3: Intersections and Tangents

"I think I've just about had it with deserts," Han Solo said to the hulking Wookiee sitting next to him. Even in the murky heat of the cantina, he could still feel the dead, raspy presence of Tatooine's desert tickling at the back of his throat. Every planet had that one thing that drives you towards madness, but Han had usually been able to shake it off. Tatooine was different. It was…depressing.

Chewbacca grunted a reply and glanced about the room, keeping an eye out for the Rodian that had cornered them the night before. They had thus far been able to avoid the green-skinned bounty hunter—one of Jabba the Hutt's slimier henchmen. Ducking under tables and hiding behind the band members may be less than elegant behavior, but the two of them were still alive and that was what counted. The day they could find a way to get to their ship without being noticed was the day they would be leaving this worthless world.

Knocking back the remainder of his oily drink, Han Solo prepared for a silent exit. A figure in a dark robe had just entered the cantina and was searching about as if looking for someone. "I'd know that slimy proboscis anywhere," Han muttered as they made their way towards the back exit. The hooded figure pulled out a small comlink and buzzed a rapid response to his employer.

The two of them had been pressing their luck far too much lately. It seemed like every time they rounded a corner, another one of Jabba's lackeys was waiting to collect the enormous bounty that awaited anyone who could capture the defiant Solo—the only one to fail to deliver a shipment of spice (that he knew of) while in the Hutt's employ. Glitterstim was highly prized and highly illegal, but Han Solo hadn't been stupid enough to risk holding on to it and have the Empire discover his cargo, no matter how well he had hidden it. It would have just been another addition to the long list of reasons why the Empire would like nothing better than to see him blasted into atomic dust.

"C'mon Chewie," he muttered over his shoulder. "I think it's time to leave."

The first of the suns was just beginning to peek over the horizon. At least they had the cover of twilight to give them some added anonymity. It also made it difficult for Han to see where he was going, he discovered as he crashed, headlong, into a pedestrian.

He muttered some kind of apology, but the pedestrian's fist quickly connected with the side of his head. He was shoved to the side, seeing stars as the being gathered itself up.

"Watch where you're going, nerf-herder!"

Han blinked. It was a woman. A human woman. Automatically, he flashed her a grin and spread his hands in apology. If he had been upright, it would have looked sincere, but since he was sprawled out in the sand, he just looked ridiculous. The woman rolled her eyes and helped him up.

"You don't look near smart enough to try and rob someone on the street," she said, her voice teetering between amusement and disgust.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I guess I was blinded by your unmatched beauty."

"Oh please," she bit out. "I'm going to go now. You'd better not follow me."

As she spun on her heel, Han dashed to her side, brushing dust off his black vest. "Where, may I ask, are you going? Do you need a pilot?"

She turned and scowled. "My, you must be desperate." She shook her head. "For the life of me, I can't imagine why I'm even telling you this but," she paused.

He leaned forward and cocked an eyebrow.

The faintest of smiles struggled to make itself known on her face, but she shook it away. "My aunt and uncle are moisture farmers, out beyond the Dune Sea. I am bringing them some supplies."

"Were you planning on walking?"

"Why yes! I was going to walk for eight days and probably die in the process!" She rolled her eyes again. "No, you moron, I was on my way to pick up my speeder."

He crossed his arms. She was irritated. Now was his chance. "Tusken raiders are crawling all over that desert. Going at it alone is a fool's errand."

"Well, perhaps you should go at it, then. Clearly you fit the job description."

He put his hands up in surrender. "Don't get excited, darling, I was just offering to be an escort. Chewie and I can handle anything." He gestured to the Wookiee behind him.

She leaned over and noticed Chewbacca for the first time. "Well, I feel safer with him than I do with you, but I suppose you're a packaged deal?"

"Naturally."

"And how much is this gallantry going to cost me?"

Han smiled. "Not a single credit."

She sighed. "Oh for…fine. Fine. If we get attacked by something, I'll hurl you out of the speeder and zoom away. You can either talk them to death or keep them occupied by running away and letting them chase you."

Han turned to Chewbacca. "Charming, isn't she?" Turning back to her, he held out his hand. "Captain Han Solo at your service."

She ignored the handshake. "Leia."

Luke awoke on a small couch in a furnished cabin. For the briefest of moments, he imagined he was back on Alderaan in his own quarters. His involvement during the rebellion had required that he forego many of the usual comforts of his royal station from time to time. He understood that freeing the galaxy from the grip of the Empire was more important than his own personal comfort, but it was the familiarity of his family that he missed. His mother, Breha, would always know what to say to calm his doubts and his father, Bail, was a source of strength for millions. That strength had always encouraged Luke to remain steadfast amidst whatever calamity the Empire wreaked on the galaxy.

