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Has anyone been wondering how the plot of EP3 will play out? Our five year old son seems to have worked it out, and quite simply at that...."Anakin's gonna kick Darth Vader's butt and steal his clothes!"
DESTINY
Chapter 11
There are times in a man's life when the situation calls for casting aside common sense and throwing your life into the hands of fate. But Han Solo had a gut feeling that this wasn't one of them! He had experienced many unconventional moments during his time, none of which even came close to this!
With the Falcon set on automatic pilot, he sat in the cockpit and gazed into space. Leia squatted beside his chair and held onto his arm, pleading her belief and logic to him. She seemed sincere, he had to give her that much, but he felt a question hung over her sanity. He wanted to speak softly to her, to gently touch her face in order to make her see the absurdity of what was taking place. Though try as he might, it was impossible to hide his scepticism, "I can't believe you're actually buying all this!" His words had little effect as Leia merely responded with a sympathetic look that one might give to an anxious and confused child. He interpreted this as condescending and it rankled him, "If you don't see the trap in this, then you're as crazy as I thought!"
"Han, please." She managed to squeeze his arm gently before he pulled it away in irritation, refusing to look at her. "I didn't believe it at first, but it's true! I know it is!" Solo's frustrated groan didn't deter her from persisting with him, "There's no way to explain it, just as there's no understanding what Luke has done...but it's all happened! We have to face it, and deal with it." Han was exhausted! He let his head drop back against the seat and closed his eyes. There was a long, uncomfortable silence between the lovers, then Leia spoke with an unwavering firmness, "I didn't expect to meet up with you on Naboo. Before that, I'd made my decision to stand by my father's side and I still intend to do just that...whether you are there, or not!"
Solo turned to look at the Princess. There was no mistaking that she meant what she said! He couldn't leave her in the hands of Luke and Vader. He knew he had to stay with her, even if it meant he would only able to pull her out in the nick of time. He leaned forward, pretending to check the control panel, buying time before he made his final decision. Walking into the very heart of evil with nothing more than a blaster and a sometimes craven Wookiee was not the most foolproof plan he'd ever devised, but it was all he had. All she had! And he sure as hell wasn't letting her go alone! He reached for her hand and sighed, "Alright. Just don't expect me to be nice to him!"
****
Luke slowly paced his way to the Throne Room of Darth Sideous. It was now only a matter of waiting for the arrival of his father and sister on Coruscant, and he was eager to meet them. Presently however, other, more indulgent thoughts weaved a pattern through his mind. He was already convinced of his impending victory, therefore a suitable name must be chosen if he was to serve beside the Emperor. "Villient." He liked the smooth flow and menacing connotation it offered. Luke let the name glide from his lips, "Darth Villient. Yes, that would suit!"
As he approached The Emperor's chambers, he was meet by two Imperial Royal Guards standing sentry and it crossed his mind to simply walk past them, but rationale prevented him from being this bold. The fierce loyalty of these guards was legendary, and even in his tormented state of mind, Luke could see the folly in such an action. He dutifully waited to be announced and allowed himself to be escorted into his Master's presence.
He found Sideous seated at the far end of the bleak chamber, his back turned towards his new charge. The cold, metallic room was barren of furnishings, save for the Throne itself, and Luke's footsteps echoed from the walls as he made his approach. His stride did not falter, even upon seeing Sideous spin around to face him. The impudence of the younger Skywalker infuriated the ancient Sith and he addressed the boy with a poisonous tone. "It appears you take it upon yourself to walk into my presence at the slightest provocation!" Still Luke approached and The Emperor raised a single hand indicating him to halt. Luke felt a pressure against his chest, so severe, it stopped him dead in his tracks. It felt akin to slamming head long into a solid stone wall. An icy chill surged through his body and he choked for breath. If he had been able to elicit any type of free movement, he would have allowed his body to fall helplessly to the floor, but he had been robbed of any purposeful movement. Amid his shock and distress, he again heard The Emperor's voice, "Until you are summoned by me, you will bide your time elsewhere!"
"Yes, my Lord!" Luke struggled to make himself heard, but once he'd offered the coerced apology he felt the pressure lift from his body. It took tremendous self control not to collapse to the floor and Luke momentarily staggered a few paces backward before reclaiming his balance. Once steady, he re- positioned himself on the spot where he had been stopped and awaited his Master's pleasure.
Darth Sideous glared at him for several, chilling moments before he spoke with an unmistakable distain, "Your family approaches as we speak." .
"Yes, my Lord. I have sensed it too.
