Jedi Council Forums - The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU where Luke didn't destroy the Death Star; updated 3/5)

Poof has a love-hate relationship with the Saga. On the one hand, it’s where he has his shinning moments as a Jedi Knight on the Jedi Council. On the other hand, he dies during the Saga era, and that wasn’t much fun at all.

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Author	Topic: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU where Luke didn't destroy the Death Star; updated 3/5)
_JM_ Registered: Jun '01	Date Posted: 12/11/04 7:32pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/11)
	Perhaps overstated the case slightly but pages 106-107 of Dark Apprentice where they were debating what to do with the Sun Crusher: Sounding flustered, Senator Garm Bel-Iblis, Mon Mothma’s old nemesis, rose to his feet. “We cannot allow a weapon of such power to slip out of our grasp,” he said. “With the Sun Crusher, we have a tactical advantage available to none of our Imperial enemies.” “Enough,” Mon Mothma said in a quavering voice. Her cheeks were flushed, which served to highlight the pallor of her skin. “We have debated this many times,” she said, “any my opinion stands unchanged. A weapon of such hideous destructive power is a brutal and inhuman device. The Emperor may have been monster enough to consider using it, but under no circumstances will the New Republic be party to such barbarism...” ...etc. And page 57 of Champions of the Force where they are listening to reports of Kyp Durron’s actions: “This slaughter must stop. It goes beyond even the Emperor’s atrocities,” the ageing tactician, General Jan Dodonna, said. “The New Republic doe not employ such barbarous tactics.” “Well, he does!” interrupted Garm Bel-Iblis. “And he has obliterated two crucial Imperial targets, While we may not agree with Durron’s methods, his success rate is nothing short of astonishing.” Mon Mothma interrupted, somehow finding the energy to speak a harsh sentence. “I will not allow this young man to be portrayed...as a war hero.” She paused for a deep breath and raised her clenched hand to signal that she had not yet finished. “His personal crusade must stop. General Solo, can you halt Kyp Durron?” So Garm Bel-Iblis first argued against the (attempted) destruction of the Sun Crusher as he felt it could be a useful weapon and then spoke up for the usefulness of Kyp’s actions. If he weren’t a traitorous grassing stoolie I’d almost feel sorry for Byar that he has peeved Lando so much in the past that the Baron Administrator was just going to watch the “fun”. Not sure if Byar has enough imagination to make up the safety protocol violations though, so if he isn’t then the poor old Falcon needs a nice stem to stern overhaul. Felt a little sorry for Byar though that he had managed to have the foresight to prepare an explanation for why the Imperials had arrived, but in having that ready he drew attention more to what he was trying to cover. Not a good idea to try to lie to Lando. Glad that Vader recognised that it was inevitable the Emperor would interfere. Luke is just another ball to be juggled to the Emperor, another factor to be played against the others but not yet a major one like Xizor or Vader himself. If the Emperor isn’t micromanaging Luke’s training then he can’t manipulate Luke’s skills and attitudes to fit him into the delicately balanced structure of the Imperial hierarchy. Shame in some ways that Mara Jade can’t be treated like a nameless Lieutenant in my last story who was also spying on Vader (yes, that was a plug) but I think to say the least the Emperor would not approve of losing her. Not sure why the Emperor would have needed to spend years courting its members, corrupting a few here, seeding rivalries there, until the Senate was a stagnant mass that had to be put down for the good of the galaxy considering how far along the Senate was to that even at the time of AotC. On the other hand though if the Emperor had spent the time needed to make the Senate less corrupt and make it a more smooth running and cleaner more decisive organisation (so he’d have needed to re-corrupt it) then that would have interesting implications. -----signature----- Seeming unable to just say "Nice post, I enjoyed it" Sometimes amazed at how "I'll reply tomorrow" becomes "I should have replied last week" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Return of a Jedi. http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/23421597
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JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 12/22/04 2:59am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/11)
	up -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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lazykbys Registered: Oct '04	Date Posted: 12/23/04 5:50am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23) - Date Edited: 12/27/04 5:46am (2 edits total) Edited By: lazykbys
