Legacy of the Sith
Chapter 21: Traitors Abound
Vader's moment of reflecting over the dead body of Palpatine, Darth Sidious, came to abrupt end as Helkin threw the chamber doors open. "So! Just as I thought. I knew you'd be the one to actually have the gall to end it for him..."
"If I had not, then his disease would have. Why didn't anyone tell me about his condition? I would have come straight back here!" Vader said harshly.
"Our late Emperor expressly forbade me to tell anyone, especially you, about his illness. I have never understood his reasoning, but I did not trouble him with questions!" Helkin's eyes darted to Palpatine's corpse. "He fought desperately for each day. He wanted to call you, but refused to do so, going on about some sort of thing or other that you were doing. So, you say you weren't with those useless monks? What were you doing?"
Vader shook his head. "If Palpatine didn't trust you with the information, than why should I? I don't owe you any explanations."
"Never mind then! There are some things that need to be done, now that you've put him out of his misery..." Helkin answered with a clipped tone. Normally Vader would not tolerate that kind of talk from a creepy old servant of Palpatine's. But his late master did say that Helkin would prove useful to him. The old manservant had been with Palpatine since he was sent to Coruscant to serve as Senator of Naboo all those years ago. "I will make sure that our late Emperor's final wishes are carried out, you can be certain of that, my lord Emperor," Helkin answered then bowed out of the room.
My Lord Emperor! It was really true! Anakin Skywalker, who was once so poor he didn't even own himself, was now the Emperor! Vader saw the opened compartment that he had always known hid Darth Sidious' lightsaber. He peered more carefully into it and saw that there was a small safe set further in. Vader reached in, and using the Force, opened it. Inside was a tiny hard drive.
"Files that I'm going to need, no doubt," Vader muttered softly. A sudden chill came over him. He was in danger, though he could not see an immediate threat. The Dark Side guided Vader out, reaching out, seeking, and finding, a traitor...
Grand Admiral Thrawn got a message that a transmission from Coruscant had reached him. Could it be the Emperor at last? He turned on the link; a hologram of a gaunt, strange looking little man appeared before him. "I am Helkin, our late Emperor's manservant. There isn't much time. I know that you have been entrusted to a certain project that our late Emperor cared a great deal for, and wished to see to it's completion. But Darth Vader has ended his life, and shall surely end mine as soon as he knows you've been told about his treachery..."
"Late Emperor? What is this?" Thrawn gasped. "Emperor Palpatine has been assassinated?"
"My late master knew that Vader might turn on him like this, and instructed me to warn you immediately of his death, and that your orders are to protect the project...urgh!" Thrawn watched, transfixed, as the weird little man's eyes popped open, then rolled back. His image fell away, and was replaced by Darth Vader's. Thrawn saw the lightsaber in one hand, and he held a small portable hard drive in his other.
"Do you know what this means, Admiral? It means that I am now the Emperor. And your orders are to evacuate the Death Star. I want every person off that station so that when the rest of the Imperial Fleet arrives, no one needs to get hurt."
"Traitor!" Thrawn gasped, shutting off the comlink. His heart was pounding, and he knew this was what he'd been suspecting could happen. "I need a status report immediately," he barked over the comlink again, to Technical.
A tinny voice came over the comlink. "We have one more shipment shuttle coming in from dirtside any minute, Admiral."
"Fine, as soon as they get on board, make sure no more ships enter or leave the Endor system without my express permission," Thrawn told them.
"Yes sir!" Thrawn knew that he now had his sign that he'd been looking for. Vader wasn't nearly so subtle as Thrawn would have been, had the situation been turned around. Palpatine, the Galactic Emperor, was dead! Vader had that little hard drive though. He could legally order the Imperial Fleet to turn on the Death Star! Not to mention the Rebel Alliance looming in the background.
His only defense would be the Death Star's formidable laser. And he will not hesitate to use it on anyone in his way. No one, least of all Darth Vader, was going to destroy this station without a fight...
