Chapter 8

The Star Destroyer Harbinger was due to arrive at Mustafar in twenty minutes to collect him. Vader was busy preparing his TIE Advanced when Vaneé entered the hangar.

"My lord, Commander Hayge, overseer of the young cadet training camp, has requested a conversation with you."

Luke ... Vader immediately stretched out, seeking his son's presence. Luke still burned brightly in the Force.

"Very well," Vader said, removing the fuel line and passing it to the assisting droid. He could only hope this was simply a matter of keeping him informed as to Luke's progress, rather than anything serious. But in all honesty, he wouldn't be surprised if Luke had managed to reduce the camp to a smoking crater.

For that reason, he waited until Vaneé had left the hangar before taking the comlink off hold. The officer whom he'd met the day he dropped Luke at the camp appeared, his image flickering a few times, before the building's communications relay managed to strengthen and stabilize the signal.

"Commander Hayge," Vader said, once the image was steady. "Bad weather on Kawai?"

"A storm passed over this morning, sir," the commander confirmed. "Slightly better now."

"How is my son? I trust he has not been causing trouble."

"Not at all, sir. However, we are concerned about him. I must ask you a question, sir. I understand if you consider this none of my business ... sir, does your son possess the same abilities that you do? The power to use the Force?"

Of all the questions Vader had been expecting, that was not one of them.

"What has he done?!"

"Nothing. Yet. Nothing confirmed. He did threaten to strangle one of his teammates."

For a moment, Vader imagined his naive, optimistic son actually reaching the state of mind he himself possessed when crushing someone's trachea. The idea would have been repulsive if it wasn't more than a little ridiculous. Luke could be angry at times, yes, but never for long. He was too steeped in his own love for life.

"He has no power," Vader explained. "He has not been trained. Any threats would have been made in jest."

The commander appeared to visibly relax. "Understood, sir. I believe he is feeling a little claustrophobic today. The cadets have been inside due to the bad weather, and it does not appear to have been to his liking."

"Ask him if he'd rather be living on Tatooine," Vader said. "That question will relieve him of any weather-based melancholy. You can also tell him that I will not be picking him up for another three weeks, so he better get used to it."

"I will pass on your message, sir. He did want to speak to you earlier today, but the weather was too bad. Perhaps he could contact you later on tonight?"

"I will be attending to a sensitive matter for the next two days," Vader said. "He is welcome to send text or a recorded message. If that is all, I must return to more important matters, Commander."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for your time."

Vader cut the call, and passed the comlink to the droid. It was good to know Luke was safe and unharmed. Now he could concentrate on the coming battle without risk of distraction. It was time he sought some hint from the Force as to the outcome of this pending hunt.

Once he and Zev had reached the lakeside, Luke had led them north along the riverbank. The forest grew thicker and wilder as they moved further away from the campsite. It had been twilight when they'd left, but it was fast becoming dark. The trees were black shapes against a gray sky, and full of the squeaks and chirps of nocturnal animals. Luke had been starting to wonder if following the river was a good idea, but then Zev had spotted a boat, wedged between a couple of dead trees that had fallen into the river. Between them, they managed to drag it free, and they continued on water.

"Is there any chance of finding a waterfall around the next bend?" Luke asked. He was standing at the front of the boat, pushing them along with a stick, while Zev stood at the back.

"You're the one with the map," Zev said.

"There are no waterfalls on the map," Luke said. "It's just in all the stories I've heard, when the heroes are in a boat on a river, there's always a waterfall ahead."

"I think we're moving upstream," Zev said, looking around. "How much further, anyway?"

Luke switched on the map, causing a bright green glow. Night insects instantly buzzed toward it.

"Not far," Luke said. "I think the forest should clear soon."

The boat came to a sudden halt, causing Luke to nearly lose his balance. He tried to push forward, and then realized Zev had jammed his stick in the riverbed.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you see that? There's a shield in front of us!"

