New Blood in a New Hope

By Michael Weyer

Bloody Revelations

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Buffy just stared in shock as Angelus confidentially paced before her. His eyes raked up and down her body, studying every inch as that smirk remained pasted on his lips. "Gained weight, blondie? Or do I just remember you as the feisty young kid?"

Buffy just opened her mouth up and down. Nearby, Mara just frowned, not sure what the deal was but deciding to take the opportunity to rest from the fight. "How?" Buffy whispered. "How can…how did you…."

"Ever hear of Toth demons?"

Buffy blinked. "Huh?"

Angelus kept on smirking, one hand bouncing his lightsaber loosely around. "Magical demons, use these fancy staffs for their big blasts and such. Angel was hunting one down with his little gang of bunglers and of course, Mr. Gracelessness couldn't avoid being hit. Thing is, Toth magic basically splits your personality in two for lack of a better term."

"Split?" Buffy numbly repeated.

Angelus nodded. "Split. One second, I'm stuck inside choir boy as usual, the next, I'm free and out. One fully vampire Angelus, one fully human Angel." He sighed, the smirk fading. "So of course, it turns out he was ready for something like this, has Wesley cast a spell and the next thing I know, I'm landing in a Star Destroyer hanger bay and here we are."

Buffy blinked and took a deep breath. "So…wait…you're telling me…you're not Angel. Not at all."

"Nope. Just good old me," the vampire said with a smile.

Buffy slowly nodded.

And then she smiled.

"Good."

In seconds, she was halfway across the room, her foot slamming into Angelus' chest. The vampire grunted with pain and surprise as he was sent slamming back. "That means I have no problem holding back," Buffy said as she swung her lightsaber out toward him. Angelus' red blade blocked it and they began to duel it out, backing up as their sabers clashed.

"You've improved," Angelus noted as he stabbed out with his sword.

"Thanks," Buffy returned as she spun around to lash out a kick at him. Angelus dodged it and threw out his hand to catch her with a blow the face. Buffy rolled with it, spinning and slashing at him. Angelus flipped back and threw out his hand, sending a chair flying toward Buffy.

She cut it in half but Angelus was on her with a series of saber sweeps. Buffy did her best to block each one, her Slayer reflexes matching Angelus' vampiric speed, their blades a blur of colors as they clashed. At the side, Mara stared in disbelief. Even Vader wasn't as fast as this. Hell, the Emperor was usually not this fast either. It wasn't just the speed that hit her but also the emotion. She had known there was a connection between Angelus and Summers but this…this was pure hate and each was willing to extinguish it by any means necessary.

She felt like moving in but the sheer power of the confrontation before her made her afraid that she'd be hacked to pieces for her interference. Instead, she decided to back away and try to get back to the other Imperial forces.

She was almost to the door when a bench flew off and hit her in the mid-section. Gasping, Mara stumbled back and fell on the floor, holding her ribs in pain. Buffy was smirking at her. "I'm not through with you, bitch." She managed to block another of Angelus' attacks and returned the favor, kicking out at his crotch. Angelus blocked it and with a Force sweep, knocked Buffy off her feet. She landed on her back, able to keep her lightsaber up to block his strike and rolled out of the way as their duel continued.

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Xander glanced around the hallways, seeing if there was any opportunity for escape coming. So far, he didn't see it. He, Willow, Leia, Cehwbacca and Kasen were surrounded by stromtroopers with an Imperial officer in command. The troops were obviously ready to use deadly force if need be and the prisoners were wise enough not to give them the opportunity. Lando led the group, his face betraying no emotion as he led the procession toward the landing bays.

They had come to an open area with several Bespin guards on duty, standing at attention with hands behind their backs. As soon as the last of the troopers had entered the area, however, the hands came up to reveal blasters aimed right at the Imperials. The troopers were caught completely flat-footed, too startled to react as the guards moved in. The officer quickly saw that they were outnumbered two to one and wisely decided to take the better part of valor.

