Chapter seven is FINALLY up!!!
Haha. I'm so funny. Feel the incredible humor.
I've had some extra time on my hands, it being Easter weekend and all, so I thought I'd post really early, this time. I bet some of you haven't even had time to review my last chapter…but oh well. Now you have another chapter to read! Aren't you happy?
Yes, I thought so.
Shoutouts (so far):
Elf and NathanPostmark: Thanks again…you two are part of the (small but slowly growing) group that keeps this coming. (^^)
Kynstar: Yeah…you gotta love the guy, sometimes. I'm obviously more of an Obi-Wan fan, but Qui-Gon really stands out for me, too.
Jeff10: Hey! I'm touched you added me to your favs. Hope you're liking the story by the time you reach this chappie.
Well, since I haven't given some people time to review, I might update the shoutouts at a later time. The next chapter might take quite a while, so be prepared to hang.
~~~***~~~
The Reckoning
~~~***~~~
Once again, the world turned upside-down. It wasn't so bad this time; Luke had both hands on the ground to stand upon, and Yoda was sitting nearby instead of poised on his sole. But even if the circumstances had repeated themselves, Luke was paying less attention to his strain and giving more of himself to his concentration. His mental strength was building rapidly, and he was able to access the Force more readily than before, though distractions still presented a problem.
Yoda watched his pupil as storage crates rose, defiant of Dagobah's gravitational pull. Artoo twittered, still puzzled at such happenings; his occasional beeps turned into frenetic warbles as he, too, escalated into the humid air.
"Concentrate." Yoda's voice was tuned down once more to avoid becoming a hindrance. "Feel the Force flow. Yes. Good. Calm, yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future…the past. Old friends long gone."
As if cued, Luke's perception wavered strangely as he kept his eyes tightly shut. Scenes unfolded before his mind's eye, consisting of yet so much more than a picture.
Han, strapped rigidly to a wicked-looking machine, screaming in obstinate agony. The sound frightened Luke more than anything, tearing into his soul. He'd never heard Han scream; in fact, he doubted Han had ever screamed like that in his life.
And Leia; they had put her in an adjacent room, administering some physical pain but mostly making her listen to Han. It hurt her worse than anything they could physically do to her. She was raving, infuriated because of her helplessness to stop his agony.
Vader loomed over them both.
The images lasted less than a second, but it was enough to throw him out of his concentration. He heard himself gasping, "Han…Leia!" before tumbling to the ground.
Artoo and the crates followed suit, the former burbling dazedly as he pulled himself up.
But the image that came now was worst of all. In it, the object of Imperial torment was receiving one-hundred-fold what both Han and Leia had been made to take. Darth Vader was performing the torture himself, this time, digging deep and ripping apart a heavily drugged but still perceptive Jedi's mind, slowly wrenching off piece by piece until nothing remained…
Luke thought that Ben's scream would haunt him for the rest of his days. He managed to sit up, unable to stop shaking. Ben was dying…
Yoda seemed unaware, shaking his head. "Control, control. You must learn control!"
It was, however, the last thing on Luke's mind as he reviewed the snatches of vision between the three tortures. "I saw…I saw a city in the clouds."
"Mmm." Yoda was grave. Perhaps he hadn't been oblivious to Luke's pain, after all. "Friends you have there."
"They were in pain," Luke choked out, unable to suppress the cries ringing inside his skull.
"It is the future you see."
"Future?" Maybe, just maybe, Luke could stop it, but if he couldn't… "Will they die?"
Yoda's solemn eyes shut as he attempted to peer ahead into the many different paths that forked from the one they were on. "Difficult to see. Always in motion, is the future."
Luke could only see one solution. "I've got to go to them."
"Decide you must, how to serve them best," Yoda's words rang out as Luke turned. "If you leave now, help them you could…but you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."
For Yoda knew what would happen were Luke to leave before his training was complete. He was not ready to engage in battle with Vader at this point, and would surely be lost to the Sith lord, one way or another.
Luke was rooted by his Master's words, and nodded sadly.
***
It wasn't fair. He was finally leading a legitimate, responsible life, and now it came crashing down on him.
He watched the ranks of stormtroopers march in, a seemingly endless armored line. He knew now why the Empire was here; Han was coming, with one of the major leaders of the Rebellion in tow. He wondered when—and why—Han had made the decision to cash in with the Alliance. It didn't offer much job security…although that model idea of insurance suddenly seemed to be lacking even here.
