Spectre: The Longest chapter ever made...
Chapter 25: Into Cloud City
Luke had resumed his training under Yoda, who wisely kept himself on the ground while he returned to his handstand. Artoo beeped as he saw the various supply crates begin to lift off the ground.
"Concentrate." Yoda said, "Feel the Force flow. Yes…" Even Artoo began to levitate. "Good. Calm. Yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future, the past. Old friends long gone."
The Jedi all mentally agreed with Yoda's statement. One of the most astute attributes of a Jedi is the ability to see the future, an ability they had since used in combat or in other circumstances.
Anakin, however, while considering the Jedi's foresight to be a blessing, it was still a haunting memory to come back to, especially when he failed to save his mother from dying.
"Is it really possible to see the future?", Caleb inquired, curious.
Luke's eyes suddenly snapped open. "Han? Leia!" the objects he had been levitating fell to earth as Luke let himself fall onto his back.
"There you have it...", Kit Fisto observed, concerned of what would happen to Luke.
"Please tell me this isn't the part where Luke would suddenly rush in like his father?", Ahsoka groaned, having seen this scenario multiple times.
Yoda sighed in frustration. "Control, control. You must learn control!"
"I saw… I saw a city in the clouds." Luke said, his voice just above a whisper.
"Hmm… friends you have there."
"They were in pain."
"It is the future you see."
"Future?" Yoda nodded and Luke stood up. "Will they die?"
Anakin flinched at what he had just heard, events from three years ago coming back to him.
Yoda closed his eyes tightly. "Difficult to see." He looked back up at Luke. "Always in motion the future is."
"I've got to go to them." Luke said, making to ready his ship.
Obi-Wan sighed, he knew that this part of Anakin was bound to re-surface soon and from the looks of it, Luke was nowhere complete in his training.
"Decide you must how to serve them best." Yoda said, stopping him, "If you leave now, help them you could, but you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."
Luke's face twisted in agony as the words of his mentor and the orders of his gut, mind and heart warred with each other within him.
"What do they mean?" Padmé asked, puzzled, "Saving his friends and ruin everything they worked for?"
"If circumstances are put to question." Mace said with a frown. "Vader is after Luke, that is why he is going after Solo and Organa, to draw him out of his hiding place. Master Yoda knew that Luke, while having great potential as a Jedi, is not strong enough to defeat Vader should he go without completing his training."
Luminara then spoke up. "But if he doesn't go, sure, his friends will be martyrs to the cause, but Luke stays safe and becomes strong enough to defeat Vader and the Emperor for sure."
"So you're suggesting that Luke will just leave his friends behind?", Ahsoka questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"If it's to ensure the defeat of the Sith, it may be", Mace non-chalantly answered, leading to Ahsoka to roll her eyes and Anakin to frown at him.
Meanwhile, the Falcon had reached its destination, but they were kept in the air by a pair of red two-podded fighters.
"No, I don't have a landing permit." Han said to the air traffic controller, "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." One of the fighters made a pair of warning shots across their nose. "Woah, woah! Wait a minute! Let me explain!"
"You will not deviate from your present course." The lead fighter pilot ordered as he and his wingman fell into formation around the Falcon
"Rather touchy, aren't they?" Threepio commented.
"You said it", Rex agreed with him.
"I thought you knew this person." Leia hissed while Chewie growled to his partner
"Well, that was a long time ago, Han. I'm sure he's forgotten about that by now."
"Jabba isn't the only one he crossed, has he?", Shaak Ti asked, concerned.
"Knowing Solo, I'd say yes", Plo Koon interjected.
Thankfully, the group was granted permission to land, and was led to the platform by their guards-turned-escorts.
Han breathed a sigh of relief. "Nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."
"Who's worried?" Leia asked.
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Ahsoka said.
The city itself was a massive floating parabolic circle-shaped hive with a few spires sticking out of the top. Their landing area was in the city proper, one of many encircling a central building Leia assumed was the administrative heart of the mining operation.
"None of us went to Bespin, no?", Obi-Wan inquired the group, who shook their heads in response.
