Ok, for some reason my brother seems to be purchasing Transformer action figures that he likes from E-Bay. He's purchased Backstop, Blurr, Scavenger, several Dino based transformers I haven't heard of and his favorite from Beast Wars, Dino Bot. I think I might do that as well, if only to get some Mini-Con teams I always wanted back in the day, Optimus Prime, Jetfire and Starscream from Armada. Maybe the Energon and Cybertron versions of Optimus and Wing-Saber, the ones I've always wanted to get or had back then.
I'm sure you've also heard that Gilbert Gottfried, the man voice Iago in Aladdin and Kingdom Hearts passed away. He will be missed, by those who knew him and those who loved his work.
Anyway, it's time for the escape from the Death Star and the duel between Master and Apprentice. Be expected for some additional scenes involving Jaune, Ruby, Pyrrha and Galen, scenes that will involve the killing of Stormtroopers.
But first, onto the reviews.
Monster King: Thanks.
54godamora: Well, considering that Tom Kane, the guy who voiced Yularen and Yoda recently retired, I'd figure I would spare the guy as a way of honoring the man who voiced Yoda for many years.
Jack Smith1: Honestly, I'm not really a fan of Warhammer 40k, so I probably won't be checking out that story. Now as for the 501st legion troopers on the Death Star defecting, that's not going to happen, since most of those troopers still have their inhibitor chips inside their heads and are mostly made up of non-Fett clone troopers or those who joined the Empire to serve and protect the galaxy. In other words, a massive defection is unlikely.
Mattysteel: I'll give the idea about project Blackwing some thought.
BlindFaunusGirl: I agree that Trolls are the worst. Telling people they suck; they have no talent and that they should kill themselves or insult one's parents. Thank you for complimenting my capture of Tarkin's character and the reunion of Pyrrha and Jaune.
Spartan-626: Let me tell you that a lot of troopers and Jedi are going to be saddened by the passing of Obi-Wan.
Luffy L Deathwalker: Actually, the Battle for Yavin will be in the next chapter, so you can expect that later.
Mooncake: Haven't heard of Final Space and probably won't watch it. Doesn't seem like it would fit with Star Wars. And yes, I agree that Trolls are the worst kind of people around.
Alright, onto the story.
Songs this chapter, 'Chasm Crossfire' and 'TIE Fighter attack' from A New Hope.
Disclaimers are the same as before, please enjoy.
Chapter 81: A New Hope: Part 5
Having snuck past countless imperial patrols, Obi-Wan finally located the tractor beam controls which hummed over a service trench. Edging himself to the narrow edge of the console, he flipped several switches and levers which controlled the tractor beam. The power level dropped rapidly as he moved around the console, stopping just in time as a patrol of Stormtroopers arrived.
"Secure this area until the alert is canceled." The squad leader ordered his subordinates, several of whom proceeded further down the corridor leaving him and another trooper alone as Obi-Wan snuck around the console.
"Do you know what's going on, sir?"
"It could be another drill, though I haven't heard of any that were scheduled at this time." The squad leader answered truthfully.
"You think it has anything to do with what's going on in the detention area?"
"Probably." The squad leader replied as Obi-Wan waved his hand and created a small disturbance down the hall which distracted the troopers long enough for him to make his escape.
Meanwhile, after finally escaping the trash compactor, Luke, Han, Galen, Pyrrha and Jaune ditched their stormtrooper armor with the exception of their utility belts while Leia and Ruby cleaned themselves off with Galen throwing his blaster into the compactor. "If we can avoid any more female advice, we ought be able to get out of here." Han assured, getting annoyed looks from Ruby and Pyrrha.
"Don't think it's going to be that easy, Solo. The Empire already knows that the crew of the freighter they captured have been causing a commotion and that means it will be a lot more difficult for us to get off this damn station." Galen told the smuggler.
"And how would you know?" Han asked angrily.
"Because I once carved a path through the security of this station to save Leia's father and Rahm Kota two years ago when it was still being constructed." Galen answered.
"Wait, you've been here before?" Pyrrha asked.