Luke looked ahead. About three meters in front, there was a sudden glow as an insect flew into a shield. It spread across two relay points on either side of the river.

"It's the security shield," Zev said. "I forgot about that. They only turn it on at night ... or maybe they've realized we're missing, and they're out looking for us."

"How deep is the water?" Luke asked. "It can't extend under the water. Maybe we could swim under it."

"I'm not getting in there," Zev said, looking down at the water. "There are probably giant snakes at the bottom."

Luke stared at the murky depths, considering. It didn't look very appealing, but maybe it was just the darkness.

"I'll go first," he said. He was about to jump in, when Zev stopped him.

"Wait! What about our stuff?"

Luke glanced at it, seeing Zev's point. They'd have to take that under as well, and water wouldn't mix well with the locator beacon. Or the map, for that matter.

"Pass me my multi-tool," Luke said. "It's hanging off my backpack. I'll see if I can switch off one of the relays."

"If they're looking for us, that will let them know where we are," Zev said. Despite his concerns, he still handed Luke the multi-tool.

"I don't think they're looking," Luke said, guiding the boat over toward the bank. "I can't sense anyone nearby."

"You can't sense anyone?" Zev enquired.

Luke stepped out onto the bank, and began inspecting the relay. "I can tell when people are near," Luke explained. "They have an effect on the environment. You just have to know what to listen for."

He pried open a panel, and immediately a circuit fell out. It appeared it hadn't been maintained in years, as it was half rusted. This should make things easier.

"When you were angry in the dining hall," Zev said. "The plates around you started to rattle. No one else noticed it, they were too busy staring at you and Crepes."

Luke paused for a moment, thinking, and then resumed working. "Probably just the wind. Or maybe a speeder was flying over."

A spark jumped from the circuit, and suddenly the shield flickered a few times. Luke poked it again, and the shield disappeared across the river.

"Go now," Luke said. "Take the boat through."

Zev did so. As soon as the boat was safely on the other side, Luke reconnected the circuit and stuck it back in its rightful place. The shield shimmered back across the river, forming a barrier between him and Zev.

"How are you going to—?"

"I'll be right there," Luke said, jumping into the water. It was waist-high and freezing. He could feel the water filling his boots, but he tried not to think about it. Instead, he waded over to the shield, and then took a deep breath. Plunging into the dark, murky water was horrible. He shut his eyes tight, held his nose, and waded forward as quickly as possible. When he broke through the water surface, he found he'd overshot the boat.

Zev reached out a hand, and helped drag him back up. The boat rocked back and forth erratically as Luke climbed back in, and Zev had to sit down to avoid falling out. Once he was safely in, Luke did his best to squeeze the water out of his clothes and hair, while Zev pushed the boat onwards.

"The forest is starting to clear," Zev said, finally.

Luke was busy tugging off his left boot. "Watch out for a hill. That's when we need to get out." He turned his boot upside down and poured the water out. Some kind of crab came out too. He hastily did the same with the other boot, not wanting to know what could have found its way in there.

"There's a hill," Zev said, pointing ahead. "Is that it?"

"We're there!" Luke said, excitedly.

Zev guided the boat over to the bank, and they climbed out into the mud. The ground was still waterlogged from the rainstorm earlier that day, and their boots made slurping and squelching noises as they made their way to the base of the nearby hill. It became easier when they reached the grass.

Luke shivered with cold as a gust of wind sliced straight through his wet clothes. He had some spares in his pack, but they didn't have time to stop and change. Zev would look back every minute or so, and Luke knew he was worrying about any unseen pursuers.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Luke whispered, walking closer to Zev. "That spaceport definitely isn't abandoned."

"How can you tell?" Zev asked.

"Listen."

Zev fell silent. There was another gust of wind, and then Luke saw his friend's expression light up. There were voices in the distance. Not the crisp, militaristic voices of the camp officers, but the rough accented basic of run-of-the-mill spacers.

