Chapter 45- Trap Sprung and Unlikely Allies
The pristine corridors of Bespin was strangely silent. Talon stretched out with the Force as he walked along. Something didn't feel right as Talon's danger sense was juking and jiving all over the place. "Something doesn't feel right, Uncle," Luke commented.
"You felt it too?" Talon asked dryly.
"Uh-huh. I felt Han, Leia, and Lena on Dagobah. Now I can't feel any of them. It's like their Force signatures have been blocked," Luke said.
"I know. I have been trying to feel Lena's for quite some time and her Force signature had been dulled to where she feels like a non-Force-user or a droid," Talon said, looking at Artoo, who was tailing them.
Luke and Talon almost went around a corner and stopped sharply. Talon felt his blood run cold. Boba Fett! Talon had been at the Battle of Geonosis and remembered Jango Fett and how Mace Windue had killed the bounty hunter who had tried to kill Padme. Rumors going around was that Jango's son Boba had taken over his father's place as a bounty hunter. Talon pulled out his lightsaber as Luke pulled out his blaster as two men with some piece of a block was rolled down the corridor, followed by stormtroopers.
Luke tried to exit the corridor, when two blaster bolts streaked right to him and Talon. Talon powered up his lightsaber and deflected. It was then Talon saw Leia and Lena being marched down the corridor, trying to look back, but being followed and pushed by a man in elegant clothes and stormtroopers. The troopers opened fire and a soldier grabbed Leia by the shoulders.
Chewbacca growled as he, Leia, and Lena noticed them between blaster bolts. "Luke! Luke, Uncle Cail, don't, it's a trap! It's a trap!" Leia shouted as the trooper dragged her down the corridor.
Luke then went through a door, which sealed and Talon and Artoo couldn't follow him. Talon looked down at the droid, who was beeping frantically. "Come on, Artoo. Let's find Leia and Lena," Talon said, walking in the direction the girls had gone, keeping his lightsaber at the ready.
Vader watched with bated breath as the floor opened and he saw his son. All the lights in the chamber then glowed. "The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet," Vader said and Luke turned to look at him. Luke walked up the steps and powered up his lightsaber. Correction, Vader's old lightsaber. So that was what Obi-Wan had done with Anakin Skywalker's old lightsaber. He had given it to Luke as Lena already had her own lightsaber, which she hadn't had with her with Vader had drugged her and the ladies had changed her clothes. The part of him that was still Anakin was happy that his son had his lightsaber, but the part that was Vader, wanted nothing more than to relieve him of it and destroy that cursed Jedi weapon.
Vader powered up his own lightsaber and the fight began. Vader was quite impressed with the boy's skill. He had improved a lot, but not enough to best his father as Vader could fight with one hand and Luke used two hands to hold the weapon.
Lando and the troops marched Leia, Lena, Chewbacca, and Threepio down the corridor. Lena hoped her father would arrive at any minute as Lena had no desire to be on Vader's ship and judging by what she was sensing through the Force neither did Leia and Chewbacca. To Lena's surprise Lando stopped and a squad of Cloud City guards pointed blasters at Vader's troops. It was then Lena realized what was happening. Lando had realized Vader had gone back on their deal and Lando had decided to con Vader and let them go. Lena smiled as she pulled her lightsaber out of her pocket.
Lando pulled the blasters out of the stormtroopers hands. "Well done. Hold them in the security tower. And keep it quiet. Move," Lando ordered a short man in gray and white clothes.
Lando handed the blasters to Leia and went to remove Chewbacca's binders. "What do you think you're doing?" Leia asked incredulously.
"We're getting out of here," Lando said.
"I knew all along. It had to be a mistake," Threepio said from his place on Chewbacca's back.
"Do you think that after what you did to Han, we're going to trust you?" Leia asked, anger filling her voice as Lando got Chewbacca free. Chewbacca roared and wrapped his massive paws around Lando's neck, driving him to his knees.
"Chewbacca, let him go!" Lean shouted, infusing as much of the Force into her voice as she could as Lando grabbed at Chewbacca's wrists and made choking sounds.
"I had no choice," Lando barely wheezed out.
"What are you doing? Trust him! Trust him!" Threepio exclaimed.
"Oh, we understand, don't we, Chewie? He had no choice," Leia said, with thick sarcasm.
"I'm just trying to help," Lando said.
"We don't need any of your help," Leia said.
"Haa...Ha...Ha..," Lando choked out.
"What?" Lena asked.
"Han...," Lando managed to say.
"It sounds like Han," Threepio said.
"There's still a chance to save Han...at the east...platform," Lando managed to get out.
"Chewie," Leia said. The Wookie released Lando and he, Leia, and Lena ran to the east platform.
"I'm terribly sorry about all this. After all, he's only a Wookie," Lena heard Threepio say behind her. Lena ran down the corridor, when she heard a familiar voice and beep. "Lena!" Her father's voice came to her.
"Papa!" Lena nearly screamed.
"Artoo, Artoo, where have you been? Wait. Turn around you woolly-" Threepio started to say at the same time and Chewbacca turned.
"Hurry! Hurry, Papa, Artoo! We're trying to save Han from the bounty hunter!" Lena said, grabbing her father's arm and dragging him to the east platform.
"Well, at least you're still in one piece. Look what's happened to me," Threepio whined.
The doors on the platform opened as Boba Fett's ship took off. Leia fired a blaster round at the departing ship. "Oh, no, Chewie, they're behind you!" Threepio wailed. They all turned and Lena and Talon powered up their lightsabers as they ran down the corridors with Leia, Lando and Chewbacca shooting.