Chapter 7 - The Empire Strikes Back
Author's Note: Enjoy the end of this storyline! :D
To Guest: Obi-Wan isn't boring, and we never said there would be a focus on Anidala in here. Get over it. If you want Anidala, go find someone else's fics. We don't write romance. xP It's perfectly acceptable to write background romance. There's no rule that you either write detailed explicit content or nothing at all. Lol.
~ Amina Gila
Something is wrong. Lucan doesn't know how he knows it, but he does. And he also instinctively knows that it has something to do with Lukka. He can't place it, but now, he at least suspects how and why he knows. If Lukka has the Force, and their father did too, there's a high chance he has it as well, at least to a point.
No one seems to have heard from her yet, so he finally goes in search of Hanna. "Have you heard anything from Lukka?" he asks, anxiously.
"Nothing," she replies, "Why?"
"I don't know where she is. Nobody does." And Hoth is far from a hospitable environment. Anything could've happened to her out there, and he knows that she needs help.
"What do you mean 'nobody knows'?" Hanna asks.
"She hasn't said anything, and there's no way she just forgot to check in. Besides, I... have a feeling," Lucan explains.
Hanna frowns. She does not look any happier than Lucan feels right now. "Then we need to go find her. It's already getting late, and the temperature is dropping." With Lukka out in it.
Lucan couldn't agree more. Lukka must have gotten herself into some sort of trouble, because there's no other explanation for why she isn't back yet.
Sending Hanna to get an animal for them to ride, Lucan goes to find the lieutenant in charge. "If we don't come back or you don't hear from us, just lock down the base for the night," he instructs. They don't need to risk themselves because the three of them are gone. They'll figure something out on their own if they must.
"Yes, sir," the lieutenant replies, though he can tell that he's less than happy about the order.
The two of them head out, and Lucan finds that beyond the trail they're trying to follow to find her, it almost feels as though something is nudging him in the right direction. Maybe it really is the Force.
**w**
They find Lukka successfully, injured but alive. It's cold and the sun is setting, so the three of them camp out that night and return to the base the next morning. Hanna can just be glad that she's going to be alright. If they hadn't gone to find her...
She seems seriously worn out, which is unsurprising, but they don't get to stick around long, because then, command calls. A probe droid was spotted, and more than likely, that means the Empire figured out that they're here. There's no time to wait around and find out. It's time to evacuate.
And it's hardly any time after that,that the news is all over the base: there's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace. They're almost out of time. She won't deny being more than a little nervous. She's certain she'll be fine, but she doesn't know about the twins.
"Hey kid," she greets, as Lukka passes by.
The younger girl stops, looking up at her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry," she assures, hesitating a moment before turning to go.
"Be careful," Hanna warns, after a moment, "Or should I say... may the Force be with you."
"You too," Lukka says, smiling faintly for a moment.
"It already was with me, and I still don't like it."
Amusement flashes across Lukka's expression, but it fades just as quickly as everyone continues to run around the hangar in the background. She hurries past, heading for her own ship.
From Hanna's position where she works on finishing last minute repairs on the Falcon with Chewie, she can overhear Lucan talking to the assembled pilots, Lukka included.
Chewie growls unhappily. "I know, Chewie," Hanna replies, "But we're almost ready to evacuate already."
They do finally get the ship in working condition, even as the battle outside is raging, but there's no way she's going to leave until she knows that the twins are safe. Lukka is still out there fighting, and Lucan is in the command center, which was just hit.
She runs into the room to see that, sure enough, he is still there. "Are you alright?" Hanna asks worriedly.
"Why are you still here?!" Lucan demands.
"I had to finish repairs. And you need to get out of here too," Hanna replies.
"I can't until I know everyone is going to be out of here."
The ground beneath them trembles again, and she knows it's going to be collapsing any minute now. "If you don't come now, we won't be leaving at all," Hanna warns. And she has no intention of leaving him behind.
Lucan pauses to get one final order over the comms, before he finally takes off after her and Chewie, back for the ship.
Everything is collapsing, and they narrowly manage to avoid it as they reach the Falcon, running up the ramp and into the ship.
Stormtroopers are already making their way into the hangar as Hanna and Chewie frantically fire up the engines and blast out, barely in the nick of time.
Well, that was a close one.
**w**
All Lukka knows on the spot is that she doesn't like this place very much. It reminds her far too much of what the swamp looked like when she got swapped like this in the first place, and she has no desire for something equally insane or worse – if that's even possible – to happen next.
Artoo beeps, sounding equally doubtful about being here.
"No, I don't know where any Jedi would be here. This place doesn't look remotely civilized." Maybe that's the point though, since he's hiding from the Empire. It would help if she had some idea where to start.
The Force feels stronger here than in some places – maybe it's because there's so much life here, she has no idea.
Artoo beeps.
