Luke stood with Obi-Wan on the command deck, staring at the hyperlanes. Lando came alongside. "Got to admit, the your father is a genius with ships. This ship's working way above specs since they followed his suggestions."

Obi-Wan nodded. "If we get him back, this won't be the only one." And if they had sense to acknowledge that Anakin was justified in taking off to stop the Lusankya, whatever the advisory council thought, the Jedi mentally added.

Anakin had done the same in the Clone Wars, and that had been what encouraged the Alliance leaders to have the techs consider his advice and designs. That plus studying the cloaking device from the shuttle had enabled this particular ships advantage. Of course, it still had the same weakness cloaks always had. It could be tracked by magnetic signature, if anyone knew to look for it.

Leia and Ahsoka casually studied the gray aliens as they approached. "Ahsoka, have you any idea how I might even get a word in before I'm arrested?" Leia was increasingly uncertain.

"Smell."

"What?"

"Some species are more olfactory sensitive than others. They identify beings by smell more than sight. They might recognize you as being related to Vader. I think that one over there is the leader."

"And the noghri are one of them?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"Look at their faces, the size of those nostrils...they didn't evolve like that for no reason."

Leia sighed. "Wish me luck."

"May the Force be with you."

It was immediately clear that one did not sneak up on noghri. The creature that broke off from the others to look around, was obviously well aware of her discreet approach.

"May I speak with you?"

"What is it you seek, human..." the creature eyed her, a hint of recognition behind it's gaze. It's fingers twitched to his belt, but hesitated.

"Can we speak in private?"

"You are one of the Alliance, one we seek!"

Leia hesitated, offering her hand. "But I'm an ally of yours. The Empire has betrayed you, and Lord Vader. He needs your help. Please, let me prove it." She hesitated, struggling with what she needed to say. "He's my father.""

The noghri took her hand in a grip she knew concealed great power. One sniff and his eyes seemed to flicker with shock. "You are his heir..." He said, disbelieving.

Leia nodded. "Will you hear me out?"

The noghri nodded curtly.

By the time she finished, the noghri was silent.

"What you speak of, your words are very dangerous. This could doom our world."

"If he can help you, if we can help you, we will. But the Empire must not succeed in getting him to Byss."

"I fear there is no avoiding it. The ship will not stop again until we arrive there."

"If we can break him out, we can escape before he reaches the surface."

The noghri still looked doubtful. "I am willing to help you. I believe I can convince the others. But I should speak to him myself...identify him, as well as you, who were once his enemy, heir or not."

Leia looked at Ahsoka. "But either way, getting to him presents a challenge. He's very well guarded and they've taken precautions against his powers."

"They're hurting him." Ahsoka was looking away, frowning, focusing on the images Artoo currently had on the computer monitor. They'd shown their potential ally the relevant data. They ended with Anakin, the wanted alert, and his security image, sitting in the cell.

"It is difficult to imagine Lord Vader, unable to defend himself."

"Believe me, if they fought fair, or even close to it, they wouldn't stand a chance." Ahsoka said, firmly.

Artoo beeped an additive.

"He was unconscious when they brought him on board." Ahsoka translated.

Leia's lips tightened as she looked at the nogrhi, Kabarakh. "Look...the reason they got him is...he sacrificed himself to let me get away. He sealed himself in the room with them so they couldn't pursue me. I have to get him out!"

Ahsoka looked at her at his. She could imagine Anakin's surprise if he heard it. Leia, feeling she owed him, after all he'd done to her?

"I will attempt to reach him." The noghri said slowly. "But I cannot guarantee we can get him out before our arrival."

"We can only ask that you do your best." Leia said.

"I will need to speak to him without anyone knowing, without the interference..." The noghri considered.

Artoo let out a sudden string of chatter. Ahsoka peered at the translation and smiled. "Artoo has an idea on that. He can record the security cam footage, alter the data and feed it back while shutting down the sensory overload devices. If you can sneak in then..."

Kabarakh nodded. "I will contact you when I am ready."

"I hope my feelings about him are right." Leia whispered as he left.

"Me too."

The sudden cessation of the assault was almost as big a shock as the assault itself. His ears were still ringing and his head throbbed. Nerve pain was tingling around the collar, though it faded faster from his prosthetic wrists and ankles. He sat still, just breathing, pausing from his inward analysis of the midichorians. Whether in truth or hallucination, he felt he'd been staring intently at the symbionts and they were getting larger, more powerful, like beings with giant spirits looking back silently at him. The door whooshed open so quietly he almost didn't hear it. He started and looked up into the intense face of a noghri. It stared at him uncertainly, stepped nearer and gently leaned close. "Forgive me..." It breathed deeply, eyes half shut and then widening. "Lord Vader. It truly is you."

"Ah..." Anakin eyed him warily.

"Your daughter sent me to you."

Anakin's eyes widened.

"She and her companion, seek to free you."

Anakin glanced up at the holo cams.

"Their droid has deactivated them."

"Artoo. Of course...who is with Leia?"

"One called Ahsoka Tano. She said she was one you once taught."

Anakin nodded at this, still somewhat stunned. "So if you're here, does this mean you know how to get me out?" Anakin motioned cautiously to the general exit of the prison block.

"Not yet." The noghri hesitated. "We must deal with the creatures that seek to block your power. And the ship will not exit hyperspace before Byss."

