Author's Note: ::comes out of haze:: Sorry for the delay. The last couple days have been busy. OH! I just saw the Muppet Show episode with Mark Hamill. IT WAS SO CHEESY! Though I did get a chuckle when Luke busts down the theater doors hollering, "Remember Alderaan! Down with the Empire!" to Kermit's dismay. And Threepio tap dancing. It was cute how Scooter had an autographed Mark Hamill picture on the wall of his bedroom during his song. I loved the "screen tests" for Yoda with some of the Muppets. Animal: "YODA YODA! JEDI MASTER! YODA!" and Pepe the Prawn: "I'm Yoda, ok. I'm a powerful Jedi master, ok."

Anyhooooo...here's another interim chapter and Eugene gets a new mission! WOOOO! Onwards and upwards and forwards and...erm...Chewie, just hit the hyperdrive already! Vrrrrrrooooom....

Chapter Thirteen: From Stormtrooper to Spy

Dear Diary,

We arrived on Bespin and Lord Vader briefed us on our mission here. Somehow, SOMEHOW he knew that the Millenium Falcon was headed here (I can only guess that it's his dark side intuition he gets from the Force) and that we're going to capture them and use them as bait so he can trap Luke. What the heck does he want with Luke? I mean...I know Luke was the one who blew up the Death Star, but it just doesn't make any sense at all.

I don't want any part of this, but I was personally chosen to escort Vader into Cloud City. He had a brief, but heated meeting with Lando Calrissian, the facility's administrator. I rather like Lando's sense of fashion as I've always been a sucker for dramatic capes.

It wasn't long before the Falcon arrived and we captured Han, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca. Han is going to be turned over to the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, and I don't know what's going to become of Leia and Chewie. Maybe they'll stay here.

I did get a chance to talk to the Princess briefly after she'd spoken with Han (they've been torturing him pretty badly). I was assigned to escort her back to the makeshift interrogation room. There are only a few troopers on the station right now because Vader wants us to keep a low profile and not upset the residents here. A whole legion of Stormtroopers would certainly do just that.

The Princess looked very forlorn and tired and all the hope was gone from her eyes.

"Princess Leia, may I speak with you for a moment?" I asked, as I marched behind her.

"What do you want?" she spat out.

"Your highness, it's Lieutenant Dyson."

"What?" she asked wearily and stopped, turning around. "Dyson? But how...? That's impossible. You should be with the Rebellion on the transports."

I gestured her into an alcove so we could speak privately and took my helmet so she could see my face. "I missed the transports," I explained. "The Empire found me in my quarters on Hoth and I was able to convince them that I'd been a prisoner of the Rebellion. Vader promoted me and assigned me to his personal guard. There's not much time, Princess. We've got to get you out of here. Maybe I can create a diversion or something..."

For a moment she looked hopeful, but then a thought seemed to cross her mind and her face fell. "No," she replied, shaking her head. "I can't leave before warning Luke. It's him that Vader wants and I can't let that happen. This whole thing is a trap."

"But you may not get the chance," I pointed out. "I don't want to leave Luke here, either, but the Falcon is repaired. If we can get away we'll be able to warn Luke in time and he won't come."

She put a hand on my shoulder. "Lieutenant, I appreciate your concern. But Luke is already on his way here and by the time we manage to escape it will be too late."

"But, Princess..." I started to object. "There's got to be something we can do."

"It may be too late for some of us," she said, "but you can still help the Rebellion. As one of Vader's personal guards you are in a prime position to gather information. What I need you to do is keep your ears open and find a way to pass anything you think might be useful through our contacts. It's a dangerous job, Lieutenant, but I'm sure you can do it."

I could hardly believe my ears. Princess Leia was telling me to stay with the Empire. All I wanted to do was get back to the Rebellion and to Evelyn, but I also knew that she was right. I was in a great position to spy on the Empire and possibly do something to help bring Palpatine's rule to an end. It was a hard decision, but I nodded. "I understand, Princess."

"Let's go before someone suspects something," she said and I slid my helmet back on over my head. We proceeded to the interrogation room.

So I've gone from nerd to pilot to nerdy student to Stormtrooper to a Rebel Quantum Cellular Microastronomist back to pilot to 501st Stormtrooper Legion (aka Vader's Fist) and now to Rebel Spy. What next? Prima Ballerina of the Imperial Ballet? At the way things are going I wouldn't be surprised.

Dear Diary,

I still can't believe it. Han was frozen in carbonite and given to that bounty hunter, Boba Fett. That was one of the hardest things to watch. I seriously had to refrain from opening up with my blaster and laying waste to our enemies, but Vader would have killed me first. Plus, Chewie had already kind of gone berserk and Han had told him to cool it, so I knew that my heroics weren't going to help.

On the up side, he did kiss Princess Leia and admitted that he loved her! Wish I could tell the Rogues, but they probably wouldn't believe me!

I will never forget the sight of Han encased in carbonite. It is an image that has been burned into my memory forever.

One of the other guys told me that Han owes a lot of money to Jabba the Hutt. YIKES! No wonder the price on Han's head is so big. He's one of the nastiest gangsters in the galaxy, if not the Outer Rim at least.

I heard that Luke found his way here and had a pretty mean duel with Vader. I don't know what happened, but I do know that Luke disappeared. So did Leia, Chewie, and Lando on the Millenium Falcon and they rescued Luke who'd decided to go hang around underneath Cloud City like a trapeze artist.

You'd think that Vader would be furious after losing Luke, but he seems to be merely contemplative. I don't understand it, but then again I don't really have to. I've got too many things of my own to worry about right now. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever see the Rebellion again. The chances of me surviving are starting to look pretty slim. Imperial information is very hard to procure and the Rebel contacts are few and far between. Even if I do get something useful, the chances of me getting it to the Rebellion are slim to none. But...I don't mind dying for the Alliance because, Force knows, countless others have died for this cause, too. The only thing I regret is that I might never see my beloved Evelyn again.