled as he tumbled with Luke.
"Oh, no. We'll never get it out now," Luke said, going to the water and looking in despair at the sinking x-wing.
"So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done," Yoda said with a sad sigh.
"Haven't you heard anything that Yoda and myself have been saying?" Talon asked reproachfully.
"Master, Uncle, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different," Luke said, indicating the ship with his hand.
"No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned," Yoda said.
"All right. I'll give it a try," Luke said.
"No! Do not try. Do. Or do not. There is no try," Talon said. Yoda had often said that to Talon and the others at the temple and Talon had lost count of how many times he had said it to Cora and Lena as they were growing.
Luke nodded and turned back to the ship, raising his hand. Talon felt the Force as the water bubbled and he looked at his old master, feeling the old Jedi's excitement as the ship raised. That hope was dashed as Luke lost his grip and the ship sank back into the swamp. Talon felt the disappointment keenly from Yoda as Luke collapsed where Yoda was sitting, breathing hard from the lifting.
"I can't. It's too big," Luke said.
"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?" Yoda asked, Luke shook his head no.
"And it is well that you should not, Luke. For our ally is the Force and it is a powerful ally. Life creates it and makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. We are luminous beings, not this crude matter," Talon said, pinching Luke's muscular shoulder.
"You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, Talon Orran, the tree, the rock. Everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship," Yoda said. Luke stood in defeat.
"You and Uncle Cail want the impossible," Luke said stonily.
"Master, he won't believe unless he sees. You might want to show him, that even you can lift it with the Force," Talon said.
"Correct you are, my old Padawan," Yoda said, closing his eyes. Talon grinned a bare smile as the ship raised and flew through the air. Luke came out of the bushes a look of amazement as it landed gracefully on the ground.
Luke looked over his ship and then went to Yoda and Talon. "I don't...I don't believe it," Luke whispered softly. Talon laid his hand on his nephew's shoulder, a sad look in his blue eyes.
"That is why you failed. If you believe you can't do something, you never will. Cora once thought like you did and she failed when moving rocks. I had to teach her that to succeed she had to make the Force her ally. It is about more than moving rocks. The Force is about what you believe. If you doubt, it will never work for you. It is about what you put into it," Talon said.
"I'm sorry, Uncle," Luke said contritely.
"It's all right. Let's get something to eat and we'll try again tomorrow," Talon said