Back on the weather vane Luke and Cindel were now freezing, they held each other in hopes that their body heat will keep them warm. As Luke felt Cindel's heat beating up against his felt that he failed to protect Cindel and as a jedi, he finally thought that Ben and Yoda were right about rushing off to save his friends. She could feel that he was tired from the duel, Cindel did her best to keep him awake by telling him everything that had happen to her, the princess and to Han. That Han was taken by the bounty hunter to Jabba for the bounty on his head and the conversation that she had briefly with Vader. Exhausted but determined not to fall asleep or die; Luke finally decided confide in Cindel since she now knew about his father. "Cindel, I'm sorry" Luke said with his one arm around her "For what? Saving me?" she asked looking up at him in a trembling voice. "No, for ignoring the safety of my friends to pursue my personal vendettas" Luke explained as he looked down at her. Cindel realized that he was right, because when he kicked Vader off the outer rim of the carbonite pit; Luke could have taken Cindel and made their way to his x-wing. "I know why you did it" Cindel replied as she swung her head back to get her hair out of her face. "No matter what reason I had, it doesn't excuse my actions. Master Yoda and Obi-Wan were right" Luke explained with his head leaning in the vane. He then explained who Ben and Yoda were and his conclusion of why both his master insisted that he stayed in the Dagobah System. "Listen to me Cindel, promise me that you will not tell anyone about-" Luke was about to ask but Cindel knew right away what he was going to ask of her. "I won't, I promise" she said with her eyes locked on his "Even if we die here, I am glad that you are here Cindel" Luke said with the desire to stroke her face "We won't die here Luke, I know it" she objected to Luke's statement. "What would I do without you Cindel and your optimistic attitude?" he asked with a small smile on his face, the two of them chuckled softly. Cindel was happy to hear him say that "I am too...Luke" she responded with tears in her eyes, even with the awful revelation that had just happened; Luke was thankful that he didn't have to hare this secret alone. It made them feel good to laugh a little in the mist of their misery "Yes I am" Cindel replied then gasped when she saw Luke's eyes close and his head fell backwards.
The Falcon dives below the city just as Leia instructed Chewie, Lando remained silent through out the crazy return to the city. He ignored his doubts in his mind that told him 'Leia has lost it' or 'We are all just dead meat', suddenly he saw the figures of people hanging on the weather vane "Look, someone's up there" he said while pointing them out. "It's Luke and Cindel" Leia said with great relief that she could save both of her missing friends. "Chewie slow down. Slow down and we'll get under them, Lando open the top hatch" Leia commanded, Lando felt strange taking orders from a woman but he ignored his pride and thought about what he owed Han as he made his way to the back. "Okay, easy Chewie" Leia instructed Chewie as they slowly began to float right below Cindel and Luke.
Cindel was now crying for joy "Luke!" she said trying to wake the jedi up from his unconscious state with shaking him. "Luke! Luke wake up. Look there, see! I told you not to give up" Cindel said cheerfully, Luke glanced down at what she was pointing at. He sighed happily then with a powerful impulse or just plain nerve reaction; Luke placed his hand over the back of Cindel's head and push it so their lips would meet. Cindel was taken by surprise but at the same time could help not resisting, she kissed him back without wondering if this was overwhelmed joy or impulsive reactions.
Lando pulled out a rope from his belt as he stood on a platform that was lifting him up towards the top hatch. He hooked it onto a ring on the side wall as the first hatch door opened up, finally the last hatch opened and he saw Cindel waving down at him. Cindel looked down and recognized Lando even from the 10 feet distance between them, she was surprised but relived to see him. "Cindel! You jump down first" Lando hollered at her, Cindel shooked her head "No! Luke goes first then I will go" she yelled back to him. Lando was tired of arguing with more then one women. "Fine! Hurry!" he said frustratingly with his arms opened for Luke, Cindel held the battered jedi with both her arms "We have help here Luke, hang on" she said as she released him to Lando. She turned to see three TIE fighter flying towards them, Lando and Luke see them too. "Get her in!" Luke shouted to Lando "Can you make-" Lando was about to ask but Luke cut him off "Get her!" he commanded. Lando did what he asked "Come on!" he shouted with his arms opened to her now, Cindel gracefully jumped into the hatch and into Lando's arms. "Lando?" Leia asked from the intercom "Okay let's go!" Lando answered her into his intercom as he and Cindel made their way down to Luke who was sitting on the floor.
