New Blood Strikes Back
By Michael Weyer
A Rocky Flight
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Buffy had been improving in her time as a solo pilot but still felt a bit nervous as the fighters left Hoth's orbit, flanking the remaining transport. Luke and Wedge were tight behind her with the Y-Wing containing Kasen and Willow behind them. They could see the ominous shape of a Star Destroyer coming toward them. "Looks like we lost the ion cover," she noted.
"Wedge, Buffy, get in closer," Luke said. "Pull back to the rear of the transport, we may get overshadowed by it in their scanners. Wait for my mark and arm torpedoes."
"Got it, Luke," Wedge replied, instantly realizing the strategy.
"Kasen, you hold back in case this doesn't work," Luke went on.
"Roger," Kasen said. The three X-Wings moved as close as they could, hanging by the rear of the transport as the Destroyer moved. "Wait…wait…" Luke said. "NOW!"
Wedge broke left, Buffy broke right and Luke zoomed ahead. Buffy headed for the left reactor of the destroyer, lining it up in her sights. She fired off a pair of torpedoes and broke away quickly. The torpedoes hit square on and the reactor ripped apart in a massive explosion. Wedge's attempt cause a smaller blast at the other reactor while Luke's torpedoes hit just below the bridge area. The Destroyer floated, the blasts causing a loss of control as the transport flew away. A blast of flame and shrapnel flew past the Y-Wing but Kasen managed to avoid most of it, only a few pieces hitting the hull.
There was a crackle as the transport pilot spoke. "Thanks, Rogues. We're making the jump to hyperspace now. See you at the rendezvous point."
"Gotcha," Buffy said. "We going too, Luke?" There was a pause at his end and she frowned. "Luke?"
"Ah, we should split up," Luke said. "Just in case there are any TIEs trying to pursue."
"It doesn't look like they're in any shape to send fighters out, Luke," Wedge pointed out.
"Still, better safe than sorry. Spread out in different directions, the make for the meeting point."
"Well, okay," Wedge said as he banked his X-Wing away. "See you there."
Buffy looked over to the Y-Wing. "You two okay with that?"
"I guess so," Willow said in a nervous voice.
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
"Just not used to having the whole vacuum of space thing so close to me," Willow intoned. "But, hey, no problem!"
Buffy chuckled and nodded. "All right. I'll see you soon." The fighters moved off, Wedge zipping into hyperspace, followed by Kasen and Willow. Buffy moved her X-Wing to follow Luke's.
"You'd better get going," Luke said.
"Not until you tell me what's really going on," Buffy said, her voice losing her levity.
"What?"
"Come on, Luke," the Slayer pressed. "You're hiding something. So fess up or I'm just gonna follow you until you do."
Luke sighed. "I…had a vision. Out on the ice." At Buffy's silence, he stiffened. "You too?"
"Yeah," Buffy softly said. "My mom."
"Mine was Obi-Wan," Luke said. "He told me I had to go to a place called Dagobah, to seek out a Jedi Master named Yoda for training."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Buffy complained. "I'm in this Jedi thing too, you know!"
"I know, I should have," Luke said with a sigh. "But I wasn't sure if it was for real or not. Plus, if he talked to only me…"
"Well, screw that," Buffy said. "I'm going with. We're in this together, remember?"
Luke opened his mouth, then shut it, knowing that any arguments were futile. "Artoo, send her the same coordinates I'm following." The droid beeped from his spot in the X-Wing but Luke shook his head. "Yes, I'm fine, trust me."
Buffy shook her own head as she entered the data into her nav-computer. "You realize I am hitting you when we land," she announced. "Just giving you the heads-up."
"Thanks for the warning for once," Luke chuckled as they took off.
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"A hundred directions and you just had to pick this one!" Leia yelled at Han in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. Green bolts of energy flew past the cockpit window, courtesy of the Star Destroyer and pack of TIE fighters chasing the freighter. Han was ignoring, her concentrating on flying with Chewbacca as Xander quickly checked the sensors for an escape route.
"Jade!" Han yelled to the rear of the ship. "We need some room, so man the cannon!"