"It was a long time ago and I almost died on this station." Galen said before a banging noise echoed from inside the compactor, the tentacle of the same creature popping up and searching for another victim. Chewie growled and ran off in a panic.
"Where are you going?" Han asked the Wookie, only to sigh and aimed his blaster into the compactor.
"No wait! They'll hear!" Leia warned but Han had already fired at the creature, much to her annoyance.
"Now you've done it! Pretty sure that every imperial soldier heard that blast!" Ruby groaned.
Han ignored her and turned to Chewie. "Come here, you big coward." Han snapped.
"Listen." Leia said to the smuggler. "I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do exactly what I tell you. Okay?" Leia.
Han just looked at her, completely stunned before he followed after the princess, followed by the rest of the group. "Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I only take orders from one person! Me!" Han snapped.
"It's a wonder your still alive." She scoffed walking past Chewie. "Will somebody get this walking carpet out of my way."
"No reward is worth this." Han grumbled.
"Hey! Maybe we can focus on the reward after we get out of this place. I'm starting to feel really cold and it's not because we're in space." Ruby shouted.
"It's the dark side of the Force. Vader's on this station, better hope that we don't run into him on this station." Galen explained.
"Galen." Luke said, causing him to turn to the farm boy. "I've heard from a friend of mine that you are known as 'The Demon Lord'. I'm curious, how did you earn that title anyway?"
"On Remnant, the planet that Jaune, Pyrrha and Ruby are from, there's a place called the Round Table. It's an area around the border of two continents where many battles were fought in the past, mostly on land but later in the air. About a year ago, there was an incident involving some hostile creatures and battle droids that, if they made it through the Round Table would have killed a lot of people. I mostly fought on the ground, but when I got into the air, I showed no fear or hesitation and downed forty-eight hostiles, that's how I earned the title of Demon Lord, and it was only my first actual battle." Galen explained.
"You earned that title after only one battle!? You think I'd be as good as you and my father?" Luke asked.
Galen chuckled. "Let me tell you something, Luke. I might have flown as long as you have been in your life, but if you're anything like your father, you'll do fine. Just a friendly piece of advice; there are three types of aces. Those who seek strength, those who live for pride and those who can read the tide of battle. I learned that from the Galm Team." He assured the blonde boy as they arrived at a window overlooking the docking bay where the Falcon was kept.
"There she is." Han smiled.
Luke pulled out his commlink. "C-3PO do you copy?"
"Yes sir." The protocol droid replied.
"Are you safe?" he asked.
"For the moment. We're with Commander Cody and Colonel Yularen in the main hanger, across from the ship." Threepio answered.
"We're right above you stand by." Luke advised the droid.
"You came in that thing?" Leia asked Han, skeptically. "You're braver than I thought."
"Nice. Come on. Let's go." Han simply said before they made a break for it the Falcon. They didn't get very far before down the hall before they ran into a patrol of Stormtroopers.
"It's them! Blast them!" One of the troopers shouted only to be gunned down by Han while the rest of the patrol ran back down the hall with Han following after them, with Chewie.
"Get back to the ship!" Han yelled.
"Where are you going? Come back!" Luke yelled, but Han was already of out sight, as well as his Wookie companion.
"He certainly has courage." Leia commented, a little impressed by Han's actions.
"What good will it do if he get's himself killed?" Luke said rhetorically before he led Leia and the others towards the ship. They didn't get very far before they encountered yet another patrol of Stormtroopers, one of whom were able to blast the door controls, separating Luke and Leia from Ruby, Galen, Jaune and Pyrrha. "Galen!" Luke shouted as the doors closed.
"Don't worry about us! Just get to the ship! We'll catch up!" Galen shouted before the doors closed completely. He then turned around and noticed the patrol that cornered them was comprised of both regular troops, imperial marines and a few Purge Troopers, all of whom readied their weapons and aimed at the four-person squad.
"Drop your weapons and surrender!" the leading trooper instructed.
"I don't think so." Galen retorted and blasted the troopers out of his way with a powerful blast of the force, save for the Purge Troopers whose magnetic tractor boots held them in place. "Let's move!" Galen shouted to the others who followed him as he dashed through the horde of imperial forces.
