Wincing in pain and pushing himself along the floor with his one hand, Luke crawled to the open doorway. He didn't know where he would go when he reached it; his only thought was to somehow get to safety.
But soon, he knew, the guards would come. And then there would be no way out.
*************************
"Chewie!" Han whispered over the comlink. "Get over here right away!"
The wookiee appeared moments later and roared a question.
Their attention turned suddenly to Yoda, whose green lightsaber blocked Darth Vader's red one. He sure could jump around, Han thought, for a little old dude with a cane.
But even he could see who was winning.
"Go get the kid," he told Chewie. "Hurry up. We're running out of time."
**************************
Yoda was less agile than he had been when Vader had last seen him fight. How long ago had that been, when he had lost his arm to Dooku…twenty years, forty, a hundred? It seemed like another life.
"I have grown much since our last meeting. Then, I was but the learner. Now, I am the master."
"Only a master of evil, are you!" Yoda replied.
Vader attacked again, and Yoda easily blocked the blow. But they both could sense that he would not be able to do so for long.
***************************
Artoo-Detoo let out a low whistle. Stormtroopers were coming. He knew the ship couldn't remain unnoticed for long.
There was only one thing for the little droid to do; and so, with a little whir, he went off to do it.
****************************
*There is no death, only the Force.*
He had done all he could. It was up to Luke and Leia now.
Yoda closed his eyes, calm and peaceful. With one last fatal stroke of Darth Vader's lightsaber, his spirit joined those of the Jedi Masters of long ago.
*****************************
Leia felt a searing pain in her head that displayed rainbows before her blind eyes. She knew that Yoda was gone.
"No!" she screamed. Her body shook with her sobs.
And suddenly there were arms around her, lifting her up. She held on tight, still shaking, somehow finding safety in those arms.
*************************
Darth Vader watched as the Jedi Master disappeared, robes and lightsaber falling to the floor in a heap.
He saw from the corner of his eye his children being carried away. He didn't try to stop them. What was the use? They could never love him now.
He could never love them.
**************************
Blaster fire came from all around, and Chewie roared a curse. What was going on? The Millenium Falcon was shooting down stormtroopers!
***************************
Artoo squealed with delight as he hit another stormtrooper, and wondered why he'd never been a gunner before. If droids could have fun, which many doubted, this was definitely it.
****************************
Ducking blaster fire, Chewie and Han ran into the ship, carrying Luke and Leia. "Chewie, take off!" Han shouted, hitting the panel to close the door.
Chewie roared something Han couldn't quite make out; something about a "damn droid." He made his way to the cockpit and, securing Luke in a seat, took off.
****************************
Han tried to put Leia down, but she kept her arms tight around his neck, still in a state of shock. Her body still shook, and his shirt was wet with her tears.
"Leia," he said firmly, "I'm gonna put your down now. Everything's gonna be okay."
"No!" she cried, her voice wavering, sounding like a frightened child. "Don't leave me!"
Han opened his mouth to reply, but decided it wasn't the greatest time to bring up the kid with the chopped off hand. Hopefully Chewie and Artoo could take care of him until they got to a medical droid.
Han sat down, Leia in his lap, and began gently stroking her hair, until he realized what he was doing and pulled away. "It's gonna be okay," he repeated.
"No! You don't understand! I killed him. I *killed* him!"
"No you didn't!"
"I did! I killed Biggs and then I killed Master Yoda. It's all my fault!"
"You listen to me!" Han shouted, fairly shaking the girl. "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything!"
This only prompted another outburst of tears.
Han hugged Leia closer to him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
In a few minutes--hours--Han lost track of time--Leia fell asleep. Even in sleep her grip around him was too tight for him to put her down, so he just sat with her in his arms until he fell asleep.
As he drifted off, he wondered why. Why were some people made to suffer? Why did the bad guys always win? Why couldn't something as little as them ever change something as big as the Empire?
Or could they?
To Be Continued…
in a sequel
But soon, he knew, the guards would come. And then there would be no way out.
*************************
"Chewie!" Han whispered over the comlink. "Get over here right away!"
The wookiee appeared moments later and roared a question.
Their attention turned suddenly to Yoda, whose green lightsaber blocked Darth Vader's red one. He sure could jump around, Han thought, for a little old dude with a cane.
But even he could see who was winning.
"Go get the kid," he told Chewie. "Hurry up. We're running out of time."
**************************
Yoda was less agile than he had been when Vader had last seen him fight. How long ago had that been, when he had lost his arm to Dooku…twenty years, forty, a hundred? It seemed like another life.
"I have grown much since our last meeting. Then, I was but the learner. Now, I am the master."
"Only a master of evil, are you!" Yoda replied.
Vader attacked again, and Yoda easily blocked the blow. But they both could sense that he would not be able to do so for long.
***************************
Artoo-Detoo let out a low whistle. Stormtroopers were coming. He knew the ship couldn't remain unnoticed for long.
There was only one thing for the little droid to do; and so, with a little whir, he went off to do it.
****************************
*There is no death, only the Force.*
He had done all he could. It was up to Luke and Leia now.
Yoda closed his eyes, calm and peaceful. With one last fatal stroke of Darth Vader's lightsaber, his spirit joined those of the Jedi Masters of long ago.
*****************************
Leia felt a searing pain in her head that displayed rainbows before her blind eyes. She knew that Yoda was gone.
"No!" she screamed. Her body shook with her sobs.
And suddenly there were arms around her, lifting her up. She held on tight, still shaking, somehow finding safety in those arms.
*************************
Darth Vader watched as the Jedi Master disappeared, robes and lightsaber falling to the floor in a heap.
He saw from the corner of his eye his children being carried away. He didn't try to stop them. What was the use? They could never love him now.
He could never love them.
**************************
Blaster fire came from all around, and Chewie roared a curse. What was going on? The Millenium Falcon was shooting down stormtroopers!
***************************
Artoo squealed with delight as he hit another stormtrooper, and wondered why he'd never been a gunner before. If droids could have fun, which many doubted, this was definitely it.
****************************
Ducking blaster fire, Chewie and Han ran into the ship, carrying Luke and Leia. "Chewie, take off!" Han shouted, hitting the panel to close the door.
Chewie roared something Han couldn't quite make out; something about a "damn droid." He made his way to the cockpit and, securing Luke in a seat, took off.
****************************
Han tried to put Leia down, but she kept her arms tight around his neck, still in a state of shock. Her body still shook, and his shirt was wet with her tears.
"Leia," he said firmly, "I'm gonna put your down now. Everything's gonna be okay."
"No!" she cried, her voice wavering, sounding like a frightened child. "Don't leave me!"
Han opened his mouth to reply, but decided it wasn't the greatest time to bring up the kid with the chopped off hand. Hopefully Chewie and Artoo could take care of him until they got to a medical droid.
Han sat down, Leia in his lap, and began gently stroking her hair, until he realized what he was doing and pulled away. "It's gonna be okay," he repeated.
"No! You don't understand! I killed him. I *killed* him!"
"No you didn't!"
"I did! I killed Biggs and then I killed Master Yoda. It's all my fault!"
"You listen to me!" Han shouted, fairly shaking the girl. "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything!"
This only prompted another outburst of tears.
Han hugged Leia closer to him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
In a few minutes--hours--Han lost track of time--Leia fell asleep. Even in sleep her grip around him was too tight for him to put her down, so he just sat with her in his arms until he fell asleep.
As he drifted off, he wondered why. Why were some people made to suffer? Why did the bad guys always win? Why couldn't something as little as them ever change something as big as the Empire?
Or could they?
To Be Continued…
in a sequel