Chapter One
Departing Tatooine
The heat of Tatooine's duel suns was held at bay only by the sandstorm that raged around the seven companions. It was a strange group indeed, comprised of four humans, one very large Wookie and two droids. At the moment they were at a stand still, huddled behind an out cropping of rocks. The storming wind howled as though enraged that it could not get at the sheltering friends and furiously beat desert sand against the rocks.
Han squinted out at the storm and felt as though he'd lost what little sight he had regained from his carbonite prison. He saw nothing but wind and sand. If Princess Leia had not been holding his hand he might have felt as though this was just another hibernation dream.
Leia tapped his shoulder and he inclined his head to the side so that he could hear her over the storm.
"How are you holding up!" she shouted at him.
"Fine," he answered back, "Looking forward to being sandblasted." He squinted over at his young friend standing on the very edge of the sand curtain created by the sheltering rocks. Luke stood with his palms held outward, facing the storm, as though he were a statue. "What's Luke think he's doing!"
"I'm not sure!" replied Leia.
"I think he's trying to locate the Falcon!" Lando Calrissian yelled.
"He's crazy! Even with enhanced micro binoculars nobody could see through this mess!" Han returned skeptically. "What, did he suddenly gain x-ray vision while I was frozen!"
"In a manner of speaking, I did!" Luke said from where he stood, the hint of a smile on his face.
Han looked stunned that Luke had heard him as easily as though there were no winds. Solo wasn't sure what to make of his black clad friend, the kid wasn't acting the way he remembered him.
Luke was an impulsive and naive farmboy, from this very planet. He jumped into heroic rescues without thinking about a way out. But as Solo watched him, he knew that was not the case anymore. Luke had matured greatly during his absence. The Rebel commander had a quiet confidence which made him seem as though he had aged and gained ten years of experience instead of just six months.
He had carefully planned every aspect of his friend's rescue, making sure not to miss anything. He had accurately assessed Jabba the Hutt's character and hence knew that the crime Lord would refuse to release Han and keep See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo. By this act alone Luke was able to move the most crucial piece of his plan into place.
Luke fondly glanced back at his trusty astro mech droid as he spoke. "Artoo we're going to need that tow cable now."
Artoo-Detoo rolled forward with a beep and opened a panel on his front, revealing the cable his master had placed there eariler.
"Master Luke, I think Artoo has picked up some dust contamination," See-Threepio exclaimed apprehensively as he too came forward. "He says we're going to traverse this madness."
Luke took the cable and attached it securely to the golden translator. "He's right, Threepio," he said, looking out at the storm and then back at the droid. The wind would easily knock the translator's metal body down, which would slow their trek to the ships. "Sorry about this Threepio."
"But Master Luuukkk" See-Threepio began to complain, when he was summarily switched off.
"Hey Chewie!" Luke shouted over the droning sand flying around their shelter. "I think were going to have to carry the droids!"
Artoo-Detoo backed away from Luke and shook his domed head in protest. He beeped and moved his middle wheel up and down, apparently trying to convince Luke that he was lower to the ground and consequently more stable than his more humanoid shaped counterpart. His three struts balanced him much better than even the humans.
"It's alright Artoo I wasn't planning on turning you off," Luke replied. The droid ceased his protest and sighed with relief. "I'm going to need your help, to keep us on track, so you'll be up front with me."
"You're not serious about this are you Luke!" Han asked.
"It's the perfect cover, Han!" Luke said confidently, while levitating See-Threepio beside him. He set the golden droid down gently next to Chewbacca and finished his thought while handing the tow cable to the tall Wookiee. "No one will find our tracks in this!"
Naturally Han made a comment with his own brand of sarcasm. "Yeah and no one will ever find our bodies either."
Han was very apprehensive about walking so blindly out into the storm, when every instinct told him to stay put until it was over. What Luke was planning now was suicide. Still he tied the thin cable around his middle and helped Leia secure herself with it. Then he handed the remaining length to Luke.
The Jedi tested Lando's line then looked down at Chewbacca's bandaged leg. "Are you sure you want to carry Threepio?"
