Beyond Hand of the Empress {Your Father's Fate/The True Nature of the Force} Completed 8/31

Interesting chat they had. Yes I could see luke, immediately arrested for crimes by the alliance. I'm sure borsk is overjoyed at luke's return

Yay! This is awesome! I have an idea of how this will end...but I won't post it here(in case I'm right). This is great!

Luke's calmer than I expected.

Well, who cares what Fey'lya says?

Up! Have a lot of reading to do.

yoda: Luke may realize that Leia's willing to forgive, but he doesn't trust other, more radical elements of the Allaince. As for Fey'lya, he doesn't know that Leia's got Luke yet.

Suzuki: Thanks. I've replied to your PM about your ideas.

Sil: Yeah, I originally planned to have Luke be a bit more emotional here, but he also has had time to sense Selena. Besides, he knows Leia would never harm her own.

Pelranius: My sentiments exactly regarding Fey'lya.


No post tonight, but one will be up tomorrow night.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Awesome posts!

LaYa_: Thanks! Glad to see you back, since I think you missed a couple of posts!


"Blast!" Han shouted as another TIE went screaming by the Falcon. "What is it with these guys?" It seemed to Han, at least, like he was facing more than his share of the fighters. In fact, he realized that the fighters were all but ignoring the capital ships. "Chewie, angle the deflectors!" he called from the upper gun turret.

A Wookiee roar came in response, the end of Chewie's question drowned out as the quad lasers spoke at Han's command, reducing another TIE fighter to interstellar rubble. Only the fighters seem to be attacking, Han thought. Luckily, there wasn't a Death Star nearby, he thought, recalling that Lando had told him about thinking the same thing during the near-victory at Endor, right before the Emperor's toy had blasted a Nebulon-B out of the stars.

He wished Lando were here now, if only to have somebody to handle the lower guns. It wasn't that he doubted Chewie, but the guns were more effective with somebody actually sitting in the turret, rather than relying on a guess from the cockpit. Han then got an idea. He adjusted the comm. "Falcon to Rogue Lead."

"I read you Falcon," Wedge replied. "Though you could have picked a better time to call."

"Sorry about that, Wedge," Han replied. "Got anybody free to make a little run on one of the destroyers?"

"Not in the Rogues," Wedge said, juking his X-Wing to just barely avoid the verdant blast from an interceptor. "Which reminds me, did you know that the 181st was here?"

"Not until just now," Han replied, as one of the scarlet-striped ships went shooting past the Falcon. "I would have thought they'd have been disbanded after Fel went AWOL."

"Apparently the Empress didn't see a need," Wedge replied. "I'll see if Pash wants to make that run. You testing a theory?"

"We'll see," Han said, hoping that what he expected was wrong.

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


That's all for now. More will be coming on Friday.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Hmm wonder what han's theory is...

Sorry this is another clump of replies but I seem to be pretty much caught up now so (hopefully) I?ll be doing read-and-replies more promptly and in response to new posts rather than a load at a time.

02/08/2004
Not surprised that Lando was surprised at the success of the Bounty Hunters.

Nice ambush from Fett, was fortunate for Panaka that Fett had to be subtle (because he wanted to recover Skywalker) rather than just taking the entire group out at once with his backpack rocket or a grenade.

Good work by Typho in remaining quiet so Fett thought Calrissian was the only cover-sniper.

04/08/2004
Actually in some ways from playing X-Wing: Alliance I agree with Pash Cracken about X-Wings being (marginally) better against TIE Bombers, their slow enough to be easy targets but tough enough that having quad rather than dual lasers is useful.

06/08/2004
Liked that Luke recognised Guri (even without Jedi memory enhancement) and drew the wrong conclusion.

Enjoyed the reunion of the twins.

09/08/2004
I don?t know how stupid a Coruscant slum-dweller would have to be to try to mug even a limping Boba Fett, whether something is prey depends very much on what it is that is wounded and whether being in pain would just make it even more ornery.

Agree with Boba that Ysanne Isard is a good choice to provide the information to.

11/08/2004
All Kanti needed was to say ?everything is proceeding as I have forseen? to fully prove she has inherited her dear old pappy?s gift for nice multi-layered plans. Use Luke and then use Selena to make Leia think she can stop Luke being used.

A final card, shouldn?t that be a ?bird? in the hand (specifically a thousand year bird of prey)?

Actually given that in TIE Fighter the player flew under the command of Thrawn and one of the ranks in the Secret Order that could be achieved was ?Emperor?s Hand? (recall that Thrawn told Mara her position as such was not unique) if a TIE Defender shows up being flown by Marek Steele it really could be a ?bird? in the ?hand?