"The Seperatists did launch an invasion back then despite trying to maintain their neutrality. Thankfully, Master Beti took care of it", Saesee informed the Jedi Master.
"Oh, no one to meet us." Threepio commented as they group exited the ship to find an empty platform leading to a sliding door.
"I don't like this." Leia said.
"Well, what would you like?" Han laughed nervously.
"This did let us land." Threepio said.
"Doesn't mean the coast is clear", Rex pointed out.
"Look, don't worry. Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me." Behind them, the door swung up, revealing a small group led by a man wearing a cape. "See? My friend." He walked up and whispered to Chewie. "Keep your eyes open just in case, huh?"
Chewie growled back at him. "Hey!" Han called out, walking up to Lando confidently.
"Why, you double-crossing, no-good swindler." Lando growled. "You got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."
"Is Solo a magnet when it comes to trouble?", Padmé wondered.
"Understatement of the decade, my lady", Anakin interjected.
Han pointed to himself innocently. Lando walked closer. He made to punch Han, and Han brought his arms up to defend, only for his body to be crushed in a bear hug from the laughing man before him. "How ya doin' you old pirate? It's so good to see you!"
"Well, he seems very friendly." Shaak Ti commented.
"Yes." Luminara agreed, still hesitant. "Very friendly."
"Too friendly." Anakin said, cringing at the sight of the man wearing a cape, "He has a strange fashion sense"
"What are you doing here?" Lando asked Han as the others approached cautiously.
"Ah, engine trouble." Han pointed a thumb back at the Falcon."I was hoping you could help me out."
Lando's face immediately darkened. "What have you done to my ship?
"Your ship? Hey, remember, pal, you lost her to me fair and square."
"Least we know were he got his ship...", Caleb commented.
Lando grinned. Oh, he remembered. "And how you doing, Chewie? Still hanging around with this loser?"
Chewie shrugged and growled back.
And then Lando noticed Leia. "Hello, what have we here?" he walked up to Leia and shook her hand. "Welcome, I'm Lando Calrissian I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"
Anakin's eye twitched. Leia doesn't need another scoundrel around these parts. He could barely stand Han at this point.
"Leia." she said simply and cordially.
"Leia." Lando repeated, kissing her hand.
The audience heard Anakin coughing on the sight with a visible look of worry and disapproval. "Nothing to see here. Let's just watch the film"
Thankfully, Han broke it up before things could continue, "Alright, alright, you old smoothie." Han took Leia's hand and led her away from the ship. Threepio attempted to introduce himself, but was rebuffed, as per usual
"So, what's wrong with the Falcon?" Lando asked, catching up to Han and Leia.
"Hyperdrive." Han told him.
"I'll have my people get right to work on it."
"Good."
"You know, that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fast hunk of junk in the galaxy."
"How's the gas mine?" Han asked, knowing the best way to distract Lando was to get her talking about himself. "Still paying off for ya?"
"Oh, not as well as I'd like." Lando said as they started walking the halls. "We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind, I've had labor disputes- " Han chuckled out loud. "What's so funny?"
"You." he said honestly, "Listen to you. You sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thunk it, eh?"
"You know, seeing you again brings back a few things." he looked at Han for a moment before continuing on, "Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful."
"I highly doubt that from a scoundrel...", Plo Koon commented.
"He reminds me of Hondo in way, until he would say something about money of sorts", Obi-Wan commented.
"Can you not remind us of him, Master?", Anakin sighed, remembering the trouble the had with him in more than a few occasions.
Threepio continued to bring up the rear of the group as they walked, waiting until he was called for, when he noticed a door open beside him to reveal an identical version of himself, but in chrome.
"Oh! Nice to see a familiar face." He said said.
"E chu ta!"his clone said before waling off.
"How rude!" he heard some beeping coming from beyond the door and moved in to investigate. "That sounds like a P3 unit in there. I wonder if- Hello?"
The audience then gained a sense of deja vu of what would happen to Threepio. "It's not going to end well for him, is it?", Kit Fisto asked.
