DESTINY
Chapter 7
The roar of the sub-light engines from the Millenium Falcon faded over an empty desert as the
craft circled briefly before settling amid the endless sand dunes of Tattooine. The trio on
board had landed within fifty metres of the Princess's X-Wing, thanks to the homing beacon
Chewbacca had the foresight to attach to her ship. Within moments Han Solo was leading his
party down the boarding ramp fully expecting to find Leia without delay.
He surveyed his surroundings and shook his head dubiously "What the hell is she doing this
far from nowhere!" Chewie offered Han an indication he should be grateful she hadn't docked
her ship in Mos Eisley. The reward on his head was sure to have doubled since his sudden
departure a few days earlier. The Corellian smiled knowingly, then raised a hand to quiet his
friend while he searched the horizon for any sign of life. "There's something not right about all
of this."
Lando stepped up behind "Pity we didn't know she was here all along." he offered with ironic
amusement "We could have saved ourselves a return trip!" However, his attempt at humour
failed and Han climbed into the X-Wing searching for any clue to where she might be.
"It doesn't make sense! he growled "She hasn't crashed, so there's gotta be a place near here,
somewhere!"
Lando tapped on the hull of the ship bidding for Solo's attention. Once successful, he pointed
towards the horizon and the setting suns. "There's not much we'll be able to do until morning.
The best idea would be to scan the area from inside the Falcon and hope we come up with
something." Chewbacca agreed. He hated this planet, the sand drove him insane. Plus he was
nervous about the Sandpeople. He even suggested that seeing it was too risky to venture into
the nearby city that they hover in space until the morning. If the curious look from Han wasn't
enough to make him wish he'd never spoken, the hearty laugh from Lando certainly was!
Chewbacca shuffled into the Falcon grumbling while Calrissian exploited his weakness. "To look
at him you'd never believe he could be such a coward!" And Han laughed.
****
Full sleep wouldn't come to Han. As a result of his ordeal with the carbon freezing he had been
uneasy of a night. Anyway, he had an odd churning in his gut. Since Lando brought him up to
date on the madness of Luke and Leia's subsequent herosim, this was the first time he'd had any
real opportunity to ponder on just what had taken place in his absence. Two things came
naturally to him. His fear for Leia's safety, then his anger at what he saw was a reckless decision
to jump ship and chase fantasies. "She should know better than to just run off like this!" He ran
a hand across his chin while talking to himself "She should know better."
Solo spent the night uncomfortably dozing from time to time in the cockpit. The only light was a
dim glow from the console which he kept watch over as he searched for whatever lifeforms were
in the vacinity.
****
With her hands still bound and her person flanked by guards, Leia was marched into the Imperial
Shuttle and ordered to sit. There was no further instruction or information as she watched the
guards turn away from her to guard either side of the hatch. Once again it appeared she was
simply meant to wait, this time to wonder where she would be taken and which of her captors
would accompany her. The Princess had not seen Luke at all since being taken prisoner and she
was uncertain if this was a good thing or not. She thought it possible that Vader was keeping a
distance between them, fearing she'd be able to place doubt in Luke's mind over his decision to
abandon the Alliance.
****
Dawn broke across the sandy wasteland and Solo lost no time in waking his crew. Both Lando
and Chewie stood bleary eyed while Han informed them of his findings.
"The scanners have picked up a few scattered life forms." He pointed at a large dial level with
his shoulder as he sat in his pilot's seat. "There's a fairly large group over in this mountainous
region..." he continued, seeminly unaware of his friends' battle to pay attention in their
semi-awakened state, "...but our best shot would be here!" He tapped a spot on the dial. "It's a
single life form, not that far away. If she's doing this training thing like you said, odds are this is
where she'd be." Solo looked up at the faces peering blankly past him at the dial on the console.
He clapped his hands loudly, "Well? Come on!" Lando and Chewie broke their gaze and
dutifully followed Solo outside.