"No, I don't think going into the wrong swamp could change your model." She tries to imagine bringing Artoo back to the base, spontaneously turned into a different droid type or maybe even sentient. No, just no. Yes, maybe there are things that could get even more insane than being gender swapped.
"Now I just need to find this Yoda, assuming he exists," she mutters, glancing around, "There's something familiar about this place. It feels like..."
"Feels like what?" a voice asks.
Lukka jumps, whirling around to see a small creature perched on a branch a short distance away. She instantly raises her blaster.
"Lower your weapon," the creature chides, "I mean you no harm."
Hesitantly, she lowers it, but she keeps it ready to pull out.
"Why are you here?" it asks, moving a little closer.
"I'm looking for someone," she answers, shortly.
"Looking? Found someone you have, I would say, hmm?" It laughs about nothing apparent.
"You aren't who I was looking for," she replies, unimpressed.
"Mm, help you I can."
"I don't think so. I'm looking for a great warrior."
"Wars not make one great," the creature retorts, scurrying forwards, over to her bag on the ground.
"What are you –"
It reaches into the bag and starts yanking things out, throwing them around.
"Hey!" Lukka protests, frustration spiking, "Stop that."
"How get you so big, on food like this?" the creature asks, as it continues to rummage around.
Lukka takes a deep breath, doing her best not to just scream at the stupid thing. Does it have no sense of manners whatsoever?! "Hey, be careful with that!" she exclaims irritably as it tosses more and more of her things around, before finally snatching up her lamp and giggling about literally nothing.
"If you don't mind," she says, doing her best not to just scream, "I would like that back."
"No!" the creature objects, "Mine! Or help you, I will not."
"I don't need help," she retorts. Certainly not this creature's. Artoo rolls forward, trying to pull it away.
"Mine!" the creature protests, snatching up its stick and whacking the droid.
Rude.
"Just let him have it," she groans, finally, "I'm looking for someone named Yoda. Do you know where he is?"
"Ah yes, come with me!" it insists, and scampers away.
"Watch the ship," Lukka advises before she takes off in pursuit, before she loses track of the creature and her lamp forever.
It doesn't take long for them to reach a tiny hut hidden in between the trees of the swamp, and the creature scurries inside. Lukka follows warily, half-crawling because the ceiling is far too low for a human. Seriously, this is ridiculous. She doesn't have time for this. She needs to get back to the fleet, but Ben told her to come here and find 'Yoda'. Maybe if he appears again or if she does find Yoda, they'll be able to tell her how to change back herself and her friends.
"How far from here is Yoda?" Lukka asks, trying to go for casual, as the creature scurries about, getting food for both of them to eat. She'd appreciate the offer more if not for the situation.
"Not far," the creature assures, "Patience, you must have. Find him soon, you will."
"You know him?" Lukka asks.
"Ah yes," the creature replies, "Wish to become a Jedi, do you? Why?"
How does it even know about Jedi, really? "Because my father was," she says.
"A powerful Jedi, he was," the creature agrees.
"You knew him?" she asks, warily. How is that possible?
"Yes, yes, knew him, I did," it agrees.
"How could you have, when you live in this ..." she trials off, trying to find the right word to describe what she thinks of the planet so far. "Mudhole."
"Mudhole?!" the creature protests, "My home this is!"
"I didn't mean to offend you, btut I'd really like to find Yoda right now. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
The creature scowls. "No patience, she has. Teach her, I cannot."
What?
"She can learn," comes a voice from nowhere. Ben.
"Much anger in her, like her father."
Wait, wait – no, someone tell her she has not been talking to Yoda this entire time! "You're –" Okay, this is probably one of the most embarrassing things that has happened to her as of late, but seriously, how was she supposed to know the maniac messing up her stuff was a Jedi Master?!
Yoda continues to express his complaints on why she isn't ready, but he finally grumpily decides that he will train her.
"I have one question," Lukka says finally, looking between him and Ben's ghost. She still doesn't understand how he's here.
"What?" Ben asks.
"I don't know how I ended up like this but so did two of my friends, and... is there anything you can do about it?"
"Walked into a Dark Side trap, you did," Yoda replies.
So, she had already figured out, though it still doesn't make sense to her how such a thing is even possible. "But can you do anything to change it?"
Ben sighs – because apparently Force ghosts can sigh? "I've never seen anything like this," he replies, "I don't understand what happened myself."
"I walked into a swamp, and I came out like this!"
"I saw," he replies, in a tone of complete exasperation, "But I don't know what can be done."
"Transformed, you cannot be," Yoda declares, "Unless another swamp of this nature, there is. And avoid these, you should. Dangerous, they are. Of the Dark Side, these places are."
Lukka groans quietly. It looks like they are stuck like this, unless they can find another swamp, which she personally really doubts would happen. Even if it exists, she doesn't know where she'd begin looking for it. Well, Hanna and Lucan definitely won't be happy to hear this.