"You share our sentiments", Mundi replied.
"Who are you?" a man asked gruffly, followed by the sounds of several weapons being aimed at him.
"Oh my! I- I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. No, please don't get up."
Chewie faintly heard the sounds of blaster fire and an explosion even from how far away he was, but decided to investigate for himself later.
"At least we don't have to listen to me for a while." Mace said.
On Dagobah, Luke had gotten his ship cleaned off of the swamp debris and was prepping his for flight. He had put on his flight suit and was going through final checks with Yoda standing on the ground lecturing her.
"Luke, you must complete the training." He insisted.
"Luke for once, get that side of me at this instant", Anakin called out on his son's decision.
"You cannot blame him for taking after you, Skywalker", Shaak Ti told him.
"Gah, I can't keep the vision out of my head." he argued, "They're my friends. I gotta help them."
"That even sounded like Anakin." Obi-Wan remarked.
"No one gets left behind." Rex uttered.
"You must not go!"
"But Leia and Han will die if I don't."
"You don't know that." The ethereal voice of Obi-Wan said, the same apparition Luke had seen on Hoth appearing behind and to the side of Yoda. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."
"Unfortunately, he has a point." Master Mundi frowned. "If I've learned anything, it's that the future is mercurial at best. They may die, but they might not either."
Anakin allowed those words to sink into his head. Those are two possible outcomes depended on how onewould act, if they are patient and careful enough.
"But if I go and help them, I can make sure they don't."
"But at what cost? If this plays out the way I think, there is no way you come out of it unscathed."
"But I can help them!" Luke fought, "I feel the Force."
"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force."
The Jedi immediatley understood what Obi-Wan is trying to tell him. Luke cannot face or control his fear. And fear is the first step towards the Dark Side of the Force.
"If Vader could manipulate what Luke felt, he could...", Obi-Wan uttered before shaking his head immediatley at the thought.
"Yes! Yes! To Obi-Wan you listen." Yoda said, "The cave! Remember your failure at the cave."
"But I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, I promise to return and to finish what I've begun, you have my word."
"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants." Obi-Wan said, "That is why your friends are made to suffer."
"Palpatine could have manipulated these events for Luke to fall for it", Mace said with a frown.
Luke looked up from his work. "That's why I have to go."
"Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader."
Obi-Wan then thought. It had been his failure to stop Vader from falling to the path that Jedi sought to avoid, and it cost him his brother and almost the entire Jedi Order.
"Luke, listen to Obi-Wan! You can't do this!", Anakin urged his son, not wanting to see him fall to the path of the Sith.
"You won't."
"Stopped they must be." Yoda said firmly. "On this, all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as their ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil."
Yoda closed his eyes in deep thought. It may had been his failure to defeat the Sith that resulted of the destruction of the Jedi Order. As much as he disapprove of Luke's decision, it was the Force who determines their fate.
And perhaps it was a punishment from the Force for refusing to change their ways.
"Patience!" Obi-Wan urged.
"And sacrifice Leia and Han?" Luke snapped at them.
"If you honor what they fight for? Yes."
"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."
Luke's eyes closed. "I understand." he opened his eyes, Obi-Wan and Yoda seeing the resolve burning within those blue orbs. "Artoo, fire up the converters." Yoda hung his head as Luke began to climb up the ladder into the cockpit.
"Luke! Don't give in to hate." Obi-Wan yelled in warning. "That leads to the Dark Side."
"Strong is Vader! Mind what you have learned! Save you it can!" Yoda told him.
"Can't they just make him stay?", Ahsoka inquired, worried for Luke's safety.
Yoda hummed. "Not our place, it is. Chosen his path, he has"
Luminara sighed and gave an apologetic look to Obi-Wan. "His impatience will be his undoing"
Obi-Wan only nodded his head in agreement.
"I will!" he told him as the ship began to lift off and the canopy descended. "And I'll come back! I promise!"
Yoda sighed as the ship began to turn and fly away. "Told you, I did. Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse."
"That boy is our last hope." Obi-Wan agreed.