	Gaah! I just noticed I've been spelling "millennium" wrong! SnowFalcon: I smell a rat and Lando knows who ratted on Han Isn't Byar wonderfully loathesome? GreatOne: Hurry, Han! Hurry! tries to get out and push the Falcon to make it go faster Um . . . actually, she hasn't lifted off yet. JediNemesis: Alyn Byar had better get his comeuppance. Maybe Chewie can strangle him . . . Or maybe Vader will, ahem, decline to pay. In fact - ahem Sorry, but I'm not at liberty to say. You'll find out a few posts later. Hey, I know you mentioned MJ, but has he brought Luke as well? Or is the blond one having a little personal tuition from the Emperor? Sorry, but ditto. I prefer not to post information that might change when writing. _JM_: Garm Bel-Iblis first argued against the (attempted) destruction of the Sun Crusher as he felt it could be a useful weapon and then spoke up for the usefulness of Kyp's actions. I see. gets smacked by Darth Plot Bunny Oh dear, the possibilities . . . Not sure if Byar has enough imagination to make up the safety protocol violations though, so if he isn't then the poor old Falcon needs a nice stem to stern overhaul. I'm thinking he cites trivial violations and then waits to be bribed into ignoring them, so he should know the protocols inside and out. Of course, the Falcon is in bad shape. For more details, please read today's update. If the Emperor isn't micromanaging Luke's training then he can't manipulate Luke's skills and attitudes to fit him into the delicately balanced structure of the Imperial hierarchy. As opposed to Vader's manipulation, which I'm looking forward to writing. Not sure why the Emperor would have needed to spend years . . . considering how far along the Senate was to that even at the time of AotC. You are absolutely right. edits previous post gets hit by another, huge* plot bunny* Chewbacca was going through the Millennium Falcon's cold start sequence when he saw the first ship take off from one of Cloud City's numerous docking bays. It was soon followed by others as they made a run for it. Most were probably smugglers whose ID's would not stand close scrutiny. Perhaps half of them were wanted for crimes against the Empire. One or two might actually be Rebels. It was Han's idea that they linger for a while, so that a fair number of TIEs would be chasing after those who launched first. Chewbacca wasn't sure it would work - the Imperials knew that their ship was a Corellian freighter, after all - but he felt that for once it was better not to rush through the launch sequence. Because although he would never admit it in public, Byar's rant about the Falcon's safety violations had unnerved him. Not that this was the first time the Wookiee had ever heard of them. In fact, he knew for certain there were two or three Byar had missed. And this was because most of those regulations had been circumvented on purpose. Safety protocols exist to protect a vessel's crew and anyone else unlucky enough to be caught nearby when the ship's systems fail. They work best when used with standard equipment in standard configurations. However, due to her extensive modifications the Falcon was as non-standard as they came. This did not mean that Han and Chewbacca thought safety measures were unnecessary. It was just that their requirements for safety were different from, say, Portmaster Byar's. And since it was a rare thing for techs to appreciate the Falcon's idiosyncratic wiring, Chewbacca usually kept them as far away from her as he could. However, it was easier to dismiss warning lights when they were only results of their constant tinkering. The battle in the Yavin system had left the Falcon in worse shape than she had ever been in, and their lack of credits had not helped make things better. In fact, before the Imperials showed up Chewbacca had been secretly hoping that Han would give in to Byar's demands and stay a few days for much-needed repairs. Chewbacca held his breath as the starboard engine stalled, then suddenly peaked at full power. A minor wave of shield fluctuations followed, and was replaced by an inexplicable feedback surge in the communications array. Each one in itself was a reasonably normal occurrence, but the way they were strung together made him nervous. "You set, Chewie?" Han's voice almost made him jump out of his fur. He managed to growl back an affirmative, then winced as the human flipped the comm switch and filled the cockpit with a hellish squeal. "Sorry about that, Chewie. You ready, kid?" "All systems green," Wedge's voice replied. "Great. Let's get out of here." ----- Wedge ran the numbers through his head as he throttled his X-wing forward. They were not good. The overall plan was simple: get out of Bespin's gravity