When they reached the top of the hill, they sunk low to the ground, and crawled over to a small bush. The space port was situated in the valley below, lit with a single flood light. It was really just a wide circular landing pad, surrounded by stacks and stacks of crates. There was a small freighter on the tarmac, and three small figures could be seen loading things into the cargo bay.

"Let's stow aboard their ship," Luke whispered.

"You think we can do that without being seen?"

"Sure," Luke said. "No problem. I've done it before."

"What if they see us?"

"They won't. We'll get out at the next spaceport, and find our way from there."

Zev nodded.

"Follow me," Luke said, shuffling along the ground. They made their way around the hill until the ship was between them and the smugglers and then ran quickly down the slope. Zev wanted to stop to see what was in some of the crates, but Luke was determined to get onto the ship quickly. It was a simple design, with loading bays on either side. Both were currently wide open. The starboard side of the ship was already full with crates.

The smugglers were still around the other side, and they could hear them talking loudly. Luke gestured to Zev to stick close, and they crept across the tarmac towards the loading bay. Within a minute, they had nestled in safely between a few crates.

They remained silent for the next few minutes. Luke sensed someone was walking around their side of the ship. The thought briefly crossed his mind that they could be planning to unload all these crates they were hidden amongst, but his thought was cut off by a loud crash, followed by darkness. They had closed the loading bay door.

"I think we made it," Luke whispered.

Zev nodded.

Within ten minutes, they heard the shudder of the engines igniting. It briefly occurred to Luke that maybe he was leading Zev into more trouble than he was leaving, but he pushed the thought away. The last thing they needed right now was doubt.

Vader stared at a rotating holographic display, not knowing what to make of it. It was not unlike the kind that would hang beside a baby's cradle. A large black bird filled the display, flapping its wings slowly. A smaller yellow bird was in front of it. It played music that sounded like a military march.

"Are you sure you're focusing on the right thing?"

Vader turned to find Obi-Wan had appeared beside him. Vader made a noise of frustration, and turned back to the display. It was trying to tell him something about the coming battle. The larger bird was moving towards the smaller one ... hunting it, perhaps? Destroying it? Was this a vision of success?

The yellow bird shifted then, now beside the black one, flying under its wing. It was clear, then. The black bird was the Harbinger, and the yellow one, the Rebel ship. This mission would be a success.

"Good."

"Don't celebrate too soon."

Vader turned around to find the Anakin apparition had joined them.

"Why?"

"The clones are missing."

"Last time I saw them, they were heading for the Rebel ship," Obi-Wan said.

"I don't care about the clones!" Vader said, turning away. "Good riddance to them!"

"They will continue to haunt you until you acknowledge what they represent," Obi-Wan said, turning to stare out the window.

"They represent a glitch in my life support system," Vader said.

"I think they represent how helpless we feel," Anakin suggested. "It feels like there's nothing we can do to stop Luke from putting himself in danger. It feels like there are five people needing our constant attention."

"I am not helpless," Vader said, snatching his lightsaber.

"You are trying your best," Obi-Wan said.

"I don't try," Vader said, raising the blade to point at the apparition's chest. "I do. And I do not fail."

"Words," Anakin said, in a dismissive way. "Why don't you just admit you've lost your parenting confidence? Do you honestly imagine those officers at the camp can do a better job than us?"

Vader sighed, hating the fact that he was right. "How would you have handled Luke's behavior, then?"

Anakin shrugged, and then gestured towards Obi-Wan. "Takes a Kenobi to raise a teenage Skywalker."

"I think you're overthinking this," Obi-Wan said, turning back. "Get back to basics. Establish expectations. Set boundaries. Provide consequences if needed."

"Luke is definitely going to need some consequences after this," Anakin agreed, wandering over to the window.

"How about cleaning out the fuel regulator vents," Obi-Wan suggested.

