Chapter 41- Landing on Bespin and Force Visions
The Millennium Falcon arrived at Bespin right at twilight. If Lena wasn't so busy stretching out with the Force trying to detect danger, she might have been able to see the beauty in it. Of course Han's trying to talk with Bespin's security to let them land was rather distracting. "No, I don't have a landing permit. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian," Han said and blasters then echoed and bounced off the freighter. "Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain!" Han shouted as they all got tossed around the cockpit.
"You will not deviate from your present course," a mechanical voice set over the intercom.
"Rather touchy, aren't they?" Threepio asked the obvious.
"Yeah, and I don't know why. I can't sense anything in the Force that would explain their behavior," Lena said, wrinkling her forehead as she stretched out again. Something was clearly blocking her ability to use the Force and Lena didn't like it. Only someone who used the dark side of the Force could block a Jedi's ability to feel if something was wrong.
"I thought you knew this person," Leia said fretfully. Chewbacca then growled.
"That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that," Han said, causing Lena and Leia's mouths to nearly drop, a clear violation of their royal upbringing. Dropping their mouths would make people question their upbringing.
For a few long seconds they all waited. "Permission granted to land on Platform 3-2-7," the voice came back to them. Lena wasn't sure if she should feel relieved. Something didn't feel right about this.
"Thank you. Nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me," Han said as they moved to the platform.
"Who's worried?" Leia asked, looking just as nervous as Lena as they went to the platform, two escorts by their side.
The platform was empty, something that clearly bothered both Lena and Leia. "Oh. No one to meet us," Threepio commented as Lena put her hand discreetly on the hilt of her lightsaber, that she had clipped to her belt and then covered with a soft gray robe that Han just happened to have on board the ship. From what she could figure, it wouldn't be prudent for all of Bespin to see that she was a fugitive Jedi knight.'
"I don't like this," Leia said, voicing her cousin's own feelings.
"Well, what would you like?" Han asked.
"Well, they did let us land," Threepio pointed out, for the first time sounding optimistic.
"Look, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me. See? My friend," Han said as a door opened and a good-looking dark-skinned man, apparently Lando, with security guards and rich clothes strode across the platform. "Keep your eyes open, huh?" Lena heard Han say to Chewbacca as he moved to greet the man. Chewbacca growled. "Hey!" Han greeted Lando as he broke away from the guards.
"Why, you slimy double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled," Lando said in barely controlled ire. Lando moved forward as if to hit Han and breaking into laughter hugged him. "How you doin' you old pirate? So good to see you!" Landoi exclaimed and the security guards left the platform.
"Well, he seems very friendly," Threepio said.
"Yes. Very friendly," Leia said as she, Lena, and the droid moved away from the ship.
"What are you doing here?" Lando asked.
"Ah, repairs. I thought you could help me out," Han said, indicating the ship.
"What have you done to my ship?" Lando asked, all the humor gone.
"Your ship? Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square," Han said.
"And how you doin,' Chewbacca? You still hanging around with this loser?" Lando greeted the Wookie. He then noticed both Leia and Lena. "Hello. What have we here?" Lando asked, apparently a notorious flirt. "Welcome. I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might the two of you be?" Lando asked with a charming grin.
"Leia," Leia said primly.
"Lena," Lena said.
"Welcome, Leia, Lena," Lando said, kissing both of their hands. It was all Lena could do not to grimace. Even when she was the princess of Alderaan, she had not liked it when men decided to act charming and kissed her hand. It went back to when she was ten and a visiting diplomat had drooled on her hand. It took all of her Force skills not to show the disgust she felt on her face.
"All right, all right, you old smoothie," Han said, taking Leia by the arm, his jealously obvious. It didn't take a Jedi to see that Han didn't like Lando kissing Leia's hand. They all went towards the entrance to Cloud City.
"What's wrong with the Falcon?" Lando asked as they walked.
"Hyperdrive," Han said flatly.
"I'll get my people to work on her," Lando said.
"Good," Han said.
"You know, that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy," Lando bragged.
"How's the gas mine? Still paying off for you?" Han asked as they walked into the city proper.
