Leia Organa, Jedi Knight
By: Julie the Tall Terror
Timeframe: ESB
Focus: Leia, Luke, Han, Yoda and Vader (notice I didn't say Anakin)
Summary: What would change and what would not if Yoda trained Leia?
http://tallterror.homestead.com
Part 4
~~*~~
Cloud City
~~*~~
Luke grinned as another storm trooper dropped to the floor. The diversion and ambush Lando had set up worked brilliantly. One team of his guards along with Chewie were more than enough to distract them and a second team coming up from behind the storm troopers had neatly guaranteed victory.
"Hey, Lando," Luke yelled at him. "Have you ever considered joining the Rebellion?"
Lando gave him a half pleased, half incredulous look. "Is this how you conned Han into it?"
"No," Luke laughed. The last trooper was down now and Lando's people began stationing themselves along the corridor.
"You'll have to ask Han how we recruited him," Luke hefted his blaster in a ready, but relaxed position. Glancing at the other man, Luke smiled when he noticed that Lando also did not holster his weapon either.
"We need leaders like you, Lando. You are cool under fire, cautious after battle, you organized this ambush and directed your troops with excellent precision."
Lando appeared to be thinking about that. The guards ahead gave the all-clear signal and they carefully began retracing their path down the hallway to the ships. Just before they reached the last turn, they stopped to wait.
Lando's face was intensely concentrated, "I have a duty to this city-"
He was interrupted by Chewie's impatient growl. The huge Wookiee waved his massive arms in the direction of the platform doors between them and the ships.
"Yes, it is taking a while, but Han and Artoo will come through," Lando tried to placate him.
Chewbacca wasn't satisfied. He rumbled his agitation deep in his throat.
"We have to wait for Han's call," Luke insisted. "Going out now would only attract their attention too soon, and... finally!"
The comlink's light was at last flashing. Grinning with relief, Luke thumbed the activation switch. "Han, you sure took long enough."
"Greetings, young Skywalker."
Everyone went very still. Even Lando's guards knew that voice and that harsh breathing. Darth Vader.
Luke's throat constricted in horror and he stared at the small comlink. For a moment, Lando made to say something, but Chewie put one hairy paw up in warning. Vader didn't need to know who or how many people were with Luke.
Luke couldn't answer, but it seemed Vader wasn't really expecting one.
"A smuggler with a large price on his head has recently come into my possession. Come and we shall discuss Solo's release."
The channel closed as Vader shut the connection. A tiny green light on Luke's comlink began to flash indicating that additional information had been transferred.
Chewie began to moan. Without a word, Luke walked past him to the nearest terminal and downloaded the file Vader had sent. It was a map with directions to the place he wanted Luke to meet him. Lando was talking quietly with the guard captain, when Luke turned around.
"Find Artoo, he should have finished working on the [i]Falcon[/i] by now," Luke instructed. The Imperials wouldn't have bothered to take a droid when they captured Han. "We'll need him."
Lando nodded to two of his guards and they sprinted off to the platform. "This is a trap," he said simply. "Vader will be ready for us to rescue Han."
"I know," Luke's knuckles went white as he griped his blaster tightly and stared down the corridor with a glare of absolute fury.
"I have looked forward to meeting you, young Skywalker," Darth Vader said from above.
Luke spun around, slightly startled. He had not heard the dark lord approaching and had counted on Vader's mechanical breathing to warn him. Taking two steps back, Luke glared up the stairs.
For a minute, they each simply gazed at one another, accessing their opponent. They were alone in the carbon chamber where Vader had instructed him to come. Luke was a little surprised; he'd expected to have to draw Vader away from a troop of guards. However, this would only make it easier to buy the time Lando and Chewie needed to get Han.
"The Force is with you," Darth Vader called down, "but you are not a Jedi yet."
His words had a chilling effect. Luke was unwillingly reminded of the duel between Ben and Vader two years ago on the Death Star. When Ben saw they were so close to escaping and more troops were ready to stop them, he had deliberately chosen to sacrifice himself to save them. Ever since, Luke had felt both hurt and honored.
With a jolt of fear, Luke suddenly realized that Ben had never really had a choice at all. If he'd been capable of defeating Vader he would have done so and had lived to leave the Death Star with them.
If Ben, a Jedi, couldn't win against Vader, what chance did he have?
Vader's gloved hands were at his side, without any weapon in them. It was very tempting to just shoot Vader down immediately. Luke knew he'd never get another opportunity like this. Gripping his blaster with both hands, Luke fired three shots in succession at Vader's torso and another two at his helmet.
