This is it - the final chapter! There's an interesting story behind the development of this chapter, which you can learn about in the AFTERWARD. But you have to read the entire chapter first. I'd like to thank you all for your support. I am astonished by the popularity of this story, which encourages me to continue writing!

Also, one reader asked me why Vader would want to kill his own son. While I thought the answer would be obvious to Star Wars fans, I will remind you that Vader is under the control of the Emperor, and Vader's duty is to serve the interests of his master before his own. Besides, Vader doesn't know Luke yet, and doesn't consider him to be his son until Empire Strikes Back. Right now, Luke is just another threat that Vader has been trained to eliminate. Some of you may find it complicated, but once you think about it, it becomes simple.

Chapter 16 – The War Continues

Luke Skywalker ran as fast as he could to the roof of the main tower. His fear for Ahsoka Tano's safety drove him on, along with his hope for rescuing her. He was also afraid of meeting Darth Vader for the first time. He had heard many stories about Vader's wrath. He had killed hundreds of Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father. Vader was quick to anger, and strangled anyone who displeased him. And if he had defeated Ahsoka, what chance did Luke have against him?

Finally, Luke reached the rooftop where Vader and Ahsoka were. Ahsoka was kneeling on the floor in front of Vader, and her right hand had been cut off by a lightsaber. When she saw Luke, she simply stared at him with teary eyes. As tragic as she was to behold, Vader was downright terrifying. Luke had never seen Vader properly before, and now he wished he hadn't. With his black armor and deathly mask, Vader looked like some kind of an ancient Sith demon.

Vader looked at the young man through his mask. He noted how similar Luke was to his father, because he was now certain that Luke was Anakin's son. "Luke Skywalker. We meet at last. For the past year, I've been desperately hunting for the rebel who destroyed the Death Star. It wasn't until today, however, that I learned of the existence of the son of Skywalker. I see that Cad Bane was unsuccessful in destroying you. It seems that your Jedi mentor has taught you well. I wonder if you even need her anymore." With that last sentence, Vader raised his right hand and began to strangle Ahsoka with the Force.

Luke reacted by igniting his lightsaber and holding it in a ready position, just like Ahsoka had taught him. Bravely, he commanded, "Let her go, Vader! You've already defeated her, and you have me now. You don't need to kill her." But Vader only tightened his fist, causing Ahsoka to convulse in midair. Luke could feel the life begin to leave her. He wanted to charge forward and attack Vader, but he was afraid of being killed.

Vader could sense Luke's thoughts through the Force. After a brief moment, he said, "A wise choice. You know you can't defeat me, so why attack? As a matter of fact, you're right. She is of no use to me dead."

So Vader released his grip and Ahsoka fell sprawled on the floor, desperately trying to catch her breath. Between gasps, Ahsoka looked up and croaked, "I'm sorry, Luke." And then she lay down once again, still breathless.

But Vader wasn't finished. He added, "But, now that you're here, neither is she of any use to me alive." Suddenly, he waved his arm, and Ahsoka was thrown off the roof.

"No!" screamed Luke. He ran over to the edge of the roof and looked down, praying that Ahsoka had somehow survived. He was mortified, then, to see her body sprawled on the ground at the base of the building while stormtroopers rushed in to examine her. Ahsoka Tano was dead. The Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars, and last surviving Jedi, was gone forever. Luke was alone – with her murderer. Luke turned to Vader and growled through clenched teeth between heaving breaths, "You will pay for that."

Vader replied, "She was supposed to have died twenty years ago. Think of it as holding the records true. Besides, now that she is gone, capturing you will be any easy task." Vader ignited his lightsaber, and Luke reassumed his ready stance. Now that a fight was inevitable, Luke knew that he could at least try to defend himself. Vader walked toward him and said, "I see you have your father's lightsaber. It is very familiar to me, more so than you know."

Then, Luke heard the sound of starship engines nearby. He turned around in time to see the Millennium Falcon rise over the tower and stop at roof level. The boarding ramp was extended and Han Solo and Leia Organa were standing at the end of it. Han yelled, "Hop on, kid!" as he and Leia fired their blasters at Vader. Luke pulled out his own blaster and joined them. Vader easily swatted aside the blaster bolts with his lightsaber, but he wasn't powerful enough to stop Luke from boarding the Falcon.

Once Luke was safely aboard, the ramp was raised and Chewbacca steered the ship away from the tower. Then Leia shouted, "Artoo!" At her signal, R2-D2, who was plugged into the astromech socket, remotely detonated the bombs. Thankfully, most of them were still armed and in their correct places in the Imperial base. R2-D2 added his own touch by firing the Falcon's quad-laser cannons at the base of the main tower.

The entire base shook as the bombs exploded. The crystal foundations shattered like glass and the secondary towers fell on their sides. The power generators created immense explosions that blew the towers inside-out and burning them in half. The main tower swayed and burst into flames at its base. The lasers fired from the Millennium Falcon tore the last foundations apart, and the tower began to collapse.

