The Dark Ring

by Dave

The Empire uses brains and brawn to threaten the New Republic's stability. UPDATE! I have published Fantasy Novels on Amazon. You can search for my name, "David Pontier," or the title of the first book in the series, "The Scepter of Amon."

3. Part 3

Chapter 18 "Attack!!"

The Imperial Star Destroyer's huge bulk filled the previously voided space as it dropped smoothly out of hyperspace. The few pleasure cruisers that were in the invaded planetary space were dumb-struck, but they quickly scattered when behind the massive battle cruiser, four more Imperial class Star Destroyers and ten Victory class Star Destroyers made their dramatic entrances.

Down on the planet of Gensiffery, officials of the planet were scrambling to make sense of the fleet that had just dropped in from nowhere. Gensiffery as a planet, had a very wide tropic zone and was mainly just a large tourist attraction. It was often joked that there was more fire power in the civilian hangers than there was in the government ones. This joke stemmed from the fact that that a lot of hostile types frequented the resort planet to lay low. Only the heads of the government could appreciate how hard the joke actually hit home. Right now, they didn't find their lack of a military humorous in the least.

Up on the leading Imperial Star Destroyer, Commander Qwi'tek paced the bridge, anxiously waiting for the plea of innocence that was expected from the resort planet below. He inwardly chided himself for his anxiety, knowing that it was one of the reasons that he was still only a commander. Being a non-human was normally a big handicap for an Imperial officer, but that was back in the days of the Emperor and Tarkin. Tallon was a judge of character and ability and a very good one. Under Tallon's control the high-ranking officers all knew why they were in the position they were in or why they had the rank that they did. No one complained about lack of promotions and no one argued with Tallon's decisions. Qwi'tek appreciated a leader who was willing to have an inferior rank such as Captain, while his military leader had a rank of General and three other military officers shared the title of Captain. In this Imperial campaign, everyone realized that the goal was not personal glorification, as it was in the time of the Emperor, but for unified betterment. They were searching for those good-ol'-times, and for the first time, there was a universal agreement on how to get there.

The communications officer signaled to the commander that the planet was sending a message to 'The Leader of the Large Battle Ships above our Peaceful Planet.' Qwi'tek chuckled as he moved to his holo screen to receive the call. Before pressing the accept button, he composed his face back to the serious officer all of his underlings respected, making sure that his ears were the right inflamed shade of red and that his third eye was squinted properly.

The planet representative was a little taken aback at the sight of the alien officer. He tried to stumble through his opening statement despite the distraction. "We would like to know what your intentions are?"

Qwi'tek managed to keep his facial expressions emotionless as inwardly he scoffed at this weak man on the other end of the line. The future existence of the entire planet rested upon this conversation, and this was the best person they could find. "Our intentions. Do you know that a good fleet commander doesn't even tell his fleet what his intentions are until minutes before dropping into the hot zone? It gives his crew no chance to question his decision or to have second thoughts. Military intentions are always highly classified information, and you simply want me to tell you what ours are without even properly introducing yourself?"

The Gensiffery diplomat somehow managed to miss the heavy sarcasm in Qwi'tek's voice and proceeded to introduce himself. "My name is Thoyidrin Hafsten. Perhaps we could discuss possible intentions. If you wou-"

"Yes," Qwi'tek cut him off in his earlier tone, "and maybe we could have tea and scrumpits, but it will have to wait until after I decimate your pathetic planet." Qwi'tek cut off the transmission, a little disappointed that he didn't get to see the wimp grovel. He turned to his bridge officers. "Charge turbo lasers and fire on the surface at will. Don't bother looking for any military targets. Just fire at the largest spots of red on the infrared display. Were going to see if we can't increase the efficiency of Gensiffery's famous tanning salons."

Down on the planet turbo lasers rained down like flaming meteorites. A large swimming pool was instantly vaporized, frying the fifty-odd swimmers that had been, until just recently, trying not to get to burned. All over the beach fronts sunbathers went from white skin, to deep tan, to third degree burns, to a small pile of ashes in the span of a few nanoseconds. Even the planet's most expensive sun block (500 credits for ten ounces) was proved a little less than totally useless against the vicious onslaught.

Explosions from large buildings shook the landscape for miles around. The only other thing that Gensiffery was famous for, other than their resorts, was their abundant supply of clean burning natural gas that was produced along the huge reefs in the many vast oceans. The gas was stored in huge thousand cubic meter tanks, and was quickly proving to be just as flammable and explosive as all of the advertising companies had claimed.

* * *

Reports of the Gensiffery attack came in like a flood from all of the New Republic satellites in the area. Wedge was in command of a small fleet patrolling the edge off the border between New Republic space and the Core systems. His fleet had just arrived earlier that day. Wedge had been waiting for this type of news all week. His fleet was too far away from the action, but there were many other similar fleets patrolling everywhere.

Wedge scanned the list of the other fleets. Only one was in range, about ten minutes by hyperspace. The next closest was two hours away. Gensiffery would be one hundred percent molten lava if it had two wait two hours for backup. Wedge studied both the specs on Gensiffery and Frection, the planet where the nearest fleet was in orbit. Gensiffery was a small non-military target. Frection was one of the leading resource planets that provided the New Republic with a lot of metals for ship construction.

Wedge saw the ruse immediately. Draw the ships away from the primary target with a decoy strike. A strike on a civilian target. One that was sure to tug at the New Republic's heart strings and make them come in firing, leaving the actual target open to attack. Wedge saw the ruse, but also saw that the Empire had to know he would see it. It wasn't so much a trap as it was a dilemma. He couldn't very well decide to let Gensiffery burn.

Wedge contacted the fleet at Frection and talked to the captain in charge. "Captain Tremon, Gensiffery is under heavy attack. It is only a few minutes away from your position."

"Gensiffery?" Tremon had heard of the resort before, but questioned it's validity as a target. "It sounds like a trap, sir."

"I'm sure it is, but we have to respond. What I want you to do is to divide your fleet into three equal parts. Send two of them towards Gensiffery. Have one of those two fleets stop at Frection's sun, turn around, and come back along the same route."

Tremon understood the strategy and cut the signal. He looked at his own fleet strength. A fleet of twenty-one Calamarian Cruisers, six Carriers, and twelve heavy assault Frigates was easily divided into three. The Captain did the simple math and relayed his instructions to his fleet. He paused briefly, deciding which third to send all the way to Gensiffery. He scanned the Carriers and saw that one of them contained the 185th fighter squad. He made his mind up quickly. He still wanted to be able to visit the resort planet when this was done.

Tremon gave the order and two thirds of his fleet disappeared.

* * *

Qwi'tek received the report a few seconds after the New Republic ships left real space. Qwi'tek smiled as he gave the orders for phase two. One minute later the planetary barrage stopped and the Imperial fleet disappeared into hyperspace.

* * *

Twenty seconds after Tremon's ships had left Frection, an Imperial fleet jumped in at the same point at which the two thirds had left. Tremon was still staring at the spot of his departing ships, when these new ships came in. "Prepare for engagement!" He shouted at his crew. He hadn't expected the Empire to be so exact.

"Sir, we can't get a weapons lock on them. They are hiding in the hyperspace field that our ships made when they jumped into hyperspace."

Tremon cursed his foolishness. Of course the Empire would have timed it just right. The residue hyperspace field would last for at least five minutes. His reinforcements weren't due for another seven. "Fire weapons without a lock then. There is a mass of about fifteen large capitol ships out there, surely you can hit something."

"Yes, sir."

Tremon held on tight as his ship shook from both firing and being hit.

* * *

Captain Sanson smiled as she looked at the small fleet before her. Seven Calamarian cruisers were formidable, but they couldn't accurately hit any of her ships' vital systems, while their ships were laid out in front of her. She had been hiding behind the far moon, waiting for the fleet to respond to Qwi'tek's attack on Gensiffery. She inwardly mourned the loss of such a beautiful planet. She fancied herself in a small bikini and had visited the resort world many times before. She shrugged it off. There was still the tropic worlds of Xenziou, Welping, and Knundeck. She liked sunbathing. In fact she liked it almost as much as kicking New Republic butt.

"Deploy, TIE's to intercept," she said as she saw the two Carriers emptying their cargo. A few poorly aimed shots hit her Star Destroyer doing little to no damage.

The New Republic fleet had not been in battle ready formation, but had been in an orbiting formation. The formation was a simple follow-the-leader set up, where the ships paraded around the planet in double file. The two forward most ships were receiving all of the damage given out by Sanson's capitol ships. She was pleased to see that the Calamarian Cruiser on the left was already in poor shape. Its shields were down and the power was flickering.

Sanson was a mechanical genius, and she made a point to understand all of the technical aspects of both the ships she controlled and the ones she fought against. "All weapons stations fire on the left Cruiser. Aim at the forward right sensory array."

Instead of hesitating to ponder the odd targeting assignment, the officers executed the woman's orders immediately. Since they were in the hyperspace field, the sensors were useless and likely turned off. Without power running to the sensor arrays, their energy back-fire safeties were also turned off. Sanson watched as the sensor array took heavy fire, knowing that soon it would explode and send a terrific energy kick-back along its power line. The sensor array erupted with flame, and a few fractions of a second later, the entire front of the ship shuddered as the front main batteries overloaded. The front half of the ship exploded when the batteries went critical. The rest of the ship under went a few massive echoing after shocks and dematerialized into an orange ball of flame. The flame grew quickly, feeding off the contained oxygen of the ship and then died, revealing an ugly assortment of black, molten metal.

Sanson mentally logged her first kill only forty-seven seconds into battle. She was sure it was a new record.

* * *

As the Cruiser exploded next to him, Tremon realized that his formation was in error, and he quickly reminded it, sending his own injured ship to the rear of the new double-triangular formation.

The battle continued furiously for a few minutes. The New Republic took heavy casualties, loosing another Cruiser and two Frigates. The Imperials took major damage to none of their ships, but minor fires had sprang out on a few of the Imperial Star Destroyers. When the sensors told Sanson that the decaying hyperspace field was down to an unsafe level, she decided to move out and attack the remaining New Republic up close, slugging it out toe to toe.

Tremon wanted desperately to make up for his former follies and was waiting for the ships to come out of the field. He had relayed instructions to all of the Cruisers, and as soon as the Imperial ships came forward, all of the New Republic's fire power concentrated on one of the Imperial class Star Destroyers. It rocked under the heavy fire and after a few key shots to the main turbo lasers and bridge it began to drift. Like a feverish animal, it convulsed inwardly as if it had an upset stomach. Finally it belched up flame from every orifice, exploding into a spectacular fire ball. It had drifted too close to Victory class Destroyer and took it out as well.

The celebration on the side of the New Republic was some what stemmed when one of their own Cruisers exploded. Sanson seemed not to notice that she had just lost one of her few Imperial Destroyers, but focused on pressing her main attack. Four Cruisers were left and only two Frigates. The X-wings and E-wings were all gone save a few crippled ships, limping their way back to the Carriers. Now that they had moved out of the hyperspace field, the TIE's could swarm the capital ships, disrupting their targeting displays and making it easier for the Destroyers.

Tremon was just about to give up hope, when the second third of his fleet who had turned around at the sun, came back behind the charging Imperial ships.

* * *

The last third of the fleet dropped into the orbital space around Gensiffery to find the space empty. The Carriers emptied their cargo as ordered, but the fighters were met by nothing.

Jon Poncho cursed his fate. Vince had explained their situation during the trip. Jon didn't pay very much attention at the fighter pilot briefings. If there was anything important that he needed to know, he knew that Vince would inform him. All Jon cared about was eliminating enemy TIE's.

"Where'd they go," Bep, the third member of the 185th fighter squad said over the com.

"They ran 'cause they knew I was coming," Jon boasted, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"Hardly," Vince commented. "More likely that they left to backup the fleet attacking the rest of us back at Frection."

"Let's turn around then," Jon insisted. "I don't want to miss all the fun!"

The fleet was thinking the same thing as Jon (only for different reasons), and the fighters were told to turn around and return to the Carriers. The entire fleet was in the process of turning around, when Qwi'tek's fleet returned from their triangular, ten minute jump.

"Lock and load, Jonny boy. You'll get that fun after all." Vince went through his pre-fight checks.

"Their fighters will take a while to deploy," Bep observed. "Let's press our advantage."

"You aren't thinking of the Trimpo maneuver, are you?" Vince asked, mentioning the maneuver named after himself.

"Right on, Beppo!" Jon hollered. "Prepping computer now."

Bep and Vince had programmed the fighters and had equipped them with several illegal functions, such as the Trimpo maneuver. The fleet in general chose to over-look these minor deviations from protocol, seeing them in a purely pragmatic light.

The three W-wing fighters streaked to the head of the pack, and a second later disappeared into hyperspace. They reappeared seconds after in the middle of the Imperial Fleet.

Qwi'tek almost lost control of his cool demeanor when he saw the three ships appear directly in front of his bridge. The ships banked hard and just missed paying the commander a personal visit. Everyone on the bridge flinched. "Where did they come from?"

"They just dropped out of hyperspace, sir." Knowing that Qwi'tek could see that for himself, the officer decided to elaborate. "It was unknown that the New Republic had that capability. The fighters are of an unknown configuration."

"Well, get them!"

"Fighters are being deployed as we speak."

The three W-wings split up. Jon went off by himself, while Vince and Bep stayed together. Vince, like Captain Sanson, prided himself in the knowledge of his Imperial blueprints.

"Bep, follow me. This Imperial Destroyer hasn't started to unloaded her TIE's yet. The rear right hanger bay is dangerously close to the engine's fusion generators."

The two fighters sped around the back of the huge ship. They hung the tight corner a little too close to the huge engines, and their shields begged for mercy. Rounding the back of the ship, they saw a hanger door open and four TIE bombers lift off. The capacity of the hanger was sixteen, and the remaining twelve were getting ready for lift off.

"Get ready to let the birds fly."

Several bomber pilots looked up from their ships to see the two W-wings speed toward their unprotected hanger. A look of dread passed over each one of their faces as they saw two bright spots form on the bottom of each of the fighters. The four torpedoes sped toward the hanger as pilots scrambled futilely for cover.

Vince and Bep pulled up after they dropped their projectiles. The torpedoes exploded inside of the hanger and flame shot out of the open door. The torpedoes themselves didn't do that much damage, but the twelve exploding, fully loaded, TIE bombers made the whole ship shake.

Just as Vince had planned, the explosion tore through the inner walls of the Destroyer, laying bare and vulnerable the fusion reactors. The reactors buckled and exploded, blowing off the entire back of the huge ship. The crippled Star Destroyer rocketed forward into two unsuspecting Victory class Destroyers, and the three ships exploded together.

Qwi'tek saw the ship next to him lurch forward and the fiery result. They were still in hyperspace formation, and too closely pack for combat. Of course, Qwi'tek hadn't expected to engage the enemy for another minute.