Lando was acutely aware of the mechanical breathing that hissed in and out just behind him and to his left. Darth Vader wanted more than just that Alliance leader; apparently this entire operation was a trap for someone called Skywalker. And Vader had warned Calrissian that if he didn't get his prize, the administrator would be helping to look.
Lando had worked up the nerve to protest against this; he had his city to look after.
Vader's response had been immediate; in that scenario, there would be no Cloud City to administrate. Lando had to make a choice between his friend, or his people.
It was a choice that no one should have been forced to make, but Lando knew he had, in that case, no honorable alternative. When it came to lives, honor now seemed to mean everything.
***
Mara stretched out as comfortably as she could with her wrist still chained to the bunk post. It was only a matter of time before Kenobi confronted her again; he had made off with her weapons belt and had seemed bent on exploring it.
She smiled as the door hissed open. "You found it."
His puzzlement faded as he held up the incomplete lightsaber. "So you knew it was mine."
"Deductive reasoning, Kenobi. How stupid do you think I am?" She rolled onto her side to face him. "It was left in the weaponry storage after you were killed. A pity the thing's useless. All it's lacking are the crystals."
It was Kenobi's turn to smile as he reached into his belt pouch and produced a pair of glimmering stones. "I hope you don't mind. They were in a back corner, behind those T64 grenades you never liked. You seemed to have overlooked them."
Mara shrugged off the loss. "It's yours, anyway."
He stepped inside and sat down on the adjacent bunk, setting to work on opening the hilt. "We'll have to look after making you one, when the time comes."
She snorted. "You seem fairly confident about that."
He only smiled quietly as the hilt came open. Everything was in place; the primary crystal mount was often the first thing to be sabotaged, but it was still in perfect condition. He fitted in the blue primary crystal neatly and dropped the smaller focusing crystal in place. "We'd better hope my fine adjustment abilities haven't waned over the years."
"Why? Tell me, Kenobi, will it explode?" she asked sarcastically. Mara hadn't taken the time to examine the formerly useless lightsaber thoroughly, though she'd been planning to.
"I'd be vaporized, and you're well within the kill radius," he answered simply, as if telling her his favorite color, focusing intently as his fingers made impossibly minute adjustments that were only feasible for a Force-user, feeling out the path the energy would take.
Mara shook her head. "Then turn it on inside the cargo bay, not here."
"What," he said, "don't you trust me?"
"I don't think that deserves an answer," she retorted as he snapped the casing back on.
He smiled in complete assurance, held the assembled lightsaber aloft, and pressed his thumb down on the trigger.
The blue shaft shot out for the first time in three years, throbbing steadily.
Obi-Wan nodded in satisfaction and released the trigger. "I wouldn't have been so reckless as to risk our lives; we're both too young to die."
"In your case, one can't help but wonder." Mara regarded the lightsaber with a rare open curiosity. "Where do the crystals come from?"
"Ilum." Obi-Wan clipped the lightsaber onto his belt, where it stayed as if a part of him. "There's almost nothing to the planet except its crystal caverns. The Force speaks richly inside them. It's quite the experience." He smiled in fond recollection. "The Masters tried to have every Padawan visit at least once, and mine their own crystals for the construction of their first lightsaber."
She raised an eyebrow. "Yours is that old?"
"Oh, no. I lost my first one to a shaft in a Naboo generator station. My second was destroyed on a mission with my Padawan, and my third and fourth were taken from me when I was held captive, the second time as a prisoner of war during my days as a general. This, being my fifth, is of a better quality than the others." He patted the weapon.
Mara's raised eyebrow went even higher. "How many lightsabers did the average Jedi go through?"
He sighed. "I must admit to being somewhat reckless with mine at times; some Masters only went through two or three. Others, of course, reached their tenth by the time their fighting days were over, and I knew of one young Knight that had expended seventeen before she died. It also depends upon a creature's life expectancy. Master Yoda was our most venerable Council member, and had used over fifteen hundred."
She nodded. "An impressive figure. And he was how old?"
"Nearly nine hundred standard years." Obi-Wan wasn't about to reveal the fact that his Master was still alive. "It was difficult for even him to estimate how many times he'd risked his life, never mind losing his lightsaber."
The door hissed open then, and they turned to see Leia standing there in the doorway.
"We're nearing Bespin's orbit, General."
