Chapter 2 - Journey to Endor
DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P
Author's Note: I couldn't log onto yesterday... and then I lost internet so you get this today instead. Lol. Enjoy! :D
~ Amina Gila
Luke and Yoda arrive back at the Rebel fleet just in time for the meeting that's being held. Having absolutely no interest in drawing the attention of everyone in the room to the child, Luke stays to the side near the door, planning to silently listen for now, while keeping Yoda mostly covered with his robe. Hopefully, no one will have any questions about it.
Mon Mothma begins to give her speech about their plans for the destruction of the second Death Star, and the decision is quickly reached that Lando will be leading the attack. Admiral Ackbar and General Madine soon give their input, informing everyone that someone must lead a team of Rebels down to the moon of Endor on a stolen Imperial ship to deactivate the shield for the Death Star.
"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?" General Madine questions suddenly, his eyes turning to Han. Luke starts in surprise. Han is going to lead this? He would never in his wildest dreams have expected that.
"Impressed, I am," Yoda remarks, seeming to have no consideration whatsoever to Luke's uncertainty with how to explain the situation to the Rebellion.
"Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle," responds Han. Luke turns and begins pushing his way through the crowd towards his friends. He's definitely coming. The only question is who he's going to leave Yoda with while they're gone, but that can be answered later once the people who are coming has been decided.
Chewie raises a paw, volunteering to join Han's team.
"Well, it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you," Han says. Chewbacca growls a reply.
"That's one," Han smiles.
"Uh, General… count me in," adds Leia.
"I'm with you, too!" Luke calls, hurrying over to them.
"Coming, I am," decides Yoda. Wait, what? No, just no. He is absolutely not taking someone this childish – no matter how much skill he may have with the Force – on a mission like this. And now is not the time for that argument either!
"Shhh," he chides, unwilling to get the attention of the entire Rebel Alliance on this strange, new… development. They'd probably think he's completely insane – or joking – and never believe a word. Yoda giggles about nothing apparent. Hopefully, he's not reading Luke's thoughts. Come to think of it, has he been doing that this whole time?
As the crowd begins to disperse, signaling the end of the meeting, Leia steps over to Luke, and they embrace. He can't help but remember what he found out about her. He needs to tell her everything at some point, but not quite yet. Artoo, who had been following Luke, rolls over to Threepio as Han and Chewie come to join Leia.
"Luke!" exclaims Han.
"Hi, Han… Chewie," he greets them, and then, Yoda promptly shifts his position, pushing away the part of the robe that was covering his face.
"What – what… is… that?" exclaims Leia, her eyes widening in shock at sight of the small green creature Luke is carrying.
"Uh –" he tries to figure out where he should even begin explaining the situation to them.
"It's a baby!" exclaims Threepio in shock.
Chewie sniffs. "It's Yoda!" he gasps in surprise, leaving Luke wondering since when the Wookie knew the Jedi Master.
"As a baby?" demands Han incredulously.
"He'll grow!" offers Artoo brightly.
"Maybe in eight hundred fifty years from now," grumbles Luke.
"Luke, what's going on?" frowns Leia in confusion.
"When I went to see Yoda… somehow he… seems to have age regressed."
"What?" hisses Leia "That's impossible!" And this is why Luke didn't want anyone to find out. They'll only react with skepticism.
"It's true," insists the Wookie, though clearly equally confused.
"Yoda I am!" declares the child, suddenly leaping out of Luke's arms and landing right in the Wookie's arms. "Missed you, I have, Granddaddy!"
Chewie growls a confused exclamation but hugs the child tightly. Luke will certainly be asking about this. Later.
"We better prepare to go," decides Leia, finally, shaking her head to clear it. "Have you figured out who you're gonna leave Yoda with?"
"Coming, I am!" insists Yoda, glaring at the others as furiously as he can manage. "Already agreed, Luke has!"
"What?!" he exclaims, shocked at the blatant lie. "I did not agree to that! You are not coming."
"Take me with you everywhere, you have agreed to," Yoda replies. Luke raises an eyebrow. He certainly cannot remember that happening… well maybe he did unofficially. Just because he doesn't want to entrust the child to anyone else's care, that doesn't mean he wants to take him along on a dangerous mission. Not when it could be potentially fatal.
"Well, this really isn't a place for children," smirks Han.
"Like a child I may look, but older than all of you, I am."
"What matters more is maturity level, not age," mutters Luke. Yoda has been acting like a very immature youngling ever since he age-regressed.
"Behave, I shall," promises Yoda, giving Luke the cutest smile imaginable as he jumps back into Luke's arms. "A distraction for the enemy I could be, if necessary, it becomes." If that was an attempt to persuade Luke, it was a spectacular failure. Yoda is considering using himself as a distraction? Not that Luke doesn't find him capable, he's simply too immature.
"He does have a point," Leia admits.
