Bespin Part II! Big yay there. This chapter was a pain. I really, really don't like writing the stuff from the movie. But it has to be done.
DISCLAIMER: George! Y U NO SHARE STAR WARS?
Chapter Seventeen
Mara shot her blaster at the Stormtroopers tailing them through the compound.
"Mara, C'mon!" Leia called and Mara dashed up a set of stairs and into the elevator. The doors shut in the faces of the Troopers, blocking them from more fire.
The Man in the powder blue cape sighed and leaned against the wall.
"Now what?" Leia asked and Chewie growled out something.
"Chewbacca suggests that we return to the Millennium Falcon," Threepio translated.
"We're already heading to that level," The man said.
"Good," Leia said firmly, eying the man. "Lando, is there a fast route there, or do we have to go around?"
"I know of a route that will get us there quickly," He said.
"We'll have to come back for my X-Wing," Mara said. "But that might not be until we finish the war. Imperial presence will be tight here for awhile."
"I need to warn the people," Land said.
"We don't have time, thanks to you," Leia hissed.
"I can't let them become slaves to the Empire! I'm the Administrator, I need to protect them!"
"Leia, just let him," Mara said to the Princess. "You would want this if you weren't so angry right now."
Leia grunted and the elevator came to halt, the door sliding open to them. She walked off the lift quickly with the stolen Blaster ready to fight off any Troopers. Land ran in front of them and stopped at an access panel.
"My security code has been changed!" he cried out angrily. Chewie roared and pounded on the door.
"Artoo!" Threepio cried out. "You can tell the computer to override the security code!"
Artoo twittered and extended one of his computer connections in the outlet of the wall.
"Artoo, hurry!" Threepio ushered and Lando crossed to the other end of the hallway to another terminal.
He typed in a code and pulled out a comm link. He held it to his lips and began speaking into it. "Attention, this is Lando Calrissian, Attention. The Empire has infiltrated the city. I advise all citizens to evacuate the city before more Imperial troops arrive."
Mara's attention turned from the announcement to the sparking that was occurring as Artoo became electrocuted. He twittered wildly before Chewie pulled the Astromech away from the outlet.
"This way!" Lando said, ignoring the smoking droid. He bounded down the hallway and the rest of the group began running after him.
Artoo twittered angrily at Threepio as they ran along.
"Don't blame me! I'm an interpreter!" Threepio said evenly. "How am I supposed to know a computer circuit from a power terminal?"
"Quiet you two!" Mara shouted back before they came into one of the main hallways. Madness had ensued after Lando's announcement. People were running everywhere and the six, seven if you included Threepio tied to Chewie's back, had to dodge through the crowd, getting hit and body checked several times.
A red blaster bolt whizzed past Mara's head and Chewie turned and fired his bow caster back at the Trooper. Mara ran backwards, firing her own shots at the few Troopers. Artoo pulled up to a computer terminal and began splicing into the computer system. The four with blasters protected Artoo and Desix, firing back at the onslaught of troopers.
Artoo beeped to Threepio as he found info on the Falcon in the mainframe.
"We're not interested on the Hyper drive of the Millennium Falcon!" Threepio cried. "Just open the door you stupid lump!"
The door to the landing pad slid open and Artoo began rolling out, quickly followed by Desix.
"I never doubted you for a second!" Threepio cried. "Wonderful!"
Chewie ran towards the Falcon to get it fired up. Mara and Leia still fired relentlessly at the Troopers before Lando grabbed Leia and started yanking her out the door. Mara followed quickly, the Falcon sitting unguarded and safe on the landing pad.
The troopers followed as well, stray bolts landing on the ship's hull. Chewie ran down the corridor to the cockpit, taking special care to set Threepio down on the floor before starting up the ship. Lando felt the shudder of the Engine warming up behind him and shouted towards Leia.
"Leia! Go!" Leia nodded and ducked into the ship. Lando and Mara continued fire before following her up.
Mara hit the button to raise the ramp as Artoo rolled past, dragging Threepio.
"I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me," Threepio said melodramatically. Mara rolled her eyes and ran for the cockpit. She steadied herself against the wall as the Thrusters jerkily rose the ship from the pad.
"Nice take off," she called out sarcastically. Chewie roared in annoyance, trying to pilot the ship from the copilot's seat.
The wind in the chamber howled as Luke made his way unsteadily along one of the antennas. Vader was sure to be lurking about, ready to spring on him. He just had to be careful. He looked both ways before heading back towards the command room he'd fallen from before. The snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting and the sudden breath through a ventilator sounded and Luke jumped back in anticipation. Vader swung out, hitting electronics with sparks flying. He hit Luke's blade repeatedly and with much force behind it. Their blades locked and the crackle of the ozone releasing from the blades laid in the air between them. Vader pushed Luke back and swung around the door frame. Luke backed out onto the antenna and was forced further down. Vader swung and knocked Luke down, holding his lightsaber to his chest.
