Reborn: In the Belly of the Beast

As the Falcon followed the TIE Fighter, Captain Solo was beginning to lose more and more control of the ship. It wasn't moving in any other direction but straight, heading directly towards the hanger bay of the massive space station in front of them. Chewie, trying to figure out the problem, confirmed Han's worst fears. The smuggler started having a mental stroke when he thought what might happen to his ship.

"No, no, no! Those bastards can't do this to me! This is my ship!" Han shouted as he jerked the flight controls in different directions, while Chewie tried to ease him.

"Wait, WAIT! What's going on?" Luke shouted, as he stood behind Han's seat, nervously.

"We're caught in a tractor beam, kid. They're pullin' us in!" answered the smuggler quickly. He tinkered with the control board and tried to break free of the space station's grasp, but to no effect. Gandalf was confused by all the technical remarks Han, Chewie, and even Luke were spewing out. As far as he knew, this was turning out to be the strangest day of his life, even by his standards. Obi-Wan, knowing that the wizard knew nothing of what the men were talking about, tried to clear things up.

"It means he can't move the ship," explained the old Jedi. Gandalf looked at the giant grey sphere in front of them with both fear and bewilderment.

"That might be the largest thing I've ever seen in my life," the wizard claimed. Han looked behind him to Gandalf quickly after he said this.

"Yeah, well, it might be the last thing you'll ever see in your life, too," speculated Solo. "Get ready for some trouble."

Just as Gandalf had said, the space station was huge, and it looked as if it were getting larger as the Falcon came closer.

"Alright, what's the plan now?" Luke asked as he tried to sound like he had a grip on the situation. Han wasn't impressed. "Maybe we should–"

"No offense, kid, but we're getting outta here on my terms. I know what's best for my ship, and I'm not gonna have anyone screwing her over," claimed Han. "Now we're gonna have to find a way to take down that tractor beam, and we'll have to look the part to get there. When we land, we've gotta hide."

The Corellian freighter was finally drawn into the station's shield barrier into its hanger bay behind the lone TIE Fighter. That made the group realize that this station was the work of the Empire, which was a cruel way for them to assert their power in the galaxy. The hanger bay was massive, and many stormtroopers patrolled the area, most likely surveying the holdup of the ships that entered. Just before the ship was pulled to the ground by several docking ports, Han led everyone to a few secret smuggling compartments in a hallway near the entry ramp. The spaces in the floor were small, but were still big enough to hold a few full-sized humans, creatures, and the like. Han, Luke, and Chewie all took one, while Gandalf and Obi-Wan shared a compartment. The droids on the other hand were put into the third smuggling space. As the ship finally landed and a scouting patrol came on board, everyone put the faux floorboards over the secret compartments, ducking down into the spaces. The sound of footsteps walking on the ship's floor was heard by all the crew, and when it seemed that the initial patrol had left, everyone took off the faux floorboards and awaited for the next patrol to come aboard.

"This is ridiculous," Han whispered. "These are for cargo, not living things. I have a hard time thinking that we can all get to the tractor beam without getting caught or killed."

"We could handle that," Gandalf volunteered, looking to Obi-Wan for agreement. Han rolled his eyes as he pulled himself up onto the ship's floor from down below, with everyone else doing the same.

"You had to say that, didn't you?" the smuggler rhetorically asked as Chewie growled and popped his head from the compartment. The large figure was petted by Han as he too pulled himself up. "Bunch o' damned fools."

"Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool that follows him?" retorted Obi-Wan, getting a look of agreement out of the wizard.

"Hmm… poignant," laughed Gandalf as the droids were taken out of their compartment. Suddenly, a pair of two Imperial engineers brought a large scanning device up the Falcon's entry ramp. Once the two were on the ship, Chewie bashed their heads in, rendering them floor bound and unconscious, while the scanning device dropped and broke, giving out a loud, crashing noise. Luke looked to Han in hopes of knowing the next step of the plan, but the scoundrel was stumped and suddenly deep in thought. He then came to his senses.

"Hey down there!" Solo called out. Two stormtroopers peaked their heads around to the entry ramp, but saw nothing.

