Did anyone order another chapter?
Here's another one for you, on the house. I've been having a lot of new projects alongside university work so my fanfic output has been slowed, but rest assured, it will not die. I had a slight writers block/depression that left me unable to even write a paragraph for several days, but I'm happy to say I feel much better now.
This chapter marks the final events that take place during the gap between episodes IV and V. I'm excited to return to some known places but to add the important twists that come with our good friend Obi-Wan surviving the Death Star.
Before we get this show on the road, let's answer some comments:
- RKF22: Yeah, I hope the reason and the impulse behind his action as clear. It didn't feel too out of his character. May the Force be with you!
- Quiyes: it's true that Rahm's death needed to feel impactful and make sense in terms of other characters' arcs. It shouldn't just be a throwaway. Here, he essentially shows the true power of the Force to Mara but also to Vader, since he did no see Obi-Wan do it in ep IV.
I'm not sure about the Sith's equivalent to Force ghosts. I'd imagine it exists, I'll look into it. The problem with the Force ghost ability is that it can be used as a "deus ex machina" sort of ability, so I want it to feel like it has its disadvantages. I think you CAN continue training your abilities while in limbo, especially meditating, but I think it's good that there is always the possibility that you will return to the living Force if you draw upon its power too much. It's like the Force is saying "I'm allowing you to stay around but remember you aren't supposed to just solve people's problems for them and if you abuse this power I've granted you, I'll return you to me like everyone else" sort of thing. Like when in Last Jedi, Yoda summons LIGHTNING and HITS LUKE WITH HIS STICK!, is complete BS and falls too much into the "unbeatable power" category.
Yes, I'm hoping to show that both their powers are growing, though of course one will always be more powerful than the other since he is the Chosen One.
Can't say anything about Leia yet, unfortunately. Neither yes or no, but I'm definitely considering it. If I did do it, I want to find a way to weave it in without it being too jarring.
I DOO have more ideas! Especially now that we're moving into episode V… won't reveal too much for now, but I do hope to diversify the Jedi lore down the line as much as possible with different lightsabers, skills…
Thank you so much for your comments and observations! It truly means a lot.
Alright! That's all the comments from the last chapter, so let's just jump straight into chapter 18. There will be some strong character moments here, some I'm not sure if they entirely make sense, so please tell me what you thought in the comments.
Please also favorite and follow if you enjoy, it helps me out a lot. Even a comment that says you like the story is really appreciated.
Enjoy!
"We'll rejoin the fleet in a couple of minutes," Han informed Leia and Crix Madine who were waiting in the Millennium Faulcon's communal area. They both shared somber expressions and barely responded to Han's comment.
The smuggler awkwardly waited for a reply before understanding it was not coming. He turned around to leave but a voice stopped him:
"Captain, I'd like a word if you please."
Han turned towards Leia who eyed him blankly. The seconds of silence that followed were soon interrupted by Crix who rose to his feet.
"I'll go see if the Wookie needs any help." he said distractedly.
Crix left the communal area, not looking at either of them and made his way to the cockpit.
Han felt like weights were being added to his imaginary backpack with every second of silence that passed. He stayed motionless as Leia nervously fiddled with her fingers and avoided his gaze. Han heaved an internal sigh of relief when she finally spoke…:
"I don't want you to leave."
…His sigh turned into an internal scream:
That's what she's been thinking about?!
Han was stunned. He had completely forgotten about his talk with Leia on the bridge. He did not expect her to have been thinking about that.
"It'll be complicated to leave after all this," Han said, as casually as he could. "I doubt anyone will be allowed to go until the High Command figures out how the Imperials found us."
"Stop being coy about this, Han. It isn't like you," Leia replied. Her tone was not frustrated, just tired and wary. "I want you to stay with the Rebel Alliance. Join us officially, and accept a rank worthy of your accomplishments."
Han was caught off guard, though he should have seen it coming. He was rarely able to talk to Leia without being left speechless. It was to be expected by now. Still, he had no idea how to reply. He had expected HER to tell him to leave or stay, not act as a mouthpiece for the Rebel Alliance.
"THAT'S the reason you want me to stay?" Han asked, trying to keep the anger out of his tone. "Because I'd be a good asset for the Rebellion?"
"Of course," Leia replied genuinely, finally locking eyes with him. "You're a brilliant pilot, a natural leader and good in a fight. The Rebellion needs you."
Han felt like he'd been slapped with a cold rag. The way Leia said this left him feeling hollow and angry.