And speaking of Lucan... "I have another question," Lukka adds. "How are Leia and I twins?" She's certain they know, or at least that Ben does. He watched over her for years, after all, and then Leia was mysteriously asking for his help, so...
Ben exchanges a look with Yoda. "After you were born, you were separated so that the Sith wouldn't find you," Ben replies, "For your own safety. Leia was adopted by the Organas, and I took you to your family on Tatooine."
That's... she doesn't know what to say. It makes sense, even if there's a part of her that's upset that they were separated, and that, more importantly, she was never told once they met. It makes sense but she's still upset.
She decides to drop the topic for now, though.
It's time to begin training.
**w**
Getting stuck in the middle of an asteroid field trying to do repairs on the Falcon was not Lucan's idea of how this evacuation was going to go, but at least they're still alive. And at least they were able to lose the Imperials on their tail because there's no way anyone followed them in here.
He tries to focus on the repairs but trying to re-engage the system doesn't seem to be working. Hanna appears at his side a moment later, reaching towards it. "I can handle it," Lucan insists.
"Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help," she retorts.
"Do you really have to keep calling me that?" he grumbles.
"No, I suppose I don't," she smirks.
He groans. "Do you always have to be this difficult?" Their relationship is much like how it was before, but at the same time, it's also different in a way he can't quite explain. He feels more compelled to... protect her, almost, than he ever did before. And she acts a little less aggravating herself, which makes him... think about how he almost wishes things between them could go further, even if he still fears it – getting close to someone like that again, only to likely lose them in the end.
"I don't," Hanna retorts, "But you could be nicer too."
Okay. Maybe. And suddenly he doesn't know how to respond. He abruptly notices in that moment how close together they're standing, and it makes him think even more about what he wants. And he gets the feeling Hanna is thinking likewise. "Yes, I suppose I could be," Lucan replies, moving a little closer.
Hanna reaches over, taking his hand. He isn't really thinking when he finally closes the distance between them, kissing her. She returns it immediately.
"Sir!" Threepio calls suddenly from behind them, and Lucan jumps, pulling away.
"What?" Hanna yells back, sounding decidedly irritated.
"I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling," the droid reports.
Hanna hesitates for a moment, eyeing Lucan. "You... should go take care of it," he says, after a moment. He doesn't really know how to react to this, and he wants some time to think about it.
Hanna nods, turning and finally hurrying away to get back to work.
Well, that was definitely not how he was expecting the day to go.
**w**
"Well, this is interesting," Hanna muses as she looks over the nearby systems around them. They barely escaped the cave-turned-giant-space-snake, only to come out of the asteroid field right into a bunch of Star Destroyers. She's still minorly proud of herself in being able to fool them, though, by shutting down all the power. Now they just need somewhere safe to land and properly finish the repairs, since they can't go into lightspeed.
"What?" asks Lucan, warily.
"Lando."
"Lando system?" he queries, dubiously.
"Lando's not a system. He's a man. Lando Calrissian. Card player, gambler, a scoundrel – You'd like him." She still remembers the last time she was dealing with him, back when she and Qi'ra had parted ways, probably forever. Imaging seeing Qi'ra now, though, would be beyond weird.
And wait, this isn't good. Lando isn't going to recognize her. Or maybe that is good, she doesn't know. Well, this will have to work out, because she doesn't know where else they could go.
"Can we trust him?" Lucan presses, still cautious.
No, definitely not. And she has no idea if it's better or worse than he might not believe she was once Han.
With little more than a few small difficulties, they are allowed to land at the city. "Something isn't right," Lucan mutters as they stand, heading for the ramp.
"Don't get jittery," Hanna advises, "Lando and me go way back." Though she doesn't know why there's no one out here to greet them.
There's a few more moments of nothing, before the door opens and Lando strides out, immediately looking a little taken aback at the sight. "Chewbacca?" he asks, in surprise, "And here I would've expected you to still be with Han."
"That would be me," Hanna says smoothly, stepping forward.
He frowns and seems to lose his cool for the first time. "How is that possible?"
"Let's just say there was a little accident," she replies, "Do you really think someone else could have gotten the Falcon from me?"
"Well, you're welcome to come inside," he states, and Hanna gets the feeling that he's just... either doesn't believe it completely or isn't entirely sure how to react. "What are you here for?"
"Repairs. I could use some help."
"What have you done to my ship?" he demands.
"Hey, it's my ship now. I won it fair and square," she shoots back.
"If you're really Han, you have a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled back there," Lando huffs.
"It's good to see you too," she retaliates, grinning, "And I go by Hanna now."
"And who might you be?" Lando asks, looking past her to Lucan.
"Lucan," he answers, expression still guarded and wary.
Hanna finishes explaining the situation to Lando and he promises to have his people get to work on it, before inviting them inside. It's weird meeting people he used to know like this, but now that they're past the initial awkwardness, Lando seems to be taking it all in stride again.
She would appreciate it, though, if he would stop... Acting the way he always does around women. Like seriously.
