Away from Luke and his combat fight with Vader; Leia, Chewie and Lando were blasting through every storm trooper that crosses their path. They came upon an entrance door but Lando couldn't get it opened. "The security code has been changed!" Lando exclaimed as he tried at least a couple of times before giving up. "R2, you can tell the computer to override the system" 3PO told R2, with that R2 rolled right to the control panel. "R2 hurry" 3PO exclaimed while Lando switched on the panel's intercom "Attention. This is Lando Calrissian. The Emperor has taken over the entire city, I advise everyone to leave before more imperial troops arrive" Lando announced on the intercom. R2's little computer key was rejected by the panel because suddenly electrical shocks were shot into R2 and everything on the poor little droid went wired. Lando sees this and thinks quickly "This way" he said as he rushed past Leia. "Don't blame me, I'm an interpreter, I'm not suppose to know a power socket from a computer" 3PO denied that he was the one that made R2 to try and override the system. Poor R2 lost his eye sight for a moment and bumped into a wall.
The city's residents were now in a state of panic now that they knew about the situation, everyone were carrying boxes or package then running like madmen. Lando, Leia and Chewie ran the opposite direction of where everyone was running to, they soon made their way to the platform where the Falcon was at. R2 once again was brave enough to try and override the computer system, while Leia, Lando and Chewie were holding off the troopers that were coming to them. R2 whistled and bleeped exciting news to 3PO "We're not interested in the hyperdrive of the Millennium Falcon, it's fixed" 3PO said loudly to the little droid. R2 seemed to have been trying to tell 3PO something but the golden droid never seemed to be interested "Just open the door you stupid lump!" 3PO shouted in a panic state to R2. Finally R2 got the door to open up, 3PO wanted to leap for joy "I never doubted you for a second. Wonderful!" the golden droid cried out. When Leia, Lando and Chewie dashed through the door; R2 let out some fog smoke to obscure the up coming troopers, then the little droid followed them. Leia and Lando hid near the Falcon to hold off the troopers while Chewie ran to the entrance. But the poor wookie had trouble getting in because of 3PO "Ouch! That hurts, bend down you thought-less-Ow!" 3PO complained each time his head bumped to the ramp. Chewie made his way to the control cockpit, he placed the complaining droid on the floor and switched on the engine. Lando heard the engine being turned on, he knew it was now the best time to get in and leave, fast. "Leia! Go!" he shouted over to the princess, Leia finally took his suggestion and dashed into the Falcon, Lando followed her in. In the corridor of the Falcon; R2 dragged 3PO to the back room. "I thought that hairy beast was going to be the end of me" 3PO said exhausted in everything that had happened, R2 bleeps understandingly "Of course I've look better!" 3PO exclaimed. The Falcon was in the air and away to safety.
Meanwhile Luke was now in the reactor shaft, he was still on the hunt for Vader. He ran along the rail of the gantry, he thought he was alone...until. "Luke?" Cindel called out softly from behind, Luke turned to see her leaning on the wall with her hand over her sore arm. "Cindel!" he called out as he ran up to her with relief that she was alright "Are you all right?" he asked as he hooked his light-saber to his belt and gazed at her arm. Luke looked at the patch job that she did for her arm and noticed her hands were blue. Cindel nodded her head as the wounded woman slowly made her way to Luke, she saw the cuts and bruises on his face. "Luke, Vader, he set up a trap for you-" Cindel was halted by Luke who had his hands on her shoulders. "I know, I better get you out of here" he said while scanning the area around them for Vader "No, we both must leave" Cindel corrected Luke with her hands on his hands that were on her shoulders. "I can't right now Cindel" Luke refused while panting hard "Luke he has this planned out for you and I don't know why but we have to leave" Cindel insisted with her hands pulling on his arms. "Cindel" he sighed tiredly "Luke, we shouldn't be here and I can't leave without you, please come with me. Please, please" Cindel pleaded with her eyes tinkling with tears and her hands on his shoulders now, they were close to his face. Cindel could almost touch them. Luke stared at her for a second then realized that she was right, he has been letting Vader lead him away from his friends only to a point where he could kill him. The thought of being killed without his friends not knowing wasn't as painful as being killed and Cindel not knowing how much she has meant to him since they meet back at the base. "Alright, alright we'll leave together" Luke said, Cindel smiled at him and exhaled for relief " We'll take my x-wing out of here and try to find Leia and Chewie" he added with a smile on his face and his hand over her cheek. They stood that way for a long second, but Cindel soon placed Luke's arm over her shoulder and they both stared to make their way back.