"You are beaten," Vader said in his deep baritone. "It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."
Luke brought his saber up and knocked Vader's out of the way while rolling to the side and standing. Vader swung and Luke ducked before bringing his blade up to knock Vader's. Vader swung again and Luke ducked same as before, but this time swiped at Vader and managed to slice his arm slightly. Vader grunted in pain before advancing forwards once more. He hit a set of spires on the Antenna and they broke off with a white sparking. Luke brought his blade forward and Vader swung under and up. The crimson blade passed easily through Luke's wrist, sending his lightsaber and hand flying off down the chamber.
Luke cried out in pain, clutching his hand to him. He fell to his knee and grabbed at part of the broken spire.
Vader loomed over him. "There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you." Luke began backing back down the antenna, away from the Dark Lord. "Luke, you have not yet realized your importance. You have only just begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can bring an end to this destructive path, and bring order to the galaxy!"
"I'll never join you!" Luke growled out.
"If only you knew the power of the Dark Side," Vader said. Luke began turning and reached across the antenna's final spire to grasp it with his only hand. He almost slipped and swung around before his feet found purchase.
"Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father," Vader stated.
"He told me enough," Luke said, "he told me you killed him."
"No," Vader said. "I am your father."
Luke's mouth fell open in shock and denial coursed through his veins. "No, that's not true," he shook his head. "That's impossible."
"Search your feelings," Vader commanded. "You know it to be true."
Luke stretched out, the Dark Lord opening himself up to Luke and allowing the truth to flow to him.
Luke closed his eyes and let out and anguished cry. "No!"
"Luke," Vader said, calling his attention back. "We can destroy the Emperor. I have foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the Galaxy as Father and Son."
Luke looked around to see his options before he looked back up at Vader.
"Come with me, it is the only way," Vader continued. Luke sent out a resounding 'Not the only way' through the Force to Vader before letting go and falling down the pit. He'd rather die than join the Dark Side.
Part of him felt bad for throwing away all Master Yoda's teachings, but at the same time, was it worth it?
He couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. The vacuuming air funneled into a port on the side of the chamber, drawing Luke in. He slid along the tubing before coming to a halt on an even spot. A door opened beneath him and he fell out and onto another antenna, this one on the bottom of Cloud City.
The wind knocked out of him as he stopped falling. He caught himself and began crawling back towards the open door that had released him. It closed as soon as he touched it, blocking him out.
"Ben," Luke moaned before falling down once more. "Ben!"
"I cannot help you," Ben had said before Luke left Dagobah. He wouldn't, couldn't come.
"Leia," Luke called out instead. "Hear me. Leia!"
Back on the Millennium Falcon, Leia gasped as she heard Luke's voice echo through her head. "We've got to go back."
"What?" Lando asked.
"I know where Luke is!" she said, and Mara sat forward.
"He's in trouble?" she asked and Leia turned back to the controls.
"What about all those fighters?" Lando asked. Chewie rawlled at him and Lando backed off.
"Chewie just do it," Leia said, and the ship began banking around to head back to Cloud City. The ship pulled up along the bottom of the city and Lando caught sight of someone holding themselves on an antenna.
"Look," he said, pointing. "Someone's up there."
"It's Luke," Leia confirmed. "Chewie, slow down. Slow down and we'll get under it. Lando, go open the top hatch."
Lando opened the door to the cockpit and ran out, Mara quickly following him. The Falcon pulled up right underneath Luke. Lando stepped into the corridor up the top hatch, hitting the switch to bring him up to the roof of the ship. The door slid open and Luke fell easily into the ship. Lando caught him and descended back down.
TIE fighters began flying towards them, finally having picked up on their trace. Leia saw them coming and quickly called Lando on the intercom.
"Lando?"
"Okay, we've got him," Lando called back and the Falcon dipped and took off away from Cloud City and back towards space.
As the lift up to the top of the ship returned, Mara rushed forwards, helping Luke up and towards the Med Bay. Lando ran back towards the cockpit quickly and he exchanged seats with Leia so she could run back to see how Luke was.
She ran to a stop in the door way to the Med Bay, Mara was sitting over Luke, attaching something to his arm.
"How is he?" Leia asked and Mara looked up with an angry look in her eye.
"The bastard chopped off his hand," she hissed. "I've given him pain meds, but he's fairly out of it."