Lando moved to take away their guns, handing them over to the head of the guards. "Good work," he intoned. "Lock them in the security tower. Keep it quiet." The man nodded as they quickly led the stormtroopers away.

Lando grabbed the key from the officer and moved to start unlocking the binders around everyone, including Willow's collar. "What are you doing?" the redhead demanded.

"Making a choice," Lando grunted. "If Vader can renege on a deal, so can I."

"I knew it!" Threepio called out. "I knew he was trustworthy, that this was all a mistake!"

"Why should we trust you now?" Kasen demanded.

Lando glared at her. "Open your eyes, Moor! You think there's any going back for me after this? You think I actually enjoyed what they were doing?" He unlocked the binders on Chewbacca's wrists. "Keeping prisoners never has been my style and I-----"

The rest of his words were cut off as Chewbacca's large paws clamped around his neck. Lando gasped, going to his knees as the enraged Wookie started to throttle him. "Chewie!" Willow gasped, leaping up to try and hold him, her failings having no effect on the Wookie but did cause Threepio to cry out.

"After what you did to Han…" Leia snapped. "You think we're going to trust you?"

"What are you doing?" Threepio cried out in alarm. "Trust him! Trust him!"

"I…had…no choice…" Lando gasped out.

"Oh, we understand, you had no choice," Leia sarcastically said.

"Ah, Chewie," Xander said as he moved up to the Wookie. "I more than understand your feeling here but maybe choking the one guy who can help us out isn't a good idea?"

"Listen to the boy!" Threepio said.

"Han….Still…chance to save…Han…" Lando choked.

Leia's attention was caught by that. "Chewie, let him speak!" Reluctantly, the Wookie eased up enough for Lando to gasp out. "East…platform…Fett's ship…Taking off there."

"Come on!" Leia cried out, grabbing a gun left behind and starting to race down the hallways. Chewbacca moved to follow as Threepio looked to Lando. "Administrator Calrissian, I apologize for Chewbacca's uncouth behavior! If I could, I would disassociate myself from him entirely…"

"Move it!" Willow cried out.

"After all," Threepio continued to call out as Chewbacca raced down the hallway. "He's only a Wookie!"

Lando gasped as he rubbed his neck. "I think I just made another mistake," he muttered. Scrambling to his feet, he began to follow the group, getting his breathing back to normal.

He soon moved to the lead, Leia letting him as she knew he had a better knowledge of the city than the rest of them. Lando held up his hand as they came to a corridor, letting them see the platoon of stormtroopers nearby. As soon as they passed, he let out a long breath. "Okay, east platform isn't too far off."

A loud beeping got everyone's attention and Threepio raised his head. "I'd know that electronic signal anywhere! Artoo-Detoo!"

The rotund droid rolled in from another hallway, letting out several beeps. "Oh, thank the Maker!" Threepio cried out with relief. "You have no idea how good it is to see you again, Artoo!"

"Hi, Artoo," Willow said with a smile. "Good seeing you. Where are Luke and Buffy?"

The droid let out a series of loud beeps. "He says they were separated," Threepio translated. At more of Artoo's beeping, Threepio flashed with anger. "What do you mean you're not in the best of condition? At least you're not strapped to the back of an irresponsible Wookie!"

"Does this droid ever shut up?" Lando asked.

"You figure it out, let us know," Xander said as the group raced through a doorway and onto a landing platform. The sun was beginning to lower in the horizon as the oddly shaped ship lifted off before them. They all opened fire, bolts striking at the ship's engines but its deflector shields held strong and it hovered over the landing pad. The engines glowed as it blasted off into the sky.

Leia's face was crestfallen as she watched Fett, and Han, fly off into the distance. Willow was reaching to put a hand on her shoulder when Lando spoke. "We can still catch up to him. My techs fixed the Falcon and there's not even Fett's ship can outrun her."

"When you switch sides, you don't go halfway, Lando," Kasen had to admire as the group turned around.

"Yes, feed his ego, it's just what he needs," Xander sniped just a group of Stormtroopers came through the doorway. The escapees opened fire, cutting down several of the troops. Willow stepped up and threw out her hands as she uttered something in a strange language. A blast of energy ripped out to knock the troopers back.