Luke had trouble recalling how they got to where they were, Cindel felt the same way so they decided to try walking forward. They made their way into the control room with their aching bodies, Luke sensed that something wasn't right. Because the room was quiet as space, Luke hesitated after only walking a few steps from where they stood "What is it?" Cindel asked, Luke hushed her while looking ahead. The look in his eyes seemed to have explained to her. Suddenly in just one fast motion; Vader burst out almost out of no where and lunges at Luke with his saber. Cindel was startled and screamed in fright, Luke pushed her behind him and ignited his saber as fast as Vader attacked them. The duel was back on and it felt more stronger then when they began to Luke, Vader swung his saber side-to-side on Luke. Luckily he dodged them and Vader ended up slicing the walls, they started waltzing out of the control room with Cindel behind Luke. They fought on the extended rail that over looked a giant dip that looked like it was bottomless, Cindel held back her worried crys over Luke as the got closer to the end of the railway. Vader shoved Luke roughly onto the ground then held his saber straight at him. "You are beaten, it is useless to resist" Vader said to Luke who was trying to crawl away from Vader's saber but the dark lord still walked toward him. "Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did" Vader added and Luke was angered by that so much that he swung his saber onto Vader's then rolled to the side so that he could make it onto his feet. On his feet again; Luke fought very well, he even nicked Vader on the shoulder. The black armor sparked up some smoke and Vader groaned in pain which only made him angrier at Luke. He soon pushed Luke and Cindel onto a narrow end of the gantry which looked to Cindel like their were not going to make it.
All in a split second; Vader swung his saber at Luke and sliced off his hand with his saber in it, Luke screamed in agonizing pain. In shock by what she saw; Cindel grabbed a hold of Luke from behind. The young couple looked up at Vader who stood over looking them with his saber still lit. "There is no escape don't make me destroy you" Vader said sadistically, Luke turned to Cindel and whispered to her to crawl back. Cindel obeyed him even though she knew that meant that they had absolutely no where else to go. But she cautiously crawled backwards while making sure Luke didn't fall. "Luke you do not yet release your importance. You have only began to have discover your powers, join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy!" Vader exclaimed as Cindel helped Luke hold onto the last instrument on the end of the rail. "Is that why you have been planning all this! Just so that you can recruit Luke to the Emperor!" Cindel asked loudly in a sobbing voice as she stood by the podium on a rim where she could see nothing but big opened spaces. "I'll never join you!" Luke said over his shoulder with complete repulse toward Vader "If you only knew the power of the dark side, Obi-Wan never told you what happen to your father" Vader said with now a tone of almost a realization. "He told me enough!" Luke said as he swung himself onto the rim next to Cindel. "He told me you killed him" he added while holding onto a thin pipe that connected to the podium with Cindel shield beneath Luke. "No, I am your father" Vader said with such sinisterness and truthfulness in his voice, Luke was in complete and utter disbelief "No, no that's not true! That's impossible!" he said through his gritted teeth. Cindel was stunned by the fact that what Vader has revealed was the real reason why Vader was fixated on Luke alone. "Search your feelings, you know it to be true" Vader exclaimed with his fists held up before him "NOOOO! No!" Luke shouted in a sobbing voice. Cindel saw the tears growing in Luke's eyes, she knew right away that Luke senses Vader is telling the truth. "Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this, it is your destiny. Join me and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son" Vader offered with his hand held straight out. Luke glanced below their feet, he knew that it could be certain death for himself...and Cindel. He then turned his attention to Cindel who read the expression on his face, Cindel knew what Luke's plan was and she didn't care if it was to death. She nodded her head to tell him "I will follow". Luke then looked at Vader or his father who was still standing in silence and with his hand held out to him "Come with me, it is the only way" Vader suggested again. And with that last repeated ultimatum Luke gave his "father" one last look then let go of the pipe he held onto and held Cindel. While she wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes. They fell leaned on the side and started to off right the rim while holding onto each other and Vader stood by and watched the two fly down.
