Chapter 36: Deep Detour

Stars turned into streaks, and were replaced with the blue void of hyperspace. The ship shook more violently than ever before, as if the whole thing was going to tear itself apart. Toph threw up onto the floor again, feeling like she was going to cough up her stomach. Luke had his eyes closed and hand held forward, focusing on the Force to hold the ship together. Han and Chewbacca were using every trick they knew to keep the ship flying, eyes on the various readouts, trying to push it as far as it could before the engines would burn out.

"Come on… come on…" Han grumbled, knuckles white from gripping too hard. "Hold together…"

Something shook the ship even harder, Han cursed, and frantically worked to prevent the ship from exploding in hyperspace. The hyperdrive was disengaged, the ship returned to normal space, coasting with a plume of smoke pillowing out the starboard side. Alarms were blaring inside the ship, warning of severe damage, which they were already well aware of. Han worked to shut down every system connected to the damaged part, which turned off everything short of life support. Artificial gravity was shut down, with all the obvious consequences.

"Gross!" Katara complained. She saw puke floating up from the floor, forming several spherical globules moving around the place. She tried to waterbend them away, the wave of her arm did nothing. "Crap."

"Sorry," Toph apologized. She heaved one more time, but there was nothing left in her stomach to throw up. "I'm really bad in a ship."

Aang waved an arm to airbend, which did nothing here beside splatter a puke glob on his hand. "Eww… not what I wanted to do."

Another small puke glob drifted into the cockpit, which got an angry roar from Chewbacca and a swift order from Han. "Clean that up before it gets into a console! We have enough problems already!"

"On it," Luke said. He held out his hand and closed his eyes, focusing on the Force, and all the puke globs came together in the center of the ship. "Someone get a jar or something to put this in."

Katara rummaged through a storage compartment, threw out junk and let it float about the place, eventually finding a large plastic bottle. "This should work."

Luke made the puke flow into the bottle and capped it off, and then he made all the junk go back into the compartment where it belonged. "There. Now if no one else throws up, we should be fine."

"So why do your powers still work in space?" Sokka asked. He glanced at everyone else in the ship. "Bending goes haywire wherever we go."

"The Force is everywhere," Luke answered. "As Ben said, it holds us and binds the universe together."

"That's convenient," Aang said. "Then again, everything is connected, I just never thought it was supposed to be taken literally."

"That's all fine and dandy," Han said from the cockpit. He was busy working to keep the ship together, and it didn't help to have the distraction. "It doesn't really help us when we're barely staying in one piece. If any of your special powers can do something, now would be the time."

"Sorry," Luke said. He refocused his efforts on the Force, holding the ship together as if wrapping it in duct tape. "Okay, we should be good for a while."

Sure enough, sensor readouts stabilized somewhat, though Han wasn't sure how long it would last. He let out a sigh of relief, and started checking the navigation readout. "Alright… now we figure out where the hell we are and where the hell we can go without a working hyperdrive."

"That sounds bad," Toph said.

"It is," Katara confirmed.

"You have no idea," Han said. He double checked the readout, heard Chewbacca growl a complaint, and he had to agree. "Yeah, not like we have much choice, or really any choice."

"I take it you know where we are?" Aang asked.

"We barely made it one system over from where we were," Han answered. He set a course for sublight speed, heading into the system ahead of them. "Hopefully, the Empire will think we've gone farther and overshoot us by several parsecs."

"And if they don't?" Sokka asked.

"We get a repeat of Cloud City," Han said. He sighed again, hoping they could get anywhere before something else went wrong. "Right now, I'm more concerned about reaching safe harbor in as few pieces as possible."

The ship continued on its way into the nearest solar system, a trail of small pieces following in its wake. There was a single large sun in the distance, though from this far away it was a pinprick of light only somewhat brighter than the stars. Sensors reported only a trio of planets in this system, none of them ideal for civilization. A broiling gas giant almost hugging the star, a typical gas giant in the middle, and an ice giant at the edge, only the latter being close enough to reach at sublight speed. Any settlements would have to be found on the myriad of moons, none of which were appealing in any fashion.

Still, lacking alternatives, Han steered the ship for the ice giant planet. It took a couple hours for the large blue and black world to come into visual range, currently with a storm in the southern hemisphere large enough to swallow Earth several times over. It was surrounded by dozens of moons in various orbits, most barren and cratered chunks of rock and ice, only a few innermost moons having any interesting features. The innermost moon was melted by tidal forces, spewing volcanic gases into the orbit of the next moon out, which was the largest moon in the system.