"We need a little help with this thing!" added Luke. The two troopers, clad in regular Imperial stormtrooper gear, walked up the ramp and into the ship's entrance hallway. Han shot both of them dead as they made contact with the crew, giving them an opportunity to use the stormtrooper armor to their advantage. Gandalf looked on with confusion.

"Surely I can't fit into one of those!" the wizard with doubt. The outfits were far too small for him. Han laughed at the statement with his usual arrogance.

"You're not going to fit into one of them, Gramps," Han said, patting Gandalf's arm as he pointed to an outfit for Luke to put on. "And don't call me Shirley."

It was decided that Luke and Han would wear the uniforms and carry the standard issue E-11 blaster rifles that the troopers were using, while Chewie, Obi-Wan, and Gandalf would tread behind them as prisoners, alongside the droids. While everyone else walked off the ship, Luke finished putting on the armor, and when he put the faceless helmet over his head, he heard a voice coming from the comms unit.

"TK-421, what's your status?" the voice asked as Luke walked down the entry ramp. "TK-421, do you read me?"

As Luke walked off the ship, he saw an officer looking down at him from the command room. The young man waved to the Imperial officer, who backed away from the window. By the time Luke had caught up with the others, they had already broken into the command center, killing the two officials. The room bore a mixture of red, black, and grey on the walls, while the large command module nearly encircled the entire room along the walls. The young Skywalker hurried into the room, taking his helmet off and shutting the blast doors behind him.

"You know, we're gonna be in a whole lot of trouble if you keep shooting on sight like that," Luke said with an annoyed tone towards Han. "We're lucky the whole station isn't on alert right now."

"It's better than sneaking around like a bunch of cowards," retorted Solo.

"Alright, settle down. Plug Artoo into the outlet," Obi-Wan advised to C-3PO. "He should be able to access all the information on record here."

When Threepio and Artoo moved over to the command module, the little blue droid plugged himself in through a little grey connecter that came out of him.

"How strange those little things are," Gandalf said, while Artoo beeped back in annoyance. Threepio wacked his dome-shaped head with his golden hand.

"Don't be so rude!" the tall droid ordered. Artoo beeped and whistled to Threepio, who interpreted his speech patterns. "He's found the main controls to the tractor beam. They're coming up onto the monitors now."

On the multiple screens of the massive computer, several images of green schematics and text flashed, while Threepio elaborated on what was being shown.

"The main reactor feeds into the tractor beam through seven terminals," the golden droid explained. "If one of them is powered down, we'll be free to leave the station."

Obi-Wan looked to the plans and then to a blast door that led down a different hallway. Something in him gave him the urge to do what was necessary.

"This is above you, I'll handle it," the old man claimed as he stood from his partially seated position. He looked over to Gandalf, motioning for him to follow. "You volunteered earlier, so you're with me. Let's go."

The wizard stood and followed Obi-Wan towards the door. Luke met them in protest, not wanting to see his mentor leave.

"Hey wait, I want to go!" the boy pleaded. Obi-Wan stopped him right there.

"No, Luke, We have matters of our own to face here. You have matters of yours," explained Kenobi as he laid a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Stay here and keep the droids safe. The plans on that little one are crucial to the Rebellion."

Han looked at the droids with a sarcastic sense of hope while he rolled his eyes.

"Just remember, the Force will be with you… always," Obi-Wan said as the blast door opened. He walked through it, while Gandalf gave Luke a last look of support.

"Trust him, Luke. You're strong, I can feel it," said he as he looked forward. "Be safe."

The wizard walked through the blast door behind Obi-Wan. The two figures treaded alongside one another at a fast pace down the long, snaking grey hallway. The walls were covered with machinery and white lights that were shaped like little vertical lines.

"What do you think of the boy?" Obi-Wan asked, looking over to Gandalf. He spoke quietly, so as not to call attention to others that might be posted nearby.

"He's got a good heart," answered the wizard. "But not all good hearts survive."

"Ah, very true. His is something special, you must feel that," said the Jedi.

"Yes," he admitted. "I do. I've met people like him before. Steadfast, courageous… he reminds me of a hobbit I once knew."

"A hobbit?" Obi-Wan chuckled with confusion. "What's a hobbit?"

