Yavin IV: Four days later:
Luke slammed his fist down on the table as he spoke, "If you expect me to fly in the attack on the Death Star we have to rescue my mother. I will not fight! I will resign from my post and I will leave what is left of the Jedi Order and my sister will leave with me!" Luke yelled at Ben.
Obi-Wan sighed as he heard his Padawan's outburst. He looked back at Mon Mothma who was observing the scene. She appeared to be unaffected by the young Jedi's outburst. She looked at him with an all knowing look as he looked back at his angry Padawan. He looked at Han and Chewie who stood in the back of the group. He looked back at Mon as he spoke, "Give us a few minutes."
Luke stood up as Han spoke, "Come on kid."
After the group vacated the room Mon spoke, "We need her General. You know that as well as me."
Obi-Wan looked back at Mon as he spoke, "The scope of the mission that you are suggesting is dangerous. The twins are not ready. And only they can defeat Vader and his Emperor. That is still seven years away at least."
Mon shivered as she spoke, "Is one enough?"
Obi-Wan frowned as he spoke, "What are you implying?"
"If one is lost in the mission another would live correct?" Mon asked with a deep sigh.
"Yes," Obi-Wan replied.
"Could One of them stand up to Vader and the Emperor?"
"I believe so with the Force on their side."
"Choose one and go on the mission. Perhaps everyone will make it back. Maybe you won't maybe they won't. All I know is this Alliance will split without Padme's leadership. We need Padme!" Mon finished.
Obi-Wan contemplated her statement for a long moment as he stroked his graying beard. He looked at her and nodded. He stood up as he spoke, " This is very dangerous but you are right. We have no choice. I will do it."
Luke sat with Leia, Han and Chewie inside of the Millennium Falcon.
"So when do we leave to get her?" Luke asked.
"We aren't going anywhere without a feasible plan," Han countered.
"We have to get her," Luke stated.
"Vader knows my ship now. He's seen it. We cannot just fly into wherever he is and expect a warm welcome, especially if he can sense you through the Force stuff," Han added.
Luke sighed as an all too familiar voice spoke, "You will need the knowledge of the man who trained Vader from childhood if you are to succeed."
All eyes turned as Luke spoke, "Obi-Wan."
The old Jedi Master smiled as he spoke, "Mon and I reached an agreement."
Luke raised an eyebrow as Obi-Wan continued, "Only one of you can defeat the Sith. You must realize that. You must also realize the odds and the dangers we are going against."
"There is no denying that," Leia muttered.
"I will lead and plan the mission. But one of you has to stay behind. That way if we fail you can go to another Jedi Master and continue your training for the day that you will overthrow the Sith," Obi-Wan stated.
"So you are saying we cannot both rescue our mother?" Leia asked in anger.
"Take it or leave it. That is our only option," Obi-Wan stated.
Leia sighed as she spoke, "Fine, I'll stay behind."
"So what is your plan?" Luke asked in agitation as he leaned forward.
Ben stroked his beard as he spoke, "I have a contact that informed me that a shuttle craft that is bound for the Death Star will be refueling on Ord Mantel in about ten hours. If we leave now we can get there and get set up to stow away on that vessel before then."
"So we stowaway onto the battle station and rescue her?" Han asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ben nodded as he spoke, "I'm going to take you, Luke and Chewie. Leia will wait in the Falcon in a separate sector. We will also be able to tag the Death Star with a tracking device so that we can know where it is located at all times. We can then anticipate their plans for the battle station. Hopefully we can destroy it before they destroy a planet."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Han stated.
"Before you leave you owe us an explanation," Leia said.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow as Han spoke, "I think the time and place is with your mother and the old man after we get her back from your father not before."
Obi-Wan shivered as he looked at the twins. It was in that moment that it dawned upon him. They knew the truth. Vader had revealed himself to them.
This unfortunate and unexpected turn of events had made his life even more complicated.
Death Star:
Within the Death Star inside of the Main conference room sat various Imperial Officers at the table as they debated over their cups of Caf. Currently General Cassio Tagge was speaking, "Until This battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable the Rebel Alliance is too well equipped they are more dangerous then you realize."
Admiral Conan Motti spoke arrogantly in response, "Dangerous to your Starfleet Commander not to this battle station."
"The Rebellion will continue to gain support in the Imperial Senate..."
"The Imperial Senate is no longer of our concern," interrupted Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin as he entered the room with the dark hooded form of Darth Vader at his side.
"I have just received word that the Council has been dissolved permanently."
Tarkin grimly smiled as he took his place standing at the head of the round table.
Tagge looked at Tarkin with a skeptical look, "That is impossible. How can the Emperor maintain control without democracy?"
Tarkin smiled cruelly as he sat down, "The Regional Governors now have complete control over their systems. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station."
Tagge who was still skeptical spoke once again, "And what of the Rebellion? They have obtained a complete data readout of this battle station and there is a chance though however unlikely that they will find a weakness and exploit it."
Vader smiled, he always found himself impressed with Tagge. Tagge was one of the few men that Tarkin kept in his presence that he actually liked. He liked how the man always spoke his mind. He also liked how the man thought practically instead of arrogantly.
Vader spoke in response, "The plans that you refer to will soon be back in our hands."
Motti then spoke, "Any attack made on this station is a useless gesture. This station is now the ultimate power in the Universe and I suggest that we use it."
Vader sneered, He had never liked Motti and his arrogance and the pathetic ego that was too big for his small brain. He hated the arrogant Admiral far more than he hated just about any politician that he had met.