He stood, humor pinching at the corners of his eyes. "You make it sound as if you're my subordinate, your Highness. I'd appreciate it if you called me by my first name."
"Very well, Master Obi-Wan," Leia returned without hesitation. "Would you care to join us in the cockpit?"
Obi-Wan sighed, mimicking exasperation. "I will in a moment."
As Leia left, he looked down at Mara, holding her sharp gaze for a minute. "You'd be welcome to come with us off the ship when we reach port if you don't give any trouble."
Much as Mara resented the idea of following along meekly, she desperately wanted to get some exercise and fresh air. "All right, Kenobi, it's a deal."
***
The billowing clouds of the gaseous planet were tinted rose with the sunrise. Leia hadn't seen a dawn that had left such an impression on her since Alderaan. She wasn't given much time for admiration, though.
Immediately upon their descent, a pair of dual-pod cloud cars moved on either side of them.
Obi-Wan was entering the cockpit when he heard Han say into the transmitter, "No, I don't have a landing permit. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian—"
The Falcon shuddered under a spurt of fire.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Han yelled. "Let me explain!"
A bland impersonal voice sounded out from the comm. "You will not deviate from your present course."
"Rather touchy, aren't they?" commented Threepio, whom Obi-Wan slid past into his usual seat.
Leia was beginning to regret their arrival. "I thought you knew this person."
Chewbacca looked at Han anxiously and wondered aloud whether Lando was still sore at them for the Ylesian stunt.
"Well, that was a long time ago," Han responded, sounding only half-certain. "I'm sure he's forgotten about that."
The dull voice blatted out from the comm unit again. "Permission granted to land on Platform three-two-seven."
"Thank you." Han ended the frustrating conversation with an irritated tap of a button, and tried to reassure the other occupants of the cockpit. "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."
"Who's worried?" Leia murmured, gazing ahead to the floating metropolis.
It was a moment before Obi-Wan quietly spoke up. "Mara will be accompanying us outside."
"Oh, no," Han snapped. "No. That's definitely a no."
Obi-Wan didn't like playing dirty, but he saw no alternative past Han's stubborn resolve, and put a steely undertone to his voice. He would have Mara come out; putting a little trust in her might smooth over some of her cynicism. "I will be watching her; she'll cause no trouble. Do you doubt my capability, Captain?"
The pressure built in the cockpit before Han replied with a tight jaw, "Of course not. But I'll warn you now: I'll have my blaster set to kill, this time. She'd better not try anything."
"She won't," assured Obi-Wan, hoping he was right.
***
Lando stared out the window at the approaching freighter; Vader had just left him to contemplate how he was going to perform his greeting. The Sith lord had warned him that his performance had better stand up past gambling standards; there was a fully trained Jedi among the group.
Great, thought Lando. Just great. What a mess. He wondered exactly how sensitive this Jedi would prove to be.
The Millennium Falcon was docking now; Lando composed himself, nodded to his cyborg assistant, Lobot, and began to head down to the entrance.
The turbolift ride seemed to last forever. Lobot stood maddeningly still beside him; the doors finally opened and he stepped out to meet the waiting party of guards, who trailed after him outside.
A party of five stood just beyond the Falcon's boarding ramp, all warily staying in place except for Han, who sauntered up to his old acquaintance.
Obi-Wan had managed to convince Leia to leave Threepio on board, knowing the droid would likely prove to be more of a hindrance than a help.
Lando stood grimly, halfway between the Falcon and the building, his arms crossed, and growled at Han, "Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled."
Han put on his best "who, me?" expression, almost making Lando grin. But the administrator managed to keep up his threatening front and moved closer, forming fists that he suddenly jerked up close to Han's face, making the captain flinch.
Now Lando let himself smile, throwing aside his anxiety for a fleeting moment and tightly embracing his friend. "How're you doing, you old pirate? So good to see you!"
At the Falcon, Mara threw Obi-Wan a dubious glance.
He raised his eyebrows expectantly. "All I want you to do is tolerate this, all right?"
"Sure," she said distantly.
The conversation carried on between the old friends.
"What're you doing here?" asked Lando, still grinning.
Han gestured out toward the Falcon. "Ah, repairs. I thought you could help me out."
Lando widened his eyes in mock concern. "What have you done to my ship?"
"Your ship?" Han played along. "Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square."
Chewbacca, who had been placated by now, came striding up, howling a greeting at Lando, who grinned. "Hey, Chewbacca. Still hanging around with this loser?"
