The Power to Save Her

Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

Important Note: I will not follow comics/legends characters or concepts closely, if at all. My knowledge is strictly on the that of the movies and a more mainstream knowledge of Star Wars. Though I may reference events and things outside of the movies, I do not claim to know the material on a deeper level.

A few standard days after the meeting with the Rebel Alliance's High Command, the Executor was making its way into neutral space, much to the surprise of the fleet's crew. They'd certainly chased the Rebel Alliance in the Outer Rim territories before, but to be deployed so far from their original position was unprecedented. The massive convoy encroached on a location, officers and stormtroopers ready and waiting for a command from Darth Vader. They had no idea what was about to come, as was intended. All that they understood was that Admiral Piett had been directed by Lord Vader to give an order. The order was to search the planet for Rebels, a significant cell of them, and crush them. This alone was enough for blind compliance.

Anakin was on the bridge of the ship with Piett, pacing and overseeing the nervous officers working in the pit next to the walkway. One officer stiffened when he walked by, his footsteps heavy. Anakin noted the way in which one of them was perspiring but he continued on past the man, allowing him to continue in his fear. His presence aboard the ship had silenced much of the unrest that Piett had spoken of, and though he could still sense any mutinous thoughts of officers, they didn't outwardly express it. There were those who detested Padmé Amidala's continued presence and her unspoken connection to Vader, and Anakin had definitely shown that he knew their thoughts. Those officers were made to feel the thinly veiled threat of his presence and usually quieted their silent opinions about his wife. Though this was a temporary solution, a few days ago, Anakin knew it would have to remain until their plan could take place.

At this moment in time he had distinguished Imperials that definitely needed to be replaced, as most would very soon be gone.

They were now approaching the abandoned Dantooine, which was now beneath their fleet. Its open plains were visible from space, and Anakin looked down on it, his mind on their plans. He knew that on the dark side of the planet, a Rebel fleet was lying in wait. Even now Anakin could sense them, and their fear at the strategy that was about to be carried out. The Executor could not detect them lurking in wait, and Anakin had made it that way purposefully. Unknown to the overall fleet, save a few enlightened individuals, they were about to be overrun by the Rebel Alliance.

Things were set into motion the moment they arrived over Dantooine. Most of the ideas for this strategy came from the collective minds of Padmé and High Command, though he had Leia to thank for the idea of the location. Dantooine was remote, far from the reaches of major Imperial influence and a former rebel base, so Leia was able to brief them on the conditions of the planet. The two important things were that it was not hostile, and anyone marooned there could not call for reinforcements. For their plan to work, this was the ideal location. Next to him, Piett stood, observing the uncivilized planet, his face betraying nothing but cool indifference.

"The garrison is ready to deploy.", notified an officer from the pit.

"Send them off.", Piett replied, hands positioned rigidly behind his back.

They watched as several shuttles, containing a great number of troopers, disembark from the fleet. Unknown to the thousands of soldiers being sent to the planet's surface, their shuttles were rigged with knockout gas, ready to disperse the moment the shuttles touched down. The plan was simple, though it wasn't foolproof. Anakin resisted the urge to pace, trying to center himself in the Force, while reminding himself of the countless backup plans he'd prepared in case none of this worked.

It's already began, Anakin reminded himself, expecting that the Rebels would do their part.

It was all in the details. It was imperative that the Imperials did not know that the garrison that was just deployed would not be returning with the same men. Another Rebel garrison lie in wait on the planet, with the same numbers, ready to take on the uniforms of the unsuspecting stormtroopers. All the trooper's communications had been cut, in the event that the first plan didn't work, leaving no possibility for them to call for backup. This phase of the plan was simple in context, as troopers would be replaced while their superiors did not suspect a thing, but Anakin still couldn't quiet his doubts especially when there was another phase after this.

The second phase would be more difficult, as it involved the simultaneous neutralization of the captains and top officers of each star destroyer. The mid-level Imperials would be left alone, as they couldn't disobey the orders of their superiors, nor could they fight back against the vast number of stormtroopers. Knowing he was focusing too much on the next step, Anakin shook himself, reminding himself that he needed to keep his mind on the here and now.