As they fell through the winds that blew on and off the walls; Cindel found her mind drift off with the tightness of Luke's grip. While she was in fear of her life; in the mist of it, she couldn't help but feel joyful about being alone with Luke. Just when Luke thought they would be smashed below; Luke and Cindel felt themselves being sucked into an exhaust pipe. The pair started sliding down a bright, shinny and slickly tunnel, they slide their way down on their sides while still gripping onto each other. Luke concentrated hard enough to get the force to stop them, he did managed it.
But they stopped in the center of no where and just when Luke was about to help Cindel onto her feet so that they would crawl their way out. A pod door opened up right under neath them, they started sliding down again until they crashed onto the weather vane that was right under the city. Cindel screamed as she nearly fell out into space but Luke held onto her hand with his good hand and his legs twined onto the pipe. "Are you alright?" Luke asked while grunting in pain "Y-Yes!" Cindel cried out while gripping onto Luke's hand. Luke glanced up at the opened hatchet "Here, Come on up" he said while trying to pull her up, Cindel understood what he was insinuating. She placed her foot on the tiny pipes on the bottom, then managed to hold onto the vertical one. When he saw her safely secured, Luke made his way on to the longer pipes so that he could reach the opened hatchet door. But the door closed up with Luke's hand slipping off of it, Luke sighed tiredly as he leaned his head on the weather vane "Ben, Ben please" he said in a tired voice. Cindel could hear his cry and wished she knew what to do. He then tried to reach for the control pad, but his hand sweaty hand slipped off and he fell backwards. "Luke!" Cindel screamed after gasping, luckily Luke was holding on with his leg still twined to the vane. "Hang on!" Cindel cried as she started to claim up to the longer pipes with all her strength in her tiny body, she grabbed on the right extended pipe and pulled herself up to sit on it. "Ben, Leia!" Luke groaned softly in pain as Cindel leaned over and grabbed Luke's body suit "Don't give up, I've got you. Hold on" she said as she pulled him up to her. Cindel pulled him up so that they would be seated on opposite pipes "Put your arm around me" Cindel instructed him. Luke did what she asked of him and wrapped his one arm around her "Hear me, Leia" he said as he gripped onto Cindel.
Meanwhile Leia, Chewie and Lando were flying in silences, while Lando was thinking about everything that he worked for and all he did to lose it Leia was lost in a fog. Suddenly all her inner instincts or adrenalin seem to have taken over her because she some how hear Luke calling her. "Luke" she whispered softly "We've got to go back" she finally said loudly for them to hear "What?" Lando asked at the same time Chewie asked in his language. "I know where Luke and Cindel are at" Leia answered seriously "But what about these fighter?" Lando asked while Chewie asked in a soft grunt "Chewie just do it" Leia insisted. The wookie did promise Han he would take care of her and Cindel which he worried about so he obeyed her "But what ab-" Lando questioned but Chewie silenced him with a roar. "Alright! Alright! Alright!" Lando said frustratingly, he knew that he owed everyone of Han's friends including Cindel and this stranger Luke Skywalker. They turned the ship around and headed back.
(Apologies. I did hope that I would get this story done today but I am afraid I have lost the track of time. Fear not! You guys will have the last chapter sooner then later I promise)