A/N: Thank you again for reviewing. I am trying to add in a few characters that some of you have asked about...Again, this was meant to be a short vignette, but I can't stop it now! Thank you thank you...more Mara and evil Palpatine to come!

Emerson

Part XIX

A lot of people on a lot of planets at many different times had attempted to pull a fast one over on Han Solo, but even he had to admit this took the proverbial cake. Honestly, what did Admiral Piett expect from him? He was no fool, and he would not stand by and let some Imperial scum make him out to be so.

The Rebel pilots and Officers were murmuring to themselves, discussing what they'd just heard. They were just as incredulous as he was. They were waiting for Han to say something, to react in some way. He may not have a senior credential in the group, but he was certainly the one they looked up to. Well, he was reacting now, wasn't he?

"Do you really expect me to believe...Admiral, that Darth Vader needs our help?" It was unbelievable. "So, let me get this straight...Luke's dying and his father decides that he's made some bad decisions in his life...so instead of turning the kid over to the Emperor, he hides him away on board the Executor. Meanwhile...and I'm not sure how none of you saw this coming...somehow word gets out that Luke is here...so Palpatine isn't so happy about that. And now, the Emperor is on the way, Luke is still infected, the Executor is a sitting duck and Darth Vader himself is asking for the assistance of the Rebel Alliance to commit the ultimate treason and overthrow Palpatine?" Han paused, taking in the flustered face of Piett. "Is that about it?"

Piett, grave and pale, answered, "Yes, General...that is everything."

Han looked around the crew assembled behind him. Chewie growled something uncertain, and most of the pilots were wearing looks of disbelief. Next to him, R2 gave a helpful beep.

"Ummm, forgive me if I find it hard to trust you, Admiral. But our past little trysts together have not turned out exactly in our favour." He could hear the pilots nearest him murmuring their agreement. Chewie huffed in support.

"I understand, General, and I am not sure I can offer you anything which will prove to you the enormity of the situation."

The sarcastic remark that perched on Han's lips never left them. The enormity of the situation made itself remarkably clear as Han could see, over the shoulder of Piett, the massive black shape of Darth Vader approaching. He grimaced and took a step back, but Chewie, with a distinct height advantage, growled to him that Leia was coming too. Piett stood aside, and Leia ran to Han's embrace. Solo glared at Vader as he pulled Leia to him.

She held him tight a moment, then stepped away. The look on her face would have been all he needed to believe whatever she was going to say. But the presence of Vader again brought the feeling of being trapped to him...something was not right.

"General Solo." It was a neutral greeting. The last time he had seen Solo he was retrieving his son. He'd noticed the General then, true, but his thoughts had been more focused on Luke than anything else. He seemed as he remembered him...distrustful, wary, arrogant and completely protective of Leia.

"My Lord." It had taken Han quite a lot to swallow his pride and concede Vader his title. He had done it for Leia's sake. Something had changed between them, it was obvious to Han. The way Leia looked to Vader and back to him was more telling than words would have been. He set his jaw...he had the feeling he wasn't going to like what either of them had to say.

"I assume you have been briefed by Admiral Piett on the situation?" The seriousness in Vader's voice...though Han had never heard him as anything but serious...confirmed his worries. The fact that Leia had moved back to stand next to Vader did not help either. Han nodded in response. "I would have preferred to speak with you privately first, General, but we are pressed for time."

"Thanks for the offer, but every time we have a private little chat, I always end up getting tortured or stuck in carbonite." Not smart, he thought...but he could not resist a verbal jab. Leia gave him one of her looks...tread carefully, Solo...and raised her chin imperiously at him. He'd better stop. Looking from Leia to Vader, he said, "Why don't you tell us exactly what it is you'd like us to do...and why we should believe you."

Vader had to fight the urge to use the terror he was obviously inspiring in the assembled Rebels to his advantage, and simply bully them into submission. But Leia's presence at his side reminded him of all he had to lose. He controlled his simmering rage and launched into an explanation.