Princess Leia and Chewbacca led the thin line of rebel soldiers through the endless forest of the moon of Endor. She wanted them to be ready for Han's arrival, and then Luke's with the other Jedi. Her heart fluttered; Obi-Wan would be with them. All these long months, his absence made Leia's emotions a tempest. She found herself thinking back on that night on Tattoine, concentrating on that kiss, just to get her through each day. But the guilt she felt was poisoning that memory. She'd have to keep her distance from the Jedi master when he finally lands. Leia didn't want Chewie to notice.
But Chewbacca surely knew something was wrong. He'd told Leia (now that she was getting a better idea of what he says when he speaks) that Han leaving him behind again was a very bad sign. She couldn't help but agree. Where had he gone off to? Surely not to pay Jabba back! She'd even checked that improbable option before leaving for Endor, but no. Han Solo had left with the Falcon in the middle of the night, giving everyone the slip, for reasons unknown. And until yesterday, no one had any idea of where he was. But Leia got a message that Han reappeared at the Rebel Alliance Fleet. Now, he was bringing a stolen Imperial Shuttle to Endor, with a very dangerous mission planned. The more Leia thought about it, the more distraught she became.
There was the possibility that everyone she loved could die very soon, and as she glared up at the Death Star in orbit over her head, she cursed it. First, she lost her homeworld, and her adoptive family, to the previous one. Now, she could lose her brother, and the men she loved, to this one!
And Han still didn't know about her true relationship to Luke, or to Darth Vader! No, this was going to be a very rough day...
Obi-Wan scouted ahead, then signalled to his fellow Jedi that all was clear. Luke carried Master Yoda on his back, as he'd done on Dagobah during his training days. "It sure was a good thing you learned that ship-cloaking trick during the Clone Wars, Master Yoda!" Luke said.
"Helped me escape from Kashyyyk after Order 66 was given, it did. Simple trick, but takes much strength in the Force, it does. Noticed something with the Force, I have."
"What's that?" Luke asked.
"More powerful than before, I have become," Yoda told him. This made Obi-Wan stop in his tracks.
"Now I thought that effect was only because of Vader's tinkering with the natural order of things by bringing me back. But you haven't been brought back from the dead!"
"Wasn't my father supposed to balance the Force, or something like that? Maybe he did it," Luke said. Both Obi-Wan and Yoda glared at him. "Well, wasn't he? I thought I had felt a disturbance in the Force, a little while ago."
"Felt it too, I did," Yoda admitted.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan's eyes sharpened. "Someone is coming!" he whispered.
"Oh, wait, it's..." Luke began.
"...Leia!" Obi-Wan finished, even as Luke dashed ahead. Obi-Wan wanted to follow, but he restrained himself. After all, he still wasn't positive that what happened at the cave was real. The only way he'd know was when that Sith Han Solo arrived.
"Dark thoughts linger in your mind, I see. Clear them away, you must, or suffer for it, the galaxy will," Yoda warned. Obi-Wan grit his teeth and remained silent. Yoda must suspect something is amiss, Obi-Wan thought uncomfortably. How did Anakin keep his love for Padmé secret so long, when I cannot keep my love for Leia quiet nearly as well?
Luke hugged Leia and laughed with her. Obi-Wan shuffled around and turned his head away. Just seeing her again made him nearly mad with anguish. "Leia, come here! There's someone I want you to meet!" The twins scurried back to Yoda and Obi-Wan. And for one second, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of Leia's deep dark eyes, saw things in them that would take years to tell, even in the one instant, then, she glanced back down at Yoda. "Master Yoda, this is Leia," Luke announced.
"Hm! Big, you have become! When last I saw you, smaller than me, you were!" Yoda teased in his venerable way. The words were like a lightsaber lodged into Obi-Wan's heart. Sure, the last time Yoda saw Leia, she was a tiny baby, crying in Obi-Wan's arms!
Fortunately for Obi-Wan, Yoda was distracted by Leia's companion. "Hey, Chewie? Remember Yoda?" Luke asked, cheerfully oblivious to Obi-Wan's or Leia's discomfort. Chewbacca roared happily at finally meeting Yoda again after all those years.