"Your ability on these matters does not parallel mine!" He spat. "Never again will you enter my presence unrequested, to deliver news which you foolishly believe that I am not aware!" Luke remained silent, although bodly maintaining eye contact with Sith Lord. He could sense the anger rising within his Master but was unsure of how to handle this threat. Sideous rose from the Throne and descended the stairs, stopping half way down. He eyed Skywalker visciously and continued to quell the boy's pride. "You will retain the name of Skywalker until I see fit to ordain you with another!" He turned his back on Luke, but ascended only two steps before once again spinning about to scowl at him. "In future, do not rise above your station so eagerly. You have not defeated your father yet!" With that, Sideous returned to his throne and seated himself. Luke did not move!
"They must die." The Emperor's voice was coldly quiet and looked Luke directly in the eye. "Lord Vader can never be trusted again ... and that girl is a nuisance!" The tale end of his sentence was laced with irritation. "This will be the test of your strength and dedication! Kill your father and sister and those who travel with them! Rid the galaxy of this plague, once and for all!"
Luke nodded. At long last, the opportunity to prove himself had arrived. The manner in which The Emperor viewed him was another matter entirely, causing him intense displeasure, but he felt certain that would change once his victory was secured. Sideous motioned to his guards to remove Skywalker from the Throne Room. Immediately. Luke noticed himself flanked by the red capes and obediently turned to follow the out.
Once outside the doors, he allowed the rage within him to seep to the surface and he angrily toppled a passing Official with a single thrust of his arm. He bitterly resented the insinuation that he was not capable of defeating Vader! This, combined with the humiliation of firstly, being discovered inventing a new title for himself, then having the privilege revoked! He regarded The Emperor Palpatine to be not unlike his previous Masters. The dark side had twisted his face and body, but it had also sustained him beyond his years. Not unlike Yoda, he considred. Although Luke failed to appreciate the opposing elements which were at work in these instances. All he saw was power and how to wield it.
****
Chewbacca growled his disapproval at the Princess as she squeezed past him in the Falcon's passageway. Her sympathetic smile only caused him whine his case to Han, following closely behind her. The Corellian merely shook his head and slapped his friend's shoulder in a show of understanding. "Come on! She wants us to organize a plan with Vader before we land on Coruscant." The Wookiee flatly refused to sit any longer in Vader's company, preferring instead to keep watch in the cockpit. Han couldn't blame him for that. Vader's presence on board the Millenium Falcon wasn't generating the most amiable atmosphere; and Leia's distinct change of heart was only adding to the discord. Han didn't insist Chewbacca join the group and it was probably for the best that he distanced himself from the discussion. Chewie occassionally had moments of cowardice, but he also had a short fuse and could easily be roused into a brutal, harmful mood. "Alright Pal. I'll fill you in on the details later."
On entering the main hold, Solo immediately noticed The Princess had seated herself beside Vader. He scowled at this, drawing an exasperated look from Leia. Glancing towards the Engineering Station, he was relieved to find Lando still in charge of a healthy mistrust of the proceedings and apparently immersed in the double checking the data on the board. However, Solo would have preferred at least one of his crew to take a seat beside him, instead it appeared he was to be the only one to counteract any extreme movements suggested by the unlikely allies.
Addressing Vader as an ally was extremely difficult, so he focused his discussion on Leia. She seemed willing to act as mediator and that suited Solo. A somewhat uncomfortable realization settled over the Corellian as it became more and more apparent that Leia was the more gung ho of the two, whereas Vader displayed was could only be described as concern for his daughter's well being. 'Daughter!' the word careered through his mind! If Leia wasn't insane, Han felt sure he soon would be. Anyway, he wasn't completely convinced this wasn't all some terrible diversion which would see the death of them all at Vader's will.
When their plan of attack and manoeuvre was settled, Han prepared to make his way to Chewbacca, then was halted by Vader's intervention. "Your suspicion and contempt of me is plainly clear, but I ask only one thing of you."
Solo was leaning over the table, slightly suspended from his seat when Vader spoke and he had frozen in that position as he listened. "And what might that be?"
"My death could be impossible to avoid..." Anakin motioned to his daughter before he continued, "...but you guard her safety with your life!"
Han slowly looked from Vader to Leia and back again, before completely rising from the table. Leia stared tenderly at him, then he again considered Vader. This time he tried in ernest to glimpse behind the cold, black metal mask, attempting to search for the man behind it. It was a strange thought for him to believe that Vader could be human. Being still wary of speaking directly to Vader, Han offered him a slight nod before gently squeezing Leia's shoulder. He called over to Lando to join him and Chewbacca, "We should be coming up on Coruscant soon."
****
The Millenium Falcon touched down at a landing dock in the heart of Coruscant. "There's nothing like making yourself visible for attack!" Solo remarked incisively. He had re-coded the lock to the hatch just in case Leia had a mind to leave without him, and left the cockpit with his crew making his way to open the door for her.
Only a few blocks away, Luke Skywalker was attending to the final buttons on his jet black tunic. He smoothed the cloth over his chest, then fastened his lightsabre to his belt.
