Revealed Identities

Chapter 18: Hiding and Finding

"Where are we going Rogue Leader?" Wedge asked cautiously. Luke had not been himself since he had last seen him. He had heard that Darth Vader had gotten a hold of him, and he wondered what the sith lord had done to his friend. Luke seemed to snap out of some sort of trance upon hearing Wedge's voice. Luke looked over at his friend and smiled.

"I'm not quite sure, but all I know is that we have to head in the opposite direction that I had been following. Some friends are in danger, and if they are caught, the consequences could be quite grave." Luke explained evasively. Wedge nodded, not pushing any more questioning.

"How did you find me?" Luke wondered.

"After the ordeal with Nekem's escape, Rogue squadron went looking for the bastard. We realized that he would probably be keeping a look out for ships owned by the Alliance, but you know with our limited supplies that it's impossible to keep the ships that we have regulated. These ships are a prototype that some of our guys have been working on. They were supposed to look like Yachts to fool enemies, but they're loaded with the state of the art attack weaponry." Wedge explained. Luke looked around the cock-pit at the controls.

"I don't see anything that could control the hidden weapons, or anything that looks remotely like it. Besides, this wouldn't be that ideal for a fight; it's too bulky." Luke pointed out.

"That's the idea, to make it look that way. In reality, the control panel has a special mechanism that will flip the top tray upside down, revealing the weaponry panel. As for the size and shape of the craft, that's the beauty of it. It's size helps pick up speed, and though it doesn't look very maneuverable, it is, with the right know how." Luke looked around impressed.

"I didn't know that the Alliance had such resources." Luke said.

"Well, there are a lot of areas of the Alliance that we don't know about, especially with all the new systems joining us because of what happened with Alderaan." Luke nodded in agreement, his thoughts on his father, when a sudden thought hit him.

There were so many aspects of the rebellion that it would be impossible for everyone to know who was really involved with the alliance. In fact, perhaps he could make it seem that his father was part of the alliance. Luke frowned. It would work out perfectly, perfectly as long as he could convince Leia and Han not reveal his father's secret.

Leia glanced around nervously as the Pemulaps picked up the weapons that she and Han had thrown to the ground. Leia noticed Han click on the channel to the Millennium Falcon so that Chewie could hear them.

"Who are you?" One of the aliens asked.

"None of your business." Han spat bitterly. The Pemulaps were not impressed.

"Of course it is. You shot our only link to finding someone of great value to us." This Pemulap seemed to be the spokesman of the group. Or woman. Leia couldn't quite tell the gender.

"Luke Skywalker?" Leia asked cautiously. The group looked at her suspiciously.

"You are after the bounty on his head too?" The Spokesman demanded.

"Yes." Leia lied quickly, an idea forming in her mind. "We already know where he is." Han gave her a disbelieving glance, until he got the hint.

"We could split the money with you." Han interjected, easily following Leia's lead.

"Didn't you know that there was a bounty on Nekem's head also?" Han lied smoothly. "Alive, naturally." He added.

"You idiot! How're we going to get the extra 70,000 if they have Nekem?" Leia yelled, pretending to get angry.

"Me? You were the one that revealed we know where Skywalker is!" Han spat back. The Pemulaps looked on amused as they watched the transaction. Leia hid her smile, seeing they had taken the bait.

"Really? Skywalker is a hard target, but we knew how to get the information. Seeing as how we already have this one, we won't need Skywalker." The Pemulap grinned, as if he had won some sort of great victory, as he turned to the others in the group.

"I told you turning into bounty hunters would be worth it. Easy cash. Since you already know where Skywalker is, we'll just take Nekem then." He pointed the blaster at Leia and Han. "On the other hand, we don't know where we can get Nekem's bounty. How about you give us 65,000 now, and we give you Nekem."

"I have the money." Leia said smiling. Han gave her a sharp look. She saw him mouth to her. 'No you don't!' Leia gave him a look to reassure him that she knew what she was doing.

She moved her hand to her lower pocket. The Pemulaps were so eager for the money that they didn't have time to realize that she was holding a blaster instead of money. She had stunned the entire group before they had a chance to react.

"Smooth thinking." Han said impressed. "Did you learn that in finishing school?" Han asked.

"Can it." She grabbed the spare cloak and threw it over Nekem's body.