"You can pick a better expression than man the cannons, you know…" The redheaded woman muttered as she raced to the gun turret.
"Just keep them off our backs for a few moments," Han said. "That'll be enough to get us into hyperdrive!"
"Sir, if I may say-----" Threepio began.
"Not now!" Han yelled.
"But, sir…"
"Shut up, Threepio!" Leia yelled.
There was blaster fire from below as Mara fired the guns at the fighters, hitting one and scattering the rest. "Han…" Xander let out a warning and Solo looked up to see another Destroyer coming toward them from the opposite direction. "Hang on!" he yelled as he threw the Falcon into a steep dive and spin.
The smuggling vessel flew in a tight downward arc, the TIEs trying to keep up. The two Destroyers, of course, were nowhere near maneuverable enough to check their speed or direction in time. The sound of their collusion echoed even in the vacuum of space.
"We've still got the TIEs," Leia pointed out.
"Oh, yeah?" Han said as he flicked some switches and reached to a large lever. "Watch this." He yanked on the lever and a loud grinding sound echoed through the ship. Han's face instantly fell as he pulled the lever forward and back but with no obvious result.
"Watch what?" Leia casually asked.
"I think we're in trouble," Han said.
"If I may so, sir," Threepio broke in. "I have been attempting to explain to you that the hyperdrive motivator has been damaged. It's impossible to go to lightspeed!"
"Yep, trouble in River City," Xander remarked.
Han instantly left his seat and headed to the back. "Jade, I thought you said you were handling the hyperdrive!" Behind him, Xander immediately moved to take over the controls as Chewbacca followed Han.
"So I didn't make it perfect, sorry!" Mara snapped as she climbed up from the gun turret. She watched as Han jumped into an open engine bay area. "Chewie, tools!" The Wookie obliged by bringing over a box, placing it at the edge of the pit. Mara was about to ask what he wanted her to do when the entire ship was rocked, the metal box falling into the pit. Mara had to smile at the loud yell Han let out.
He stuck his head up just as the ship was rocked again. "That wasn't a blaster bolt," he muttered.
"Han, get up here!" Leia yelled out. The trio were soon running to the cockpit. Mara stopped by the entrance as she saw the viewscreen filled with gigantic boulders of various sizes and shapes.
"Don't even ask," Xander said as she slid over to make room for Han in the pilot's chair. "I was too busy to check the charts and make sure there weren't any asteroid fields around!"
Mara glanced at a readout nearby. "Damn, it's a big one. It'll take a while to circle around it but if we break now-----"
"Chewie set a course, 2-7-1," Han intoned.
Xander and Mara stared at him in shock as the ship moved toward the rocky sky. "What are you doing?" Leia demanded. "You're not actually going into an asteroid field, are you?!"
"They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" Han pointed out with his usual unique logic.
"Sir," Threepio exclaimed. "The odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately seven hundred and twenty to one!"
Xander frowned. "That's actually better than the lottery…weird."
The Falcon twisted and turned among the spinning rocks that flew around it as Han did his best to avoid any collision. Xander glanced at a scanner with wide eyes. "We've got four TIEs!"
"Damn, they are crazy," Han remarked as he skimmed the surface of a large asteroid. He quickly flew the ship downward to avoid an oncoming boulder. One TIE was unable to dodge and was hit dead on, instantly exploding.
Even as he maneuvered the fighter, Han spoke. "You said you wanted to be around when I make a mistake, your Highness. This could be it."
"I take it back," Leia said with obvious worry as the ship raced around more asteroids. One TIE was struck on the wing by a rock and spun out of control, smashing into another asteroid.
"We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer," Mara pointed out.
"Pulverized?" Threepio said with an electronic gasp.
Han nodded. "You're right. I'm taking her closer to one of those big ones."
"Closer?!"
"Closer?!"
"Closer?!"
"Closer?!"
"Raaaghw?!"
Han threw the Falcon on a hard dive directly toward a large asteroid. He skimmed the surface as the TIEs tried to follow, firing after them. "You don't have to do this to impress me," Leia breathed as Han flowed around it.