**w**
This Jedi training is very different from what Ben was having her do, but Lukka tries to let herself focus and feel the Force flowing around her. A scene rapidly spirals in front of her eyes, of Hanna and Lucan, somewhere in a city of clouds. Pain. They're in pain. She can feel it.
She jerks and promptly loses control, tumbling headfirst onto the ground. Yoda falls to the ground a distance away with a startled yelp. "Control, you must learn control," Yoda scolds.
"I saw a city in the clouds," Lukka answers, shakily.
"Friends you have there."
"They were in pain," she whispers. She doesn't know what it means, but she does not have a good feeling about it at all.
"It is the future you see," Yoda replies.
"The future?!" She scrambles to her feet, dread pooling inside of her. "Will they die?"
"Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future."
That is not remotely comforting, and she can't just sit around waiting to find out. "I have to go find them," Lukka declares determinedly, turning away. She can't wait.
"Decide you must how to serve them best," Yoda objects, "If you leave now, help them you could. But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."
Why? That doesn't make sense. But the warning coming from a former important member of the Jedi does make her pause and think. Yoda said that there's no guarantee that it's going to happen, but she can't shake the images from her mind. She doesn't know what to do, though. She doesn't know how she couldn't act while her friends could be in trouble.
She tries to focus on training for a little longer, but her worry is only mounting as the day continues to tick by. Finally, she gives up entirely. What's the use of learning to be a Jedi if she doesn't even use her abilities to help her friends when they need her the most?
"I have to go," Lukka declares, at last.
"You must complete your training," Yoda objects.
"I can't keep the vision out of my head. I have to help them," she replies stubbornly, turning away and going to gather up her things.
"You don't know that," another voice rings out. She looks up, to see Ben's Force ghost materializing.
"But Hanna and Lucan will die if I don't!"
"You don't know that. Even Yoda cannot see their fate."
"But I can feel it," she argues, "They're in trouble. I can help them. I can feel the Force –"
"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side."
"Yes, yes, to Obi-Wan you listen," Yoda chides, "The cave. Remember your failure at the cave."
"I'll come back," Lukka says, climbing up the ladder of her fighter. She needs to go now, before they try to talk her down from this anymore. If she doesn't go, and something does happen to her brother and friends, she'll never be able to forgive herself for it. "I won't be gone long."
"It's you and your abilities the Emperor wants," Ben warns, "That is why your friends are made to suffer."
"That's why I have to go," she replies. All the more reason, in fact. She can't leave them to be hurt, because of her.
"Luke –" She decides not to comment that he just called her the wrong name. Probably because he still isn't used to this insanity. "I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader."
"You won't. I'll be back," she repeats, settling into the fighter and closing it. She wouldn't betray the Jedi teachings for anything. She's certain of that.
**w**
"I don't trust him," Lucan says, still decidedly unhappy. He can't shake away the feeling nagging at him from the moment they landed, and he doesn't like it.
"Don't worry, we'll be out of here before you know it," Hanna assures unconvincingly.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Lando asks, breezing into the room.
"Not in particular," Hanna replies.
Lando holds out an arm towards her, and she gives him an unimpressed look. "You know, you truly belong in the clouds. Will you join me for a little refreshment?" Okay, maybe Lucan would like him a little more if he would stop trying to flirt with Hanna.
"Hey, I'm still Han, even if I don't look like it," she grumbles, and Lando drops his arm back to his side again.
"Of course," he agrees pleasantly, "This way."
Lando rambles about his out of the way operation as they go. "– But I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever," he finishes as they stop outside the door.
The door slides open, and Lucan freezes in his tracks at the sight of Vader sitting at the head of the table. No, no. The Empire was here the whole time. No wonder he didn't have a good feeling about it at all. Fear claws at him, which rapidly turns into anger.
Hanna reacts in a flash, whipping out her blaster and shooting at Vader. He calmly deflects the shots aside, then rips the blaster away, tossing it onto the table. "We would be honored if you would join us." From behind him, a bounty hunter – Boba Fett, Lucan thinks he might remember hearing – steps into view. One of the people who was after Han.
"I had no choice. They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry," Lando says, as stormtroopers come in on either side.
This can't be happening. They're going to be captured, and Lucan knows what that will mean. It wouldn't be so bad if Vader wasn't here, because now all the memories of last time back on the Death Star are promptly resurfacing, even if he glares defiantly at the Imperials as the stormtroopers approach, putting them in binders and leading them away.
Lucan hates the endless silence of the cell he's in, but he'd much prefer to be left to it indefinitely the moment the door opens, and he sees who's there. Vader strides into the room, letting the door close behind him.
Lucan crosses his arms, glaring at the Sith. He doesn't know what he wants, and he doesn't care. Whatever it is, he won't get it.
"Who are you?" the Sith demands.
"What does it matter?" he scoffs.
"You bear much resemblance to the princess." Vader paces closer to him, "And the ship is the same. I would have expected her to be here."