Chewbacca gave an insistent nod and barked his answer.
"It's alright Luke, you don't have to worry," said Lando, "I'll help Chewie."
Seeing the determined cast set in Chewbacca's blue eyes, Luke agreed. He and Lando then helped the Wookie hoist and secure See-Threepio onto his hairy back.
Only after Luke made sure that everybody was linked with the cable, did he finally tie it around himself. He gave Artoo-Detoo the end of the line, which was locked down to a mechanical arm and retracted into his round barrel-like body. Luke raised the hood of his desert cloak and tucked the excess fabric under the strap of his sand goggles to secure it.
Everybody followed his example, covering their heads with the cloaks they had found on the skiff before they abandoned it. A memory visited Luke, which brought a bittersweet smile to his face. It was a memory of his aunt Beru. She always insisted that he learn what to do should he get caught in a storm like this one. His smile broadened fondly under his hood; she would be proud of him, he had done everything she had taught him to do.
When he was sure that his companions were all ready, he adjusted his own sand goggles. But Princess Leia stopped him before he could enter the storm. She didn't say anything, she just took his injured right hand and looked at it. The blaster shot had burned a hole in it, exposing the intricate interior wires of his mechanical replacement to the elements. This was the first time Han had noticed the wound. His eyes widened expressively and he took Luke's hand away from Leia to get a better look at it. The goggles blocked Han from seeing his friends eyes when he looked inquiringly at him.
Was this the price for his rescue, to have his friends maimed? This was the first thing he was going to ask once they got back to the Millennium Falcon.
Lando tore off some fabric from his own cloak and handed it to the Corellian. Solo carefully wrapped Luke's hand until the hole in it was completely covered. Only then did they brave the howling sandstorm and set off for the ships.
It was a hard journey through the storm, with some delays. Artoo-Detoo had to be levitated by Luke out of the sand on several instances. In the end though the little droid successfully led them all back to the Millennium Falcon with little injury. There were some bumps and bruises, but for the most part everybody was unharmed.
The roar of the storm was muffled some under the Falcon. It was enough that the friends could talk without shouting. Han was the first to speak. He turned to Luke while he removed the cable around his waist. "What happened to your hand?"
"I lost it," answered Luke simply. He was helping relieve Chewbacca of his burden when Han continued.
"Yes, I figured that one out on my own. What I want to know is, how did you lose it?"
"Vader cut it off."
"So Vader's plan worked then?" Han glanced back at Leia, with a tone of bitterness in his voice. "I meanI didn't want to believe Lando when he said you were on your way to Cloud City."
"I couldn't stay away when I knew you were in danger," Luke explained honestly.
Han knew Luke was talking about the Force, he also knew that his friend understood that he didn't believe in that hokey religion. Still Luke had managed to save him from Jabba, so he wasn't about to put down the young man's chosen beliefs, at least not just yet.
"Well don't worry Luke, we'll make that Sith bastard pay for what he did," vowed Han, to nods and words of agreement from Chewbacca and Lando.
Luke kept his thoughts on the matter to himself. He had only managed to escape the Dark Lord by the narrowest of margins. And he was very lucky that his hand was all he lost. After all Obi-Wan Kenobi hadn't survived his encounter with Darth Vader, so it was a good bet, even by Lando's high standards, that they wouldn't fare any better.
The subject of Darth Vader brought to mind the Dark Lord's confession of paternity. A subtle feeling of separation from his friends had fallen over Luke. Was he really the son of 'that Sith bastard?' And if he was, what would his friends think of him?
Leia was the one who recaptured his attention with her warm hug and grateful tone. "Thank you Luke."
"Yeah," said Han sincerely while he shook Luke's uninjured hand. Solo's smile fell away some as he stared at his friends youthful face. Words to express his gratitude for the moment were lost to him.
"I guess this means that I only owe you one now," said Luke to cover the odd moment of silence between them.
"No Luke," returned Han, shaking his head. "I owe you one."