The third moon out was their destination, which was the second largest around this planet. Unlike the other moons, this one had an overabundance of water, most of it frozen in a shell of ice several kilometers thick. Tidal forces liquefied the water underneath the ice, resulting in a vast ocean between the ice and the moon's rocky core. The ice shell was riddled with cracks across its surface, many small and narrow while others were large and deep, crisscrossing in an asymmetric pattern. Geysers were common where cracks came together, spraying water into space in accordance with the tides.

In one of the largest cracks there was a gateway between space and the sea, similar to an airlock only scaled up enough to accommodate space ships. It could only be seen from directly above, as from either side the ice would conceal it from view. The cargo ship aligned its trajectory with the gateway, slowed down to a safe speed, and transmitted a signal requesting permission to enter. A few minutes later the gateway opened, granting access to a docking bay big enough for several ships, wedged between the ice and held above the water.

Built centuries ago as part of a Mon Calamari colony, this docking bay had been the place for the aquatic species to interact with air-breathers. It had been the center of commerce this colony had with the greater galaxy, but much of that glory had been lost with the rise of the Galactic Empire. A shadow of its former self, this colony had fallen into a state of disrepair, barely functioning yet willing to welcome any visitors that happened to come this way. It didn't matter how badly damaged said visitor's ship happened to be, as long as they could still spend money here.

As the ship flew into the gateway, Han looked for a suitable place to dock. "Okay, once we land we need to look for a new ship. This one is never going to fly again."

"We didn't bring any money to buy a new ship," Luke pointed out.

"I know," Han grumbled. He spotted a berth and guided the ship toward it. "One thing at a time."

Katara took a moment to stretch her arms, feeling pretty good right about now. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. We usually do."

"You're doing better than I am," Toph said. She had a hand on her stomach, no longer upset but grumbling instead. "I think my earthbending is back, but it feels really weak here."

The ship shook a bit, quickly settled, telling that it had docked. Aang stood up, stretched, and was startled when something blew up. "What was that?"

"That would be our engine's dying breath," Han said.

"Oh," Aang said. "Well, let's get looking for a new ship."

The door was opened and everyone quickly got out of the ship, entering the strange new world that lay before them. The ship was docked near the bottom of the gateway, just above the next airlock that submersible ships could use, which their ship could not. The door opened into a tunnel network that spanned every level of the gateway, even permitting access to the underside of the ice shell. The tunnels were cramped and sparsely lit, half filled with the less fortunate who found themselves stuck here, a far cry from the original inhabitants of this colony.

As if to make things worse, just about every ship here was in nearly as bad a shape as the one they were replacing. No one with a decent ship would be desperate enough to come here, as it would be stripped for parts soon after arriving. Even Han was going to have trouble finding a ship worth taking, before they would have to take it by force. Hopefully Chewbacca's presence would be all the intimidation they need, and if not there were the Jedi and two waterbenders at their disposal, possibly three if Han was judging Sokka's posture correctly.

Walking to the left and slightly behind Han, Sokka was flexing his fingers and looking at his sister. "Hey Katara, Aang, how are you two holding up?"

"Pretty good actually," Katara said. She eyed a bunch of ragged people down on their luck, struggling just to get water out of a leaking pipe, and she subtly bent a stronger current to give them more. "If this place was in better shape, it wouldn't be too bad a spot to be stuck in."

"Not me," Aang said. He almost seemed to be struggling to breath, as if trapped in a small room instead of walking down a tunnel. "Sure, waterbending is working, but everything else is very weak."

"At least you've got something," Toph complained. She was walking behind everyone else, vibration sight letting her watch for any unwanted followers. "I suppose this is what I deserve after being in god-mode for so long. I barely got anything now."

"It's not so bad," Sokka said. "Try living with nothing as normal for a while. You'll get used to it."

"Pass," Toph said.

The group continued on their way down the tunnel, which eventually led them to the bottom of the ice shell. The walls of the tunnel changed from black metal to semi-clear glass, the nano-carbon materials strong enough to withstand the tidal forces working to deform the ice around it. One could see the water beneath the ice shell, and all the myriad forms of life that thrived in it. From the various shapes of fish to the filament shaped plants feeding off heat vents, the scenery was ideal for the Mon Calamari that had wanted to colonize this world.

