Chapter 13
Two TIE fighters went down in flames under Luke's guns. As he twisted around to pursue another TIE the seventh transport roared skyward, escorted by two Y-wings flown by rookie pilots. But one Y-wing took a direct hit and exploded before the ships could leave Yavin's atmosphere. Five TIEs rose in formation to pursue the transport.
"Let them go!" ordered Olie. "We want Skywalker!"
"Ma'am, we were sent here to destroy the Rebels…" began a TIE pilot, his voice tinny over the comm.
"Catching Skywalker is worth the entire Rebellion," she replied sternly.
Luke swallowed hard.
"We'll protect you, Commander," volunteered Zev.
"Stay with the transports," Luke ordered. "The Stardestroyers may still try to take them out."
"What about you?" demanded Janson.
"I'll be fine!" he shot back. "Despite what Admiral Olie says, I'm not worth the entire Rebellion."
"Don't play humble, Skywalker," Bekme advised. "You have a bounty on your head that's double that of the entire High Command put together."
Her X-wing shrieked toward him, nearly colliding with his ship. He fired but missed.
"You're outnumbered," she pointed out. "You may as well surrender and spare your friends."
"Being outnumbered hasn't stopped Rogue Squadron before," he pointed out. "You know that."
Another transport took to the skies, but it received a hit from the back. It rocked dangerously but stayed gamely aloft. Whether it made it into space Luke didn't see, for suddenly a mass of TIE fighters surrounded his ship.
"You're a real friend, you know that?" he snapped. "Got me to believe you actually had feelings for me when all along you were working for the enemy. Was it your plan all along to get me so in love with you I'd follow you back to Imperial Center like a puppy?"
"I wasn't planning on falling in love with you, Skywalker!"
TIEs circled his fighter. There was no chance of escape, and he couldn't possibly outfight them all.
"I don't want to hurt you, Luke," she said almost pleadingly. "If you come with me quietly, I'll make sure your sentence is light."
He fumed, enraged. She'd betrayed him! That was his only thought. He had loved her, and she'd repaid that love by stabbing him and the entire Alliance in the back! Angrily he grabbed at the trigger. She'd pay for this…
/Luke!/
Obi-wan's voice came so suddenly he jumped in his seat.
/Luke/ he continued in a calmer tone, /do not attack Bekme in anger./
/How can I not feel angry?/ he demanded. /She hurt me!/
/I know, I know. And it pains me to see you suffer too. But utilizing that anger as a weapon of vengeance was Vader's downfall./
/What do you mean?/
/Betrayal by a friend is far more painful, and ignited a far more deadly rage, than betrayal by a stranger or enemy. Vader believed I had done him wrong, and his fury at that perceived injury engulfed him in darkness. If you strike Bekme down in anger, you will suffer far more than she will./
Luke took a moment to rein in his anger, breathing deeply. Why was Obi-wan always right?
Bekme's X-wing circled him patiently. She was obviously in no hurry to take him, even if it meant letting the Rebellion slip through her fingers.
"I forgive you, Bekme," he said slowly. "I forgive you for all you have done to me and plan still to do. But I can't forgive what you've done to others – to Vader, Commander Ironmoon, Squib, Rogue Squadron, the Alliance, the entire galaxy. That's why I have to fight you – not for revenge, but for justice." His finger crooked around the trigger once more. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do."
"We can still have a future together, Luke," she told him earnestly. "There have been Rebels who joined the Imperial cause, just as there have been Imperials who joined the Rebel cause. And if a Rebel, even a notorious one, were to marry a high-ranking Imperial, no one would dare object."
"There's no future for us, Bekme, because I refuse to surrender. The Emperor won't receive Skywalker alive today. Instead, he'll be delivered a corpse – either mine or that of his spy's."
A long pause.
"I'm sorry, Luke," she replied finally. "I gave you a chance and you refused it. I gave you my love, but you seem to reject that as well. I'm not responsible for what happens to you now. Fire at will, men! But let me out first!"
An opening formed in the wall of TIE fighters, just wide enough for her X-wing to slip through.
Luke punched his throttle, squeezing through the gap before the TIEs could move in to cover the hole. He roared after Bekme, the screams of nearly two dozen fighters trailing him.
"Artoo, max power to rear deflector shields!" he shouted.
Artoo beeped compliance.