"Oh, Luke," Leia sighed, getting to her knees beside her best friend. She stroked his bangs away from the bruised and inflamed eye, her stomach clenching at what Luke must have gone through. The ship jolted violently, throwing her and Mara to the side.
"I better get back," she said.
"I've got things here," Mara nodded and Leia left with one last look at Luke. She stepped into the cockpit again, standing over Lando's shoulder.
"Star Destroyer," she pointed at the large flag ship.
"Yeah, I know," Lando hissed and Leia turned back to man the navigation controls. "Alright, Chewie, you ready for Light Speed?"
Chewie growled out in the affirmative.
"If your people fixed the Hyper drive," Leia said bitterly before turning to Chewie. "All the coordinates are set. It's now or never."
"Punch it!" Lando said and Chewie pushed the control lever for the Hyper drive The ship whirred and moaned in failure. Leia and Chewie exchanged a look before turning to a shocked Lando. Chewie burst out growling frustrated expletives.
"They told me they fixed it!" Lando cried. "I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!"
Leia shook her head in dismay. Chewie pushed through the cockpit towards the Engine room.
Back in the Med Bay, Mara and Luke glanced up as the sound of the Hyper drive failing once more sounded.
"I better go help them," Mara said quietly. "Will you be okay?"
"Yeah," Luke nodded, giving her a pained grin.
She nodded before standing and exiting the room. Chewie marched past the door and she followed him to the Engine room.
"Noisy brute," Threepio said as they entered the Engine area. "Why didn't we just go into Light Speed?"
Artoo beeped back in response. "We can't? How would you know the Hyper drive is deactivated?"
Mara looked up at Threepio's words. The two droids were sitting off to the side, Threepio mostly reassembled.
"The city's central computer told you?" Threepio responded to Artoo's beeping. "Artoo-Deetoo, you know better than to trust a strange computer!"
"Wait!" Mara said. She turned to Chewie. "Chewie! Artoo says the Hyper drive is deactivated!"
Chewie looked up from the pit curiously, before beginning to scramble out. They might just have a chance yet.
"Luke," Vader's voice hissed in Luke's head. Luke looked up and around quickly before realizing Vader was talking to him through the Force.
"Father?" Luke called out.
"Son," Vader breathed. "Come with me."
Luke laid back on the medical bed in despair. "Ben, why didn't you tell me?" He sat up and made his way towards the cockpit slowly as they dodged Blaster fire.
"Chewie!" Lando called through the intercom system. Chewie growled back angrily as they crouched around Artoo who was setting himself up in the Falcon's computer.
Luke slumped down into a seat in the cockpit, staring at the giant Star Destroyer through the View port.
"It's Vader," he said evenly. Leia and Lando were too busy to hear him, but Vader tried to reach him once more through the Force.
"Luke, it is your destiny," Vader called out and Luke squinted his eyes, trying to force Vader out of his mind.
"Ben," Luke said under his breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Artoo moved the lever that activated the Hyper drive, and the control area lit up in bright confirmation.
The ship flew backwards, as did Mara and Chewie as the ship lurched to light speed.
"You did it!" Threepio cried as Artoo screamed and rolled backwards into the uncovered Engine area. The Falcon lurched into light speed and headed towards the set coordinates of the Rendezvous point. Luke sighed as he escaped the clutches of Vader once more, and the throbbing in his arm flooded to the forefront of his mind.
Mara entered the cockpit and sighed.
"You ran off," she said evenly to Luke.
"Yeah," he said distantly. "Sorry."
"It's fine," she said, glancing worriedly at Luke. She turned to Leia who was sitting in the pilot's chair with her head resting in her hand. "Leia, how long till we get to the Rendezvous point?"
"Two hours," she answered. "That is unless they've moved on since then."
"But I thought you said this point was just a point in space, no system?"
"It is, but the gravity well created by Home Fleet could knock a cruising Imperial Ship from Hyper Space," Leia said, looking up at Mara. The red head nodded.
"Alright," she said. "Well, then we hope they're still there."
"That we do," Leia nodded, staring back out at the swirling of Hyperspace.
Mara sat in the other navigator seat next to Luke. Something had gone down with Vader, but she didn't know quite what. She could only hope Luke would let her in enough to tell her.
So now we enter the territory between ESB and RotJ! Super excited for that!
Now, I know I've been posting these chapters late in the day, but I actually don't wake up until eleven or so Pacific Central Time. Yeah, I am the stereotypical teenager. I also don't edit the chapters until the day of the posting normally so that I can have a fresh look at them. So that takes awhile depending on typos.
Anywho. I'm writing the next chapter as we speak. Don't forget to REVIEW!