Saga Destiny's Hope (AU, completed 10/14)

wow nice one Mara

 

ccp: Yup, patterns are beginning to become clearer.

Leona: It might surprise Palpy, but he's still got the Vader card to play.

SithGirl: Let's just say that this is Leia v. Mara, Round 2.

VaderLVR: Glad you liked it!

Kevin: And I was going for the feeling of the tension being raised, so I suppose things worked!

Kripp: I don't think she ever expected to be going to toe to toe with a Skywalker.

Sil: Liked that, did you?


Okay, after a weekend off, I'm back with the next post.


"I found two more wrecked speeders back there," Shira said, emerging from the forest. "I found this as well." She handed Han the helmet that they'd both last seen covering Luke's head. "I also found a stormtrooper that looked like had an unfortunate encounter with a branch."

"You think it might have been Luke?" Han asked, wondering if he should comm the strike team and tell them to abort the attack. No, that wouldn't be a good idea. Not only would it warn the Imperials that they were coming, but it might allow the Imps to triangulate the signal and discover the command crew of the shuttle.

"Could be," Shira said, shaking her head. "I don't sense Luke anywhere nearby," she said.

"Doesn't mean he's gone," Han said. Artoo tweetled something, and both Shira and Han looked to Threepio, expecting the golden droid to translate.

"Artoo says that his sensors can find no trace of Prince Organa. He also suggests that we abandon this location. There seem to be several creatures lurking nearby."

"Maybe they know what happened to Luke," Shira said, hoping that the troops the Emperor had assigned weren't stupid enough to mount an ambush before the Rebels reached the bunker. Worse, if the troops were drawn away from the bunker, they'd be leaving it open to the strike team that Solo had, insanely, sent on ahead, with orders to blow the bunker if they got the opportunity.

If the shield went down, Shira realized, Palpatine would not look on her failure kindly. In fact, he might send another agent to take Shira herself out of play. "Perhaps we should head back to the bunker. The fleet's probably ready to drop out of hyperspace. We don't want the Empire springing any kind of trap on them."

"Is this another of those feelings?" Han asked, guessing that such things might be the Force at work, trying to warn of oncoming danger.

"I don't know, Han," Shira said. "All I know is that we seem to be wasting our time here. We're not going to be able to find Luke without some help from the fleet. And we're not going to get that if the Empire can sit and blast away at them."

"Blast away with what?" Han said. "Granted, there's a few Destroyers up there, but it's not like we're exactly outgunned up there. And Ackbar's a decent tactician. The Empire's going to need a lot of luck on their side if they think they're going to win this one."

The Empire's got more on their side than you know, Solo, Shira thought. "Fine. Let's keep looking. But if we haven't found him by nightfall, will you at least consider putting the search for one man off until after we've destroyed the Empire?" By the time tomorrow comes, the Empire will have squashed the Alliance, and the Emperor can begin restoring order to the galaxy.

Han shook his head. Leia, Luke, Lando, Chewie, they'd risked everything to get him out of Jabba's. And now he was thinking of leaving Luke to whatever fate he'd suffered, not to mention Leia in the hands of Vader and the Emperor. "I'll think about it," Han said. "But I'm not making any promises."

++++++++++++


More to come this weekend.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Shira nearly gave herself away there.

 

The Empire's got more on their side than you know, Solo, Shira thought. "Fine. Let's keep looking. But if we haven't found him by nightfall, will you at least consider putting the search for one man off until after we've destroyed the Empire?" By the time tomorrow comes, the Empire will have squashed the Alliance, and the Emperor can begin restoring order to the galaxy.

Han shook his head. Leia, Luke, Lando, Chewie, they'd risked everything to get him out of Jabba's. And now he was thinking of leaving Luke to whatever fate he'd suffered, not to mention Leia in the hands of Vader and the Emperor. "I'll think about it," Han said. "But I'm not making any promises."

Can't wait!

 

Shira is going to get in trouble soon. It's just a matter of time. Leia vs. Mara catfight again? Can't wait!

 

ccp: Yes, she did. And the longer they're on Endor, the more likely it is that she'll slip. The question is, will it be in time to keep Han and the others out of further trouble?

VaderLVR: Glad you seem to like the way things are going on the Forest Moon, but we've got to head above it for the next two posts.

SithGirl: Yup, Shira's headed for trouble all right. And you just might see things getting a little more catty between Leia and Mara this time.

Leona: He might leave, but you can rest assured he'll be back!


Okay, here comes the next post, straight from space over Endor.


The arrival of the Imperial Starfleet had indeed changed the status of the mission. While the Rebellion leadership had expected some sort of Imperial presence at Endor other than the Death Star, they hadn't expected this large a portion of the Imperial Fleet. And it wasn't just the Star Destroyers that had Lando worried; the TIE fighters that had boiled from the larger ships hanger bays were dangerous as well.

"Wedge, take Red Group, Green Group, take the TIE fighters," Lando ordered. "Grey Group, the interceptors are all yours. Blue group, your job is to keep the bombers from making any easy runs at the cruisers. There's no point in making the Star Destroyers jobs any easier." That thought prompted another question. He flipped the comm over to the frequency with Home One. "Admiral, any idea what those Star Destroyers are waiting for?"