****
"Skywalker. Skywalker." Luke tried out his name quietly as he relaxed and watched the Imperial
Fleet keep pace with The Executer. Vader's Fleet. "My Fleet!" he smiled possessively. His name
was now entirely unsuitable. Something would be needed to replace it.
It was only a matter of time now before they would receive word from Boba Fett of the Emperor's
demise. All that remained was the matter of the Princess. Luke's uneasiness with the manner in
which his father was handling this situation still festered below the surface, but logic suggested
to him that Vader would hand her over to him once he'd obtained whatever it was he required from
her. He swivelled gently in his chair, keeping a satisfied vigil over the procession of ships and
contemplated his new title.
****
Solo, Calrissian and Chewbacca crept towards the deserted hut with blasters at the ready. Not a
sound came from within and Solo carefully peered through a window as he motioned for the
others to move around to the other side of the building. Squinting through the glass he saw a
small creature which appeared to be sleeping in a chair.
"Chewie!" he whispered. "Lando!" he motioned for them to approach the hut, then pointed
towards the sleeping creature. "What do you make of that?"
The diminutive Being surprised the trio by turning to face them, opening his large and bulbous
green eyes. "What you proudly call stealth, I would deem as clumsy." he spoke "Not only did I
hear you tripping through the sand, but your engines burned the sky last night!"
Solo gave a mocking, disbelieving laugh "Who are you?"
The occupant straightened with self respect, "Yoda. Jedi Master."
****
Disappointed at her lack of composure, Leia jumped nervously when the hatch of the shuttle
opened abruptly. She was emotionally drained and all the idle time she'd had recently only gave
space for her mind to wander. She had thought of Han and willed him to chase after her, to fight for
her. Sadly, she realised that not Han, or anyone for that matter, had the slightest idea of where she
was or what she was about to face. She wished it would just be over with. Where or how she died
didn't interest her.
Vader stepped silently passed the Princess, his black cape brushing over her knees. He seated
himself in the pilot seat and activated the engines. She stared miserably at the back of his head, too
tired to ask what was to happen next.
The shuttle lifted from the deck. With a roar from the thrusters she was catapulted into space with
only the man she loathed to admit was her father. Even by Imperial standards, she imagined this
course of action must be highly irregular.
Once safely away, Darth Vader turned to the Princess. "You remind me of your mother."
Stunned and catching her breath, Leia spoke almost inaudibly "I hardly remember my mother."
Vader watched her for a moment longer then turned away.
****
Yoda pointed his cane and stabbed at the air while scolding the Corellian, "What took you so long
to walk to me....hmmm? Too late you are to save her! Gone she is!"
Irritated, Solo leaned down to meet Yoda's gaze and spoke in his perfected dogmatic manner. "Look
old...." he struggled to recognize the species, "...man?! What are you talking about?" When Yoda
failed to respond, Han cast a worried look to Chewie and Lando then seated himself beside the Jedi
Master. "This 'she' that you're talking about? What did she look like?"
Yoda narrowed his eyes, meeting Solo's glare. He whispered the truth with such deliberate severity
that he left no room for doubt or question. "The one you seek? She left this place to search for you
and now she is in much peril." The would-be rescuers stood fearful as they listened. "The one which
you knew as Skywalker will not help her. Even as we speak Vader carries her further away."
Solo's voice was unsteady as he leaned closer. "Where? Where is he taking her?"
Yoda took a deep breath and hung his head. "How do you intend to face the Sith and save the Princess,
hmmm?" He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sith?" Han looked to his friends who shrugged "What does it matter? Just tell me where she is and we
can work the rest out on the way!"
****
For a long while the only sound heard in the shuttle was Vader's respirator. Both occupants sat deathly
quiet as each struggled to come to terms with what was occuring.
The turmoil within Vader was almost unbearable. His mind darted back and forth over his lifetime. His
mother's voice and Padme's face haunted him in unison. At this moment he considered it far too
dangerous to turn around and look on the face of the Princess. She had a power over him unbeknown to
her. One strong enough to create the most desperate of circumstance deep in his being. To look at her
without preparing himself for her face could be disasterous.