"I'm sure you can figure it out," Lucan snaps.
The Sith stalks closer, towering over him. "I will get an answer whether you cooperate or not," he warns. "Where is the princess?"
Lucan glares back defiantly, refusing to show his flare of fear. He remembers far too well what happened last time he was trapped alone with Vader, and – Well, he has no desire to help him with anything, but saying this much shouldn't hurt. Maybe. "That would be me," he retorts, finally.
There's a pause of silence with nothing but the sound of his respirator and something dark and cold pokes at him for the briefest moment. "What?"
"I don't know. Something to do with the Force," he retaliates.
"What do you know of the Force?"
"Enough to know that it had something to do with the Dark Side," he retorts. "You're a Sith. I thought you'd know more about it."
"That is not how the Force works."
He shrugs. "Like I said, that's all I know."
The Sith finally turns away, striding out of his cell, only to return minutes later with a med-droid in tow. And even without being told, it only takes Lucan one second to figure out what he's planning to do. He wants to verify if he's really telling the truth, and – That means he might discover who his parents are and all he knows is that that will not be good even if he doesn't know why he ended up being adopted in the first place. There's no way he can let them go through with this, but it's not as if he can really resist or refuse anyway. And he doesn't have anywhere to run from the stupid med-droid except right into Vader which means... he'll just have to stay put and hope that they won't realize who he really is.
It's a futile hope, though. He knows that. The silence, other than the noise of the respirator that fills the room as they wait for the med-droid to finish its tests, is as agonizing as it is infuriating, and he doesn't know what he can even do. At least they won't know about Lukka – he hastily banishes the thought from mind. Sith can read thoughts, he's heard, and even if he can't protect himself, at least he can protect his sister.
"It appears that his DNA is an exact match-up to that of Princess Leia, except that he is now male," the droid reports, "But it appears that he is only 75% human."
Lucan's stomach promptly drops to the bottom of his boots. Here it goes. So much for hoping no one was going to find out.
"What?" Vader asks, confused.
And of course, the droid has to promptly go on to announce the rest of it, that his parents are Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala.
Several moments of tense silence fill the room again, and then, it feels like the temperature itself suddenly drops.
The Sith's helmet turns between him and the droid and the icy cold feeling in the air only seems to grow. The walls suddenly tremble and the med-droid crumples into a piece of crushed metal on the floor. Vader turns on his heel, disappearing out the door without another word.
Well.
That was not the reaction Lucan was expecting.
He doesn't even know what to make of it, but still doesn't think this is going to be good at all. Still, all he can do is sit here and wait for... the unknown.
**w**
Lucan has no idea how long it's been, though he thinks it's been quite a while when Vader comes back again. Does he really want to talk to him this much? Because if it was up to him, he'd never lay eyes on the Sith again.
Vader stops near the doorway and stands there for a long moment, and though Lucan has no interest whatsoever in talking to him, he finds himself wishing he would just say something already because staring at his expressionless mask is... more than a little unnerving.
"What do you want?" Lucan snaps finally.
"You were never told what happened to your father," Vader intones.
What? What has that got to do with it? Another surge of anger and pain rushes through him when he thinks about Alderaan – though he's fairly certain that's not the parent the Sith is referring to. "Yes, I do. He was murdered while you stood and watched," he snaps.
"Your... other one."
After finding out about being Lukka's twin, he's been thinking far too much about his birth parents and wondering what it would have been like to get to know them, to have been raised with his twin. "No, I don't, but I imagine it was probably similar."
His respirator cycles once before he replies. "I am your father."
What?! For a moment, he doesn't even know how to react. He's saying that – that he's Anakin? No, that's impossible. It is. "No," Lucan retorts, "You're lying." He has to be. It's the only explanation.
"I am not. Search your feelings. You know it to be true."
It feels true, though he can't say how he would know that. The Force? No, he must be sensing wrong, because this is impossible. He knew very little about Anakin, but people have always spoken very highly of him. And – and there's no way that Vader is his biological father. No. Anyone else, just not him. (Okay, Tarkin or the Emperor would be worse, but still.)
"No," he denies again, "That's impossible. Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi and hero of the Republic."
"He was weak. I destroyed him."
Huh? "If that's supposed to be a roundabout way of telling me you are lying, that you did kill him, I already guessed as much."
"I... went by that name. A long time ago," Vader replies, after several long moments.
Why does that feel like the truth? It can't be the truth. That doesn't make any sense. It's not – He can't be her – their – father. He can't be. Even if he was, that doesn't change anything. He's on the Empire's side, and... (But he can't deny that there's a very small part of him which wants to demand answers, wants to know how he could've joined the Empire, because this doesn't make any sense.)
And is he just trying to be as confusing as possible, or does he really have a serious case of disassociation or something from his past? Talking about it as though he isn't the person he used to be. Although... that much is obvious anyway, if any of the things he's heard about Anakin are true.