Still, through the water one could see signs of disrepair, the structures built in the water showing the testament of time. Small upside down buildings hung from the ice, many of them broken off to sink into the depths below. There were several Mon Calamari swimming in the water, some coming close to the water to wave at the rare tourist, though most had more important things to do down here. More importantly, one could see a variety of aquatic ships down here, in varying states of disrepair, but good enough to get someone out of this water world.

Sokka stopped and looked at one of the ships, resembling a fat eel-hound with stubby legs. "I think we've found our way out of here."

Han was inclined to agree. "Now we just need a way to get it. Buying it is out of the question. But I'd rather not take it by force if we can avoid it."

"Maybe we should find the owner first?" Aang suggested. He soon found everyone looking at him. "Hey, for all we know he or she could give us a ride if we ask nicely."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Toph said. Granted, all she saw through the water was a warped and shimmering mess of vibrations, so she was not one to judge. "But if you insist, I'm game."

The ship they wanted was approaching a dock further down the tunnel, though it seemed to be slowing down well short of reaching a berth. It was enough to tell Han where they needed to go, and he led everyone down the tunnel to reach the right part of the colony. There were more people in that area, where the aquatic species did business with air-breathers, inhabiting a series of chambers that alternated between filled with air and filled with water. Of all the places in this colony, this area seemed almost well-off, relatively speaking of course.

Plenty of people of varying species were doing business, and didn't take much notice of half a dozen more. Han and Luke asked around, trying to figure out who owned the ship or how to legally get aboard it. Chewbacca provided intimidation when needed, and Toph was not above making a few threats. Aang and Katara kept their mouths shut and paid attention, learning a thing or two about surviving in one of many hives of scum and villainy. Sokka kept an eye on the ship, just in case it might leave before they could have a chance to take it.

Their search led them to a tavern, there always was a tavern in such places, where Han and Luke sat down at a table in the corner. The others were sitting or standing around other parts of the tavern, trying to look like they weren't with the two men. Sitting across from Han and Luke were a pair of Mon Calamari, fresh from a swim in the waters below, still dripping water onto the floor beneath their feet. Although their clothes were ragged and their faces scarred in places, they held themselves like they were the most important people in the galaxy.

"Meena, Sissalik," Han said, having found out their names ahead of this meeting. "So glad we could have words with each other."

The woman leaned forward, Meena taking a closer look at the well-known smuggler. "Now then, what brings the mighty Han Solo to this neck of the galaxy?"

The other Mon Calamari, Sissalik, tilted his head back and laughed. "I think he's desperate. There's no sign of the Falcon anywhere. Did the old junk heap finally kick the bucket?"

"Hardy har-har," Han said. He rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands. "I had to be incognito for a while, left the Falcon with a friend. As usual, things went wrong. This was the only place I could reach."

"So now you need a new ship," Meena surmised. The lack of a denial was enough to confirm it, and she laughed more than Sissalik did. "And so you come to us. My oh my, this must be painful for you. I wonder, what are you willing to part with for the use of my ship?"

"Well for starters, the salvage value of the ship I got here in," Han said. He noticed a distinct lack of impression on Meena or Sissalik. "And I'm sure the rebellion will compensate you greatly."

Sissalik glanced at something behind Han. "I don't think that's going to work out."

Han didn't have to turn to know there was a blaster pointed at him. "Ugh… so we're going this."

It was a bothan bounty hunter holding the small blaster, his furry face looking at the back of Han's head. "You're in no position to be complaining."

"True," Han said. The bothan couldn't see his smirk, but Meena did. "Then again, you aren't in a good spot either."

The floor exploded, and a geyser of water erupted into the tavern.

The bothan bounty hunter was thrown into the ceiling, instantly knocked out by the hard impact. Katara kept the geyser flowing, twisting and turning to hit other potential threats, demonstrating the raw power of water. Aang kept the water away from friendlies, and the Mon Calamari, finding it surprisingly difficult to keep the water under control. Just about everyone else was struck down by the rushing water, every window was shattered, and even the foundations were damaged by the geyser. Once the point was made the hole in the floor was frozen, and the rushing water came to a stop.

Both Mon Calamari were speechless, and Han's smirk never wavered. "See what I mean?"

It took a moment, but Meena swallowed and nodded. "I… see."

Sissalik stood up, looked at Meena, and turned toward the door. "Right this way."