Lando looked at the redhead in amazement. "How'd you do that?"

"All with mirrors, my friend," Xander answered.

"Huh?"

"Explain later. Got another way around?"

Lando nodded and led them down to a secondary hallway. "Keep your body down, Chewbacca!" Threepio yelled out. "And Artoo, keep up! I told you to get your treadmills checked out last time you went in for maintenance!"

Kasen glanced to Willow. "Isn't there anything in your bag of tricks that could keep that thing quiet?"

Willow arched an eyebrow. "If there was, don't you think I would have used it by now?"

Kasen thought about it and nodded as they ran on.

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The sounds of saber energy clashing echoed through the hallways as Buffy and Angelus continued their fight and Mara followed at a distance, ready to leap in if the Slayer got the upper hand. The walls soon bore the marks of lightsaber blows as the two thrust, dueled and battled back and forth. Buffy leapt over Angelus' head, somersaulting even as she threw her blade at his neck. He blocked the blow, launching a kick but she landed with feet on the wall. Kicking out, the leapt out in a thrust but he sidestepped it in time.

Buffy saw a nearby window where sunlight still flowed in and inspiration struck. She backed up, fighting off Angelus' advances. "What's the matter, Buff?" he asked with a cocky grin. "Getting slow? You used to have so much more stamina." He grinned. "Only thing Angel and I ever agreed on."

Buffy just smiled back. "Yeah…seem to remember…one other thing…you both had in common…" She suddenly stuck her foot into his midsection and fell backward. Their sabers entwined, Angelus felt himself falling forward and launched back. Buffy turned around, giving him a wicked grin as she watched him fall right in the path of the open sunlight, completely exposed. "Here's a free preview of Hell for you."

Angelus lay there and then started to laugh. He was still laughing as he sat up. He was still laughing as he got to his feet. He laughed as he stood in the patch of sunlight and took in the dumbfounded look on Buffy's face. "Funny thing I learned in this galaxy," he said to the stunned Slayer. "It's not the sunlight that's deadly to vampires. It's the atmosphere of Earth, something to do with the exact radiation contents of Earth's sun." He shrugged. "Not really following all that to be honest but it does mean that I'm pretty much footloose and fancy free in the daytime." He grinned as he hefted his lightsaber. "Lucky you."

"Ah, shit," Buffy whispered as she backed up. Feeling a presence behind her, she spun around to block the attempted strike by Mara Jade. She launched out her boot to nail Jade in the face and send her stumbling back. She turned around again to block Angelus' strikes and soon found herself trying to handle both Sith at once.

"Not…exactly…fair odds," she grunted.

"Hello? Evil!" Buffy ducked Angelus' shot as she tried to sidestep but Mara was ready with a swinging attack of her own. Buffy barely blocked her attack at her knee which allowed Angelus to smack her across the face with his fist.

There came a time when even someone as stubborn as Buffy Summers had to admit that discretion was the better part of valor. That time had definitely come now. She absolutely hated the idea of leaving Angelus alive but at the moment, she couldn't face this fight. Which meant it was time to take on one of those old traditions of Slayer-hood: Fight to run away.

She drew onto the Force even as she blocked the duo's attacks. She held up her lightsaber to catch both of theirs and then launched out with a wave of Force energy that sent both Angelus and Mara slamming backward onto the walls. Without hesitation, Buffy spun around and smashed her lightsaber into the window behind her, then leapt forward through the shattered glass.

The blast of air nearly blew her back up, more powerful than she expected. Turning off her saber, she spread her arms as she fell downward, sweeping past the tower. Angelus and Mara had recovered by this point to look out the window at her. They watched as Buffy moved into a standing position, her feet striking a pole hanging outside a window, some sort of weather barometer. It bent under her weight, giving her the bounce needed to leap upward in a diagonal direction. Her hands clutched another pole and she twisted around, letting go to grab an archway hanging over a balcony. With a final spin, she landed on her feet on the balcony, instantly using the Force to shatter a large window and enter the lower tower.