Bekme, startled at being the prey now rather than the predator, swerved sharply to her port side. Luke kept tight on her stern, trying his best to ignore the swarm of TIEs on his own tail.
There was a cry over the comm, and an X-wing plummeted to the ground.
"Wedge!" he shouted.
"I'm clear!" Wedge assured him. "But my fighter's down!"
"I'll pick him up!" volunteered Ar'ya.
"No time!" Luke shouted. "Concentrate on the transports! We'll come back for you, Wedge!"
A heavy barrage of laser fire was barely absorbed by Luke's shields. He wasn't going to hold out much longer against this assault.
Red flashed at the edge of his vision, and burning flak peppered his ship. TIEs and pieces of TIEs scattered like avians before a hunting gundark as a proton torpedo detonated in their midst. Weak with relief, Luke craned his neck to catch a glimpse of his rescuer.
Over the comm of every Rogue came what could best be described as a primal howl – or a long, drawn-out "YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Who the stang?" demanded Rocky.
"Naboo fighter, identify yourself," ordered the pilot of an ascending transport.
"Darth Vader, flying the Desert Angel! Thought Rogue Squadron could use a hand."
The squadron broke into loud cheering as the N-1 starfighter, not yellow but a brilliant red, joined their ranks. Luke gasped in relief. He no longer saw Vader as a possible traitor, and if he was allowed to fly with the Rogues the Alliance must have released him.
"We're even now, Luke," Vader told him.
"Thanks!" Luke shouted. "Help me catch Bekme! She's the one who framed you!"
"Han figured that out. I'm onto her."
"Can't you do anything without getting yourself into trouble, kid?" demanded Han, and the Falcon roared into view.
"We picked up Wedge for you," Leia added over the comm. "He's fine."
The X-wing, freighter, and Naboo fighter pinned Bekme's X-wing between them in a classic pincer movement. She tried to bolt ahead, but the Falcon was in the way. Luke and Vader cut off escape from either side as well.
"It's over, Admiral Olie," Luke told her. "Come along quietly."
"Over my dead body, Commander Skywalker," she retorted. "I've got an ally – the Emperor's new right-hand man."
Luke paused, startled. The Emperor had found a new protégé already?
"I'm sure that's a bluff," Leia snapped. It was obvious that her opinion of Bekme had reached an all-time low.
"You don't believe me?" she shot back. "I'll introduce you to him. Darth Kain – formerly known as Boba Fett."
"Boba Fett?!" exclaimed Han.
Luke's guts churned. He'd heard stories about the ruthless hunter, but he hadn't known the man was Force-strong.
An oblong starcraft – a Firespray, he recognized – barreled toward them, gleaming with a black paint job and chrome finish. There was no mistaking the raw evil pouring off the ship like radiation from a leaking reactor; a Dark Lord sat behind the controls.
"Darth Vader," a harsh, gravelly voice purred over the comm. "Flattered to meet you. But you've outlived your usefulness to the Empire." Fire lanced from his ship's guns.
The Desert Angel went into a spin to dodge the shots. Bekme took advantage of the gap formed by his maneuver and screamed away. Luke gunned the engines, tearing after her.
"Han, Leia, Chewie, help Rogue Squadron!" Luke ordered. "I'll take Bekme! Vader, cover me!"
Bekme attempted to throw Luke off her trail by threading the Needle. Luke turned his X-wing in order to pursue her between the two towers. Vader was right after them.
The Firespray dipped into view, firing a tracking missile at Luke. He was forced to break off the pursuit to defend himself. But no matter which way he turned, he couldn't shake the missile.
"Eject your spare parts!" Vader shouted.
"What good will that do?" demanded Luke.
"Just trust me!"
"Artoo…" began Luke.
But the droid was ahead of the game. Several boxes of ship components were flung from his fighter's stern. The missile's targeting computer, confused by this new obstacle, mistook them for its intended target and detonated against them.
"Good work," Vader said encouragingly. "Where's Bekme?"
"We lost her!" Luke exclaimed, bringing his X-wing around for a better look. "I'll keep an eye out for her. You distract Darth Kain."
"One Darth knows another," Vader replied, and he pulled up.