"The trooper's communicators are all down.", remarked one of the officers, turning his head to Piett and the armored man. "Other Captains are reporting the same outage."

"It's a disturbance sent out by the Rebels hiding in their old base.", Piett countered dismissively, almost easily. Anakin could see that the admiral had found a way to become better at lying in the time they were apart. Piett continued, "They will not be a threat. The garrison we deployed is large enough to take on any kind of ambush."

Anakin merely stood there, observing the bridge with seemingly cold indifference, though internally he was releasing his emotions into the Force. His son reached out to him a few times during all this, though Anakin assured him all was going well. Luke had his part to play, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by him. Anakin, knowing that patience was crucial in this moment, decided to focus his thoughts on the facts of the moment, and not the emotions that were driving it. This seemed to work, as the next couple hours passed a little less agonizingly. Finally, the shuttles were seen returning, seemingly without a scratch. Instinctively, Anakin reached out with his senses, immediately noticing the different lifeforms.

Relief washed over him.

"Comms are up again.", reported the same officer. "They reported a minor Rebel presence."

"Admiral Piett.", Anakin spoke up, using his most commanding voice, knowing that the second phase was about to commence. "Have all the captains of the fleet inspect the returning stormtroopers. There is something off about their return."

"Yes, Lord Vader.", Piett replied, with a stiff bow, and went to contact the other star destroyers. He instructed the captains of the other ships quickly.

"I will inspect the stormtroopers that returned to the Executor myself.", he continued, not waiting for an answer to leave.

The second phase had begun.

The hanger was filled to the brim with the returning rebel stormtroopers, and he could already tell they weren't properly in formation. The rebels, though a militia, were not formal compared to the Empire's troops. Anakin sighed inwardly, knowing that the second phase to take out the existing captains on the other star destroyers of the fleet was definitively necessary. Any self-respecting Imperial could tell that these stormtroopers had not been formally trained, but they would have to work with it. Upon his arrival, most of the disguised rebels stiffened at the sight of him. They'd only a day or two to be given this plan by High Command.

Officer Dannen Caltrel was there as well, having quite a bit of familiarity with the Rebel Alliance. At first, Anakin didn't like the idea of employing the Rebel spy, but when Mon Mothma suggested it, he dare not refuse. The officer, having been confined to a room, not a prison block by any means, but still held against his will, had been quite surprised to be visited by Vader himself. He'd grown even more shocked to be given a task that would aid the Rebel cause. Though Anakin never liked the officer, he certainly had his uses.

For the moment, the rebel spy was ignored, as he brushed past him.

"The comms on planet surface went out.", Anakin stated, enunciating his words, as this was part of a coded message to the group of imposters. Several of them shifted as he paced in front of them. "Did the Rebels ambush you?"

"No, sir.", one rebel replied, his voice filtered by the mask. "We ambushed them."

Satisfied, Anakin turned away from the unruly company.

"Officer Caltrel, escort them to the workshop.", Anakin replied, turning over to the officer he'd once suspected of betrayal. Caltrel nodded solemnly. Then Anakin continued, "I'd like you to check their helmet transmitters. They're obviously faulty."

Shortly thereafter the man led the group from the hanger, and none of the other Imperial men present suspected a thing. His part there was done, so he exited from the hanger, not returning to the bridge as most would expect. With some determination, he marched towards the data center instead where Piett was waiting as well. When he arrived and the door behind him hissed shut, he spotted the admiral next to a communications terminal, checking up on the captains of the star destroyers. Once again, the data center was emptied, and it was just them ensuring the confidentiality of the messages. They waited as transmissions were being sent to the other ships of the fleet. The call went out, chiming for several moments, before one was finally answered by a familiar face.

"General Madine.", Anakin greeted, though much less enthusiastically.

Madine only nodded coolly, seemingly unimpressed or intimidated by Vader.

Though it was impressive how quickly Madine and his men had managed to take over their star destroyer, they were however waiting for all destroyers to report the same. Eventually, holographic figures of the other ship's occupants appeared in place of the usual captains. Anakin felt a small measure of relief that this phase of the plan was completed, though he dared not relax yet.

"The captains and officers who witnessed the coup have been neutralized?", he demanded, getting right to the center of it, his voice harsh.