Luke smiled and nodded while Chewbacca mussed his hair and then gave him a huge Wookie hug that lifted him briefly off his feet.
Everybody laughed.
Once set down, Luke went to See-Threepio to turn him back on. He paused when Han finally approached Lando, who had hit the hidden switch to open the Millennium Falcon's landing ramp. He turned when the ex-smuggler called to him.
"Hey Lando." Han extended his hand in good faith and Lando accepted it with a greatly relieved smile. "Thanks, I guess I owe you one too."
"Don't mention it. It was the least I could do," he said, then added honestly. "You know, you would never have been put in Carbonite in the first place, if Vader hadn't tied my hands and pushed my back up against a wall."
"Yeah I know. You had the people in Cloud City to think about." Han replied, understanding the hard position he'd been forced into by the Empire. "Speaking of Cloud City, is she still yours?" he asked curiously.
"Are you kidding?" Lando forced a bitter laugh. "Come on Han, you know what the Empire's like. I lost Cloud City the second Vader's shuttle touched down, I just didn't want to believe it."
"Well that's another thing we can take out of his hide the next time we run into him," said Han decisively.
Luke switched Threepio back on and smiled as the droid finished his protesting comment as though he had never been switched off.
"the odds of surviving a sandstorm of this magnitude is ten thousand seven hundred and sixty-six to one!"
Han shook his head at the droid and muttered. "It's good to see that some things haven't changed."
"Give him a break Han," said Leia as she kissed his cheek.
"Hey goldenrod," Solo snapped as he pointed at the Millennium Falcon, "Shake a leg or you'll get left behind."
See-Threepio gave a startled jump at the sight of the Corellian-made ship over his head. "We're here?" he exclaimed. The droid then gazed down at his counterpart and there was a sad note in his proper voice, "Well I guess this is good bye again Artoo."
Artoo-Detoo cheerfully responded with beeps and whistles.
"Yes, well you make sure you take good care of Master Luke."
Luke patted the droid's golden shoulder. "He always does, Threepio."
"Good bye, Master Luke. Do try not to be gone for too long."
"I'll be back before you know it," he assured, then turned to Han when the Corellian spoke in surprise.
"Didn't you come in the Falcon too?"
"My X-wing's over there," Luke answered, pointing to the shadowy outline of his ship just beyond the old freighter.
"You sure she'll make it out of this?" Han asked skeptically viewing the fierce storm. "Why don't you just leave her and come back with us?"
Luke smiled slightly and declined his offer in a way he knew Han would understand. "No thanks. I know she doesn't look like much but she's never failed me. Besides I can't leave her behind, she's the only ship I've got."
"Alright," replied Han, glancing back at the one man fighter. "Well, if you keep behind the Falcon on take off you might not get knocked around so much."
"I'll do that." Luke turned and headed for his ship with Artoo-Detoo following behind.
"Hey, Luke, Chewie and I'll try and give you a smooth run off this rock!" Han shouted after his friend, but Luke was already swallowed up by the storm. Only his faint shadow could be seen standing in front of the X-wing.
"He'll be alright," Leia said and gently wrapped her arm around his.
Han looked down at her and for the first time really saw what she was wearing. Or rather what she wasn't wearing. He smiled broadly and the old scoundrel in him seeped out in the form of a sly comment. "That's an interesting outfit you picked for this rescue Princess."
Leia blushed and pulled the cloak closed around herself. Then shyly looked up at Han, whose expression had suddenly turned serious.
"Don't be ashamed Leia." He said tenderly, "You look beautiful."
His compliment, if anything, made her blush even more. Still she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him once again.
Chewbacca barked at them and then limped up the landing ramp following behind Lando. Han and Leia parted and went up the ramp as well.
"Come on Threepio," Han called over his shoulder.
See-Threepio, who was watching Luke and Artoo jumped again when he realized that he was left by himself. He turned and hurried to catch up to the humans. "I'm coming."