"They seem to be a holding pattern. Given their current configuration, they can only keep us from gaining enough space to make the jump to lightspeed."

"So why haven't they just pounded us?" Lando asked. The answer came a moment later, as a brilliant green blast obliterated one of the Alliance frigates. "That was no laser blast," Lando said. "That blast came from the Death Star. That thing's operational!" He went back to the comm. "Home One, this is Calrissian..."

"General Calrissian, we have to evacuate now," Ackbar said. "Our shields can't withstand firepower of that magnitude."

"Then we have to make sure they can't fire again, Admiral. Han will have that shield down, but we've got to give him some time. We need to make sure that they can't fire without hitting their own ships. I think it's time to apply some fighter tactics to the capital ships."

"What are you thinking?" Ackbar asked, though something in his tone suggested that he really didn't want to hear what Lando had to say.

"Move in as close as you can, and engage those Star Destroyers at point-blank range. If we're close enough, perhaps those Imperials aboard the Death Star will see sense and not fire on their fellow officers."

"At that close range, those Star Destroyers will eat us up as quickly as a krakana," Ackbar said.

"Perhaps," Lando said, not quite sure he understood the reference in its entirety, but getting enough. "But those Destroyers aren't going to let us go without a fight. If we're going to go down, we might as well take them with us."

++++++++++++


Wednesday, it's back to the Throne Room.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Great update!

 

Aah! Another tense and scary post. Oh yes, this is building up to a dramatic climax.

 

And here the fireworks begins.

 

"What are you thinking?" Ackbar asked, though something in his tone suggested that he really didn't want to hear what Lando had to say.

"Move in as close as you can, and engage those Star Destroyers at point-blank range. If we're close enough, perhaps those Imperials aboard the Death Star will see sense and not fire on their fellow officers."

"At that close range, those Star Destroyers will eat us up as quickly as a krakana," Ackbar said.

"Perhaps," Lando said, not quite sure he understood the reference in its entirety, but getting enough. "But those Destroyers aren't going to let us go without a fight. If we're going to go down, we might as well take them with us."

Excellent! You're doing a great job of building the tension!

 

ccp: Thanks!

SithGirl: Yes, all the threads of this fic are starting to come together. I think it's only a short time before something goes boom.

Leona: Glad you liked it!

Kripp: Yup, this is where the fun begins.

VaderLVR: Glad you think so. It's getting harder to keep track of where everybody is, though. I'm almost thinking I've lost track of Luke...


Okay, here comes the next post, when we jump back to young Skywalker, and her predicament.


Mara leapt from the other side of the throne, forcing Leia to take a few steps back and taking some of the danger away from her master. Vader looked like he was about to step in himself, but a look from Palpatine halted the Dark Lord's motion. There would be time for father and daughter to face off, but this was not the moment. It remained possible that Leia might defeat Vader, and Palpatine preferred to keep the matter in his control. If Mara was defeated, Vader would be used to ultimately break Leia Skywalker.

The blades of the two women crashed into each other, time and again. It looked like Mara might have caught Leia by surprise, but Leia twisted away, clearing her blade and giving herself a bit more room to work with. Mara stood, her back to the stairs, blade in a high guard. "Let the hate flow through you," Palpatine said, and for a moment, it wasn't entirely clear to whom he was speaking. Was it the young would-be Jedi, or was it his hand.

It didn't really matter, because in the moment that it took for Leia to fight back from the rage that had been building, Mara attacked. She seemed to be driving Leia back towards the throne when Leia suddenly reversed the direction of the battle. She fought back with a fury that caused an ugly smile to form on Palpatine's face. Leia forced Mara's blade to one side, and kicked, her boot slamming first into Mara's stomach, and then connecting with her head. Mara stumbled backward with the first blow, and the second launched her into the air. She hit the stairs on her shoulder, then rolled the rest of the way to the bottom.

Leia turned, breathing a little harder, and looked at the Dark Lords. "You still refuse to give in to your hate," Palpatine said. He'd realized that though Leia had attacked, it was in her own defense, not an attack of anger. Leia shut her blade down. "I will not fight you, Father," she said to Vader, whose own blade was now in his hand as he advanced. "I won't give in to the Dark Side."

"Aayla and Yoda have taught you well, my daughter," Vader said, He still hadn't attacked, but that could change at any second. "Yet you are unwise to lower your defenses." The Dark Lord attacked, raining blows down upon Leia that were barely held off. Leia's turquoise blade blocked Vader's crimson one, and she backflipped away, landing in a monitor pit. Another flip took her to a gantry running the length of the throne room.

"I feel the conflict within you, Father," she said. "You can't do this, any more than you could let Mother die. Would she want to see you as you are now? Would she approve of you killing me?"

"It is too late for me, Leia," Vader said. "If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny!" He hurled the blade, but it didn't connect with Leia. Rather, it severed one of the support struts. With a screech of metal, the gantry gave way beneath Leia's weight, pulling the strut on the other side free of the ceiling, and dumping Leia on the floor.

