"So just how do you know this anyway?" Leia finally asked, once she found her voice.
"I was there."
"You were?" Leia gasped. "I think I remember seeing you! But…" her voice softened "…how are we going to get out of here?"
"Never tell me the odds" Han replied. "We'll find a way."
Leia managed a small smile. "I know."
The sound of the door opening startled them both and they looked over to see Lando and Boba Fett enter both armed with blasters. Han stiffened when Fett moved his blaster to cover them then handed Leia a pair of cuffs.
"Put those on him" Fett ordered, motioning with his blaster.
Leia glanced at Han questioningly.
"Just do what he says" Han replied, his attention fixed on the blaster.
Leia snapped the cuffs on his wrists then allowed Fett to put a pair on her.
"Alright, let's get moving" Fett announced, nodding to the door.
Chewbacca wailed a mournful farewell as the group left.
Han glared at Lando who trailed behind them. "So torturing us wasn't bad enough, huh? Now you just had to turn us over!"
"I had no choice," Lando growled. "Lord Vader's more persuasive than you realize."
"If you really cared, you'd stick up for us instead of taking the easy way out. Don't you even care about what'll happen to Leia?"
A flash of concern passed across Lando's face and the blaster trembled in his hand. "It's too late for that" he sighed.
"There's still time" Han insisted. "Just help Leia and me get out of here. All you've got to do is turn on Fett."
Lando glanced around fearfully. "Just keep your crazy ideas to yourself, Han."
"Or give me your blaster and I'll take on Fett."
"You know I can't do that. I have a duty to these people here. If the Empire took control-"
"A duty to yourself, you mean" Han cut in roughly. "Just cause you're afraid of what Vader'll do to you."
Enraged, Lando punched Han, which threw him roughly to the floor. "Don't you dare talk that way to me! I did what I had to do."
Leia met Lando's eyes, briefly but accusingly, before bending down next to Han. "Han, are you alright?"
"I think so," Han replied with a pained grin.
"Are you sure?" Leia leaned closer, pretending to examine to rising bruise on his face. "Time's running out," she hissed.
"Look, just stay close to me and be ready to move." Han didn't really have a plan and he could tell Leia was the same, but he'd think of something. He preferred not to reveal his Jedi identity, but it looked like there might be no other way.
"Let's get going," Fett said, grabbing Leia's arm and yanking her to her feet, "I've got other bounties to collect."
"Leave her alone, Fett," Han said warningly.
"Don't like anyone messing with your princess, Solo?" Fett teased. "Don't worry, in a few hours after Vader gets done with you, you'll forget all about her." He turned to Lando, "Make yourself useful, Calrissian, and keep them apart. And try to stay under control, will you?"
Lando shot a glare at the bounty hunter before forcing Han to stand.
"Some friend you turned out to be."
Lando shrugged off the accusation. "Once I get rid of you, my problems are gone." he shot back. "So if I were you, I'd stop worrying about my problems and focus on yours."
'You have no idea…'
Luke stood at the edge of the swamp, fingering a stone in his hand, and focusing on a point in the murky water. "Ben, what was my father like?" he asked suddenly.
Obi-Wan considered his reply briefly. "He was a good friend and a highly talented Jedi. He had so much promise." A fond smile lit up his face. "I lost count of all the times he saved my life."
"I sense a 'but' coming."
"He was arrogant and impatient, similar to yourself. Those vices contributed to his downfall."
Luke frowned thoughtfully. "You said Darth Vader killed him. When?"
"In the Jedi Purge on Coruscant," Obi-Wan replied. His voice grew heavy. "I did all I could to save him, but I still wonder if I could've done more."
Luke had just tossed a second stone and it abruptly sank after only two skips. He spun around to face his mentor. "There's something you're not telling me about my father."
"What haven't I told you?"
"You said you didn't want to lose me like you did Vader. If Vader was your apprentice, was it before or after my father?"
"A Jedi may have more than one apprentice, Luke," Obi-Wan said sternly.
Luke recognized the rebuke in his master's voice and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, master. I just felt something wasn't right with what you said. I'd better go check on R2."