"Even if this was true, what difference does it make?" Lucan snaps, finally. It doesn't matter either way. It doesn't. It changes nothing.
"We do not need to be enemies," the Sith replies, and Lucan is wondering if he's been stuck in the cell so long he's startling to hallucinate, because what?
"I think it's a little late for that," he retorts steely.
"When your brother comes here –"
... brother? What – Oh, right. He's talking about Luke, evidently under the assumption that he's still a boy. Wait – how does he know that Luke was his child?!
Vader pauses, maybe seeing the momentary confusion much too obviously on his face. "Did Obi-Wan never tell you that you were twins?"
"We figured it out on our own," he retorts, mind frantically going back over everything the Sith just said. Why would he think Lukka would come here?! Does he know where she is?! No, he has to warn her, but – There's nothing he can do, not really.
"Join me and we can destroy the Emperor," he requests, and Lucan opts to ignore how there's a strange note of pleading in his voice. It seems too impossible.
Lucan looks at him like he just grew three heads, and maybe he did. (He already seems to have two...) "You think I would join you?"
"Is that not what you want? To destroy the Empire?"
He glares at him. "Yes. So what purpose would it serve to kill the Emperor and then have you take his place?" They'd be right back to where they started. He can't believe he's having this conversation, even. (And why does Vader seem to be acting totally different now that he knows Lucan's his son?)
"We can rule the galaxy together as father and son." Lucan just stares at him. He has no idea if he's completely lost his mind or if Vader has, or maybe both, because what?! "We can end this conflict and restore peace to the galaxy," he continues.
If that offer was genuine, there might be something to talk about, because it isn't as if Leia didn't work with former Imperials all the time. But it obviously isn't because... It just can't be. He was acting nothing like this literally one hour ago. Lucan doesn't know what the Sith is really up to – he still has some serious doubts about whether this is really Anakin – and he isn't stupid enough to fall for it. "And why would you suddenly turn on the Emperor when you've been working for him all this time?" he demands.
"It has always been my intention to turn on him, for that is the Sith way, but I am unable to do so alone."
That is... He doesn't know if he should believe it or not. But personal feelings aside, if someone that high up in the Empire truly wanted to help the Rebellion, it would be an enormous asset to them. Still, he doesn't know for certain that Vader is being genuine. Also, he only implied that he wanted to ally with him and Lukka; that doesn't say much for the rest of the Rebellion. "Why should I trust you?" Lucan asks, bluntly, "When you're holding me and my friends prisoner?"
"I captured you to lure Luke to me," Vader replies, "I did not know you were my child as well." It soundslike he truly means what he's saying, and that apparently, the fact that they're his children is actually... important to him. Lucan doesn't really know how to handle the situation, and he wishes there was someone he could discuss this with.
"When he arrives, I will... release your friends."
He sounds like he means it, and Lucan doesn't know what to do. No matter how he feels on the matter, if someone is willing to help them destroy the Empire... he can't just turn it down, but he doesn't know if Vader is being genuine or if he's up to something else – like leading the last trained Jedi into a trap. "Let me think about it," Lucan says, finally.
"Very well," Vader agrees, and finally leaves.
As soon as he's gone, Lucan settles onto the floor, letting the surge of emotions crash through him. He has no idea how to handle any of this, or what to even think about it.
Vader is his father.
And that's...
He'll always see Bail as his real father, but... that doesn't change this.
He has no idea how to feel about any of this or what to do, and he doesn't know how to handle it, or how to figure it out. Most situations are easy to improvise, but not this.
Lucan doesn't know if there's much other choice except agreeing to ally with Vader – or at least make a show of doing so. He's pretty sure none of them will escape if they don't, so in terms of safety, agreeing to work with him while planning to double cross him, if necessary, is probably the best. Maybe.
He'd agree if it was only his own fate involved, but Lukka... Vader seemed certain she was going to come, and he wouldn't be surprised if she did sense that something was happening to them and come.
Yes, this is becoming more and more tricky by the moment.
**w**
Lukka knows something isn't right the moment she lands her X-wing in the most out-of-sight place she can find on Bespin. There should at least be someone asking for a landing permit or something, but instead, nobody's around at all. Do they want her to land for some reason?
Whatever's going on, she must be on guard. Slipping out her blaster to use on a moment's notice, Lukka goes through a side entrance into the building, Artoo rolling along behind her. She has no idea where to even start looking for Hanna, Lucan, and Chewbacca but she reaches out with the Force, trying to follow its nudging on where to go.
Stormtroopers are everywhere, and she ducks back against the wall as a group of them pass before darting out of hiding and continuing forward. Wherever the others are, they're probably in a cell of some sort, so... That's probably what she needs to find first of all.
"Artoo, can you find if there's a detention level or anything here? Somewhere they might have locked them up?"
The droid beeps affirmatively, rolling to a nearby port and plugging in. Lukka backs against the wall, waiting.