Jon saw his friend's success and got jealous. He approached one of the behemoth Imperial Destroyers and looked for a weakness. The two force field generators stuck out like two out of place water towers on the top of the ship. Jon knew plenty of tricks to take out one of these towers on only one pass. He set his outside lasers to a little bit off center and put his ship into a corkscrew as he drew near the ship. When he got within range he held down the his fire button, sending out a spiraling stream of lasers. The lasers traced a small circle on the surface of the first armored tower. He let off when the batteries began to get depleted and let loose a torpedo at the tower. Jon spun away and down as the torpedo hit the center of the charred circle. The weakened structure gave way, and the torpedo penetrated, igniting the tower unlike any water tower he had ever seen. The second tower was caught up in the flame and shrapnel of the first tower and likewise exploded.

Qwi'tek saw the field generators go down on the Destroyer on the other side of him and started to wonder if there weren't more than just three fighters.

The rest of the New Republic's ships saw the success of the three fighters and cheered. The fifteen Imperial ships had contained more fire power than they did, and they could use all the help they could get. The capitol ships were now in range and they focused their fire power on the wounded, shieldless Imperial Destroyer, reducing it to a ball of flame within in seconds.

Qwi'tek had lost two of his five Imperial class Destroyers and two of his ten Victory class destroyers in less than a minute. His ship was rocking constantly from outside fire. He looked out his window, but couldn't see any of the New Republic ships firing on him. "We are getting hit by more than just three fighters." It was more of a question than a comment.

"Sir, that is friendly fire. The three original fighters are weaving amongst our capitol ships, and every time our TIE's miss, they hit us."

"Incompetent fools!" Qwi'tek fumed under his breath. "Tell them not to miss!"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Jon laughed as he saw laser fire splat on the armor of the Star Destroyer he was skimming over. He had been fighting a bunch of rouge Imperial bands over the past year and had expected improved aim from a more organized group of Imperials. He regretted having to take out he TIE's, because they were making his job so much easier by shooting the Destroyers for him. He knew that Vince and Bep would claim all of the docked TIE Fighter's in all three of the ships they took out as kills, and Jon never lost.

Jon shot around the base of a Victory class and was being chased by two Fighters with heavy trigger fingers. Jon corkscrewed away from all of the fire and was yet to get hit. He saw over towards the back of the Destroyer, three more TIE's trying to cut him off. He cut down close to the surface of the large ship, causing the three other ships to disappear behind the arrow head of the Destroyer. Jon sped down off the side of the ship and turned toward the back corner, still towing two unwanted shadows. Jon hopped that his two trails hadn't seen the other three ships. He rounded the back corner and turned directly into the three oncoming ships. The maneuverability of the W-wing saved him as he wove through the startled TIE's. Seconds later his two trails tore around the corner and crashed into the three unsuspecting ships. Jon saw the explosion behind him and reached over to a small digital display and clicked in five kills.

Bep and Vince each had a tail and they were planing a similar trick. "Ready for a Lazy Bat?" Bep asked.

"The sooner the better," Vince agreed. He had been the first one to take a hit. Regardless of the fact that the hit had bounced harmlessly of his shield and hadn't affected his ship in the slightest way, it was a matter of pride.

A Lazy Bat took advantage of the blind spots on a TIE due to its side mounted solar panels. Vince and Bep pulled up side by side about thirty meters apart. The TIE's followed obediently. Each W-wing started a lazy turn toward each other. As soon as the TIE's began to follow, the W-wings took advantage of their zero-turning radius abilities and completed their 180 degree turn. They turned sideways during the turn, their bellies only three meters apart. The TIE's had no chance of completing the turn in the thirty meter space and crashed into each other head on.

Jon was being tailed by two pairs of TIE's, one behind the other. He pulled his W-wing straight up, crushing himself back in his seat. His loop turned him 270 degrees so he was flying down on a perpendicular course to his previous path. He was directly above the second pair and wasted no time wasting them. The front pair tried to mimic the move but came up pitifully short. Jon completed the last 90 degrees of his turn and settled in behind the front pair. With three quick bursts from his side cannons, he moved his kill counter up four more.

* * *

Above Frection, the battle had made a decisive turn in favor of the New Republic. The Imperials were now severely out gunned, with the majority of that fire power at their backs. Sanson was a proud captain, but she wasn't stupid. She hastily called for a retreat. Her job had not been to emerge victorious, all her job was, was to keep the New Republic ships occupied.

Star Destroyers were not the most nimbly of space crafts, and five more exploded before the fleet was able to maneuver themselves into a safe hyperspace trajectory. All told, only eight of the original fifteen ships escaped, and only two of those were Imperial class Destroyers.

* * *

Jon, Vince, and Bep continued to rack up the kills, taking out over twenty TIE's before a different New Republic fighter scored its first kill.

Qwi'tek knew that he was in a sore position. He still had more fire power than the New Republic fleet, but his fleet was badly out of position. He had been briefed by General Oskiman before the start of this current campaign, and he had been told of the New Republic's fighting prowess, especially in their one man fighters. He had also been told to expect to find Jedi in the cockpits of those fighters. He was sure that he was up against three Jedi here, and they were depleting his supply of TIE's faster than he could pilot them. The Empire relied on swarming tactics above all else. The Imperial commanders cared nothing of the lowly fighter pilot, and did little to train him other than basic flight school. The Imperials philosophy was that ten bad fighters could always take out one good one. Now the numbers were actually in the New Republic's favor.

Qwi'tek could still feel his ship rock under fire that had to be heavier than just fighters. A quick look at his tactical display told him that now his own Star Destroyers were firing on each other when ever they missed. It was the simple fact that they were out of TIE's, and had to try to knock out the fighters with turbo lasers, that told him the fight was over.

As Qwi'tek gave the order to pull back, he had no doubts that if he had stayed, he would have won this encounter, but that was not his objective.

Jon shrieked with delight as he successfully tempted another turbo laser to fire at him. He watched as the errant bolt whizzed by him and exploded into the bridge of another Destroyer. Jon's pleasure peaked however, when seconds later he got a clumsy Imperial class Destroyer to shoot itself.

Jon was truly disappointed when he saw that the Imperials were retreating. He looked down at his kill display and was confident that 17 would reign supreme. He was right.

* * *

General Oskiman frowned slightly when he saw the results come in from Frection and Gensiffery. He had ordered Qwi'tek and Sanson to work together, giving both of them the same authority, regardless of rank. He knew that there styles of battle were similar, and even though he disagreed with there tactics, he couldn't help but appreciate the results that they usually got. This time the results weren't to favorable. Oskiman reserved final judgment. They still had one more target on which they could redeem themselves.

Oskiman preferred head on fights to all of the hide and seek that was going on elsewhere. The general's fleet of ten Imperial class Star Destroyers and twenty-five Victory class Star Destroyers dropped out of space, and the entire population of the shipyards orbiting the planet Yeswique was caught totally by surprise. Yeswique was deep into New Republic territory, and although it was very valuable to the New Republic, it wasn't near the border and therefore wasn't heavily guarded.

Oskiman grinned as he thought about the New Republic's dilemma. Just because he didn't agree with the previous strategies of Qwi'tek and Sanson, didn't mean that he didn't plan to take advantage of them. The New Republic fleet was receiving a very desperate call for help from Yeswique, of this Oskiman was sure. The New Republic had just received a distress call from Gensiffery that had turned out to be a trap. Now they were receiving another distress call. Oskiman was sure that the size of his fleet was being sent along with the call for help. As viable a target as Yeswique was, the New Republic wouldn't be able to help but think that this was another lure. The size of Oskiman's fleet meant that if help was going to be sent, it would have to be larger than a third of a task force. This would bring a large number of ships away from patrolling the border and leave it vulnerable to further Imperial attack.

Oskiman was almost giddy with anticipation. He cared not whether the New Republic sent help or not. He was not bluffing. He was here to turn these valuable ship yards into worthless pieces of orbiting junk. He started this plan of destruction only twenty seconds after exiting hyperspace.

There were about ten minor capitol ships guarding the ship yards and Oskiman's Imperial Destroyers decimated them first. Mounted turbo lasers, that were meant to protect the base from meteorite showers that were common around Yeswique, proved to be of little use against the behemoth of a fleet that was invading its space. Laser fire shook the space station and personnel were scrambling in every direction, either to war or to the few escape capsules on the perimeter of the disk shaped station. Since there were no fighters protecting the ship yards, Oskiman assigned a few TIE squadrons to take out the ejecting escape capsules and to destroy the unlaunched ones.

Turbo lasers tore apart the outer hull of the station and started several chain reaction explosions the reduced the station to a smoking wreck. The few unfinished ships, that were docked at the ship yards, met a similar fate. They would never know the joy of flying, yet the would experience the horrors of crashing. The pummeled wreckage began to loose orbiting speed and thus was quickly falling towards the planet below.

Oskiman watched as the smoldering metal began to glow red hot in the upper atmosphere. This battle was over just shortly after it had started. The reinforcements en-route to Yeswique, if there were ships coming, would find an empty sky above a heavily bombarded planet.

Although the battles at Frection and Gensiffery were not crushing defeats, they were the only non victories that the Empire endured. A large fleet of New Republic ships had been pulled off border patrol to help the ship yards, and only minutes later, three different Imperial fleets attacked border targets that had been made clear by the departing fleet. The Empire had made its first attack, and they could claim a decisive victory.

* * *

The three W-wings and two large transports landed gently on the surface of the raped surface of Gensiffery. Cries of help assailed the New Republic aid crew immediately. They were supposed to have jumped to their next rendezvous point, but Bep had insisted that they send some kind of medical aid down to the people on the bombarded planet.

A woman ran up to Vince and tugged on his arm. "You have to help me. My son is trapped in our house." Vince looked to where she was pointing and saw a crumpled building.

"Come on guys." The three of them ran over to the collapsed house and struggled to lift the heavy slabs of concrete.

"We can't budge these," Bep commented on the obvious.

"Do you know where he is ma'am?" Jon asked, but Bep already had his medical scanner out and was checking out the rubble.

"He's over here!" Bep shouted.

The boy was hidden under the lower portion of the slanted roof. Jon pulled his gun that he always carried and blasted the upper portion. Vince was about to question the sanity of the action, when a small portion of the elevated roof exploded. The rest of the slab shook slightly, but steadied itself. Jon leaped into the hole he had created and crawled under the slab toward the trapped youth. He appeared moments later with the kid in his arms. By then a medic had arrived, and she took the boy from Jon's arms.

The mother rushed over to thank Jon and then hurried after the medic.

The trio went around to the rest of the fallen houses and wrecked buildings. They helped many other frantic parents and desperate children. They reunited living relatives, and in many cases, dead ones. Their anger grew at each dead child they found.

The Empire had killed these people for no reason. This wasn't a military target The attack was merely enacted to bring the New Republic running, which they promptly did, though it looked to be of no avail.

There was an entire continent of suffering individuals, and the W-wing pilots couldn't possibly help everyone. They needed to get back to their fleet but made sure that the medical frigate in orbit would stay there as long as its supplies lasted.

Vince, Jon, and Bep reentered their ships, and soon, space. As they entered hyperspace to rejoin the fleet, they promised each other that they would make the Empire pay.

* * *

Anakin felt the cry of distress before he heard it. Ewoks began screaming all around him. They were running to and fro in search of rope and wood. Anakin listened carefully to their hurried jabber, and surmised that some of the ewoks in the village were in peril.

Anakin waded through the turbulent sea of furry creatures until he came to the scene of the accident. A rope bridge had broken, and three ewoks had been on the bridge when it snapped. Those three ewoks were now clinging desperately to the wooden planks of the broken bridge as it swung from its unbroken end. The far end was a solitary tree hut with no one on it, and the far end was not designed to support the full weight of the bridge and was slowly breaking. Also, the stubby fingered paws of the three dangling ewoks were not designed to hold onto the wide wooden planks, and Anakin could tell that they were barely holding on. A quick glance down told Anakin that the ewoks had very little chance of surviving the forty foot drop, and that realization propelled him into action.

Anakin leaped across the thirty foot gap between the main village and the island and landed smoothly on the far side. A quick search of the lone hut found him a strong rope, and he tied it to a branch and lowered himself down. He gathered the first ewok under his arm and used the Force to pull himself back up to the island. He immediately went down for the second ewok, but he was a little scarred and Anakin had to pry his short fingers from the broken bridge. The jostling of the bridge caused the third ewok to loose his grip. The observing ewoks squawked in horror, and Anakin looked down to find the source of their terror. He could barely see the descending ewok against the backdrop of the forest floor, but he could feel his fright very clearly through the Force. He mentally caught the furry midget only two meters above the ground and slowly levitated him back up. Only after all three ewoks were safely standing on the island, did the observers finally relax.

That night Anakin was treated to a feast and was officially branded a member of their tribe. Anakin slept in comfort that night on a newly stuffed bed and a newly stuffed stomach. He fell asleep with sounds of ewok songs in his ears, but dreamt of human screams.

The vivid images of the nightmare flashed through his mind with incredible speed, waking him instantly, yet allowing him to see the entire dream before he opened his eyes. Yavin IV! It was in danger! He had seen the temples in ruins and the students screaming in pain. Some were dead, others injured, and the rest morning over the disaster. Anakin could not decipher the cause of this calamity, but he could only be sure of its validity. He had to leave. He didn't know how far in the future this vision was, but he couldn't take any chances.

Anakin hurriedly gathered the small amount of belongings he had brought from his E-wing. He rushed out of his hut and was met by two elder ewoks.

"I have to go," he said in their native tongue.

"Why so abruptly?"

"My friends are in trouble and they need my help."

The ewoks understood and wished him luck.

Anakin ran to the edge of the small village and jumped off into the open air. He funneled the speed and acceleration of his falling into forward movement, and he flew through the trees. Anakin slowed his flight as he neared his E-wing, and a minute later, the ewoks watched the red glow of the one man fighter as it flew out of the atmosphere.

Chapter 19 "Laya"

Tenel Ka paced nervously in one of her mansion's luxurious living rooms. Chewie was seated in a large soft chair, wearing the same worried look that shrouded Tenel Ka's face. Their concerns were identical and didn't need mentioning, but Tenel Ka did anyway. "Leia hasn't been herself lately." Chewie growled an unneeded agreement.

It had been only two days since Leia had been released from jail, and Laya had been trying her hardest to play the role of Leia, but she was just a little off pace, and Tenel Ka and Chewie had been quick to pick up on it. The only thing Laya had going for her is that Chewie and Tenel Ka didn't have any reason to believe that she was an impostor.

"Maybe we should do something tonight to try to get Leia more comfortable with her situation. So far this hasn't been much of a vacation."

Chewie agreed and barked his suggestion. "An official apology dinner?" Tenel repeated. "That's not a bad idea. It's a way for my government to say their sorry for Leia's inconveniences. I could invite my parents and a few select dignitaries. Leia would have to have fun. I don't think she has participated in anything since she's been here."

Laya wasn't in the room, but she was listening with her keen hearing. Laya also agreed that a dinner was a perfect idea. It would give her an excellent opportunity to assassinate the queen of the Hapes cluster.

