"What the hell do you want?" Han snarled. Wedge Antilles had just entered the rebel base, broken and bleeding and gasping for breath. He fell to his knees, and Han towered over him. "We know you took the Princess. Where is she?"

Wedge gasped, but no sound came out. "Tell us!" Han demanded.

"Wait." Vader commanded. He was annoyed. He was beginning to feel like nothing but a referee between Han and his son, and so his temper was short. He held out a hand over Antilles, and channeled Force energy into him. Luke glanced at his father. "I didn't know you could do that."

Vader didn't either. It had been a gamble, really. He hadn't used to Force for things like that in years. But he shrugged, "I always have." He kicked at Wedge. "Now get up."

Wedge got up uncertainly to his feet. Luke instantly grabbed him by the neck. "Where is my sister?" He demanded.

"Luke." Vader warned him.

Wedge looked at the three men, terror in his eyes. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen…I lost control…"

"Stop your blubbering." Luke snapped. "Where is she?"

"With Palpatine."

Vader's heart grew cold. "It is as I feared. Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to…buy peace."

"With my sisters life?" Luke asked him, incredulous.

"Whatever it took, but I was wrong…I didn't trust any of you at first. Forgive me. I know who the real enemy is now. But I can tell you where she is."

"It's a trap." Luke growled.

"We have no choice." Vader argued. He turned to Wedge. "Tell us, Antilles. But if you lead us even the slightest bit astray, know that I won't hesitate to kill you."

Wedge gulped. "I heard Palpatine telling his subordinates to set a course for Yavin."

"Then Yavin it is." Han said. "And we need to hurry, for Leia's sake."

"We need to have a plan of action." Luke snapped at Han. "Instead of just barging in to rescue her. This isn't some smugglers den we're trying to get into."

Han snarled, "I'd like to see you sneak into Jabba's palace undetected. It might wipe that smirk off of your face." He stepped forward, reaching for his blaster, but Chewbacca pulled him back. The two men glared vibroblades at each other.

Vader cleared his throat. "That's enough out of you two. Maybe if you used your heads you'd put aside your hatred and actually do something useful. Now listen. Palpatine isn't stupid, but neither is he ingenious. He thinks that I've betrayed but him if I brought in three important prisoners, let's say, my son, and the two most notorious smugglers in the galaxy, I'm not saying I'll be welcomed back with open arms, but it should allow me to move through the Death Star with minimal suspicion."

"And what about us?" Han interrupted. "Excuse me, your mighty Sithness, but I don't think we'll do any good locked in a cell."

"If you'd shut up and listen," Luke snarled. "You'd know we won't stay in the cells. I was given a set of keys that'll open any door when I was going to become the next Sith apprentice." He brandished the keys out of his utility belt. "All we'll need to do is disguise ourselves and we can move through the Death Star however we want."

"It's going to be risky." Vader cautioned. "And I worry for you two, if you can't get along, you might bring this mission to failure."

Han looked at Luke. "Look, Skywalker. We've got to call a truce. For Leia's sake." He held out his hand.

Luke hesitated. "You know that this doesn't change anything."

"The feeling's mutual."

Slowly, the two men shook hands. They let go extremely quickly.

"Good. Now let's go." Vader commanded.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Leia struggled against the binders that bound her hands behind her back. All that she succeeded in doing was cutting her own wrists, and feeling her own blood between her fingers. For three hours, all she'd seen was the too small confines of the cell Palpatine had thrown her into on the Death Star. She didn't know where they were headed, and she was confused. Palpatine was not making any sense. Why hadn't he just killed her, or left her to die?

She gave up on trying to free herself reluctantly, and sat down. She closed her eyes, and called on the Force to heal her. Her knowledge of the Force was very limited, but she knew that she couldn't afford to go into a full trance. She didn't really need one, anyways, but she felt she needed to stay conscious at all times and be ready for anything.

Two hours later, the door to her cell opened. Three storm troopers came in. "What do you want?" She asked harshly.

"It's us!"

"What?"

The one to the far right pulled off his helmet. "Han!" Leia gasped. Han grinned at her, and undid her binders. She threw her arms around Han and kissed him. But she opened her eyes, and saw Luke glaring at her, and she pulled away. "Come on, let's go." Luke said harshly.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two hours earlier.

Vader piloted his imperial shuttle into the docking bay of the Death Star. "Well, look who's come home." Palpatine mused to himself as he watched from the throne room. "Admiral Piett, bring him to me."

"Yes, My Lord." Piett bowed, and left the throne room.

Vader, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca were greeted by fifty stormtroopers, and Admiral Piett. "Welcome back, Lord Vader." Piett said smoothly. "And these people are?"

"Prisoners of the Empire." Vader rumbled. "My son, Luke Skywalker, and the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca. I hope that the Emperor will take them as an offering of forgiveness. I have seen how wrong I was."

"Well, we must be grateful for that." Piett said smoothly. "Come, the Emperor is waiting."

"No." Vader objected. "My prisoners. They are not worthy to see the Emperor's face. Let me take them to the detention center first."

"It is the Emperor's direct order that he sees them." Piett said icily.

"I don't see my Master here. If he wishes to see them, then I will certainly retrieve them for him, but as for now, get out of my way." Vader motioned to three storm troopers to guard them. "Take them to the detention block. I will see the Emperor personally." His eyes glared into the prisoners.

Luke, Han, and Chewbacca were led away by the troopers. As soon as everything was clear, they turned on their captors and knocked them out. "Let's hope this works." Han muttered as they switched clothes with the storm troopers. "Be quiet!" Luke ordered. "The less we speak, the better."

"Of course, Your Sithness." Han said sarcastically.

"Look, I lived on this station for years. I know all of its little secrets. So when I say be quiet, I mean it."

Chewbacca woofed at Han, and he reluctantly backed down. "Do we even know what cell she's in?"

Luke checked a chart on the door. "2187, block AA23."

"Let's go."

They managed to find her cell without any trouble. "Please, please be right." Han prayed. Luke punched in the access code and the door slid open. And there she was. "Who are you?" She demanded harshly.