Mara and Angelus slowly looked at each other. "Got to hand it to her," Mara said. "The girl's got style."

"She always did," Angelus admitted. He smirked as he backed up. "Can't wait to see her die in it." He headed down the hallway with Mara following, already signaling the troopers in the building.

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Kasen fired her blaster toward the troopers, the bolts driving them back. One moved forward but a shot from Xander cut him down, sending him sprawling down a short flight of stairs.

The young man glanced at Kasen. "How the hell can you be such a bad shot?"

"I'm a pilot," the brunette snapped back. "I'm used to nailing them from fighters!"

The group had moved to a nearby alcove before a large metal door. Lando moved in to hit the keypad. He frowned as he entered the same sequence over and over but got no response. "The code's been changed!"

"Looks like Vader was covering his bases," Willow said as she moved in to examine it. "Damn, it'd take too long to hack…"

"Artoo!" Threepio said. "You can plug in and override the locks!"

"For the first time ever, I say listen to Threepio!" Xander yelled. Artoo moved up to a nearby socket, an arm sliding out of his body. Leaning in, he slid it into the socket and started to turn it as he accessed the system.

As he did, Lando reached over to grab a small microphone from the wall. "I owe you all but I owe my people something else," he explained as he hit a button. He spoke, his words echoing throughout the entire city. "Attention. Attention, this is Lando Calrissian. The Empire has begun to take control of Cloud City .I am advising you all to leave before more troops arrive. All Cloud City spacecraft are hereby released for evacuation and all ships have clearance. Please…please try to help each other out. Good luck to you all…and I'm sorry. Lando out."

He replaced the speaker, sighing with a sad look on his face. Leia felt her anger toward him fade away as she realized he'd meant it about protecting his people. "I'm sorry," she softly said.

Lando sighed. "Not your fault. I guess I just wasn't cut out for the honest life."

"Artoo!" Threepio interrupted. "That's a power socket! Disconnect, disconnect!" His warning was late as Artoo shook with energy from the terminal and was launched backward, hitting the other wall and bouncing off with a painful tweet. "Well, don't blame me!" Threepio said. "I'm only an interpreter, remember? I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a terminal!"

"There's another one nearby!" Lando called out. "Come on!" He turned to let out a few shots from the blaster Leia handed him as the group moved on at a quick pace. The hallways were now filled with citizens racing around in panic, clutching what few valuables they had as they tried to get to the nearest ships.

"Your Highness," Threepio asked. "Shouldn't we attempt to take some of these refugees with us?"

"We'd be taking them into more danger than out of it," Leia responded.

Xander grunted as he fired down the hallway at their pursuers. "Geez, there's no end to these guys! What do they do, make them in a factory?" He paused. "Oh, right."

They came up to a large orange door, Artoo moving to the terminal, taking a moment to make sure it was the right one before sliding his arm in. He twisted it around as he accessed the computers, not paying attention to the humans firing back at the stormtroopers behind him.

"Willow, got any more spells?" Xander called out.

"Not easy to do with this much gunfire!" she called back. "Besides…I…"

"Willow," Kasen hissed. "I know you have problems with the dark stuff but dammit, we're in bantha fodder here!"

That seemed to get to the redhead. Taking a deep breath, Willow closed her eyes, knitting her fingers together and concentrating. As she did, Artoo turned his head and let out a loud whistle. "Artoo, we don't care about the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive!" Threepio yelled. "It's fixed!" The blue droid seemed to make a protest but Threepio just wildly waved his arms. "Just open the door, you little runt!" Giving the droid oral equivalent of a shrug, Artoo twisted the arm and the large door opened.

As it did, Willow's eyes snapped open, a new spark within them. Stepping forward, she swept out her hands and hissed out "Obveliate!" Without warning, a thick mist of smoke flowed into the main room, covering the area like a fog. The Stormtroopers found themselves in the thick of haze that they were unable to see through. They naturally heisted to move forward, fearful of a trap.

