I had a rough idea what I wanted to happen in this chapter and for the rest of the story, but thanks to Star Lord's review I came up with the way I was going to fit all the little pieces together to make my story, so thank you.
I enjoy reading your reviews, so please carry on reviewing.
Now here is Chapter 8...
Let the Games begin...
Chapter 8
Games
I DO VERY BAD THINGS,
AND I DO THEM WELL.
Previously on Trapped on Imperial Centre
"This is impossible" he whispered.
"My father's name was Anakin Skywalker, my mother Padmé Amidala." Luke cursed under his breath at her words.
All time stopped.
Now
The galaxy stood in silence at one woman's words, the prince of the galaxy, the third most powerful, was dragged into a shattered world where everything came crashing down. This woman, they were just about to execute her, they were just about to execute their sister, daughter and granddaughter.
Their gazes locked, Luke reached out with the force, her shields were strong but not strong enough to block him out, he cut through the shields searching through her thoughts and memories. Who had told her this information? Whilst on his search e found that it was indeed true that they were twins. He flew past memories of the alliance, the memories of her and him, the ones she had put to the front of her mind knowing that her shield were not strong enough, so that when he did break through he was bombarded by the memories of a past life. But Darth Lukco did not feel the regret, only anger at the current situation, using his emotions he pushed the insignificant memories away and dug deeper, and deeper, and deeper.
He came to the last fire wall, carefully he slipped inside, if he broke though this wall her mind would be permanently damaged, he did no want that. Quickly he searched through the memorise, then he found them. Memories of landing in a swamp planet, memories of...Yoda.
Luke pulled out of her mind, opening his eyes he saw Leia, her eyes transfixed on him, but despite the brutal attack she looked slightly dazed, but other than that her face betrayed no emotions. "Shut off the camera's" He shouted, once he was satisfied that this was done he continued, "So Yoda is the one who trained you, the one who told you." He inquired but he knew that it was true.
"Yes" she confirmed.
"Who told you of Master Yoda's location, sister?" His words fell like a hiss off his tongue.
"Obi-Wan told me." Leia answered, she was willing to give up the information, it cost her nothing. He would only find out in the end run anyway.
"Obi-Wan?" Luke mused. "So he appeared to you through the force then."
"He did, he came to me once we found out that you had fallen. He was as shocked as the rest of us that you had travelled down the dark path Luke."
"Darth Lukco has not fallen, daughter." Vader corrected, "He has merely rises from the old and feeble ways of the Jedi."
Leia laughed, "You know, I almost jumped off a cliff when Yoda told me that me and Luke were twins, I did not mind that Luke was my brother, no..." She crossed her arms like she was amused by the situation. "No I was horrified that I had a monster for a father," She turned to the Emperor, "and a tyrant for a grandfather."
"Child, you have been easily influenced by the Jedi's lies about the Old Republic. Soon you will see the truth that your brother has come to seen." The Emperor predicted.
"Luke did not see this, he did not choose this, you forced it upon him." Leia pointed her finger at both of them, "You forced this upon your own flesh and blood."
"That is where you are wrong Leia." Luke stated, "This was not forced upon me, I chose this life, they merely had to do what was necessary to free my from the bounds the Jedi and the Rebellion tied around me. I saw the truth, soon you will too." He turned to a group of stormtroopers, "Take them to the cells, if they escape or lives will be forfeit." He ordered them, his words dripping with anger.
The white clad solider saluted, two troopers grabbed each prisoner and escorted them off stage. When Luke turned around his father and grandfather were already leaving the stage and were entering the palace. He quickly caught up with them.
"Well that was unexpected." Palpatine addressed them.
"The princess never made anything easy, not even her own death." Luke declared.
"So you still propose that she is executed?" Vader questioned, his mask turning slightly in Luke's direction, but they carried on walking behind the slow pace of the Emperor, the tapping of cane on polished marble floor was all that could be heard down the silent corridor.
"Yes, that is unless she accepts my offer."