"No. There is another."
The audience were then confused. What did Yoda mean by another? Another Jedi who is capable of finishing what Luke could not? Or someone by blood who could take the torch?
Back in the Cloud City, a new day had come, and Leia was pacing nervously around the apartment Lando had given them to stay in. She had abandoned her winter gear in favor of something more appropriate for an upscale urban setting, going for a balance between ornamentation and practicality.
She turned as Han entered the room, wearing a cleaned version of the outfit he had arrived in and his blaster pistol hanging in its holster.
"We're looking good." The smuggler told her with a smile, "Just a few more repairs to do, and we should be good to go."
"Too good.", Plo Koon. "Something does not add up..."
"The sooner the better." She said, walking up to Han, "Something is wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio, and he has been gone too long to have gotten lost."
"Threpio is one thing. Where could he have gone to?", Padmé asked, aorried.
"Relax." Han said gently, kissing her on the forehead, "I'll go talk to Lando, see what I can find out."
Ahsoka and Shaak Ti giggled at the sigh, clearly liking the pair while Anakin gave her a betrayed look saying: you like this scoundrel?
Mundi spoke. "I don't trust Lando."
"His visage and his friendly look was suspicious enough", Kit Fisto agreed with him.
"Well, I don't trust him either." Han said, joining Leia on the couch, "But he is my friend. Besides, we'll be gone soon enough."
Leia looked at him sadly. "And then you will too."
Meanwhile, Chewie was walking through the junkyard of the city, looking for anything he could use to jerry-rig spare parts, when he noticed a box of scrap containing familiar gold plating.
The audience eyes widened. "Dont tell me..."
Chewie up his head and looking it over. The strange pig-faced aliens who worked there shouted at him to put it down, but he simply yelled at them and began to grab every scrap to Threepio he could get his hands on.
Anakin groaned at the sight. Sure Threepio can be repaired easily, but it was an unnerving sight to see him dismantled like that. After all, he was the first droid he ever created.
The others however, resisted the urge to laugh at the droid's predicament.
He returned to the apartment just as Han and Leia were having their little discussion. Chewie called out, carrying in a pair of boxes containing Theepio's parts.
"What happened?" Leia asked, where Chewie growled back.
"What was he doing there?" Han wondered aloud.
Leia sighed. "What a mess. Chewie, you think you can repair him?"
"Lando's got people who can fix him." Han offered.
"No thanks." Leia said facetiously.
A dull gong sound announced the arrival of Leia into their apartment. "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"
"Not really." Leia said, closing her robe as she crossed her arms over her stomach. Lando smiled and approached her.
"You look absolutely beautiful." he said, drinking in her beauty. "You truly belong here with us among the clouds."
Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at Anakin, who glared at Lando at the screen. "Even Hondo knows better manners..."
"Guh." Padmé squirmed in her seat, "He sounded like one of those boys that father tried to set me up at Naboo."
"Thank you." Leia said politely, hiding her slight discomfort.
"Would you all care to join me for a little refreshment?" he took Leia's hand and looked down at the parts of Threepio. "Having trouble with your droid?"
"Nope." Han said with his best grin, offering his hand to Leia, which the princess gladly took as they left the apartment. As they walked, Leia inquired about Lando's role in everything in Cloud City.
"So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire." he explained.
"So you're a part of the Mining Guild, then?" Leia asked.
"Not really, no. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advantageous for everybody, since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
"Black market then." Rex concluded.
"Well, aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation of yours? Shut you down?" Han asked.
"It's always been a danger, and it looms like a shadow over everything we've built. But things have developed that'll ensure security. I've recently made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever." He opened up a door in front of them, revealing a dining room with a long white wood table set for multiple people. And at the head of that table sat Vader, who stood when the door opened.
"VADER!", Anakin shouted in complete dismay.
"This is bad!", Ahsoka exclaimed, seeing that the group had fallen to the Empire's trap while a the same time, angered at Lando. Needless to say, the audience were outraged by Lando's betrayal, cursing out whatever they could at him.