Laya waited an hour while she monitored Tenel Ka's progress of organizing the upcoming dinner. Laya was fully functional when it came to the consumption of real food. Although she didn't need any physical nourishment, she had a hollow cavity in which she could store an adequate amount of food. The only thing that she had to be careful about is to not consume too much. Although it would have no adverse affects on her, and she was more than capable to store large amounts for a long time, she didn't want to appear like a gorging pig in front of the Hapes cluster dignitaries. Although Laya doubted that she would let the dinner progress as far as the actual serving of the food before she made her move.

Tenel Ka came into the room a few minutes after Laya heard her disconnect from her last conversation. Laya tried to assume the position of a napping princess. Laya stirred as Tenel Ka opened the door, and she sat upright on her couch.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Laya managed a weak, tired smile. "I was getting up anyway. What is it?"

Laya looked directly at the young Jedi, glad that the princess of the Hapes cluster didn't make a habit of over using her Jedi skills. Any other Jedi would have scanned Laya as soon as they had returned from the security complex. Laya had done as much research into the habits of Tenel Ka as she could and was pleased to find that she didn't use her skills except in dire situations. Laya hopped that they would never encounter that dire situation. "I have organized a small dinner tonight. You came here for a vacation and haven't even done anything yet. You've been drugged, arrested twice, and kidnapped. Although that's what you've been used to in the past with your war against the Empire, it's hardly the kind of vacation were used to giving."

"Thank-you," Laya said, "and I'm sorry that I've been acting so strange lately. Like you said, I have had a rough time so far. Maybe tonight can be the beginning of the actual vacation."

Tenel Ka accepted this response and turned to leave. "Oh," she stopped and turned, "I almost forgot. The dinner is in two hours."

Laya nodded and watched Tenel Ka resume her exit. As the door closed behind Tenel Ka, Laya wiped the smile off her face and replaced it with an evil grin. She spent the next two hours planing her moves. She dressed in formal clothes and did her hair just like she had seen Leia wear it before. She wore expensive jewelry and put make-up on for the first time in her life. Laya decided finally on a bomb. She could place the bomb on the underside of the table and then excuse herself from the table. She hid two explosive devices in the hollow compartments in each of her thighs.

Laya left her room and met Chewie and Tenel Ka in the large living room. Tenel Ka was dressed similarly to Laya and even though Chewie was neatly groomed, Laya found it hard to hide her disgust at the hairy beast.

The transport ride to the dinning hall was short. Laya examined the architecture of the fabulous building. If she got the opportunity to place the second bomb, she would want to know where the building's structure was the weakest. It appeared that the building was very well built, and any spot would be just as good as any other spot.

They exited the vehicle, and a valet whisked the transport to an unseen parking facility. The entrance lobby to the building was nothing short of spectacle, but Laya had to remember to be awed. Robots tend to see most things with a simple indifference. As Laya passed through the doorway into the dinning hall, several beepers went off. Laya cursed herself inwardly - metal detectors. Of course security would be tight in this building.

The security officers walked purposefully up to Laya, but stopped abruptly when they saw who it was. Laya had a brief glimpse of hope. They wouldn't dare harass her after what Leia had already been through. She gave them her best smile. "It must be all of this jewelry I'm wearing. I knew I over did it."

Off to the side, Laya saw Tenel Ka give the guards an evil look. Laya knew what that look meant. These security officers had about as good a chance to perform a body search on Laya as they would have to throw a snowball through a super nova and be able to catch it on the other side.. Against their better judgment, the two guards backed away.

Laya walked up to Tenel Ka. "Thanks. I thought that I would have to go through another ordeal."

Tenel Ka shrugged. "There was no reason for them to touch you. I'm sure that your lightsaber alone has enough metal to set off the alarm."

"What lightsaber?"

Tenel Ka stopped short. If Laya could sweat, she would have been gushing out of every pour. Tenel Ka looked down at Laya's barren hip. Laya tried to make a quick recovery. "Of course I didn't bring it. This is a formal dinner. Why would I bring a weapon? I don't plan on killing anyone." Laya couldn't resist throwing in that last line, hoping that Tenel Ka would find it humorous, but for different reasons than those Laya was thinking of.

Tenel Ka wasn't smiling. Chewie wasn't smiling either. "What about the Jedi hope?"

Laya was totally confused. She knew that Jedi wore their lightsabers often, but Leia wasn't even a real Jedi. Besides, like she said before, this was a formal dinner, there was no place for weapons. After all, Tenel Ka wasn't wearing a lightsaber. As well as she could reason out her innocence, she felt very uneasy as she watched Tenel Ka peer at her with half opened eyes. Laya realized that she was performing the Jedi scan that Laya had so much feared.

Tenel Ka opened her eyes and regarded Laya in a totally new light. "What have you done with princess Leia."

Laya regarded the Hapan princess standing before her in her battle ready stance. She laughed inwardly at the stance. Laya very much wanted to fight Tenel Ka, even more because of Leia's boast that Tenel Ka was better than Laya was. Laya however, knew that this wasn't the time for battle. She was sorely out numbered.

"Congratulations princess. You have foiled my well laid plans. I cannot say that I am happy, but I am impressed."

Upon Laya's confession Chewie, who had been confused at first, rushed Laya. Laya was finally able to let go of her dislike for the wookiee with a swift kick to Chewie's midsection. Laya knew about wookiee's strength, but was very surprised when the hairy bodyguard casually grabbed the androids leg and flipped her backwards.

By now the entire population of the dinning hall was observing the confrontation. Laya scowled at the group that was closing in on her. She reached down to her thigh and removed one of the bombs. She held it up, and everyone recognized it for what it was. "Curse you all!" Laya screamed as she flicked the five second fuse and tossed it into the air. As everyone bolted for cover, Laya ran for the exit. Almost everyone bolted for cover. Chewie realized that Leia was still in danger if not dead, and this thing was responsible. Chewie had spent enough time with Han to be familiar with many similar kinds of bombs and knew that this model had a five-second fuse. Chewie had counted to three by the time the bomb came back down. Laya had reached the outside doors by this time, and Chewie caught the bomb and threw it in one smooth motion.

Laya was outside when her own electronic timer told her that the fuse had half a second left. She half turned her head to see the bomb break through the glass doors she had just passed through. The explosion deafened her as she rode the shock wave high into the air. She crashed into a Hapan crang tree, and the strong trunk didn't yield a millimeter. A human would have died from the blast, a large beast would have died from the tree collision, and anything else would have been exterminated instantly when the wall of flame rolled over them. Laya's clothes were incinerated and half of her artificial skin was melted off. Anyone looking at Laya wouldn't even recognize her as a functioning machine. Laya could sense the second bomb in her leg going critical. Her lightning quick reflexes saved her from total destruction. She managed to throw the bomb fifteen feet away from her before it too exploded, sending her back towards the dining hall. Her metal frame smacked against the stone building at a tremendous velocity. She crumpled into a heap at the base of the wall. She sat motionless for a while surrounded by the shrapnel of the two blasts. Her eyes lit up as her back up power source kicked in. She stood up and took a quick survey of her appearance. All of her metal bones were visible, and charred pieces of plastic were dripping off her frame. She frowned slightly at her ghastly body. Oh, well. She heard coughing and choking coming from her right and looked at the gaping hole in the building where the doors had been.

Laya leaped of the ground, surprised by how light she suddenly felt. By the time Tenel Ka and Chewie exited the smoky haze that shrouded the entrance of the dinning hall, Laya was gone.

* * *

Leia heard Laya enter the spaceship and knew that she was in trouble. Leia had survived on the meager rations that Laya had left for her and was very weak. She could hear the metal clang of her captures footsteps as Laya approached her cell. Laya didn't bother to open the door but ripped it down with her metal claws. Leia yipped in fear at Laya's metal skeleton. Leia had previously just thought she was just some kind of clone.

"You are dead," Laya said bluntly and with all certainty. Leia had no doubt that Laya was telling the truth and didn't struggle as she was picked up and hurled against the wall. Leia slumped into unconsciousness.

Laya stood over her with her razor fingernails bared. She hesitated when she saw Leia's unconscious state. "No you don't," she said. "You are going to be fully conscious when I kill you."

Laya heaved the broken princess off the floor and headed out of her spaceship. She made her way to a small creek and dunked Leia's head in. Leia coughed and sputtered.

"Wakie, wakie." Leia stared up into her tormentors eyes, or what served as her eyes. The two, silver, opaque sensors seemed unseeing and unfeeling. Leia was aware of a new strength and figured that she was out of the range of the ysalamiri. Laya could feel the tensing in Leia's muscles and figured the same thing. She made a lipless smile, this could be interesting.

The metal monster threw Leia toward a tree. Leia was no master with the Force and knew she couldn't win a straight up fight, but she could control a few things. Leia mentally redirected her flight path and somersaulted to the forest floor. She started to run with Laya chasing her.

As she ran, Laya ripped off a branch and hurled it at Leia. The branch tangled Leia's legs and she came crashing to the ground. She used her feet to bring the thrown branch up to her hands and rolled over with the branch in her hands just as Laya swung down with another branch. Leia made a successful block, rolled away, and got to her feet.

Laya stepped toward her and let go a lightning fast series of swipes and jabs with the branch. The one Jedi related thing that Leia had been able to practice with some regularity was lightsaber dueling, and she parried the blows. Laya noticed Leia's skill and swung extra hard. Leia blocked it, but both branches broke in half.

Laya began swinging with her claws. Leia leaped backwards from one particularly close swipe and watched as the mechanical claw took a large chunk out of a near-by tree. Leia dodged another close swipe and tripped backwards over a large root. Laya kicked her fallen body and sent Leia into a tree. Leia had the breath knocked out of her and the android leaped on her crippled form. Leia could feel the metal claws tear at her flesh. She could also feel that they weren't doing any major damage, but rather, Laya was simply scratching her, prolonging the fight.

"If you're going to kill me, do it!" Leia screamed, giving up hope.

"Oh, don't worry, I will."

"I'd rather you didn't," a voice from behind spun Laya around.

Tenel Ka and Chewie stood there, their outlines made distinct by the setting sun.

"How did you-" Laya started.

"Burning clothes leave a very distinct odor," Tenel Ka responded. Chewie gave a few quick snorts of his nose as if Laya didn't already know what they were talking about. Curse the wookiee's sense of smell.

Chewie saw Leia's crippled form as Laya got up from her. The enraged wookiee started to charge Laya but Tenel Ka held him back. "This is my fight Chewie. You tend to Leia."

Tenel Ka was standing in a small clearing and waited for Laya to join her. Laya quickly noticed that Tenel Ka was still not wearing a lightsaber. Laya thought this odd. A Jedi entering battle should always have a lightsaber.

"Where is your weapon?" Laya asked as she drew near the young Jedi.

"They are right here," Tenel Ka responded, taking a step forward and hitting Laya with a one-two punch so fast that Laya hadn't even seen them coming. Tenel Ka finished her opening flurry with a spinning leg kick that sent Laya to the ground. Laya lashed out as she fell, but Tenel Ka was already flipping back out of the way.

"Impressive," Laya said as she got up cautiously.

Tenel Ka didn't bask in the compliment because she could see that her attack had done absolutely no damage and had only put more caution into the android. Laya made a quick attack, which Tenel Ka blocked and dodged smoothly. The two of them continued to spar for a few tense seconds until Laya performed a perfect leg sweep that sent Tenel Ka to the ground. Laya lifted her foot to stomp the life out of her, but Tenel Ka caught the foot before its decent and pushed with all her might, flipping Laya backwards.

Again the flip did no damage to the relentless android, but Tenel Ka's forearms were sore from blocking the strong attacks, and her side and legs were sore from her fall. Laya's attacks came quicker this time. Tenel Ka did more dodging, not wishing to make contact with the strong metal arms. She soon found herself pinned against a tree. Laya made a tremendous swing, which Tenel Ka managed to dodge only by a fraction of a second. Laya's claws cut through the small tree and brought it crashing down on her metal frame.

Tenel Ka was breathing hard as she watched Laya casually throw the tree of herself and get back up.

-The Force. Use the Force.- Tenel Ka could hear the message clearly in her mind and knew that it must be coming from Leia. -It is not a crutch for the weak, but rather a tool for the strong. The robot is not human. It is faster and stronger than you. Do not wage our lives against such odds.-

They were words of wisdom, Tenel Ka knew. She was being childishly stubborn. Refusing to use the Force only made her weaker. Laya came in again, but this time Tenel Ka met her with an open palm to the middle of her chest. Laya had been expecting more dodging from her opponent and had let her guard down. She was unworried when she saw the attack come in. She had gauged this warrior's strength during her first attack and Laya knew that she was incapable of hurting her. This is why Laya stopped her attack in amazement as she was not only hurled back by Tenel Ka's strike, but she felt several of her metal ribs crack. Laya landed hard and stared down ant her sparking chest.

Laya looked up in time to see Tenel Ka summon with her hand. A thick branch broke off a near-by tree and flew to the Jedi's hand. She charged, caught the branch, and swung all in one motion. The branch connected solidly with Laya's skull and she went flying once more.

Laya got up with a new grim determination. If the Jedi wanted to play rough, she could play rough. Tenel Ka swung again, but Laya caught the branch and broke it over her knee. In the same speed of movement, Tenel Ka grabbed Laya's arm and broke it over her knee.

The useless arm hung limply from Laya's shoulder, and she swung her good arm violently. Tenel Ka stepped inside the swing and hit the incoming arm once, twice, three times in quick succession. Each hit bent another piece of metal, and Laya was totally off balanced. Tenel Ka jumped into the air and performed a spectacular spinning kick that sent Laya toward the same tree that Tenel Ka had summoned the branch from.

Laya was impaled on the broken branch. She struggled futilely, as her energy cell began to drain. She saw Tenel Ka close her eyes and could feel her metal limbs expanding. Her every joint was being strained beyond their limits. Finally she burst into a thousand little pieces.

Chapter 20 "Questions"

Lando and Jim made their way carefully across the bridge. The bridge spanned the large ditch that had housed the huge cave worm that had been jettisoned into space by an Imperial bomb. Mansenchin and Trince had built the bridge out of the broken radio tower.

Lando and Jim made their way safely to the other side and moved anxiously toward the computer room. They had searched the many rooms of the computer center and had found twelve rooms that were full of equipment and computers. Lando stepped cautiously through the hole in the thick metal door, avoiding the jagged edge that was the result of Trince's hasty cutting open of the door with his lightsaber.

Jim followed Lando into the room and drew a deep breath. They had had the room open for a week, but it still took Jim's breath away. Lando had gathered some of the equipment into one of the inner rooms and he wanted Jim to take a look at them. Lando knew a lot about electronics, but Jim was the engineer, and Lando liked to be positive about things before he moved ahead.

When they entered what had been unanimously voted the main control room, Lando and Jim found that Jalence was sitting behind one of the computers. Being Lando's only computer expert, Jalence was the one who had recieved the task of trying to break into the the Imperial data banks. Above all else, was trying to find a communications device.

"How's it coming?" Lando asked as they entered the room.

"Slow," Jalence admitted. "I have to break through a lot of unseen codes. Fortunately the codes are very old, and I have some experience in hacking."

Lando looked at him with sarcastic shock. "And I had always thought of you as totally innocent."