"And offer now. Interesting. Being to play games with your prey, grandson?"
"I learnt from the best." He replied, a grin playing over his face. The Emperor stopped and turned, Luke could see the smiled on his face, but as soon as it came it left, and he turned and carried on walking.
When they reached the end of the corridor they trio stopped. "I'm going to head down to the detention centre, I'd rather not give them time to mule over what's going to happen." Luke stated.
"Very well son. I will see you later." Luke nodded and headed down the left corridor whilst the Emperor and Vader headed down the left.
"He has come far in the last two months." Palpatine observed.
"Indeed he has, he learns quickly." Vader agreed. "He's beginning to take after you."
"Oh is that so, my son." Palpatine laughed.
"He's playing the game's like you do. Making deals. Using ways to get what he wants. He is very cunning."
"But he also takes after you. He's very skill full with a lighsaber, unlike me who hardly uses a lightsaber unless unavoidable. He also likes flying and is very talented at it, just like you."
"It seems that he got the best of both of us." Vader joked as they made their way to the private wing of the temple.
When Luke reached the detention centre the guards were just leaving a cell, the doors swooshing close just as he stepped foot out of the lift.
"Have they put in the same cell." He asked as he walked up to the main desk.
"The princess and the smuggler have been put in the same cell, but the wookie had to be separated and putt into a cell by himself, my lord." The officer replied.
"Thank you." He praised before heading to the cell where he had seen the stormtroopers leave.
"Would you like us to come in with you, my lord?" One of the guards who was guarding the cell asked.
"No, that will not be necessary." With a nod of one of the guards head he put in the code to open the cell and the door smoothly opened, Luke stepped inside.
Inside both of the prisoners were sat on the seat on the other side of the room. Unlike previous times when he had visited them they did not seem worried or confused, instead they looked calm and collected.
"Hello Luke." She greeted him.
Luke shot her a glare "You know my name, use it. Or refer to me by my lord."
"Sorry your highness." Han spat.
"Only the Emperor is addressed as your highness." Luke corrected.
"How about young prince?" Han laughed, it seemed that he was hell bent on annoying Luke, or was he trying to make him laugh? It didn't matter neither would work.
"I'm sure that, Darth Lukco..." She shot Luke an unamused glance, "Did not come here to discuses what we should call him." Leia looked him straight in the eye, no fear was shown by either, "So what is it that you want, brother?"
"I propose an offer." Luke informed them.
"An offer?" Leia laughed. "Go on then what do you have to offer me?" She asked, for both of them, from the look off Han's face he was as curious as she was.
There was several seconds of silence-
"Your life." He simply offered.
Both prisoners were expecting that, so in turn were not fazed by the possibility of death, they had faced it took many times to be suddenly afraid of it now. "At what price." She demanded.
"Your word is all the Emperor will request," He looked over to Han, "the same goes for your faïence." Leia immediately moved her hand to cover the ring on her finger. She was quick to change the subject.
"Our word on what?" She questioned.
"Your loyalty." Luke simply said.
Leia laughed in disbelief, "What is in it for us if we swear our loyalty upon the Empire?"
Luke crossed his arms and lent back against the wall, totally at ease knowing that he held the cards in this game, "Well apart from your life, of course. Their is the matter that in time once you have earned his trust there may be a spot for you on his council."
Leia looked to Han, then back to her brother, "May I have some time to think about this first?" She requested.
"No." Luke replied.
"What do you mean no?" Han snapped.
"I need the answer right now. Is it to be your word, or your death? Think quickly princess, I am not a patient person, nor is the Emperor."
Leia stood up and approached Luke, "What happened to you?" She tried.
Luke looked to his side, avoiding eye contact with his sister, he didn't reply he merely sighed. He hated it when people from his past brought up the past with them.
"Luke look at me!" She pleaded, Luke returned her gaze and she stared deep into the yellow eyes of the Sith before her. The red flames danced within. "What did he do to you?" She whispered in a soft, comforting voice, she raised he hand towards her face, towards his scar.