Willow felt herself slumping with exhaustion at the spell. Kasen was quick to grab her, Xander moving to help lead the redhead onto the waiting bay. Chewbacca raced ahead of them to enter the Falcon, bending low but not low enough to prevent Threepio's head from smashing into the ship's hull. At the droid's yells, Chewbacca backed up, bent lower and headed in. He unceremoniously unhooked the straps of the pack and let Threepio drop into a corner. "Why you overgrown ape!" the droid howled. "You could have at least set me down first!"

Xander let Kasen lead Willow into the Falcon as he hung by the ramp. He fired several shots into the still cloudy room as Leia and Lando moved to join him. They hovered by the ramp, firing down at the troopers brave enough to exit the cloud cover. "Leia!" Lando called out. "Go!"

She raced up the ramp as Lando and Xander started to move together, firing in unison. They backed up the ramp before turning and running up it, Xander hitting the switch to lift the ramp up. "Everyone strap in, we've got no time for pre-take off checks!" he yelled as Lando raced toward the cockpit.

Chewbacca was already in the co-pilot's seat as Lando slid in next to him, checking the controls. Despite the circumstances, the black man felt a smile come to his lips as he saw the familiar set-up. "Think I still know how to fly this baby," he muttered as he hit the switches. "Punch it, Chewie!" With a growl, the Wookie pulled back on the throttles.

With a roar, the engines came to life and Lando swept the Falcon up and around. The sound of blaster bolts hitting the bottom came as the ship flew out and headed to the setting sun. Lando let out a sigh as he piloted the ship, hoping to hell he'd made the right gamble here.

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Buffy honestly had no idea where she was now. After landing on the balcony, she'd decided that getting as low as possible was a good idea and had quickly accessed an elevator to take her down several floors. She'd had to avoid a few patrols as she moved to a stairwell and then to a tunnel that took her to the industrial levels. It was at this point that she started to feel a familiar presence and started to follow it.

She'd come across a utility room that appeared to have been ripped apart by a tornado, including a smashed window. Heading to it, she flipped down, catching a ledge and landing on a ramp. She was in a huge tunnel that stretched on for miles in either direction, further than she could see either up or down, lights spread out along the walls. Turning, she saw flashes of red and blue and two figures going at it and was immediately moving in.

She recognized Vader at once as he attacked Luke. The young man seemed wose for wear, sweaty and bleeding from a blow to the cheek but was still fighting strong. Vader was using his skill but Luke was able to strike back, striking Vader on the shoulder with a blow that actually made the Dark Lord cry out in pain.

He was about to move in when he felt a presence behind him and turned to see Buffy stepping up with her lightsaber drawn. "This does not concern you, girl," he hissed.

"You want him, Doc Doom?" Buffy said, hefting her lightsaber up. "You gotta go through me."

"Who is this Doom…?" Vader muttered to himself.

"Buffy, stay out of this!" Luke called out. "I'm the one meant to fight Vader!"

"Meant to die by him too?" Buffy retorted. "Sorry, Luke, I've played the solo warrior act myself and paid for it." She hefted her saber up. "Come on, Frankenstein, I'm in a mood to kick ass and you're a good target for it."

Vader just sniffed as she launched herself at him, easily blocking her attacks. "Such passion," he intoned as he blocked a strike. "Such…anger. Even more than Skywalker's. Perhaps you too could make a fine servant for the Emperor."

"Don't let him goad you, Buffy!" Luke said as he moved to the other side. He swept his sword at Vader but the Dark Lord was faster than expected and blocked it. The three twisted around, Vader keeping up with both their attacks. "These are the only Jedi left?" Vader sardonically said. "It will be a boon for the galaxy to wipe you out."

"Blah, blah, blah," Buffy said as she lunged toward him, driving his lightsaber down to the railway. "God, what I wouldn't give to fight a bad guy who knows when to shut up and just…"

In a move faster than she expected, Vader thrust up, his saber breaking free while Buffy's remained down. He twisted around to block a sweep at his head by Luke and swept a hand out, knocking the man off his feet with a Force wave. He could feel a rush of air as Buffy leapt forward, twisting around, prepared to land before him for a quick thrust. Vader took a step back, blocking her overhand blow and thrusting upward. As Buffy's hands flew out and up, Vader swung his lightsaber up…

And sliced Buffy's right hand off at the wrist.