"After them!" the lead trooper shouted once he got back to his feet, along with the rest of his men.
As this was going on, the group of Imperial Troopers that Han was chasing rounded a corner as the smuggler screamed a war cry as he rounded the corner only to come face to face with about two platoons of Imperial troopers in a different hanger. His war cry turned to a scream of surprise as he doubled backed, firing a shot at one trooper before he ran back into Chewie who looked confused until he saw the troopers chasing his companion.
Chewie let out a roar and fired his stolen heavy blaster and let lose a volley of blaster fire that cut down several troopers as they rounded the corner before he followed after Han who continued to run in the opposite direction he had been going earlier.
At the same time, Luke and Leia had run into a patrol of Stormtroopers, forcing them to take a detour of their own. Luke fired back every so often, nailing a few troopers but more kept coming after them. The two rounded a corner and found themselves standing in front of a massive chasm, that Luke almost nearly fell in. "I think we took a wrong turn." His voice echoed.
The troopers chasing them finally managed to catch up with them as Luke fired back while Leia hit the switch on the wall beside them closing the door but leaving them precariously perched over the short section they were standing on. "There's no lock!" Leia exclaimed.
Luke raised his blaster and fired at the door controls, buying them a little time. "That ought a hold them for a while." Luke said.
"Quick, we got to get across! Find the controls to extend the bridge!" Leia urged.
"Oh, I think I just blasted them." Luke admitted sheepishly.
"They're coming through!" Leia exclaimed.
Luke looked around for a way across when he spotted the pipes above them and remembered his stolen utility belt had a grappling hook. Before he could pull it out, a shot from above them forced the two to take cover.
(Chasm Crossfire starts)
From above them, a couple of Stormtroopers had managed to find them and started to fire at them. Firing a few shots before ducking back behind cover, Luke and the troopers exchanged fire with each other. Luke managed to take down one trooper, who fell down the chasm with a scream while the two remaining troopers fell back.
"Here, hold this." Luke told the princess after he handed her his blaster rifle and began to pull out the grappling hook while Leia continued to exchange fire with the Stormtroopers who returned quickly. This time, Leia managed to take down one of the troopers before she heard the door behind them opening up, their pursuers having found a way to open the door.
"Here they come!" Leia warned. Luke didn't waste any time in throwing the grappling hook around one of the pipes, securing it tightly as the troopers behind them struggled to get the door open. Grabbing Leia in his arms, Luke held her tight before they swung across the chasm after a kiss from Leia which she said was for luck.
The troopers behind them could only watch as the intruders they were chasing ran off towards the hanger.
(End song)
Back with Galen's group, the Demon Lord brought his lightsabers up to counter the energy blade of a Purge Trooper before he threw a lightning infuse container at the droid allowing Ruby to blast it's head off with the shotgun mode of Crescent Rose 2.0 which she managed to smuggle onboard when she disguised herself as an officer. The trooper's head was reduced to scrap-metal while its bolts and screws were used as improvised bullets by the silver-eyed girl and sent towards several Phase Zero Dark Troopers that had only just joined the pursuit. "Uh, do you think Rex and Cody are going to be upset that we killed some of their brothers?" Ruby asked.
"They're not clones anymore! They've had seventy percent of their body replaced by machinery, including some of their organs!" Pyrrha exclaimed, firing her blaster at several imperial troopers that continued to cut off their escape route. Three troopers were taken down by headshots, but more of them kept on coming.
"There's too many of them!" Jaune shouted, firing back with his own blaster rifle before it was blasted out of his hands by a stray shot by a random trooper. With no other option, Jaune pulled out his lightsaber and ignited its blade, redirecting blaster bolts back at the imperial soldiers. "If we don't get past these guys, we won't be making it off this station alive!"
"Then let's carve a path through them!" Galen declared, thrusting his blades into the last Purge trooper before he unleashed some lightning at one trooper, turning them into an electrical grenade that exploded, taking out more troopers. Blaster fire zipped past his head as he weaved and ducked, slicing up Stormtroopers like they were nothing.