Finding an answer is faster than she was expecting, thankfully. Artoo pulls up a map of the facility, showing her where the most likely place for them to be is. It won't be easy to get there, but she's had harder before. She just needs to move quickly before anyone realizes she's here.
Stormtroopers spot her before she gets far, but she hastily shoots them down, taking off again. Something prickles at the edge of her senses – something dark – as she moves deeper and deeper into the place, but she doesn't stop to investigate. Finally, she reaches the detention area where she can sense her twin. From what she can tell, he feels fine, except a little... Actually, she can't put a label on the turmoil of emotions she feels from him right now.
The people guarding right there are too taken by surprise to stop her, so she shoots her way past them, and sprints into the hall where they're being kept. She unlocks Lucan's door first – suddenly hit by how identical this feels to when they first met – stepping into the room.
"Lucan!" she exclaims, relief washing through her at the sight of her twin. At least he's okay.
"Lukka!" Lucan exclaims, "I was... afraid you would show up."
"Don't worry," she assures, "I'm here to rescue you, with a better plan than I had that first time."
Lucan cracks a smile for the briefest moment, before going serious again. "I need to tell you something."
Lukka raises an eyebrow. "Can't it wait until we're out of here? Someone's gonna notice something's wrong any minute now."
"We won't be able to," Lucan replies, "Vader's here."
She can't quite ignore the fear creeping through her at that. But she was prepared for this. She knew the risks and agreed to come anyway. "I can fight him," Lukka assures, "Or we can avoid him and –"
"No," Lucan objects, "This was a trap set up for you. I... he wanted you to come here. I don't know if it's genuine but he... made an offer to me."
Well, if this isn't odd. She frowns. "What?" If Lucan truly believes that they'll never escape and that having this conversation right here and now is more important than trying, maybe she should trust his judgment, but...
"I know this won't be easy for you to here, but he's... He was once Anakin Skywalker."
Lukka freezes. "W-what?!" she demands, after an incredulous moment, finally finding her voice, "But that's – that's impossible! He – Vader killed him. Ben told me."
"I didn't want to believe him either," Lucan answers, "But I think it's the truth. What do you sense?"
Slowly, hesitantly, she reaches out, for as much as she doesn't want to. It feels true, but it can't be, because all these years she's wanted to get to know her father, all these years she's looked up to him, and half the reason she wanted to be a Jedi in the first place was so she could be more like him. But apparently, he's still alive and a Sith?! And – but Ben said he was dead. Was he lying? Did he not know? None of this makes sense!
"Why would Vader want me here?" Lukka asks, desperately.
"He wants us to join him and destroy the Emperor. Or so he says," Lucan replies, lowering his voice a little, "He says he's always wanted to, but he isn't powerful enough to do it alone."
For a moment, Lukka just gapes at her. She hasn't had more than a few moments to process all for this, and... "Do you believe him?" There's been top level Imperials in the past who have joined the Rebellion, but she doesn't know what to think of this.
"I don't know, but..." He throws a brief glance around the room before looking back to Lukka, "I don't think we could realistically escape. And if this is true, I don't think it's an opportunity we should throw away."
Lukka frowns. What he's saying makes sense, and... (her father is alive, and she's always wished more than anything that she could meet him, but... he's also a Sith.) "Ben and Yoda didn't want me to come. They were afraid that I would lose myself to the Dark Side. I don't..." She doesn't know if this is trick by the Sith to get them to use Dark Side, or what. (He's also the father she's always wanted to meet, apparently, and –)
"I don't know about the Force side of this," Lucan concedes, "But what do you think we should do?"
"I don't know," Lukka argues, "Are we seriously talking about teaming up with Darth Vader?"
A look of mild amusement skitters across Lucan's face. "Yes, maybe we have both lost our minds. I don't trust him, and nor do I think it's a good idea, but if this could work in favor of the Rebellion..."
"You think we should do it?" Lukka cannot believe she is asking this.
"I think we stand a greater risk of losing more if we refuse and try to escape. Didn't getting in here seem a little too easy?"
"... yes." She can see his point. "So, now what?"
Lucan shrugs, looking uncertain. "Maybe we just walk out?"
"Are you... finished?" asks a voice from behind them, and Lukka whips around to see Vader standing in the doorway, because he somehow appeared there without her noticing. He was definitely waiting for her. Lucan was right about one thing. This was a trap that she walked right into, and they probably can't fight their way out of.
Lucan's expression instantly shifts into that princess-but-technically-prince-now face as he looks at him. "We have," he replies.
"Your decision?" he asks, and he sounds... Lukka can't put a label on it.
"We'll join you," Lucan replies, "But don't expect us to blindly trust you. And you have to release us and our friends before we discuss anything further."
The Sith inclines his helmet ever so slightly. "Very well."