The Firespray opened fire on the Naboo fighter. The Desert Angel bolted out of the way and circled the larger craft like a nexu prowling around an injured grazer. Kain's ship tried to turn in order get the smaller craft in his sights, but his ship was just too sluggish to catch up with the agile fighter.
/Look out!/
That wasn't Obi-wan's voice this time – it was his own. The Force!
He dove sharply – just in time to miss the proton torpedo that crackled over his head. Bekme followed that attack up with a furious barrage of laser fire. She was no longer even trying for a live capture – she was aiming to kill!
"Forgive me, Luke," she told him.
"No, Bekme," he replied. "Forgive me."
Hating himself for doing this, he took careful aim and fired once.
Her X-wing's anti-grav engines disintegrated in a flurry of sparks and shrapnel, and she shouted her dismay as the craft spiraled downard. At least she would survive the crash, even if it meant leaving her on Yavin for the Empire to pick up. Unless another Rebel ship retrieved her – it would mean putting her on trial in Vader's place, but at least she'd be alive…
But Kain's ship dove for the fallen fighter, and things went horribly wrong.
Bekme struggled to open the X-wing canopy, but the crash had jammed it shut. Powers-that-be take all! She'd greatly underestimated Luke's skills – and overestimated the strength of his feelings toward her.
Admittedly, she hadn't intended to develop such a deep friendship with him at all. But it had been an immense aid in her mission, she'd thought. He hadn't suspected her until the damage had been done.
/If only he'd surrendered/ she thought wistfully. /If only he'd come back to Corusant with me… we could have seen this through together…/
Kain's ship, the Slave, swooped low over her X-wing. A rescue! She switched frequencies on her comm so only the Imperial ships could pick up her distress call.
"Mayday! Mayday! This is Admiral Olie! I'm down point seven-five kilometers south of the Blackstone towers! Send a pickup shuttle!"
"Overruled," Kain grated. "You're staying put."
"What?!" she shouted. "You can't leave me here!"
"Emperor's order."
"Emperor's order! I gave the mummified bastard the coordinates for the Rebel base, and being stranded here is the thanks I get?!"
"You bungled this mission hopelessly, late Admiral Olie," Kain hissed. "Let this be your reward."
A seismic charge hurtling toward her grounded craft was the last thing she saw.
The Desert Angel shook with the blast as a violent energy flooded the jungle. Trees fell in a tangle of logs and rocks split in two as blue light razored across the ground, slicing horizontally through everything in its path. The Massassi and Blackstone temples collapsed on themselves. The last transport, also rocking from the impact, barely cleared the ground in time. The fallen X-wings of Wedge, Squib, and Bekme splintered into pieces.
The roar of the blast came an instant later, but even it couldn't drown out the pain-wracked cry that echoed over the comm.
/Luke!/
A cold burning filled Vader's torso, almost as if he were experiencing Luke's pain as well. How could this happen to him? Bekme had been a traitor… but she had been Luke's love as well, something not easily forgotten. Why did the boy have to go through this – losing yet another loved one to an act of violence on the part of the Empire?
He ground his teeth as Kain's ship flew past him. How cold-hearted could a man be to murder his own subordinates? He gunned his own engines. Kain was going down!
The Firespray paused, as if Kain was receiving an order. Then the ebon-black ship turned, fired a parting shot at Luke, and soared into the sky. Vader shrieked after him, intent on his goal. Kain was almost in his sights…
/Vader!/
He stopped short. /Obi-wan?/
/I counseled Luke on this. Let me counsel you as well. Do not attack in anger! It is the path to the dark side./
/Then how am I to stop Kain before he kills again?/
/You cannot defeat him today. He is too powerful, and there are more pressing matters. Let him go and help Luke./
/Help Luke?/
Then he saw Luke's X-wing spiraling down, smoke trailing from its starboard side.
"Luke!"
Luke's X-wing bucked as it took a direct hit from behind, and it spun toward the ground. He frantically worked the controls, but to no avail. He was powerless to stop his descent.
He was going to die.
Closing his eyes, he let go, mentally and physically. His hands released the controls of the fighter, his mind released control of his fate. Would death really be so bad? Death was an accepted risk in the Alliance, something all Rebels knew they would have to face a lot sooner than most. And better a quick death in battle, many theorized, than the agonizing torture promised to any captured Rebel.