When they were leaving the flooded remains of the tavern, Luke walked behind Han. "And here I thought I would need to take out my lightsaber."

"Thought about it," Han said. "But the waterbending had a better effect."

The Mon Calamari led the way to their ship, and the group followed at a brisk pace. They were soon brought to a docking berth at the bottom of the ice shell, where their ship was docked and waiting for them. A series of airlocks were required to access the ship, what with it being in the water while the group was still in the air-filled tunnels. Passing through was only a minor inconvenience, and soon they were all inside the ship and walking through brightly lit corridors, heading for the bridge of the ship so they could get ready to leave.

Once everything was ready, cargo loaded up for transport elsewhere, the Mon Calamari crew got the ship underway. The ship detached from the airlock and drifted away from its docking berth, sinking into the ocean to clear the bottom of the ice shell. Engines engaged and the ship moved forward, drifting through the water toward the gateway between ocean and space. The ship had to dive deeper on the way there, needing to reorient itself for a steep upward path, aligning with the gateway while sending the proper requisition codes.

Of course, it wasn't so simple to leave.

Standing in the large cockpit of the ship, Han was looking at the long range scanners. "Took them long enough to follow us here."

The long range scanners were relaying information from the gateway's systems, and their scanners had detected a Star Destroyer approaching the moon. It appeared to be alone, as if sent here solely to check any possible places fugitives might go, the minimum amount of force necessary to do so. It would arrive well before the Mon Calamari ship could get through the gateway, and would likely snare it in a tractor beam. Still, it was too late to turn around, the inner part of the gateway already opening, and the ship heading in without enough space to turn around.

"That's not good," Luke said, seeing the sensor data for himself. "We're not going to be able to slip past them. We're sitting ducks on our way out."

"I don't suppose we can fight in this tin can," Toph said. She didn't have to see to notice the dumbfounded looks sent her way. "We've got to have weapons on this thing, right?"

Sissalik was piloting the ship and he pointed out the obvious. "We're no match for a Star Destroyer. One volley would wipe us out in an instant."

"There must be something we can do?" Toph asked.

Aang had an idea, and he hurried over to Sissalik. "Can you get us just above the ice? As close as you can to the surface?"

Remembering the incident at the tavern, Sissalik got ready to make the necessary maneuver. "We can get within thirty meters without clipping the high areas."

"Close enough," Aang said. He went back to the center of the cockpit. "Katara, Sokka, it's going to take all of us. Follow my lead."

The Mon Calamari ship made its way through the gateway, making the transition from water to space in between airlocks, the far side opening up for them to exit the ocean. By then the Star Destroyer was about to enter orbit around the moon, and it immediately noticed the ship trying to leave the frozen moon. The Star Destroyer changed course to follow, positioning its ventral hull toward the moon, bringing its tractor emitters online. It was already closing in on the much smaller ship below, but keeping its distance from the moon's icy surface.

Flying close to the moon's surface was difficult at best, between the uneven sheets of ice and a lack of atmosphere for maneuvering. Thrusters were needed at full burn to get around the frigid hills and small mountains, all without any wind currents to take advantage of. The ship flew as close as it could to the moon surface, and each delay to avoid high terrain allowed the Star Destroyer to get even closer. It only took a minute for the Star Destroyer to get within tractor range, and at roughly three times the altitude of the smaller ship.

Suddenly, thousands of cracks appeared in the ice below, each spewing water from the ocean into the vacuum of space. A wide line of brand new geysers followed the ship, created by waterbenders inside. When exposed to space the water turned into vapor, forming an ever expanding cloud directly in the path of the Star Destroyer. Too late to pull up or maneuver out of the way, the Star Destroyer flew straight through the vapor cloud. It didn't even try anyway, the bridge crew thinking there was nothing to be concerned about, for it was only water.

Cold water vapor condensed on the Star Destroyer's hull, clinging to every nook and cranny exposed to space. On contact the water froze into ice, forming a sheet that covered every metallic surface, growing thicker with each second as more water added to the ice. At half a meter thick the ice obscured the tractor beam's emitters, stopping them from locking on to anything. At a full meter thick the ice prevented blaster turrets from moving, locking them in place and limiting firing angles. At two meters thick the ice disrupted all sensors, and the danger became all too clear.