Solo entered the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon and glanced fondly around at the controls. He placed his hand on the dent he'd made on the interior of the upper right hand corner of the doorway and a fond smile came to his lips. How many times had he hit this spot with his fist to give his beloved ship a jump start.
Still lookin as pretty as the last time I saw you, Darlin,' he thought.
MillenniumFalcon's interior softly moaned as Tatooine's sands whipped and beat her outer hull. Han went to his captains seat and looked out the window at the small X-wing, who's engines were visible as Luke fired them up for departure.
"Come on Chewie, let's get this baby cranked up so we can plow a clear path for Luke."
The Wookie barked his agreement, sat down in his co-pilot's chair and started the ship's engines. It was the most beautiful sound Han had ever heard, second only to Princess Leia's reassuring voice as she told him, 'Someone who loves you,' when he awoke from the carbonite freezing.
Han hit the comlink, opening a channel to Luke's X-wing.
Luke was taking off the bandage from around his injured hand when Solo's voice came crackling over the ships speakers. "How are you doing kid? All strapped in? "
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for you to clear me a path off this rock," he answered.
"Well sit tight, we'll leave as soon as the Falcon's warmed up."
Luke glanced at his viewing monitor and read Artoo-Detoo's translated question.
"No Artoo we're not following them back to the Alliance," he answered while examining his damaged mechanical hand. Artoo sent another question into the cockpit which made Luke smile. "That's okay, my hand's not that damaged. I think I can manage piloting us out of the sandstorm."
The cockpit fell momentarily silent while Luke looked through a small compartment to the left of his seat for a pair of gloves he had stored there. His attention was captured by Han's voice next.
"Hey Luke are you coming? "
Luke glanced out the cockpit window and saw the Millennium Falcon hovering over head in the midst of the windswept sands. "Yeah, go ahead, I'm right behind you," he replied, setting a single glove on the ships control console.
The white-blue flames of the Millennium Falcon's engines burned brighter as the ship did a mid air rotation and then shot off into the sky. Han skillfully piloted his beloved ship through the storm, clearing a path for Luke. The small X-wing zoomed after the Corellian freighter, following in her broken wake.
In no time at all the two ships were breaking free of the storm and entering Tatooine's outer atmosphere. It was at this point that the two ships paths split apart from each other. Luke banked his X-wing to the left, while Han veered the Millennium Falcon to the right as they hurtled out into open space.
Leia's gentle voice broke over the ship's speaker, "Don't take too long Luke."
The rebel hero listened as he programed his course into the ship's navigational computer. "I won't be gone long enough for you to miss me," he replied, seriously doubting that she would, now that she had Han back in her arms.
Her heart was with the Corellian captain and Luke found that it didn't bother him in the slightest. Somehow he always knew that the fondness he had for the beautiful Alderaanian Princess would go no further than friendship. Despite the fact that they had become very close during Han's six month absence, deep down he knew that Leia was not meant for him. Still he cherished the closeness that he shared with her and would not hesitate to engage Han in a little friendly rivalry for her affections, just to keep the Corellian on his toes.
A small smile broke across Luke's face, with the Force he could actually feel Leia's happiness. He was truly pleased for both his friends. They deserved a happy ending to the months of sad separation. Far in the back of Luke's mind though he wondered if he were meant to find that same happiness. Was he destined to be alone forever? He didn't dwell on that lonely thought as Leia spoke to him again.
"The Alliance should be assembled by now. So hurry back."
"I will," he promised softly. Then listened to Han as he broke in again with another heartfelt, "Thanks for coming after me, Luke."
It was at this point that Luke heard Lando speak up. "Hey I'm sorry to interupt but we've got an urgent message coming from the Alliance on the secured channel."
"Patch it in," said Leia automatically.
Luke paused, his hand hovering over the hyperspace button he was about to push. He automatically turned his secondary comm to the secured channel to listen in.
"This is Jared Stryker calling to any available members near Zirus five. Please be advised that our songbirds have completed their concert tour and are looking to go home for some much needed R and R," was the cryptic message.
Inside the Millennium Falcon Solo curiously asked, "Who's he talking about? Who needs R and R?"