Anakin visibly winced. "Not good. I don't want to be anywhere near Byss and I sure don't want them there."

"We will do our best to free you, my Lord. But we must be discreet."

"Of course. It won't help if Thrawn thinks you're a threat. Be careful...what's your name."

"I am Kabarakh, my Lord."

Anakin wasn't too comfortable with the hero worship, but now wasn't the time to deal with it. A noise outside made the noghri's head whip up."

"I will return soon."

"Thank you."

Ahsoka returned from her brief errand. With a flourish and a smile, she announced, "I guarantee he'll be glad to get this back." She held aloft Anakin's new lightsaber. Prisoner's possessions were not as secure as the prisoners themselves. Leia managed a faint smile, then turned with a startled yelp as the noghri appeared as if materializing by magic.

Kabarakh's return brought both good and bad news. "With your droid's control of the computers, we can access the area and slay the ysalamiri. With his power, from there he should be able to escape the cell block."

"I hear a 'but' in there." Ahsoka observed.

The noghri's eyes held hers, then Leia's. "We are very near Byss. And even with your access to the computers, his escape will quickly be discovered. It is a long way between the hanger and the prison block. We can slay almost every ysalamiri aboard and help him, and you, fight your way out...but..."

"You can't guarantee success. We'd be more likely to succeed if it was more sneaking and less fighting." Leia said slowly.

He nodded, looking and feeling distressed in the Force. "And that, we cannot do before we arrive. There is no time. And..." He looked away, voice trailing off. "We would do anything for Lord Vader...but...the cost will be high, and paid by our world and families..."

"You wouldn't have time to warn them until we get out of hyperspace." Ahsoka realized. "And we wouldn't have time to send help either."

Leia frowned. "Those ysalamiri things look like their always asleep."

Ahsoka and the noghri blinked at the apparent non sequitor.

"Much as I don't like killing innocent life forms, could you kill them without marks? So it isn't obvious they are dead?"

The noghri cocked his head. "Yes."

"So...if we deal with as many ysalamiri as possible, without them knowing and realizing it, then we could make a move when they take him to the hanger. They plan to take him out anyway and take him to Byss. We could intercept, steal a ship and make off with him. Meanwhile you could have some of you noghri signal the others to warn them and we can call our people to tell them to assist you in evacuating, hiding or defending." Leia said nodding.

Kabarakh considered this. "Perhaps it will work. But the signaling will require someone to leave the deep core. There is too much interference...unless one can bypass the holonet security. Even then, it is not guaranteed. The hazards of the core interfere even with authorized communication."

Ahsoka nodded. "We can arrange that, I think."

The only problem of course, was that they had to get near Byss to pull it off.

Kabarakh's return brought Anakin a wave of renewing confidence. It was partly because he could feel the sudden shift, the way the Force started being accessible again. Also the torture ceased again. They didn't dare leave it off indefinitely, for fear someone would physically check on him and discover the altered holocams.

"My Lord, we have a plan." The noghri stated uneasily. "We cannot hope to free you and get you all the way to the hanger. But we can free you en route to the hanger."

"Oh. Ah." Anakin pondered this with a sinking feeling. In other words, when they were at Byss and someone, the would be emperor, was expecting him. "If that's the best we can do, I'll take it."

"I am sorry we cannot act sooner. If you insist, we will try..."

"No. I can see the problem. The point is escape, not suicide." Although, that thought had entered his mind. It might be preferable to what he'd face on Byss. But now that he knew Leia and Ahsoka were here, he banished it. It was one thing to go down fighting himself, something else to take them and these devoted creatures with him. And it still left the problem that the enemy might have his body. He had been trained in how to vanish into the Force, but he had doubts how well that would work if the ysalamiri were in the vicinity. At least he could feel the Force until they came for him.

Leia and Ahsoka were sticking close to the hanger maintenance shafts. Artoo was plugged into the computer. He gave a cheerful beep of relief.

"Great. They're bringing him." Leia said.

"I thought you were eager to get it over with." Ahsoka observed.

"I am. But I'm also aware of the holes in the plan. Like escaping through a fleet, when we don't know how close backup is. And what if they knock him out to transport him again?"

"Now your borrowing trouble."

"I'm thinking ahead in the hopes of having a backup plan." Leia countered. She glanced out into the bay. There was the shuttle. Through the floor below, she could just see the planet. She shivered. Even from here it felt dark and brooding.

"You're blaming yourself." Ahsoka said.

"If I hadn't been taken...been so sure that Isard couldn't have broken those prisoners so they'd betray us..."

"Only one betrayed us. The rest fought for their freedom."

"But he was right about the danger."

"And you were right about needing their help to sabotage the ship. It wasn't an either-or situation, Leia."

Leia shifted uneasily. "He's afraid of this place. But he took the chance to save me...it's hard for me to accept, especially from him."

Ahsoka laid her hand on her shoulder. "I know you don't call him, 'Father'. But the moment he knew, he loved you. Anakin would've done it just because he's a Jedi, but he'd also do it because he's a father."

Leia nodded slowly. "I've known Darth Vader for years. But I just met Anakin Skywalker for the first time." Only when he'd sacrificed himself for her did she really see and acknowledge the Jedi hero he had once been, the one who finally defeated the Emperor.

to be continued