****
"What?!" Luke's voice was cruel and angry. The Admiral backed away from him in fear of his life, but
Skywalker stepped with him, keeping the space between them unaltered. "Lord Vader departed with the
Princess? Departed where, exactly?"
"He didn't say, Sir." The man instinctively continued stepping away. "Considering Lord Vader's
demeanour, I considered it best not to inquire too closely."
"Find that shuttle!" ordered Skywalker in an enraged whisper.
"But, Sir..."
"FIND IT!"
The Admiral nodded, "Sir." then freed himself from Skywalker's glare, making his way over to a row of
dutifully silent Deck Officers delivering the order with a click of his fingers.
****
In his mind he was taken back to where it all began. A small boy ran behind the Jedi Master he was so in
awe of. Was he now so far removed from that child? In a flash he beheld his mother dying in his arms.
He felt that same anger as if the wound had been opened anew. She would have lived if only that imbeclic
Lars boy had the courage to search for her. Vader knew if he ad he been there himself she would still be
alive. He squeezed his mind shut to expel the pain and at once Padme's face beamed before him. Was there
no escape from this torture? Try as he could, Padme's sad face would not be pushed aside as was the
image of his mother's death. The image of her hovered before him until it faded into blackness. Now his
past was closing in on him. He was reunited with his son...and now a daughter too.
Vader began his descent. He knew he would be safe from distractions here. He needed to be here with his
daughter. He yearned for the serenity, after Padme it was the only other thing he loved.
The engines swapped their droning hum for the high pitch of the docking process. Once silence had
settled Leia spoke, veiling her emotions. "Where are we?"
Vader stood and turned to her. "Follow me, your Highness."
She rose with dignity and spoke directly to him. "Where are we?"
He turned sharply towards the open hatch. "Naboo."
end chapter 7
Chapter 7
The roar of the sub-light engines from the Millenium Falcon faded over an empty desert as the
craft circled briefly before settling amid the endless sand dunes of Tattooine. The trio on
board had landed within fifty metres of the Princess's X-Wing, thanks to the homing beacon
Chewbacca had the foresight to attach to her ship. Within moments Han Solo was leading his
party down the boarding ramp fully expecting to find Leia without delay.
He surveyed his surroundings and shook his head dubiously "What the hell is she doing this
far from nowhere!" Chewie offered Han an indication he should be grateful she hadn't docked
her ship in Mos Eisley. The reward on his head was sure to have doubled since his sudden
departure a few days earlier. The Corellian smiled knowingly, then raised a hand to quiet his
friend while he searched the horizon for any sign of life. "There's something not right about all
of this."
Lando stepped up behind "Pity we didn't know she was here all along." he offered with ironic
amusement "We could have saved ourselves a return trip!" However, his attempt at humour
failed and Han climbed into the X-Wing searching for any clue to where she might be.
"It doesn't make sense! he growled "She hasn't crashed, so there's gotta be a place near here,
somewhere!"
Lando tapped on the hull of the ship bidding for Solo's attention. Once successful, he pointed
towards the horizon and the setting suns. "There's not much we'll be able to do until morning.
The best idea would be to scan the area from inside the Falcon and hope we come up with
something." Chewbacca agreed. He hated this planet, the sand drove him insane. Plus he was
nervous about the Sandpeople. He even suggested that seeing it was too risky to venture into
the nearby city that they hover in space until the morning. If the curious look from Han wasn't
enough to make him wish he'd never spoken, the hearty laugh from Lando certainly was!
Chewbacca shuffled into the Falcon grumbling while Calrissian exploited his weakness. "To look
at him you'd never believe he could be such a coward!" And Han laughed.