Luke moved, suddenly remembering what was going on. He was a Sith, but somehow she was getting to him. He would not allow it.
The Princess sighed and returned to sit beside Han, she had gotten close, so close, she had almost seen the man he used to be inside that monster that stood before her now. Maybe there was a chance.
"What is your choice, sister?"
She looked to Han, then back to her brother, "It's a deal." She agreed. Han looked like he had just been shot in the back with a blaster bolt.
"Good, I will arrange for more suitable arrangements for both of you." A smile played jumped across his lips, but it was not evil, "I shall make sure it's a double." With those words he left.
Once outside the cell Luke's mind began to tick again, what just happened in there? He questioned himself.
Han stared at the vast luxurious room that stood beyond the open door before them, never in his life had he seen so much money put into just one room. He was sure that it must be worth enough to buy a new hyperdrive for the falcon, plus a whole new set of upgrades.
Scale wise their was no other way to put it, it was massive, Han calculated that, even if it was a squeeze that he could fit the Falcon just in this room. And of cause the room was taller than it was wide, three arched windows stood on the opposite wall, and were sat metre into the wall just over a metre off the floor, the same distance between it and ceiling. And due to the doors on the other two walls he knew that this was just the first room.
In this room was a large seating area which basked in the natural light that poured in through the windows. On the wall was a holo projector, the sofa's situated around it. In the corner there was a small bar, a cupboard with clear glass doors showing the mature spirits that sat within.
On the walls sat exotic panting of far away worlds. All supported the modern theme of the room. Their was hints that this room sat in a palace but it was at a minimum, but where they were they shone out like stars, against the back drop of the room. A colour pallet of white, warm grey and royal blue was used across the rooms décor.
The man that had escorted them to the room spoke up from where he stood holding the door open. "This is the living room. To the doors on the left wall one is the bedroom whilst the other is the bedroom, of course their is also a ensuite bathroom for the bedroom. On the right wall is the door to the kitchen diner. I hope that it is to your standards." He bowed slightly before shutting the door behind the two.
Han watched as the door shut, when it finally did it was a few seconds before he spoke, "Did you hear that?" He whispered.
Leia looked at him confused, "Hear what? I didn't hear anything."
"Exactly their was no sound of a lock, well you know, locking." He stated.
Leia just laughed, "Of course it isn't, Luke knows that we won't try and escape."
Now it was Han's turn to be confused, "What do you mean? We're not going to try and escape?" He inquired.
"Nope." Leia confirmed as she sat down on one of the soft sofa's, bouncing up and down on it to test it's softness, "These sofa's are of really high quality, come try it." She requested.
He walked up to her, "Honey, honestly that's lovely, but right now I'm less focused on high a quality those sofa's are, but more on the fact that that door is unlocked, we could just go now, and you're not jumping at the opportunity." He stated sitting down on the back of one of the grey sofa's and looked at Leia.
"I'm not jumping at the opportunity because I believe that if we stay here we can do more good than if we try and escaped."
"Now your not making any sense."
"If I stay here, if I can earn the trust of the Emperor I may get a place in the senate, from their I could, try, to change some things. Along the way, gather the support of those who believe in the Republic." Leia explained.
Finally Han caught on, "Take it down from the inside."
"Exactly."
There was silence in the room. "I wonder what happened to Chewwie?" Han questioned cutting the silence.
"Tell me, grandson, what will your plan accomplish?" The Emperor asked. They sat, along with dart Vader, in the large room in their personal section of the palace, this room was used only by them, for time's when they became a family, or as much a family as three Sith's could possibly be.
The room was of similar proportions of Leia's and Han's room just down the corridor, but instead of having windows on just the far wall, their was windows on the far wall along with the right wall. Outside day was turning into night, casing an orange glow through the windows as the sun retreated beneath the city skyline. The left wall was covered by bookshelves from the floor to the ceiling, every shelve packed to the brim with books, books that were in themselves rare. A break in the bookcase allowed space for a burning fire, which flickered in the dark room making the shadows dance to it's music.