Han just ignored her, sweeping the ship down into a large crater within the asteroid. The two TIEs kept chasing, firing after them hard and fast. "Han," Xander said in warning as he saw the tunnel before them starting to thin out. Without a word, Han threw the Falcon onto its side. Once again, the ship's unique design was its saving grace as it was flat enough to make it through the opening. The two TIEs weren't as fortunate, striking the narrow edges and smashing together for a dual explosion.
"We've lost them," Xander announced. "But there's still a lot of activity out there."
Han nodded. "Yeah. And we gotta put down for repairs anyway." He looked at one large one. "That one looks nice…" He quickly maneuvered the ship toward the largest asteroid they'd seen, deep into a crater. The lights at the front of the ship clicked on to help pave the way as Han finally set the ship down.
He sighed as he rose up. "All right, Mara, Xander, you two get on the hyperdrive. Chewie, you make sure they keep their eyes on the job and not each other."
"Hey!" the two said but Chewbacca nodded in agreement.
Leia shook her head at Han. "I still have a bad feeling about this."
"You wanna hitch a new ride, Princess, be my guest," Han said as he moved to the back of the ship. "For the rest of you, get to work."
Mara just glared at Leia. "Sure you want to get involved with him?"
"I'm not…" Leia threw up her hands and left, her face flustered. Xander smiled to Chewbacca. "See, part of me is almost hoping they decide to go at it."
A loud smack and a yell from him cut off the rest of his thoughts.
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Piett kept his pace careful as he came up to the meditation chamber at the center of the ship. His first day of command had been busy to say the least between the battle and the new pursuit. While most of the Destroyers had recovered from damage by the Rebellion's ion cannons, two had suffered from the collusion chasing that smuggling vessel. Which was what was bringing the new Admiral to Vader's chambers.
His mood wasn't helped by the sight of Darth Scourge leaning outside the doorway. The man appeared utterly calm and even bored, giving no sign of having slaughtered Ozzel only a few hours earlier. "He's busy," Scourge said.
"I was told to report as soon as possible on that ship he wanted," Piett calmly stated. "Per his orders."
Scourge shrugged. "Fine, your funeral." He tapped the door pad and they entered. Before them, the chamber was open and they could see Vader sitting in the center, his helmet held overhead by a mechanical clamp. Piett and Scourge both stopped, staring at the horrific sight before them.
All they could see was the back of his skull, which appeared partly misshapen and discolored, almost to a point. They could also make out a mess of hideous scars and burns covering it. Piett was unable to suppress a shudder as he realized he might well be the first man in the fleet to ever see his master unmasked. Even Angelus was a bit thrown by the sight.
The helmet was lowered and clamped back into place, the automatic breathing beginning. As Vader's chair swung around, both Angelus and Piett straightened. "Yes, Admiral?" Vader asked.
Swallowing, Piett spoke. "My lord, we have tracked the Millenium Falcon but she has entered an asteroid field and we cannot follow-----"
"Asteroids do not concern me, Admiral," Vader interrupted. "I want that ship, not excuses. Understood?"
Piett bowed and walked out of the room as quickly as he could. Angelus watched him go before turning to Vader. "What's the deal here?" he demanded.
"Acquiring those on the Falcon will aid me in getting Skywalker," Vader explained.
"What makes him so important?" Angelus demanded. "I have a right to know."
Vader gazed at him. "What is so important to you about finding this Slayer?"
Angelus nodded. "Touche." He headed to the door. "I'll make sure the crew keeps on the chase. By severe encouragement if needed."
"At least try to keep the mess to a minimum this time," Vader intoned as Scourge headed out to leave him to his own thoughts. Angelus pursed his lips as he went. Vader was hiding something, that was for sure, and it had to do with this Skywalker. Maybe it was time Angelus did a little checking into him and the possible connection to the Dark Lord.
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Buffy had learned, during his years in this galaxy, to try not to judge a planet by his outer appearance. Places that seemed rough turned out to be nice while ones that seemed picture perfect didn't have a breathable atmosphere. But she had to admit that Dagobah did not exactly instill wonder at first sight.