Besides, death would mean seeing his family again – his gruff but genuinely caring uncle, his kind aunt, his adventurous childhood friend, his wise mentor, his father, maybe even his mother… and Bekme. If death meant a reunion with them, could it be so horrible?
There was a loud metallic clang, and his X-wing's fall inexplicably slowed and stopped. Stunned, he opened his eyes and looked down.
The Desert Angel was beneath his X-wing, supporting the ailing fighter's weight, carrying him almost piggy-back.
"C'mon, Luke," Vader urged over the comm. "A little juice to your engines, help me out. Your ship's too heavy for the Angel to lift alone."
"Don't worry, I've got him," Han assured him. "Easy does it."
The two fighters separated, and the Angel pulled away as the X-wing floated upward on the Falcon's tractor beam. Once Luke was secure at the bottom of the freighter, they prepared to make the final jump to hyperspace. Around him, Rogue Squadron was busy regrouping, trying to avoid the TIEs that flitted around aimlessly like disoriented birds. There was no sign of Darth Kain's ship.
He took a deep breath, suddenly frightened by his willingness to die so soon. He was going to live. He'd survived this battle. And he'd be sure to survive the next one. He would greatly miss those who had passed on before, but a reunion with them would have to be postponed. The Alliance needed him.
"Thought we were gonna lose you there, kid," Han chimed in over the comm.
"Commander!" Hobbie shouted. "You all right?"
"Talk to us, Luke," urged Rocky.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Really."
"Luke," Vader said quietly, "I'm deeply sorry about Bekme."
"Don't be," Luke replied. "But I will miss her."
"You'll miss a traitor?" Leia said in disbelief.
"I won't miss Admiral Olie, Leia," he corrected. "But I'll miss Bekme very much."
There was a pause. "I'm not sure if I understand, Luke," Leia said at last, "but I'll trust you for now. You're usually right about these things."
As Rogue Squadron, the Millennium Falcon, and the Desert Angel escorted the Commander's ship into hyperspace, Luke felt reassured by the friendship all around him. How wonderful that he hadn't given in to the temptation to end his life. For he had a family in the Alliance, a family that loved him and that he loved back, even if they hadn't any biological ties.
"Good job, Rogues," he said at last. "Mission accomplished."
Two TIE fighters went down in flames under Luke's guns. As he twisted around to pursue another TIE the seventh transport roared skyward, escorted by two Y-wings flown by rookie pilots. But one Y-wing took a direct hit and exploded before the ships could leave Yavin's atmosphere. Five TIEs rose in formation to pursue the transport.
"Let them go!" ordered Olie. "We want Skywalker!"
"Ma'am, we were sent here to destroy the Rebels…" began a TIE pilot, his voice tinny over the comm.
"Catching Skywalker is worth the entire Rebellion," she replied sternly.
Luke swallowed hard.
"We'll protect you, Commander," volunteered Zev.
"Stay with the transports," Luke ordered. "The Stardestroyers may still try to take them out."
"What about you?" demanded Janson.
"I'll be fine!" he shot back. "Despite what Admiral Olie says, I'm not worth the entire Rebellion."
"Don't play humble, Skywalker," Bekme advised. "You have a bounty on your head that's double that of the entire High Command put together."
Her X-wing shrieked toward him, nearly colliding with his ship. He fired but missed.
"You're outnumbered," she pointed out. "You may as well surrender and spare your friends."
"Being outnumbered hasn't stopped Rogue Squadron before," he pointed out. "You know that."
Another transport took to the skies, but it received a hit from the back. It rocked dangerously but stayed gamely aloft. Whether it made it into space Luke didn't see, for suddenly a mass of TIE fighters surrounded his ship.
"You're a real friend, you know that?" he snapped. "Got me to believe you actually had feelings for me when all along you were working for the enemy. Was it your plan all along to get me so in love with you I'd follow you back to Imperial Center like a puppy?"
"I wasn't planning on falling in love with you, Skywalker!"
TIEs circled his fighter. There was no chance of escape, and he couldn't possibly outfight them all.
"I don't want to hurt you, Luke," she said almost pleadingly. "If you come with me quietly, I'll make sure your sentence is light."
He fumed, enraged. She'd betrayed him! That was his only thought. He had loved her, and she'd repaid that love by stabbing him and the entire Alliance in the back! Angrily he grabbed at the trigger. She'd pay for this…
/Luke!/
Obi-wan's voice came so suddenly he jumped in his seat.
