From the safety of her hiding place, Leia watched Luke fight Vader. Luke was visibly tiring; she knew he did not have much time left. Like a crouching tiger ready to spring, she awaited the right moment to enter the fight.
She did not sense the hand on her shoulder until it was already there.
Leia jumped, startled, and her sight faded to black for a moment. How could she let that happen? She had to be aware of her surroundings always…but in her anger, it was so hard.
It was Han.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "I never asked you to follow me!"
"I wouldn't have done it if you had," he snapped back.
"Then go away!"
There was no reasoning with a madwoman, he decided. He could not prevent her from hurting herself. The most he could do was help her after he was hurt.
But by then, it might be too late.
******************
Vader smiled beneath his mask. The fight was all but over.
*Oh no, it's not.*
And suddenly there were two of them. But in his mind, they felt like one, somehow linked together, as if one was but an extension of the other.
But the new one was still full of angry energy, which she seemed to project to his son. He moved faster than ever before, blocking the attacks of two lightsabers; one of which, though he didn't know it, was his own.
*******************
Luke didn't have the time or energy to ask who his ally was or where she had come from. He only realized that suddenly he was strong enough to continue this fight. She had somehow given him energy.
She seemed so familiar, although he had never seen her before. As if somehow he had always known her…
Then he realized that they were still fighting, and his wandering thoughts turned back to the battle once more.
*******************
*You cannot win this fight,* came Darth Vader's voice inside Leia's head.
But he was wrong, she told herself. Her anger made her strong. She could do anything. Anything!
Or not.
She watched in horror as Darth Vader attacked Luke. She stood frozen as she watched, as if in slow motion, the red lightsaber slice off his hand at the wrist.
Screaming in sympathetic pain, she grabbed her own wrist, dropping her lightsaber and falling to the ground. Her sight failed her once more, but not her senses; she felt Darth Vader looming over her helpless form.
"Not kill them, you will," came a voice.
Yoda had come to save them.
She did not sense the hand on her shoulder until it was already there.
Leia jumped, startled, and her sight faded to black for a moment. How could she let that happen? She had to be aware of her surroundings always…but in her anger, it was so hard.
It was Han.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "I never asked you to follow me!"
"I wouldn't have done it if you had," he snapped back.
"Then go away!"
There was no reasoning with a madwoman, he decided. He could not prevent her from hurting herself. The most he could do was help her after he was hurt.
But by then, it might be too late.
******************
Vader smiled beneath his mask. The fight was all but over.
*Oh no, it's not.*
And suddenly there were two of them. But in his mind, they felt like one, somehow linked together, as if one was but an extension of the other.
But the new one was still full of angry energy, which she seemed to project to his son. He moved faster than ever before, blocking the attacks of two lightsabers; one of which, though he didn't know it, was his own.
*******************
Luke didn't have the time or energy to ask who his ally was or where she had come from. He only realized that suddenly he was strong enough to continue this fight. She had somehow given him energy.
She seemed so familiar, although he had never seen her before. As if somehow he had always known her…
Then he realized that they were still fighting, and his wandering thoughts turned back to the battle once more.
*******************
*You cannot win this fight,* came Darth Vader's voice inside Leia's head.
But he was wrong, she told herself. Her anger made her strong. She could do anything. Anything!
Or not.
She watched in horror as Darth Vader attacked Luke. She stood frozen as she watched, as if in slow motion, the red lightsaber slice off his hand at the wrist.
Screaming in sympathetic pain, she grabbed her own wrist, dropping her lightsaber and falling to the ground. Her sight failed her once more, but not her senses; she felt Darth Vader looming over her helpless form.
"Not kill them, you will," came a voice.
Yoda had come to save them.