Luke sat up and surveyed his surroundings: a small room attired in simple, monotone colors. Very few decorations adorned the walls, though there was an exotic sculpture on the simple metal table in the room's center. The room was almost comical. The minimalist Imperial design seemed desperate to appear friendly. Beneath the sparse attempts at decoration lurked the inescapable truth: this was still a cell.

The door whooshed open and a diminutive Imperial officer stepped through. Luke rose and faced the officer. "Where am I?" he asked.

The officer replied in a clipped accent. "Lord Vader wishes to see you. You will follow me."

Curiosity got the better of Luke and he followed the officer without another comment. It was very clear that they were not on a star destroyer. The hallways were larger and there was so omnipresent hum of the engines that was found on most large starships. Mouse droids, pilots and stormtroopers were everywhere. Luke was shocked he was not being led in restraints, but when he realized how futile such an act would be, he kept walking.

After several minutes of traversing corridors and riding lifts, they arrived at a large set of doors. The officer gave a terse bow and left Luke standing there, alone. He surveyed his surroundings. This part of the ship (or compound or whatever it was) was relatively empty. Escape would be almost too easy at this point.

As if in response to his thoughts, the doors slid open with an elegance rarely found in Imperial design. The room that greeted him was vast and dark. In the center stood a massive ebony sphere whose facets gleamed in the light spilling in from the corridor. The room appeared to be empty.

Until the sphere opened.

Luke flinched as the towering form of Darth Vader stepped out of the orb's white interior, his black cape flowing behind him like oily liquid. A combination of fear and confusion froze Luke in place. Was this going to be where Vader killed him after forcibly removing the pertinent information from his mind? He hadn't remembered what had happened the last time Vader had entered his mind, but he knew he probably could not have survived such an attack again. Banishing the anxiety that was creeping up his spine, Luke squared his shoulders and faced his captor, head on.

Vader's question was not what he was expecting.

"I am only going to ask this once: who were your parents?"

Luke frowned. "My parents are Breha and Bail Organa of the royal house of Al-"

"That is a lie, boy, told to you to save the life of a Jedi whose cowardice was more important than the truth. Now, tell me, who was your father?"

"I told you the truth!" Luke bit back, frustrated.

"Good." Vader's voice suddenly became almost sultry. "Your fear and anger are powerful."

"What is this about?" Luke said, reigning in his emotions. Clearly, an emotional response was what Vader wanted.

Vader gestured and Luke felt himself suddenly stumble forward, drawn forward as if by a hook attached to his chin. He landed on his knees.

"The Force is a gateway to near-unlimited power. That power is within your grasp."

"Power…But how?"

Vader continued. "Join me and together we can defeat the emperor and rid the galaxy of evil once and for all."

"But you serve…" Luke stopped, the horrific realization crashing over him like a wave. Vader didn't serve the emperor. He was biding his time until he could overthrow him. Vader wanted to be emperor and he had just offered his own job to Luke.

"Surely, you don't think I would serve you."

Vader inclined his masked head. "I know your rebellion had the death star plans. You died for them. Fought for them. I also know that those plans and the terror weapon they can overthrow are all insignificant compared to the power of the Force."

Luke buried his brief excitement deep down. The Empire hadn't yet found the droids, which meant this all might be a bluff to get Luke to lower his defenses.

"I'll never join you."

"How empty your words sound! In the detention block, you pushed me out of your mind; you attacked me with nothing more than your powerful connection to the Force. I know you want the power because I know you have always felt it. The Force is strong with you. I can teach you to harness that power. Together, we can rise up against the Emperor. Your rebellion will succeed."

Luke didn't want to believe a word of what Vader was saying, but a small part of his mind knew what Vader was saying was at least partly true. Small moments of frustration or extreme emotion in his past had sometimes resulted in inexplicable things happening. At times, when he was a small boy, it had seemed that he could even see things before they happened. He had asked his father about it, but he had simply said that it was intuition and an overactive imagination. That had been enough for Luke at the time, but now…Luke knew there must be something else at work.

Could it really be this Force?

Luke felt like a traitor, but he said the words anyway. He was a little boy again, curious to know how the galaxy worked. Things beyond that which was known, the world of imagination, suddenly came back to life. If Vader was telling the truth, than perhaps Luke would gain the ability to defeat him. He took a deep breath.

"Teach me."