/Luke/ he continued in a calmer tone, /do not attack Bekme in anger./
/How can I not feel angry?/ he demanded. /She hurt me!/
/I know, I know. And it pains me to see you suffer too. But utilizing that anger as a weapon of vengeance was Vader's downfall./
/What do you mean?/
/Betrayal by a friend is far more painful, and ignited a far more deadly rage, than betrayal by a stranger or enemy. Vader believed I had done him wrong, and his fury at that perceived injury engulfed him in darkness. If you strike Bekme down in anger, you will suffer far more than she will./
Luke took a moment to rein in his anger, breathing deeply. Why was Obi-wan always right?
Bekme's X-wing circled him patiently. She was obviously in no hurry to take him, even if it meant letting the Rebellion slip through her fingers.
"I forgive you, Bekme," he said slowly. "I forgive you for all you have done to me and plan still to do. But I can't forgive what you've done to others – to Vader, Commander Ironmoon, Squib, Rogue Squadron, the Alliance, the entire galaxy. That's why I have to fight you – not for revenge, but for justice." His finger crooked around the trigger once more. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do."
"We can still have a future together, Luke," she told him earnestly. "There have been Rebels who joined the Imperial cause, just as there have been Imperials who joined the Rebel cause. And if a Rebel, even a notorious one, were to marry a high-ranking Imperial, no one would dare object."
"There's no future for us, Bekme, because I refuse to surrender. The Emperor won't receive Skywalker alive today. Instead, he'll be delivered a corpse – either mine or that of his spy's."
A long pause.
"I'm sorry, Luke," she replied finally. "I gave you a chance and you refused it. I gave you my love, but you seem to reject that as well. I'm not responsible for what happens to you now. Fire at will, men! But let me out first!"
An opening formed in the wall of TIE fighters, just wide enough for her X-wing to slip through.
Luke punched his throttle, squeezing through the gap before the TIEs could move in to cover the hole. He roared after Bekme, the screams of nearly two dozen fighters trailing him.
"Artoo, max power to rear deflector shields!" he shouted.
Artoo beeped compliance.
Bekme, startled at being the prey now rather than the predator, swerved sharply to her port side. Luke kept tight on her stern, trying his best to ignore the swarm of TIEs on his own tail.
There was a cry over the comm, and an X-wing plummeted to the ground.
"Wedge!" he shouted.
"I'm clear!" Wedge assured him. "But my fighter's down!"
"I'll pick him up!" volunteered Ar'ya.
"No time!" Luke shouted. "Concentrate on the transports! We'll come back for you, Wedge!"
A heavy barrage of laser fire was barely absorbed by Luke's shields. He wasn't going to hold out much longer against this assault.
Red flashed at the edge of his vision, and burning flak peppered his ship. TIEs and pieces of TIEs scattered like avians before a hunting gundark as a proton torpedo detonated in their midst. Weak with relief, Luke craned his neck to catch a glimpse of his rescuer.
Over the comm of every Rogue came what could best be described as a primal howl – or a long, drawn-out "YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Who the stang?" demanded Rocky.
"Naboo fighter, identify yourself," ordered the pilot of an ascending transport.
"Darth Vader, flying the Desert Angel! Thought Rogue Squadron could use a hand."
The squadron broke into loud cheering as the N-1 starfighter, not yellow but a brilliant red, joined their ranks. Luke gasped in relief. He no longer saw Vader as a possible traitor, and if he was allowed to fly with the Rogues the Alliance must have released him.
"We're even now, Luke," Vader told him.
"Thanks!" Luke shouted. "Help me catch Bekme! She's the one who framed you!"
"Han figured that out. I'm onto her."
"Can't you do anything without getting yourself into trouble, kid?" demanded Han, and the Falcon roared into view.
"We picked up Wedge for you," Leia added over the comm. "He's fine."
The X-wing, freighter, and Naboo fighter pinned Bekme's X-wing between them in a classic pincer movement. She tried to bolt ahead, but the Falcon was in the way. Luke and Vader cut off escape from either side as well.
"It's over, Admiral Olie," Luke told her. "Come along quietly."
"Over my dead body, Commander Skywalker," she retorted. "I've got an ally – the Emperor's new right-hand man."