Lando knelt next to Luke and slipped his hand under Luke's arm to help him onto his feet while Cindel did the same thing on the opposite side of Luke. "Who is this?" Luke asked in an exhausted voice as they walked to the control cockpit, Cindel looked at Lando and wondered how to answer that question after Lando's past actions. She would have answered 'traitor' but then she realized that Leia, Chewie herself and Luke are saved because of him. "This is a friend who will never betray us ever again, right?" Cindel answered firmly with a grilling glare "Right" Lando answered as he pulled out a brown blanket and placed it over Luke. The cockpit door opened up and Leia comes running to Luke and Cindel, the princess embraces both of them in a hug "Oh Leia" Luke said while holding Leia with his good arm. "Alright Chewie let's go" Lando commanded as he took over the driver's seat for Leia who was now helping Cindel walk Luke to the bunk rooms. "My medical kit?" Cindel asked as they gently laid Luke on the cot "Over there" Leia answered while pointing at the table in the corner, Cindel dashed to it and opened it. Leia pulled Luke's hidden arm that he kept hidden in his body suit, when she saw the missing lim she gasped in shock. "What happened?" she asked as she pulled out a protective cuff for the wrist, Luke was unmoved by Leia's question "Luke fought with Vader, he tried to kill us but we managed to escape through the disposal chute" Cindel answered quickly for Luke. Thankfully, Leia bought the story and continued to assist Cindel with wiping away the blood on Luke's face, Luke gave Cindel a look with gratitude in his smile. The women were startled by a loud thump that sounded like a blast on the Falcon "I'll be back" Leia said while looking at Cindel after kissing Luke's cheek then walked out of the quarter. Cindel took over Leia's seat next to Luke and continue to clean his face of his blood, she was just as tired as Luke was but she ignored her exhaustion and tried to focus on her medical task.
Leia entered the control cockpit and stood behind Lando and Chewie who flew the Falcon into space were they ran into more trouble. "Star Destroyer" Leia stated while pointing over their heads through the windows "Alright Chewie ready for light-speed?" Lando said with encouragement. "If your people fixed the hyperdrive" Leia said as she seated herself behind Chewie "All coordinates are set, it's now or never" Leia added then Chewie barked in agreement to her. "Punch it!" Lando commanded then pushed the button for light-speed and the engine goes off, Chewie and Leia looked at each other then looked at Lando. Back at the bunk room; Cindel and Luke also hear the hyperdrive engine die down "What's happening?" Luke asked in a weak whisper. "The hyperdrive is not working for the third time" Cindel explained calmly and almost like she expected this to happen. Returning back to the cockpit; Lando was upset but not as much as Chewie and Leia was "They told me they fixed it, I trusted them" Lando said angrily while Chewie let out a frustrating howls. "It's not my fault!" Lando exclaimed as Chewie angrily got up and shoved Lando out of his way.
The Star Destroyer zoomed straight at the Falcon, Vader walked behind two imperial officers who were observing the Falcon through the window. "They'll be in range of our tractor beam in a moment, my lord" Admiral Piett informed Vader with his chest up and his hands on his back. "Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon?" Vader asked with his hands on his belt "Yes, my lord" the officer answered. "Good, prepared the boarding party and set your weapons for stun" Vader commanded as he glanced at the window. "Yes, my lord" the officer replied then bowed before him, Vader felt unmoved as he approached the window.
Chewie ran to the engine and claimed down the later, 3PO watched while R2 was working on putting 3PO together again. "Noisy brute, why don't we go into light-speed?" the winy droid asked while holding his other leg. R2 bleeped out the answers "We can't? How would you know the hyperdrive is deactivated?" 3PO asked, R2 bleeped his answer and his explanation. "The city's central computer told you?" 3PO asked surprisingly, R2 bleeped "yes" to 3PO "R2 D2 you know better then to trust a strange computer" 3PO lectured the small droid. R2 injected his needle like tool into 3PO's foot and it caused the golden droid some pain "Ow! Pay attention to what you're doing" 3PO complained.
On the Star Destroyer; Vader stood by the window and looked at the Falcon being chased by TIE fighters. He focused his thoughts on Luke and concentrated hard enough until he felt that he was near Luke almost like he was in the same room with him. "Luke" he called out softly. Suddenly on the Falcon, in the bunk cot Luke was startled by Vader's voice echoing in his head like he was whispering into his ear "Father" he responded tired but surprised, Cindel was startled by Luke's soft outburst. Back again with Vader on the Star Destroyer "Son, come with me" he insisted almost like a plea, back on the Falcon Luke moaned in pain for a bit. "Ben, why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly "It's him, isn't it?" Cindel asked in concern, Luke didn't answer only trys to raise from the cot. "Where are you going?" Cindel asked as she placed her hand on his chest and shoulder to try and push him back down.
