The flight deck was deserted. No white suited ground crew tinkering with the ships, no pilots standing around in gossipy groups. Obviously things were happening.
I climbed out of my X-Wing, took off my helmet and looked around. There had to be a Deck Officer on duty at least - somewhere, right behind me as it turned out.
"'Bout time you showed up." It was Denay. We'd met four years ago on Yavin when I was a wet behind the ears pilot and she a very junior ground officer. We'd both come up in the world since.
"I was begining to get worried." she continued. "Princess Leia said you'd just be a few hours behind them."
"I had to stop over on Panna." I explained. "And ran into Master Jinn."
"Ahhhh." her eyebrows arched. "And did he happen to have that pretty little lady Jedi with him?"
I was not blushing. "No, he did not."
"Too bad."
I hastily changed the subject. "Where is everybody?"
"Big briefing in the War Room. You better get a move on, you're supposed to be there."
I started for the door - and was stopped in my tracks by a long, loud squeal of electronic protest.
"Sorry, Artoo." I reached out with the Force lifting him from his socket behind the cockpit and lowering him gently to the deck, bleeping and hooting complaints the whole time. Artoo hates being levitated but hates missing out on the action more.
It wasn't until I turned back to Denay and saw the dropped jaw that I realized what I'd done. Then I did blush. "There haven't been any droid lifts where we've been." I explained awkwardly. "I kind of got into the habit of doing it myself." I was beginning to take my Jedi powers for granted, was that good or bad?
"Pretty handy." she managed, "I don't suppose you could teach me to do that?"
"Probably not." Denay, like many Rebels, was a bit stronger in the Force than most but nowhere near Jedi level.
I arrived outside the War Room just in time to hear General Madine say, "General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"
Naw, it couldn't be.
But it was. "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."
A roar from Chewy: "What am I, Banta Poodoo?"
"It's going to be rough, pal." Han apologized. "I didn't want to speak for you."
"You think I'm going to let you go off and get yourself killed without me? What are partners for?"
Han laughed. "That's one!"
Leia's voice, both pleased and proud. "Uh, me in."
A cue if ever I heard one. I stepped through the open door. "I'm with you too!" And was greeted by a wave of excitement and relief. Even Mon
Mothma and the Admiral seemed reassured by the presence of a lone Jedi. It was frightening... the responsibility.
Leia - my sister - flung herself into my arms then pulled back, smile fading into a little frown. "What is it?"
I was tempted to tell her, but the middle of a crowd wasn't the place to go into a lot of complicated - and painful - family history. "Ask me again sometime."
"Luke." Han was sensing things too, I could tell, and wasn't sure what to make of them. Which made us even. I didn't quite know what to make of him either.
"Hi Han....Chewy." I grinned at Lando. "General Calrissian, somehow that doesn't surprise me. But General Solo sure did! what got into you, Han?"
He shrugged, embarrassed. "I guess all this heroism is contagious."
I smiled at the excuse. I'd known, and Ben had known, almost from the beginning that Han was a much better man than he gave himself credit for being. I wondered how long it was going to take him to admit it to himself.
"I wish you'd pack a blaster as well as that antique of yours." Han complained as we entered the flight deck side by side. It sure wasn't
deserted now, flight crews, pilots and droids were everywhere and the noise and confusion were formidable.
"A blaster would just get in my way." I answered. "You know it would." On the leg back from Panna I'd suddenly realized who - or rather what - Han had to be: Hundreds of children had lived in the Old Temple, training to become Jedi. Master had told me how the few surviving knights had rescued them from the Emperor and hid them in the Outer Rim Territories. And Han was just the right age to have been one of those children.
"I don't know what you're talking about, kid." he blustered.
"Yes you do." We'd both been hidden away by the Jedi to protect us. The difference was Han had always known he was hiding and I hadn't, not until four years ago. I stopped him and made him look at me. "You gave yourself away on Tatooine." That shook him, I could see it - and feel it too. "It's all right, Han, you can trust me. I'm a Jedi too."
"I - of course I trust you, Luke." he faltered, then took a deep breath. "I don't want to get into this now."
He was right. This wasn't the time. I nodded. "Later then." I thought of Leia. "We'll have a long talk once this is over." All three of us.
"Sure, whatever you say, kid." Han's relief was palpable, even without the Force. "Look, I gotta have a word with Lando, see you at the shuttle."
The strike team was loading their equipment. And Wedge was waiting for me at the foot of the ramp. "I sure wish you were the one leading this mission."