Luke paused, startled. The Emperor had found a new protégé already?
"I'm sure that's a bluff," Leia snapped. It was obvious that her opinion of Bekme had reached an all-time low.
"You don't believe me?" she shot back. "I'll introduce you to him. Darth Kain – formerly known as Boba Fett."
"Boba Fett?!" exclaimed Han.
Luke's guts churned. He'd heard stories about the ruthless hunter, but he hadn't known the man was Force-strong.
An oblong starcraft – a Firespray, he recognized – barreled toward them, gleaming with a black paint job and chrome finish. There was no mistaking the raw evil pouring off the ship like radiation from a leaking reactor; a Dark Lord sat behind the controls.
"Darth Vader," a harsh, gravelly voice purred over the comm. "Flattered to meet you. But you've outlived your usefulness to the Empire." Fire lanced from his ship's guns.
The Desert Angel went into a spin to dodge the shots. Bekme took advantage of the gap formed by his maneuver and screamed away. Luke gunned the engines, tearing after her.
"Han, Leia, Chewie, help Rogue Squadron!" Luke ordered. "I'll take Bekme! Vader, cover me!"
Bekme attempted to throw Luke off her trail by threading the Needle. Luke turned his X-wing in order to pursue her between the two towers. Vader was right after them.
The Firespray dipped into view, firing a tracking missile at Luke. He was forced to break off the pursuit to defend himself. But no matter which way he turned, he couldn't shake the missile.
"Eject your spare parts!" Vader shouted.
"What good will that do?" demanded Luke.
"Just trust me!"
"Artoo…" began Luke.
But the droid was ahead of the game. Several boxes of ship components were flung from his fighter's stern. The missile's targeting computer, confused by this new obstacle, mistook them for its intended target and detonated against them.
"Good work," Vader said encouragingly. "Where's Bekme?"
"We lost her!" Luke exclaimed, bringing his X-wing around for a better look. "I'll keep an eye out for her. You distract Darth Kain."
"One Darth knows another," Vader replied, and he pulled up.
The Firespray opened fire on the Naboo fighter. The Desert Angel bolted out of the way and circled the larger craft like a nexu prowling around an injured grazer. Kain's ship tried to turn in order get the smaller craft in his sights, but his ship was just too sluggish to catch up with the agile fighter.
/Look out!/
That wasn't Obi-wan's voice this time – it was his own. The Force!
He dove sharply – just in time to miss the proton torpedo that crackled over his head. Bekme followed that attack up with a furious barrage of laser fire. She was no longer even trying for a live capture – she was aiming to kill!
"Forgive me, Luke," she told him.
"No, Bekme," he replied. "Forgive me."
Hating himself for doing this, he took careful aim and fired once.
Her X-wing's anti-grav engines disintegrated in a flurry of sparks and shrapnel, and she shouted her dismay as the craft spiraled downard. At least she would survive the crash, even if it meant leaving her on Yavin for the Empire to pick up. Unless another Rebel ship retrieved her – it would mean putting her on trial in Vader's place, but at least she'd be alive…
But Kain's ship dove for the fallen fighter, and things went horribly wrong.
Bekme struggled to open the X-wing canopy, but the crash had jammed it shut. Powers-that-be take all! She'd greatly underestimated Luke's skills – and overestimated the strength of his feelings toward her.
Admittedly, she hadn't intended to develop such a deep friendship with him at all. But it had been an immense aid in her mission, she'd thought. He hadn't suspected her until the damage had been done.
/If only he'd surrendered/ she thought wistfully. /If only he'd come back to Corusant with me… we could have seen this through together…/
Kain's ship, the Slave, swooped low over her X-wing. A rescue! She switched frequencies on her comm so only the Imperial ships could pick up her distress call.
"Mayday! Mayday! This is Admiral Olie! I'm down point seven-five kilometers south of the Blackstone towers! Send a pickup shuttle!"
"Overruled," Kain grated. "You're staying put."
"What?!" she shouted. "You can't leave me here!"
"Emperor's order."
"Emperor's order! I gave the mummified bastard the coordinates for the Rebel base, and being stranded here is the thanks I get?!"
"You bungled this mission hopelessly, late Admiral Olie," Kain hissed. "Let this be your reward."
A seismic charge hurtling toward her grounded craft was the last thing she saw.