Leia, Obi-Wan, and Mara followed Chewie forward, and Lando spotted the princess.
He gave her a smile. "Hello, what have we here? Welcome. I'm Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"
"Leia," she said simply.
Lando's smile broadened. "Welcome, Leia." He bowed to kiss her hand, and rose to meet a hardened pair of malachite eyes. "And might I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance?"
"Mara Jade." Her look clearly said, Don't even think about touching my hand, or you'll be missing one.
Lando nodded and wisely backed off.
Han rolled his eyes. "All right, all right. You old smoothie." He took Leia by the hand and led her around Lando, whose grin hadn't completely faded from Mara's rebuff.
Then Lando turned to Obi-Wan. "One left." He offered up his hand. "And you are?"
Obi-Wan smiled politely and shook his hand. "Orlan Ytho. It's a pleasure to meet you, Administrator." There is an undercurrent here, he thought, and I don't like it. He'd left his lightsaber in the Falcon, and was beginning to wonder if he should have hidden it on him and taken it along.
Lando gestured for the whole group to follow, wondering who the Jedi was. "Please, come inside. The chill doesn't leave with the morning." He realized how fitting that statement was as it came from his mouth, and changed the subject back to Han's main concern. "What's wrong with the Falcon?"
"Hyperdrive," Han said, obviously annoyed. It wasn't the first time.
"I'll get my people to work on it," affirmed Lando.
Han nodded. "Good."
Lando then turned back to Leia. The Alliance leader? Either her or the redhead, and one or the other has to be the Jedi. The kid can't be…he's only in his teens. "You know, that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."
Obi-Wan closely probed their surroundings as they entered the building, Han and Lando chatting away amicably. The city was a pristine white, the surface and interior both pleasing to the eye…but Obi-Wan felt as if he was walking into a dark, foul cave. And there was something this Calrissian was hiding. Oh, he was undoubtedly good at it, but he wouldn't be able to stand up against the Jedi's delicately inquisitive examination.
Leia watched the carefully neutral expression Obi-Wan was wearing as they passed through the aesthetic hallways. "General—what is it?" she asked quietly.
He shook his head, deciding to let go the slip in his name, and murmured back, "It's not clear yet."
"How's the gas mine?" Han's voice floated back to their ears. "Is it paying off for you?"
"Oh, not as well as I'd like. We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind, I've had labor difficulties…" Lando broke off at Han's grin. "What's so funny?"
"You. Listen to you—you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader." Han was finding the concept entertaining. "Who'd have thought that, huh?"
"You know," Lando said reflectively, "seeing you sure brings back a few things."
Han nodded. "Yeah."
"Yeah, I'm responsible these days," Lando continued. "It's the price you pay for being successful."
Han grinned, but their laughter was cut short as Obi-Wan stepped in front of them.
"Hey, kid…" Han began angrily, but Obi-Wan cut him off with a sharp glance before returning his gaze to Lando.
Sithspit, the administrator thought uneasily under those piercing blue eyes, who is this kid, anyway?
"Administrator," said Obi-Wan quietly, "if I may have a private word with you."
Han rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, come on—"
"No, it's all right," Lando said quickly, reassuring his friend with a quick smile, and gestured for Obi-Wan to come with him into a side room he knew to be unoccupied.
No sooner had the door closed behind Lando than Obi-Wan rounded on him, his face set grimly. "Why are you leading us into a trap?"
"What are you talking about?" Lando said, as if insulted.
Obi-Wan sighed and stepped closer, peering up into Lando's hardened face. "There's no use lying to me, Administrator. There is a trap set here by Darth Vader, am I not correct?"
"You," snapped Lando, "are making up a story that might have been funny at some other time—"
"I can see past your sabacc face," Obi-Wan interrupted. "And I suggest that either you concede that you are in fact leading us into a trap and get us offplanet, or deny it and face a betrayed friend later."
Lando's anger dissolved into a hesitant fear, and he stood unsure of what exactly to say.
Obi-Wan's expression didn't waver. "Is Vader looking for a Jedi?"
There was no use lying anymore, Lando figured. "He told me there would be one in your group, but I don't think he's looking for a Jedi, specifically."
"Who does he want, then?"
Lando said firmly, "At this rate, I'm going to lose everyone in this city. Would you have me risk their lives?"