Vader calmly raised one hand and smoothly deflected the blaster fire. Luke stared and half expected him to cackle in triumph like most of his enemies did when they knew they were winning. But Vader was silent and that somehow scared Luke more.
Vader's other hand suddenly reached out and Luke felt the blaster jerk in his hands. He held onto it with all of his might and barely managed to prevent the blaster from flying away from him.
"Interesting," was Vader's only comment when the Force didn't disarm Luke of his blaster.
His other weapon was not so lucky. Unlike Luke, Vader had not forgotten about Luke's lightsaber and swiftly used the Force to take it. Luke glared at Vader and backed up another step.
Luke gripped the handle of his blaster even tighter in his sweaty palms. This wasn't like the battling in space where your ship was well-armed and great skill in flying guaranteed victory. Luke knew how and what to do out in a starfighter, but here he was at a loss. The Alliance had never trained him to fight an opponent who was impervious to blaster fire and stalked menacingly toward you.
"Your future lies with me, Skywalker," Vader said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
Luke continued to back up and even considered running, but the need to buy time for his friends made him hesitate.
"No, you're wrong," Luke answered in a hoarse voice.
"There is much Obi-Wan did not tell you," Vader continued. "Come with me and I will complete your training."
"I'll die first."
"That won't be necessary," Vader suddenly ignited his lightsaber and lunged at Luke.
Luke stumbled back several paces and lost his balance. He tumbled backwards into a gaping opening in the floor and landed with a painful thud in the bottom of the pit. Instantly he was on his feet. Lando had told him that this room was used for carbon freezing and warned him to watch his step.
Vader turned away from the carbon-freezing pit and casually deactivated his lightsaber. "All too easy," he murmured. "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."
Molten metal began to pour into the chamber and billows of steam rose. Vader used the Force to activate his comlink.
"Tell the bounty hunter he is now free to take Solo," Vader instructed. "Fett has earned his payment."
A loud screech echoed in the chamber and a block of carbonite began to rise out of the pit. Luke Skywalker was frozen with his hands raised high and looking up as he had attempted to climb out of the pit.
"Pull out your troops, Captain. We will leave immediately."
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
A nagging feeling began to bother Leia the moment she woke that morning. Yoda was gone elsewhere, no doubt planning something exhausting and possibly humiliating that he'd claim was more training. However, Leia was used to this and was just grateful that today she'd been allowed to wake up herself and prepare one of the new packaged meals the last Alliance ship had dropped off for her. Leia decided to blame the odd feeling on simply not being used to a relaxing morning anymore.
"OH!!" Threepio wailed from nearby. He toddled into the clearing waving his arms. "Mistress Leia, I cannot go into swamp alone again! The monsters are too horrible!"
Leia sighed. Threepio whined about the creatures every day without fail and she was running out of ways to calm him down. A few of them actually had mistaken him for food and he became more frantic with every dent in his plating caused by their attacks.
"I want you to carry my blaster then," she told him.
"Oh, no! I couldn't possibly!"
"Here!" Leia stuck it in his hand. "I don't need it."
Threepio held out the weapon disdainfully away from himself and moaned.
Leia ignored him and returned to her breakfast. The sense that something was very wrong was still there. A low growl and sniff made her jerk to attention. Irritated that she'd let herself become distracted, Leia sprang backward.
"Oh, my! Oh, my!" Threepio covered his eyes in horror, completely forgetting about the blaster in his hand.
A large, lumbering animal covered in thick fur was scooting toward Leia. Or more precisely, toward her breakfast. Leia recognized it as one of the relatively harmless creatures. Using the Force, she levitated a bit of her food into the air up to the animal's head. Once she had it's attention, she flung the food far into the swamp and the animal instantly chased after it.
"It's gone, Threepio," Leia reassured her droid.
Threepio was reluctant to uncover his eyes and lost his balance. Pitching backwards and wailing, the droid fell to the swamp floor and the blaster went off - firing directly at Leia.
~~*~~
Cloud City
~~*~~
The storm troopers never knew what hit them.
Lando's team took out most of the Imperials. Artoo used the city's system to successfully jam their comlinks to prevent them from calling for reinforcements. It was getting down into the cellblock was much more difficult and time consuming, the few troopers down there had more cover.
At last, the only guards remaining were the two storm troopers directly outside of Han's cell. Quietly, the thick, reinforced door of the corridor slid open. The two troopers turned to look and held up their blasters as Lando entered with his best bored expression. He was followed by a couple of his own city guards and Chewbacca, in manacles.
"Just a new prisoner," Lando waved one hand lazily. "As you were."
