Chapter 49

Star Destroyer Executor

Ferreus returned to the Executor, angry and frustrated that the Skywalker twins had evaded him. But at least I know where one of them is, he reasoned as he headed for the bridge. That freighter is the key, I can't let them escape.

"Follow that freighter," Ferreus ordered as he entered the bridge. "Under no circumstances are they to get away."

"My lord, we managed to destroy eight of the…"
"I don't care," Ferreus retorted hotly. "The rest of the rebels don't matter to me right now. I want the children of Skywalker at any cost. One of them is on board that freighter."

"Don't worry sir," Piett assured him. "We won't let them get away."

"Make sure you don't," Ferreus warned.

Piett did not reply, but merely watched as Ferreus left the bridge with a furl of his black cloak. He then turned back to the crew who awaited his orders.

"Track that freighter," he said. "Do not let them out of your sight. When they are in range, engage the tractor beam."

"Yes sir," Reyal replied. He looked up at Piett who stood beside his station. "Does he mean Anakin Skywalker?"

Piett nodded. "Yes he does," he replied. Piett could not help but think that there was a connection between Skywalker and Darth Vader, for it seemed that the two men had never coexisted. What was more, the emperor's sudden interest in the children of Anakin Skywalker coincided with the defection and subsequent disappearance of Darth Vader. Coincidence? Piett thought it highly unlikely. But his opinions were irrelevant; he had a job to do. Firmus Piett was a man of honor; so he would follow his orders to capture the Skywalker offspring, and do his best to ignore the protests of his conscience.

Planet Dagobah

"This is delicious, Master Yoda," Padmé said as she sat beside Luke. "Thank you."

"How is Leia?" Luke asked his parents.

"She's missing you," Anakin told him as he took a spot on the floor beside Yoda. "But other than that, she's fine. Giving Obi-Wan a challenge, I'm sure," he added with a smile.

Luke laughed. "He had his hands full with the two of us," he replied. "I think he was thrilled to see me leave."

"A patient teacher, Obi-Wan is," Yoda put in.

"He had to be, with me as his padawan," Anakin said with a smile.

"Oh come on," Luke said. "From what he told us you were a model apprentice."

Anakin's eyes widened. "Model apprentice?" he repeated. "I think someone has been pulling your leg, Luke," he said.

Luke laughed. "Well, maybe model isn't quite the word he used," he said. "But he always speaks highly of you."

"We were very close at one time," Anakin replied. "Like brothers."

Yoda nodded. "You were," he agreed. "Until the Dark Side infected that bond. The emperor, a master of manipulation he is. Blind we all were to his plot to destroy you, Anakin, to destroy the Jedi."

Anakin nodded. "I was blind too," he said. "Too blind with my own fear and insecurities to see what he was doing until it was too late." He looked down into the fire. "I allowed him to use me, Master Yoda. I was so obsessed with saving Padmé that I didn't even consider that he was using me. I was a fool, a stupid, short-sighted fool."

"You were trying to save the woman you loved," Luke reminded his father. "There is nothing stupid about that, Dad."

Anakin looked up at his son, and then over at Padmé who had been silent during the entire conversation. "No, perhaps my motivations were not," he said. "But in the end, those motives were lost amidst the horrible acts I committed."

"Such is the way of the Dark Side," Yoda put in. "It twists even the best of intentions, blackens the noblest motives."

"If there is anything remotely positive that has come out of all this, it has been that my mistakes will serve as an example to my children," Anakin said at last. "Knowing what befell me will enable them to avoid the same mistakes I made." He looked at Padmé. "I only regret that the cost of this has been so high," he added.

Padmé could see the pain and regret in his eyes and part of her felt badly for him. Yes, Palpatine had used him; he had probably plotted to destroy him from the moment he first met Anakin as a boy. But he made the decision to believe the monstrous Sith Lord of his own free will, hadn't he? He had slaughtered the younglings of his own free will; he had nearly killed his wife of his own free will. Palpatine may have leaded him to the Dark Side, but once there, Anakin had embraced it fully.

"We have all paid the price, Anakin," Yoda said. "But none more than you. The fact that you have managed to free yourself from the grasp of the Dark Side is a testament to your strength of character, and affirms the belief that you are the Chosen One. It is the will of the Force that has brought you and your children together, Anakin. They have been instrumental in your redemption."

Anakin looked at his son with a smile. "I couldn't agree more," he said.

"What do you say to some saber practice, Dad?"

"Sounds like a great idea," Anakin replied. "That is if you think you can keep up with your old man," he added with a smile.

Luke laughed. "Well, for one thing, you're not old," he began. "And secondly, I'd befooling myself to think that I could keep up with you. Not yet, at least," he added with a smile.

Anakin lifted his eyebrows. "I see," he said. "What do you think, Master Yoda? Is the boy ready?"