He lifted one trooper into the air and threw one of his sabers into the trooper's body, impaling them before the body was hurled towards the other imperial soldiers knocking them down for a moment allowing him to cover the advance of his own allies.
Ruby, Jaune and Pyrrha did so, but the number of imperials continued to increase with each trooper they took down. "Governor Tarkin will reward us for bring him the heads of the Demon Lord and his servants!" one of the officers that had only just arrived shouted.
"They're doing all this for a bounty!?" Ruby shouted.
"A lot of Imperial Officers try to use anything they can to further their career, but this is the first time I heard them going after bounties!" Galen answered.
Suddenly, blue and red blaster bolts from behind the imperials caught them off guard as Stormtroopers were gunned down by Cody and Yularen, who had left the hanger in search of their allies. "Colonel Yularen?" one of the troopers asked before they were gunned down by the colonel himself.
"Let's move!" the colonel shouted to Galen and his group who didn't waste time in arguing with the Clone Wars veterans.
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan hurried along the corridor that led to the hanger when he suddenly stopped. He sensed a familiar and dark presence that he hadn't felt in a long time, not since the volcanic planet of Mustafar. Pulling up his hood and taking his lightsaber into his hands, he continued on his way only to round a corner and came face to face with Vader himself.
The memories of their last encounter soon and the sadness he felt flooded his mind as Vader stood in front of him, his lightsaber ignited and ready for battle. Obi-Wan ignited his own saber and stepped cautiously forward, staring at his former apprentice as Vader did to Obi-Wan.
"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last." Vader declared, walking towards his former master. "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; Now I am the master."
"You're only a master of evil, Darth." Obi-Wan retorted. Vader growled as he lunged forward and raised his lightsaber overhead, but Obi-Wan sidestepped batting Vader's lightsaber away only for Vader to follow up with a vicious swing, forcing Obi-Wan on the defensive.
Blocking the next few strikes, Obi-Wan retaliated with an overhead swing, but Vader countered it and parried the attack, cutting part of the wall in the process before he advanced angrily with fast and furious strikes forcing Obi-Wan back on the defensive, pushing him back before their blades clashed together and Vader towered over him and shoved his lightsaber down. "Your powers are weak, old man." He sneered.
Obi-Wan then shoved both lightsabers upwards, delivering a swift and quick horizontal slash which Vader blocked, followed up by a jab but was batted away by Vader's blade. He then twirled around and pointed his weapon at Vader threateningly as his opponent advanced towards him. "You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you possibly imagine." Obi-Wan declared.
"You should not have come back." Vader stated grimly and with a gesture, used the force to grab a nearby crate and threw it towards his former master. Obi-Wan sliced the crate in half only for Vader to fling more canisters at him, but he cut them apart as well only for some of them to explode and temporarily forced him to cover his eyes while Vader charged through the flames, twirling his lightsaber then slashed upwards. Obi-Wan's blade was batted aside, but the roof was also sliced by Vader as a shower of sparks was emitted.
Flames flickered across Vader's left arm, but the Dark Lord didn't care and continued his relentless assault against his former master with Obi-Wan managing to get in a few strikes that Vader blocked. Their fight took them into another corridor as Obi-Wan stumbled into a narrow hallway, raising his blade to block another strike that forced their blades into the wall and advanced down the hall.
Obi-Wan was able to dislodge the blade and stepped to the side, maneuvering around Vader. Vader swung his lightsaber furiously, cutting through the walls while Obi-Wan deflected his attacks before landing a blow on Vader's shoulder. A surprised groan of pain escaped from Vader before it turned into pure rage.
Starting to slash with a violent fury, he forced Obi-Wan onto the defensive while also grabbing Obi-Wan's hood, smacking his head with his helmet before slugging him across the face before finally hitting him with a backhand strike and throwing him down the hallway with the Force.
Obi-Wan slammed into the wall, loosing his lightsaber in the process while Vader threw his lightsaber towards a dazed Obi-Wan, before the Dark Lord tried to slice his opponents head off, only for the Jedi Master to duck and recall his lightsaber back to him, getting back to his feet as their fight continued further towards the hanger.