"Rogue's Gambit," answered Lando, reading the encrypted attachment. "They're a special forces unit for the Alliance. And R and R, is the code for rescue and retrieval."
"Captain Recs did it," said Leia, exchanging an amazed look with Lando.
"Did what?" asked Han, feeling as though he was standing on the outside of a private conversation and not liking it at all.
"They got the plans for the new Death Star," answered Leia.
"There's another one?" he questioned incredulously.
"It's not finished yet," Lando explained to Han, "And we don't know where they're building it."
Han swivled his seat around to look at him, "When did you join the Alliance?"
"I haven'tbut since I haven't got anywhere else to go. . ." Lando gave a half hearted smile. "I've been swaping my charming administrative skills for a place to lay my head."
"And getting a little pay back from the Empire never crossed your mind," replied Han with keen cynicism.
"Yeah well, it's a perk I couldn't pass up," Lando freely admitted with a small grin. Then he turned to the Princess, "This message is over three weeks old, Leia. What do you want to do about it?"
Leia exchanged an amused, yet significant glance with Han. He grinned, knowing what she was going to say and then turned back to his console to bring up the ship's star charts. The princess stood and leaned over his shoulder to read their position in relation to the planet mentioned.
"It's not that far, about three lightyears," Luke heard Leia saying over his other speaker when a very strange thing happened. Without knowing why, her voice faded away from his ears. He was losing consciousness to a sudden up surging ripple in the Force, which held a subtle distortion in it. He became completely unaware of his physical body. The cockpit of his X-wing disappeared as his consciousness drifted and became one with the cresting wave that was the Force. He wasn't aware of anything, not his friends discussion about the rebels in need of a ride, nor the stars that his ship passed, nor the sudden frantic beeps of Artoo-Detoo, who was trying to get his attention as his X-wing drifted off course.
Luke saw his friends as if they were all standing before him. The small group was joined by five others that he did not know. The shadowy figures, three of which, all males slowly took vivid clear focus in his mind. The forth, that of a woman, was moving in and out of his lucid focus and gave off a strange feeling, while the fifth was like the woman's own shadow come to life. This last one made Luke feel curiously ill for it didn't seem real to him.
Total agony of body and spirit captured Luke and he knew instantly that his friends and the five strangers were all suffering terribly. A sudden barrage of chaotic emotions and images flooded his mind.
With a blinding flash one of the five strangers was falling in an ear shattering explosion. Another flash and he was watching a second dropping to the ground. Now the remaining three were running from a faceless fear. And then the third, an auburn haired man was crying out in pain and falling. Luke suddenly felt himself falling, it was as if he was that man. Another instant of change and he was being caught before he could hit the ground by the woman and her strange shadow. Again, an explosive rush and the woman was laying against the man's chest while he held her in his arms. Her front was covered in blood and she stared blankly ahead with dead eyes. A pulsing swirl of light and mist and the man had vanished and she was once again alive, standing alone braced against a wall with a blaster, a look of terrified anticipation on her face. Flash! he was suddenly in an unkown hanger, where the Millennium Falcon was engulfed in an eruption of fire, Lando and Chewbacca caught in the middle of the flames. Now Han was standing next to Leia, blaster in hand, firing back at numerous helmeted pursuers. Han protectively shoving the princess behind him and aimed at an attacker. Flash! The Corellian was suddenly standing alone in an alleyway littered with broken glass. He was trying and failing to hold off his inevitable doom. A burning white hot pain struck Luke's right temple. Again he felt himself falling, he landed on the ground hard and stared at his apparent reflection in a broken piece of glass and saw not his own eyes staring back at him, but Leia's. Blood was oozing from a wound in her right temple. She wore a look of total shock on her tear streaked, lifeless face. The Force vision abruptly ended as quickly and as mysteriously as it had started.
Luke fell forward. If not for the flight harness, he would have fallen against the controls. "Leia," he whispered, stunned by what he'd just seen. He straightened, greatly relieved, when he heard her voice in mid sentence over the cockpit speakers.