It took a second for her to realize what had happened. Another for the pain to strike her. One more to realize the howl of agony echoing through the tunnel was her own. She fell backward, eyes glued to the sight of her hand falling down the endless tunnel, her lit lightsaber still clutched in it. She turned it to her arm, staring in disbelief at the sight of the stump left behind. The heat of the lightsaber had instantly cauterized the wound so there was no blood but it didn't dull the pain at all.

"BUFFY!" Luke yelled as she stumbled back. He grabbed onto her, clutching her and pulling her back He held his lightsaber out, pointed at Vader as he backed up more. He glanced behind to see they were at the edge of the railing and began to slide onto the thin piece of metal leading to an antenna at the end of the ramp. Buffy was leaning on him, eyes shut, tears flowing beyond her control as she clutched her arm.

"It is done, Skywalker," Vader intoned. "Submit now. Don't make me have to destroy you."

"I'll never join you," Luke hissed. He held an arm tighter around Buffy. "Not after this…"

"You do not know your true potential," Vader said and despite the pain, Buffy could swear she heard actual concern in that electronic voice. "You have only begun to find your powers. Join me and I will complete your training. With this combined power, we can end this useless destruction and bring order to the galaxy!"

"Order?" Luke snorted. "Your kind of order? The kind that encourages this?" He nodded to Buffy, who was starting to control her breathing.

Vader had turned off his lightsaber as he stepped forward. "If you only knew the power of the Dark Side…Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

"He told us enough!" Buffy snarled, the pain making her words harsher. She moved back onto the edge of the antenna, holding tight to Luke. The man had turned off his lightsaber to clutch at the antenna's top, trying to be strong against the winds blowing from below.

"He did!" Luke agreed. "He told me how you killed him!"

Vader paused, almost as if Luke's words had stunned him. His helmet shook slowly before the speakers in the mask crackled and he uttered six words that would change everything.

"No, Luke. I am your father."

Time stopped for a single instant as those words hung in the air. The power behind them, the statement carrying no deceit, no hidden meaning, just utter and complete fact, made it all the more horrifying. It was a moment where the universe seemed to turn on its ear, the past thrown into chaos and the present shaken to the core. It was a moment neither of the two Jedi would ever forget…no matter how much they would want to.

Shock once again rocked Buffy, her pain forgotten thanks to it. She raised her head to star with gaping jaw at Vader. Luke's jaw was slowly moving up and down as he shook his head. "No…" he whispered. "No…that can't be…that's impossible!"

"Search your feelings, Luke," Vader hissed. "You know it to be true."

Luke stared as he reached out through the Force, searching desperately for a sign of deception, of darkness…but only the light of truth shone through. Once again a howl of pain echoed through the tunnel but this time it was from Luke and it was from a blow more horrible than a lightsaber could ever be.

"Luke," Vader said, holding out a black glove. "Join me. You can destroy the Emperor, it is your destiny. Join me and we can rule together, father and son. The girl as well, she can be your wife, your Empress!" He kept the hand up as his tone lowered. "It is the only way, Luke."

"No." Both men glanced to Buffy who had raised her head up. "No…there's another way." She turned to look up at Luke with a face that spoke volumes. He stared back with surprise, seemingly ready to protest. But at her resolve, he nodded and looked to Vader. Without another word, Luke let go of the antenna to send he and Buffy loose into the abyss.

As they spun downward into the bottomless tunnel, one thought echoed in Buffy's mind: It would have been nice to have been able to give Vader the finger before they left.

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Just one more chapter left to go, hopefully able to knock it off soon. This may have ended up long but come on…how can you not do THAT scene? Also, you can be sure that loosing her hand is going to affect Buffy's attitude a bit as we go along. Again, all comments are welcomed, thanks for keeping up.