Luke watched through the viewport as the Imperial base was destroyed. He began to cry knowing that Ahsoka's body was buried in the rubble. R2-D2 rolled up to him and whimpered sadly. Leia hugged Luke and cried on his shoulder. Luke said, "I really thought that she would finish my training. We were going to rebuild the Jedi Order. All of my hopes and dreams for the galaxy were in her. She was my only hope for living up to my father's legacy."

"I thought so, too, Luke," said Leia. "I'm so sorry." They continued to cry even as the Millennium Falcon jumped into hyperspace en route to Hoth.

Darth Vader was still on the roof of the main tower when it began to fall. But, having mastered the Force, he simply jumped and used the Force to slow his fall so much that he appeared to be floating. When he finally landed on the ground, the base was covered in flaming rubble. Emergency crews ran to and fro working to extinguish the fire and rescue the hundreds of stormtroopers buried underneath.

Vader walked around, surveying the damage. This base had represented a significant investment and a breakthrough in Imperial tracking technology. The rebels had inflicted a major blow on the Empire. Vader was now thoroughly angry. At least Ahsoka was dead. Ironically, her master had killed her in the same place in which they had first met at the beginning of the Clone Wars. An Imperial officer hurried up to him and reported, "Sir, firefighting and rescue reinforcements are on their way. As of yet, we do not have any numbers concerning monetary or human loss."

"How many rebels escaped?" Vader asked.

"As far as we know, only two; a woman and an astromech droid. They were picked up by the ship that just left. All of the other rebels were killed."

"Where are my Star Troopers?"

The officer gulped before answering, "They are all dead, sir. Some of them were killed by rebels, and the rest died in the explosion."

Vader noticed something lying on the ground not far from where he stood. He picked it up and examined it. It was the charred remains of Cad Bane's hat. Even though the rebels were defeated, they still succeeded in destroying the Imperial base, killing hundreds of troops, including the Star Troopers, and Skywalker had killed Cad Bane, one of the Empire's most successful bounty hunter agents. Vader pulled on the hat so hard that he tore it in two and threw it on the ground.

He told the officer, "Have my shuttle ready for takeoff. I must report to the Emperor."

Luke had come to realize that his favorite part of any mission was returning to the rebel base and being with friends and colleagues. It always made him feel safe and welcome. But now, as the Millennium Falcon landed in the main hanger of Echo Base, Luke didn't feel happy at all. He was still feeling sad about Ahsoka's loss. General Rieeken and the other Alliance leaders were there to listen to his report.

When Luke had finished, Rieeken addressed the fact that troubled everyone most. "How did Vader find out that Ahsoka was alive? Even if she had blown her cover, it's too early for Imperial agents to report her existence to higher command."

Luke nodded. "I've thought about that, too. They also knew who I was and that I was the rebel who destroyed the Death Star. Until now, that has been classified information. My only conclusion is that someone told them. It had to be a rebel; not just any rebel, but someone important enough to know these things."

All of the rebels in the hanger began to panic. The thought that one of their own would betray them to the Empire was outrageous. Luke himself didn't want to believe it, but there was no other explanation. Over the shouting, Rieeken said, "But everyone here has gone through and passed all of our checks. We are all loyal to each other."

Luke replied, "That's what I thought, General. But I can't think of any other explanation. Someone in Echo Base is a traitor."

Rieeken said, "And we will work tirelessly to find this person. Whoever it is, has committed one of the most serious crimes in the Alliance. You all know that this is punishable by arrest and possible execution. We do not tolerate treachery here." All of the rebels looked at each other nervously, each wondering if the person standing next to him or her was a traitor.

Rieeken continued, "As for Ahsoka Tano, her death is an unfortunate loss. But that was the risk we took when she was inducted. We can grieve for her, or we can celebrate her by defeating the Empire and restoring the Republic. I know that many of you feel that we have lost an advantage in our struggle, and perhaps we have, but we have another advantage that the Empire lacks; loyalty. Each and every one of you has dedicated your life to restoring peace and freedom in the galaxy. And I am certain that as long as the Rebellion is filled with people like you, we will succeed!"

The rebels clapped and cheered, motivated by Rieeken's speech. Finally, he said, "Now, let's get back to work! We still have a war to win!" The rebels began to disperse, returning to their duties.

Back aboard the Executor, Darth Vader entered his personal chamber and went to the communications device. He kneeled on a lighted pad and a hologram as tall as the room appeared before him. It was of the hooded head of Emperor Palpatine. At this large size, the hologram succeeded in magnifying his features, including his deep wrinkles, scars, and yellow eyes. He spoke in a deep and raspy voice. "Lord Vader, I've been expecting you. I trust you are contacting me to report on the events on Christophsis?"

"Yes, my master," answered Vader. He began to recount all of the events that had happened, starting with the anonymous tip and ending with the escape of the rebels. As he spoke, he noted Palpatine's facial expressions. He could tell that he was not at all pleased, though he didn't know what he was displeased about. After Vader had finished, Palpatine was silent for a while.

Finally, he spoke. "All of this is deeply troubling. I am most curious as to how this Jedi survived undetected for so long."

Vader replied, "We may find out soon enough."

Palpatine continued, "Tell me more about this Skywalker. You mentioned that he destroyed both the Death Star and Cad Bane."