"Believe me, Administrator, more lives than that would be at stake should Vader catch his Jedi…or the boy."
Lando suppressed a groan. "What…"
"He's all you're thinking about." Obi-Wan appeared to become weighted with trouble. "Skywalker, if my guess is right."
Lando thought he might pass out at the injustice of it all, and cursed. "You are the Jedi…but how? You'd have to be far older…"
"It's a long story, Administrator, and our friends are waiting." Obi-Wan sighed resolutely. "The decision is yours to make, but I hope you will not hold me responsible for any property damage should you choose to side with Vader."
The slight humor was killed by the situation. Lando began to realize that no matter what he chose, someone was going to die.
I should have stuck with the casinos, he thought bitterly as he emerged from the room with his interrogator.
***
The night struck a distressing chord for Luke as he loaded the supply crates back into his X-wing.
"Luke! You must complete the training!" Yoda was never far from him, always pressing the importance of attainment.
Luke was torn. "I can't keep the vision out of my head. They're my friends—I've got to help them."
"You must not go!"
"But they'll die if I don't!" Luke turned to look desperately back at the little Master.
"How can you be sure?" asked Qui-Gon's voice as his image materialized nearby. "How can you presume to know their fate if even Yoda cannot see it?"
"But I can help them!" Luke pleaded. "I feel the Force!"
"It is still beyond your control," Qui-Gon said firmly. "Your resistance to the dark side will become stronger with time, but to leave now is far too risky."
Yoda leaned forward on his gimer stick. "Yes, yes. To Qui-Gon you listen. The cave. Remember your failure at the cave!"
"But I've learned so much since then." If Luke had not been clinging to a ladder, he would have thrown up his hands in frustration. "Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."
"Luke, the Emperor wants you. He wants to harness your strength, to bend you to his servanthood. Your friends' suffering is merely meant to have you come to him."
"And that is why I have to go." Luke's mind was made.
Qui-Gon persisted. "Obi-Wan would not wish for you to be lost to the Emperor like he lost Darth Vader."
"He won't lose me."
"Stopped, they must be," interjected Yoda. "On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and the Emperor. Though his help he will provide, Obi-Wan's destiny, this is not. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil."
"Patience," Qui-Gon pressed.
Luke was astonished at their seeming acceptance of what could mean the death of his friends and mentor. "And sacrifice Han…Leia…Ben?"
Yoda's mouth was set in a firm line. "If you honor what they fight for…yes."
Luke struggled for an answer.
"If you come against Vader, the fight will be yours alone," Qui-Gon said. "I will not be able to help you."
"I understand." An eerie calm came over Luke then, and he moved up the last few rungs of his ladder. "Artoo, fire up the converters."
"Remember," called Qui-Gon, "the fight is not against Vader—the fight is against hate, against the dark side."
"Strong is Vader," added Yoda. "Mind what you have learned; save you it can!"
"I will. And I'll return—I promise." The cockpit closed around Luke as the floodlights of the X-wing turned to bathe Yoda in a blue glow.
"Told you, I did," sighed Yoda, looking up as the blue shifted to the red light of the afterburners. "Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse."
"There is still Leia."
"Yes… another we need if Luke should fail. Begin to teach her soon, Obi-Wan must."
"He knows."
***
Leia stared outside the window between her rounds of the room. She'd grown increasingly restless since their arrival; there was something about Lando she didn't like. He's hiding something, she decided, crossing her arms and staring out at a passing cloud car.
She had changed from her white thermal outfit into something more suitable for the climate: a simple dress that she liked wearing on less formal occasions.
Chewbacca sat anxiously on one of the white sofas in the room, her unsettled mood having rubbed off on the Wookiee.
Han came through the door then, and she turned to see his confident composure. "The ship is almost finished. Two or three more things and we're in great shape."
"The sooner, the better," she returned. "Something's going on here that I don't like. Where's the general? Where's Mara?"
"They're walking around with Lando. Wanted a tour, or something." Han shrugged. "I don't know why. It's a nice place, but all the halls begin to look the same, after a while."
"It's not that," she said, shaking her head. "This has something to do with the private conversation. Lando and General Kenobi…they're both hiding something."
He took her by the shoulders, feeling how tense her muscles were, and gently kissed her forehead. "Relax. If it's important, they'll let us know. I'll talk to Lando when he comes back."
"I don't trust Lando." Leia crossed over to sit down on the edge of the sofa close to Chewbacca.
