Where Am I Going To?
Part Two
Chapter Eighteen
"Move over, I want the controls."
Lando raised an eyebrow but did not look up, despite the Jedi's sure and stubborn tone of voice. "The hell you get them. This was my ship before Han swindled her."
Luke said nothing, smirked, and with a gentle nudge in the Force, quite effectively shoved Calrissian clear out of the pilot's seat.
"Thanks, Lando."
Grumbling, the gambler rubbed at his head, resigning himself to the copilot's chair. "Sure. Anyway, we're going to be heading toward Coruscant soon."
"I know, that's why I wanted the controls. I've got to give the password to get past the blockade."
Lando stared at him for a long, hard moment, and Luke said nothing. Finally, the other shouted, "Are you nuts? One of the most wanted men in the galaxy, and you're going to let them know you're on Coruscant?"
"The lackeys have hardly memorized my voice. Besides, they'd never think to look for me on Coruscant. What moron would hide out where the heat is hottest?"
"Um, you?"
"Exactly."
Lando continued to stare. "Okkkayyy…." He shook his head and asked, "But wouldn't they change the pass code?"
"You'd think that, wouldn't you? Actually, there's about a dozen of them, a good three of which never change just because they're so strange that no one would ever guess at them. That, and their not used all that often."
"I'm beginning to not like the sound of this."
"Just relax. We're coming up on the Navy blockade."
Indeed they were. Massive ships and thin lines of jammed traffic heading into the center of the civilized galaxy, all surrounded constantly by the Imperial Navy, on invariable watch. Luke smirked. "They're so worried about the Rebellion that they're about to let the former Imperial Prince right inside. Quite willingly, too."
"I don't like this."
"You're a gambler. What's life without a bit of risk?"
"Risk for a very uncertain reward."
Oh, no. The reward was quite certain….Luke sighed, smiled.
I'm coming, Leia. Just you wait….
"Corellian freighter," the intercom buzzed, and Luke and Lando shared a look. "Give access key."
"Plug your ears," Luke teased playfully, but quite seriously. Lando reluctantly did so, and Luke gave the pass key. There was a brief amount of silent surprise, and the request to repeat. Luke recited it letter perfect, even spelled it right, too.
They let them in.
"One thing's for sure, they'll probably think someone's finally hacked their precious code complex. They'll probably change it now. Good thing we only have to do this once."
"Good thing indeed….So, um, can I have the controls back?"
"Nope, we've still got to land this sucker."
"Oh, okay," Lando remarked snidely. "And where do you propose we do that, oh exalted one?"
Luke simply looked at him and grinned.
…
"Jeeze, this thing must have been empty for a century!"
"Not quite." With old familiarity, Lando and Luke stepped out of the Falcon and into the large, underground cavern, directly below the extensive sewer system. "See, it's this huge maze. They use it to monitor the pipes."
"Alright," Lando asked, "so how do you know about it?"
Luke simply smiled and tapped his skull. "You don't keep secrets from the Imperial Prince. Not if you want to live. Anyway, I used to sneak away and go flying a lot whenever we were stuck on Coruscant. I'd park my TIE here. I just had to make sure to take it out when they checked the pipelines."
"Why would you go flying?"
Luke blinked, looked away. Leia understood, he'd told her just about every secret he had. "I hate Coruscant," he murmured. "It was just a temporary way out. I don't think my father knew. And if he did, he never said anything. I dunno." Luke cleared his throat and looked up, trying not to think too hard. "Anyway, where did Chewie say he'd meet us?"
Lando rattled off the coordinates, and Luke nodded. "So what's your plan for getting into Xizor's palace, hot shot? It's more heavily guarded than that Imperial blockade!"
Luke grinned impishly again, a habit which was starting to cause certain dread within Lando. "Remember those code keys?"
"Yes…." He answered uneasily.
"They apply on land, too."
…
The small bomb had gone off like a charm, distracting everyone enough that it was no trouble to slip in the pass key – no one was monitoring the system, so the computer could just run it through itself. And since that was a key it was programmed to accept…
"You know, it's funny," Luke said, pulling up the hood of his black cassock, "I was kinda thinking Xizor would have cheated the system by now. He was always overly cautious."