"I…" Han could not say what he wanted to say. It would be so much easier if he could just put a word on what he was feeling. Why did things have to be so damn complicated?
Han looked deep into Leia's brown eyes. He could see their sincerity, but he also desperately searched for something else. Just an inkling that could make him say for sure there was something between them. But how could he even see such a thing? Could SHE see it in his eyes?
Han could not take this anymore, all these insecurities and jumbled emotions. All of the tension and frustration which he usually kept locked away and disguised with overwhelming bravado was unleashed. Qi'ra, his actions in the Imperial Navy… it was all my fault…
Without warning, Han kicked over a box of tools, sending them flying in all directions. An empty munitions crate was also kicked over, then punched, then kicked again. Han felt like he was overheating; he needed to vent and the only way he knew how was through violence, like he had when he was young…
"Han! Stop!" Leia cried as she jumped to her feet. Her voice was laced with concern but Han could not hear it. He had run out of objects to kick and throw, so he moved to the closest thing to him: the walls of his ship.
The first punch he threw into the durasteel panels was followed by a sickening crack and pop as two of his knuckles shattered. But the pain did not register; his eyes were glazed over, tinged with unnatural reflects. He continued to punch the wall. The cracking and popping turned into a wet thumping sound, as he stained the walls with his blood.
He could not hear anything; his vision was blurry… he could not even feel his hands. All his senses were paralyzed but his anger was still raging. This repressed rage from years ago that seemed unquenchable.
He continued to punch but he could no longer feel the Faulcon's walls under his mangled fists. He was crazed; incapable of rationality. He rocked his head backward, ready to land a final decisive blow with his skull, desperately hoping it would knock him out and finally quell the burning rage in his gut.
But before he could act; a small hand covered his eyes, another hand crept up around his chest; a warm body pressed against his back. He stayed perfectly still because, for a moment, his mind went blank.
The hand covering his eyes felt like it sent a healing warmth through his body. The hand on his chest and the body pressed flush against his back illuminated his soul. He could feel something larger bringing them together.
He became aware of the soreness in his hands; how they were bloated because of the severed blood vessels. His legs were bruised from all the kicking; he was so tired. Han's entire body slumped back, but Leia gently eased him to the floor, cradling his head in her lap.
She kept her right hand over his eyes, and gently stroked his cheek with her left. Han no longer felt anger, he sensed something else; in him, and in her. Something was showing them their feelings for each other, like two halves being brought together. Han remembered what he'd told Luke about 'hokey religions' and a small smirk graced his lips…
"So this is what it feels like…" Han whispered.
He could not hear what Leia murmured back. He only felt her soft lips against his as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Make sure you keep your head down. We don't want anyone to challenge our disguises." Obi-Wan whispered to Luke who nodded discreetly.
Luke was wearing a black wig, brown contacts and a comically pointy goatee to disguise his features. He was dressed, like many other young Naboo, in an embroidered jacket, paired with elegant pants and shoes. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was draped in a hand-woven cloak that disguised his severed hand. He leaned against Luke for support and carried a cane in his good hand.
They were posing as a grandfather and his assistant. The Imperial presence on Naboo was noticeably less aggressive compared to other planets but there were still occasional patrols of Stormtroopers in the streets of Theed. However, they would not pay attention to a hobbling old man and his eccentric-looking helper.
Obi-Wan had thought about visiting Padmé's sister, Sola Naberrie, or even Jar Jar, but ultimately decided against it. They could not risk implicating them, and Obi-Wan did not feel he had the strength to revive any more memories from his past.
They had left R2 with their ship, which they'd parked several miles outside the capital, hidden in the dense swamplands. It had been a long trek, made even longer once Obi-Wan had to start walking like a crippled old man, but they had finally reached their goal: Padmé's mausoleum.
It was beautiful, elegant and understated; a perfect symbol of the woman it immortalized. It was located close to the Royal Palace, overlooking the distant waterfalls and orange sunset. The mausoleum was made of gold, silver and sand-colored brick with dark stone pillars and arches. It was surrounded by a luminous pond, populated by beautiful exotic fish, and could only be accessed via a stone walkway.
It was guarded by two Stormtroopers, who blocked Obi-Wan and Luke's path when they approached.
"Access is restricted. Move along, citizen."
"Why don't you give it a try." Obi-Wan spoke slowly to his apprentice, ignoring the Stormtroopers.
Luke nodded, cleared his voice and enunciated:
"You WILL let us through."
The Stormtroopers paused, glanced at each other before one replied:
"Did you just give me an order, kid?" he asked aggressively, moving closer to Luke and shoving him back. "You better watch yourself."