"Maybe, but still…" Luke begins, trying to think of another reason. He really doesn't want to be babysitting a toddler when they're on such an important mission. It's not only that Yoda will be distracting; Luke simply doesn't want to put the child into that kind of danger.
"Over, this debate is," Yoda declares, jumping down from Luke's arms which effectively silences any argument he could have made. "Going with you, I am. Hurry, we should. Not polite to be late, it is."
**w**
As Luke works on the control panel in the Imperial shuttle, Yoda sits perched on his shoulder, observing. For once, at least, he's been quiet. Chewie is sitting beside Luke looking over the controls.
"You got her warmed?" questions Han, stepping into the cockpit.
"Much too warm in here, it is," Yoda offers unhelpfully, shifting his position. Luke suppresses the urge to groan. Not this again.
"Yeah, she's comin' up," he replies, unable to suppress the exasperation creeping into his tone. How did he ever agree to let this… former Jedi Master turned immature toddler come with them anyway? Well, no point wondering about it now. Nothing can be done anymore.
Chewie growls in frustration as his paws continue to clumsily move over the controls.
"Imperial pilots, most Wookies are not," chirps Yoda, leaping off Luke's shoulder and landing on top of Artoo's dome.
"No, I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie," agrees Han.
"Please get him off me," beeps Artoo, clearly as unhappy as a droid could be.
"Better just leave him be right now, Artoo," Luke replies, having no interest in further encouraging the small creature's antics.
"The right choice, you have made." Oh, great.
Leia joins them in cockpit, taking a seat next to Luke as Chewbie barks and flips switches. "Hey are you awake?" Leia asks Han quietly, probably noticing that his gaze is fixed on something out the window.
"Yeah," he sighs, "I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not gonna see her again."
"See her again, you shall," Yoda pipes up reassuringly from his new seat. "Worry you should not."
"Thanks," remarks Han dryly before returning his attention to the ship. "Alright, Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?"
"All set," Luke confirms.
"Where the fun begins, this is!" exclaims Yoda happily, jumping to the floor. Luke isn't sure he agrees. After all, who knows what they're going to walk into?
"Here we go again," groans Threepio.
"Alright, hang on," says Han as he flies the ship further out into space and then pulls the hyperspace levers. Moments later, the stars are streaking by in a blur as they speed along on their way to Endor. It only takes a few minutes into the trip for everyone to agree that bringing Yoda was a terrible idea.
"Show you some dance moves?!" he sings out, leaping up out of apparently nowhere and landing on the front control panels.
"No, I don't want you to," Luke groans, nearly facepalming.
"Why'd you get so crochety and mean, Daddy?" he pouts, then begins to twirl in circles on the control panels, suddenly gleeful again.
"And you're telling me this is the famous Jedi Master the galaxy used to respect?" asks Han with a snort as Yoda begins to sing in – whatever language that is. Luke has absolutely no clue.
"Is that actually a language or is it just baby noises?" ponders Leia, amused at the comedy show.
"Maybe both," growls Chewie.
"How about you get some sleep?" decides Luke, abruptly standing and picking up Yoda off the control panels before he can accidently hit anything and cause a catastrophe. At least he didn't protest, Luke supposes. He carries him out of the cockpit to a room off of the main hold before laying out a blanket for him. What has his life become? He's putting a 900-year-old to bed like a five-year-old. How crazier can his life get?
Yoda curls up under the blanket – in a position that admittedly is completely adorable. Rising, Luke turns to return to the cockpit. "All set?" he asks, glancing back.
Pulling the blanket tighter with his tiny clawed hand, Yoda looks up at him with an innocent smile. "A bedtime story, you forgot."
**w**
"Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid," Leia murmurs with concern, her eyes fixed on the Star Destroyer growing ever larger in front of them as they wait to see if their activation code will pass.
"It'll work. It'll work," Han assures them. Luke shifts uncertainly behind them as he watches the approaching Star Destroyer. Vader's there. He knows it. He can feel it in the Force. If he can feel Vader, that means his father can feel him. And that is not good news at all, to say the least.
"Vader's on that ship," Luke warns the others, unable to tear his eyes away from it.
"Now don't get jittery, Luke," chides Han, "There are a lot of command ships out there."
"Right, he is," chimes in little Yoda's voice from the doorway. For once he doesn't sound like he's finding the situation funny. Luke glances over his shoulder to see the small creature stepping into the room, and silently prays that he'll save whatever antics he has up his sleeve for later. He doesn't have the patience to deal with Yoda right now.
"Keep your distance, though, Chewie, but don't look like you're trying to keep a distance," advises Han. Chewie barks a reply. "I don't know. Fly casual," Han suggests.
"I'm endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come," Luke states flatly. He can feel Vader's presence so, so near, and a myriad of emotions flood over him. Luke really does want to see him again, but not at the cost of the mission and the entire Rebel Alliance.
"Where I come into the picture, this is. A distraction I can create, if necessary, it becomes," suggests Yoda brightly, jumping into the air and landing on Luke's shoulder.