There was no holo projector in this room. There was a sofa and two chairs sat in a semi-circle around the fire place, two tables, one between each chair and the sofa. Luke sat on the sofa, his left arm bent and resting on the back of the sofa, his left leg bent and placed under the right, his right foot touching the floor. He took a sip of his drink with his prophetic hand.
He turned to his grandfather, who was sat on the chair to his right, "It will quench my curiosity." He replied.
Palpatine looked to Vader, "I see what you mean Vader. He is beginning to take after me." He chuckled.
Luke grinned, "Talking about me were you?" Luke noted looking from his father to his grandfather, a grin broad across his face.
"What are you planning?" Vader questioned his son.
"It's less about what I am planning but more abut what they are."
This intrigued the old man, "Please indulge us." He gestured with his hand with an ark like motion with his palm up.
"All in due time." Luke toyed, leaning back into the cushions whilst taking another sip of his drink.
Electricity jumped from the broken cables, leaping into the air lighting up the dark corridor that laid in ruins. The base on Tatooine stood as dead as the desert wastelands that surrounded it.
"Found any survivors?" Asked a hopeful youthful voice from the darkness of the maze of corridors.
"Not yet." Answered a older voice. The two voices worked their way through the derelict building, other voices joined them as the scurried amongst the rubble.
"I've found the main coms room. Downloading files now." Came a feminine voice from across a radio.
"Found the second hanger bay..." the strong voice was cut off by a series of beeps and boops. "What you mean...your the droid, you get us in there." The voce became frustrated, their was another series of beeps but they began to fade away. "Get back here you pile of rusted bolts."
A different female voice came over the radio, "Oh, will you two quit it. " She sighed, there was a snap hiss, several seconds later her voice returned, "There we go."
"Right...next time we enter an old building on a rescue mission, someone else can take that bucket of bolts."
"Oh come on, Chopper isn't that bad," Kanan criticized as he looked over to Ezra who was just as much struggling to keep his amusement under control as he was. "We're making our way down to the sleeping quarter's maybe we will have more look there." He stated as Hera came towards them.
"There's no point in going down to there. The Empire has done a great job I making sure that anyone who is alive has been captured, the injured were killed or left for dead. I'm sure that no one survived." She explained.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Zeb butted in, from over the microphone. "We just found a certain... Wedge Antilles in the hanger bay. It seems he was hiding in the wreckage of an X-wing, he's injured, badly... but Ahsoka recons that he will live."
"Good, take him back to the ship, get him medical treatment, the rest of us will do a final weep of the base to make sure that we didn't miss anyone." Ezra ordered.
"Meat you there."
30 minutes later upon the Ghost.
Ezra and Kanan made their way up the ramp of the ship. Ahsoka greeted them.
"How is he?" Kanan asked.
"Stable, I recon that he will wake up in a few hours, a day at the most. Zeb's with him."
"Has Sabine returned yet?" Ezra questioned, as he made his way up the small ladder.
"Yeah, she's currently decoding the files that she downloaded."
With a nod of his head Ezra vanished from their view, leaving Kanan and Ahsoka alone. "I can see why Anakin hated this planet," Ahsoka joked, "the climate is unbearable." She made her way towards the cockpit, "The sooner we leave, the better." Kanan followed her.
"How did he find out that their was a base on Tatooine, I thought you mentioned that he didn't want to return?"
"I don't know." Was all she had to offer.
Kanan took the co-pilot seat, leaving the pilot seat to Ahsoka. "Where we off to next?" Kanan inquired.
"Dagobah." She replied, inputting the co-ordinates into the computer.
"Dagobah?"
"We need to pay a visit to Master Yoda." The ship took off.
"He's not dead?" Kanan gasped.
"Guess not."
I feel that this Chapter is a little on the short side, but I really did not know what else to put into this chapter, hopefully the next chapter will be longer since there's a lot to put in to the next chapter.
So again PLEASE REVIEW...
RavenLu22...