END CHAPTER
Has anyone been wondering how the plot of EP3 will play out? Our five year old son seems to have worked it out, and quite simply at that...."Anakin's gonna kick Darth Vader's butt and steal his clothes!"
DESTINY
Chapter 11
There are times in a man's life when the situation calls for casting aside common sense and throwing your life into the hands of fate. But Han Solo had a gut feeling that this wasn't one of them! He had experienced many unconventional moments during his time, none of which even came close to this!
With the Falcon set on automatic pilot, he sat in the cockpit and gazed into space. Leia squatted beside his chair and held onto his arm, pleading her belief and logic to him. She seemed sincere, he had to give her that much, but he felt a question hung over her sanity. He wanted to speak softly to her, to gently touch her face in order to make her see the absurdity of what was taking place. Though try as he might, it was impossible to hide his scepticism, "I can't believe you're actually buying all this!" His words had little effect as Leia merely responded with a sympathetic look that one might give to an anxious and confused child. He interpreted this as condescending and it rankled him, "If you don't see the trap in this, then you're as crazy as I thought!"
"Han, please." She managed to squeeze his arm gently before he pulled it away in irritation, refusing to look at her. "I didn't believe it at first, but it's true! I know it is!" Solo's frustrated groan didn't deter her from persisting with him, "There's no way to explain it, just as there's no understanding what Luke has done...but it's all happened! We have to face it, and deal with it." Han was exhausted! He let his head drop back against the seat and closed his eyes. There was a long, uncomfortable silence between the lovers, then Leia spoke with an unwavering firmness, "I didn't expect to meet up with you on Naboo. Before that, I'd made my decision to stand by my father's side and I still intend to do just that...whether you are there, or not!"
Solo turned to look at the Princess. There was no mistaking that she meant what she said! He couldn't leave her in the hands of Luke and Vader. He knew he had to stay with her, even if it meant he would only able to pull her out in the nick of time. He leaned forward, pretending to check the control panel, buying time before he made his final decision. Walking into the very heart of evil with nothing more than a blaster and a sometimes craven Wookiee was not the most foolproof plan he'd ever devised, but it was all he had. All she had! And he sure as hell wasn't letting her go alone! He reached for her hand and sighed, "Alright. Just don't expect me to be nice to him!"
****
Luke slowly paced his way to the Throne Room of Darth Sideous. It was now only a matter of waiting for the arrival of his father and sister on Coruscant, and he was eager to meet them. Presently however, other, more indulgent thoughts weaved a pattern through his mind. He was already convinced of his impending victory, therefore a suitable name must be chosen if he was to serve beside the Emperor. "Villient." He liked the smooth flow and menacing connotation it offered. Luke let the name glide from his lips, "Darth Villient. Yes, that would suit!"
As he approached The Emperor's chambers, he was meet by two Imperial Royal Guards standing sentry and it crossed his mind to simply walk past them, but rationale prevented him from being this bold. The fierce loyalty of these guards was legendary, and even in his tormented state of mind, Luke could see the folly in such an action. He dutifully waited to be announced and allowed himself to be escorted into his Master's presence.
He found Sideous seated at the far end of the bleak chamber, his back turned towards his new charge. The cold, metallic room was barren of furnishings, save for the Throne itself, and Luke's footsteps echoed from the walls as he made his approach. His stride did not falter, even upon seeing Sideous spin around to face him. The impudence of the younger Skywalker infuriated the ancient Sith and he addressed the boy with a poisonous tone. "It appears you take it upon yourself to walk into my presence at the slightest provocation!" Still Luke approached and The Emperor raised a single hand indicating him to halt. Luke felt a pressure against his chest, so severe, it stopped him dead in his tracks. It felt akin to slamming head long into a solid stone wall. An icy chill surged through his body and he choked for breath. If he had been able to elicit any type of free movement, he would have allowed his body to fall helplessly to the floor, but he had been robbed of any purposeful movement. Amid his shock and distress, he again heard The Emperor's voice, "Until you are summoned by me, you will bide your time elsewhere!"
"Yes, my Lord!" Luke struggled to make himself heard, but once he'd offered the coerced apology he felt the pressure lift from his body. It took tremendous self control not to collapse to the floor and Luke momentarily staggered a few paces backward before reclaiming his balance. Once steady, he re- positioned himself on the spot where he had been stopped and awaited his Master's pleasure.
Darth Sideous glared at him for several, chilling moments before he spoke with an unmistakable distain, "Your family approaches as we speak." .
"Yes, my Lord. I have sensed it too.
