CHAPTER FIVE

Vader sat slumped in one of the seats of the cramped cockpit, his wrists bound together, while Estrie and her two bounty hunter buddies scrambled around him, preparing to dock with the Executor. They couldn't believe their luck when Vader's ship came careening out of light speed just as they were clearing the Rebel base. They could make the exchange with no risk of losing Skywalker in the meantime. They'd heard about his knack for miraculous escapes, and were glad that they wouldn't have to be witness (or victim) to one.

"What do you suppose Vader will reward you with for bringing me to him?" Vader asked in a quiet voice as they prepared to enter the massive hangar of the Executor.

One of Estrie's thugs turned and looked down at him with a sneer. "Your bounty is at 'bout a quarter million credits, boy, and I reckon we can squeeze a few more outta him, since you're in such fine condition," the man smiled greedily at Vader.

Vader simply smiled, "You think a disgusting excuse for a sentient being like yourself could squeeze the Dark Lord of Sith?"

"Aye," grunted the man, "Money ain't nothing to him."

"Who said it had anything to do with money," Vader's eyes drew into slits. "Perhaps you should recognize more important things."

Both thugs turned to him this time and began laughing so hard that spit flew out from between the rotted, black teeth left in their mouths.

Estrie ignored them as she brought the ship down perfectly in the landing bay. She could see Vader and an officer striding across the massive hangar to meet them. She pulled off her safety restraints and stood, turning to her companions and prisoner. And froze.

Luke Skywalker was standing; the binders that held his wrists were off and on the floor at his feet. Ajax and Xack were also at his feet, unmoving. Their faces were twisted into silent screams, their dead hands were clutching at their throats. Estrie took in the scene calmly before raising her eyes to meet those of the man whom she thought to be Luke Skywalker.

"So, the rumors are true. You and Vader have a few things in common."

Vader sneered, "You have no idea." He could sense Luke outside, probing for a way to get in. He obliged him and tapped the ramp release lightly with the Force.

Vader's imposing form strode into the small cockpit, looked at the devastation at Luke Skywalker's feet, and then threw his arms in the air.

"Father! You couldn't have waited ten more minutes? Do you have to strangle everyone?"

Estrie stumbled back as Vader appeared to whine at Luke Skywalker and call him "father," of all things. Her eyes widened in horror as Skywalker scowled at the Dark Lord and then turned his cold, hard eyes upon her. She knew something was horribly wrong. Luke Skywalker would never look at anyone with such hatred; even her, who had kidnapped him and dragged him off to his mortal enemy to be traded for credits. She felt her breath catch in her throat as his bright blue eyes bore down upon her. She began to see stars and tried to gasp, but her throat seemed to be stuck together. She sank to her knees and was vaguely aware of Vader leaping forward and tackling Luke to the durasteel floor. Her breath returned in a rush and she rocked slightly, grabbing a nearby chair to steady herself. She stood and stared as Darth Vader held down a snarling Luke Skywalker.

"We have to dispose of her, Luke! She has seen!" Luke yelled at Vader.

Estrie stared, totally confused.

Darth Vader shook his head, "No! Just let her go!"

"She would have betrayed you!" Luke spat.

Vader kept shaking his head in denial, "She... she did exactly what we needed."

"If you had been yourself, she would have brought you straight to me!"

"Isn't that what you wanted? Why kill her?" Vader cried.

Estrie finally pulled herself to her feet and stared at the two, finally understanding, and yet not understanding how it was possible.

"Luke?" she said meekly, her hard, bounty hunter persona melted away.

Darth Vader's form looked up at her, "Es... it's... a long story."

Luke, she knew now that Luke was in Darth Vader's body, looked down at Vader who was pinned under the massive mechanical body of the Sith Lord. He seemed to consider his position for a moment and then made a decision. He was in a physically superior body and he was in command of the Super Star Destroyer that they were currently occupying. Luke seized Vader by the collar and dragged him up from the floor and down the corridor of the ship. He called back down the corridor at Estrie,

"As soon as we're clear, close the ramp and get out of here!"

