Chapter 14: The Trap
Vader was beginning to see just why Cloud City was called Cloud City. For one it was always cloudy on Bespin, the clouds were beautiful and multi colored, ranging from rusty orange to almost scarlet red. Two it seemed like kind of a fun joke to call it Cloud City since you really could not see anymore than two feet ahead of you when flying, very well hidden.
Vader fought with the yoke of his Lambda class shuttle to get it either on a straight course or out of these stupid clouds. Behind him, sticking close was a convoy of Imperial troop transports, ten in all. They were long, white, and bulky. They had one wing sticking out of the top, and two the folded down much like a Lambda class shuttle. All those ten held the five hundred and first legion of storm troopers, surviving all the way back from the Clone Wars, and nicknamed Vader's Fist. For good reason to, never had the five hundred and first legion been defeated and always was it commanded by Vader. The troops themselves shared some of the same memories he did. For example; the great purge of the Jedi, it was the five oh first Vader led through the temple.
Finally Vader's shuttle broke free from the cloud they were in and came into somewhat a hole of an even larger cloud. In the middle of that hole floated a huge city. It was circular at the top and flowed down like a fat needle until it came to a point. The transports broke the clouds behind him and headed for it as well. Flying over the top buildings could be seen with different types of speeders combing through alleyways. Vader flew over them and headed for the tall administration building. It had what looked like a gaping hole in its side, but it was a hanger, big enough to accommodate Vader's shuttle plus the ten transports and more.
He brought it through the hole. The hanger was nothing special, it had orange walls like the buildings outside and a black durasteel floor. The shuttle folded its wings and touched down. Vader lowered the boarding ramp and stepped down it with Padmé and General Veers. Once out the door to the hanger burst wide open and Lando Calrissian strode through it. He had a very cocky stride but turned nervous as the transports lowered their ramps and storm troopers filed out and exited the hanger. He walked up to Vader and bowed.
"Welcome Lord Vader, to this humble city."
"Spare me the pleasantries Calrissian. Both you and I have a burning hate for one another and we both know it, so shut up and tell me the information I need."
"What exact information do you need?"
"Do you have a very big room here, suitable for lightsaber dueling, perhaps a carbon freezing chamber? The Emperor wants the Jedi captured so why not freeze them in carbonite?"
Lando began to lead Vader out of the hanger and Padmé followed.
"We do actually but we only use it for carbon freezing, if you put the Jedi in there it could kill them."
"Dead Jedi do not concern me very much, so long as they are brought to the Emperor and encased in something. And I'll cut a deal with you Calrissian. Let me take care of the Jedi and we will leave you here with your illegal mining and you can keep Solo and his wookie."
"Alright, we have a deal. Now if you would please follow me to the chamber."
"See to it Calrissian that if anyone asks you where I am you alert them. They should be the Jedi. I have a trap planned."
XxX
The carbon freezing chamber was quite large. It was basically a circular platform in the middle of a black room. It had a grated floor with orange lights glowing eerily under it. In the middle of the circle was a pit the lowered down to freeze whatever was in it in carbonite. There was a small staircase behind the pit which led up to a platform bordering the room. That is where Vader and Padmé stood.
"What is your grand trap Lord Vader?" Padmé asked. Vader was sitting down, legs crossed in meditation form. He did not open his eyes or look up to her but answered.
"The plan is that the Jedi will sense our presence and come, which I know they will. Then we duel and disarm them or kill them and freeze them in carbonite."
"Nice plan, but what if they can't sense us?"
"That is why I am meditating and casting my presence in the Force. You should do the same."
"Alright."
Padmé sat down next to her master in meditation posture. She closed her eyes and tapped into the Force, then began to broadcast her presence. But strangely something else happened. A presence approached her in the Force and she slipped into a vision.
She was in a dark room, with no light, everything was black. There was no way out, she tried to walk but found her feet frozen in place. There was nothingness and she couldn't escape it. Or the creeping blackness. This room seemed to be fear itself, but she did not give in, she waited. Ahead of her a light shown down onto the black floor making it appear gray. Someone stepped into the light, an old woman, hooded and cloaked in Sith robes. She had seen her before somewhere but she could not quite pinpoint where.
"Hello young Sith." She said in a smooth voice. "You do not remember me but I am here to guide you. Know this; today is the turning point for you and your Sith master. Today everything will change. It is for the best so be mindful and let the Force flow through the changes. Deny none, let them change."
"Exactly who are you?"
"Does it matter? Of course it does, my name is merely Darth Traya. We have met before though you do not remember, nor will you remember this."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is for you to know."
"How can I know if I do not remember."
"You will know, just not consciously, for what does a Sith know? They know what I allow them to."
"No more cryptic words old woman. Tell me what I need to know."
"Haven't I? No, not enough for you is it? Well then know this; I will make my presence known in time. But you shall not remember me, when the Empire falls and the Jedi twins are born I will be able to strike, and kill."
"Kill what? Strike who… Jedi twins?"
"Kill the Force."
"Why?"
"Because I hate the Force. I hate that it has a will and that it causes unnecessary deaths simply because it can. The galaxy will be better off without the Force."
"Aren't you a Sith? Why do you use the Force if you hate it?"
"If your mother was killed by poison and the only way you could avenge her was to kill the one who killed her with poison would you not do it?"
"I guess I would."
"The Force kills everyone, I hate it, so I will use it when necessary to cause its death."
"I am not sure I get it."
"Then be silent and go."
And suddenly Padmé's eyes popped open, Vader's as well and both master and apprentice stood up. Two Jedi had entered the freezing chamber, a tall man with long graying hair and a short green alien. Qui-gon Jinn and Yoda. Vader smiled down on them.
"So you have fell for our trap, my old master."
"Traps work both ways Lord Vader." Qui-gon said. "Perhaps you remember."
"Actually no, but enough of this talk. Let me be first to welcome you both to the site of your deaths or capture. You have two choices, surrender now and do not risk the chance of dying, or fight and risk the chance."
"The second one I choose." Yoda said. "But die we will not."
"So be it."