"Your ability on these matters does not parallel mine!" He spat. "Never again will you enter my presence unrequested, to deliver news which you foolishly believe that I am not aware!" Luke remained silent, although bodly maintaining eye contact with Sith Lord. He could sense the anger rising within his Master but was unsure of how to handle this threat. Sideous rose from the Throne and descended the stairs, stopping half way down. He eyed Skywalker visciously and continued to quell the boy's pride. "You will retain the name of Skywalker until I see fit to ordain you with another!" He turned his back on Luke, but ascended only two steps before once again spinning about to scowl at him. "In future, do not rise above your station so eagerly. You have not defeated your father yet!" With that, Sideous returned to his throne and seated himself. Luke did not move!
"They must die." The Emperor's voice was coldly quiet and looked Luke directly in the eye. "Lord Vader can never be trusted again ... and that girl is a nuisance!" The tale end of his sentence was laced with irritation. "This will be the test of your strength and dedication! Kill your father and sister and those who travel with them! Rid the galaxy of this plague, once and for all!"
Luke nodded. At long last, the opportunity to prove himself had arrived. The manner in which The Emperor viewed him was another matter entirely, causing him intense displeasure, but he felt certain that would change once his victory was secured. Sideous motioned to his guards to remove Skywalker from the Throne Room. Immediately. Luke noticed himself flanked by the red capes and obediently turned to follow the out.
Once outside the doors, he allowed the rage within him to seep to the surface and he angrily toppled a passing Official with a single thrust of his arm. He bitterly resented the insinuation that he was not capable of defeating Vader! This, combined with the humiliation of firstly, being discovered inventing a new title for himself, then having the privilege revoked! He regarded The Emperor Palpatine to be not unlike his previous Masters. The dark side had twisted his face and body, but it had also sustained him beyond his years. Not unlike Yoda, he considred. Although Luke failed to appreciate the opposing elements which were at work in these instances. All he saw was power and how to wield it.
****
Chewbacca growled his disapproval at the Princess as she squeezed past him in the Falcon's passageway. Her sympathetic smile only caused him whine his case to Han, following closely behind her. The Corellian merely shook his head and slapped his friend's shoulder in a show of understanding. "Come on! She wants us to organize a plan with Vader before we land on Coruscant." The Wookiee flatly refused to sit any longer in Vader's company, preferring instead to keep watch in the cockpit. Han couldn't blame him for that. Vader's presence on board the Millenium Falcon wasn't generating the most amiable atmosphere; and Leia's distinct change of heart was only adding to the discord. Han didn't insist Chewbacca join the group and it was probably for the best that he distanced himself from the discussion. Chewie occassionally had moments of cowardice, but he also had a short fuse and could easily be roused into a brutal, harmful mood. "Alright Pal. I'll fill you in on the details later."
On entering the main hold, Solo immediately noticed The Princess had seated herself beside Vader. He scowled at this, drawing an exasperated look from Leia. Glancing towards the Engineering Station, he was relieved to find Lando still in charge of a healthy mistrust of the proceedings and apparently immersed in the double checking the data on the board. However, Solo would have preferred at least one of his crew to take a seat beside him, instead it appeared he was to be the only one to counteract any extreme movements suggested by the unlikely allies.
Addressing Vader as an ally was extremely difficult, so he focused his discussion on Leia. She seemed willing to act as mediator and that suited Solo. A somewhat uncomfortable realization settled over the Corellian as it became more and more apparent that Leia was the more gung ho of the two, whereas Vader displayed was could only be described as concern for his daughter's well being. 'Daughter!' the word careered through his mind! If Leia wasn't insane, Han felt sure he soon would be. Anyway, he wasn't completely convinced this wasn't all some terrible diversion which would see the death of them all at Vader's will.
When their plan of attack and manoeuvre was settled, Han prepared to make his way to Chewbacca, then was halted by Vader's intervention. "Your suspicion and contempt of me is plainly clear, but I ask only one thing of you."
Solo was leaning over the table, slightly suspended from his seat when Vader spoke and he had frozen in that position as he listened. "And what might that be?"
"My death could be impossible to avoid..." Anakin motioned to his daughter before he continued, "...but you guard her safety with your life!"
Han slowly looked from Vader to Leia and back again, before completely rising from the table. Leia stared tenderly at him, then he again considered Vader. This time he tried in ernest to glimpse behind the cold, black metal mask, attempting to search for the man behind it. It was a strange thought for him to believe that Vader could be human. Being still wary of speaking directly to Vader, Han offered him a slight nod before gently squeezing Leia's shoulder. He called over to Lando to join him and Chewbacca, "We should be coming up on Coruscant soon."
****
The Millenium Falcon touched down at a landing dock in the heart of Coruscant. "There's nothing like making yourself visible for attack!" Solo remarked incisively. He had re-coded the lock to the hatch just in case Leia had a mind to leave without him, and left the cockpit with his crew making his way to open the door for her.
Only a few blocks away, Luke Skywalker was attending to the final buttons on his jet black tunic. He smoothed the cloth over his chest, then fastened his lightsabre to his belt.
END CHAPTER