Chapter 48- Escape

Talon looked up as Lando half-carried Luke to the cockpit. Leia and Lena got up and both hugged Luke tightly. The look of relief on Luke's face was clearly seen "Oh, Leia, Lena," Luke said as he hugged them back.

Lena gripped Luke's arm, that looked to be missing a hand. "Luke what happened to your hand?" Lena exclaimed as Luke groaned.

"That would be a lightsaber injury. Only a lightsaber can remove a hand," Talon said.

"All right. Let's tend to this. We can put it in a traction until we meet with the rebel fleet at Cato Neimoidia," Lena said as she and Leia wrapped their arms around him and took him to the back where the bunks were.

"All right, Chewie, Your Highness, let's go," Lando said as Lando, Talon, and Chewbacca got back into their seats and blasts from nearby tie-fighters rocked the ship.

Vader wasted no time getting back to his ship. It was the simplest thing in the world for him to come back. Luke was alive and Lena was close if the Force was anything to go by. Vader had even felt her rescuing Luke. Vader felt a smile stretch across his face under the helmet. This was perfect. Vader could capture them as they escaped and begin the training he wanted so much to do with his children. Vader barely noticed his troops standing at attention as he stalked past them and to the bridge.

Lena put Luke's arm in a traction while Leia cleaned Luke's face. By the moans and groans, Luke was in a lot of pain. A blast then jolted the ship. Leia gently kissed Luke. "I'll be back," Leia promised.

"All right. I'll sit here with Luke. Go help Papa and Lando," Lena said, resting her hand on Luke's shoulder.

Luke then turned to look at her. "Lena. Thank you for hearing me," Luke said. Lena reached forward and stroked Luke's sweat-soaked hair.

"You were calling me loudly through the Force. I couldn't leave you behind any more than I could have Leia or even my little sister, Cora," Lena said.

"Did Vader tell you the same thing he told me?" Luke asked.

"About him being our father? Yes. I'm going to ask Papa about it when I get the chance. If anyone would know if Vader was telling the truth, it would be Papa. Papa told me that he, Yoda, Uncle Bail, and Obi-Wan were all there when we were born," Lena said.

"I don't want to believe him, Lena," Luke said with a groan.

"I know. I don't either. But the Force will help us deal with it. Right now, just relax, brother, and trust Papa, Lando, Leia, and Chewie to get us away from here," Lena said, as she started to pull the pins holding her hair on top of her head. Now was a good time to let it down. If Vader had asked she would have told him her hair was much too heavy to pile on top of her head.

Talon looked straight ahead as they left Bespin. "Stardestroyer, Uncle," Leia pointed out of the viewport. Talon and Lando twisted the controls to avoid being hit by lasers.

"All right, Your Highness. Ready for lightspeed," Lando said to Talon.

"If your people fixed the hyperdrive. All the coordinates are set. It's now or never," Leia said, standing behind Talon and putting her hand on his broad shoulder.

"Punch it!" Lando ordered and Talon complied. The hyperdrive sputtered and coughed. Leia, Chewbacca, and Talon all looked at each other before turning to look at Lando. The Wookie growled in frustration as he hit Lando with his massive paws. "They told me they fixed it. I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!" Lando shouted as he went to different areas around the cockpit and Chewbacca went out to where the hyperdrive was situated.

Vader stalked across the bridge to the viewport. "They'll be in range of our tractor beam in moments, lord," Admiral Piett said as Vader joined him at the viewport.

"Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon?" Vader asked.

"Yes, my lord," Piett said, standing at parade rest.

"Good. Prepare the boarding party and set your weapons for "stun," Vader said ominously. He wouldn't allow Lena and Luke to escape him again. Thankfully, being stunned wouldn't kill them.

"Yes, my lord. Lieutenant," Piett said to the orderly next to him.

"Yes, Sir," the man said saluting sharply.

Lena sat next to Luke when she heard hers and Luke's name through the Force. "Luke? Lena?" A deep voice boomed. Vader! The cold sensation that was the dark side could be clearly felt. Vader was the only sith in the area and since Lena could now feel him and he could feel her and Luke, it affirmed that Vader had established a bond through the Force with both of them.

"Father?" Luke sat up slightly, confirming that he had heard Vader as well as Lena had.

"Son, daughter, come with me," Vader said in a low voice.

"Ben. Why didn't you tell us?" Luke asked in a despairing voice as he laid back down.

"Luke, I'm sure he had reasons. What are you doing?" Lena asked as Luke then got to his feet shakily.

"I want to get up," Luke said. Lena gripped his arm and helped him to the cockpit.

Lando and Talon made quick repairs and Talon looked back. "Chewbacca!" Talon shouted. Luke came in, cradling his injured arm to his chest and Lena stood next to him as they looked at the Stardestroyers.

"It's Vader," Luke said in a thin flat voice. The boy's face looked completely ravaged as if he had been to Mustafar and back.

"He won't get us, Luke," Lena said, wrapping her arms around Luke tightly.

"Ben, why didn't you tell me?" Luke asked.

The ship then bucked and went into hyperdrive followed by a long squeal from Artoo.

Vader felt deep grief as the ship went into hyperdrive, his son and daughter slipping through his fingers again. He felt the fear from Piett. The officer clearly thought Vader was going to kill him for losing the ship and Luke and Lena, but right now Vader just wasn't in to killing anyone for this. The way he saw it, it was not anyone's fault. Vader left the bridge. He would go to his quarters and grieve silently over his lost children and make his plans to take them again.

Lena sat next to Luke as Tooonebee attempted to attach a prosthetic hand, that looked almost like the one Luke had lost. "Luke, Lena, me, Chewbacca and Prince Cail are ready for takeoff," Lando said over a communicator.

"Good luck, Lando, Uncle Talon," Luke said.

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you," Lando said.

"Me, Lena, and Leia will meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine," Luke said.

"Leia, we'll find Han. I promise," Talon said. Leia looked at the grief on her cousin's face. They had better find Han. Her cousin would be broken-hearted if they didn't.

"Chewbacca, I'll be waiting for your signal. Take care you three. May the Force be with you," Lena said. Chewbacca growled and Luke, Leia, and Lena grinned. Leia left and the medical droid used a prod to test Luke's nerves in his fingers. Luke closed the port on his arm and he and Lena joined Leia at the viewport and watched as Lando, Talon, and Chewbacca took off for Tatooine.