"What about you?" Estrie screamed back.

"I have to reverse this nightmare!"

Estrie was trembling fiercely, but she was able to make her way down the corridor behind Luke and Vader and close the ramp behind them. She leaned against the hatch and just breathed for a moment, then rushed back to the cockpit.

Vader was glaring bullets at him as he dragged him down the ramp to the waiting line of stormtroopers. Luke flung Vader into the troopers and ordered them to restrain him, they obeyed immediately. Admiral Piett who stood with them was not looking so confident.

Piett glanced between the fuming form of Luke Skywalker, whom he knew to be his lord and commander, to the figure of Darth Vader, whom he knew to be a Rebel commander and enemy. If Piett pretended that he wasn't aware of the switch, he might avoid the wrath of the Sith Lord, if he didn't pretend and tried to liberate his lord now, the stormtroopers would likely gun him down. Piett remained still, opting to act later. Luke Skywalker's burning eyes found him, however, and locked onto him.

Lord Vader knew.

Piett felt himself start to shake, and he glanced at Luke, hoping that he wasn't going to do something stupid.

"Bring him to my quarters." Vader's voice filled the hangar bay. "Commander Skywalker and I will have a... chat."

Piett had to fight not to heave an audible sigh of relief as he followed the procession from the landing bay to the lifts.

Han ran to the command center as klaxons wailed through the complex, when he finally found Leia he gasped breathlessly, "What's happening?"

Leia was looking extremely pale and worn, her reply was tight, strained, "Estrie's ship just blasted out without proper clearance... just after she left the atmosphere she rendezvoused with the Executor."

Han took a step back and looked around wildly, "Luke was on that ship! She asked him to help her with her hyperdrive! Do you think she..."

"Collected Vader's bounty on Luke? Yes."

Han swore violently, "We've got to do something!"

"We have incoming," one of the figures seated in the command center cried out.

"A message?" asked Leia as she fought her way to his station through the chaos.

"No, a ship. It's coming in."

Han's fist closed into a tight ball, "It's her."

Luke ordered the stormtroopers out the moment they deposited his body onto the floor of Vader's quarters. Vader glared up at him, and Luke suddenly realized that to a third party who didn't know of their switch, nothing would appear amiss. Their third party, Piett, however, was aware of their predicament, and was slightly behind Luke's towering form.

Vader stood and glared up at Luke, "You let her escape!"

"You killed her friends!" Luke shouted back the best he could through the vocoder.

"They were bounty hunters who were going to sell you."

"Sell YOU."

"They thought I was you!"

"Well, they we're going to sell me to you, and that's what you wanted!"

"Yes, but—"

"Look," Luke cut off Vader, "We're together now, let's just figure this out."

Vader nodded then glanced at Piett, "Admiral, how did you find out...?"

As Vader spoke, Luke walked towards his desk, tangling the cape around his legs; he tumbled out of sight behind the sofa.

"I see," Vader said.

Han, Leia, Chewie, and a battalion of Rebels met Estrie on the landing platform. She opened the ramp and came halfway down with her hands held over her head.

"Look," she said, "I know this looks bad, but I think in the long run you'll thank me."

"Oh yeah," Han snarled, raising his blaster, "Why's that?"

"Because," she sighed, "That wasn't Luke that I just escorted to the Executor."

When Estrie had finished explaining what she had witnessed and deduced, the others sat stunned, staring at the floor, the ceiling, crates on the floor; only Han stared at her.

"Do you mean to tell me that jerk was cheating at Sabacc? I knew Luke didn't know how to play! I lost five hundred credits in that game!"

"Han," Leia said seriously, "Luke is trapped in Vader's body and aboard his flagship with Vader..."

"Who has my money!"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Come on, the Executor is still in orbit, if we can hurry we might be able to track their exit vector."

Han smiled and shook his head, "There's no need, sweetheart, I know where they're going."

She frowned, "Where?"

"To get their bodies back."