well and hit hyperspace before the Super Star Destroyer could get in range and fix a tractor beam on them. However, to do that they were going to have to get past the TIE fighters that had more speed and maneuverability than either his X-wing or the Falcon currently did. In the vacuum of open space, it would only be a matter of time before they were shot down. Flying in the gas giant's atmosphere would seriously inconvenience the TIEs with their decidely non-aerodynamic hexagonal panels, but that would mean giving the Executor more time to approach. Not to mention the other TIE squadrons the Imperial vessel had to be carrying. The only thing in their favor was Darth Vader's bounty on Han Solo's head - or rather, the intense dissatisfaction the dark lord would show to anyone who killed him. Hopefully, it would make the TIE pilots hesitate with their shots, cutting down on their effectiveness. And in a dogfight, a moment of hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. That went double for the TIEs since they had no shields. All this went through Wedge's head in a fraction of a second. Then he saw the six TIEs show up as blips on his sensors. As Wedge had predicted, the Millennium Falcon made no attempt to head out into space. Three to one. Better even that out before more TIEs come. ----- Lando watched the Millennium Falcon lift off with mixed emotions. Part of him was relieved that Han was leaving Cloud City and taking his troubles with him. Another part, the one that had never accepted his becoming a respectable businessman with responsibilities, kept telling him that he was just as bad as Byar. Han's not going to make it, he thought. If the Falcon was in top shape he'd have a chance, but the way she is right now - With the nearly supernatural luck Han had, he might actually make it past the TIEs and out of Bespin's gravity well. But no matter how good a pilot he or Antilles might be, there was no way they could make their escape before the Executor came. What made it unbearable was the fact that Lando had the means to save them. The squadron he'd put together as Cloud City's defense force was made up of good pilots who practiced regularly in Bespin's atmosphere. They would be more than a match for the unshielded TIEs. Unfortunately, launching them was not an option. Doing so would invite Vader's wrath, and he had nothing to protect Cloud City from the sort of massive turbolaser bombardments the Executor had to be capable of. As administrator, he had the safety and well-being of the city to think of, which meant that his hands were tied. Sithspit! When had he crossed the line? When had he actually begun to be a calculating businessman, instead of just acting the part? When had he started needing to weigh his loyalties like this? To the Maw with it all. He took out his commlink and activated it, intending to order his pilots into battle. But before he could do so, a worried voice came through. "Sir? The sensors say a blast cloud is coming up. Should I -" "Yes, yes," Lando replied testily. "Alert the city and everything. Power down nonessential systems, seal all levels - you know the drill." "Yes, sir." There was a pause, then the voice continued, "Do you want me to alert the Imperials as well?" Lando was about to say of course when the idea struck. A stunned look appeared on his face and was slowly replaced by a faint but hopeful grin. If I can pull this off . . . "Sir?" "No," he said at last. "I'll warn the Imps myself. Keep me posted on the clouds, okay?" "Yes, sir." There was more than a hint of relief in the voice. Lando guessed he was afraid of Darth Vader. "Thank you, sir. Over and out." Lando pulled a second device from his pocket and switched it on. Elsewhere, in his private docking bay, the Lady Luck's systems began to power up in response to the remote's comm signal. In a short while he would be on board, flying free from the weight of responsibility. But first, there was one last detail to attend to. He approached the white-faced Portmaster with his best con-artisté's grin. "How'd you like a promotion, Byar?" -----signature----- I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism you can give me. Please feel free to PM me with your comments. . by the same author (click and scroll dowwwn): http://boards.theforce.net/m/b1/17609715/r17736763
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JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 12/23/04 8:33pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Landos gonna be evil to him I just know it can't wait for more -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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GreatOne Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 12/24/04 7:56am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Ahhh. It appears that Lando might actually try and HELP Han!