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror that you have constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."
"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer ways Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that Ancient Religion has not conjured up the stolen Data Tapes or found the location of the Rebel Base or..." Motti's words trailed off as he gasped in horror as the Collar of his uniform began to constrict. Everyone at the table looked at the Dark Lord in horror as Motti struggled to breathe.
Vader glared at Motti with his blazing yellow eyes of anger, "I find your lack of faith disturbing."
Tarkin then spoke, "Enough of this, Vader release him."
"As you wish."
Vader then relinquished his grip on Motti as Tarkin spoke, "This bickering is pointless now Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel Base and we will then crush the Rebellion in one swift stroke."
Padme sat inside of the massive chambers that her husband had confined her within. She was working, she had devised an escape plan. She knew that there were two Imperial Officers who stood guard outside of her quarters. She also knew that her husband was often twenty to thirty floors away from their suites at a time. She had worked furiously to design a crude weapon in her spare time over the last few days. She had taken components of a comlink and fuzed them together with some of the droid parts that her husband had left in his training room from his destroyed practice droids. She had kept the creation hidden directly under her bed. It was a blaster that would fire just one shot. She had her strategy. The two men that guarded her cell were boys in her eyes. She hated the thought that she was going to have to kill them. They were both easily half of her age. They were young enough to be her sons. She had no choice though, she was not doing this to save her own life. She was going to escape to insure the survival and success of the Alliance against the Empire. Her marriage was on the back burners. Did she love being with her husband? Did she love making love with him after being without him for a decade and a half? Yes she did but she had duty. Without Bail the Alliance would be weaker. Mon and Garm wouldn't be able to get along and agree. With such a fragile alliance it would split and the cells would each be eliminated by the almighty boot of the Empire. She was the peacemaker in the High Council. She was the only one who could maintain peace amongst each and every leader. She was the only one who was respected by all of the leaders. She was the only leader that every last member of the Alliance had their trust in who could keep them united.
Mon and Garm didn't trust each other. Admiral Ackbar and Jan Dodonna would sometimes quarrel over strategies in engagements. Obi-Wan often struggled to get along with Dodonna although he was able to get along with Mon and Admiral Gial Ackbar. She sighed as she looked at the sedative that she had obtained from Anakin's fridge. It was a sedative that was used to sedate prisoners. She had loaded it in a syringe and placed it under her pillow. She prepared for what was coming with a deep sigh.
A large dinner was prepared for the two of them. She had prepared it. Everything made it appear as though she was the good submissive wife that he was hoping to transform her into. Unfortunately, he failed to see how willing she was to insure the success of the Alliance. She had no choice but to risk her marriage. Did she want Anakin to be her husband? Yes she did. Did she want their marriage to mend? She wanted nothing more. But she had to think of the well being of the Galaxy and she had to think of her children.
It all seemed to come sooner than later. Anakin was in their quarters. They ate dinner together. He laughed with her for the first time in the week that they had been together. He even went as far as opening a fresh bottle of wine. He drank but failed to notice that she didn't drink. Anakin was oblivious to her intentions when he carried her into their bedroom. For the next two hours they were entwined with one another in a deep satisfying session of lovemaking. It was in this time that Padme slipped her hand under a pillow. Anakin didn't notice as she brought the syringe into his tricep. It instantly injected into his bloodstream as his eyes widened in shock. The shock vanished as he passed out. Padme then acted quickly. She sat up as she obtained the binders that were below the bed. She secured both of his hands to opposing banisters of the bed frame. He would be able to free himself. But it would take time and it would take time for him to wake up. She stood up and hastily dressed as she prepared to escape.
Coruscant:
Emperor Palpatine watched as Sate Pestage entered the room followed by Grand Admiral Thrawn. He looked at the two men as he spoke, "What is it?"
"In the chaos from Director Krennic's blunder and untimely demise and the Rebellion hijacking the plans we have overlooked some potential danger."
Palpatine raised an eyebrow as Thrawn approached him, "You may be familiar with the tales from the Unknown Regions about the Fleet that was engaging the Separatist remanent at the end of the Clone Wars that got decimated when that particular star exploded for no reason and was replaced by an apparent black hole that released massive amounts of debris that flooded into both fleets as they were engaged in a battle."
"Yes I read the report that Captain Piett wrote," Palpatine replied.
Thrawn held up a holoprojector on which Palpatine could see the lining of a large Star Destroyer.
"This is a faint image that was taken by one of our own reconnaissance vessels a few days ago. They were fired upon the moment that they came into visual range with this ship. It is almost identical to the vessel that Firmus Piett wrote about in his reports."
"And it isn't one of ours?"
Sate stepped forward as he spoke, "The origins of this vessel are unknown your Majesty. We have no explanation for it although it appears to be a Star Destroyer."
Palpatine looked at Thrawn as he spoke, "I need you to look into this matter personally Admiral. Lord Vader is with Governor Tarkin they are in the process of locating the Rebel Base before they attack the Death Star. I cannot dispatch him to aid you until the Rebels have been dealt with."
"I understand your Majesty. I wanted your permission to leave my current assignments to look into it myself," Thrawn replied as he bowed.
The blue skinned Chiss stood up as he spoke, "I wish to depart for the Chimaera and the Seventh Fleet immediately."
"Permission granted," Palpatine replied with a wave of his hand.
That is it for now thank you for reading and reviewing.
-Fallen Jedi 79