The Desert Angel shook with the blast as a violent energy flooded the jungle. Trees fell in a tangle of logs and rocks split in two as blue light razored across the ground, slicing horizontally through everything in its path. The Massassi and Blackstone temples collapsed on themselves. The last transport, also rocking from the impact, barely cleared the ground in time. The fallen X-wings of Wedge, Squib, and Bekme splintered into pieces.
The roar of the blast came an instant later, but even it couldn't drown out the pain-wracked cry that echoed over the comm.
/Luke!/
A cold burning filled Vader's torso, almost as if he were experiencing Luke's pain as well. How could this happen to him? Bekme had been a traitor… but she had been Luke's love as well, something not easily forgotten. Why did the boy have to go through this – losing yet another loved one to an act of violence on the part of the Empire?
He ground his teeth as Kain's ship flew past him. How cold-hearted could a man be to murder his own subordinates? He gunned his own engines. Kain was going down!
The Firespray paused, as if Kain was receiving an order. Then the ebon-black ship turned, fired a parting shot at Luke, and soared into the sky. Vader shrieked after him, intent on his goal. Kain was almost in his sights…
/Vader!/
He stopped short. /Obi-wan?/
/I counseled Luke on this. Let me counsel you as well. Do not attack in anger! It is the path to the dark side./
/Then how am I to stop Kain before he kills again?/
/You cannot defeat him today. He is too powerful, and there are more pressing matters. Let him go and help Luke./
/Help Luke?/
Then he saw Luke's X-wing spiraling down, smoke trailing from its starboard side.
"Luke!"
Luke's X-wing bucked as it took a direct hit from behind, and it spun toward the ground. He frantically worked the controls, but to no avail. He was powerless to stop his descent.
He was going to die.
Closing his eyes, he let go, mentally and physically. His hands released the controls of the fighter, his mind released control of his fate. Would death really be so bad? Death was an accepted risk in the Alliance, something all Rebels knew they would have to face a lot sooner than most. And better a quick death in battle, many theorized, than the agonizing torture promised to any captured Rebel.
Besides, death would mean seeing his family again – his gruff but genuinely caring uncle, his kind aunt, his adventurous childhood friend, his wise mentor, his father, maybe even his mother… and Bekme. If death meant a reunion with them, could it be so horrible?
There was a loud metallic clang, and his X-wing's fall inexplicably slowed and stopped. Stunned, he opened his eyes and looked down.
The Desert Angel was beneath his X-wing, supporting the ailing fighter's weight, carrying him almost piggy-back.
"C'mon, Luke," Vader urged over the comm. "A little juice to your engines, help me out. Your ship's too heavy for the Angel to lift alone."
"Don't worry, I've got him," Han assured him. "Easy does it."
The two fighters separated, and the Angel pulled away as the X-wing floated upward on the Falcon's tractor beam. Once Luke was secure at the bottom of the freighter, they prepared to make the final jump to hyperspace. Around him, Rogue Squadron was busy regrouping, trying to avoid the TIEs that flitted around aimlessly like disoriented birds. There was no sign of Darth Kain's ship.
He took a deep breath, suddenly frightened by his willingness to die so soon. He was going to live. He'd survived this battle. And he'd be sure to survive the next one. He would greatly miss those who had passed on before, but a reunion with them would have to be postponed. The Alliance needed him.
"Thought we were gonna lose you there, kid," Han chimed in over the comm.
"Commander!" Hobbie shouted. "You all right?"
"Talk to us, Luke," urged Rocky.
"I'm fine," he replied. "Really."
"Luke," Vader said quietly, "I'm deeply sorry about Bekme."
"Don't be," Luke replied. "But I will miss her."
"You'll miss a traitor?" Leia said in disbelief.
"I won't miss Admiral Olie, Leia," he corrected. "But I'll miss Bekme very much."
There was a pause. "I'm not sure if I understand, Luke," Leia said at last, "but I'll trust you for now. You're usually right about these things."
As Rogue Squadron, the Millennium Falcon, and the Desert Angel escorted the Commander's ship into hyperspace, Luke felt reassured by the friendship all around him. How wonderful that he hadn't given in to the temptation to end his life. For he had a family in the Alliance, a family that loved him and that he loved back, even if they hadn't any biological ties.
"Good job, Rogues," he said at last. "Mission accomplished."