"Well, I don't trust him either, and he is my friend." Han sat beside her. "Besides, we'll soon be gone."
She met his eyes. "And then you're as good as gone, aren't you?"
Han didn't know what to say, just considered her words until the door slid open again.
Lando entered, smiling as usual, Mara bringing up the rear. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"
Leia stood. "Where's Orlan?"
Lando's smile faded incrementally. "He said he had to get something from the Falcon before he came back in."
Mara read the look on Leia's face and decided to try and ease the situation. "If something had happened to him, don't you think I'd have known?"
Leia relaxed…a little.
"Will you join me for a little refreshment?" Lando asked, and looked to Han, Chewie, and Mara in turn. "Everyone's invited, of course. Don't worry," he said to Leia, smiling again, "I told your friend where we're headed."
Han rose to take Leia's arm, pointedly looking at his friend before heading out the door. Chewbacca grunted, amused, and followed them through with Mara and Lando.
Much to Han's displeasure, however, Leia ended up walking between him and Lando on the way to the "refreshment". He wasn't sure how much of an impression Lando had made on the princess yet, but he knew he'd have to be careful if Leia was still looking for someone. Chewbacca and Mara followed a short distance behind. Strangely enough, the two had stricken up a sort of impromptu understanding, and seemed to get along well.
"So you see," continued Lando, "since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the…uh…jurisdiction of the Empire."
"So you're part of the mining guild, then?" asked Leia.
Lando shook his head. "No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed…which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
The group walked into another corridor, Lando leading them to the right. Leia thought there was just the slightest hesitation as he steered them over into the passage, but decided to ignore it.
"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?" asked Han, anxious to keep Lando's attention off Leia.
Lando's face was set grimly. "That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here…and it's about to get worse." He ushered them through a doorway, following them up last and closing the door, locking it behind him. "We'll have to move quickly. They won't be distracted forever."
"What's going on?" demanded Leia. "Where's Orlan?"
Lando regarded her with another smile, this one more melancholy than charming. "He saw through me. I'm sure you've had your suspicions as well…but I can tell the story later. Right now, all you need to know is that we're heading back to the Falcon as fast as possible." He motioned for them to follow him down the isolated, doorless corridor. "This is a back way, that the stormtroopers don't know about."
"Stormtroopers?" exclaimed Leia as they trotted along after him. "What happened to Orlan?"
Chewbacca growled savagely.
Lando shook his head. "I know who he is. There's a few confusing details he still needs to work out with me…but your general's all right, for now."
Han glanced over at Leia, who looked as if she was ready to tear someone apart.
"But what is he doing?"
"Buying us time."
***
Dressed in simple civilian garb, Obi-Wan walked silently through the halls, his lightsaber hidden beneath his outer tunic in a spot easily accessible.
A familiar voice sounded out from the intercoms, making the pedestrians pause to listen. Not wishing to attract any suspecting attention, Obi-Wan halted his progress as well.
"Attention. This is Lando Calrissian. The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial troops arrive."
Too soon, thought Obi-Wan. If there was even a Victory-class Star Destroyer waiting in geosynchronous orbit, the city would be razed within minutes.
No, he corrected himself, picking up his pace once again, Vader's still here. He'll have to take the time to give orders to wait until he's offplanet. A good ten minutes.
He closed in on the double doors with a stylized relief of mountains, behind which he felt a strong dark presence, brooding and upset, to put it mildly.
They slid open as he withdrew his lightsaber.
***
Vader watched the doors part expectantly, standing from his seat at the end of the table.
Calrissian was not there. Neither was Organa. Neither was Solo, or the Wookiee.
He heard Boba Fett's blaster rifle being snapped up at the sight of the young figure, armed and ready. But Vader gestured for him to hold his fire, and took up his own lightsaber, heading around the table to meet the Jedi.
But if things went as planned, he would hardly have the need to use it.
Obi-Wan watched Vader carefully as the Sith lord slowly drew closer.
There was an ancient word of Massassi origin, meaning "Jedi". The Sith had made it; the word's meaning dripped of utter contempt.
"Harishk."
The word resonated from Darth Vader in anticipation.
Obi-Wan went rigid. Vader came closer…he tried to move…
"Harishk."
As his knees buckled, as his blade slid away, as the world faded, he had only one thought, only one conclusion for the unexpected event.
They did condition me.
~~~***~~~