The troopers were wary, but returned to holding their weapons across their chests. Just as Lando walked past them, Chewie flung off the unlocked cuffs and swung his huge arms at the storm troopers. His fist connected with the left one's helmet creating a large dent and knocking him to the deck.
The one on Chewie's right had more time to react and had ducked. However, it was no use. The two guards easily subdued the trooper.
"Unlock the door," Lando ordered. "Or the Wookiee will tear your arm off."
The storm trooper looked up at Chewie, and then down at his unmoving companion and punched in the code to open the cell.
The cell was so tiny that Han was half sprawling on the single bench with his boots propped up on the opposite wall. He looked half asleep and very bored. The moment the door opened he jumped to his feet.
"What took you so long?" Han stepped out of the cell and stretched a little.
While Lando's guards dragged the troopers into the cell, Chewbacca began to fuss over Han.
"I'm fine!" Han said as he pushed away one of Chewie's paws. "I only saw Vader once in the corridor when he told the troopers to lock me up. No questions and no torture, nothing. Lucky for me he was in a hurry."
Chewbacca moaned at him again and began to fill Han in on what he'd missed.
"Really," Han said and then noticed the binders on the floor. "That prisoner trick worked again? You'd think the Imps would wise up for once."
"Hurry up," Lando hissed. "Boba Fett was spotted two levels down only an hour ago. My people think Vader might have been planning to sell you to him."
He didn't need to say more. As quickly as possible, they rejoined Lando's troops and Artoo. The moment they arrived, Artoo sent a signal to Luke's comlink. Using restricted passages, they began to make their way back to the Millenium Falcon.
They reached the Falcon's platform without incident and the guards Lando had left behind were still protecting it. The moment they began to walk outside one of the guards called out.
"Sir! A report has just come in," The entire group came to a halt as he listened to his headset. "Lord Vader's ship is leaving."
"What about Fett?" Lando asked.
The guard relayed the message, "Still here, his ship hasn't moved. Vader left very quickly, he didn't even leave a garrison."
"Luke?" Han said quietly half to himself. Artoo gave a strangled whistle and wheeled toward the Falcon scanning madly.
Lando was furious and Chewie began to howl, "But Luke said he was only going to distract Vader!"
~~*~~
End part 4
I love feedback! I never hold readers hostage with demands for reviews - that is just cruel. However, reviews do help encourage (i.e. guilt trip) me into writing new parts quicker! :)
By: Julie the Tall Terror
Timeframe: ESB
Focus: Leia, Luke, Han, Yoda and Vader (notice I didn't say Anakin)
Summary: What would change and what would not if Yoda trained Leia?
http://tallterror.homestead.com
Part 4
~~*~~
Cloud City
~~*~~
Luke grinned as another storm trooper dropped to the floor. The diversion and ambush Lando had set up worked brilliantly. One team of his guards along with Chewie were more than enough to distract them and a second team coming up from behind the storm troopers had neatly guaranteed victory.
"Hey, Lando," Luke yelled at him. "Have you ever considered joining the Rebellion?"
Lando gave him a half pleased, half incredulous look. "Is this how you conned Han into it?"
"No," Luke laughed. The last trooper was down now and Lando's people began stationing themselves along the corridor.
"You'll have to ask Han how we recruited him," Luke hefted his blaster in a ready, but relaxed position. Glancing at the other man, Luke smiled when he noticed that Lando also did not holster his weapon either.
"We need leaders like you, Lando. You are cool under fire, cautious after battle, you organized this ambush and directed your troops with excellent precision."
Lando appeared to be thinking about that. The guards ahead gave the all-clear signal and they carefully began retracing their path down the hallway to the ships. Just before they reached the last turn, they stopped to wait.
Lando's face was intensely concentrated, "I have a duty to this city-"
He was interrupted by Chewie's impatient growl. The huge Wookiee waved his massive arms in the direction of the platform doors between them and the ships.
"Yes, it is taking a while, but Han and Artoo will come through," Lando tried to placate him.
Chewbacca wasn't satisfied. He rumbled his agitation deep in his throat.
"We have to wait for Han's call," Luke insisted. "Going out now would only attract their attention too soon, and... finally!"
The comlink's light was at last flashing. Grinning with relief, Luke thumbed the activation switch. "Han, you sure took long enough."
"Greetings, young Skywalker."
Everyone went very still. Even Lando's guards knew that voice and that harsh breathing. Darth Vader.
Luke's throat constricted in horror and he stared at the small comlink. For a moment, Lando made to say something, but Chewie put one hairy paw up in warning. Vader didn't need to know who or how many people were with Luke.
Luke couldn't answer, but it seemed Vader wasn't really expecting one.