She used her momentum, rolling past the stairs and under the platform upon which Palpatine sat. She would not allow herself to turn to the Dark Side. She would die before she allowed herself to suffer her father's fate. And only now, as she forced herself to calm, did she begin to understand Yoda's warning about the Emperor. Vader had been able to manipulate her a little bit on Bespin, but his toying with her was nothing compared to Palpatine.

She could hear the thumps of Vader's boots as he descended the stairs. Apparently, Vader wasn't going to give

 

Well, the tension is certainly building up! As I said before, I really like what you've done with this fight. While on the same lines as that with Luke, there are differences, due to the kind of person Leia is, and the presence of Mara. Because of Mara, Palpy's strategy is a little different:

There would be time for father and daughter to face off, but this was not the moment. It remained possible that Leia might defeat Vader, and Palpatine preferred to keep the matter in his control. If Mara was defeated, Vader would be used to ultimately break Leia Skywalker.

I liked this bit:

"Let the hate flow through you," Palpatine said, and for a moment, it wasn't entirely clear to whom he was speaking. Was it the young would-be Jedi, or was it his hand?

I was expecting either Mara or Leia to ask who he was talking to. Leia's attempt to win back her father to the Light Side is interesting in its difference from Luke's. I really liked how she brought up Padme:

"I feel the conflict within you, Father," she said. "You can't do this, any more than you could let Mother die. Would she want to see you as you are now? Would she approve of you killing me?"

You tell him, Leia!

 

Yikes! So intense!

Vader watched as the gantry fell with a metallic crash. Somewhere, deep inside him, he could feel Anakin trying to break free from the prison in which Vader had placed him. Leia's words had gotten through to what remained of the man he'd once been, but Vader couldn't let it show. He couldn't stand the weakness that had allowed Anakin to become what he was now.

"Go, Lord Vader. Find your daughter, and bring her back to me." Palpatine wasn't going to let this farce continue, Vader realized. Leia would be forced to accept the Dark Side, or she would die. There was no longer any hope of turning things around, no matter how much Anakin Skywalker would have liked to.

 

And the battle begins. *grabs chair and popcorn, sits around and watches*

 

Lord Vader, search your feelings. You know, don't you?

 

Kevin: Yup, Palpy's strategy is a little different. Different tools, different techniques. I didn't have them aks, just because I thought it would break the tension bulding in the moment.

ccp: Thanks!

VaderLVR: You expected something different this close to the end?

SithGirl: Better hang onto that popcorn, cause we're not out of this yet. It isn't over.

Leona: It's so clear to us what Vader's become, isn't it?

Kripp: He knows, he just doesn't want to admit it yet.


Let's drop in the strike team for a bit.


"Not going to be easy, breaking in there," Lieutenant Judder Page said as he and the other commandos watched the stormtroopers patrolling around the bunker that housed the shield generator. "I'd say there's an entire legion down there."

"And given the importance of this facility, those closest to it are likely to be among the Empire's best," Morgan Raventhorn said from beside him. "Whatever we're going to do, it's not going to be accomplished easily."

"Things just got worse," Major Bren Derlin said, slipping up to the two commandos. "General Solo's going to be a little later than he thought. Said something about some obstructions in the search for Prince Organa."

"Does that mean we're not going to try and take the place out if we see an opening?" Page asked.

"No, it just means that we're going to be a little more choosy about what we do," Derlin replied, keeping his voice low. "We've also picked up what might be a scout walker."

"Well, why don't we just send up a flag that we're here?" Raventhorn said. "Then, we could just draw the Imperials to us, take them down, and blow the generator at our leisure."

"That might work with regular stormtroopers," Derlin said with a wry grin. Then his expression turned serious again. "Unfortunately, we've got a better idea what we're up against. Palpatine apparently thought more about this than we expected and, brought the 501st with him when he came to Endor."

"You're telling me that's Vader's Fist out there?" Raventhorn said. "They're supposed to have been handpicked by Vader himself."

"Unfortunately for us, there was already a cadre of troops on station when the Emperor arrived," Derlin said.

"So we know Vader's Fist is here, we just don't know if that's them down there or not."

"Right. So we're going to take things slow, and hope that there aren't any more surprises in store."

"And that the Fleet runs a little behind schedule," Page said.

"For once, that would be nice," Derlin said. "I certainly don?t want them arriving and finding that the shield is up because we didn't take risks." The comlink on his wrist buzzed softly. "Report." The words were unintelligible to Page, but Derlin's reaction showed that the news wasn't good. "Understood. Have Beezer jam its transmissions, and see if you can take it down. But do it quietly, for Force's sake."

++++++++++++


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Very good, Tych_sel, because there are NO EWOKS!!!

 

First reply!
I smell even more trouble on the horizon. I have a feeling that this will end poorly for the Alliance.

 

Oh, I'm afraid the shield generator will be fully operational for quite some time... Good thinking, Emperor. My sincerest congratulations.

 

yeah Judder. and nice one with Vader and Leia. I wonder if he'll be turned eventually or if Leia will die.