"Yes, and the remaining stormtroopers have been left on Dantooine.", reported one of the rebel leaders, seemingly unfazed by the dangerous situation. The rest of the leaders mimicked that response, with varying degrees of success.

"Each of you were chosen as leaders of your team because you were once Imperials. Now is the time to remember your training.", Madine stated, eyes seeming to watch the group carefully. His voice was stern, "There's no going back from this, and there is not room for failure."

Then another holographic image appeared, its source was the Rebel Fleet. Mon Mothma and Yoda appeared, showing a great contrast in height. Yoda had an ever-present smile on his face, while the senator was seemingly laden with worry. As they were gathered, Piett and Anakin watched the conversation with a sense of distant involvement, knowing that this other plan they had no part in. Though they were very much involved in the details of the mission taking place at this moment, destroying the super weapon was out of their hands. It was strange that they were putting so much trust in the leaders of the Rebel Alliance, but they had no other choice.

"Go to Endor, we will.", remarked Yoda, turning his gaze to Anakin. The ancient Jedi, seeming to reassure him, locked his gaze on Anakin. "With the remaining fleet, the second Death Star, destroyed it will be."

"Be mindful of their defenses master Jedi.", Piett commented, not having complete trust in their ability to get this done. "I would not underestimate their threat."

Yoda graciously acknowledged the admiral's words, nodding with it.

"Mindful, we will be.", Yoda replied, a slight smile on his face. "May the Force be with you."

There was nothing left to be said, so the communications closed.

The room was packed to the brim with as many rebel stormtroopers as they could get in at the moment, all of them watching three people that were there to brief them. In the front, gathered in the workshop, Padmé was standing next to her daughter who was still dressed in her TIE fighter uniform. Officer Caltrel was with them, helping with the process. One group at a time were entering and exiting the workshop as the three were there to inform and equip the rebels. Though claustrophobic, they made it work, as the rebel stormtroopers were listening intently to their words.

"Once you have entered your shared sleeping quarters, only then can you remove your helmet.", Padmé informed, hands clasped behind her back. Her voice was stern, though not unkind, "Each of you will be given communicators, tuned to one channel with a code. If you lose the code, you will not be given another one."

"How high are the chances of being found out?", one of the rebels asked. Leia decided to answer this question, while having her helmet removed.

"High. Very high, which is why it is imperative that you keep to the tasks you've been assigned.", she informed. She had a commanding presence, one which the rebels seemed to respect. "Until the signal is given, obey all orders issued by the officers."

"Blending in with the current troops will be tricky, but it can be done.", Caltrel informed, having had personal experience with doing just that. Padmé herself hadn't suspected a thing. The rebel spy continued, "I will smooth over any complications that should occur but be sure that they are kept to a minimum."

"Remember, you are Imperials, act like them, and you will blend in.", Leia continued, properly showing the gravity of the situation. She paced in front of them, shorter than the rest, but still commanded respect, "We must all take great care. May the Force be with you."

They debriefed several groups, much like this for several hours. The task was agonizingly redundant, but certainly necessary. As the last group exited the workshop, the three were finally allowed to show their fatigue, though they were no less tense. Padmé turned to the officer, a slight smile returning to her face, despite their exhaustion.

"Thank you Dannen, for everything.", she stated, and the spy only nodded, contentment on his face.

"It is I who should be thanking you. Without your hand, none of this would be possible.", he replied with a smile. "Vader turning, this plot to fight back. To you, we owe it."

"I cannot take the credit for all that.", Padmé replied humbly, glancing over to her daughter. "It was by all involved that this could work."

"Nevertheless, I owe you a great deal.", he replied, before some humor came to his face. "Namely credits."

Leia grew confused by this, turning a questioning gaze to her mother.

"Sabacc.", Padmé replied, with a shake of her head. It was a story she could tell her at another time. "Shall we check on Luke and Captain Solo?"

"Yes, they should be back by now.", Leia nodded, knowing that the two had gone to the other star destroyers to ascertain the stability of the takeover.

Both Padmé and her daughter exited the workshop.