Jalence didn't respond but continued to work, staring at the screen. Lando ushered Jim over to the collection of Imperial technology. There was a long torpedo shaped tube, a small box shaped contraption with several electronic hook-up jacks, an odd looking blaster riffle, and a medium sized oblong object that looked like half an egg.

"Interesting," Jim pondered.

"I've already figured out what this is," Lando said as he picked up the rifle. "It appears to be a equipped with a special aiming device, something the storm troopers could definitely use. It uses some kind of heat sensory to fire at a heat source. Kind of a heat seeking laser. But this other stuff," Lando made an all inclusive arm gesture, "I am at a loss for."

Jim crouched down and began to examine the egg shaped device. "I think I've seen on of these things before." Jim pushed his glasses further up his nose. Lando often wondered why he wore them. Lando did admit that they made him look more professional. "This looks a lot like a cloaking device that we salvaged off of a Imperial ship that attacked the Sluis Van shipyards. It appears to be a little bigger, though. This looks to be about three-fourths of a meter long. The one we salvaged was half this size, and it didn't have this slot here." Jim was analyzing the device as he talked. He poked at the slot with a screw driver that he always carried with him. He managed to pry the edge of the metal away, revealing a deep compartment. Jim emitted a low whistle.

Lando peered over his shoulder. Lando saw a swarming mass of multicolored wires criss-crossing every which way. "What is it?"

"This kind of cross wiring is the most complex I've ever seen in my life. You rarely see this kind of technology even in a Star Destroyer."

"What is it for?" Lando asked, getting impatient.

"By rewiring a system this much the energy flow increases by an incredible amount. You can imagine that sending a signal along one hundred meters of wire creates a much larger electric field than say sending the same signal along only one meter of wire."

"Wouldn't the resistance in the wires be that much greater too?"

Jim shrugged. "It depends what kind of wiring they used." Jim reached into his pocket and removed a sharp knife. He pulled up on of the slack wires and stripped a small part of it. "Listium. The best conductor known to man. This thing must have cost a fortune." Jim pointed to a cable that was connected to one of the plates that the wires were soldered to. "By routing the cloaking energy through these wires you could calibrate the device to create just about any size field you wanted to. Perhaps even large enough to cloak a Super Star Destroyer."

The section of wiring that Jim had uncovered lay to the left of the slot he had found. He started to pry away on the right side of the slot. Soon he had uncovered another compartment that looked almost exactly like the other one.

"So now is it twice as powerful as before?" Lando asked, seeing the new compartment.

"Not quite. I think it might be worse. This section isn't connected to the other one. It works independently." Jim examined it a little further. "Yea, this one is routed through a different device, a transmitter. I think this device sends out sensor echoes."

"You mean that they can send out what ever size sensor echo they wanted to? Making a TIE fighter look as big as a Star Destroyer?"

"That's right. They can go totally cloaked, or they can send out a false signal, fooling a ship's sensors. You might think that you're going up against a TIE, when in actuality, you are facing a Star Destroyer."

"I guess the bright side of this is that we haven't seen this technology on the battle field yet," Lando said. "Which means that this device is not only an original, but the only one made."

"Could be that this doesn't even work," Jim countered.

Lando shrugged and turned his attention to the next item. Jim picked up the small box shaped piece of electronics. "A transmitter of some kind?" Lando guessed. "Maybe a tracking device?"

"Maybe." Jim turned it over in his hands. He stopped when he found a small orifice. "It looks like something is missing. Lando do you have that small crystal that you always carry around?"

Lando shook his head. "I gave it away." Jalence looked up from his computer at this comment. Lando had loved that crystal. It had been one of a few that they had found in one of the sheds that was still here from the Imperial occupation. It had been perfect in every way. "I gave it to a friend." Must have been some friend, thought Jalence.

Jim didn't seem phased by this startling revelation. "It looks like this opening was designed for a crystal. This could be a beam splitter."

Lando looked dejected. "That's not so brilliant. We have those things now. They're not that great. Instead of changing a focused beam into many lesser beams, it turns into more of a 'blah' beam, with most of the energy wasted in the form of heat."

"I agree," said Jim, "but imagine one of those old splitters with one of our crystals installed in it."

Lando smacked his forehead. "Of course. If you could program a splitter to divide a beam into several distinct frequencies, a crystal of matching angles with incredible exactness could efficiently send them away."

They moved onto the fourth object. Lando had a guess about this last item, but hoped that Jim would prove him wrong. "Well for starters," Jim said, "it's a torpedo."

"I know that, and you know that I know that. What kind. Please don't tell me that it is what I hope it's not."

"Well," Jim said as he studied the surface of the deadly projectile, "the front third of the tube is made from a different type of metal than the rest of it. Two thirds of all torpedoes are composed of the guidance system, so it is a safe bet to say that whatever is encased in this different kind of metal, is what makes it special."

"What kind of metal is it?"

"Forestium."

Lando searched his memory and all he knew about metals. "Doesn't that have a really high melting point?"

"Yes. In fact it is the highest among all metals used in construction. Anything higher than it can't be shaped efficiently. But that fact shouldn't make a difference. Forestium is also very brittle. It will break under almost any kind of propelled collision."

"Chrasten is far more brittle than forestium, and with a lower melting point. It would have been easier to use that than having to fuss with melting forestium down. I think that the melting point plays a role in the detonation of this torpedo."

"Why?" Jim asked. "Most torpedoes, like we said, explode on impact, or they have a timed explosion. If you had to melt the outer shell of this torpedo you would have to fire it into-" Jim stopped when he realized where Lando was headed with this.

"Into a star," Lando finished for him.

"Are you talking about another Sun Crusher?"

Lando shook his head. "Not a Sun Crusher, just the super nova torpedo."

Jalence wasn't listening to their discussion but had turned in his seat to get there attention. "Lando, in what system did you say that the New Republic ran into trouble?"

Lando yanked himself away from the destructive weapon at his feet. "The Danzig system. Why?"

"I think I know what they ran into."

"So do we," Lando replied. "We just found evidence that supports the theory that a star went nova, destroying the New Republic fleet."

"I sincerely doubt that the Empire would risk blowing up a star in the Danzig system if they had this in there."

Lando walked over to where Jalence was sitting. "What are you talking about?"

Jalence pointed at the screen. "I finally broke the codes. I couldn't find any communication software, but I did find a whole bunch of blueprints."

On the screen was the original Death Star. Lando had never seen it, but he recognized it from descriptions he had read before he had attacked the second Death Star. The blueprints were probably identical to the ones that the Rebellion had been able to steal. Lando looked at the bottom of the screen. Status: Destroyed.

Jalence pressed a key and another globe appeared on the screen. Death Star II. Lando noticed that this blueprint showed the Death Star as being completed. He remembered that there had been large structural pieces missing from the one he had destroyed.

Lando was about to comment about how none of this news was of any relevance, when Jalence pressed another key. The Dark Ring. Status: Under construction. Location: Danzig 359. Lando gasped at the numbers that covered the blueprint. A radius of over seventy-five million kilometers. It was large enough to safely encompass an entire star. It had a height of one hundred million kilometers and a depth of over fifty kilometers. The sheer mass of that thing was millions of times more than any Death Star the Empire had ever built. Lando glanced at the weapons. One thousand Death Star lasers and over a billion turbo lasers. Lando was speechless for a few seconds.

"I agree that the Empire wouldn't intentionally blow up Danzig 359. Although I would like nothing better." Lando looked around the computer room, for the first time realizing what this place actually was - a weapon center. "I think that it's time we took a little trip to Coruscant. I do believe that this information could prove quite useful to them."

Chapter 21 "The Arena"

"What did they do to my son?"

Han and Luke were pacing in their cell. It had been five days since their trial. Han had finally lost his patience. "It looked like he wanted to kill me."

"They probably used some kind of mind control. Just like the kind that they used on Cray and me on the Eye of Palpatine. Don't worry it's reversible. At least it was nineteen years ago. Who knows what kind of advancements they've made since then."

"Oh thanks, you're full of encouraging ideas."

"It's the whole idea of the Dark Lord of the Sith that scares me. If they actually got him to believe that he is the next Darth Vader, we could be in for trouble."

"What scares me is that I know Jacen wouldn't have come here alone. So where is Jaina, or maybe Lowbacca, or, if worst comes to worst, Anakin."

"I don't think mind control would work on Anakin. He is too strong in the Force. But if I'm wrong, and they have changed him into a Dark Lord, then were in more trouble than we were when we had the Emperor as an enemy."

"Is he that strong?" Han asked.

"He has that much potential, yes."

Han didn't want to think about the worst case scenario right now, so he changed the topic. "What the heck is the Arena. It sounds more like an entertainment facility than an execution chamber."

"I think you might have just answered your own question," Luke reasoned. "Everything their doing to us seems to be for show. The hardest thing for an Imperial army of clones to have is high moral. They have been out here in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long. They know that they have been forced here because of defeat and there is no bright hope. Unless they have some huge new weapon or fleet that we don't know about, they really have no hope for victory. All of this 'show' that they're putting on with us is for the sake of the men."

Han nodded. "I was thinking about that immediately before the trial. Vader would have killed us long ago. The same with Tarkin or the Emperor. The only person that I have any experience with that deals in these kinds of tactics is Thrawn.

"I heard a story from one of our Imperial prisoners back on Coruscant about how one time - I think it was when you evaded him in your X-wing - he promoted a man for a failure. It was the same failure that had cost a man his life the previous week."

"Thrawn would have made a good admiral in the New Republic," Luke said. "Ruling by hope instead of fear."

"Don't get me wrong," Han responded. "He's no pansy. He still follows the Empire's tradition of on-the-spot executions, but he's got a start in the right direction."

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter, though. He's dead."

"I wonder. With all these clones running around one can never be too careful."

"You think they would clone Thrawn?" Luke asked.

"Why not. They cloned the Emperor."

This new view gave Luke something else to think about, but not for very long.

The door to their cell, and two storm troopers were framed in the doorway by the hall light. "It's time to go."

Luke and Han looked at each other. "The Arena," they mouthed simultaneously, but said nothing out loud. They were ushered back through the hallway in the same direction that they had been taken to get to trial. The same transport was waiting for them outside. They were whisked through the forest, and Han decided to keep his mouth shut on this trip.

It was night time, and the city life was a little less active outside, but Han could see certain buildings that he imagined were taverns, were overflowing with people. Han thought that this city was turning into Mos Eisley.

They passed the building were the trial had been, and Han scowled at it. Luke nudged him in the arm and pointed of to the horizon. Han could see a large domed building and guessed, as Luke had, that this was the Arena.

People were swarming around the entrance of the Arena, and as they drew close, Han wondered how they were going to be able to get in in one piece. The driver of the transport answered Han's unspoken by turning away from the crowd, gaining access to a restricted entrance from a guard and entering the massive structure from the rear. They drove through a large concrete tunnel and came to a small inner chamber. The chamber was filled with lots of animal cages, and a fowl aroma lingered in the cavern.

The transport stopped and dropped off Luke, Han, and three other storm troopers. The storm troopers ushered them over to one of the larger cages. "You stay in here until it's your turn to play." The storm trooper locked the door of the cage. "I've got five thousand credits riding on your match, so you better lose."

Before Han could question the trooper he left. Long minutes passed and neither of the two caged prisoners said anything, each of them lost in his own thoughts of what was to come. They both perked up when they heard the motor of a ground transport approaching the chamber. The four wheeled vehicle was pulling a cage. Han could see a large spiny beast chewing on the remains of another animal. The image of these two animals locked in mortal combat in front cheering fans gave Han a sickening feeling as to what they were to expect.

The driver stored the cage in a different room and came back to the prisoner's cage. "You boys ready to have fun?"

"I hope we get to fight you," Han sneered. "Then we'll see who has the fun."

The guard laughed at Han's defiance. When he unlocked the door, his smile disappeared as he rapped Han across the head with a short metal pipe. "Come on you Rebel scum."

Han stumbled, but Luke supported him, and they were herded by the guard. Luke thought that this was a perfect time to try to escape. This was the first time that he and Han outnumbered their escort. Even though they were handcuffed, they might have a chance. Luke looked back at the single guard who was walking behind them. Luke could see the confidence in his stride and the smooth casual way in which he twirled his metal pipe. Luke understood that the Empire was tempting them to try to escape from this guard. More than likely he was an expert hand to hand fighter.

Han was still wincing in pain when Luke returned his gaze to the concrete tunnel in front of him. "I hope you're not planing an escape," Han winced. "I know him, or at least I knew the original. He's probably a clone. I thought I had recognized him at first and the knock on the head jogged my memory a little. His name is Wertrin. He was in charge of security at the colony where I rescued Chewie. Afterwards Chewie told me stories of how wookiees would be punished by having to fight him one on one. Chewie had never seen a wookiee beat him. He can do wonders with a knife."

Luke felt a sharp jab in his back. "Quit the chatter boys."

As they rounded a corner in the long tunnel, Luke could see a bright light ahead and the loud noise of thousands of people screaming. When the tunnel straightened, Luke could see the multicolored back drop of a diversified crowd. The tunnel was aimed at the center of the large stadium, and Luke could make out the center circle. As they got closer, Luke could see that two animals were fighting in the ring. A krayt dragon was pummeling a bantha.

Han and Luke were brought to the very end of the tunnel and stopped. From this vantage point they could almost see the entire stadium. It seated well over forty thousand, at least ten times as many people as there had been in the court room. The fight was finished, and the dragon gave a vicious cry of victory. Somehow a bunch either very brave or very stupid clowns ushered the dragon back into the cage. Luke was surprised that only one of the clowns were consumed by the dragon. They krayt dragon was native to his home planet of Tatooine, and although he had never seen one in action until now, he knew about their reputation.

When the central Arena was clear Luke felt another poke in his back. "Your turn." Luke and Han walked tentatively forward. "Oh, don't worry," Wertrin said in a mocking tone, noticing their hesitance, "you won't have to fight the krayt dragon. We've got something a little more . . - let's see, how should I put it - deadly."

Luke remembered all of the battles he had had, and could think of only one animal more deadly than a krayt dragon. He hoped that they didn't have to do battle with one of those.

"Something more deadly than that?" Han asked incredulously.

"There is something. Trust me, I've fought it."

"What?"

"Shut up you two, or I'll have to hit you on the head again," Wertrin broke in threateningly.

Han winced at the idea of another well struck blow and obeyed. They walked up to the Arena and heard the announcer presenting them to the crowd. Luke was interested to hear what the announcer was going to say, but the boos and whistles that they received drowned out the voice of the announcer. The din inside quieted quickly as the lights inside the large stadium went out. Two spotlights began roaming the crowd, occasionally passing over where Luke and Han stood. The loudspeakers began play some heavy bass, techno music. The announcer spoke:

"And their opponent tonight is straight from the cloning cylinders. We made a special trip to Skywalker's home planet for this one."

"I thought he said it wouldn't be a dragon?" Han whispered.

"There's something else there. Or at least that was there."

"We visited Jabba the Hutt's and found the DNA we were looking for. We call this battle the rematch of the century. Han and Luke versus Jabba's rancor."