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_JM_ Registered: Jun '01	Date Posted: 12/26/04 9:44am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Liked Chewbacca’s mixed feelings about Han’s plan, grateful for the extra time even if he doesn’t think it was worth doing it for the reason Han had. Poor Chewie though, if you know what you are doing you can sometimes shave safety margins but as he says “it was easier to dismiss warning lights when they were only results of their constant tinkering”. Agree about TIE Fighters being at a disadvantage in atmosphere, though it reminded me of something (sent PM). Could be a problem still even though they have Wedge as the Falcon (in fairly good condition) had trouble with 4 in ANH when she had both turrets manned rather than only one and being about to fall apart. Poor Lando, his responsibility towards his friends conflicting with his responsibility to his city. That was one of the more dramatic scenes in the ESB Infinities comic when Vader destroyed Cloud City. Sounds like a good plan to let the Imperials suffer in the weather and hope the blame would be focussed only on him (and to run like kriff ). -----signature----- Seeming unable to just say "Nice post, I enjoyed it" Sometimes amazed at how "I'll reply tomorrow" becomes "I should have replied last week" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Return of a Jedi. http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/23421597
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Jesina_Dreis Registered: Nov '04	Date Posted: 12/26/04 10:41am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23) - Date Edited: 12/26/04 10:42am (1 edits total) Edited By: Jesina_Dreis
	Sorry, missed a couple posts Love the characterization of Lando when he figures out Byar's game. Vader's thoughts on the Death Star, Palpatine, were interesting and believable. Glad Lando decided to give Han a hand...and that he seems to be returning to his roots. ~Jes~ -----signature----- Stay safe, Ev Big sister to valin_halcyon Rest in Peace, Jeremy http://www.heatherjanes.com http://z9.invisionfree.com/downtime
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TorontoJediMaster Registered: Oct '01	Date Posted: 1/1/05 7:54pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Wow. This is a great story so far. I think Lando's trying to figure out a way to help Han...without giving himself away. He figures he can use Byar's treachory to his advantage. As for Vader, I think he's definitely affected by Luke's presence. He did indeed mention what it means to be a Jedi. As well, he's not thrilled with either Palpatine or Palpatine's rule so far. I think that eventually, Luke will be the one to turn him, rather than the other way around. Having Mara in the mix only makes it more fun. I liked Chewie's thoughts that even he was a little rattled at all the safety code violations. Can't wait for the next part.
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TorontoJediMaster Registered: Oct '01	Date Posted: 1/2/05 4:26pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Up.
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TorontoJediMaster Registered: Oct '01	Date Posted: 1/8/05 9:05pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Up.
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tangled_sphere Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 1/9/05 5:52pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	You've done a great job with this plot bunny, ladykbys! Just great Really enjoyed what you've written so far, and I was hoping there was more when I was reading -----signature----- Paddy sis to Kyn By Your Side (Obi-Wan, Xan, Granta) http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/24157129/p1/?14 Shattered Mind (time travel ESB,JA)
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TorontoJediMaster Registered: Oct '01	Date Posted: 1/14/05 4:36pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23)
	Moving this up.
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lazykbys Registered: Oct '04	Date Posted: 2/1/05 4:05am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 12/23) - Date Edited: 2/1/05 7:28am (2 edits total) Edited By: lazykbys
	Sorry about the delay, but I was held back by Darth My Other Hobbies and Darth Plot Bunnies For Other Fics. (Darth Real Life? I hardly pay any attention to him ) This update marks the end of Part One: From the Ashes. Hopefully I will be able to keep writing Part Two more frequently (and with luck I'll come up with a name for Part Two before I'm finished writing it!) JediFalcon: Landos gonna be evil to him I just know it Wellll . . . I'm not sure about Lando, but I'm 100% evil. Oh yes. GreatOne: Ahhh. It appears that Lando might actually try and HELP Han! Like ESB, Lando gets sucked into the adventure whether he likes it or not. Which, come to think of it, is what keeps happening to him, poor guy. _JM_: Sounds like a good plan to let the Imperials suffer in the weather and hope the blame would be focussed only on him (and to run like kriff). The details are in this update, with the blame and running and everything. Jesina_Dreis: Glad Lando decided to give Han a hand...and that he seems to be returning to his roots. Lando's decision was a fun scene to write. Glad you liked it. TorontoJediMaster: I think that eventually, Luke will be the one to turn him, rather than the other way around. Actually, I haven't decided yet. Of course, in the end Anakin will restore balance to the Force. I'm not sure how he's going to do