She couldn't make anything out from the massive cloud cover in the atmosphere, only bits and pieces of land and water. She frowned as she glanced to where Luke's X-Wing flew at her side. "You sure this is the right place?"
"The only Dagobah in the system," Luke told her. "I'm having trouble getting any readings. You?"
Buffy checked her systems and shook her head. "Nothing. So what do we do?"
Luke sighed. "I'll go in first, you follow, but not too close."
Buffy nodded as she followed him in. She set herself for the usual shaking that would go out whenever a fighter entered an atmosphere. But she didn't expect the entire X-Wing to suddenly rock as if shaken by a massive hand. "Whoa!" she yelled. "Luke! Luke!"
"Losing control!" Luke yelled back, his X-Wing drifting away. "Can't…maintain.." His voice was lost in static but Buffy was too busy fighting for control of her ship. The canopy was filled with the sight of clouds and fog, giving no indication where she was even going. She grit her teeth as she pulled back on the throttle. At that moment, the X-Wing shook harder with a sudden impact as the bottom hit some sort of surface. It skidded twice before finally burrowing to a stop.
Buffy took a few minutes to let the adrenaline of the moment fade from her and for her head to stop ringing. She reached to slip off her helmet and opened up the canopy. She winced a bit as she climbed out and let her eyes adjust to the sight around her.
The fog had lifted a bit so she could see the nose of the X-Wing burrowed into a large patch of mud. She craned her head to see one of the foils also stuck in the mud and hoped it wasn't damaged too much. As it was, it'd be a pain in the ass to try and get it out but she figured she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
She quickly stripped off her flight suit, now in just her light blue jacket, pants and light shirt underneath. She could feel the muggy atmosphere of the swamp yet there was a surprising chill to it as well. It wasn't just the weather either. Her Slayer Sense was buzzing into overtime as there was a heaviness to the air that screamed out danger, even without the Force.
She hopped down from her fighter, pausing to make sure her lightsaber and utility belt were on. She looked around, tempted to call out for Luke but decided announcing her presence before knowing the full situation wasn't a good idea.
Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to open herself up to this Force. She had limited success with it at times, Willow suspecting her natural impatience marred it a bit. She was struck once more by the strange feelings the planet seemed to bring, the teeming of life but with a strange layer of darkness. Through it all, a beacon of light shone through and she realized it was Luke.
It took her about twenty minutes to walk to his position. He was also out of his fight suit, setting up a small generator on the ground. Artoo was next to him, the droid covered in mud and muck. He smiled as Buffy approached. "Glad you're okay. How's your fighter?"
"In the mud," Buffy said. "Yours?"
He nodded to a nearby bog where his X-Wing was sticking half-way out of the water. "Something inside it tried to take a bit out of Artoo," Luke said.
Buffy chuckled as she tapped the droid's domed head. "Good thing you're not edible." She looked around the swamp, frowning. "I don't know about this…I mean, it makes sense for a Jedi Master to hide someplace secluded but still…"
Luke sighed as he got the power lamp working, taking a tool over to try to clean up Artoo. "I know what you mean. This place is definitely strange."
"You're getting that freaky vibe too?" Buffy looked around.
"Yeah," Luke said. "I can't shake the feeling like…like…"
"Feel like what, do you?" a high-pitched voice suddenly said. Instantly, Buffy and Luke spun around, both pulling out their blasters and aiming them at the figure that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Like we're being watched," Buffy said. She was being confident but was really thrown by the fact that, as alert as she had been, she hadn't detected the slightest clue of anyone coming by. Then again, it seemed this creature was used to sneaking up on people.
It was small, barely two feet tall, clad in a tan tunic and a patchy robe. A cane was held in one three-fingered hand. It had covered its face, its voice high-pitched as it spoke. "Away, put your weapon! I mean you no harm!"
"Who are you?" Luke asked.
The creature lowered its hands to reveal its face. Its head was round with long pointed ears and wisps of white hair here and there. It was green and wrinkly with wide eyes that showed a touch of mischief.