The doors to the hanger opened up to reveal Obi-Wan and Vader's duel to the imperial troops that were guarding the Falcon who moved towards the battle with interest, which was noticed by Han, Leia, Chewie, Luke, Galen, Ruby, Cody, Jaune, Yularen, Pyrrha, Artoo and Threepio.
"Now's are chance, go." Han urged when he witnessed the troopers moving from their post. His group made a break for the Falcon, as did Galen's group and the two droids who weren't complaining in the least bit about their break.
They nearly made it into the Falcon when Luke stopped dead in his tracks, as did Cody and Yularen. "Ben/General?" the three asked at the same time.
The exhausted Obi-Wan looked in the direction of his companions and old friends before he glanced back at Vader, the words of their last encounter echoing in his mind. 'You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!'
'I hate you!'
'You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!'
A smirk appeared on Obi-Wans face as he raised his lightsaber in resignation and at peace with himself. This angered Vader who with all his fury swung his crimson blade through his old master whose body seemed to disappear, leaving only his robes and lightsaber behind.
"NO! /GENERAL!" Luke and Cody shouted as their mentor and friend was killed in front of their eyes. Their screams alerted the troopers who were watching the battle to them, and they started to shoot at the group. Luke's grief and despair melted into boiling anger as he started to fire at the Stormtroopers along with Cody.
"Come on!" Han yelled as he fired back from the boarding ramp.
"Come on! Luke, it's too late!" Leia exclaimed, but Luke ignored him.
Jaune however, had his eyes focused on the fallen Jedi's lightsaber and without a moment of hesitation, he reached out and called the lightsaber towards him which Vader only registered after stepping on his old masters' robes in confusion before he turned his gaze to the intruders. "Blast the door kid!" he heard one of the intruders shouted.
Luke glanced at Han and fired at the door controls, destroying them as Vader moved towards the hanger followed by another squad of troopers. "Luke, we need to go, now!" Cody urged, but once more Luke didn't listen at least until he heard a voice.
'Run, Luke, Run' Obi-Wans voice ordered.
Looking around confused, Luke made a run for the Falcon while Cody lobbed a grenade towards the remaining Stormtroopers before the Falcon powered up and escaped into the vastness of space.
Once onboard, Luke took a seat and starred at the middle of the table that Chewie and Artoo played their game on. Both the droids, Yularen, Galen and his allies from Remnant could tell how shaken up he was at Obi-Wan's death, and he wasn't the only one.
Cody had served Kenobi from Christophsis all the way to the end of the war before the Republic and the Jedi were destroyed. Even though he saw that time had caught up to Obi-Wan, he didn't think he would see his friend die in front of his eyes. "I still can't believe he's gone." He heard Luke say as Leia handed him a blanket.
"There was nothing you could have done." Leia told Luke.
"She's right." Cody agreed. "The general… he knew what he was doing. He gave his life so we could escape. He was a great friend." Yularen also agreed with the commander, but before the conversation could continue any further, Han rushed into the holding area.
"Come on, buddy, we're not out of this yet." Han said with a degree of hurriedness before he disappeared up the ladder to one of the falcon's turrets while Luke climbed down to the lower turret while the rest of the group headed for the cockpit.
Once the turrets were powered up, the ship began to shake and rock as four TIE fighters came scream in towards the freighter. "Here they come!" Leia shouted.
(TIE Attack starts)
The four imperial fighters' broke formation and began to fire at the Falcon as Han and Luke fired back at the fighters, but they were much faster than the Falcon. "There coming in too fast!" Luke shouted.
Two of the imperial fighters came in and scored a hit on the ship, causing it to shake once more. "We've lost lateral controls!" Leia exclaimed.
"Don't worry, she'll hold together." Han usured the princess over the commlink.
"Are people always like this with their ships?" Jaune asked annoyed before one fighter was blasted into space dust by Han.
Another fighter was blown up, this time by Luke who shouted excitedly over the com. "I got him! I got him!"
"Great kid! Don't get cocky!" Han shouted.