Luke flew in formation with Han, their TIE fighter wings almost touching. After doing the arduous task of speaking with the new "captains" and helping assure various Imperial officers that this change was commanded by Vader himself, were they able to return to the Executor. The situation on the other star destroyers was stable for now, though Luke knew it wasn't meant to last forever. The thought was sobering, so he focused on returning safely with Han. Though strange to admit now, the sight of the flagship comforted him, as he could sense his family aboard. He could tell that they were thinking of both Han and him, anxious to see them both. Once in the hanger, he spotted his mother and sister expecting them through the cockpit window. He sensed nothing but relief from them at their safe return.

His TIE fighter touched down gently, and though Luke was missing his X-Wing, he had to admit that the Imperial fighter had its positives. The hatch above him opened, and he lifted himself from the cockpit with his arms, shifting over to the metal ladder. He jumped from the ladder a few steps early and approached the party waiting for them. Han followed shortly.

"All went well?", Luke asked, sensing no distress from the two, though he could tell they were drained.

"Yes, though it was a lot to accomplish.", his mother replied, glancing over the group with a slight smile. "We decided to wait so that we could all take a meal together."

Luke's stomach rumbled at the mention of food, and he nodded in agreement. Soon they were off to Vader's private quarters, still not trusting that the quarters they'd previously occupied was quite safe. Though his father's rooms were spartan, they'd made the space work by setting up cots in one of the side rooms. Though uncomfortable at the notion of sharing a space with the former Sith, Luke could sense that Han had grown a little more trusting of his father as the days passed. Han wasn't quite ready to admit this, though Luke let him be.

While they sat eating the food provided for them, they relaxed slightly though not completely, knowing that their plans had gone well so far. Despite their happiness at this fact, it was quite unusual for everything to go according to plan and they were suspicious of such results. They all had wary thoughts as they ate, almost expecting something to go wrong.

The door to the quarters opened, and they all tensed, only to loosen their shoulders at the sight of the armored man. They all watched as his father lifted the pieces of the helmet from his head, finally able to get a moment of peace without it. It would've been strange to see before, but by now, they'd gotten used to associating him with Darth Vader in the past couple of days.

Instead going into one of the other rooms to meditate, like he usually did, he joined them deciding to eat, much to Luke's surprise

"I trust all is well?", he asked his voice no longer hidden by the modulator, and each of them nodded in affirmative. He made no mention of their surprise and nodded. "Good."

Han swallowed some food, almost whole, seemingly losing his appetite. His father did note this and sent a look Han's way. The ex-smuggler just glanced down at his plate and forced himself to keep eating. The rest of them, including Leia, continued dining quietly, contemplative, and weary from the events of the day.

Finally, the silence was broken when his mother spoke up.

"Those stormtroopers on Dantooine, they'll be alright?", she asked, showing compassion. Though not completely without feeling, he could tell his father didn't give much of a thought for them. Despite this, he humored her concern.

"Of course.", his father sighed, interlacing his fingers, while leveling his gaze with hers. "They're trained for much more hostile planets than that. They'll be fine."

"I gotta be honest, I didn't think it'd work.", Han stated, crossing his arms, having finished his food. "Any of it really."

"It had to.", Leia commented, almost sternly, though she didn't add more to the conversation.

Luke having had the same fears himself didn't speak of it, though he knew all present were in agreement.

After the meal, they headed to the training facilities with their father, and Luke this time made sure his lightsaber was securely concealed. When they finally made it down to the training room, he immediately went to the meditative position, knowing this was what they did before everything else. He and his sister had been practicing the past two days with their father. This, most of all, was helping Leia to trust their father more, though there was some progress to be made still. He could see it in the way she asked questions about the Force and grew satisfied by the answers supplied by their father, that she her trust was growing.

Luke smiled to himself at this, content with their strengthening bonds.

The young Jedi then forced himself to focus on the task of meditating, which wasn't difficult for him, but there was a subskill within it that he needed to master. It wasn't anything to do lightsaber forms. Though much could still be learned by way of lightsaber combat, he had yet to master hiding his presence in the Force.

"You must conceal any thoughts that the Emperor might wish to possess.", his father reminded, sitting across from them. "Release your emotions into the Force."

"It sounds much like Jedi training.", Luke replied, even as his eyes were closed.

"It is, though even a Sith would know that letting any emotion take over, aside from hatred, could blind them.", he replied, sparking intrigue in Luke.