"I am sure that most of the Rebel Alliance are aware that Luke Skywalker is my son," Vader started. "The Force is strong in him, and the Emperor seeks to exploit this. My orders were to bring him before Palpatine...and assist in turning him to the Dark Side." A beat, this seemed to be old news to the Rebels...perhaps they had already conjectured such. "While this was certainly what I had planned to do from the first moment I'd learned of his existence, I am unable to do so now. The virus and several...personal interests prohibit it." He leveled his dark gaze to Han. "I will not attempt to describe the reasons why...all you need to know is that Luke will not come to any harm while he is with me."

"So why was Princess Leia taken away from us? How do we know you haven't used some kind of Force trick to brainwash her?" Wedge asked skeptically. He still didn't like the situation.

"Wedge..." another pilot cautioned.

There was a long, searching moment as Leia looked to Vader and he back to her. Again that feeling of unease overtook Han, and he had learned long ago not to ignore his gut. He may not have the gift of the Force, but he knew when to follow his instincts. He was not disappointed when Vader spoke again.

"For many years I had suspected that the child that my wife carried, the child that I thought had died with her, was a daughter. When I discovered Luke, I assumed I must have been wrong." Vader again spoke directly to Han. "But the Force was telling me the truth...only a part of it. I do have a daughter."

Realization settled into the rest of the group faster than it did Han. Perhaps he just wasn't ready to accept it. He gaped a moment before R2 gave him another helpful beep. Vader watched the truth sink into Solo, saw him silently ask Leia if it was true, felt her send him back the assurance it was so. "Let me speak to him...just a moment." Leia said to her father, and pulled Han away from the rest of the group.

The little R2 droid was beeping away, but no one seemed to be able to understand him. Vader reflected on it a moment...it was vaguely familiar to him. Wasn't that Luke's little R2 unit? Why did it strike him so? It was only when the translator droid joined the R2 unit, helpfully interpreting its beeps to the pilot they called Wedge, that it hit him fully. That was Padme's droid...and that was 3PO. What an amazing twist of fate, seeing the droids that had at one time been such an important part of his life, now such an integral part of the lives of his children. How fitting. He doubted the protocol droid would remember him at all...it had been on board Organa's ship...which meant it was the property of Bail Organa. Well, if the Viceroy had an ounce of intelligence, 3PO's memory would have been erased. The very fact that it had not reacted at all the name Skywalker was proof enough of that. Vader looked over to Leia, who was still trying to explain things a little more fully to Han. Back to the R2 droid then. He strode purposefully to where it sat, beeping away to Wedge. 3PO stopped his prattle immediately, and Wedge took several steps back as Vader approached. The little droid swiveled its dome to take the Dark Lord in fully. "R2D2...were you not once the property of the Royal House of Naboo? Did you not once serve the Queen Amidala?"

R2 gave a short blat and rolled backward until he bumped into 3PO. His tone was unmistakable, even to those who could not understand him. I do not trust you. "If you are indeed that same R2 unit, you surely must remember me, though perhaps by a different name...Anakin Skywalker."

R2 responded with a mournful sound, and Vader did not need to translate that either...R2 remembered...and he did not like what he saw before him now. Best to leave the little droid alone, though perhaps later he'd be able to question him. R2 may have some memories of Padme...remembrances of times with her when Anakin was not with her. Stories he could tell him about her...things she'd said or done...or the truth about how she'd died. Vader raised a placating hand and turned back to where Leia stood. The entire gathering of Rebels including Solo and the Princess were watching him now, and he felt entirely exposed. He did not like it.

"Well, General?" He did not need to elaborate any more. Leia had surely told him everything. The grim set of Solo's jaw proved he'd believed her.

"I hope we don't regret this," that was to Leia. "Are we all in agreement?" That was to the Rebels. Stony-faced acceptance from them. Then, to Vader, "Just tell me where to aim my blaster."