"could pick them up on our way back."
Breathing hard and wiping at his dampened forehead, he corrected his X-wing's drifting flight path. He then cleared his navigational heading to Dagobah and turned his small ship around to follow in the Millennium Falcon's direction.
"I'm alright Artoo," he told the alarmed droid. He typed the new name of his intended destination into his computer console and waited for Zirus five's coordinates to come up on the screen. "I'm just setting a new course."
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan to me," came Han's voice over the speaker next, in obvious reply to what Leia had just suggested.
"I'll go Han," Luke interjected, trying hard to keep his voice even. He looked out the window at the Millennium Falcon's cockpit as his X-wing zoomed up next to her and matched her speed. He saw Han and Leia glance out of the cockpit at him.
"I thought you had somewhere else you had to go," was Han's reply to this.
"It can wait a little longer," said Luke.
"They need a ride back to the Alliance Luke," said Han, eyeing the hero's one man fighter. "Where are you going to put them? "
"I'll figure something out," he answered somewhat distractedly.
"Luke you need to finish your training," Leia reminded him.
"Master Yoda will understand," Luke returned. He wasn't about to let his friends go anywhere near Zirus five, if he could help it, not after what he just seen. "Don't worry, I'll get them a ride back."
"How are you going to do that without any credits? " came Leia's pointed inquiry.
Luke forgot that he had given most of his credits to Lando to help him secure his position as a guard in Jabba's palace. "I don't know, but I'll find a way," he said.
"Now that's the kid I remember," said Han, an obvious smile in his voice. "Always rushing in without a plan of action."
Luke wasn't laughing, on the contrary he was shaking. He'd never had a waking Force vision deluge him so completely, when he wasn't in a meditative state. He felt a terrible lingering chill in his blood from the dark distortion he'd sensed in the Force.
"There's no point in you going to buy a ship you can't afford," said Han, "when the Falcon can give them a free ride back to the Alliance. She's more than adequate to handle a few more passengers."
"I don't think it's a good idea Han," Luke discouraged him.
Leia clearly heard his cautionary tone and asked, "Why, what's wrong."
"Nothing," Luke answered, not wanting to alarm her with the details of his vision. "I just have a bad feeling about you guys going to Zirus five, that's all. Besides I don't think it would be good for Han to go on any wild adventures until he's checked out by an Alliance medic."
Inside the Millennium Falcon Han couldn't help but roll his eyes and feel mildly stung by his friend's implication that he might not be up to snuff. "Listen Luke, I don't need a medic to tell me that I'm fine, okay?"
"How's your eyesight? " questioned Luke pointedly.
"It's fine," replied Han a little stiffly. He looked out at the Jedi's ship and saw Luke gazing at him from his cockpit. "There's nothing to get yourself worked up about. It's just a short stop with a simple pick up and then back to the Alliance."
Luke knew by this, that Han had made up his mind and there was no talking the Corellian out of his decision. He glanced at the viewing monitor when a tone sounded, announcing that the coordinates for Zirus five were now on screen. "Well I'm coming with you," he said, recalculating his jump to lightspeed.
"I don't need a baby sitter," said Han, his ego mildly bruised.
"If I'm not mistaken," began Luke hoping that his voice sounded jovial enough to hide his true concern, "it was you who suggested that I ditch my ship on Tatooine and go with you on the Falcon. And now you've got a problem with me going with you?"
Han forgot his bruised ego instantly and smiled. It was more to his liking to have Luke at his side in another task for the Alliance, even if it was just a simple pick up. "Alright kid you win. We'll see you on Zirus Five. Last one to get there buys the drinks," said Han, with clear amusement in his voice.
Luke agreed, though he wasn't smiling. His brow had come together in deep thought, while he pulled the black glove down over his replacement hand to protect it's exposed wires and joints from further damage. The vision of Leia laying dead in an alleyway plagued his thoughts as he watched the Millennium Falcon disappear into hyperspace. A few seconds later his ship was hurtling away at lightspeed in fast pursuit of his friends.