"According to the tip, my lord, Ahsoka was training Young Skywalker to be a Jedi. I have put the puzzle pieces together, and I am certain that he is indeed the son of Anakin Skywalker. My son."

Palpatine frowned and said, "Then he could be potentially dangerous. His death is of utmost importance."

"I had something else in mind, Master." Vader was almost hesitant to give his suggestion, but it was something he need advice about. "Perhaps Skywalker does not need to die. If he could be turned to the Dark Side, he could become a powerful ally."

"That is true," pointed out Palpatine. "However, the question remains, can he be turned? And how great are his abilities if he is allowed to resist us until the time comes?"

"I do not know, my master. But I will be keeping a close watch on him."

"I am glad to hear that." Palpatine didn't appear glad at all, but Vader could tell that he trusted his apprentice's judgment. "And the Jedi, I take it, is dead?"

"No." Another answer Vader was afraid to give. "She is still alive."

Now Palpatine appeared angry. "Why is she still alive? Why did you not kill her?"

"I meant to kill her," explained Vader, "But when the stormtroopers moved her body before the tower collapsed, they learned that she had survived the fall. We suspect that someone with a jet pack must have caught her in midair as she fell, and then delivered her safely to the ground. Who that person was, and why they left her, is unknown to us. Ahsoka is in the medical bay now."

"WHY did you not kill her when you saw that she was still alive?" demanded Palpatine.

Vader answered, "She is what lured Skywalker to me in the first place. I believe that we can use her to lure him in again. His compassion for her is strong. If we offer her up as bait, he will come."

"Are you certain of this?"

In truth, Vader wasn't certain. But he was confident, so he said, "Yes, Master."

After a few seconds, Palpatine appeared to calm down. "Very well, I will trust you on this, my friend. However, I wish to see her for myself. Once she is in stable condition, bring her to my palace. She will be held here in the dungeon until I see fit to reveal her."

"Of course, my lord. I will not disappoint you."

"I hope not. There is still a war going on, and we are no closer to winning it than we were before." With that, the hologram faded, and Vader was once again alone.

Back on Hoth, Luke sat next to his X-Wing Starfighter, thinking about all that had happened since he joined the Rebellion. In the past year alone, he had seen many sights, done many things, and survived many perils. His experience with Ahsoka, however, was one of his greatest experiences. Even though she was dead, Luke would honor Ahsoka by continuing to use her teachings. He was confident that he would become a Jedi someday, and when he did, he would remember Ahsoka with reverence.

"Skywalker," said a voice. Luke looked up and saw Don Dain standing in front of him. Dain cleared his throat. "I, uh, I am very sorry for your loss. I understand how you must feel at this moment. And I wanted to congratulate you for your defeat of that bounty hunter. I had always hoped that Bane would meet a fitting fate. But I had never imagined it the way you described it. I'm impressed."

Dain held out his hand and Luke shook it, smiling. "Thank you, Commander. You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that."

"No," said Dain, "thank you."

Dain walked away, feeling an odd mix of feelings. The truth was, he had told the Empire about Luke and Ahsoka. He knew it was wrong, and he had debated long and hard on whether he should have done it at all. But his memory of Anakin Skywalker's trick and the pain that followed had won out. His plan hadn't been a complete success; Luke was still alive, but without Ahsoka to train him, Dain didn't foresee a new Jedi Order anytime soon. Besides, Luke had defeated Cad Bane, a feat that even Dain had to admire. Perhaps it would be more useful to let Luke live. It may give the Rebellion a greater chance of victory.

After Dain was gone, Han and Leia approached Luke. Han joked, "Glad to hear he's talking sense for once."

Luke frowned. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. I sense that he knows something about this betrayal."

Leia said, "I'm suspicious, too, but we can't prosecute anyone without proof. Besides, you know how strongly Dain feels about our cause. It just wouldn't be in his character to risk the safety of the entire Alliance."

"I know," said Luke, "But I still feel like we should keep an eye on him from now on."

"Well," figured Han, "you don't want to look like you're spying on him. Then you'll both have something to prosecute about. But if that happens, I'm rooting for you, kid." He playfully punched Luke in the shoulder.

Luke smiled. "Why did you come back?"

"Well, I know I've had my doubts about this little gang of yours. It just doesn't seem to make sense to me how a band of rebels could defeat the Empire. But after all I've seen the past few weeks, I'm starting to think that perhaps you have a chance after all. Besides, I've still got time before I have to pay Jabba, so maybe I could stick around and help out."

Luke stood up and said, "You're more of a help than you realize, Han. I'm glad you're here."

Han smiled in gratitude and turned to Leia. "And that goes for you, too, Princess. I know I've said a few things, but, how can you possibly not forgive me?"

Leia hugged him, telling him that she had already forgiven him. "What you've done today has settled the score."

Luke put his arm around Han's shoulder and said, "The Force is with us. Always."

So arm in arm, the three friends left the hanger together.

Sorry if you don't like the ending! It's not what you were expecting, eh? I'll explain everything in the AFTERWARD. Just hit the "next chapter" button...