****
Full sleep wouldn't come to Han. As a result of his ordeal with the carbon freezing he had been
uneasy of a night. Anyway, he had an odd churning in his gut. Since Lando brought him up to
date on the madness of Luke and Leia's subsequent herosim, this was the first time he'd had any
real opportunity to ponder on just what had taken place in his absence. Two things came
naturally to him. His fear for Leia's safety, then his anger at what he saw was a reckless decision
to jump ship and chase fantasies. "She should know better than to just run off like this!" He ran
a hand across his chin while talking to himself "She should know better."
Solo spent the night uncomfortably dozing from time to time in the cockpit. The only light was a
dim glow from the console which he kept watch over as he searched for whatever lifeforms were
in the vacinity.
****
With her hands still bound and her person flanked by guards, Leia was marched into the Imperial
Shuttle and ordered to sit. There was no further instruction or information as she watched the
guards turn away from her to guard either side of the hatch. Once again it appeared she was
simply meant to wait, this time to wonder where she would be taken and which of her captors
would accompany her. The Princess had not seen Luke at all since being taken prisoner and she
was uncertain if this was a good thing or not. She thought it possible that Vader was keeping a
distance between them, fearing she'd be able to place doubt in Luke's mind over his decision to
abandon the Alliance.
****
Dawn broke across the sandy wasteland and Solo lost no time in waking his crew. Both Lando
and Chewie stood bleary eyed while Han informed them of his findings.
"The scanners have picked up a few scattered life forms." He pointed at a large dial level with
his shoulder as he sat in his pilot's seat. "There's a fairly large group over in this mountainous
region..." he continued, seeminly unaware of his friends' battle to pay attention in their
semi-awakened state, "...but our best shot would be here!" He tapped a spot on the dial. "It's a
single life form, not that far away. If she's doing this training thing like you said, odds are this is
where she'd be." Solo looked up at the faces peering blankly past him at the dial on the console.
He clapped his hands loudly, "Well? Come on!" Lando and Chewie broke their gaze and
dutifully followed Solo outside.
****
"Skywalker. Skywalker." Luke tried out his name quietly as he relaxed and watched the Imperial
Fleet keep pace with The Executer. Vader's Fleet. "My Fleet!" he smiled possessively. His name
was now entirely unsuitable. Something would be needed to replace it.
It was only a matter of time now before they would receive word from Boba Fett of the Emperor's
demise. All that remained was the matter of the Princess. Luke's uneasiness with the manner in
which his father was handling this situation still festered below the surface, but logic suggested
to him that Vader would hand her over to him once he'd obtained whatever it was he required from
her. He swivelled gently in his chair, keeping a satisfied vigil over the procession of ships and
contemplated his new title.
****
Solo, Calrissian and Chewbacca crept towards the deserted hut with blasters at the ready. Not a
sound came from within and Solo carefully peered through a window as he motioned for the
others to move around to the other side of the building. Squinting through the glass he saw a
small creature which appeared to be sleeping in a chair.
"Chewie!" he whispered. "Lando!" he motioned for them to approach the hut, then pointed
towards the sleeping creature. "What do you make of that?"
The diminutive Being surprised the trio by turning to face them, opening his large and bulbous
green eyes. "What you proudly call stealth, I would deem as clumsy." he spoke "Not only did I
hear you tripping through the sand, but your engines burned the sky last night!"
Solo gave a mocking, disbelieving laugh "Who are you?"
The occupant straightened with self respect, "Yoda. Jedi Master."
****
Disappointed at her lack of composure, Leia jumped nervously when the hatch of the shuttle
opened abruptly. She was emotionally drained and all the idle time she'd had recently only gave
space for her mind to wander. She had thought of Han and willed him to chase after her, to fight for
her. Sadly, she realised that not Han, or anyone for that matter, had the slightest idea of where she
was or what she was about to face. She wished it would just be over with. Where or how she died
didn't interest her.
Vader stepped silently passed the Princess, his black cape brushing over her knees. He seated
himself in the pilot seat and activated the engines. She stared miserably at the back of his head, too
tired to ask what was to happen next.