"A smuggler with a large price on his head has recently come into my possession. Come and we shall discuss Solo's release."
The channel closed as Vader shut the connection. A tiny green light on Luke's comlink began to flash indicating that additional information had been transferred.
Chewie began to moan. Without a word, Luke walked past him to the nearest terminal and downloaded the file Vader had sent. It was a map with directions to the place he wanted Luke to meet him. Lando was talking quietly with the guard captain, when Luke turned around.
"Find Artoo, he should have finished working on the [i]Falcon[/i] by now," Luke instructed. The Imperials wouldn't have bothered to take a droid when they captured Han. "We'll need him."
Lando nodded to two of his guards and they sprinted off to the platform. "This is a trap," he said simply. "Vader will be ready for us to rescue Han."
"I know," Luke's knuckles went white as he griped his blaster tightly and stared down the corridor with a glare of absolute fury.
"I have looked forward to meeting you, young Skywalker," Darth Vader said from above.
Luke spun around, slightly startled. He had not heard the dark lord approaching and had counted on Vader's mechanical breathing to warn him. Taking two steps back, Luke glared up the stairs.
For a minute, they each simply gazed at one another, accessing their opponent. They were alone in the carbon chamber where Vader had instructed him to come. Luke was a little surprised; he'd expected to have to draw Vader away from a troop of guards. However, this would only make it easier to buy the time Lando and Chewie needed to get Han.
"The Force is with you," Darth Vader called down, "but you are not a Jedi yet."
His words had a chilling effect. Luke was unwillingly reminded of the duel between Ben and Vader two years ago on the Death Star. When Ben saw they were so close to escaping and more troops were ready to stop them, he had deliberately chosen to sacrifice himself to save them. Ever since, Luke had felt both hurt and honored.
With a jolt of fear, Luke suddenly realized that Ben had never really had a choice at all. If he'd been capable of defeating Vader he would have done so and had lived to leave the Death Star with them.
If Ben, a Jedi, couldn't win against Vader, what chance did he have?
Vader's gloved hands were at his side, without any weapon in them. It was very tempting to just shoot Vader down immediately. Luke knew he'd never get another opportunity like this. Gripping his blaster with both hands, Luke fired three shots in succession at Vader's torso and another two at his helmet.
Vader calmly raised one hand and smoothly deflected the blaster fire. Luke stared and half expected him to cackle in triumph like most of his enemies did when they knew they were winning. But Vader was silent and that somehow scared Luke more.
Vader's other hand suddenly reached out and Luke felt the blaster jerk in his hands. He held onto it with all of his might and barely managed to prevent the blaster from flying away from him.
"Interesting," was Vader's only comment when the Force didn't disarm Luke of his blaster.
His other weapon was not so lucky. Unlike Luke, Vader had not forgotten about Luke's lightsaber and swiftly used the Force to take it. Luke glared at Vader and backed up another step.
Luke gripped the handle of his blaster even tighter in his sweaty palms. This wasn't like the battling in space where your ship was well-armed and great skill in flying guaranteed victory. Luke knew how and what to do out in a starfighter, but here he was at a loss. The Alliance had never trained him to fight an opponent who was impervious to blaster fire and stalked menacingly toward you.
"Your future lies with me, Skywalker," Vader said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
Luke continued to back up and even considered running, but the need to buy time for his friends made him hesitate.
"No, you're wrong," Luke answered in a hoarse voice.
"There is much Obi-Wan did not tell you," Vader continued. "Come with me and I will complete your training."
"I'll die first."
"That won't be necessary," Vader suddenly ignited his lightsaber and lunged at Luke.
Luke stumbled back several paces and lost his balance. He tumbled backwards into a gaping opening in the floor and landed with a painful thud in the bottom of the pit. Instantly he was on his feet. Lando had told him that this room was used for carbon freezing and warned him to watch his step.
Vader turned away from the carbon-freezing pit and casually deactivated his lightsaber. "All too easy," he murmured. "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."
Molten metal began to pour into the chamber and billows of steam rose. Vader used the Force to activate his comlink.
"Tell the bounty hunter he is now free to take Solo," Vader instructed. "Fett has earned his payment."
A loud screech echoed in the chamber and a block of carbonite began to rise out of the pit. Luke Skywalker was frozen with his hands raised high and looking up as he had attempted to climb out of the pit.
"Pull out your troops, Captain. We will leave immediately."
~~*~~
Dagobah
~~*~~
A nagging feeling began to bother Leia the moment she woke that morning. Yoda was gone elsewhere, no doubt planning something exhausting and possibly humiliating that he'd claim was more training. However, Leia was used to this and was just grateful that today she'd been allowed to wake up herself and prepare one of the new packaged meals the last Alliance ship had dropped off for her. Leia decided to blame the odd feeling on simply not being used to a relaxing morning anymore.