"It's your imagination, kids," Han responses dismissively. "Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here." Chewie barks again.
"They're not goin' for it, Chewie," he murmurs nervously to the Wookie as there's still no response. But just then, the controller's voice comes over the comm, informing them that the shield will be deactivated. Everyone but Luke breathes a sigh of relief. He can't help but wonder if Vader didn't let him past because he knew his son was there.
"Okay! I told you it was gonna work. No problem," Han replies.
"Contradicting yourself, you are, Uncle," points out Yoda, but receives no response. No one is in the mood for jokes right now, least of all Luke.
"Ahh… home sweet home," sighs Yoda contently as the ship lands in between the towering trees of the forest moon.
"What? You're from a planet like this?" wonders Leia curiously.
"Hmm, perhaps." Clearly, one thing he hasn't lost is his mysteriousness.
With the ship's arrival, the conversation ends as the strike-team makes its way off the ship and through the trees on foot. As the group in the lead – with Yoda running along on the ground and somehow still managing to keep up – reaches the top of the hill, Leia motions for them to stop, having spotted two Imperials. Discussing the situation, they quickly reach a decision.
"Chewie and I will take care of this. You stay here," decides Han.
"Quietly, there might be more of them out there," warns Luke worriedly. They do not need to attract attention to themselves.
"Going, I am," decides Yoda, leaping off out of sight into the brush. Luke suppresses a groan. Yoda had better not get hurt in this fight. Han and Chewie sneak off into the trees after him.
Just as Han is one step behind the scout, he steps on a twig eliciting an all too suspicious snap. The scout whirls around, slamming Han against the tree.
"Go for help! Go!" the first scout shouts at the other one. The second scout spins around, preparing to jump onto his speeder bike, but something – or rather someone, a very small someone – promptly flies through the air, hitting him right in the face, knocking him off balance and sending him sprawling backwards onto the ground. Chewie lunges at the scout, and soon, all four are engaged in a furious fight on the ground.
"Great," Luke groans. There's no way that they didn't draw attention. "Come on," he tells Leia, and the duo race towards their comrades. As they scramble through the bushes, they spot two more scouts on their speeders preparing to flee. Another empty speeder is sitting only feet away.
"Over there! Two more of them!" exclaims Leia, running towards the empty speeder as the scouts zoom off into the woods.
"I see them. Wait, Leia!" calls Luke.
"Run! Run! Run! Run!" Yoda's voice suddenly sings out as he lands gracefully on Luke's shoulder, just as the latter lands on the speeder behind Leia. "Jump! I'll be your backpack while you run!" He clenches his jaw and decides not to comment on the inappropriateness of the circumstances. That will only entice Yoda to continue.
"Quick! Jam their commlink!" orders Luke frantically, as Leia looks over the controls on the bike. "Center switch!" The scouts can't escape. If they do, they'll spread the news, something no one can afford. The twins speed through the trees behind the scouts, dodging dangerously in between trees, under and over fall logs, sometimes nearly hitting them.
"Swing from a hairy vine! I'll be your backpack while you climb!" chants Yoda happily.
"Thanks for the music, Yoda. It's not at all distracting," grumbles Leia sarcastically, firing with the bike's cannon at the other speeders and missing every time. As they continue along, the scouts' bikes duck down below some logs, so the shots miss again.
"Stand on one hand and lift speeder bikes with your special gift!" advises Yoda.
"Do you mind?" groans Luke, wishing the child Jedi Master would remain silent as the chase escalates. He's being nothing but distracting, and hopefully, they don't hit a tree as a result. If they crash, it will be Yoda's fault.
They manage to overtake one of the Imperials, and Luke leaps over to him, throwing him off the bike and taking control of it as the chase continues. As they continue riding along, Luke spies two more scouts driving nearby. Great. Now there's three of them.
"Keep on that one!" Luke calls to Leia as she whizzes ahead of him in pursuit of the first scout. "I'll take these two!"
"We," corrects Yoda. Luke slams on the breaks all at once, causing the two Imperials to race straight past him, giving him the opportunity to shoot. He immediately opens fire on them, trying to use the Force to guide him. One of the shots strikes true, and the bike crashes into a tree and explodes.
Yoda leaps off Luke's shoulder, grasping a branch and swinging up into the treetops. Moments later, a green lightsaber – wait did he really take Luke's lightsaber unnoticed? – flies down from the treetops as if of its own accord, stabbing through the other Imperial. His bike spins out of control, smashing into a nearby tree and exploding into flames as the lightsaber deactivates and flies out of sight into the air.
Moments later, Yoda jumps back down next to Luke and dramatically Force throws Luke's lightsaber back into place on his belt. And Jedi aren't supposed to show off?
"Thanks," he says to the small creature with a sigh, again opting not to comment. He has more pressing matters to attend to anyways. "Now let's get back to the others."