Han was nervous. Darth Vader had just contacted him, with perhaps the most important news he'd ever hear; that Palpatine was dead. That must have been what cause that disturbance before. He bet Luke had felt it too. And Kenobi too. This was going to be the first time he was in front of any certified Force Sensitives since that fight in the cave on Dagobah, and Vader assured him that the Sith trick would work like a charm. Han hoped so; he wasn't really ready to tell everyone he was Vader's Sith apprentice, and he wanted to knock the wind out of Kenobi's sails, should the Jedi Master wish to go blabbing about his experience in the cave. After all, what would Leia think of him? And Chewie? And Luke? Well, it wasn't like Obi-Wan was helpless, but still, Han was a Sith apprentice and everyone who knows about Sith knows that fight dirty and with revenge in mind...
But for now, first thing's first. Han began his approach to Endor. Over the transmittor, he heard "Shuttle Tyberium, please transmit your access code..."
It was Chewbacca who sensed it first. Then Luke's eyes widened. And then, Leia looked up from her talk with Yoda. "Han!"
And even though Han's broad smile was for all of them, he'd been hoping that Leia would reach him first, but instead it was Chewie, who nearly lifted him off the ground in his enthusiasm. "Hey, buddy, I'm sorry I left ya so long, honest. Won't happen again, I'm hopin' anyway," Han said, trying to hold himself up between Chewie's Wookiee arms and a vague poking with the Force that Han had been expecting since he arrived. Kenobi was searching for signs of Han's Force sensitivity; Vader had warned Han that he could expect that sort of treatment, even though it was considered rude by the old Jedi Order to do things like that.
When Chewie finally let go, Han was able to scoop Leia into his arms. He could, for the first time, sense the ripple of the Force through her, and Han almost let his shield down from the sensation of it. There was a new sort of closeness that he felt to her, now that he understood the Force better. Savoring the moment, he looked into Leia's eyes, and she said, "I missed you so much!"
"It's all for you Leia, you know that," he murmured, and she smiled, even though she didn't quite understand his cryptic statement. Dimly, Han could hear Chewie in the background, and Luke approaching, but his eyes were still on the princess. At least, until he caught the cold look coming from Kenobi's eyes. Yeah, no doubt you're pretty pissed off right about now, Master Jedi, Han thought, but that's just too bad, isn't it?
Finally, when he could bear to let Leia go, Han eyed Luke. For the first time, Han realized what all the fuss about Luke was, since he now knew how to sense the Force. The rippling sensation was similar to Leia's, but because of extensive training, Luke's Force signature was much more defined. It was like a loud bell gong that reverberates over and over. Imagine if Luke had ever learned how to hide that signature, like I've learned to hide mine, Han mused. "So, Kid, what's the story?" Han asked.
"I'm a Jedi Knight," Luke told him with a broad smile.
"Confirmed...certified? Really?" Han asked.
"Tested and conferred," Luke answered proudly. Chewie pulled Han over to Yoda. "Oh, yeah! Master Yoda, this is Han Solo. Han, this is Jedi Master Yoda."
Han had to blink several times; there was no way this creature less than a meter tall could instill such awe in Darth Vader of all people. The Jedi Master's dark green eyes seemed to be searching, and Han knew his gig might soon be up if he was around this Yoda fellow too long. There was no scamming this one! Finally, Han stammered, "Look, I'm sorry if I might seem a little surprised. I mean, Chewie had told me you were short, but I didn't pay much attention to that, seeing as how everybody's short to Chewie."
"Han!" Luke gasped.
"Yeah I know, leave it to me to make an ass out of myself in front of a, what is it, nine-hundred year old Jedi Master? But I bet you didn't know he was a Jedi Master when you first saw him, did you?" Han shot back at Luke, who began to pout a bit and grow red in the face. Through the Force, Han could sense the tremor of irritation from Luke. Little did the kid know how similar it was to his father's...
At least Yoda had a sense of humor about it. "Know young Jedi Skywalker well, you seem to."
"He means well," Han sighed, "but he gets a lot of stupid ideas into his head." Sensing Luke was about to say something in his own defense, Han added quickly, "Not to worry, because I've come up with perhaps the stupidest plan in recent memory, but it's our only way."