Thrusters were activated to burn off the ice, but far too late to make a difference. The additional weight was more than the Star Destroyer could bear, even in the weak gravity of a frozen moon. It fell bit by bit, seemingly in slow motion to observers, until it struck the surface of the moon. Ice stripped away on both ship and surface, and the ventral hull was quickly stripped away, rendering the Star Destroyer without vertical thrust. It took a few kilometers for the whole thing to finally come to a stop, resting on the moon as if parked there on purpose, covered in ice that quickly stuck to the moon's frozen surface.

Seeing the results on sensors, Han was considerably impressed. "We really need to figure out how you people are able to do that."

Finished with the waterbending, and exiting the Avatar State, Aang was a little worn out. "Truth be told, I don't think anyone knows where bending comes from. There are legends about when we learned how to bend, but those seem more like where we got the techniques from."

Katara needed to sit down, exhausted from the effort of trying to keep up with Aang in the Avatar State. "I think we can talk about this later. I'm sure they're calling for backup right now."

Collapsing into a chair, Sokka was about to pass out. "Just get us out of here already."

The Mon Calamari ship made the jump to hyperspace, leaving this spirit forsaken system behind.

News of yet another Star Destroyer 'landing' quickly passed through the chain of command.

Trapped in the ice of a backwater moon, the Thunderflare was mostly intact, albeit with the bottom levels stripped away in the crash. Every imperial captain was shocked by the loss, though they were not privy to the details. Admirals were surprised and alarmed by how easily it had been brought down, and how widespread the rebels were deploying supernatural assets. The threat to the Empire appeared to rise unabated, despite the recent victory at Hoth. All the Grand Moffs were becoming greatly concerned, worried that the threat from one world might have spread to all of theirs.

Darth Vader was in transit aboard the Executor when the official reports reached him, flying through hyperspace toward the edge of imperial space. It was confirmation that the rebels would not stop resisting the Empire, willing to use every means they could to fight on. And that was without the use of the Force, which Vader suspected the rebels were saving for a last resort. This could not be allowed to continue, and every option was on the table. The Emperor was not going to be happy by the end of this, but then he was rarely happy anyway.

So when he set his plan in motion, Darth Vader did so with full commitment to his chosen path.

Making its way across the galaxy, the Mon Calamari ship reached friendly territory, where the Empire would not bother looking for anyone.

It was the empty void in between solar systems, the closest stars being small pinpricks indistinguishable from all the other stars of the galaxy. On arrival Han transmitted a signal with his personal codes, which would tell the rebels they had reached the rendezvous point. There were a couple ships from the rescue operation here as well, waiting for someone to come and pick them up. Everyone had to wait a little while longer for a rebel ship to arrive, but the wait was worth it when Home One emerged from hyperspace.

One by one ships were brought into Home One's hangar, the first being the Mon Calamari ship. It couldn't land quickly enough for Han's liking, and he was the first to climb out once the door was open. The others were not far behind him, and Sokka was particularly glad to enter a place he recognized. The owners of the ship waited to get paid, and once Luke informed the right people the credits were transferred and the Mon Calamari allowed to be on their way. They took their ship back out of Home One, and the two vessels went to hyperspace in different directions.

Everyone went to their quarters for some much needed rest, though Toph needed to share a room with Aang until she got her own. Sokka went to the room he once shared with Katara, feeling strange to be back there after being separated for so long. That didn't stop him from sleeping in his old bed, getting the kind of rest he had sorely lacked over the long months in the spirit world. His dreams were still plagued with the nightmares of that realm, making him toss and turn in the bed, but not bad enough to force him awake.

Katara did her best to comfort her brother in his sleep, even if there was very little she could do to dispel the nightmares. Still, her presence helped to calm him, and that would have to be enough. She took the time to get some sleep of her own, needing it nearly as much as Sokka did. They slept through the night shift aboard this shift, and the early part of the scheduled day shift as well. Nobody bothered them anyway, everyone understanding that they sorely needed rest. Katara was first to wake up, and she was nearly dressed and ready when Sokka rose from slumber.

"Good morning," Katara said. She turned to see him sitting on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I've been a long time," Sokka answered. "Thank you for coming to get me. For a while there, I thought I was going to be trapped in the spirit world forever."

"Your my brother, I'd do whatever it takes to get you out of a bad place," Katara said. She sat down next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Besides, what would I do without you?"

"Go on crazy missions with insane risks to get me back," Sokka answered.

Katara laughed at that, and she heard him laugh too. "You know it."