"Who are you?" the creature replied. "What are you doing here?"
"We're looking for someone," Buffy said as she and Luke lowered their blasters.
"Looking?" the creature smiled. "Found someone, you have."
Luke smiled back. "Ah, no, we're looking for someone important. A great warrior."
"Ooooooh," the gnome said as it leaped off the log, limping on the stick as it came to the canister nearby. "A great warrior, you say. Wars not make one great." He bean to rummage in the canister, flicking a small torch on before throwing various items out onto the muddy ground.
"Hey!" Buffy said as she leaned down. "Get out of there!" She leaned in, grabbing him by his cloak and pulling him back, a bit startled at how heavy he seemed. The creature just hummed as he took out a protein bar from the rations and began to chew on it.
"Hey, that's our dinner!" Luke yelled.
The creature frowned as he chewed, then spit it out. "Aggh! Awful, it tastes! How you get so big, eating food of this kind?" He threw it away and rummaged around, pulling out a small energy lamp.
"Hey, we need that!" Buffy yelled. "We have to get out ships out!"
"Oh," the gnome said sarcastically. "Cannot get your ship out…" He played with the torch, even sticking it into his mouth.
"Hey, wasn't our idea to land on this slimly mudhole!" Buffy snapped.
The creature seemed to take offense. "Slimy? Mudhole? My home, this is!" He held the lamp away from Luke's reach but Artoo reached out with one of his small mechanical arms to grab it. The creature was taken aback, pulling at it. When Artoo wouldn't budge, the creature grabbed his stick and started to whack the droid on the head.
Despite the setting, Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the sight. It felt oddly good to do so, letting out the tension and sadness she'd felt since the vision of her mother. "Artoo, let him have it!" Luke sighed. The droid let out a loud beep as it retracted its arm. The creature held the lamp with a satisfied grunt.
Luke brushed at his hair. "Okay, you've had your fun. Now, get going. We have work to do."
The gnome shook his head. "No! No! Stay, I will! Help you find your friend, I will!"
"It's not a friend," Buffy said. "We're looking for a Jedi Master."
The creature's eyes widened as it rocked back on its small feet. "Ooooooh. Yoda. You seek Yoda!"
Buffy and Luke exchanged surprised glances. "You…know him?" Luke carefully asked.
The green figure nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! Know him well, I do! Take him to you, I will!"
"When? Now?" Luke asked.
The creature shook his head. "No, no. Eat, you must. My home not far. Take you there, feed you, yes, yes, I will!" He began to move off in his odd fashion with the cane. "Come, come!" he waved them to follow.
Luke and Buffy looked to each other. "What do you think?" he asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Not much else to do here. We might as well find out how much he knows."
Luke nodded and looked back to Artoo. "Keep an eye on things. We'll try to be back soon." He and Buffy then turned to follow the odd little creature through the swamp. As they did, Buffy couldn't shake the idea that something about all of this was a little off…
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Given the events of the last few days (not to mention her tendency to nod off during long car rides that went back to childhood) it wasn't surprising that Willow had fallen into a deep sleep not long after the Y-Wing into hyperspace. It took a sudden shaking to rouse her, blinking as she looked around.
She saw that instead of the blue-white streaks of hyperspace, there were regular stars around. She leaned in toward Kasen. "What's going on?"
The pilot sighed. "I guess some of that shrapnel hit one of the engines. We've been leaking hyperdrive but only noticed it now."
"Damn," Willow muttered. "Can we make it to the rendezvous point?"
Kasen shook her head. "Not as it is. We'll need some sort of repair work first." She tapped some keys to check her navigation system. "Hmm...one place we can try, not too far. We should have enough hyperdrive energy to make it there."
Willow sat back. "That's good. You sure we can find a way to get this repaired without attracting attention?"
"We should be able to," Kasen said as she set the Y-Wing on its new course. "From what I can tell, helping people out without making a big fuss over it is what Cloud City does best."
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As if Dagobah couldn't get less appealing, a hard rain was coming down outside. Buffy and Luke were both now grateful they'd taken up the invitation to the small creature's hut. Luke was bending down to fit inside the interior while Buffy had a slightly easier time due to her smaller height.