it, though. tangled_sphere: I was hoping there was more when I was reading I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so very, very, sorryyyyyyy . . . Here's the "more" you asked for. I hope I won't keep you waiting too long for the next one. Edit, edit, edit . . . The X-wing shuddered as it was hit by another laser bolt. Sithspit, these guys are good! There was a joke that there were only two types of TIE pilots: the good and the dead. It was a reference to their lack of shields, which tended to weed out the untalented, the unskilled, and the unlucky. Wedge had laughed when he'd first heard the joke. Now that he was on the wrong end of a TIE's lasers, he didn't think it was funny at all. He rolled to the left, hoping the atmospheric drag on the TIE's wings would slow it down. But unlike the two TIE pilots that had gone down earlier in the fight, this one compensated like he'd spent hundreds of hours in simulators practicing the move. "Wedge?" Han's voice came through the comm. "You okay, kid?" "Barely. Can you get the guy on my tail?" "Sorry, we're -" the comm crackled as the Falcon's shields took a hit, "- a little busy. But I have an idea." "Yeah?" "Those ugly clouds to the west. Think they're rough enough?" Wedge didn't ask whether he was talking about the turbulence, or the TIEs' ability to fly in adverse conditions. Either way, it could only mean one thing. "Only one way to find out," he replied and headed toward the clouds. The clouds in question were not dark like the storm clouds he remembered from Corellia. Instead they were orange and pink and purple, and seemed to glow from within. Every so often a tendril of lightning arced from cloud to cloud. Wedge wondered if they were strong enough to knock a TIE out, then hoped his shields would stand a direct hit. He put as much power into forward thrust as he dared, jigging and juking just enough to prevent being bracketed by the TIEs' targeting systems. It was going to be close. His astromech warbled a warning. Wedge checked his sensors and saw another ship was approaching. No, he thought. It can't be their reinforcements. Not this soon. The incoming vessel came on an intercept course toward the Falcon. A brief burst of laser fire barely missed Han's ship, making him swerve off his cloud-bound course. The Falcon's quad lasers fired back in response - then stopped shooting for ten perplexing seconds. In those seconds Wedge's astromech reported communication between the ships using open transmissions, but in a language it did not understand. Then both ships fired on a TIE, making it explode. "Han? What's going on?" A third voice entered their encrypted channel, one he had trouble placing at first. "I'm here to save your skin, of course." "Administrator?" "Not any more." Calrissian's voice was quite cheerful. Wedge could almost see the grin on his face. "I quit just a while ago." Han said, "Cut the chatter, guys. We've got TIEs to shoot." "Will do, old buddy. Just don't get too close to the blast cloud, okay?" "Blast cloud?" "Trust me, they're very bad business. I'll explain later." Three on three, Wedge thought. Not bad odds at all. We might actually get out of this alive. His assessment of the situation grew even more favorable as he saw Lando and Han fly together. He didn't know the history the two men shared, but it was obviously a long one from the way they anticipated each other's moves and communicated their intentions with only a few clipped words. Between them they shot down a TIE in practically no time and started giving the second TIE a seriously bad time. Wedge himself was doing well. He used the turbulence radiating from the blast clouds to shake his pursuit, and now their positions were reversed. And while the TIE pilot was good, the proximity to the clouds made air currents unpredictable. It was only a matter of time. When the two remaining TIEs had been dealt with, Wedge checked the tactical display for the Super Star Destroyer's position. It was still out of range, if only barely, meaning that if they hurried they would have a good chance of escape. But then he saw twelve blips closing in quickly and his heart sank like a stone. The reinforcements. They're here. "We're dead." ----- "Don't worry," Han heard Lando say. "I have a plan. Head for the clouds." "Lando, you told us not to get too close." "We weren't so ridiculously outnumbered back then." A pause. "Uh, Han? The Falcon still has shields, right?" "Yes, but -" His words trailed off as he suddenly realized what the clouds were made of, and what Lando's plan had to be. "You can't be serious." "Dead serious. Which, I think I'll point out, is better than just dead." Chewbacca roared from the quad laser turret, listing in great detail why this was such a bad idea. Han agreed with him, but couldn't see any other way to avoid getting killed short of surrender. Which might actually be fate worse than death, depending on what Vader had planned for him. And with that thought, his mind was made. "You get all that, Wedge?" "Yes. Is that the plan, then?" "Don't ask me, ask Lando. But I think it might work." "Trust me," Lando said, "it will. Just follow me and remember to put everything into shields when I give the word." The three ships headed for a point just above the glowing clouds. Up close, the lightning seemed more threatening than they had from a distance. As soon the squadron of TIE fighters came within range, they opened fire. Most of the shots missed. A few stray laser bolts went into the blast cloud, igniting a brief energy storm where they hit. When all