"The Sith rely on passion for their strength, but I have heard that they are no more powerful than a Jedi."

"At the core, that is true.", his father answered quietly, some weight to his voice. "However, the dark side does grant you unusual power, but it comes at a cost."

"The cost being our mother?", Leia asked, her voice quiet. Luke could feel her genuine loss. No hint of malice was directed towards their father. "And us?"

"Yes.", was all he said, clearly regretting it.

"You did it to save her.", Leia stated, not phrasing it as a question. "The Jedi forbid attachments for these reasons, and yet the Sith are just as alone as they."

"Some could argue that both philosophies are wrong in that area.", Luke responded, some thoughtfulness to his voice.

"They could, but it is certainly best to lean away from the dark side.", their father replied carefully, not wishing to lead them down the wrong path. "It only has the power to destroy."

There was a heavy silence as they considered the words spoken.

"Focus on the here and now.", his father reminded them, though Luke suspected he was also speaking to himself. "Try to hide your presence from me."

With a sigh, Luke closed his eyes, doing his best to clear his mind of the anxieties he held for his family. As usual, he released his emotions into the Force, focusing on what Ben had taught him. He calmed his thoughts, though his emotions were a harder thing to hide. Leia, he could no longer sense, her signature gone. This was her natural ability and why she'd been able to remain anonymous for all these years. With some focus, he tried to mimic her accomplishment.

"I can still sense you Luke.", his father commented, and Luke let out a slightly self-depreciating laugh.

Luke would not let this bother him, for if it did, it would defeat the purpose of this exercise. He remembered his training with Yoda and how he'd declared the moving of his X-Wing impossible. He knew better now and could see his sister had accomplished this. This told him it was not impossible. With a few more attempts, he was able to disappear altogether. This caused his father to feel relief.

Finally, meditation was over.

Then came Luke's favorite part of the training, though it wasn't Leia's area of strength. Now would be Leia's chance to better improve her skills, just as earlier it was Luke's. He presented his saber to Leia, allowing her to go first. A training droid rose from an opening in the floor, and Leia ignited the green lightsaber. With some visible distaste, she raised the blade, closing her eyes reluctantly. For several minutes, they watched as Leia practiced with the green blade, letting out more than a few curses every time she got stung. By the end of it, she'd improved, though had grown no less irritated.

Then it was Luke's turn to practice with the droids in varying levels of difficulty. He was able to do so with greater ease, though he knew it hadn't always been that way. By the end of it, several of the droids had been destroyed and were being sent off for repairs.

After having had an hour of training with the droids, they were ready for the training against their father. Luke maintained his wish to learn Ataru, while Leia had yet to decide on any one form. Though unspoken, she did seem to favor Form V, the very same one used by their father. The explained her reluctance, though neither one of them pressed her on it.

Currently, Luke was dueling and holding off fairly well against his father, while Leia watched from the sidelines. For the first time, he'd been able to fight him off, hardly tiring at all. Their sabers locked before Luke spun his blade out of it, forcing his father's blade away from his center. For once, he leveled his own green saber at his father's middle, breathing hard from the exertion. Luke let out a slight smile of having accomplished this, but before there could be any comments on the result of the duel, the door to the room hissed open.

It was Piett who'd burst into the training room unannounced. The admiral was visibly agitated, though there was a resoluteness in his voice felt by all. The admiral was looking at his father, eyes solemn. Luke sensed where his thoughts dwelled, and instantly knew what the man was going to say before he said it.

"The Emperor has made contact."

A/N: And I'm sorry, exposition galore in this chapter, though I hope to alter that in the final chapters! I'm thinking there's going to be about five chapters left, but we'll see how the ending fleshes out. What did you all think of the plans being put in action? Things are certainly moving forward and will keep doing so in the coming chapters.

Special shoutout to RyanSquad, westerns never die, Jedi Alex Colbent, ELinkA, Jeda31, and MMM73181 for reviewing! A big thank you to those who favorited and followed my story! This is officially my most viewed story and I'm very exiting that it's been able to reach this man people. If you guys have any thoughts or opinions on this chapter, please let me know! I always love hearing from you all, as feedback from past reviews had definitely shaped some aspects of this story. Either way, thank you so much for reading :)