"Please excuse my assistant," Obi-Wan interrupted with a deferential bow. "He must remember patience and balance."
"What?" the Stormtrooper asked incredulously.
Luke took a deep breath and tried again, channeling the power of the Force into his words with a small wave of his hand.
"You WILL let us through."
Another moment of silence passed between the Stormtroopers, during which Luke tensed up with anxiety, which disappeared when they moved out of the way and said in unison:
"We will let you through."
Luke was about to walk past them but Obi-Wan held him back. He smiled coyly at Luke before saying:
"Never pass up an opportunity to practice your abilities, Luke. Keep going."
Luke thought quickly about what to do next; meanwhile, the Stormtroopers just waited unmoving until he spoke again:
"You WILL switch your blasters to stun."
"We will switch our blasters to stun."
True to their word, they both changed the setting on their rifles. Luke looked to Obi-Wan, silently begging for them to go but he silently urged him to try one more.
"You WILL spit in your helmets and put them back on."
"We will spit in our helmets and put them back on."
With disgusted fascination, Luke watched as the Stormtroopers spat inside their helmets and unflinchingly put them back on their heads. He nervously cast a look around them, but thankfully, there was no one else nearby.
Luke and Obi-Wan proceeded slowly down the pathway across the water to the entrance of the mausoleum. Luke did not know what he was expecting to feel, but for now, he only felt the loud beating of his heart inside his ribcage.
The center of the room was occupied by a large stone sarcophagus, engraved with all sorts of scriptures, symbols, and images. A beautiful multicolored stained glass window dotted the inside of the mausoleum with rainbow patterns of light from the setting sun.
The glass depicted a beautiful woman, resembling an angel. Luke deduced it was his mother. He admired this representation of her, trying to construct an image of what she might have looked like. It was difficult; the stained glass only gave general details about her appearance, but somehow, Luke felt he understood what sort of person his mother was. Beautiful just like her image on the glass; small yet impactful like this mausoleum; passionate and loving above all else...
Luke suddenly sensed a stir in Obi-Wan's Force signature that echoed everything he'd guessed about his mother. He looked discreetly at his master who did a good job of keeping his face neutral. However, his feelings told the truth: profound sorrow, regret, and pain. Luke had not told Obi-Wan how clearly he was able to feel his emotions; he did not want to make him retreat back and ignore them.
"She must have been beautiful." Luke commented pensively.
"She was," Obi-Wan admitted, pacing around the stone sarcophagus. "She always wore elaborate and stylish dresses with even more elaborates hairstyles. It seemed so effortless for her, it made a lot of the senators quite jealous."
"Apparently even Jedi weren't safe from her charms." Luke said with a smirk.
Obi-Wan understood he was referring to Anakin, but his words also rang true in another sense. One that Obi-Wan had tried to forget about. His purpose on this trip was to finally put Padmé's memories to rest. To leave them in her mausoleum, and no longer have her be a haunting spirit in his mind.
"How did she die?"
Obi-Wan clenched his teeth. He had tried not to think about his answer to that question. He had already twisted the truth about Anakin's death, and sadly he would have no choice but to do the same for Padmé.
"There were… complications around the end of her pregnancy," Obi-Wan answered slowly, making sure he devolved just enough truth to not make it a lie. "She passed away shortly after giving birth."
His twin sister; Anakin attacking Padmé; Darth Vader; Obi-Wan could not share these things. He knew that deceiving Luke like this was cruel, but he reasoned that it was crueler to burden him with such knowledge. For now, Padmé's death, like her husband's, would remain veiled in half-truths.
Obi-Wan watched as Luke circled the sarcophagus, pensively running his hand along the different writings and motifs. The old Jedi could sense his apprentice was keeping some of his thoughts and feelings shielded from him, but he did not mind. Luke was free to have secrets; it would have been hypocritical if Obi-Wan thought otherwise.
"What do we do now?" Luke asked after several moments of silence.
"I had hoped to continue your training, but with the Empire tightening their net around the Rebel Alliance I fear it would be unwise to remain away any longer," Obi-Wan spoke with a measured tone. "We must return to the fleet."
Obi-Wan could sense Luke's fleeting relief which he quickly tried to disguise. He could empathize with his apprentice. Training Luke had been more taxing and difficult than he'd initially thought. Of course, it was in part due to Luke's powerful connection to the Force which sometimes made him unpredictable and impatient, but also because of Obi-Wan's own fear and doubts about his qualifications as a master.