"That'll do the trick," Anakin agreed. "It's so boring. And doing every ship on Mustafar will take … oh, about two weeks? Then you'll have another week to teach him how to build a maintenance droid that could have done the job for him." He turned back to face Vader. "Because you know that's what he really wants. Quality time with you."

It was a sound plan, Vader had to admit. But he'd had sound plans before. They'd been rendered null and void by teenage Skywalker recklessness.

"What if it doesn't work?" Vader said.

"You think your words don't mean anything to Luke, but they do," Obi-Wan said. "He will learn, just give him time. He's still young. He needs your guidance."

"But we fear he will never reach maturity," Anakin explained. "We've always feared the death of those we love."

Vader was vaguely aware of a headache. Obi-Wan was talking again, but now it didn't sound like him. It sounded like Qui-Gon.

"Why don't you tell Luke that? He wants to understand you better."

"Go away," Vader said. "Go away, all of you."

"He needs your patience."

The last word sounded far in the distance. His vision slowly began to clear. Objects came into focus. The viewport. The conference table. He was in the meeting room on the Harbinger. He'd come here after arriving on board, hoping to learn something from the Force about the coming battle. It seemed the Force had other ideas.

He felt a deep rumble shake the floor beneath him. The ship was jumping to hyperspace. If there were any truth to his vision at all, at least this coming battle would be a victory.

The freighter's hyperspace journey lasted at least two hours. Luke was starting to feel hungry. Unlike Zev, he hadn't eaten dinner, as he'd stormed out after a few mouthfuls. His clothes felt disgusting, halfway between wet and dry. He was still cold, but at least there was no wind in here.

He and Zev took turns playing his flightsim hologame, and then they began playing word games. When they got bored with that, they sat in silence, listening for any sound of the engine slowing.

"It's so ironic," Zev said, finally.

"What is?"

"I've been suffering at military school for years. Years and years. It never occurred to me just to run off and leave. If you'd told me this morning that I'd be here now, I'd have said you were crazy. Now, here we are."

"Here we are," Luke agreed.

"It's just ironic that out of all the people, it was Lord Vader's son that got me out of that place. I don't care if we end up back there—it's worth it, even for just these two hours. I feel great. I feel like someone who's just got out of prison."

The engine hum changed tone, and Luke looked up. "We're coming out of hyperspace."

"So, what's our next move?"

Luke thought for a moment. "Depends on where we are," he said. "They might be just stopping for fuel."

More noises followed, and Luke felt something jolt beneath them.

"That almost sounded like the landing struts," he said.

Ten minutes later, they were thrown against the sides of the crates, and the engines gave one last shudder. Then there was silence.

"Maybe we're on a planet," Zev whispered.

"It was too fast," Luke said. "If we were landing on a planet, there should have been a longer time between hyperspace reversion and landing."

"Fuel station then?"

"I think so."

There was a rattling noise, and a bright light filled the room. Luke and Zev shifted further behind the crates, as it became clear the loading bay door was being opened. A female voice could be heard on the other side.

"Fifty crates on this side. We've got weapons, uniforms, food supplies, medical supplies, and a bunch of holo-comics that Blue Squadron requested. Wait, that might be on the other side. I put a blue sticker on it, anyhow."

A different voice answered her. It sounded non-human.

"You are a miracle worker. I think you've single-handedly assured the survival of the Rebellion in the Mathalar sector."

Luke shared a look with Zev. The Rebellion?

"Well, a job is a job. I'm hungry—where's the caf?"

"Just follow one of the pilots."

There was loud laughter.

"I'll send someone to start unloading these right away."

The voices were growing quieter, and Luke could hear footsteps moving away. As soon as they could no longer be heard, Luke stood up.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get out of here. You heard what they said."

Zev followed him as he walked carefully between the crates. When they reached the front, Luke started to wonder why this refueling station was so well lit. The outside walls appeared to be all white.