"There's still two more of them out there!" Leia remined the two as the last of the imperial fighters came in for their attack runs, scoring hits on the Falcon's hull but it wasn't enough to destroy the freighter. Another of the fighters was shot down by Luke while the last one dived in too fast before Han destroyed it.
"That's it! We did it!" Luke cheered before the Falcon finally made the jump to hyperspace.
(End song)
A short while later, Han entered the cockpit full of cockiness as Galen and Leia were talking about their escape. "Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I even amaze myself."
"That doesn't sound too hard. Besides, they let us go. It's the only explanation for ease of our escape." Leia said unimpressed by Han's attitude.
"She's right. Only four ships sent out to take out an escaping fighter. If they wanted to stop us, they would have sent out a dozen fighters, maybe even more." Galen agreed.
"Easy! You call that easy?" Han said somewhat offended.
"They're tracking us." Leia stated.
"Not this ship, sister." Han argued.
Leia decided to ignore him before her expression went back to a thoughtful and relieved one. "At least the information in R2 is intact."
"What's so important? What's he carrying?" Han asked.
"The technical readouts of that battle station. I only hope that when the data is analyzed, a weakness can be found. It's not over yet." Leia explained.
"If I had known that station was such a threat, I would have done more when I rescued your father." Galen said. "I am sorry for your loss, Princess."
Han was annoyed at the last part of the sentence as he spoke next. "It is for me, sister! Look, I ain't in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well paid! I'm in it for the money!" Han declared.
"You needn't worry about your reward. If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive." Leia replied, getting up from her seat as Luke entered the cockpit. "Your friend is quite the mercenary. I wonder if he really cares about anything… or anyone."
She then left the cockpit with Galen right behind her and entered the crew quarters where Yularen was waiting for her. "Princess Leia," the colonel began. "I know that the attempts made by other rebel spies to convince me to defect to your side have been met with less than stellar results, but I assure you that I have chosen willingly to join your cause. I know that my word is not enough for you to believe me, or for the rest of the rebellion to believe, so I have something to prove my words." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out an encrypted code cylinder and handed it the princess. "This code cylinder has the locations of key imperial facilities dedicated to constructing the emperors' warships. Warships, that if completed will decimate your fleet. I only hope, that you make good use of this information." He added.
Leia looked towards the former Imperial Colonel and then to the code cylinder before she spoke. "We may not be able to change what has happened in the past. But we can work towards a better future, a future where freedom to all those oppressed by the Empire has been restored." She said confidently. "I'll talk with the general when we reach the base."
"I thank you." Yularen replied.
Galen then spoke up. "If the Empire's tracking us, we don't have a lot of time before they find the base. We better mobilize the moment we land." He said.
And that concludes this chapter. Yeah, Obi-Wan is dead, like in canon, but Jaune was able to reclaim his final lightsaber. I've got plans for that.
Yularen has officially joined the Rebellion, but as Leia said to Han, it's not over yet.
Only two chapters remain before we return to Remnant. One is the Battle of Yavin itself and the other is something all of you Rogue Squadron players might remember from Rogue Leader.
First off, let's answer a few more reviews.
Silverfox3456: Yes, I am returning to RWBY when I finish A New Hope. Let's not forget, that Salem is still a threat, especially since she has formed an alliance with the Empire, and she has Maul commanding her Droid army. Luke will come to Remnant, sometime in the future.
Sorarocks531: Thanks. I put a lot of work when it comes to dogfights. It's one of my favorite parts in the Star Wars series, unless you count the Episode 8 where the dogfight at the beginning of the movie was really lacking. I mean, the Resistance had those MG-100 Starfortress Heavy Bombers which were all completely destroyed when trying to flee D'Qar because of their slow speed and lack of maneuverability. Now, a Fighter/Bombers like the Y-Wing would have been much better than those tugs, despite the large payload they carry. I'll have to go back and see where I still use Wyvern and replace them with Dagger. And yes, the Battle of Yavin will be much more epic than actual canon.
Until next time, please read and review. Oh, and don't forget to cast your votes on my Poll if you haven't done so already.