"Traitor!", Mace called out.
"Sellout!", Luminara seconded.
"Scoundrel!", Shaak Ti added.
"Imperial bootlicker!" Kit Fisto concluded.
Chewie roared as he tried to unsling his bowcaster, but Han had beaten him to it, drawing his blaster pistol and firing several times at Vader. Vader simply held up a hand and stopped all the bolts before raising his other hand and pulling the weapon into his grasp using the Force.
"We would be honored if you would join us." he said as the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, had led them here stepped out from behind a pillar, his EE-3 blaster at the ready. Behind the trio, an entire company of Stormtroopers burst into the open and surrounded them.
"Fett led the Empire to them. And used Lando as their tool", Obi-Wan pieced out.
Han looked at Lando. "I had no choice, they arrived just before you did." he explained. "I'm sorry."
"Explains why they wouldn't them land." Ahsoka muttered, trying to calm Anakin down.
Leia took Han's hand to calm him. "I'm sorry too." The smuggler said.
After a tense meeting with Vader, Chewie found himself thrown into a jail cell with the bars making up the ceiling.
Chewie roared, covering his ears. To his relief, the sirens fell silent soon after, taking a look around. As far as prison went, this was one of the better ones he had been in. At least this one was dry and relatively clean, unlike the last one she had taken residence in.
Chewie was landed on the boxes full of Threepio from the apartment. He decided a puzzle was in order to keep himself sane, so he began to think about how to go about it. He pulled out Threepio's head and chest, and attached them together. He twisted some bolts at the neck joint and Threepio began making noise.
"Probably the last things he said before that." Anakin muttered.
"Stormtroopers?" he said, his mind catching up to him. "Here? We're in danger! I must tell the others! Oh no! I've been shot!"
"He could've warned them...", Padmé grimaced.
Meanwhile, Han was strapped into a vertical bench by a pair of Stormtroopers before a machine that looked like it was meant to do less than comfortable things to people, all the while with Vader supervising. Slowly, Han was lowered before the machine, and outside, Lando and Boba waited as his screams echoed through the door.
The audience grimaced, not wanting to imagine what kind of torture they gave to Han. By the way he screamed, they don't really want to know.
"Lord Vader." Lando said as Vader exited the room, his height forcing him to duck, and pushing past him to speak to Boba.
"You may take Captain Solo to Jabba the Hutt after I have Skywalker." he told him.
"He's no good to me dead." Boba reminded him.
Rex flinched at hearing the son of the original template of those words, as if he was watching himself on-screen.
"He will not be permanently damaged." Vader assured.
"I really don't like the sound of that." Caleb whined.
"I'm afraid for him." Ahsoka agreed.
"Lord Vader, what about Leia and the Wookie?" Lando asked over Han's continued screaming.
"They must never again leave this city." he said.
"That was never a condition of our agreement, nor was handing Han over to this bounty hunter!"
"Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly?" Vader said, towering over Lando.
"Lando never wanted to do this to Han or his group. Vader's intimidation coerced him", Shaak Ti realized.
Lando was smart enough to see where this was going. "No." he growled.
"Good." Vader said, backing off, "It would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here."
The doors of Vader's elevator closed. Boba turned on his heel and walked off, while Lando fumed in place before turning and growling at himself. "This deal is getting worse all the time."
"And now you know how every planet negotiating with scoundrels feels." Mace said snidely.
"Oh yes, that's very good. I like that." Threepio said as Cheaie was working on the panel on his back. "Oh! Well, something's not right because now I can't see."
Chewie scowled and messed with his neck a little. "Oh, oh, oh, that's much better. Now if we could just fix the part where I'm backwards things would- " Chewie immediately hit his off button.
Suddenly, the door opened and a pair of Stormtroopers walked in carrying Han on their shoulders. They set him down on his knees in the middle of the room and walked out as he fell, catching himself at the last second. Once Chewie was sure they were gone, he helped Han to his feet.
"I feel terrible." Han said where Chewie growled in reply.
Chewie pushed a button on the wall and a bench came out where he lay down Han on his back.