When he finally stepped out of the ship, he noticed two things. One was the clear view of space outside a huge square docking hatch at the far end of the room. The other was the entire squad of X-Wing fighters, resting in a neat row over the other side of the hangar. A couple of astromech droids were rolling around, but other than that, the room appeared mostly empty.

"Wow," Zev said, stepping out beside him. "We're on a ship! A Rebel ship!"

Luke felt his stomach twist into a knot. He was in way over his head.

"Any ideas?" he said, finally. His voice sounded very unsteady.

"It's okay," Zev said, glancing at him. "They won't hurt us. I'm going to ask if I can join them."

"Join them?" Luke said. "Wait, what about me?"

"They could drop you off at the next spaceport," Zev said. "Then you could catch a transport to wherever you want to go."

"You're talking about these people like they're your relatives," Luke said. "These are Rebels. They fight the Empire. They'll toss us out the airlock." Luke pointed at the Imperial logo on Zev's uniform. "Especially when they see that."

"No, they won't." Zev hastily reached up to rip it off anyway. "They're not like that. They're just ordinary people fighting for an end to the Emperor's rule."

"You seem to know a lot about them," Luke said, glancing around nervously. They were standing out here in the open, and someone could come back any minute.

Zev shrugged. "I always planned to join them. I just thought it would be when I was older."

"Zev, I bet these people hate my father," Luke said, quietly. "What if they recognize me? They could—someone's coming!"

He pulled Zev back into the freighter, and they ducked down behind some crates. They heard footsteps, and then a voice.

"Okay, I know you're in there! Come out slowly and keep your hands visible."

Zev stood up immediately. Luke followed slowly. They came into the view of a Nautolan dressed in coveralls. He was holding a blaster, but he lowered it slightly when they came to a halt in front of him.

"I've been watching you two on the security cameras," he said, staring at them with large, unblinking black eyes. "Who are you, where did you come from and what are you doing here?"

Luke looked at Zev. His friend cleared his throat.

"Um ... we're ... I'm ... Zev."

"Luke," Luke said, automatically.

"I want to join the Rebellion," Zev said, quickly. "We stowed away on the freighter so we could find you."

"You're dressed in Imperial junior cadet uniforms," he observed.

"We've just come from a cadet training camp," Zev explained. "My father made me go. Please, I really want to join."

By this stage, more people had entered the hangar. A Twi'lek female joined the Nautolan. When she spoke, Luke realized she must be the freighter captain.

"What's going on, Bran?"

"You picked up a couple of stowaways."

"Who are you," she said, staring at Luke and Zev in surprise.

"I'm Zev," Zev repeated. "This is my friend Luke. We were at the cadet training camp, but I want to join the Rebellion. We stowed away on your ship to get away."

She turned to the Nautolan. "The training camp is about five klicks from the depot. The Imperials are only there for a couple of months in the summer. Exclusive place—they use it for pre-officer training."

For the first time, Bran looked away from them. "You risked taking our cargo to an Imperial occupied world?!"

She shrugged. "It was the closest place to refuel."

Bran turned back to Zev and Luke. "If you want to join the Rebellion, why were you at an Imperial camp?"

"My father made me go," Zev repeated.

"What does your father do?" Bran asked.

Luke felt glad he hadn't asked him that.

"He's an Imperial officer," Zev said. "But I don't support the Empire."

"How old are you?" the freighter captain asked.

"Fifteen."

"And your friend?"

"I'm fourteen," Luke said, deciding that telling them his age might help convince them to let him go. The Twi'lek only smirked at his response.

"You're kids," she said, sounding slightly amused. "Do you Rebels employ babysitters?"

"Quiet, Netti," Bran said, annoyed.

"I don't want to join," Luke insisted. "I was just helping Zev get away from the camp. You can drop me off at a spaceport."

Bran stared at him silently. Luke looked at the floor, half wanting to cover his face. Zev saved him from any further inspection, however.

"I know I'm young," Zev said. "But I've got nowhere else to go ... my father leaves me in military school all year. I've been planning to join the Rebellion as soon as I was able."

