"You can't blame him for Vader's faults," Luke pointed out. 

"Why not? Vader when was his responsilbility," the older man wanted to know. 

"Ben trusted him. It doesn't matter anymore and this discussion leads nowhere," 
Luke said tiredly. 

"I guess you're right. I didn't want to upset you." 

"Please Han, can't you stay with Leia? I will feel much better when I know she is 
safe with you." Luke was almost begging now. 

"Yeah right," groaned Han. "But what about the bounty? 
I don't have suicidal tendencies." 

"But Chewbacca wants to stay too! And where is the difference between risking 
your life by smuggling or 
by doing something good," Luke argued. 

"Please Han, I'm begging you. I will stay until the Rebellion leaves and give 
them a helping hand in the evacuation. That should give you enough time to pay 
off Jabba and to return to Yavin IV," Luke offered. 

The Wookie let out a long wailing tone. Han glared briefly at him then threw his 
hands up in surrender. 

"Okay, okay! I yield. Come on buddy get the Falcon ready. We have to hurry to make 
it in time," Han instructed. 

"Thanks a lot, Han. I owe you. I will inform Leia about everything," Luke said 
with relief. 

"She doesn't know you're leaving," Han asked, surprised. 

"No. I was on my way to tell her, then I heard your argument," Luke confirmed. 

"Then good luck with her. She will not be happy, I guess," Han said with a smirk 
on his face. 

"Goodbye you two. I doubt I will see you leave and it will be a while until we 
meet again. Stay safe." 
Luke sounded a bit sad saying farewell to his new friends. 

"Take care, Luke. We will miss you." 

With those final words Han embraced Luke and Chewie ruffled Luke's hair fondly. 
As they let go off each other, Luke headed for Leia's quarters while Han and 
Chewie boarded the Falcon. 

Luke glanced back at them. They'd come back. He knew it. In fact, he almost envied 
them. 
He wasn't looking forward to Leia's reaction to what he was about to tell her. 




Luke didn't find Leia in her quarters. He then decided to look for her at the 
meeting room of High Command. 
On his way, he heard the starting of the fighter's engines. Around the next corner 
he met up with a shocked looking Leia. 

"Was that the Falcon leaving, Luke?" 

"Yes, that's right. Han and Chewie are on their way to pay off Jabba the Hutt," 
Luke confirmed. 

"I know he was in for the money, but to leave without even saying goodbye... 
that's rude," Leia stated angrily. 

"No Leia, you don't understand." Luke tried to put Leia at ease. "They only have 
to hurry to be back in time, 
when the last ships will leave Yavin IV." 

"You believe them to come back? You're quite naive,Luke" Leia was shaking her head 
in bewilderment. 

"No, they will come back. Chewie wanted to stay and help anyway. And Han promised 
me to have an eye on you while I'm away." Luke tried to convince Leia. 

"What do you mean by 'while I'm away?' Do you plan to abandon the Rebellion, too," 
Leia demanded, looking extremely startled and hurt. "But we need you. You're such 
a good pilot. And High Command just decided to give you the rank of Commander to 
you, plus your very own squad." Leia was almost wincing now. 

"Oh, I didn't know. But I have to be trained as a Jedi," Luke stated slightly 
embarrassed. He went on trying to explain his sudden decision. " Ben… 
General Kenobi appeared to me last night and told me where to find a Jedi Master. 
I'll be of much more use to you all once I've completed my training." 

"He appeared to you? But he's dead, isn't he," Leia was confused by Luke's opening. 

"I could see him through the force as a shimmering form." Luke enlightened her. 

"I understand." Leia said in a low voice. "I'm surprised that there is still a 
Jedi alive. I thought General Kenobi to be the last of his kind." 

"Yes, I thought so too. Originally, my plan was to stay with the Rebellion, to be 
at least of a little help… But now I have to be take my Jedi responsibilities 
first," Luke answered seriously. 

"It's okay, Luke. At least you said goodbye... When will you leave?" 

"I'll help with the evacuation. Afterwards I'll seek out the Jedi Master. I'll 
find you again when I'll have finished, I promise, Leia." Luke informed. 

"All right, thank you for helping us in evacuating; we need every hand. I'll have 
to inform High Command of your decision." 

"Do so," he advised. "And tell them that Wedge would make a good substitute for my 
position as a squad leader." 

They worked all hard in night and day shifts to get away as soon as possible. 
It took them a few days to do so. When there were only a few ships left, Luke said 
his farewells. As he prepared his X-wing for hyperspace, he saw the Falcon coming 
back into the Yavin System. But there wasn't time for greetings before his fighter 
jumped to hyperspace itself.