Scarcely had Luke been gone when Yoda came up beside Obi-Wan.
"The boy's too smart for us, master. Sooner or later, he'll find out."
Yoda frowned. "Think wise is it to tell him?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "He will only find out somehow. Wouldn't it be better for us to just tell him?"
Artoo twiddled a question as Luke came by.
"No, I don't think we're leaving for awhile. They're fine for now anyway." Luke sat down on a tree stump. "You know, Artoo, how sometimes you feel like someone's holding back on you? I'm sure there's something important Ben's not telling me about my father."
Artoo ventured an opinion.
Luke laughed. "No I guess you don't know. Well is there anything you know about the Jedi Purge?"
The astromech droid beeped an affirmative and projected a holo from his dome.
A young man strode into the Jedi Temple followed by a large army of clone troopers. A group of children watched him then one spoke. There was no audio so Luke could only guess what was being said. The man ignited his lightsaber, a red blade, and began cutting down the children. Behind him, the clone troopers streamed in…
"Who's that, Artoo?"
Artoo replied that it was Darth Vader.
"So that's what he looks like without the mask. Do you have any holos of my father, Artoo?"
Artoo whirled and the holo changed.
Into a large meeting room, Darth Vader strode to a table where several non-human species sat. One rose to greet him, but Vader flew at him with ignited lightsaber and killed him with a flick of his wrist. Panic erupted. Luke waited tensely, expecting at any second a Jedi to appear. The holo ended with Darth Vader surveying the dead bodies.
"Hey, where is he? Artoo, what's going on?"
Artoo warbled a reply and Luke shook his head.
"No, I don't think that was the holo. Show me the right one this time."
Artoo complied and brought up another holo.
A ship touched down on a volcanic planet and immediately a woman rushed out toward Darth Vader. Luke stared at the holo, recognizing his mother. Cautiously, he reached out to touch her, though his fingers met only thin air. Suddenly, his mother was clawing at her throat and gasping for Vader to let her go.
"You're with him!" Vader growled at her, glaring at Obi-Wan who stood at the top of the ramp. "You brought him to kill me!" Furious, he threw her roughly to the ground. She lay unmoving.
Obi-Wan rushed over to Padme and knelt next to her. A burst of static cut off the beginning of his reply. "…have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind until now- until now you've become the very thing you swore to destroy."
"If you're not with me, than you're against me!"
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."
Darth Vader leapt at Obi-Wan and their lightsabers clashed.
The holo faded, but Luke barely noticed. He sat with his head resting on his folded arms and staring at the holo, deep in though.
Leia glanced over at Han again, wondering what his plan was. Fett was leading them out to the platform and practically had them on Darth Vader's ship already. Then she realized he was waiting for Fett to leave; only, the bounty hunter wasn't leaving. As they walked up the ramp, Leia glanced around quickly and was relieved to see no sign of Darth Vader.
"We'd better wait here for instructions," Lando suggested.
"You stay here with them, Calrissian," Fett retorted. "I did what Vader said and now I'm wanting to get paid. You can handle these two, can't you?"
Lando scowled at Fett.
"I thought not." Fett leaned against the wall so he was facing the others and blocking any chance of escape. "We stay here." Fett had barely finished speaking when he suddenly tripped and went tumbling down the ramp.
Leia's breath caught in her throat, and she spun around to confront Han, though Lando had been closer, when the cuffs binding her wrists broke free and fell to the floor. "What-?" She turned in time to see Han fire a stun bolt at Lando. "Han!"
"Come on!" Han grabbed Leia's hand and together they raced down the hall. After a few minutes, they ducked into a room to hide, until their pursuers past.
Leia stared at Han in astonishment. "Why didn't you tell me you were a Jedi?"
Trying to sort out his thoughts, Luke wandered away with the intent of talking to Yoda again. He found himself instead at the entrance to the cave. Luke hesitated momentarily, wondering if he'd have another vision of Darth Vader trying to kill him, but he swallowed his fear and ventured inside.