The crowd erupted with delight. On the opposite side of the Arena a large curtain was pulled back revealing a large cage with a the rancor inside. As if on cue the huge beast let out an incredible howl.

* * *

Up in the stands, in a luxury box seat, Tallon reclined, waiting eagerly for the show. He usually didn't come out in public for these kinds of events. He preferred to remain more professional and stay aloof of such events as these. He needed to let off some steam, though. Frowinger had brought him the bad news of the botched job at the crystal mine. He could confirm that the bomb went off, so could fifty storm troopers that didn't make it home. Another twenty-five ex-storm troopers could verify that a large worm had come out of the side of the asteroid and eaten their shuttle. Frowinger hadn't thought that the explosion was strong enough to explode the entire asteroid, so it was likely that the Jedi had influenced the explosion in some way. It was also then probable that the mine was still open, and all of its secrets were available to the New Republic. At the time Tallon had felt like rescheduling Luke and Han's execution and pitting Frowinger against the Rancor instead. It was only the fact that the Empire needed all of its scientists that had allowed Frowinger to live through that meeting.

Tallon could have killed him and then cloned him, but he didn't like to work that way. A clone was never as sharp as the original. They had taken twenty-two years to clone Thrawn to ensure the best results. Tallon didn't have enough time to kill and clone his officers. The Emperor hadn't been as keen on efficiency as Tallon was.

Tallon directed his attention toward the Arena and saw that they were ready to take the rancor out of his cage. Clowns paraded around the cage. The Rancor didn't take too much prodding and in one swift motion the rancor had himself an appetizer.

"Clowns are a credit a dozen, are they not." Tallon turned around to find Admiral Thrawn standing behind him.

"Admiral," Tallon said quite surprised, "I didn't know that you came to the Arena."

"Oh, yes," Thrawn said with a mischievous smile that Tallon had not thought the Admiral capable of. "I frequent this fine establishment every weekend. I've made a small fortune betting on the fights."

Tallon could imagine that with Thrawn's unique ability to predict the outcome of events he could make a killing at a place like this. Still, Tallon was a little curious as to Thrawn's behavior. In all the reports Tallon had read about him, Thrawn was described as an officer of strict discipline and no room for fun and games. Tallon almost wondered if Thrawn was drunk, but he dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his mind. Thrawn was too much of a professional for that. This must just be his one vice. This was just how that incredible mind of his unwound. "And who did you put your money on tonight, the fearless Rebels or the fearful rancor?"

"Neither, actually," Thrawn said as he took a seat next to Tallon. "I chose the third category: a draw."

"A tie? I didn't know there was such a category."

"There wasn't until just a few minutes ago. Being an admiral gives you a little pull and I got the odds maker to give me the third category at the outrages odds of ten thousand to one."

"So you predict that the fight will end in a tie? Perhaps we should unleash a krayt dragon as well. I think that you're giving the Rebels to much credit."

"No, I fully expect the rancor to devour Solo and Skywalker and for me to loose the thousand credits that I wagered. I just couldn't bring myself to bet in favor of the enemy, and I didn't stand to make enough money betting against them, so I invented my own category."

Tallon thought that Thrawn was crazy, but he kept it to himself. Besides, the fight was about to start. They were taking the handcuffs off the fighters.

* * *

Luke stared at the huge monster as all of his horrible memories were pouring back to him. The beast didn't look exactly the same. Jabba's rancor had been covered by deep scars from all of his previous fights. Those scars weren't in its DNA, and so this rancor was unharmed.

"You beat this thing before right?" Han asked hopefully.

"Yea, you show me a huge door, and I'll drop it on him."

"Sorry, it's just that I haven't read the strategy book on how to fight a rancor."

"I don't think they've written one, Han."

"My point exactly, kid."

"The only advice I can give, other than running away,-"

"We're inside a force field," Han put in.

"- is that they have very slow reflexes."

However quick its reflexes were, the speed of the monster was incredible, and it demonstrated that to the fifty plus thousand in attendance. Han and Luke had to dive out of the way to keep from being crushed by the beast's initial attack. Luke decided to be aggressive and came up behind the monster. He jumped on to the back of its leg and meant to scale its back. The crowd cheered him on mockingly, glad for a little bravery, even though it could be confused for stupidity. The rancor had different ideas all together, and with one mighty kick backwards it launched Luke off its leg and into the air. Luke crashed into the force shield wall with incredible force. He fell limp to the ground.

Han saw the scene and felt sick. Luke couldn't have survived that collision. At first Han felt a blind hatred toward everyone in the stadium, but then reason took over and he tried to focus on the rancor.

Luke barely felt himself hit the ground as he slipped away into blackness. He could feel an intense throbbing bulge in his head and knew that he had a massive head injury and heavy internal bleeding. His eyes closed and his consciousness started to fog over. As he slipped into the coma of death, he felt his feet start to tingle. The queer sensation worked its way up his legs, and soon to his hands and arms, which were laying at his side.

Luke had seen both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda die, and he knew that a Jedi's body disappeared as it died. He wished he could move his head or open his eyes to watch. He could feel the tingling, which he guessed to be his body evaporating, reach his neck and then stop. Luke imagined the stadium's fright when they saw just his head lying on the ground. Luke caught himself in mid thought, if he was dead how could he still think.

For the first time Luke examined his surroundings. He had lost feeling in his limbs long ago, but he was now aware of a new sense, warmth. The warmth of death? No, he had always thought death to be cold. He couldn't help but think that he couldn't fully die, because he didn't have the Force with him. He wondered if somehow not having the Force during his death would prevent him from being able to fully leave life. Could part of him, the Force part, still be trapped somewhere.

Luke could feel warmth and wondered if he would be able to see anything. He couldn't feel his eyes, but he tentatively opened his mind. He was in some type of void that he couldn't understand. It wasn't darkness or light, yet it wasn't the gray in-between either. He could see varied patterns of colored light swirl around him. They looked like small gas nebulas. They were almost tangible, but Luke had no hands with which to reach out and touch them, so he reached out with his mind.

They were images. Images of life. Force inspired images. Luke had a burst of hope. He could see Force images. He felt a veil lift from his mind. As he reached out to embrace these images, he wondered where he was again. Was he in-between life and death. Was he dead. Was he still alive but in a coma. Or was he only dreaming. Luke needed an answer but could turn to no one.

Luke 'floated' about in the void of nothingness almost content to stay there for all eternity. Time seemed to have no meaning. Why should time have a meaning? He was a nothing in a nowhere. He guessed that he was just another Force inspired image floating amongst friends. Was he part of the Force? Was he in the sea of life that made up the Force? Was he in the Current?

When Luke had met the Fallanassi, they had told him about the Current. Luke had imagined that the Current was synonymous to the Force. They had described the Current as a river of life. It flowed everywhere there was life. Just like a stream anyone could use the life giving water to refresh themselves. The Current could be used to fight evil like water quenching a flame. Only people with buckets, or more specifically, the Fallanassi could get and use this water. It was for this reason that Luke had been shut out of their group. Even though he had the potential, in their mind he was trying to empty the river with a teaspoon and then using the water for destructive purposes, like drowning the enemy. Luke had tried to argue that the enemy wished to pollute the river, and that someone or something had to stop them.

The Fallanassi also had a special way in which they could hide themselves and others in the stream of energy. They explained it like pouring a cup of water into the ocean. The ocean is still very visible, but the cup has seamed to disappear. Luke felt as if he was in that stream of life, that Current. Only instead of his physical body, it was just his spirit, or essence, that had made the trip.

It was then that Luke remembered Han. He needed to go back. Han was fighting the rancor still, and Luke doubted that Han had a Current to hide in. Luke needed an answer. For the first time he tried to see the images around him as actual images instead of just Force projections. Individually they were thoughts. In small groups they formed words and sentences. In large groups they made up complete thoughts and paragraphs. As a whole they told him the answer.

In that instant Luke understood where he was, what he was, what he needed to do, and how to do it. It was all so simple that he chided himself for his immature attitude that had led him to such a point of earlier despair. The Force was not something you could turn on and off like a switch. The surgery had not taken away his Force ability, it had just changed its form. Like sending a current through a circuit backwards and attaining a negative charge. When his brain had started to go into a coma it began to shut down. As the brain stimuli began to slow, the ineffectiveness of the surgery became obvious. The ysalamiri field that his brain had been creating shrank in size as the brain waves faded into non-existence. As the bubble shrank, the Force took hold and stabilized the rest of his body. It slowed his beating heart and began to heal his wounds. The brain was still in a deep coma, but the Force refused to let the body die.

Right now he was a reflection, or more accurately, a shadow. Just like in the physical world, everyone has a shadow that shows where they are with respect to a light source. If you are far away from the light, your shadow is large, but dim. As you get closer to the light your shadow gets smaller but more distinct. He was his shadow. In the Force, which is life, everyone has a shadow. It is projected into the Current. When someone is full of life, or close to the light, their shadow is very distinct. As someone dies their shadow becomes larger and more faint. Finally their shadow melds into the main flow of the Current and is no longer distinguishable. Right now Luke was in-between. His body was close to death, but his life Force was still full.

Luke looked down at his body, from what vantage point he did not know. He reached into his brain but found an infinitesimal bubble still surrounding the spot of surgery. He knew that he could shut off the bubble by stopping the brain, but that would mean death to the body. Luke busied himself with the other side of his head, the side were the massive wound was. He liquefied the congealed blood and returned it to the blood stream. He found that he had an unlimited source of power while he was in the Current, and he spared none of it on healing his head.

When he had healed his head as far as he could without reviving himself, he traced a blood vessel away from the point of surgery back to his heart. He sent a solid pulse of blood along that path. When it reached its destination, it exploded against the node, tearing it from the brain. Immediately the Force rushed into the brain and fixed the wound.

As the node was replaced in the correct orientation, Luke felt a positive flow of the Force and a pulling sensation from his body. Before he left the river bank, for that is how he saw it now, he took one last look around. He saw the images, which were now shadows of actual people, walking up and down the river bank. He remembered what Yoda had told him once, "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." He saw a few people bending over to take a drink. He saw one person using a bucket to draw water, and he laughed at the idea of him using a teaspoon, knowing know how silly it seamed. He watched as people died, and their shadows grew vague and finally fell into the river. He saw other people being born, and small shadows emerged from the river. Small not because the were weak, but small because they were so close to life and there shadows were very intense.

Luke took in the whole scene, and he felt as if several people stopped moving and turned to look at him.

Thank-you.

You're welcome. May the Force be with you, always.

* * *

Han was just about to make a suicide run at the rancor.

-Han.-

Han paused.

-Han.-

Luke? Han looked over at his friend and was almost crushed by the pounding fist of the rancor. Han rolled to the side, agreeing with Luke that the creature's reflexes were indeed slow. Han ran through the rancor's legs.

-Han.-

-Luke?- Han thought back.

-Yes, I'm here, Han.-

Han had a little time while the rancor turned around. He looked at Luke's still motionless form. Han couldn't speak telepathically, but he could think and have Luke read his mind. He had communicated that way with Leia many times, but they were usually involved in very intimate acts at the times of those conversations. Intimate acts that Han had no intention of performing with Luke, much less with a rancor present. He replied anyway. -I thought you were dead.-

-I am. I just haven't stopped thinking yet. I'll tell you all about it sometime. But that's not important right now.- Luke paused as Han barely missed getting stepped on. -Remember Dathomir?-

-Yea, those rancors were a little more friendly.-

-Have you tried making friends with this one yet?-

-What kind of question is that?- Han hit the ground hard as he wasn't totally successful in dodging the last blow. He felt blood running down his shoulder and rolled out of the way as a large foot just missed the finishing blow. -You want me to go up an introduce myself? He seems a bit edgy.-

-I'll help you. Remember that the crowd is looking for a good show.-

Han was in pain from that last blow and realized that he wouldn't be able to dodge another one. He ran out in front of the huge monster and turned to face it. The rancor paused, contemplating his quick opponent's new strategy. Rancor's were not beasts of much intelligence, and they didn't contemplate anything for too long. It charged.

Han threw all of his trust into his friend and held up his hand. "Stop!"

The rancor stopped dead in his tracks. Luke was sending it strong commands with the Force, and he wasn't using a teaspoon.

Han saw the rancor's reaction and compared it to the crowd's. He liked them. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Han Solo."

The crowd was furious. The beast stood tall and pounded his fist against his chest. He let out a bellow that Han believed to be an introduction, but Han was clueless as to what the beast had actually said.

-Rachtog.-

"Hello, Rachtog." Han extended his hand.

The rancor, who was now totally under Luke's control, ambled toward Han and extended a clawed finger that still had Han's blood on it. Han grasped the finger in a firm hand shake.

* * *

Tallon was beside himself with anger. He had just seen Solo shake hands with a rancor. Now it looked like he was scratching the thing behind the ears. Tallon turned to Thrawn. "Should I have Solo killed?"

Thrawn shook his head. "What ever he did to that beast, he's earned his life for today. Not to mention he earned me ten million credits."

Tallon was shocked, he hadn't realized it at first. Though Skywalker looked dead, Han and the monster had indeed fought to a draw. He brought his communicator up to his mouth and gave orders. Seconds later he watched as dozens of storm troopers scrambled around the outside of the Arena.

"Make sure you have Dr. Kendel check out Skywalker's surgery when you get back to the mountain base," Thrawn said, but Tallon wasn't listening that closely. He was busy watching the events bellow him.

* * *

Han watched as a flicker of light appear and then disappear around the Arena, and he guessed that the force field was deactivated. As soon as the field was down, twenty storm troopers fired at the rancor, and the beast fell, either dead or unconscious, almost on top of Han. He barely scampered out of the way and found himself surrounded by troopers.

-What about all these storm troopers?- Han paused but got no answer. -Luke?- He looked over at Luke's still form. Storm troopers swarmed around him. Han thought he heard one of them yell something to the extent of him still being alive but in some kind of coma.

Han looked back at his own group of men in white and black. He found himself staring one trooper right in the helmet. "I had twenty-five thousand credits bet on your life. You owe me, pal."

"Too ba-" Han started, but was cut off by the butt of a laser rifle colliding with his head. Han joined Luke in a comatose state, only not quite as deep.

Chapter 22 "Getting Even"

The three men walked up to the bartender with no intention of buying drinks.

"Where is she?"

The bartender continued to dry the glass he was holding as if he hadn't heard the man.

"Hey, I was talking to y-"

"You won't be talking for very long," the bartender said nonchalantly as he put down the glass and picked up another one, still not looking at them. "If by 'she' you mean who I think you mean. Trouble with that one isn't a healthy business."

"If we were looking for advice, we would gone to a stangin' psychiatrist. Now are you going to tell me where we can find her. We have business."

"We were told by someone that a friend of ours was last seen with a woman who frequents this establishment," another one of the men spoke up.

"You didn't bring enough men," he said as he looked at the speaker's companions, but he nodded toward the far corner of the bar anyway. As the three men walked toward the lone brunette, the Barkeep spoke up. "What color do you guys like your coffins?"

"What?"