"Chewie? You there?" Han asked into the comm channel. He received a growl in response. Han grinned and translated. "He says that you would make a fine smuggler."

"Thanks Chewie." She said dryly.

"Bring the ship around two blocks from...where are we? Ah," Han spotted the street sign, "Loopic." Han read, trying to interpret the decorative symbols on the sign.

"What are we going to do with them?" Leia asked, looking at the group of Pemulaps. She walked warily over to each one, checking to make sure that they were un-harmed. "It's not a pleasant feeling to wake up from being stunned." Leia remembered her own experience when her ship had been taken over by Lord Vader. She gave a small shudder. Her father. Leia shook her head. She didn't understand how she could be related to someone like that, but Luke had seemed so sure that there was more than met the eye about Vader.

Leia remembered the stories that Bail had told her about her biological father. He had said that he had been a great warrior, fearless, kind, and that he had loved her mother very much. It was hard to picture the monster and the hero as one in the same.

*Trust your feelings.* Leia looked around, wondering where the voice came from. She assumed Han had said it.

"What was that?" Leia wondered, looking at Han.

"I said, we should probably move these guys into the ally more. Hide them better." Han said, not noticing the strange look she was giving him. Leia shook her head.

"I think we need to go to Gefoga as soon as possible." Leia said distractedly.

"I thought that you didn't want to see Vader." Han winced as he realized his mistake about mentioning him. Leia cringed slightly, but she didn't burst out savagely at him for being inconsiderate.

"All I know is that I have a feeling that I should go there. We need Nekem too, of course." Leia added.

"Yeah, we need to know what other kind of damage he's done." Han grabbed Nekem's legs from underneath the cloak, and started dragging him down the street. Nekem's head bumped on the occasional rock, and Leia smirked as she followed Han down the street. Leia really hoped Nekem had a bad headache when he woke up.

"If I'm not mistaken, I believe we are approaching the ship that your friend is on." Wedge informed Luke. It had taken them several hours before they had finally tracked him down. Luke smiled. Yes, he was finally close enough to his father that he could feel his Force presence.

"Land here." Luke commanded. They landed in an enormous forest, far from view from anyone for miles around. It was a good hiding spot, but it also meant that it was hard for them to spot anyone coming their way. Luke felt apprehensive about what his father was planning.

Anakin smiled. He could feel that his son had come for him, and he did not sense the Emperor anywhere near them. He watched from his hiding spot as Luke emerged from the ship. He said something to one of the men who had followed him out, clearly some sort of order not to follow. He proceeded to head to an area of brush nearby where Anakin's ship lay. Anakin followed his son. Luke turned abruptly around upon feeling watched. They were hidden in the brush, and Luke smiled openly at his father, relief evident on his face.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"The Emperor is here. I had to cut all ties from you or he would have felt your presence." Anakin explained.

"He's here?" Luke inhaled sharply.

"Yes." Anakin nodded.

"We should leave immediately before-"

"No," Anakin interrupted. "We must stay, find him, and kill him." Luke blanched.

"How could I possibly help? I'm not trained." Luke protested sadly. Anakin's eyes roamed over his son appraisingly.

"The training relationship between a father and son is much different than normal Padawan and Master learning." Anakin began to explain.

"Padawan? What's that?" Luke wondered. Anakin sighed.

"We will need some time alone. Tell your friends that you need to spend some time here." Luke raised his eyebrows, but did not protest. He walked out from the barrier between him and his friends.

"Wedge!" Luke called out when he was in close enough range. "Leave me here." Wedge looked at him like he was crazy.

"Are you insane? You have no idea what's out here." Wedge reprimanded.

"I know what I'm doing. Listen, what I need is for you to go back to the nearest village and cover my tracks. Make it look like I left planet, that I went somewhere far away. And don't make me pull rank on you." Luke added as Wedge began to protest. Wedge nodded his head.

"You're the boss." Wedge said, trying to make his voice sounded light and casual. "I'll get supplies for you." Wedge added.

"Thanks." Luke grinned.

"I still think that you're nuts." Luke chuckled. Luke watched sadly as his friends took off. He turned around to see that his father had already set up some sort of camp.

"What now?" Luke asked.

"Dinner. I'm starving. I forgot that I have to eat without the suit." Luke laughed.

Next part...Making Plans