The gnome was messing around with a pot on a small stove in the middle of the room. "Yes, yes!" he said in that high-pitched tone of his. "Eat you will before Yoda you meet!"
"Is he far?" Luke asked as he did his best to sit on the floor.
"Not far!" the creature giggled. "Not far at all." Something in the way he said that made Buffy study his movements, how rushed they were, the way he was talking…and something clicked within her mind.
Luke's impatience was showing as the creature placed a small bowl into his hands. "Look, I'm sure this is nice and all but we really need to get to Yoda."
"Patience, you must have," the gnome said. "Patience. Why in a rush to see Yoda? Why a Jedi?"
"Well," Luke sighed. "My father, I suppose…"
The creature let out that "ooooh" sound of his again. "Ooooh. Your father. Yes. Great Jedi he was. Powerful in Force, he was."
Luke started in place while for Buffy, the final piece fell into place. "How could you know my father? You don't even know who I am." He sighed and tried to rise. "I don't even know what I'm doing here. We need to get back, the Alliance needs us----"
"Sit down, Luke," Buffy said in a strong tone.
He looked at her in confusion. "Huh? Buffy, we're here to find Yoda and this little guy is just-----"
"Testing us," Buffy said as she leaned to him. "Don't you get it yet, Luke?" She pointed at the small green figure watching them both. "He's Yoda."
Luke's first reaction was to scoff but the resolve and certainty in her features caused him to study the gnome closer. Before his eyes, the little fellow's entire demeanor shifted. The levity, mischief and seeming madness faded, replaced by a solemn aura. His eyes lowered and became more serious. Moreover, he seemed to suddenly age, not physically but seeming to grow decades older as his shoulders slumped a bit.
He looked downward and when he spoke, it was without any of the light madness of before but in grave tones. "Teach them, I cannot. No patience, the boy has."
"He will learn patience." Both Buffy and Luke started at the words of Ob-Wan Kenobi that seemed to come out of nowhere but filled the entire hut.
Yoda shook his head. "Much anger I sense. Like his father."
"Was I much different when you taught me? Or Qui-Qon or Mace Windu?"
Luke swallowed his surprise at the realization that this was Yoda to speak out. "I'm ready. Ben, tell him I'm ready!"
"Ready?" Yoda brought himself up and seemed to somehow be taller than his true size. "What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi! My own counsel will I keep on who is ready!"
He shook his head at both of them, pointing his cane at Luke. "This one have I watched long time. All his life he has looked to the future, to the horizon. Never, his mind on where he was! Dream he does of adventure. Of fame, excitement. A Jedi craves not these things."
He turned his attention to Buffy, pointing his walking stick at her. "And this one…From a strange world, is she. A fighter, a warrior, Force is strong in her." His frown deepened. "But heavy is her heart. Impatient her spirit is. Anger too quick to rise within her, emotion too much govern her." His eyes narrowed. "Paid the price for that, others have."
Buffy was ready to snap but Luke broke in. "That's because we've never had anyone to teach us differently, Master Yoda."
Yoda looked at him, then at Buffy, then turned away. "Too old!" he said as if the argument was finished. "Yes, too old to train, they are."
"But we've already learned a lot on our own," Buffy said. "If Obi-Wan didn't think we were ready, why would he send us here?"
Yoda stared back at her, then to the distance. "Finish, will they, what they begin?"
"They must answer that themselves," Obi-Wan gravely said.
"I'm in all the way," Buffy said in a resolute tone.
"So am I," Luke said. "I've wanted this all my life. I'll do whatever it takes."
"We're not afraid," Buffy added.
"OOoooh?" Yoda said, that smile coming to his face. "You will be, young ones." He leaned on his cane, the smile carrying a tone of menace, mischief and utter seriousness that sent a chill up the Slayer's spine.
"You…will…be."
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So as you can see, we set up the big fun of training and chase next chapter with detours for the Falcon crew and Kasen/Willow. Hope it's soon, thanks for all the encouraging comments.