"I've got to see it" he finally answers as he gently tried push Cindel out of his way "No, you must rest now" Cindel exclaimed as Luke got himself on his feet with Cindel still insisting that he go back to the cot. "Help me or not Cindel" Luke asked firmly with a glare on his face, Cindel knew that Luke was badly beaten almost to death and that arguing with him was not good for him. She gave up and allowed him to place his arm around her shoulder then they walked cockpit. As the young pair made their way their Lando came running past them to the engine pit, they walk behind Leia who just glanced back to see Luke. "It's Vader" Luke whispered to Cindel while looking at the Star Destroyer through the window "How do you know?" Cindel asked while looking up at it too. "I can hear him" he answered then got lite headed, Cindel helped him sit in the seat behind Leia. Back again with Vader who was still looking at the Falcon "Luke, it is your destiny" he said, returning back to Luke who was now depressed and angered by all that has happened. "Ben...Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered so softly that only Cindel could hear, her concerns became stronger that she place her hands on his shoulders. Luke felt her hands of comfort, he was touched by her concerns that he reached up with his one hand, grabbed a hold of her delicate hand and gripped it to tell her "Thank you".
While the wookie still tried to work on the hyperdrive from the engine pit; R2 made his way to a tiny at the bottom of the circuit board. "R2, come back at once you haven't finish with me yet" 3PO commanded in a complaining loud voice while still holding his leg. R2 ignored the golden droid and continue with his tiny task. "You don't know how to fix hyperdrive Chewbacca can do it, I'm standing here in pieces and your having delusions of grandeurs!" 3PO said loudly. Suddenly the ship was at last blasted into light-speed, startled but the passengers in the cockpit were pushed onto their seats "You did it!" 3PO exclaimed as R2 went falling backwards into the engine pit onto Chewie at the bottom. Staring from the Star Destroyer; Vader stood for a moment unmoved and silent, every imperial troop that was in the dark lord's presence were standing in terror. But they were surprised when Vader only quietly turned away from the window and walked away with his hands on his back.
Once the Falcon docked by the Rebel cruiser that has been awaiting them; Luke was take to the medic wing for his injury, Cindel assisted the doctors that cared for him. Lando was prepared to make up for his betrayal to his friend Han, he immediately prepared the ship for an immediate rescue mission for Han. He had finally regained Leia, Cindel and Chewie's trust enough to fulfil that great task, the wookie even insisted that he tag along with Lando. At the medic wing Luke's hand was replaced with an auto prophetic lim "Luke, we're ready for take off" said Lando from the Falcon over an intercom. "Good luck, Lando" Luke responded to the intercom in his hand while his prophetic was being placed. He was better acquainted with Lando on their way to the Rebel ship "When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter we'll contact you" Lando said as Chewie walked into the cockpit behind Lando. Leia stood by Luke and over heard what was being said "I'll meet you at the rendevous point on Tatooine" Luke said as he looked at Leia "Princess, We'll find Han. I promise" Lando said with positiveness in his voices.
"Take care you two, may the force be with you" Luke expressed then he and Leia heard the sound of Chewie's wail over the intercom and they laughed at their furry friend. Leia walked over to the huge widow while Luke watches at the android pokes him with a needle on his new replaced "hand". When he saw the droid close up the tiny engine door on his wrist; Luke covered it with his sleeve, he turns over and sits on the medic table. He looks through the doorway to the room that was across the hall way from him. He sees Noa standing over Cindel who was heavily sedated on a bed, Luke slips off the table and walks over to her. "How is she?" Luke asked as he walked to the other side of her bed "She's fine, she nearly froze to death out there and she stressed herself too hard" Noa explained with his hands holding hers. "The doctor says this sedation will bring her body temperature to its normal process" Noa added to his explanation, Luke looked at Cindel's delicate and angelic face. She looked so peaceful in her state it was too beautiful to him "You saved her, you know?" Noa said noticing Luke's concern over Cindel. "No, she saved me...again" Luke objected as he placed his hand over her forehead and stroked it, his thoughts didn't dwell on what he must do next after. Luke wanted to be alone with her, but he knew that would be selfish of him, given to the fact that Noa was away from Cindel longer then he has. He respected their privacy and left the room in peace but stopped to look at her angelic face "If she wakes let me know so that I can thank her" Luke asked, Noa of course accepted. Luke then went back to his room and walked beside Leia who stood in silence as the Falcon departed to the luminous galaxy. Leia's thoughts dwelled on the possibilty of seeing Han again while Luke dwelled on what he was going to do next now that he knows his true origins. All his life he had never had a past only the one he had with his uncle and aunt on Tatooine, now with only one parent that lives still; Luke had to prepare himself for the next time he faces Vader...his father.
The End.
I hope you have enjoyed readingthis project as much as I have enjoyed writing it. But wait until you read myROTJ project that is now in progress, thank you for your responses.