The shuttle lifted from the deck. With a roar from the thrusters she was catapulted into space with
only the man she loathed to admit was her father. Even by Imperial standards, she imagined this
course of action must be highly irregular.
Once safely away, Darth Vader turned to the Princess. "You remind me of your mother."
Stunned and catching her breath, Leia spoke almost inaudibly "I hardly remember my mother."
Vader watched her for a moment longer then turned away.
****
Yoda pointed his cane and stabbed at the air while scolding the Corellian, "What took you so long
to walk to me....hmmm? Too late you are to save her! Gone she is!"
Irritated, Solo leaned down to meet Yoda's gaze and spoke in his perfected dogmatic manner. "Look
old...." he struggled to recognize the species, "...man?! What are you talking about?" When Yoda
failed to respond, Han cast a worried look to Chewie and Lando then seated himself beside the Jedi
Master. "This 'she' that you're talking about? What did she look like?"
Yoda narrowed his eyes, meeting Solo's glare. He whispered the truth with such deliberate severity
that he left no room for doubt or question. "The one you seek? She left this place to search for you
and now she is in much peril." The would-be rescuers stood fearful as they listened. "The one which
you knew as Skywalker will not help her. Even as we speak Vader carries her further away."
Solo's voice was unsteady as he leaned closer. "Where? Where is he taking her?"
Yoda took a deep breath and hung his head. "How do you intend to face the Sith and save the Princess,
hmmm?" He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Sith?" Han looked to his friends who shrugged "What does it matter? Just tell me where she is and we
can work the rest out on the way!"
****
For a long while the only sound heard in the shuttle was Vader's respirator. Both occupants sat deathly
quiet as each struggled to come to terms with what was occuring.
The turmoil within Vader was almost unbearable. His mind darted back and forth over his lifetime. His
mother's voice and Padme's face haunted him in unison. At this moment he considered it far too
dangerous to turn around and look on the face of the Princess. She had a power over him unbeknown to
her. One strong enough to create the most desperate of circumstance deep in his being. To look at her
without preparing himself for her face could be disasterous.
****
"What?!" Luke's voice was cruel and angry. The Admiral backed away from him in fear of his life, but
Skywalker stepped with him, keeping the space between them unaltered. "Lord Vader departed with the
Princess? Departed where, exactly?"
"He didn't say, Sir." The man instinctively continued stepping away. "Considering Lord Vader's
demeanour, I considered it best not to inquire too closely."
"Find that shuttle!" ordered Skywalker in an enraged whisper.
"But, Sir..."
"FIND IT!"
The Admiral nodded, "Sir." then freed himself from Skywalker's glare, making his way over to a row of
dutifully silent Deck Officers delivering the order with a click of his fingers.
****
In his mind he was taken back to where it all began. A small boy ran behind the Jedi Master he was so in
awe of. Was he now so far removed from that child? In a flash he beheld his mother dying in his arms.
He felt that same anger as if the wound had been opened anew. She would have lived if only that imbeclic
Lars boy had the courage to search for her. Vader knew if he ad he been there himself she would still be
alive. He squeezed his mind shut to expel the pain and at once Padme's face beamed before him. Was there
no escape from this torture? Try as he could, Padme's sad face would not be pushed aside as was the
image of his mother's death. The image of her hovered before him until it faded into blackness. Now his
past was closing in on him. He was reunited with his son...and now a daughter too.
Vader began his descent. He knew he would be safe from distractions here. He needed to be here with his
daughter. He yearned for the serenity, after Padme it was the only other thing he loved.
The engines swapped their droning hum for the high pitch of the docking process. Once silence had
settled Leia spoke, veiling her emotions. "Where are we?"
Vader stood and turned to her. "Follow me, your Highness."
She rose with dignity and spoke directly to him. "Where are we?"
He turned sharply towards the open hatch. "Naboo."
end chapter 7