Chapter 3- Force Visions and New Assignments
Luke escorted his sister, Lena, back to her quarters as Mon Mothma, Crix Madine, Admiral Ackbar and Talon discussed the plans to help Bakura. Luke had offered to help Lena put together a strike team as she was still weakened by the lightening. Luke had secretly asked Talon how many people had survived Palpatine's Force lightening and he had said not very many were struck by it and lived to tell the tale. Luke and Lena passed a Gotal, who flinched as he saluted as they went by. Talon had also said that Gotals were extremely sensitive to the Force through their hornsand the only thing Luke and his sister could do was step away from the Gotal before they both gave him a migraine.
"I wonder how he has survived with four Force users in the war room," Lena said wearily.
"You got me," Luke said as Artoo shrieked behind them almost indignantly at Lena.
"Yes, Artoo," Lena said as she guided the repulsor chair back to the medical suite.
"Are you okay? You sound awful," Luke asked.
"I'm okay. I'm just wondering why these aliens take prisoners," Lena said as she made her way into her suite and back into her bed. Luke sat in the chair beside her bed.
"I do too. It can't be for anything good. Artoo, get a portable data screen from Too-OneBee. Access those embedded data files from that message drone. Me and Lena will take a look while she rests," Luke said. Artoo was back in less than a minute with the data screen.
"Bakura. Data files," Lena said to the screen. It also took less than a minute for the computer to analyze her voice.
"Bakura. Imperial Study Survey six-oh-seven-seven-four. Salis D'aar, capital city, is the seat of Imperial governorship. Bakuran contributions to Imperial security include a modest flow of strategic metal..." the voice droned as a planet full of green mountains and valleys filled the screen to be followed by the capital Salis D'aar. At that moment Luke then realized that Lena was sound asleep. Luke then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep as well.
Lena woke to a fierce shaking. She opened her gluey eyelids and looked up at her brother, who was shaking her awake. "Luke? What is it? Are you out of your mind?" Lena asked.
"Maybe I am, but I just saw Obi-Wan," Luke said as she sat up.
"Obi-Wan? What did he want?" Lena asked.
"He wants you and me to go to Bakura. I had some dream. I was a droid," Luke said, quickly without taking a breath.
"A droid? Do you think it has anything to do with those aliens we saw?" Lena asked.
"Probably. I'm gonna go get Uncle Talon and the others," Luke said. Lena wasn't sure if Talon would agree to let Lena go to Bakura with her body giving fits after the electrocution, like it was. Mustafar would probably freeze over before he did. But then again if she said Obi-Wan wanted her and Luke to go, he might agree.
Talon stood by his daughter's bedside as Luke explained the dream and Obi-Wan's instructions. "So you see-" Luke started to say as the doors slid open and Solo and Leia stepped in. Leia gave Talon, Luke, and Lena kisses on their cheeks as if she hadn't seen them in years instead of a little over 24 hours.
" 'Scuse us," Solo said gruffly as he leaned back against a bulkhead.
"Go on. General Obi-Wan Kenobi has given you and your sister orders," Admiral Ackbar's hologram projection said. Ackbar couldn't come with Talon and the others, so they had to make do with a hologram.
"That's it, Sir," Luke said.
Ackbar stroked the tentacles on his face with one webbed hand. "I have studied the Kenobi offensive. It was masterful. I have little faith in apparitions, but General Kenobi was one of the more powerful Jedi Knights, and Commander Skywalker and Master Jedi Skywalker's word is generally reliable," Ackbar said.
Madine frowned. "Captain Wedge Antilles should be fully recovered by the time any battle group could reach Bakura. I'd thought to put him in charge of the group- no offense, General," Madine said quickly, turning to face Solo.
"None taken. Separate me from the ambassador there, and I'll resign my commission," Solo said with his Palpatine-may-care attitude. Leia had been chosen as the ambassador, alongside Talon and since Leia had been shot on Endor, Solo didn't want to leave her for any reason as she had been shot while his back was turned.
"But Master Jedi Skywalker is in considerably more serious condition," Ackbar said, voicing Talon's concerns over Lena.
"I won't be, by the time we can reach Bakura," Lena said quietly.
"We must plan for every contingency. We must defend Endor now and we've promised General Calrissian assistance with liberating cloud city-" Ackbar started to say.
"I talked to Lando on the comlink. He says he's got ideas of his own and thanks anyway," Solo spoke up. Lando Calrissian had left for Bespin the day after the celebration, with the promises to keep in touch with the Alliance and help them when he was needed and vice versa if the Alliance gave him fighters to take back Cloud City. Talon and the leadership had agreed.
"Then we shall send Bakura a small, but strong strike force to support Princess Leia and Prince Cail in their roles as chief negotiators and the prince is also a Jedi Knight, so his skills as a Jedi could help alongside Commander Skywalker and Master Jedi Skywalker. Most of your fighting will probably be in space, not groundside. Five Corellian Gunships and a Corvette will escort our small cruiser-carrier. Commander Skywalker, Master Jedi will that be enough?" Ackbar asked, looking at first Luke and then Lena.
"You're giving me and my sister command, Sir?" Luke questioned, the surprise on both Luke's and Lena's faces clear.
"I don't see that we have any choice. General Kenobi has spoken to you, Commander Skywalker. You and Princess Lena's record in battle is unmatched. Assist Bakura for us and rejoin the fleet immediately," Mon Mothma said in her clam, quiet voice.
"And don't anyone worry. I'll make sure Lena doesn't overexert herself," Talon said. Talon felt himself grin at the put out expression on his oldest daughter's face. He hadn't been this overprotective of her since she was eight seasons and, truth-be-told, he had kind of missed it.