Elsewhere in the ship Aang was letting Toph use his room, until she was assigned a room of her own. First thing she did was sleep like the dead, seemingly immovable like an ancient mountain standing against the test of time. After getting half a day of a sleep Toph finally awoke, and the first thing she did was figure out how to use the shower. Aang found it strange for Toph to be concerned about her cleanliness, but got the impression that it was a learned habit she picked up on that heavy world, where even the smallest bits of extra weight could not be tolerated.

When she finished Toph got dressed in plain clothes, unaware they were black instead her usual greens or browns, and she faced Aang sitting on the bed. "Thanks for letting me use your stuff. Also, the whole picking me up from ironic hell thing, thanks for that too."

"You're welcome," Aang said. He leaned back and stretched his arms above his head. "By the way, I like the new look. Seems like a good fit for you."

"Don't get used to it," Toph said. She ran her fingers through the short fuzz that passed for hair. "I'm growing this back out first chance I get."

"That's too bad," Aang grumbled. He took a moment to look more closely at Toph, preserving the image of her with a shaven head in his mind. "You'll keep the muscles though, right? That seems more like your thing."

"You bet," Toph said. She flexed just for him, showing off more muscle than many men bothered to build. "I went through hell to get this strong. I bet I could chuck you down the length of this ship."

Aang laughed at the thought of her throwing him. "Oh boy, I've definitely missed having you around. It's about time we got the gang back together."

"Feels like it's been forever," Toph said. "I've got a lot to catch up on."

"Well we've got the time," Aang said. "I mean, unless something else happens in this crazy galaxy."

On the other side of the galaxy, a small one man ship was heading into the backwaters of imperial space.

The sole occupant of this sleek ship was not too happy about it, but could not refuse the orders given to her. She was required to travel to the borderlands, the neutral zone having collapsed since the fall of another empire, one world in particular being of importance. Although there were imperial forces stationed on that world, the Emperor himself wanted a more personal touch, an agent of his will that reported to him directly. This young redheaded woman knew what she would have to do, once she arrived at the little blue marble known as Earth.

After all, this was a task for the Emperor's Hand.

After getting some rest of his own, Luke found himself summoned to Leia's office near the bridge of Home One. He had already delivered his report on the mission's outcome, both the good and the bad parts of what had happened. Luke was surprised to see Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar in the office with Leia, having thought this would be a one on one meeting. The three officials were standing in front of a large computer monitor, currently paused on a black screen, left in full view when Luke entered the room to meet them.

"What's going on?" Luke asked.

"A message came in a few hours ago," Leia answered. Her grim expression spoke volumes. "It came from the Empire, specifically addressed to you."

There was one reason Luke could think of for that. "Do you think they know?"

"That doesn't matter," Mon Mothma said. "The message came through our bothan spy network. That means the Empire knew about it all along. Now all of the intelligence they've gathered is suspect."

"Why would anyone in the Empire let us know that they know about the bothan spies?" Luke asked.

"It appears to be a show of good faith," Ackbar speculated. "Whoever sent this message will likely expect us to respond in kind."

"You don't know who sent it?" Luke asked.

"It's encrypted," Leia said. She tapped a few buttons and the computer monitor lit up, displaying the instructions accompanying the message. "And I think you'll be faster than our best code slicers."

Luke read the instructions, and he understood why. "Yeah, I see it."

Trust Your Instincts. The Code Will Be Revealed Through Faith In The Force.

"Does that mean anything to you?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Yeah," Luke said. He reached for a chair and brought it over to the computer. "This might take a bit."

He sat down in front of the computer, put his hands just above the keyboard, and closed his eyes. Luke relaxed, focused on the teachings Yoda had taught him, and cleared his mind of everything else. He let the Force flow through him, trusting in its guidance, whatever it may be. His fingertips drifted up and down, and the buttons moved by themselves, inputting a code that only users of the Force could obtain. The image on the monitor changed, the computer using the code to decrypt the message, and text appeared for everyone to read.

Luke Skywalker,

The time has come for you and me to meet in person. There is much we must discuss. We may be on opposite sides of this war, but that does not matter to the likes of you and me. Together we can decide the fate of the galaxy, without the Emperor.

Come to the system on the Empire's border, to the planet called Earth. Take any precautions you deem necessary. Your allies will not be harmed during our meeting, as long as they are willing to abide by a temporary truce.

Until we meet.

Darth Vader