"Oh, not as well as I'd like. We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind. I've had labor difficulties. What's so funny?" Lando asked as Han started to laugh.
"You. Listen to you. You sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thought that, huh?" Han asked with amusement.
"You know, seeing you brings back a few things," Lando said.
"Yeah," Han said, clapping Lando's shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful," Lando said as he led them down corridors. Lena felt a cold prickle go down her spine. With all of Lando's friendly manner something still felt out of place here. Lena wrinkled her forehead and stretched out with the Force, a futile gesture as it felt like hitting durasteel.
Vader watched as Lena walked down the corridor. Her use of the Force was amazing. She had stretched out and couldn't realize that Vader had blocked her, but her use was impressive along with her shields. Talon Orran had clearly trained her well in the Jedi arts. The child looked more like Padme every time Vader saw her, but Padme if she had been Force-sensitive. And while the girl had her mother's height and rich brown hair, she clearly had Anakin Skywalker's blue eyes and definition of his chin.
Vader then held his breath as Lena came to the spot where He had hidden from her and he could see her without her seeing him. It was all Vader could do not to crush her to his chest in a hug. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't to know yet that he was here and that he was her father. For the zillionth time Vader wondered what lie Talon Orran and Obi-Wan had told his children when they asked about Anakin Skywalker and Padme. Whatever lie they had been fed, Vader would fix that soon enough.
Talon watched as Luke prepped his ship for takeoff. From how he was feeling the vision he had had of Han, Leia, Chewbacca and Lena had nagged at him. If he was ready in the Force, Talon would tell him to go rescue them, but Luke wasn't ready by a long shot. His skills with the Force was that of a five-year-old youngling.
"Luke, you must complete the training," Yoda said from his spot next to Talon.
"I can't keep the vision out of my head. They're my friends and my sister. I got to help them," Luke said with frustration as he climbed down the x-wing's ladder.
"You must not go," Yoda said adamantly.
"But Han, Leia, and Lena will die if I don't," Luke said with barely controlled anger.
"You don't know that, nephew. Even Yoda and myself cannot see their fate," Talon said, figuring now was a good time to say something.
"But I can help them. I feel the Force," Luke said.
"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you and my girl, where you will both be tempted by the dark side of the Force," Talon said. Talon knew his daughter was strong with the light side and would resist the temptation, but Luke was still a novice in his training.
"Yes! Yes! To Talon you listen. The cave. Remember your failure at the cave," Yoda admonished.
"But I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, Uncle Talon, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word," Luke said as he opened a compartment under the x-wing.
"It is you and Lena's abilities the emperor wants. That is why your friends and Lena are made to suffer," Talon said.
"That's why I have to go," Luke said, looking a Talon reproachfully.
"Luke, we don't want to lose you to the emperor the way we lost Vader," Talon said. Lena had told him that she heard from Obi-Wan that Vader had betrayed and killed Anakin. At this moment Talon couldn't see a good reason why he should tell Luke that Vader was Anakin. Hopefully, if the boy went to rescue, Han, Leia, and Lena, he wouldn't find out the truth.
"You won't," Luke said.
"Stopped they must be. On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his emperor. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil," Yoda warned.
"Patience," Talon said.
"And sacrifice Han, Leia, and Lena?" Luke asked angrily.
"If you honor what they fight for...yes," Yoda said.
"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. Yoda or myself cannot interfere. I will come to try to save Lena and Leia, but I can't fight Vader for you," Talon said, in a last effort to change Luke's mind.
"I understand. Artoo, fire up the converters," Luke ordered the astromech as he got into his cockpit.
"Luke! I am coming with you, but don't give in to hate. That leads to the dark side," Talon said.
"Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can," Yoda said.
"I will. And I'll return. I promise," Luke said, lowering the canopy and taking off.
"Told you I did, Talon. Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse," Yoda said as Talon went to his own x-wing to prep it for launch.
"That boy and Lena are our last hopes," Talon said as he opened the canopy.
"No, there is another," Vader said, meaning Leia. Talon took off in his ship. If they all survived this and Luke and Lena did not, Talon would probably have to tell Leia who she was, but how would she handle it finding out her relation to Darth Vader?