It is time for him to meet Master Yoda, Obi-Wan concluded.
The old Jedi began to slowly drift towards the exit of the mausoleum, eager to not stay in this place any longer than was appropriate. He could sense its power over him and he did not want to show weakness in front of his apprentice.
As he was about to leave, he looked around and saw Luke was still beside the sarcophagus. He appeared to be praying, hands linked together, elbows pressed upon the stone. Obi-Wan almost missed it, but he saw he was gripping Shmi's carved Japor Snippet that he'd given to him on Tattooine. The sight brought a surge of emotions through Obi-Wan's gut, which he quickly released into the Force.
He would not fail his apprentice. He swore to her and to himself it would never happen again.
Life on board the Executor had returned to its prior monotony. While the attack on Princess Leia's cruiser had been thrilling and had served as important motivation and stimuli for the troops, their victory had been more symbolic than anything else.
Thrawn had been right; predictably. There was no significant intel they could salvage from the ship; all the data had been corrupted as soon as they'd launched their attack. The ship itself had been sent to a scrapyard and any materiel they found onboard had been repurposed. The Rebels they'd managed to capture had been tortured, but only revealed incomplete pieces of intel which did not help their mission.
Yesterday's attack had already been pushed out of Mara's mind. Today, she was focusing on the one who had insured its success: Darth Vader.
She had spent several hours trying to meditate on who or what he was exactly. The incident in the training arena was still fresh in her mind, and while she hated how she had reacted, she was also intrigued by what had caused it. Even after hours of meditation, she could still not conceive that his power was attainable by a human being. Did the Emperor even have such power?
She had tried to learn more about Vader, but Imperial records about him were frustratingly sparse. It was mainly general information or second-hand testimonies from people who had encountered or worked with him. She could find nothing about who he was, or had been, nor where he came from.
The only piece of relevant information she could find was an old Imperial propaganda pamphlet:
Lord Vader is Emperor Palpatine's second in command and has served by his side since before the birth of the Galactic Empire, under the Old Republic. He is a former Jedi and one of the few who remained loyal to the Emperor during the Jedi Order's treasonous attempt to overthrown the Republic. He bravely fought to protect his excellency but was gravely wounded and savagely tortured by the traitorous Jedi Order. However, his sacrifice was not in vain, as the Jedi were ultimately defeated and peace was restored to the galaxy. Despite his injuries, Lord Vader continues to serve the Empire on the front lines, hunting down any remaining Jedi traitors and delivering the same mercy they showed him. All hail Lord Vader! All hail the Emperor!
While the information was intriguing, it did not help Mara to better understand Vader. She also knew how these pamphlets were written, so she had no way of knowing where the truth ended and where the lies began.
Mara had run out of leads to chase. It seemed she only had one option left to learn who Vader truly was: ask him directly. Mara hated that it was her only option, but she also saw it as a personal challenge. She needed to overcome her fear towards him and learn the secret to his incredible power.
In a rush of confidence, Mara ran out of her quarters and walked at a brisk pace towards Vader's meditation chamber, where she could sense his presence. However, as she got closer to her destination, Mara's pace slowed down. How was she supposed to ask Vader her question? He would think her a fool.
Mara arrived in front of the large grey blast doors. Behind them waited Darth Vader, his presence strangely muddled, which confused Mara since she expected him to be meditating.
She steeled herself, drew a calming breath and keyed open the door. She walked in with a brisk and decisive pace, all to stop suddenly a couple of feet away from the meditation chamber. The detail that immediately put her on guard was the fact the pod was not closed; there was a gap through which Mara could see.
Ultimately, Mara's curiosity outweighed her rationality. She stepped forward to better see the inside of the chamber. The image of the monster she had expected to see was immediately shattered by the reality in front of her.
She saw the back of a white scalp, devoid of any hairs and covered with burn scars. The pale head was stained with streaks of yellow discoloration. Vader's breathing was no longer a deep mechanized pump, but a low rasping gasp that seemed to both savor and recoil at each breath of air.
Mara could not help moving closer. Somehow, Vader had not seemed to notice her presence and she made sure to keep her Force signature invisible. She watched as he drew deeper and deeper breaths, each one seeming to inflict more pain. Mara could hear strange rumblings and vibrations from inside his chest like his internal organs were fraying under the weight of each breath.
When Vader inhaled again, he was assaulted by violent coughs which shook his entire body. Mara saw blood project out of his mouth, spattering across the monitors and dials of the chamber. Vader brought a breathing mask up to his face and let it pump oxygen into his lungs, relieving his pain and ending his coughing fit.