"Don't worry," I assured him. "I've seen Lando fly. He's well up to Rogue standards."
"Yeah, but it was you who blew the first Death Star." he said.
"I couldn't have done it if you and Biggs hadn't bought me the time." I reminded him. "You don't need me as a luck piece, Wedge."
He sighed. "It's just....I've got a bad feeling about this mission."
"So do I." I heard myself agree. Way to go, Skywalker, that'll really pick up morale.
It sure wasn't what Wedge wanted to hear. "Damn. I hoped it was just me, nerves."
"Maybe we both have nerves." he looked at me in astonishment and I
gave him a shrug and a smile. "Jedi aren't made of stone you know."
I watched him assimilate that and realize maybe I hadn't changed as much as he'd thought. "You watch yourself down there, Boss."
"I will. May the Force be with you." and with us all.
Han came into the cockpit just as Chewy and I finished bringing up the flight systems. The strike team leader had given me a camouflage poncho to go over my black suit. One of these days I was going to have to see about getting some proper Jedi robes. But Chani'd said you were supposed to make them yourself and I didn't sew.
"You got her warmed?" Han asked.
"Yeah, she's coming up." She was a nice little ship - for all she was Imperial make.
Chewy would have agreed only with the little. "Everything's too small!" he complained to his partner. "I bump my head on that overhead display one more time it's coming out the hard way!"
"I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewy." That was a safe bet. Han settled into the pilot's seat and fell into a brown study looking out the port at the Falcon.
Leia came in from the hold. Even camouflage looks good on my little sister. She put a hand on Han's shoulder startling him. "Hey, are you awake?"
"Yeah." he glanced up at her than back at the Falcon. "I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not going to see her again."
"What?" Chewy barked, looking in alarm from his partner to their ship.
I hoped Han's feeling was wrong. It would just about break both their hearts to lose the Falcon.
"Come on, General," Leia said softly, sympathetic but firmly calling him back to the job at hand. "let's move."
Once again I sensed Han changing focus, Jedi fashion, putting aside fears and anxieties to concentrate on the moment. "Right. Chewy, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?"
I took my seat behind Chewy. "All set."
Behind me I heard Threepio tell Artoo, "Here we go again."
We came out of hyper just light minutes away from Endor's Green Moon. Space was swarming with TIEs, Destroyers, support ships and a gigantic command ship. I guess I should have expected that. This was after all a trap and here I was walking, or rather flying, right into it.
Like Raj said: 'You don't have to be crazy to be a Jedi, but it helps.'
"If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewy." Han warned.
"You can say that again!"
The radio acknowledged our presence and requested identification.
"Shuttle Tydirium," Han responded, "requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."
A pause, then; "Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage."
Han: "Transmission commencing."
"Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid." Leia said grimly.
"It'll work." Han assured her, "It'll work." but there was no conviction in his voice.
He was uneasy too, I could feel it. And as the Super Star Destroyer got closer I felt something else; a familiar dark presence with a buried spark of light, my father. "Vader's on that ship."
"Now don't get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships." Han had to know how unlikely it was to sense, much less identify, another's
Force presence at such long range - but he also had to be picking up, second hand, some of what I was feeling. "Keep your distance though, Chewy, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."
"And exactly how am I supposed to do that?"
"I don't know. Fly casual."
"Fly casual?"
I'd known Father would be here but I sure hadn't expected to sense him so strongly, or at such a distance. Our shared blood and those moments in rapport off Bespin had created a much more powerful bond than I'd expected. And if I could sense him, then he must be able to sense me...
"Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"
Questions. Not a good sign. "Parts and technical crew for the forest moon." Han replied, his official, slightly bored toned belied by the tension on his face.
How could I have been so stupid? "I'm endangering the mission, I shouldn't have come."
"It's your imagination, kid." Han said desperately, knowing it wasn't. "Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here."
I tried to think. Whatever happened Leia must not fall into Father's hands, she was our last hope.
"They're not going for it, Chewy." Han began, finally facing facts - and the radio crackled to life.
"Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."
"Okay! I told you it was gonna work." Han beamed. "No problem."
Big problem. What was Father up to? He knew I was on this ship and would be on the Moon. He must intend to confront me there, away from the Emperor. Good, if I could talk to him alone, away from his Master's influence....but my presence was still a danger to Han, Leia and the mission. I'd have to get well clear of them as soon as possible.