"They could be spies," Netti said. "It would be just like the Empire to use children as spies."

They'd gained two more onlookers at this stage, one of whom looked like a pilot to Luke. He was dressed in an orange flight suit.

"They're not too young—I joined at thirteen. Take them to the captain."

"I was helping out my father on supply runs at twelve," Bran agreed. "And their story makes sense." He holstered his blaster. "Zev, Luke—we're sorry for the interrogation, but we have to be careful. Follow me now."

"I understand," Zev said.

Luke had to smirk at the use of the word interrogation. He had fielded more questions from his father when he arrived home five minutes after his curfew. Not that he was complaining. As he walked beside Zev, he could still feel curious eyes watching him. Was it his imagination, or had Netti been looking at him with more suspicion than she had Zev? Never in his life had he been so grateful for his father's efforts to shelter him from the media.

When they reached the captain's office, Bran pressed the doorcom. Shortly afterwards, the doors slid open and Bran walked on in. Zev followed next, and Luke hung behind. He risked a quick glance at the captain. He was a middle-aged human with a beard, and appeared fairly normal. On the surface, at least. He stood up as their minder explained where they'd come from and walked around to their side of the desk.

"Thank you for bringing them to me, Bran. You better finish unloading those supplies. I want to be back in hyperspace as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Bran left. Once the doors had closed, the captain extended a hand to Zev.

"Zev! My boy, you've grown! What a surprise to see you."

"Captain Flenn?" Zev said. "What are you doing here?!"

"You know each other?" Luke asked.

"I was at the academy with Zev's father," the captain explained.

"He and my father used to be good friends," Zev said. "He visited us a lot after my mother died. But sir, I haven't seen you since ... my father never mentioned you'd joined the Rebellion."

"It only recently became public," the captain explained. "I've been working as a spy and double agent for many years. But there's only so long you can escape detection, I'm afraid." His gaze wandered to Luke.

"Sir, this is my friend Luke," Zev said. "He helped me get here, but he's not here to stay."

"I just need to be dropped off at a spaceport," Luke said. "That is ... if it's not any trouble. I don't want to be any trouble."

The captain studied him for a moment. "You look very familiar."

"Uh ... I have those kind of looks," Luke said.

If the captain heard the nervousness in his voice, he didn't say anything. Instead, he returned to sitting behind his desk.

"So, you really want to join us, Zev?"

"More than anything," Zev said, standing up straighter. "I know I'm young, but I'm old enough to know what I believe, and I believe in democracy and the dignity and freedom of the individual. I'll do what I can ... I can help out with odd jobs until I'm old enough to fight."

"You understand how dangerous this business is?"

Zev nodded.

"You will see death. You will see your comrades die, and you may lose your own life. Capture and torture is also a likely possibility. You will become a traitor to the state and unable to reside in any permanent address in much of the known galaxy. The Empire will put a bounty on your head, and stormtroopers will shoot you on sight. You will forfeit any possibility of a normal life. Are you sure you are ready?"

Luke was staring at the captain in surprise, wondering how anyone could willingly volunteer for such a hellish existence. He glanced at Zev, wondering if he should start talking him out of this.

"Are you trying to discourage me, sir?" Zev asked.

"I just want you to know that it's not too late. We can arrange a ride for you back to the camp, and no one need ever know you were here. But in a few hours time, it will be too late."

"I've thought about this for years," Zev explained. "If I stay with the Empire, I'll continue to be fed the propaganda and lies until I'm old enough to be drafted into the navy. Then I'll have to help the Emperor oppress the galaxy. The downside to joining the Rebellion is nothing compared to that. I want to live knowing that I helped make a difference. That I tried to bring some freedom back into this galaxy. Some things are worth dying for."

The captain had been entering something into his computer while Zev was talking. Luke didn't notice at first, as he was listening to Zev's speech, but when the captain stood up, Luke began to sense something wasn't quite right. But Captain Flenn only smiled at Zev, and patted his shoulder.