Mara felt like she'd seen too much and tried to back away discreetly, but her foot caught on a step and she fell backward with a loud "thump!".
Vader's head quickly snapped around, his eyes connecting with Mara's; and what she saw, shocked her deeply. From above the breathing mask, two yellowish eyes stared back at her, but for a split second, she did not recognize them as the eyes of a Sith. They were the eyes of someone with nothing left to lose. She could see pain and anger directed towards himself. In that split second, she saw a swirl of deep azure amidst the yellow of his irises; she could not help thinking back to the old Jedi she'd killed. They weren't the same eyes, but they shared something which Mara could not name.
And just like that, the split-second was over. Vader turned his head away, pressed a button on his control panel and closed the meditation chamber around him.
Mara stayed still for several seconds, before the pod reopened and Darth Vader reemerged, just as she'd always seen him before now, wearing his intimidating black helmet. He stalked up to her and spoke threateningly:
"You saw nothing."
Mara recognized the menace in his voice, but she found it had no effect on her. Before, she would have flinched or been stunned in fear; now she could only think of his grief-stricken eyes, and his words lost all their power.
"I saw everything." Mara replied evenly.
With that, she left the room at a measured pace, feeling Vader's glare behind her. She did not care; she had found her answer. Mara thought that knowledge would reassure her or give her confidence, but it only left her with more unanswered questions.
Obi-Wan paced the halls of the capital ship, deep in thought.
Luke was currently with Leia at Han's bedside. He had not pushed for details, but he'd gathered Han's injuries were not caused by his escape from the Empire's ambush. His Force presence, however, was strangely calm. Obi-Wan had his own ideas about who might have caused that, but he decided to leave it alone for now. Leia had enough to worry about already, and her private life was her own concern.
Obi-Wan's spirit lifted when he saw some familiar faces: two old Clones who somehow looked younger than when he'd last seen them. They had trimmed their hair in standard military fashion and had swapped their scraggly beards for clean-shaven looks.
"Good to see you again, general," Rex greeted with a precise salute, which Cody imitated. "Glad to see you back in one piece."
"Same to you, my friends," Obi-Wan replied, running his hand through his beard with a pensive smile. "I must admit these new looks are giving me déjà vu."
"Wish we could say the same about you, sir," Cody said with a smirk, eying the ponytail Obi-Wan now sported. "Never thought it was your style."
"It's an experiment for now," Obi-Wan replied cautiously. "We'll see if it sticks."
"I think it grants you a certain rugged quality, master." a female voice spoke from behind them, causing the three men to turn at once.
It was Ahsoka, looking as hopeful and strong as when she left, though her eyes let shine a newfound maturity and wisdom.
"Ahsoka!" Rex ran over and wrapped the young Togruta in a strong embrace, which she returned.
Cody approached them slowly, ahead of Obi-Wan. Just as he was about to speak, Ahsoka pulled him into her embrace with Rex, wrapping an arm around each of them.
"I'm so happy we are all together again." she said shakily, as she held back tears of joy.
Obi-Wan approached the three of them as they broke apart, and was quickly caught in his own fierce embrace by the young Jedi. She wrapped both arms tightly around his back and laid her head against his heart, listening to its slow, even rhythm. Obi-Wan gripped her head softly with his intact hand and did his best to cradle her back with what was left of his other.
"I felt you die, master," she said slowly. "I couldn't feel your presence. It was like you'd returned to the living Force, but then suddenly you came back."
"It was a strange and difficult journey," Obi-Wan replied softly. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
They both separated, now all forming a circle with Cody and Rex, enjoying the sight of all four of them being back together after so long.
"I hope that your return brings good news?" Obi-Wan asked with a hopeful smile, to which Ahsoka answered with a confident smirk.
"I've found it," she announced proudly. "The new base for the Rebel Alliance."
"Seriously?" Cody asked incredulously. "Where?"
"In the Anoat Sector," Ahsoka replied. "A planet called Hoth."
POW!
And just like that, we find ourselves transitioning nice and smoothly to episode V in terms of the timeline (though everyone knows the timelines are pretty loose here ;)
What did you think? Han's explosive reaction, Mara's revelation to who Vader is, Luke learning about his mother… Liked it? Hated it? As long as its constructive, please let me know in a comment, or just to tell me if you like how the story is unfolding as a whole. It always brings a smile to my face to read your comments.
Please favorite and follow, and I'll see you in the next chapter! May the Force be with you!