**w**
Hanna is beginning to hate these closed walls more and more, and all she knows is that this is the last time she's trusting someone like Lando. She has no idea what the Empire is going to do to them, and... She can only imagine. And all this because Lando wanted to protect himself. She thinks the only thing that would let out her frustration and the hint of betrayal she's feeling is a fist fight. She never trusted Lando but selling them out to the Empire is a whole new level of betrayal.
She paces back and forth in her cell, her irritation only rising with each passing moment. So, the last thing she's expecting is for the door to suddenly open, and Lukka and Lucan to appear in the doorway.
"What's going on?" she demands, hurrying over to them. There aren't even any guards visible in the hallway. Did Lukka show up to rescue them?
"It's... a little complicated," Lucan offers.
"What do you mean?" she asks, dubiously.
"We might have made a deal with Vader?" Lukka answers, almost sheepishly.
"Wait – you did what?!" So, what, if she sounds a little hysterical right now?!
"Do not repeat this to anyone, other than Chewie," Lucan warns, "But he's... Well, he claims to be willing to help us against the Empire."
Hanna just stares at them. "And you believe him."
"I don't know," Lukka replies, "But the Force –"
"Don't even tell me that 'the Force' wants you to do this," Hanna retorts, "I got a hard time believing this 'Force' about anything after what it did to us!"
She'd like to have some words with Vader right now.
"I'm counting on him betraying us," Lucan says flatly, "I expect the same is true with him."
"So, you're planning to double play him and hope you can come out on top?" She's hating this plan more and more by the second.
"If it becomes necessary."
"And this means that you have to... what?"
"For now, Lucan and I will have to stay with him," Lukka replies, "And you can tell the Rebellion that we're working on getting a plan for them, but we can't tell them anything until things are further along."
"Okay, hang on!" Hanna exclaims, "You are planning to stay with Vader, and you're telling me to go and leave you behind." Yes, they have both completely lost their minds. There is no other explanation.
"There's nothing you can do here, except be collateral damage," Lucan insists.
She glares at him. "I'm not going without you."
"Hanna –" Lukka objects.
"No, don't you dare tell me you'll be fine," she snaps. "You're planning to work right alongside a top-level Imperial with crazy powers, and you're telling me to just leave you behind?!"
"Whether you're here or not, won't change anything," Lucan grumbles, and she glares at him.
"Okay, okay," Lukka interjects, holding up her hands, "If you really want to stay, I suppose you can. I just don't want you and Chewie to be in danger when it's completely unnecessary."
And that's supposed to make her want to leave them in danger all alone when she won't even have a way of talking to them? "So, what exactly are you doing?" Hanna asks.
**w**
It's been a couple days since they agreed to stay here, so Lukka has finally had some time to actually reflect on everything that happened. To start with, she is going to have some words with Ben the next time she sees him, because he lied to her about everything. And she has so many questions about what happened to her father – and for that matter what happened between both of them, because Ben said they were friends, and Vader didn't even blink about killing him – but she doesn't know how inclined Vader will be to answer anything.
She doesn't know what to think of him, either. He decided that they needed to start by getting some proper training, though Lukka is still a little wary about this, because she doesn't know what's borderline using the Dark Side, and what isn't, and Vader is... cranky that they refuse to learn the Dark Side.
He's their father, though, and... That doesn't excuse all the things she knows he's done, but it still matters to her. Maybe far more than it even should, but she doesn't feel guilty about it. And she can tell that the fact that they're his children really does matter to Vader, too.
"Why did you kill Ben?" Lukka finds herself asking. She needs to know this.
"He was a Jedi. He's a traitor."
"He was your friend!"
Lukka takes a step back from the sudden surge of anger from Vader. "Some friend he was," he snarls.
Okay... "What happened? He spoke quite highly of you."
"Did he?" Vader asks. "Did he also mention that it is because of him I am... like this?"
"What?" Lukka breathes, faintly. That's impossible. It shouldn't be. How could... What happened? She doesn't want to know, but suddenly, she thinks she may have misjudged him in a few places. There were already so many things Ben hid from her, lied to her about, and now this? "– how?" She doesn't even know what she's asking, hardly even sure what to say in response to that. She doesn't know the extent of Vader's condition, but she definitely knows all of his limbs are mechanical.
"We fought," the Sith answers, shortly.
She'd figured, but... She doesn't understand. Ben seemed to genuinely care about Anakin, or at least he acted like it. How could he...? "I don't..." She trails off, uncertain what to say. She doesn't know what happened between the two, but... Maybe she can't exactly blame Vader for killing him, after all.
"I do not wish to speak of this anymore."
Somehow, that makes her even more mind-blown, because it's the first, real, true indication of his humanity that she's seen. It's hard to look at someone like him and see a person inside, but now that she knows, she can't ignore it. Somehow, Lukka thinks beneath all her anger and pain associated with Vader, maybe she's willing to try. She's spent so many years wanting a father, after all. How could she turn it down now that she has the chance? (And she thinks, even if it's a little different, Lucan feels the same way.)
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