"You are lucky, young Zev. I was twice your age before I realized what you know now. I only wish I was as wise when I was your age."

"Thank you, sir."

The captain turned to Luke and suddenly produced a viewscreen from behind his back. He held it up beside Luke's face. Luke reared back in pure reflex, but it was already too late. The captain turned the screen around to show both of them. It was a holo of Luke and his father, taken in the hallways of the Imperial palace. The various arrows and viewfinder marks made it look like some kind of spy photo. Luke felt his stomach twist into a tighter knot as the meaning behind this settled in. He knew.

"Luke, as in Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader's son, I take it?"

"Sir, he's not here to spy," Zev said, quickly coming to his defense. "We didn't even know we were coming to a Rebel ship."

"I swear, I won't tell my father anything about this," Luke insisted, holding up his hands. "He'd kill me if he knew where I was. Please let me go."

"Relax," the captain said, sitting back on the surface of his desk. "Unlike the Empire, the Rebellion does not make prisoners of its enemy's children."

Zev gave him a look that said 'I told you', but it still didn't sit right with Luke. Even if the captain didn't intend to shoot him, would every other Rebel on the ship feel the same?

"I can leave the ship right now," Luke insisted. "Just drop me at the nearest port."

"Spaceports can be dangerous places for young people. I will arrange a transport—"

Captain Flenn was cut off by a loud alarm blaring through the comm system.

Luke looked up in curiosity, and then was thrown to the floor as a shudder ran through the ship. Zev helped him up, just as the captain ran for the door, not even pausing to offer them an explanation.

"What's happening?!" Zev asked, rushing to the viewport. He never made it, as more explosions rocked the ship.

"That was blaster fire!" Luke said. He crawled over to the window, with Zev close behind. In the distant surrounding space, a formation of TIE Fighters streamed past.

"They're running for hyperspace," Zev said, as the stars began to move faster. "An Imperial ship must be on their tail."

"They're going to think we led the Empire right to them!" Luke said.

There was another explosion, and Luke grabbed the window frame for support. Outside, the stars began to slow. They were losing speed.

"Let's get out of here," Zev said.

Luke didn't argue. They ran for the corridor and joined up with several other crewmembers running for the elevator. They crammed in the lift after them, hoping they would know the safest place to go.

"What's going on?" Luke asked the nearest one.

"A Star Destroyer. It's right on top of us ... they'll be boarding in the next ten minutes."

"Boarding?" Zev said. "What's going to happen?"

"Nothing for it. We're evacuating."

It soon became clear they were heading for the hangar bay. More and more crewmembers joined them on the trip down, until Luke was jammed tight against the wall. When the doors slid open on the hangar bay, Luke found a huge crowd of crew members, desperately running for various ships. The X-Wings had all gone, and Luke assumed they were providing covering fire while the smaller ships escaped. Messages were blaring over the intercom.

"All military personnel to the upper decks. Techs, medics and pilots to the hangar bay. Attention, Imperial Troops will board the ship in two minutes."

He and Zev were lost in the confusion, until a familiar face appeared beside them. It was Bran, the Nautolan who'd discovered them earlier.

"Come with me, boys. I've got room for two more. It'll be a tight squeeze, but we'll manage."

"I thought you'd think we were responsible for this," Zev said, running after him.

"I think Netti might have had something to do with it," he said. "She dumped the cargo and left while I was taking you to the captain."

Luke followed Zev until they were about to climb on board a small transport craft, but then he hesitated. A new message started blaring over the comm.

"Imperial troops have boarded the ship!"

"Luke, come on!" Zev said, looking back. He reached out a hand to help Luke climb up, but Luke backed away.

"You go. I'll stay here."

"But—"

"I'd only be taking the place of someone who is really in danger," Luke said. "I'll stay here."

"You could be killed!"

A medic carrying a piece of equipment ran up alongside Luke. "Is there room on this ship?" he asked.

