Author's Note: Chapter fifteen.

Piett stood on the bridge, masking his signature in the Force for the Emperor's arrival. Vader was on the Death Star, awaiting Palpatine's arrival to greet him in person. He had told Piett to mask himself in the Force so that the Sith Master would not sense him. He had then warned his younger brother that thought Palpatine would not sense him, he would be able to sense the Emperor.

A shuttle came out of hyperspace, and Firmus immediately found himself torn between screaming, vomitting, and passing out. The presence that filled the Force and assaulted his senses was dark, darker beyond he had ever felt from his older brother, evil, and vile. It felt diseased, and its owner gloried in his own madness and evil.

"Sir?! Admiral, are you all right?!"

Slowly his mind registered the voices of his concerned bridge crew. Hands were on him, and Captain Jereks was attempting to meet his eyes. He blinked and realized he was on his knees, doubled over, his arms wrapped around himself, gasping for breath. He could feel the sweat running down his face. He struggled to stand, and the hands helped him rise, Jereks also giving his aid. He looked to see who had helped him to find Commander Gherant. Everyone on the bridge was staring at him shock and horror. He didn't blame them. The presence of the Emperor seemed to have appeared to make him have a fit of some kind. That must have been disturbing for these men to see, especially since they had no idea what caused it.

"Sir? Do you need medical attention, sir?" Jereks asked, obviously concerned for his commanding officer.

"No, Captain. I will go rest, however. The bridge is yours."

Piett entered his quarters to see Luke looking just as sick as he felt.

"You feel it, too?" hie nephew asked.

He nodded.

"The bridge crew no doubt thought I was having a fit."

Luke grimaced but still managed an understanding look.

"I thought I was going to bed sick. His presence is... horrible."

The Admiral nodded in understanding as he settled down on his bed to rest from the episode on the bridge. He was rather tired from it, despite it not being a real fit, it had still affected him.

Vader returned to the Executor and made his way to the bridge. Captain Jereks was there to greet him with a salute.

"Welcome back, my Lord."

"Where is Admiral Piett?"

The Captain hesitated for a moment, but Vader let it go as he sensed that the man was simply trying to figure out how to work his response.

"He is resting, sir. He seemed to have a fit of some kind earlier. He refused medical attention and returned to his quarters to rest."

"How long ago?"

"An hour, my Lord."

Vader turned and swept back the way he had come. He stepped into his brother's quarters. Luke came out of meditation, and Piett half-sat up, trying to re-engage the waking world, his uniform rumpled from having slept in.

"What happened on the bridge, Firmus? Captain Jereks said you had a fit."

His younger brother grimaced and sat up the rest of the way.

"I guess you could call it that. It was my reacted, I suppose, to the Emperor's presence."

"I see. How did you fare, Luke?"

His son seemed to think on how to describe his own reaction.

"I thought I was going to be sick, and for a moment I thought I going to pass out."

Vader did not speak for a few moments.

"The Rebellion will attack. The Emperor allowed them to learn the location of this battle station and that he would be aboard."

Luke went pale, and Piett looked surprised.

"Why take such a risk?"

"The Emperor does not believe they are a threat, and he has set a trap for them."

Firmus put a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"I must take you to him now. You as well, Firmus."

His son and brother both swallowed nervously but stopped. Piett clamped a pair of binders on Luke's wrists, and they followed Vader to the hangar bay. The moment they had been waiting for with dread was upon them at last, and not one of the Skywalker men could see how it would end.

On the forest moon, Han waited anxiously for Leia to return from chasing some stormtroopers on speeder bikes through the trees. She returned, but she wasn't alone. With her came a group of what, to the Rebel General, looked like giant teddy bears. They carried spears and were easily started, first by Chewbaca and then by Artoo. When they saw Threepio, however, they immediately thought the protocol droid to be some kind of deity.

The creatures turned out be called Ewoks and, in the morning, would take the group of Rebels to the bunker that controlled the deflector shield that protected the Death Star. They were to stay in the Ewoks' tree-bound village for the night, and Han slipped out of the large, community type hut where Threepio was telling the Ewoks about all their adventures, to find Leia staring up through the trees at the unfinished Death Star.

"Leia?"

She jumped at his voice but relaxed once she realized it was him.

"Han, I... I can't explain it, but... I know Luke's on the Death Star."

"Leia, I know you miss him and all, but that's crazy. Why would Luke be up there?"

She sighed.

"I don't know, but I do know that the minute we have the shield down, we have to get up there. This is like those feelings Luke would get that always ended up being right."

Now it was Han's turn to sigh.

"If you really feel that way about it, then we'll do it, but I still don't think he'd be up there."

"I know, and I can't explain why I feel that he is, I just do."

He gently pulled her close.

"I know. I miss him, too. Part of me hopes you're right."

End Note: The Emperor arrives, and the ground assault on the shield generator will soon begin. Leia and Han make plans to search for Luke aboard the Death Star. Everything is coming together. Please Review.