Yoda nodded. "Eager he is to try his skills," he commented. "Humbled he may be against a much stronger opponent," he added, looking at Luke.

"Nothing wrong with a good humbling once in a while," Anakin remarked. "It keeps us from getting too complacent."

"Indeed," Yoda commented. "Pride can be destructive. Arrogance is the way of Darkness. A Jedi must know humility if he is to be pure of heart."

"I couldn't agree more," Anakin replied, standing up. He looked down at his wife. "Are you coming?" he asked her.

"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" she asked.

"I'll try to go easy on him, I promise," he said, holding a hand to her to help her up.

"There is no try, Dad," Luke reminded him with a grin as Yoda took the dishes into the next room. "Don't you know that?"

Anakin laughed. "How could I forget?" He put an arm around his son's shoulders. "Has he given you the size matters not speech yet?" he asked him quietly.

"Yeah, got that one yesterday," Luke replied.

Anakin laughed. "Some things never change."

Padmé watched the exchange between her husband and their son, loving the way they interacted, loving how close they had already grown. Luke obviously had managed to get past the ugliness of Anakin's past and had accepted him fully as his father. Surely if he can do that, I can do it too, Padmé thought as she followed them out of the small hut. But Luke never had to see the look of murder in his father's eyes, never had to feel his rage unleashed upon him; perhaps if he had, his forgiveness would not come so easily.

Millennium Falcon-Hoth System

Having evaded three star destroyers, nearly causing the three enormous vessels to collide, Han was making the final calculations to make the jump to hyperspace. It would not be too soon for Leia, who could almost feel the clone troopers breathing down her neck.

"They're getting closer," she told Han, trying to keep her fear out of her voice.

Han, however, was nonplussed. "Oh yeah?" he replied in his patently cocky manner. "Watch this!" he added, activating the hyper drive controls with a grand gesture. To his horror, however, nothing happened.

"Watch what!?" Leia retorted hotly.

A cold sense of fear began to spread through Han. "I think we're in trouble," he muttered, his eyes wide as he surveyed the control panel frantically.

"Sir, I noticed earlier the hyper drive motivator has been damaged," See Threepio cried. "It's impossible to go to light speed!"

"We're in trouble!" Han replied, jumping to his feet and heading for the access panel in the hold

Leia simply sat in the chair he had just vacated, trying to remain calm in the light of their latest set back. Peace, be calm, she told herself, using the Force to keep herself calm. But with each parsec the traveled, the Imperial ships gained on them a little more. Before long she knew that they would engage their tractor beam, and then it would all be over.

"What the…" she said, peering out the view screen. When she realized what it was that she had seen, she activated the comm. at once. "Han, get up here!" she called.

Within moment Han and Chewbacca returned to the cockpit.

"Asteroids!" Leia told him simply.

Han did not seem alarmed; in fact, it was almost as though he was happy to hear it. "Chewie set two-seven to one."

Leia could not believe what she was hearing. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "You're not actually going into an asteroid field??"

"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" Han replied.

Leia sat down, stunned by his recklessness. "You are crazy, aren't you?" she asked

Han shrugged. "Maybe so," he said. "Maybe you could use some of your Jedi powers and help us out of this jam, sweetheart. We're kind of out of options here."

Leia looked at him. Han didn't believe in the Force, did he? So why was he willing to place their fate in the hands of something he had no faith existed. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, sit down," he said. "Gimme a hand."

Leia wasn't sure she wanted to shoulder such a huge responsibility, but there was no time to vacillate. She sat down at the controls and closed her eyes for a moment, focusing her mind on the Force. She opened her eyes and watched the asteroids as they hurtled towards the Falcon. The Force enabled her to see them as though they were moving in slow motion, enabling her to steer the Falcon around them easily as Han manned the main gun to blast the TIE fighters that were in pursuit. Leia felt as thought the controls were an extension of her, the freighter responded to her slightest movement.

"Look," Han said simply.

Leia nodded and brought the Falcon closer to an enormous asteroid. This feels wrong, she thought.

"No, not here," she said.

"We have no choice, sweetheart," Han said. "Do it!"

Leia complied and flew the ship into and enormous cavern within an asteroid. Two TIE fighters tried to follow them through the narrow passageway, only to crash and explode upon the walls of the corridor.

"Beautiful," Han said, utterly impressed by Leia's piloting. "I have to say, that was damn impressive."

Leia smiled at him. "Now do you believe in the Force?" she asked.

Han stood up. "Kinda hard to argue with that performance," he replied. "Now how are you at fixing hyperdrive motivators?" he asked with a grin.

Leia laughed. "I think you need my father, not me," she said. "But I'll do my best to help."

"That's good enough for me," Han said. "Come on."