"Space for one more," Luke said, stepping aside.

The medic jumped on the boarding ramp just as the engines were starting to power up.

"Good luck!" Luke called to Zev.

Then the hatch was closed, and he knew it was time to take cover. Ships were taking off all around him. He ran for the elevators, deciding to make his way to the upper levels. The intercom messages had stopped broadcasting, and now there was only static as if someone had forgotten to switch off the mic.

It took ages for the elevator to arrive. When it did, Luke was thrown into it by the sound of a loud explosion behind. He looked over his shoulder, and saw someone had blown open the main doors to the hangar. He hastily pressed a button for an upper floor, causing the doors to slide shut. There was another loud explosion, then the surface of the elevator door compressed inwards. The sounds of blaster fire could still be heard, even as the elevator began to rise.

Luke crouched down and flattened himself against the wall, listening to his heart pounding against his ribs. He needed to find someone to surrender to. Someone who wasn't a stormtrooper. They would shoot first and ask questions later. There had to be a supervising officer somewhere around. Maybe on the bridge. According to the snippets of intercom messages he'd heard, the main fight had been in the corridors leading to the bridge.

What to do after that was another story. There was only one solution for an adventure that had gone this far awry. He would have to call his father. He could only imagine what he was going to say when he said he was stuck on some ship and he needed him to come and pick him up. Luke thought about it for a moment, and then decided he'd rather call Commander Hayge. That would be the perfect solution, if only he had bothered to take note of the camp comlink frequency.

By the time the elevator reached the bridge level, he was feeling a lot braver. He stepped out confidently, and looked left and right. The bridge must be at this end somewhere. He took one step forward, and then fell to the ground as a blaster shot hit the wall a few meters away from him.

"Freeze!"

Luke waved his hands in the air, and soon a stormtrooper stepped up behind him. He was dragged up and pinned against the wall.

"Identify yourself!"

"I ... I ... I'm not a Rebel!" Luke insisted. He stared down the barrel of the stormtrooper's blaster, wondering if this is where his life was going to end.

"Don't move! Why are you here?"

"I'm here by accident!" Luke said, surprised he was able to speak at all, considering how tight his throat was.

"An accident? Sure, kid," the trooper said. He did release him, though. "Keep your hands in the air."

The trooper kept his blaster trained on him and beckoned to someone with his other hand. A second stormtrooper approached.

"Put binders on him," the first trooper ordered the second. "We'll take him to the commander."

Luke's hands were roughly grabbed and locked into a pair of binders. The second trooper pushed him forward, while the first kept his blaster pressed against his back.

Luke swallowed, feeling utterly miserable as they began to walk down the corridor. They thought he was a Rebel. He would probably end up locked up in a prison cell, unless he could convince someone he really was Lord Vader's son. The more he thought about it, the more he realized no one would ever believe him in a million years. He was really in trouble now.

As they walked quickly towards their destination, Luke saw the walls were burned and smoking with the black remains of a blaster fight. Every so often they'd pass bodies of stormtroopers and Rebels. It made him feel nauseous. The fact that he was starving hungry, thirsty, tired and still damp didn't help.

Luke felt a tear well up in his eye as he was forced to step over the body of another fallen Rebel soldier. He would give anything to be back home now. Stars, he'd give anything to be back at the military camp. He found himself silently begging the Force to somehow make this all turn out all right. If only he could have this one chance, he would never do anything impulsive again. He would start listening to his father, and thinking before doing things and—

In an instant, all Luke's misery vanished in a sudden wave of familiarity. His head snapped up, and he swept his gaze around the corridor, seeking confirmation. It couldn't be ... that would be too good to be true. One of his stormtrooper guards reached out to guide him around a corner, and then Luke knew it wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. There was no mistaking him—standing out starkly against the white ship walls, arms folded as he heard a report from an officer. It was the one person Luke had been longing to see.

Father! FATHER!