"You're right, she'll probably bury you herself."

Jaina didn't take any notice of the men as they sat at her booth. One of them slid in next to her while the other two sat opposite her. "Have a seat gentlemen. What can I do for you?"

Jaina finally looked up from her drink to see two blasters pointed at her face. She felt a third one poked into her side. She laughed inwardly at these weak males. They thought that their guns were so big and powerful. How wrong they were.

"Hello, I'm Greshon. This here is Drake and Ikrick," Drake and Ikrick nodded there greeting from across the table, keeping the guns level. "We hear that you had a little business with a friend of ours. He goes by the name, Frintip."

"Yea we heard that he was involved with some prostitute," Drake said, and Jaina knew that he was going to try to say something clever, "and we thought you fit the bill."

Jaina was disappointed, but decided to play along. "Yea, I picked him up."

"Then what?" asked Drake.

"He wasn't my type, so I dumped him."

"Where?"

"In a dumpster."

Jaina felt the blaster dig deeper into her side. Her right hand sprang up from her glass and smashed into Greshon's face. His head flew backwards and hit the wooden partition that separated the booths. Jaina could hear a small cracking sound and tried to figure out if it was the wood or Greshon's head.

The blaster at her side slackened, but the two across the table made ominous whirring noises as they upgraded from stun to kill. Jaina decided not to kill them right here. She liked the bartender and didn't want to make a mess. Greshon was still a little foggy but he tried to regain control of the situation. He pointed his gun right next to Jaina's temple. "Give me one good reason not to splatter your brains on the wall."

"I'd kill you before you could pull the trigger." Jaina had resumed stirring her drink, disregarding the men around her. She could feel Greshon pull the trigger and she mentally flipped the safety on. She heard the useless click against her head. "I'm warning you," she said playfully.

"Boss," Ikrick said nervously to Greshon, "maybe we should take her outside. Everyone's looking at us."

Greshon flipped his safety back off and agreed. The three men got up. Jaina remained sitting. "Come on, whore. We're leaving."

"Bye. I'm not done with my drink."

"You're coming with us," Drake emphasized.

Jaina sighed and got up. As they passed the bartender she simply shrugged. "I'll be back in about five to finish my drink."

"I'll keep the booth open," the bartender promised.

Once they got outside Jaina stopped. "OK we're outside."

"You show us where Frintip is."

"Well by now he is probably in the city incinerator, but I-"

"No more games, miss."

"What happened to 'whore?' I kind of liked it."

Greshon was sick of the game. He stuck his gun back against Jaina's head. "Where is Frintip?!"

Jaina shrugged. "Hell. You wanna go say 'hi?' I can arrange a trip for you. But it's a one way ticket."

Greshon yanked her arm and pulled her into an alley way right next to the bar. Jaina shook her arm free from the smuggler. She was getting sick of this game too. "Does your head still hurt?"

"Like a herd of banthas ran over it," he said as he raised his blaster.

"Well, maybe I can do something about that." In one swift motion, Jaina drew her invisi-blade, ignited it, lopped off Greshon's head, and returned the weapon to her belt deactivated. "Feel better?" she asked the bleeding corpse.

Jaina turned to face Drake and Ikrick, who were standing behind her in a state of shock. From their point of view it looked like Jaina had waved her hand and Greshon's head had just fallen off. They didn't know about her invisible lightsaber. They began to fire rapidly. She stood there with her arms crossed as she redirected the bolts and they passed her wide left or right.

She walked slowly towards them. Ikrick tried to bolt back into the street, but Jaina mentally tripped him, and he hit the concrete hard. She approached Drake. He had stopped firing and she waved the gun out of his hand. She took the last two steps seductively and had an evil twinkle in her eye. "Still think I look like a prostitute. I could be yours."

Drake was backed up against the alley wall and frozen with fear. She walked into him and kissed him fiercely. As she kissed him she mentally choked him. He tried to gasp for air but she kept her lips tight. He squirmed like a fish out of water, for a few seconds and then slumped dead against the wall. She released his lips and he fell to the ground.

She turned to regard Ikrick, who was scrambling on the ground. "Please don't kill me," he whimpered pitifully.

Jaina thought about taking mercy on him, but if she did then he would just bring in more weak men to bother her. She did make it quick, though. She reached out toward him with an open hand and then quickly tightened it into a hard fist. Inside his chest, Ikrick's heart imploded. The man was dead before he knew what had happened.

Jaina went back into the bar and left the bodies for the street cleaning droids, happy that the stupid robots didn't ask any questions. To them one piece of garbage was no different from another.

* * *

Lando and Leia burst into Ackbar's private office at the same time.

"Where is my husband?"

"You've got to see what I've found."

"Where is my brother?"

"It wasn't a supernova."

Ackbar rose from behind his desk and raised his hands, trying to put an end to the unified and therefore, meaningless chatter. "One at a time, please."

Lando turned to Leia. "Go ahead."

Leia nodded in thanks. She turned to Ackbar her eyes beginning to rim with tears, tears that she had been fighting the whole hyperspace trip over to Coruscant. She blinked the salt water away and composed herself. "Do you know what happened to my husband and brother?"

Ackbar shook his head slowly. "We lost contact with them over a week ago. We have several guesses as to what happened, but all of them place Han and Luke in the same position: in enemy hands."

"Have any rescue plans been made?"

"We are very low on ships right now, your highness. The Empire is spreading us out with a collage of diversified attacks. Also with the amount of ships that the Empire is throwing at us, it is evident that their fleet is substantially larger than we had previously thought. We don't know what kind of protection the planet of Hastrin has. A single rescue ship could very well be met by a huge fleet of Star Destroyers. The only way to be safe would be to send a large scale invasion fleet. A fleet that we can't muster without right cause. Right now the populations of the border planets currently under attack demand our fleet more than Han and Luke. Many people have already counted them a loss."

"They aren't dead!" Leia said through gritted teeth, though she had nothing to back up her claim.

"Can you feel that they are alive?" Ackbar asked, knowing of her Force sensitivity and her link with her brother.

"I just know it," Leia said, not answering Ackbar's question. In fact, she couldn't feel her brother, but she chalked this up to the vast distance that separated them.

Lando sensed the conversation on a down swing and decided to enter. "I might have the cause needed to get that invasion fleet assembled."

Ackbar seemed intrigued and turned to regard Lando. "What have you found?"

Lando held up a holo crystal that contained the blueprints to the Dark Ring. "The crystal mine that I have been excavating has proven to be more than just a mine. It appears that it used to be an Imperial weapons headquarters. We found a former headquarters deep inside the well protected mine. Inside the computers there are hundreds of specs of every type, from blaster rifles to Super Star Destroyers. We found the blueprints to the first two Death Stars, and to another battle station which they are building in the Danzig system. A huge station which is being constructed around the star Danzig 359."

Ackbar looked skeptical. "Around the star? How big is this station?"

Lando walked over to a screen on the wall of Ackbar's office. He inserted the crystal into the appropriate slot, and a few short seconds later the blueprints flashed up on the screen. "Huge," Lando answered Ackbar's question. "Big enough to blot out the sun. Perhaps, making the sun look dimmer and unstable. I know what you believe to have happened at Danzig 359. Biggs' fleet was yanked out of hyperspace by the gravity well of the collapsing star and then destroyed by the star's explosion a few minutes later.

"I'm hear to tell you something different. I believe that the gradual reduction in the sun's brightness over the past seventy years, is not the result of its gradual collapse, but the result of the battle station being built up around it. A project that started around seventy years ago. I think that this station projected its own interdiction field and then destroyed the fleet. With as much power as this station is capable of generating, it is possible that they were able to cloak the entire station. This would account for the sun's sudden flare of brightness right before the 'super nova.' There are many ways to create a bright flash of light, the hardest of which would be to actually have a star explode."

Ackbar looked both terrified and confused. "Why would the Empire go through so much trouble just to fool us?"

"If you had known for certain that the fleet was destroyed by an Imperial fleet or a battle station, what would you have done?" Lando continued, knowing that Ackbar was picking up on his line of reasoning. "You would have sent a fleet in, gung-ho for battle. While the Empire was probably ready for such an attack, they obviously wanted to attack us first."

"And why should we attack this behemoth of a station now? If it is around a star, then it is quite immobile and of no threat to us or anyone else?"

Lando shook his head. "It's not a threat to us directly, but it is posing us with great threats indirectly. This station is equipped with two hundred million cloning cylinders. It could populate a small planet in a matter of months. It also is the shipyard where all of these knew Imperial ships are being built. If this station is left alone, it could produce a fleet five times the size of our own in only a few years."

"Do the Imperials know that you have these plans?"

Lando had not thought of this before. "There's a good chance they do, yes. We had a little run in with some Imperials that tried to destroy the mine before we could get inside. We, or should I say the Jedi, repelled them. They now probably assume that we have broken in. However, I'm not sure that even the Imperials are aware of what was down there. I think that they would have guarded these plans more carefully."

"If you remember correctly, Lando," Leia jumped in, "they quite willingly gave us the plans to the second Death Star in preparation for their little trap."

"I remember more than most," Lando said, for he had been one of the most endangered people in that trap. "I don't think this is a trap. There is no way that the Empire could have planned for us to have gotten these plans. It was way to difficult to get into the mines, to have expected it. Besides, there were other things in the hidden rooms that are far to valuable for the Empire to simply let us have."

Ackbar sat in silence, half thinking about the situation and half waiting for Lando to elaborate on what else he found. Ackbar knew of Lando's history of a being a gambler and knew that he enjoyed keeping his secrets, but he also knew of Lando's history in the New Republic's own military. If Lando thought that this was a valid target to hit back, then Ackbar was willing to give it some consideration. "You have studied the blueprints, correct?" Lando nodded. "Have you found a weakness?"

Lando frowned. "Not really. Once you've had time to look over these blueprints, you'll agree with me that this is the biggest thing ever created. It is impregnable."

"Then how do you suppose we attack it?"

"It's not an unknown weakness of theirs that I plan to exploit, but an unknown strength of ours."

Chapter 23 "Yavin IV"

Anakin's E-wing dropped out of hyperspace above the peaceful fourth moon of Yavin. He did a quick mental Force check of the Academy and found nothing wrong, yet. He descended quickly into the atmosphere and looked for the large temples of the Jedi School. He could feel the overwhelming presence of dread that he had felt during his dream now more than ever.

Anakin landed his craft and hurried out of the cockpit. He rushed into the nearest temple, which was the dormitory. It was lunch time and Anakin found the cafeteria only partially populated. He scanned the small crowd, many of whom looked up when he had entered, and found that it consisted of all the other students in his grade.

At the Academy there weren't distinguishable grades, as such, but more like age groups. Since the graduating class had left, there were only two grades left. Anakin was in the next highest grade and wasn't due to graduate for three more years. The next grade below them was the entry level grade. This bottom grade was slowly filled by any new students that came into the Academy and was very broad. The hunt for new Jedi had slowed considerably, and the only new Jedi that come to the school were usually descendants of graduates.

There were only six other students in Anakin's grade. Foister Durran, Kyp Durran's fifteen year old son, walked up to Anakin. Anakin had been somewhat reclusive at the Academy, but had managed to make a few friends. Foister, the son of his father's friend, was probably his best friend.

"Welcome back," Foister said as he drew near. "We heard that you went to Endor. What was it like?"

Anakin had missed his friend, but knew that he didn't have time for idle conversation. "We don't have time to talk right now. The Academy is in danger. Where are Masters Streen and Tionne?"

By now the other five students had congregated around the pair. One of the Calamarian twins, Angelic answered. "They took all of the younger students out on a mini field trip. They said they wouldn't be back for another day. What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Anakin said, "but I had a vision of impending doom, and I think that it will happen here, soon."

Angelic's twin sister, Angelina, spoke up. "I had a similar vision, but no one believed me."

"You're always having visions," Jenstim said. He was an independent male who was far to old for Anakin's grade. His arrogance and over self confidence had caused Master Skywalker to hold him back.

The remaining two human students, Garek and Celistin, who were dating, tried to comfort each other. "What can we do to prepare?" Garek asked, holding his girlfriend's hand.

Anakin was about answer, when he felt a presence enter the space above the planet. All seven students looked at each other. "It's here," Foister said bluntly.

* * *

Snotzenxer's Super Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace in the same location that Anakin had only minutes earlier. He had brought along a few extra Imperial Star Destroyers, but didn't think he'd need them. He had read all of the information he could on the failed attack of Yavin IV nineteen years ago by Grand Admiral Pellaeon. The Jedi students had been able to repel the fleet of ships by the use of some kind of Force blast. They had also destroyed most of the fighters and walkers by taking advantage of their forested surroundings. Snotzenexer had formulated two plans to easily thwart these two ploys.

Snotzenexer gave the order, and the small fleet of ships began to fire on the planet. They were not aiming at the temples, or even the students. The ships were instead clearing a huge strip of land of trees and bush. Laser blasts from the Super Star Destroyer, the Dark Fist, were clearing enormous areas of land, and it didn't take long for the ships to clear a ten kilometer strip about four hundred meters wide. The strip led right up to the Academy.

"Deploy the walkers, tanks, and bombers." Commanders relayed the order to different parts of the ship, and soon the huge mechanical monsters were shooting down toward the planet accompanied by the swift bombers.

* * *

The students had left the building and were staring up at the sky.

"What's up there?" Celistin asked.

"It's the Imperials, I bet ya," Jenstim said confidently.

"I'm not sure," Anakin replied. "There seems to be some kind of bubble around the ships. I can sense the power of the engines and the displacement of space, but I can't tell how big or how many there are."

"What could create a Forceless bubble?" Garek asked.

"Ysalamiri," Jenstim said. He was the oldest, and none of the other students had studied the point in history where Thrawn had introduced ysalamiri into the Empire's arsenal. Master Skywalker spent a lot of time in class on the subject of ysalamiri. "It must be the Empire."

The turbo laser bolts began to streak out of the sky. They all began to dive for cover. "Wait," Angelic screamed, "they're not shooting at us."

"She's right," her sister agreed.

They all watched as the bolts systematically cleared away a huge strip of trees.

"It looks like their making some kind of road," Garek observed.

"A road for what?" asked Foister.

"Walkers and tanks." Jenstim pointed to the sky. The barrage was over quickly and the students could see the projectiles coming down from the sky. They could feel the machines touch down just over the horizon, right in line with the treeless strip.

"We need a leader," Celistin announced.

"I nominate Anakin," Foister said quickly.

"He hasn't even built a lightsaber yet," Jenstim said. "I'm the oldest. I think that I-"

Anakin made a slight gesture with his hand and Jenstim stopped talking, not knowing why. Anakin drew his new lightsaber from underneath his cloak and ignited it. The students were standing in a circle, and Anakin pointed his weapon toward the middle of the circle. "I will lead you," he said matter-of-factly, "but you must listen to me. I have made some discoveries while I was at Endor. You must not fight with any fear in your hearts, and at no time should you ever fight with anger at your enemies. These are not only Dark emotions, but they are weak ones. If you will fight with emotion, fight with love. Love for this Academy and its students. Fight to save the Academy, not to kill the enemy. Don't fight defensively. Being hesitant to attack is also a weakness. Don't be scared to take the initiative in the attack. It is not wrong to start a fight as long as it is for a good reason. We will be fighting evil. An evil that has to be eradicated. We are fighting on the right side, the Light side. It will be necessary for us to kill, but it isn't wrong."