"Oh, it's… it's hard to explain," Gandalf said. Even he didn't seem to know everything about those strange little creatures. For a few minutes there was silence as they continued to walk. At several points on the way to the terminal, they carefully evaded groups of stormtroopers patrolling down hallways. Eventually, Obi-Wan had to address something to his newfound friend.

"You don't like Han, do you?" he asked. The wizard tried to cover it up, but it was hard to lie to someone with as much integrity as Obi-Wan.

"I'm not fond of him." The wizard looked through his white robe for a pipe, but nothing was there. He quite missed the old days with his friend Bilbo, where he could sit down and have a smoke without any imminent danger.

"And why shouldn't you be? I've met many like him in my time, and I somewhat agree with you. Always scraping around for more funds and material things," the Jedi elaborated. "There always seems to be a potential goodness in some of them, a goodness that they don't credit themselves in. It's as if they have a great role to play, though they don't accept it… but you've already seen that in someone before, haven't you?"

Gandalf immediately slowed his pace. His face looked surprised, looking over to Obi-Wan in a sort of confusion. The wizard had known a man just like Solo. He was unaccepting, and even stubborn at times. He was a killer that spared no mercy on those who opposed him, but he came to know his place. He was not a scoundrel, nor a wild man: he was a Ranger in the North, a Devil in the Wilderness… a King to Men.

"Aragorn…"

"He was important, wasn't he?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, I… how did you know about him?" the wizard asked as he came out of his daze. He felt a soft, observant presence in his mind, one that was not alarming or invasive.

"The Force gives me insight. It enhances the mind, makes it stronger and more flexible. You just have to let it flow through you," advised the Jedi. After walking down a small staircase, they both came to a walkway that laid above a large, bottomless room, bridging the gap between two hallways. "There, look, we've made it."

The Jedi pointed to the cylinder-shaped power terminal that was connected to the walkway, and the small ledge that snaked around it on both sides. Another cylinder-shaped mechanism came down from the ceiling, displaying blue, holographic lights onto the top of the power terminal. Another walkway connected two hallways above them and to the right, while the room expanded on a ways past that. The large space reminded Gandalf of where he faced Durin's Bane, the Balrog of Moria. That latent memory flashed before his eyes, like a soldier's remembrance of haunting war experiences.

"I am the Servant of the Secret Fire! The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!"

The fiery whip of the hell-beast cracked as the creature approached the old wizard, who held his sword and staff in each hand. The demonic creature was engulfed in flames and shadow, looking as if it was the greatest evil imaginable.

"Go back to the Shadow!"

This warning didn't persuade or affect the creature in any way. It kept moving forward on the bridge. Gandalf the Grey held his instruments of power together, unleashing the forces of light onto the surroundings in front of him.

"You shall not pass!"

The path that lay between the beings of light and darkness shattered and dispersed, falling into the abyss. The beast stepped into the emptiness, falling into the dark depths alongside the ancient Dwarven architecture.

The rest of the memory played out in a blur, as if something did not wish Gandalf to witness it once more. He could hear voices, however… voices of those whom he had traveled with. He could hear the mourning cries of elves, humans, and other creatures, sounds that tore at his soul. When the memory faded, Obi-Wan looked at him

"That was how you died, wasn't it?" the Jedi assumed. He looked as if he was sharing the wizard's pain, like he was there when Gandalf fell.

"You felt it, as well?" responded Gandalf. The wizard knew the answer, since he could feel the presence of the old Master.

"As I said, the Force gives me insight," answered Obi-Wan as he stroked the scruff of his white beard. "Now come, we mustn't waste any more time."

Gandalf nodded as they approached the ledge that would take them to the control panels. Obi-Wan went first, grabbing the side of the terminal to keep his rugged balance in tune, with Gandalf following close behind. They came to the panels that rested on the opposite side of the terminal from the walkway. To Gandalf, the machinery of the controls looked just as foreign to him as an unknown language. Switches, flashing buttons, levers, tubes, and other devices were attached to the three panels, each of them having their own separate function. Obi-Wan stationed himself at the middle panel, while Gandalf stood before the panel to the right of him. A squad of troopers crossed the elevated walkway further down the room, so the two had to be quiet.

"Alright, Gandalf, do you see the main lever on the panel?" Kenobi asked.

"A what?" the wizard responded. He looked throughout the controls, but couldn't see anything that looked the slightest bit familiar to him.