TIEs were above the clouds as well, Lando's ship, the Lady Luck, fired a missile. Downwards, into the blast cloud. "Okay, guys. Full power to shields, now!" ----- Despite the fame of its gambling casinos, Cloud City's major income comes from the mining and refining of tibanna gas. Because the gas produces large amounts of energy when light passes through it, it is essential to weapons technology. This property is enhanced when it is compressed and spin-sealed. The main reason Cloud City's tibanna business is so lucrative is because the spin-sealing occurs naturally in Bespin's atmosphere. Unfortunately, this also leads to a rare meteorological phenomenon the locals call "blast clouds", which are large pockets of relatively pure spin-sealed tibanna gas. Lando's weapon, a concussion missile modified to convert its energy to light instead of shock waves, exploded within the blast cloud. Since the gas was not compressed, the limited chain reaction that takes place in high-power blasters did not happen here, but it was enough for Lando's purposes. What energy the gas released that did not come out as light became heat. The heat caused pressure. The pressure made the gas expand. As it expanded at supersonic speed, the friction produced sound. The sound waves thus generated were compressed into a nearly solid front, becoming a sonic boom that struck all fifteen vessels with equal vehemence. The hulls of the shieldless TIE fighters crumpled almost instantly. The Millennium Falcon, Lady Luck, and Wedge's X-wing fared better, but were still violently hurled upwards as though they had been hit by a giant's hammer. ----- "Are you trying to kill us?" Han shouted into the comm. All around him, the Falcon's controls were lighting up and blinking wildly in protest to the harsh treatment. "Hey, we're still alive, aren't we?" "No thanks to you!" He checked the diagnostics and found that the hyperdrives, which usually took every opportunity to short out, were still miraculously online. How this was possible he didn't know, but he whispered thanks to every god he knew just in case. "What hit us, anyway?" "I'm . . . not sure," Lando admitted. "I had the flash missiles designed to ignite blast clouds from a safe distance. Never had the chance to test it before today. I thought it would be more like turbolasers shooting in all directions, but -" "Yeah, me too. Wedge? You all right, kid?" "- good to fly," Wedge's voice came over the comm. "Sorry, my comm went all blitzy there. And I think if someone throws a rock at me, my shields are gone. I still have engines and hyperdrive, though." "Great. Then we can all leave this - Sithspit!" A dozen curses in as many languages came to Han's mind as he saw the Executor. None of them adequately described the shock of seeing it with his own eyes. It was larger than any spaceworthy vessel he'd ever seen, with the exception of the Death Star. It had more weapons than it had a right to. Its very existence seemed to say, We are the Empire. We own this galaxy. He noted that a few freighters were already trapped in the ship's tractor beams. In a short while he would be joining them. "Lando?" he said weakly. "Got any other crazy plans?" "Why, yes," Lando replied. "Just give me a minute to finish calculating our hyperspace jump." "Lando, this isn't the time for jokes." "Who, me? Did I say I was joking? I don't think I did." "Lando!" "Transmitting jump vectors now, guys. And while your nav computers check out the numbers, take a look at the slave-rigged YT-2400 they've caught." "I see it." Compared to the gigantic Super Star Destroyer, the Corellian freighter looked like an insect. "So?" "Byar was hoarding some tibanna to drive the prices up a bit. I bought it from him." Han looked at the YT-2400 again and was struck by deja-vu. "You didn't." "It cost me the Administrator's post, but I think it was worth it. Did the numbers check out?" Han looked at the display and said yes. So did Wedge, a moment later. "Get ready to jump, guys." For a second nothing happened. Then a flash of light escaped from the freighter's cockpit window. Han saw the loading doors open, emitting a beam of coherent light that struck the Executor at point-blank range. Half a second later the freighter itself exploded. I don't believe it, Han thought as he saw the Super Star Destroyer momentarily crippled by the assault. Lando must have filled the entire hold with compressed tibanna gas and set it off with another of his flash missiles. In short, he had effectively turned the ship into a blaster's amplification chamber. He thought about how much that tibanna was worth. Then it occurred to him that Lando had traded his life as a businessman for that of a fugitive. An year ago, Han would have been perfectly willing to let others throw away everything they had for him without feelings of guilt. Now, all he could think of was how much he owed Lando. For the first time, he thought he could understand Chewbacca's life debt. The Rebel business had better pay well, he thought as they escaped into hyperspace. Otherwise I'm gonna be up to my neck in debts. ----- Luke saw the man standing in the middle of the targeting range and wondered what was going on. He appeared to have a collar that was identical to the one on his own neck. However, a blinking light told him that it had been activated. Darth Vader was also present, as were two stormtroopers. The dark lord gave him a small nod as Luke approached. "The prisoner Alyn Byar has been suspected of Rebel activities," Vader said. "He has been accused of setting a trap