The rest of the students all understood and nodded, even Jenstim, who was still wondering what Anakin had done to shut him up. The six Jedi drew their lightsabers and placed the lit blades in the middle of the circle over Anakin's. "May the Force be with us."

They broke into groups. Anakin went with Foister, the twins stuck together, and Garek, Celistin, and Jenstim made the last group. The TIE bombers began to come in first. Although the Pellaeon attack on Yavin IV had happened well into their history lessons, Luke had taught it out of order just for situations like this.

Garek, Celistin, and Jenstim were familiar with the tactics used by their predecessors to combat the Imperials. They reached out to the bombers, but found that each of them too had ysalamiri on board. The trio scrambled quickly to the top of the dormitory to try to get the bombers on the same level. There weren't very many trees to use as weapons because of the earlier bombardment.

As the bombers came within range, they began firing on the temple. The trio tried to bend the lasers away from their targets, but since it was hard to pin point the lasers' origin inside the Forceless bubbles, they weren't very successful. Garek tried to make the best out of a bad situation and began hurling large chunks of the broken temple at the bombers. The bombers were able to avoid the chunks for the most part, but a few inexperienced pilots dodged the chunks only to crash into the temple or one of the few trees that were still standing.

Anakin, Foister, and the twins rushed the oncoming walkers. Scampering across the burnt ground, the Jedi made clear targets and the two legged walkers in the front took target practice. The Jedi held their ground as they worked to deflect the laser fire. Anakin was able to bat some of the bolts back at their source, destroying two walkers.

It soon became evident that Anakin was the most skilled fighter, and the others were barely holding on. After Anakin destroyed his second walker with the returning bolts, the walkers stopped firing on him and focused on the others. Anakin took the opportunity to move forward. Using the Force he ran faster than humanly possible and struck down the legs of the first walker he came to before it even knew he was there. It took the felling of another walker before the walkers adjusted their strategy a second time to now only fire on Anakin. This gave the other Jedi the opportunity to do as Anakin had done, and strike the legs of the walkers.

The twins trained together a lot and enjoyed throwing things with the Force. They had made lightsaber boomerangs and were using them to chip away at the attacking machines. Through their combined efforts they were able to chip away at the legs enough to make the walkers almost immobile.

There were originally ten walkers and now there were none functioning properly. The Jedi's feeling of success was short-lived because behind the preliminary two legged walkers were many tanks and several four legged walkers. The yet distant tanks began firing. They were not entirely accurate, but they were close enough to make most of the Jedi scramble for cover. The large bolts didn't phase Anakin and he held his ground. He even called a few of the close bolts to his lightsaber and hit them back at the tanks. The tanks were strong and their own lasers did little damage to themselves.

Foister saw the ease in which Anakin performed these tasks and stood by him to help.

"Foister, go," Anakin said.

"I will help you."

"You're not ready." He batted another bolt back. "Not strong enough."

Foister was hurt to hear his friend speak that way and stood more determined. He tried to call lasers to him, but was unsuccessful. He was about to follow Anakin's advice, when the lightsaber in his hands started to move under the power of the Force. It was a feeling he was used to. By throwing himself into the Force, it controlled his movements, automatically blocking the oncoming fire. The tank bolt came in hard. Foister's blade was there in time, but it exploded under the impact. The bolt tore through Foister's chest and hurled his now lifeless corpse several meters back.

"No!" In that instant Anakin emotionally detached himself from the situation. Normally he would have felt rage and anger. Emotions that would have him throw caution to the wind and charge in recklessly. He now saw his friend's death as a tragic event. A wrong that needed to be rectified. Justice was needed, not revenge. He charged, but with all caution. Bolts came in from either side as he drew near the guilty tank. Anakin leaped high in the air, letting the bolts flash by underneath him. He soared forward over twenty meters and landed on the tank. He felt the Forceless bubble close in around him; he pushed back. Always before when a Jedi had entered a Forceless bubble, there had been feelings of despair, fear and apprehension. Anakin knew that the being projecting the bubble was a simple worm like creature, not even sentient. The situation boiled down to who was stronger. The ysalamiri shriveled up and died on the spot.

Anakin swung down from his position on the tank and took out the cannon. The hatch popped open and an Imperial officer with a gun stuck his head out. It wasn't his gun for long. It exploded in the officers hand as a lightsaber cut through it. The officer screamed as he fell back down the hatch. Anakin reached out with the Force and triggered the gun of the tank. He flipped off the tank as he felt it try to fire out of its broken cannon. It backfired and exploded internally.

Anakin went around the swarm of tanks striking at them with an uncaged fury. The tanks weren't nimble enough to track this quick attacker and were smart enough (unlike Imperial TIE fighter pilots) to know that if they missed Anakin, they would hit themselves. Anakin struck out at the treads of one tank. With only one good set of treads the tank was only able to move in circles.

The twins watched both the success of Anakin and the failure of Foister. They knew their limitations and decided to work on the TIE bombers that were attacking the temples. Their boomerangs proved very effective against the flying enemies. The battle was going well until the bombers decided to target the students instead of the temple.

Standing on top of the temple, Garek, Celistin, and Jenstim stood out like sunbathers on Hoth. The bombers soon found their targets, and Celistin suffered the same fate as Foister. Garek fell to his knees next to his love. He rose from her side a few seconds later with an evil sting in his eyes. He threw his lightsaber at the offending TIE and sliced a solar panel clean off. He reveled in his anger as he watched the TIE spin out of control and crash into the ground. He was still looking at the crash when Jenstim called out his name.

Jenstim had detached himself emotionally like Anakin had said. As proud as he was, he wasn't unreasonable. Unlike Garek he could sense the new danger and had jumped off of the temple, screaming Garek's name. Garek was to wrapped up in his revenge to feel the incoming bolt through the Force. The top of the temple exploded as the four legged walker's blast shattered the structure. The blast knocked Garek unconscious and he fell with the rest of the ruble into the collapsing temple. Jenstim was floating down off the temple, watching the whole episode. He reached out to find Garek among the rubble and lift him out. He couldn't find Garek's life signal amongst the stone and knew that that meant he was already dead.

Anakin was still dealing with the tanks when he felt Celistin and Garek die. He looked up from his fight and saw that the four legged walkers had moved along the outside of the path and had approached the temples unscathed. Anakin watched in horror as the huge mechanical beasts walked freely amongst the ancient structures, tearing them down as if they were made of pebbles.

Anakin fought hard against the anger rising inside him. He threw it off with a scream. Filled with new love for the ancient temples and the Jedi tradition they had represented, he picked up one of the huge tanks and hurled it two hundred meters through the air and into a walker. The two exploded in a terrific fireball.

Anakin ran toward the temples, ignoring the remaining tanks. They fired at his feet but Anakin made sure they all came up short. When he reached the temples he found nothing but rubble. Angelic was injured but still fighting. It looked like she had been hit in the leg by falling stone. Jenstim and Angelina still fought hard. Angelina had taken out the last of the bombers and was starting to help Jenstim with the walkers. They were smart enough to avoid the bolts from the walkers, but were finding that thrown rocks had little effect on the large monsters. Anakin called attention to himself, knowing that his lightsaber was strong enough to repel the massive fire power. Anakin swung a bolt back at the head of one of the walkers, blowing it to pieces. The impact of the bolt sent Anakin sprawling but unhurt.

Anakin tried to draw more fire as Jenstim and Angelina ran at the walker's legs. The two Jedi's lightsabers were not as strong as Anakin's, but they were soon able to do enough damage to a leg to bring down the walker.

Anakin threw his lightsaber at another walker, taking out of the cockpit. A walker saw his opportunity to take out the obvious leader and fired at the unarmed Jedi. A Jedi is never unarmed. The Force was infinitely stronger than Anakin's lightsaber. Anakin simply caught the bolt and threw it back.

The remaining tanks were now closing in behind the Jedi and they found themselves trapped. With walkers in front and tanks behind, they had no safe place to turn their backs. Anakin called his lightsaber back and called to the other students. He couldn't deflect fire from both front and back at the same time and still be effective. The Jedi ran away from the destroyed Academy in the direction that Streen and Tionne had led the younger students.

Anakin told the twins and Jenstim to meet up with the other students and keep them a safe distance away. Anakin explained that he had to go back to make sure of a few things. They had seen his performance and realized that he knew what he was doing. They parted and wished each other luck.

Anakin had to make sure that his E-wing was safe. His E-wing. He was so used to calling it his that he forgot he was actually borrowing it from his uncle. He couldn't help but smile when he thought of how mad Uncle Luke would be. He didn't even let Jacen or Jaina fly it. Anakin stopped short. Where were his brother and sister? And Lowbacca? They wouldn't have gone with the younger students, would they? Their presence at the fight could have made a drastic difference. Anakin shrugged his shoulders and continued running back toward the ruins.

He walked carefully amongst the rubble, keeping out of sight from the tanks and walkers that seemed to be everywhere. He had landed the E-wing in the same secluded landing site that Lando had landed in about two weeks ago. He found it undamaged and breathed a sigh of relief. He got inside and powered up. He hesitated before lifting off, knowing that if he flew to the other students, he would give away their position. He remembered a trick that his uncle had talked about once. Something about hiding your energy in the Force like hiding a cup of water in the ocean. Anakin had never tried it, or even seen it. But he had confidence in his abilities.

He lifted off and flew away from the grisly scene without one walker or tank taking notice. He flew the craft in the general direction where he had left the others. He reached out for Streen and found him two kilometers to the north. Anakin set down the E-wing in a small clearing, unhiding it as he did so.

Streen and Tionne broke into the clearing leading a group of students. Anakin popped out of the E-wing and met them. At the same time, the twins and Jenstim came into the clearing from the opposite side.

"What is happening at the Academy?" Streen asked the foursome.

"The Imperials attacked," Jenstim said. "They killed Garek, Celistin, and Foister and have destroyed all of the temples."

"I suggest that we all stay here," Anakin said. "I believe that they aren't here to totally destroy the planet, just the Academy."

"I agree," Streen said, "but we should try to hide our presence."

Together the group of students and teachers concentrated on hiding their position and their life signs.

* * *

Snotzenexer read the battle reports. It had not started out well, but it had ended nicely. "Life signs?"

"It's hard to tell with all of the jungle life out there, sir, but if you assume that if there are any left, they will stay in a group, then I read no large groups of life forms."

Good enough, thought Snotzenexer. He wasn't ordered to exterminate the Jedi, just to destroy the Academy. All of the temples were reduced to rubble and the troops reported three confirmed kills and four missing Jedi. "Call the troops back. We're finished."

* * *

The Jedi watched from the clearing as the shuttles came down to pick up the officers. Walkers and tanks could only make the trip down. When they were gone and the ships in space blasted into hyperspace, they all tried to relax.

"Where are my brother and sister?" Anakin asked Streen as soon as he had the chance.

Streen dreaded telling Anakin, knowing what his reaction would be. He had heard Jenstim's report, though, and figured if anyone was going to go to Hastrin, it should be Anakin.

Early the next morning, an E-wing shot out of Yavin IV's atmosphere and entered hyperspace en-route to Hastrin.

Chapter 24 "Escape"

Han watched as Luke began to stir. It had been an anxious few days. Luke had been in some kind of coma since the ordeal at the Arena. Han had spent the time since banging on the door to his cell and demanding medical attention for his friend. He harassed the guards who brought their meals. He called for the doctor who he knew was stationed here. Han had been ignored. Han had hope that his friend was still OK. The conversation he had had with Luke right before he fell into the coma implied that he had recovered some kind of Force skill. Luke had put himself in comas before, but never for this long. Han had examined the wound on Luke's head and realized the reason for the prolonged coma. Han continued to yell at the guards, though. He yelled for two reasons: he didn't want the Imperials to think that Luke was OK, and he wasn't one hundred percent sure that Luke was OK. If Han had kept his silence the Imperials were likely to think that something was up, that Luke wasn't as badly injured as they had thought.

Han watched as Luke slowly rose to a sitting position. He moved slowly, careful not to black out. He tried to stand but Han rushed to his side. "It's OK, don't get up."

Luke looked up at him. "I'm fine Han." Luke pushed Han's helping hand away and got to his feet smoothly. He stretched his limbs and tested the wound on the side of his head.

Han saw color return to his friend's face, and for the first time Han noticed that Luke's hair was back to its original color, the gray seemingly gone. "What happened?"

"I have the Force again. I'd always had it, just I didn't know it. You could say the rancor knocked some sense into me."

"It looked like he almost knocked everything out of you," Han tried to sound stern but was inwardly glad, and a smile slowly crept to his lips. "Oh, never talk to me like that again."

"Like what?" Luke looked confused.

"In my head. That's reserved for Lea." Luke looked a little confused. Han started to feel embarrassed, sorry that he had brought it up. "You know, that's how we talk when we, you know, . . ." Luke understood.

Luke changed topics quickly. "So you want to get out of here?" he motioned around at the cell.

Han replaced his former expression with a smile. "Thought you'd never ask. Do you have a plan?"

"Do we need one? I thought we'd just walk out."

"Sounds good to me."

The two of them walked up to the door. Luke paused slightly and the door opened. They stepped out of the door, and Han noticed that the two guards lay unconscious at their posts.

"You remember the way to the transport?" Luke asked.

"Yes I do, but I think that you should lead the way."

Luke made his way down the hall with Han in toe. They were unnoticed and unmolested. Han was surprised that there weren't any alarms. Then again, they didn't break the door down, and the guards probably didn't have any time to signal the alarm before Luke had knocked them out.

The door to the outside slid open as they approached it. Outside two guards turned around, only to have Luke knock them out with a wave of his hand.

"We're heading to town right?" Han asked.

Luke nodded. "I figure it's the safest place to hide."

"We better take these guys' uniforms then."

"I can hide our identity."

"What if we get separated or hit another ysalamiri field?"

"You're right Luke admitted." They stripped the two guards and took off their own, now smelly, imperial uniforms. The uniforms they had been wearing might have been good camouflage, but they had no rank and they smelled awful.

Han jumped into the driver's seat, and Luke took his spot in the front. Han knew the way to town and accelerated the little transport quickly. The terrain was rough, but a path had been made off the side of the mountain.

They had just left the rocky mountain side when Han felt a little tug on the transport. Luke felt it in the Force. "Someone is trying to keep us here."

Han pressed the throttle to the floor. "Jacen, wanna bet?" Luke helped Han through the Force but the craft still slowed. Suddenly the grasp let go and Han couldn't let up on the throttle in time. The transport rocketed forward, and it was all Han could do to keep the craft from crashing into a tree as they sped into the forest.

After Han regained control he turned to Luke. "What happened?"

"We hit a Forceless bubble. They probably surrounded their base with ysalamiri. We're through the field now."