"By the Force, Gandalf, it's right there!" yelled Obi-Wan with a whispered tone, pointing to the metallic switch in the middle of the panel that laid in front of Gandalf. The wizard looked at it with confusion, but placed his hand on the lever nonetheless.

"It's a little cool," Gandalf observed.

"Yes, yes… just pull it down, but don't force it down," instructed Obi-Wan. Gandalf pulled down on the lever, lowering the humming sound of the generator by doing this. "If it were a gundark it would have eaten you."

'I don't understand…"

"Don't worry about it, it's a long story," the Jedi said as he twisted a metal pipe-like tube in the terminal in front of him, lowering the power bar on the center panel's display. Obi-Wan quickly whispered to Gandalf when he heard walking noises coming from the hallway they had entered from.

"I need you to push that lever back up. Please, do it slowly!"

Gandalf pushed the lever back up to its original position quietly as six stormtroopers came into the room, two of which were talking about their orders. The four front stormtroopers made their way across the walkway, while the same two stayed back at the entrance. The wizard looked over to Obi-Wan, whose sweaty face was full of tension as the terminal's power turned completely off.

"Hey, what's that?" one asked as he pointed to the terminal. "Why's it powering off?"

"It's just another test. We need to keep moving. Come on, we missed a hallway back there. That's where they saw the old men. They're too slow to outrun us, let's go," Gandalf heard. The stormtroopers went back through the entrance. "So did you hear about the new BT-16s?"

As the voices faded, Gandalf and Obi-Wan shimmied their way back to the main walkway.

"I feel like they've found something," speculated the Jedi with a hushed voice as they headed through the blast door on the opposite side of where they had entered. What Kenobi had felt was enlightening, as if it were a relief. "Not something, but someone."

"You mean Luke and Han?" whispered the wizard, as they looked at a map of the space station outside of the blast door. "I hope they're keeping that command center secure."

"They're not in the command center."

"What?" Gandalf responded in shock. "Why would they ever –"

"Shh!" Kenobi ordered as he pulled out his lightsaber. A squad of stormtroopers ran down a hallway in formation to the right from a corridor to the left. When the troopers left the small intersection of hallways, both of the old souls snuck down the left hallway. Suddenly, Gandalf felt a wave of cold shoot up his spine, a feeling that gave him a sense of dread and terror. The cold loomed over him as if it held complete control over his psyche. Before they went through the blast door, Old Ben looked partially over his shoulder to Gandalf behind him.

"Don't be afraid, my dear friend," he said as he pulled the hood of his brown robe over his head. "The cold only stays if you let it."

Kenobi led them through the blast door to a hallway that opened up into the hangar bay to their left. Across the way, a man of darkness loomed like a ghost, breathing through some sort of apparatus on his body suit. The figure's red lightsaber was ignited at his right side. The sound of Obi-Wan's voice came into Gandalf's mind, the sound of words that he had heard before, but it faded in and out, as if it were out of focus.

"Vader… seduced… Dark side of the Force…"

"Vader," mouthed Gandalf. The cold now felt stronger than ever before, seemingly being emitted by him, but there was something in Gandalf that made it feel like it was not a threat. The sheer willpower of the wizard downplayed the darkness, causing it to have no effect on Gandalf's mentality. The old Maiar looked on with straight, unmoving eyes at the terrifying Dark Lord of the Sith, whose mechanical armor and faceless helmet would terrify the strongest of souls. Obi-Wan turned on his lightsaber, the cobalt-blue blade coming to life once the button was pressed.

"My old Master," Vader said with a deep, robotic voice to Kenobi. He then looked straight to Gandalf. "And a friend, I see. Who might you be, another old man poisoned by lies?"

The cold was raging, fighting its way through Gandalf's mind, but it wasn't enough to keep the old wizard from standing firmly in his place. He had done the same with the Balrog, and he would keep doing it now. Corruption could be tempted out of him, but he would not let it. Not now, and not ever. The voice of Ilúvatar flowed through him like a song of Elven beauty, calling to him and giving him strength.

"Let him know, Olórin. Let him know whom he stands before. Let them ALL know."

"I am the Servant of the Secret Fire," Gandalf said, strongly. "And your darkness will never avail you."