"I don't like the sound of this," Leia frowned.
"We've gotta smuggle some people onto the Death Star, a very small party, to deactivate the laser on that thing. I've got really recent intelligence that it's active. And I know the Rebel Fleet will not be able to face that thing with it active. I've gotta fly the shuttle in. We have room for one, maybe two more people aboard."
"What about if the Rebel Fleet gets here first? Once the force sheild generator is deactivated, Lando is going to be leading Rogue Squadron in there to destroy it!" Leia protested.
"Well, then we're going to have to time things real precisely, aren't we?" Han answered.
"Indeed. And we must make certain it cannot be reactivated again, or our trip up there will have been a waste of time," Obi-Wan pointed out.
At once Chewie roared that he was going, no matter what Han tried to do to talk him out of it. And then, Yoda said, "Go with you, I will. Take up little room, I do, heh, heh."
"True enough. Alright fine, we can cram one more of you on the shuttle, Maybe it had better be you, Kenobi," Han began.
"What about me? I can go!" Leia began to say.
Virtually everyone else was aghast at the suggestion. "No!" all three humans said instantly, and though Yoda didn't say much of anything, the way he sighed and dragged the end of his walking stick in the dirt said more than anything else. "Leia, the Rebellion needs you; you're one of the main leaders! You know you can't go on this mission!" Luke reminded her.
"Oh, so I'm supposed to just stand here while one more of you goes off on a suicide mission!" Leia cried.
"Leia, Captain Solo is right; I should go with them. Luke can stay here and lead the attack with you on the power station," Obi-Wan told her.
Leia was about to protest, but Luke beat her to it. "No! I need to go. If you go with Master Yoda, then there will be no original Jedi left if the worst happens. I can't do this alone, I can't restore the Order alone! But if you had to, you could..."
"Absolutely not! I'm going with them, and that's the end of it," Obi-Wan asserted.
"Kid, don't do this; we don't have the time. Shuttle Tyberium is expected on the Death Star very soon. Thrawn's in a hurry, apparently. He must smell the attack comin'."
With a strange assurance that Han had never seen in Luke before, he said, "This will only take a moment, Han. Master Obi-Wan, you and I will put down our lightsabers, and Han will pick one. Whoever's he picks will be going with him."
"Of all the ridiculous, half-assed ideas!" Obi-Wan exploded.
"Your lightsaber, please!" Luke asked, holding his hand out. When Obi-Wan looked like he was going to refuse, Luke added, very softly, "I could Compel you to do it, but I'd rather not do that in front of Master Yoda. Don't look so surprised; if there's one thing I've learned from everyone is that it's the one holding all the cards that gets to make the rules."
Whether it was to save face, or whether he thought for certain that Han would pick his lightsaber, would be Obi-Wan's own knowledge. With a huff, he slapped his lightsaber into Luke's hand. With a nod, he went back to Leia and Han. "Now, Han, you'll have to pick one without looking. Like drawing straws."
"Kenobi's right, this is stupid!" Han groaned as he turned his back on Luke.
Luke turned the lightsabers around several times, then placed them on the ground. "Han come down here and pick one. Hurry," Luke instructed him.
With a stifled groan, Han stooped down and reached behind him. Oh, please let the lightsaber he just touched be Kenobi's! But with the satisfied tone coming from Luke as he said, "There! Fair and square!" Han knew he'd blown it.
"Leia, I'm sorry!" Han said sadly.
"It's not your fault, Han. Please, keep Luke safe," she asked him. Han stood back up, hugged Leia's trembling form close.
"We'll be fine, Leia, don't worry!" Luke told her, but that didn't look like it comforted her much as she left Han's arms to cling to Luke.
"I can't lose any of you to that thing like I did my homeworld!" Leia sobbed.
"Leia! The Force is with us! The first Death Star didn't claim my life or Han's, and this one won't either! We just have to make sure it can't claim any more planets like it did Alderaan! May the Force be with you! I love you," Luke told her as he gently pushed her back.
Han kept his eye on Leia and that snake Kenobi as long as he could, regretting the situation most bitterly as he led Luke, Yoda and Chewie to the waiting shuttle.