The door opened again, and this time Leia was pushed in. She stumbled, but quickly recovered and ran to Han's side.
"Why are they doing this?" she asked no one in particular as she stroked Han.
"They never even asked me any questions." Han said.
"Lando." Leia said as the door opened again and the man in question entered. With a grunt, Han propped himself up as best he could.
"He has a lot of nerve coming to them", Rex uttered.
"He has his reasons why. And I couldn't blame him", Anakin understood his situation
"Get out of here, Lando." Han said weakly.
"Shut up and listen!" Lando shot back. "Vader's agreed to turn Leia and Chewie over to me. They'll have to stay here, but at least they'll be safe."
"What about Han?" Leia asked.
"Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter."
"Vader wants us all dead."
"He doesn't want you at all! He's after someone called Skywalker."
Anakin widened his eyes in horror, he didn't want Luke to be near Vader, not with incomplete training.
"Luke?" Han sat up a bit straighter.
"Vader's set a trap for him."
"And we're the bait!" Leia concluded, her mind racing.
"Just as Masters Yoda and Kenobi warned Luke", Master Mundi realized. "This cannot end well for him..."
Meanwhile, Anakin held his temples, deseperately praying to the Force to help his son.
"He's on his way."
"Perfect," Han growled, standing up weakly, "You fixed us all real good, didn't you? My friend." he swung out and caught Lando on the chin, but fell forward with him in the attempt.
"Stop!" Lando ordered when the Imperial guards pulled their blaster pistols and leveled them at the prisoners. He got back up and dusted himself off. "I've done all I can. I'm sorry I couldn't do better, but I got my own problems to deal with."
"Yeah, you're a real hero." Han said sarcastically.
"You have a way with people." Leia said, as she and Chewie helped han back to his feet.
Deep within Cloud City, Vader was overseeing the final preparations for his trap for Luke, with Lando accompanying him.
"This facility is crude," Vader commented, "but it should be adequate to freeze Skywalker for his journey to the Emperor."
"Freeze Luke? like Carbonite?" Ahsoka inquired.
"It may be so...", Rex confirmed, remembering the one time they froze themselves in Carbonite to infiltrate the Citadel.
"Lord Vader!" one of his officers called out as he approached, "Ship approaching, X-Wing class."
"Luke, turn back now...", Anakin lowly uttered, fearing the worst for Luke.
"Good. Monitor Skywalker and allow him to land."
"Lord Vader," Lando said when the officer left, "We only use this facility for carbon freezing. You put him in there, it might kill him."
"I do not want the Emperor's prize damaged. We will test it on Captain Solo."
A few minutes later, Han, Leia, and Chewie, who was bearing a half-completed Threepio on his back, were escorted to the freezing chamber by Boba and a squad of stormtroopers. Threepio complained to Chewie about his current position, but he ignored him, focused solely on Han as he and Leia moved to stand next to Lando.
"What's going on,buddy?" Han asked angrily as Vader descended into the facility.
"You're being put into carbon freeze." he replied.
"What if he doesn't survive?" Boba asked of Vader, "He's worth a lot to me."
"The Empire will compensate you if he dies." Vader assured him. "Put him in."
Chewie roared at this. He nearly started throwing punches but for Han stepping in to stop him.
"Chewie, stop! Stop!" Han shouted at him. "Chewie, listen to me!"
"Chewie, this won't help me. Save your strength. There'll be another time." A Stormtrooper clapped a pair of binders on Chewie's wrists for safety. "The princess; you have to take care of her. You hear me?"
The audience were saddened at Han's proclamation and plea to his best friend. Despite starting out as a smuggler and his attempts to clear things out with Jabba, Han's bond of his friends and his love for Leia is what defined him the most.
Some of the females weeped a few tears of their eyes for Han, while the men resisted to shed any. Anakin even looked saddened to see what would happen to Solo. Even if he didn't like him, Han didn't deserve this fate, not after everything he had done for his friends.