"OH!!" Threepio wailed from nearby. He toddled into the clearing waving his arms. "Mistress Leia, I cannot go into swamp alone again! The monsters are too horrible!"
Leia sighed. Threepio whined about the creatures every day without fail and she was running out of ways to calm him down. A few of them actually had mistaken him for food and he became more frantic with every dent in his plating caused by their attacks.
"I want you to carry my blaster then," she told him.
"Oh, no! I couldn't possibly!"
"Here!" Leia stuck it in his hand. "I don't need it."
Threepio held out the weapon disdainfully away from himself and moaned.
Leia ignored him and returned to her breakfast. The sense that something was very wrong was still there. A low growl and sniff made her jerk to attention. Irritated that she'd let herself become distracted, Leia sprang backward.
"Oh, my! Oh, my!" Threepio covered his eyes in horror, completely forgetting about the blaster in his hand.
A large, lumbering animal covered in thick fur was scooting toward Leia. Or more precisely, toward her breakfast. Leia recognized it as one of the relatively harmless creatures. Using the Force, she levitated a bit of her food into the air up to the animal's head. Once she had it's attention, she flung the food far into the swamp and the animal instantly chased after it.
"It's gone, Threepio," Leia reassured her droid.
Threepio was reluctant to uncover his eyes and lost his balance. Pitching backwards and wailing, the droid fell to the swamp floor and the blaster went off - firing directly at Leia.
~~*~~
Cloud City
~~*~~
The storm troopers never knew what hit them.
Lando's team took out most of the Imperials. Artoo used the city's system to successfully jam their comlinks to prevent them from calling for reinforcements. It was getting down into the cellblock was much more difficult and time consuming, the few troopers down there had more cover.
At last, the only guards remaining were the two storm troopers directly outside of Han's cell. Quietly, the thick, reinforced door of the corridor slid open. The two troopers turned to look and held up their blasters as Lando entered with his best bored expression. He was followed by a couple of his own city guards and Chewbacca, in manacles.
"Just a new prisoner," Lando waved one hand lazily. "As you were."
The troopers were wary, but returned to holding their weapons across their chests. Just as Lando walked past them, Chewie flung off the unlocked cuffs and swung his huge arms at the storm troopers. His fist connected with the left one's helmet creating a large dent and knocking him to the deck.
The one on Chewie's right had more time to react and had ducked. However, it was no use. The two guards easily subdued the trooper.
"Unlock the door," Lando ordered. "Or the Wookiee will tear your arm off."
The storm trooper looked up at Chewie, and then down at his unmoving companion and punched in the code to open the cell.
The cell was so tiny that Han was half sprawling on the single bench with his boots propped up on the opposite wall. He looked half asleep and very bored. The moment the door opened he jumped to his feet.
"What took you so long?" Han stepped out of the cell and stretched a little.
While Lando's guards dragged the troopers into the cell, Chewbacca began to fuss over Han.
"I'm fine!" Han said as he pushed away one of Chewie's paws. "I only saw Vader once in the corridor when he told the troopers to lock me up. No questions and no torture, nothing. Lucky for me he was in a hurry."
Chewbacca moaned at him again and began to fill Han in on what he'd missed.
"Really," Han said and then noticed the binders on the floor. "That prisoner trick worked again? You'd think the Imps would wise up for once."
"Hurry up," Lando hissed. "Boba Fett was spotted two levels down only an hour ago. My people think Vader might have been planning to sell you to him."
He didn't need to say more. As quickly as possible, they rejoined Lando's troops and Artoo. The moment they arrived, Artoo sent a signal to Luke's comlink. Using restricted passages, they began to make their way back to the Millenium Falcon.
They reached the Falcon's platform without incident and the guards Lando had left behind were still protecting it. The moment they began to walk outside one of the guards called out.
"Sir! A report has just come in," The entire group came to a halt as he listened to his headset. "Lord Vader's ship is leaving."
"What about Fett?" Lando asked.
The guard relayed the message, "Still here, his ship hasn't moved. Vader left very quickly, he didn't even leave a garrison."
"Luke?" Han said quietly half to himself. Artoo gave a strangled whistle and wheeled toward the Falcon scanning madly.
Lando was furious and Chewie began to howl, "But Luke said he was only going to distract Vader!"
~~*~~
End part 4
I love feedback! I never hold readers hostage with demands for reviews - that is just cruel. However, reviews do help encourage (i.e. guilt trip) me into writing new parts quicker! :)