They continued on in silence for a while. As they approached the city Han spoke up. "You better hide us a little bit. We were just at a trial, and about fifty thousand people saw us in the Arena, we might be recognized. Is there anything that you can do that's permanent."

Han felt his face start to tingle. He took one hand of the wheel to feel his new growing beard. He could feel the hairs grow longer as Luke stimulated the growth of each hair. Han looked in the rear view mirror and admired his knew face. "Not bad, I might just keep it." Luke assumed the identity that he always used when he traveled abroad and didn't wish to be recognized.

The transport sped through town and no one paid them a second look. Han looked for a place to park the vehicle. He saw a few smaller speeders in a garage. As Han turned to park the transport he raised a concern that had been on his mind. "We don't have any money."

"I don't think we're going to need it. This just seems to be a planet side retreat. They must have a space station somewhere, and this is where they take their leave. The Empire isn't going to try to make money off itself." Han couldn't argue with the logic. He agreed with Luke fully when he wasn't charged for parking their ride.

They walked out into the street and looked at the passing groups of people. Clones were freaky. Groups of four or five identical people walked by with regularity. In fact Han had to look around for a while to find a diversified group like their own. They walked down the street and entered the first bar they came to. Luke took a seat at an empty booth and Han went over to talk to the bar tender.

"Hey, you're new here. I don't remember seeing any of your brothers around."

Han remembered what Luke had said. "Yea well my shift just got off today. You should see more of me pretty soon. Do you know of a good place to spend the night."

"You mean besides your assigned quarters?"

Stupid! Of course the Empire would have housing blocks set up. "Well, you know, they get so stuffy. I want a place where I can relax."

"Ah, you're looking for a little night time entertainment. There are a few women working in a couple of the other bars in town. They're the only thing that costs anything down here, unless you're into betting."

"Good looking of course?" Han feigned interest.

"The Empire only clones only the best, buddy."

Han tried to hide his disgust. He had no intention of looking up a prostitute (Leia would throw him out an airlock), but the idea of sleeping with a manufactured test tube female gave him the chills. Han ordered two drinks, realizing as he walked back, that Luke probably wouldn't drink his.

Han sat down across from Luke. "So where are we staying tonight?"

"What?" Han asked. "You weren't listening in on our conversation?"

"I was trying to pick up a little info from our bar mates. You know, ease dropping."

"Find anything?"

"Not much other than what we had already guessed. There seems to some kind station - the Dark Ring is what they're calling it. I'm getting a bad feeling that it might a huge bat-"

Luke was cut off as someone slammed a hand down on their table. Both Han and Luke jumped at the sound. They looked up at a large man with a few spectators behind him. The man was looking right at Luke. Han was worried that their cover might be blown. He looked over at Luke and realized that he couldn't even recognize the Jedi Master. The big man lifted his hand revealing a pile of credits. "One hundred credits says that I can beat you in a game of gungrat arm wrestling."

Han nearly laughed out loud. Luke was anything but physically intimidating, and the false identity he was assuming did nothing to compliment that form. Luke looked at Han and Han realized that he didn't want this distraction. Han mouthed that they needed the money. Luke shrugged and turned back to the man. "Quadruple your bet and you're on."

A few spectators gasped at Luke's boldness. Even the big man was slightly taken aback. Han almost thought he was going to call the bet off. Who knows what kind of clone Luke could be? "Let's see your money first."

"You don't need to see my money," Luke said with a wave of his fingers.

"Of course I don't need to see your money."

"Bert are you sure?" one of the men behind him asked.

"I know what I'm doing, Shrenk. Come on big spender," he said to Luke. Luke complied by standing and following Bert over to the wrestling table.

Han got up as well and fell in line with the rest of the crowd. He moved over to Shrenk. "Has he lost before?"

Shrenk shook his head. "He claims that he can beat any clone that comes around. He challenges each new type he sees. You're probably next."

"What if he looses?"

"He won't. One of his brothers did once, in another bar across town."

"Has Bert challenged the victor yet, or at least one of his brothers?"

"She wasn't a clone."

Han looked incredulous. He gazed at Bert's incredible bulk as he sat down at the wrestling table. "A woman beat one of his brothers?"

Shrenk nodded but didn't say anything else as the fight was about to begin. The uniforms that Han and Luke had stolen consisted of a mid sleeve coat over a short sleeve T-shirt. Luke took off his coat and rolled up his right sleeve. Han noticed that Luke's arm was quite a bit bigger than normal. It still didn't compare to Bert's, but Han knew that didn't matter.

Luke took his seat across from Bert and placed his elbow on the small pad made available to him. Bert gripped his hand in a vice, trying to break Luke's hand and end the fight before it started. Luke didn't flinch, but clenched his hand tight and flexed his arm. Han watched in disbelief as Luke's arm swelled to an incredible size. Muscles appeared from nowhere, swelling and rippling over each other. Bert's jaw dropped and his grip loosened. Luke responded by tightening his grip, almost crushing Bert's hand.

The judge for the match gave the starting word, and Bert launched his attack. He leaned with all of his incredible strength against Luke's arm. Luke's arm bent back slightly, but as strong as Bert was, he was no match for the life force of the entire universe. Luke sent Bert's arm crashing down on the table so hard that the thick wood cracked, and the entire table snapped in half. Bert was thrown from his chair and landed in the pile of wood that used to be the table.

Luke stood up and stretched is arm. The muscles faded one by one back into his arm. He waited for Bert to regain his consciousness and collected his four hundred credits.

Han and Luke made an immediate exit and walked quickly down the street. "Congratulations," Han said in jest. "I was worried there for a moment." Luke walked in silence, he didn't enjoy flaunting his powers like that, but Han was right and they did need the money. "I think Jaina is in town," Han said growing quickly serious.

"What makes you say that?"

"I was talking with one of Bert's henchmen. He told me that Bert had never lost before, but one of his clones had. He had lost to a woman. There aren't very many women I know that are big enough to accomplish that feat with out a little help. And I know Jacen would not have come here alone."

This revelation sent Luke into deep thought. He had gotten to know the twins very well at the Academy and began to think that there was a very good chance that Lowbacca was here too. His thoughts returned to Jacen. He would have to confront him. Because of that incident as they were leaving the mountain, Luke knew that Jacen knew that they were in the city and he would either be coming for them or he would wait for Luke to come to him. Luke decided that he had to take the initiative and go to Jacen. Luke was overcome with a feeling of de-ja-vu. He had had to confront the last Lord of the Sith, his father, twenty-seven years ago. He had gone into that confrontation with the knowledge that there was still good in Darth Vader and intentions of turning him back to the Light side. He had managed to turn his father, but it had killed him. Luke hoped for better results with Jacen. If it was only mind control that was influencing Jacen's actions then it would be easier to turn him back than if it had been his conscious decision. Somewhere inside Darth Solon was Jacen Solo trying to get out.

"We have to find her, Luke," Han said.

"I have to confront Jacen."

"We can find Jaina first, then we can go back to the base and get Jacen. Together the two of you could turn him back."

"Are you forgetting that it is very likely that Jaina has been brainwashed as well. Besides we don't know where to start looking. It's best if we split up. I'll go back to the base and find Jacen. You stay here and look for Jaina, but remember she won't know you, so be careful."

Han wanted to argue, but realized that Luke was right. "Just remember that Jacen's my son, not some evil Dark Lord that the Empire has made him look like."

Luke nodded and they separated. Luke headed back to the transport, and Han moseyed off in a random direction searching for his daughter.

* * *

Darth Solon walked alone down the dimly lit corridor. His boots echoed resoundingly in the hallway, and his black cape flowed gracefully behind him portraying all the confidence he felt and more. He walked onto the main bridge of the third quadrant of the Dark Ring and smiled to himself as he saw everyone in the room straighten their posture and try to look busy.

Commander Skeener walked quickly up to Solon and saluted. Inwardly he hated having to salute, respect, and, unfortunately, fear this kid. In his estimation Solon could not be more than twenty-five years old. Skeener didn't let his contempt for Solon show too much, because he knew that Solon was the hand of Tallon and therefore indirectly the hand of Thrawn.

"The preparations for battle are progressing smoothly. All construction is finished on the weapon systems, and all systems are fully charged. We are currently in the middle of staffing the fourth quarter. All personnel training should be finished by tomorrow. The Dark Ring should be fully operational in less than twenty-four hours." Skeener paused. "If I may ask, Lord Solon, why are we at all worried about the New Republic's attack? Surely this battle station could demolish the five biggest fleets in the galaxy at once. What have we to fear?"

Darth Solon paused in consideration. 'You don't know, do you?' thought Skeener. 'Tallon has only told you what he wants. Vader always knew what was going on.'

Skeener felt a little tingle in his throat. "You are wise not to speak your thoughts. You would be wiser not to think them at all." Solon released his grip. "We have reason to believe that the New Republic has acquired the plans to the Dark Ring. They have taken one of our old weapon stations that might have contained the plans, as well as other confidential weapon information."

"Good," Skeener said with just a little crack in his voice, "that will give them a false sense of hope."

"The same false sense of hope that they had at Yavin IV and Endor, Commander?"

"Lord Solon, are you predicting a defeat?"

"I believe that we will crush the New Republic, if we are ready. If we hold them in contempt they will crush us." Solon held his hand and made a fist.

Skeener could feel his throat close again and immediately picked up on Solon's hidden meaning. "I don't hold you in contempt, Lord Solon."

Solon released his grip. "Let's hope not, for your sake, Commander." Solon turned sharply around and left the room quickly.

Darth Solon made his way back to the landing bay and his shuttle. He disliked these motivational trips that Tallon sent him on, but he realized that the officers in this battle station had to remain sharp. Without any adversaries to fight against, Solon was glad to provide them with a sharp poke in the rear to keep them motivated. The turbo lift whisked him through the gigantic structure at speeds he did not care to calculate. His brother could probably calculate them. He had always been good at ma-. What brother? Solon was an only child, and his parents had been killed by the New Republic. Solon used his anger to flush away the false conception of a brother. He should examine his memory sometime soon, he couldn't afford to have mental slips like that.

Darth Solon's shuttle was waiting for him. His pilot saw him enter the hanger and rushed to take his spot in the cockpit. Without a word from either of them, Solon sat in the back, and the pilot lifted the shuttle out of the hanger and flew to the jump point for Hastrin.

The jump was short and uneventful. Solon spent the time formulating his report. He was not used to giving reports. He had only been doing this for a few wee-. He had been doing this for a couple years. Another false memory had crept into his mind. He spent the rest of the trip in meditation.

Solon was refreshed with a renewed confidence when the shuttle jumped out of hyperspace outside of Hastrin. After the pilot gave the orbiting fleet the proper clearance codes, he steered the ship toward the planet. And after a short atmospheric trip, the shuttle touched down gently on the small mountain side landing pad. Solon made his way to the turbo lift and descended into the lower levels.

Darth Solon passed through the ysalamiri field located halfway down the shaft. Solon hated the worm-like creatures, but acknowledged their importance in capturing Skywalker. The Forceless bubble continued all the way to the bottom, and it took Solon a few seconds to walk out of it after he left the turbo lift.

Solon made his way to Tallon's office. He not only had information to give, but he wished to learn about the current events on Hastrin. He walked quickly through the clean halls of the mountain fortress. Tallon's office was not far from the Turbo lift, and Solon didn't waste any time.

Tallon looked up from his computer screen as Darth Solon walked. "Good evening, Lord Solon. How fares our indestructible monstrosity in space?"

"It is approaching one hundred percent battle readiness. It should be ready by tomorrow. How is our fleet doing?"

"The New Republic is scrambling to keep up. General Oskiman is doing a fabulous job of keeping them guessing as to our next move. The Academy has also been hit successfully. I hope you weren't having any second thoughts, because there is nothing to run back to."

"Any survivors?"

"The Academy seemed almost deserted when the attack force arrived. We took several casualties, but we were able to reduce all of the temples to rubble. The little resistance that we met was crushed. There is a guess of about six Jedi lost."

Solon felt no remorse. "What of Skywalker and Solo? How did they fare against the rancor?"

Tallon's face fell a little. "Better than expected, unfortunately. Skywalker took a vicious and near fatal blow to the head and is in a coma right now, but Solo was able to make friends with the horrible beast, and the fight was called off until a later date."

Solon disbelieved in Solo's ability to calm the rancor and immediately smelled foul play. He, unlike Tallon, was aware of the Force's use in taming animals. Skywalker had taken a blow to the head. The surgery! Solon closed his eyes and reached out to the prison cell. He opened his eyes with a snap. "Skywalker has woken up."

"From his coma?" Tallon asked, though he expected more from Solon's tone.

"Yes, and from his Force slumber. He has regained his ability to wield the Force."

"Impossible," Tallon said. He didn't so much doubt Solon as much as he wanted an explanation.

"The blow to his head could have undone the surgery."

"Not likely," Tallon argued. "Dr. Kendel is an exceptional physician. He would have secured his work better than that."

"Are you trying to compare the work of the Force with the work of a scalpel?" Solon had always been a little skeptic as to the security of the surgery, now his fears had come to reality. "We must get to them before they escape."

Tallon and Darth Solon moved quickly out of Tallon's office. As they ran, Tallon remembered what Thrawn had said at the Arena. Thrawn had been right again. This shouldn't have surprised Tallon, but it did.

"They are on the move," Solon said.

Tallon activated his communicator and tried to contact the posted guards. He got no response. He cursed his slow reaction. "Where are they headed?"

"They are going outside."

Of course, they were going in the only direction they knew of. Tallon was able to reach the two guards outside.

"Yes, sir."

"Be ready for Skywalker and Solo."

"Have they esca-" the guards voice was cut short.

"They're moving quickly," Tallon said to Solon.

They got to the cell to find the door open and the two guards on the floor. Solon stooped to check the life signs of each. Tallon was a little shocked at Darth Solon's uncharacteristic concern for the guards. There was probably still too much of Jacen Solo in him. Solon got up and proclaimed that they were simply asleep.

They hurried down the corridor leading to the outdoors. The door was open and the transport was gone. Tallon squinted against the sun and saw it streaking down the side of the mountain. Solon reached his hand out and tried to bring the craft back. He endured a brief struggle with Skywalker before the transport plunged into the darkness of the ysalamiri field.

"I've lost them," Solon admitted. "Skywalker will come back to me."

"They're headed into the city. I'll send a team of storm troopers in."

"That won't be necessary," the voice came from behind them, and both Solon and Tallon spun around to see Thrawn staring at the disappearing transport. "It appears the surgery was indeed thwarted, Captain. I agree with Lord Solon that Skywalker will come back. I'm sure if you give it some thought you will come to the same conclusion, but perhaps for different reasons."

Jacen was Skywalker's nephew, and Skywalker thinks that Jacen is the next the Dark Lord of the Sith. Of course he'll come back. Tallon wondered about the prudence of bringing that fact up right in front of Jacen. "What about Solo?"

"I believe you have an operative in the city," Thrawn said.

Of course. Jaina would be perfect for the job. The irony was almost sickening. Han's son would kill Skywalker, while his daughter would kill him. This escape wasn't so bad after all.