"And with good reason, too," Lando snorted, taking his blaster from its holster.
Luke shrugged, maneuvering down the halls. "Let's see….Xizor's Coruscant palace was not exactly a place Lord Vader and his son were invited into numerous times, so I don't have much to go on. Not that Father would have accepted the invitation, even if it was given."
"Less reminiscing, more thinking."
Luke peered over the level guide, humming. "Logically, she should be on…This one," he pointed to it. "Let's go."
"To our certain death?"
"To Leia." And for her, death was worth it.
…
That had been a tricky bit of maneuvering right there. Xizor had to meet up with some of his heads of security, leaving Leia in the hands of Guri. Enough force with a rather heavy belt buckle sent Guri crashing to the ground, giving Leia just enough time to bolt.
And bolt she did.
Not that she knew where she was going.
She figured her best bet was to simply try and find an emergency exit, and so far, two floors down, she'd yet to find one. She was about to round the corner when a set of voices stopped her. Heart hammering in her chest, she flattened herself to the wall, closed her eyes tightly, and tried to think.
The voices were getting closer.
Wait just a parsec…
She knew that voice.
Without even thinking, she hurled herself around the corner, crying out, "Luke!"
Indeed, the Jedi and his cohort were there, and for a brief instant, Luke froze to the spot in cautious joy. His mind finally registered who it was, and that was all that mattered. "Leia!" There wasn't a moment to lose. He ran, grabbed her, spun her around, and proceeded to cover her face with kisses, pressing her against him and petting her hair anxiously. "I was so worried, you have no idea. Did he do anything to you? I'll kill that slime bag." His worst fears banished, he put her at arms length and shook her fiercely, he beautiful head wobbling back and forth. "Don't you ever do that again!" The brief moment of worried anger past, he held onto her like there was no tomorrow while they jabbered endlessly to calm the other's nerves.
"Yeah, tearful reunion, that's great and all, but may I remind you…Xizor's whole freaking palace is hunting us down!" Lando shouted, shoving and pushing them down the hall. After a brief moment of confusion, they went quite blithely and willingly.
…
"Skywalker?" he'd snarled.
"Who else can it be?"
The brief security cam photo was hazy at best before being shut off by Skywalker's intensely annoying handiness with electronics. Where did that boy get it from? And where did he get the impudence to storm his castle and steal his….
Well, what was Leia to him?
Everything.
His….nameless something that he treasured above all things else just because it wasn't really his, making his grip, for the first time in his long life, very precarious. Quite the wonderful change.
But he did not look foreword to a change in losing.
"I'll kill him," he hissed, his claw like fingers tightening on the desk. "I'll kill him, and then I'll kill his father. I'll kill every blood relative I can find, but I want him thoroughly dead!" The guards scattered under their Prince's fury, frightened out of their wits. "Get out! Get out and find him right now! Guri!" he snapped, and his favorite toy in the world nodded in her attention. "Come with me, we're going down to the level where my electronics are still running. He can't have gotten that far yet."
And I'll make sure he doesn't.
The impudence of that little, bastard pest! Vengeance would be sweet and swift, and he would enjoy every blessed minute of it. And then he'd get his princess back, and make her love him. No matter what it took.
It was all his by right. The strong have the right above all. And there was nobody stronger than he was.
This he was certain of.
To Be Continued….
Lots and lots of stuff going on, so updates are hard. But lots of reviews are a good incentive, hint hint.
Myotismon13: Yeah, I feel kind of bad for him too. And I'm trying to take him off his freakin' god pedestal. He's like the Mary-sue of all villains. It's extremely annoying.
East Coast Ryder: Thank you. Yeah, it is too bad. Maybe some other time….
Stephanie C: It is good, but Xizor is so….unbelievably perfect. He wins. All the time. Everytime. He's rich, women love him, he's smart, etc. It is sooo unbelievably tedious!
xInuyashaxangelx: Aw, thanks, I hate disappointing.
Healing Hands: Thanks, I liked that chapter.
Schnickledooger: Yeah! If you didn't come back soon, I was going to e-mail you. Hope the sideline sheds some light and stuff. Xizor, in all honesty, didn't really do anything, but…..