Han sighed and looked down at Leia before smashing their lips together passionately. The kiss was broken when a pair of Stormtroopers each grabbed one of Han's arms and pulled him into position.
"I love you." Leia proclaimed to him.
"I know." Han replied stoically.
And now, some were sobbing lightly at the last interaction they had for now, cursing why fate had to be cruel sometimes.
The platform he stood on was then lowered into the freezing machine and the last thing they saw of Han Solo was his face shifting to fear before he was blasted by thick cold smoke that rose out of the machine.
A large, thick metal claw descended into the machine and Chewie wailed in grief. The platform Han had stood on came back up to reveal the renegade frozen in a solid block of greyish stone, his face contorted in preparation for pain and his hands raised defensively. Neither Leia nor Chewie had seen Han look so vulnerable. Her slab fell backwards with such a thud, Chewie and Leia held each other for support.
"They've encased him in carbonite." Theepio said as he finally got a good look at what had happened behind him. "He should be very well protected, if he survived the freezing process, of course."
"Thanks for the re-assurance, Threepio. And he will.", Ahsoka commented.
Lando walked to the opposite side of the slab from Leia and Chewie and checked a small panel on the side of the slab.
"Well, Calrissian," Vader asked, "Did he survive?"
"Yes, he's alive," Lando answered grimly, "And in perfect hibernation."
"He's all yours, bounty hunter." Vader said to Boba, before turning to his men. "Reset the chamber for Skywalker."
The same officer from before walked into the chamber and up to Vader. "Skywalker has just landed, my Lord."
Anakin would feel his heart beating at a fast rate and out of fear. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, two of the most important people of his life, had fought the Dark Lord and failed. He couldn't bare to see his own son falling to Vader or Palpatine at that matter.
Obi-Wan held his former apprentice's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.
"Good. See to it that she finds her way in here. Calrissian," he walked up to Lando when he took Leia's arm and Chewie growled, "Take the princess and the Wooki to my ship."
"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision." Lando argued.
"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." Vader said threateningly.
The audience were then by this time, fuming to the Sith Lord for all that he is.
Lando glared at the Dark Lord's back. He looked to the frozen form of Han, then to Chewie and Leia, still clutching each other and released an angry sigh.
"Is this rebellion I'm seeing?" Shaak-Ti said.
"In his defense, Vader proved to be a unnegotiable tyrant and he owe him nothing." Mace said, crossing his arms. "He has done everything he wanted, and that's what he got. So, yes, rebellion is in order."
Luke walked carefully and quietly through the halls of Cloud City, Artoo following him. He had been on edge since he landed. The whole place seemed deserted, and no one had approached him when he touched down. He had taken off his flight suit, and was dressed in the clothes he had worn on Dagobah, his lightsaber clipped to his belt and his blaster pistol at the ready.
Meanwhile, Boba led the frozen form of Han back to his ship, escorted by a pair of Imperial technicians and Stormtroopers.
Luke heard them coming and hid around the corner from them. When they passed, he followed after. He was about to round another corner when Boba popped out and fired at him. Luke managed to make it back into cover, but the shots were heard by Leia's group, led by Lando and another squad of stormtroopers. Lando took advantage of the distraction to use the small control pad built into her wrist communicator to send instructions to his cybernetic lieutenant.
Luke ran down the hall Boba went and ran into Leia's escort. The officer in charge ordered the Stormtroopers to suppress her while he pushed Leia and Chewie forward.
"Luke!" Leia yelled out as the officer pushed her through a doorway. "Luke, don't! It's a trap!"
Ignoring her, Luke followed after them, his path leading right into the freezing chamber. His exit locked behind him and the lights in the room came on fully.
"This cannot be good...", Kit Fisto whispered to his fellow Jedi.The rest had to admit as well, seeing that Luke has not completed his training.
"Hasn't been, Master Fisto...", Anakin interjected, his eyes fixated at the Dark Lord in front of him. The memories of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka from the future coming back to him.
"The Force is with you, young Skywalker." Vader intoned as he stood at the top of the stairs before the freezing pit. "But you are not a Jedi yet."