for Imperial forces by claiming that the Rebel Han Solo was on Bespin." Vader went on to detail Byar's crimes against the Empire. All Luke could hear was the voice echoing in his head, the one shouting Han is still alive! "However," Vader was saying, "his interrogation revealed that he is innocent, at least of harboring Rebel sympathies. He has done nothing to warrant death. But someone must pay for the deaths of Imperial pilots." Vader paused, as if waiting for him to respond. Luke wasn't sure what he felt. On one hand, he felt anger towards Byar for trying to sell Han to the Imperials. But on the other hand, the man wasn't actually guilty of a capital crime. "How would you handle it, Skywalker?" "I - would punish him for his crimes. His real ones." "You would not execute him, then?" There was a patronizing tone to Vader's voice that grated at Luke's soul. "No. I wouldn't kill him for something he didn't do." "Then defend him." He motioned to the stormtroopers, who raised their blaster carbines into firing position. "They will shoot at the prisoner twenty times each with intent to kill. You may do as you wish." "What?" Luke almost didn't catch the first blaster bolt. The next few were also deflected awkwardly. He lost count after the tenth shot as he concentrated on the moment. But not just the moment - remembering his lesson from the last time, he made sure to keep an eye on Vader as well. The stormtroopers changed tactics perhaps halfway through the deadly exercise, coordinating their shots to try to put Luke off-balance. Then they moved away from each other, widening the angle of attack. Luke shouted at Byar to move so that he could keep the shots coming from a single direction, but the man was frozen with fear. When Luke tried to nudge him back with his foot, he screamed as if moving from his place by even a centimeter meant death. Maybe it does, Luke thought. The explosive collar on Byar's neck might have been programmed to go off when the prisoner moved. He wouldn't put it past the Empire to try a trick like that. It was getting harder to deflect the blaster bolts. They were coming from two almost completely different directions. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. Then one of the stormtroopers' shots went wide. Luke let it pass as it was of no threat to either of them. But when it hit the floor by Byar's feet the prisoner screamed in terror. Luke, his attention already stretched to the limit, hesitated for a split second before he realized Byar had not been hit. But that would change soon. Because, in that split second, the stormtroopers had fired simultaneously from almost opposite directions. There was no way his lightsaber could stop both shots. You did your best, a seductive voice whispered in his ear. Even the Jedi of the Old Republic couldn't save everyone. Yes. He had done better than anyone had thought he could. He had gone up against unbeatable odds, to win victories in a no-win situation. Surely no-one could blame him for failing to do the impossible. Besides, the voice purred, What do you owe this man? This corrupt official who tried to turn Han in for a profit? The voice was right. Luke owed Byar absolutely nothing. And yet - Luke's right hand flew away from the lightsaber's grip. With his left hand he deflected one blaster bolt harmlessly into the wall. The other hand he placed in the path of the remaining shot. He fell to the floor as pain erupted from his burnt hand. One look was enough to tell him he would never use the hand again. He did not regret his split-second decision. Because he owed it to himself not to give in to the easy path. The stormtroopers had stopped shooting. If nothing else, he had saved one man's life from the Empire. ----- It was not the outcome Darth Vader had expected or hoped for. However, he was impressed nevertheless by his son's sacrifice. "Very impressive, Skywalker," he said, earning a savage grin. "However, you have now made yourself unable to defend yourself, let alone others." The puzzled look on Luke's face quickly turned into one of outrage at the betrayal. Yes. You will learn, my son, that the universe is not a fair place. "Still, you have earned your victory. The prisoner will not be killed." A wave at the stormtroopers made them start shooting again. But their shots were concentrated below the waist at Byar's legs. Within a minute there was little left to show that the man had once been a biped. "See to it their injuries are tended to," Vader told the stormtroopers as he left. -----signature----- I would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism you can give me. Please feel free to PM me with your comments. . by the same author (click and scroll dowwwn): http://boards.theforce.net/m/b1/17609715/r17736763
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GreatOne Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 2/1/05 7:13am Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 2/1)
	Vader is SOOOO evil!
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JediFalcon Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 2/1/05 6:13pm Subject: RE: The Fires of Rebellion (post-ANH AU; Han, Wedge, Luke, Vader, etc.; updated 2/1)
	Vader really is evil at times theres no doubts about that -----signature----- Rogue Three in FFC Rogue Wing, Ward rm #306 Council Member of the Lightside Master to Stridarious Crimson makes my heart go Master of BYS AHBY The Impeccably Patient Drugged-Out Lunatic of the Skies I wonder whats my purpose in life
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