12/08/2004
I quite like the idea of Luke being a Grey Jedi, walking the line and knowing the power of both sides while maintaining his own moral centre rather than being holier-than-thou like some lightsiders or corrupt like most darksiders. Whether he should remain in service to Kanti is another matter.

13/08/2004
Poor ?Turd? Phennir, as the events of RS: In the Empires Service (where Tycho proved that Phennir is good...but not Tycho good) never happened in this AU he doesn?t know that he is going to be embarrassed in front of Thrawn by being comprehensively outflown.

On the other hand this could be quite painful for Wedge and friends as it appears all three squadrons of the 181st Imperial Fighter Group are going to concentrate on the Rogues (something which the losses to the 181st/3rd (taken before the other two squadrons were deployed to Brentaal IV) and the need to protect the evacuation from that planet prevented happening in RS: ITES).

16/08/2004
Luke?s reasoning seems clearer minded than Leia?s. He can see how his daughter could be used by some within the Alliance and how those people and others would react to his return.

As far as some within the Alliance would be concerned a ?fair shot? in relation to Luke would be one that killed him instantly, as it would be barbaric to make it a wound that wasn?t immediately fatal.

18/08/2004
I?m sure Han and especially the crew of the starships that would have been being targeted are very pleased that there isn?t a Death Star around.

I wonder if even if the Empress didn?t see a need to disband the 181st if she did at least see a need to purge it of those too closely associated with Fel, if she purged enough of the pilots then the fight between the 181st and the Rogues might be more numerically even.

Not sure what Han?s theory could be, I wondered if he was wanting to test if the Star Destroyers were paper tigers / Quaker guns / not fully operational but in that case he?d be hoping he was right- that the Empire had brought some partiall

Friday... Wow that's today! How much did I miss? I know I got like 30 emails in my yahoo because DRL kept me busy with my classes.

Okay, it's Friday, and the next post is ready to go. But first, replies...

yoda: You'll just have to wait and see.

_JM_: Once again, massive replies. Here goes...

02/08/2004

Yeah, I don't think Lando really thought they'd have any luck. And he certainly didn't count on Fett showing up at the most inopportune time. Lucky for him, Typho's a good shot.

04/08/2004

Yeah, the X-Wings are slower, but you had to know I'd end up pitting the Rogues against the 181st.

06/08/2004

Yup, just a little inside joke I thought I'd throw in there, except that this time, it would seem Guri had a bit of an upper hand.

Glad you liked the reunion.

09/08/2004

Heck, most scum-dwellers would probably run in fear from anybody garbed in Mandalorian armor.

11/08/2004

Kanti learned the art of multi-layered plans from dear old Daddy Palpy. And yes, she's definitely seeing Luke and Selena as pawns.

I remember Thrawn's statement, and don't you go thinking that I've tossed that bit of history out the window. And much thanks for the TIE Fighter reminder, it's been ages since I played that game. Probably due to the fact that my joystick went a little haywire.

12/08/2004

Thanks for weighing in on the should he stay/leave the Empire question.

13/08/2004

Yeah, I hate to think what Thrawn might have Rukh do to Turr if he does screw up.

16/08/2004

When it comes to matters of the Empire, I think Luke's willing to look more at what's best for the Alliance, rather than what's better for the family.

18/08/2004

First off, putting a Death Star in Thrawn's hands would have been just plain Sithly. As for Han's plans, you'll have to wait and see.

Sil: You're not too late, since the new post hasn't quite gotten up...


Okay, here comes the next post! I'll also reveal who's been providing Leia with instruction, or at least, some parts of her instruction.


"Do you really think she'd do that, Luke? Publicly killing me would only make me a martyr, a symbol to fan the flames of rebellion on any world not already openly in revolt."

"Let me tell you what will happen if you don't release me and leave Imperial Center." He noticed that she simply accepted the name, not correcting him by calling the planet "Coruscant." "The Empress will order the entire Fleet to spread out in search of the Millennium Falcon, much as my father spread the Fleet out in search of me when we hid on Hoth."

"And she'd probably have about as much luck. We all got away from Hoth, didn't we?"

"The Empire was also facing a much larger rebellion at the time, Leia," Luke said. "One way or another, the Falcon will be taken, even if it takes months. Han and Chewie will be brought back here as prisoners, or at least, Han will. I don't know if she'd order Chewie brought back, or if she'd simply order him killed. Han will be tortured, in a fashion that would make my father's torture seem merciful."

"In other words, she'd use Han as bait to try and draw me out, as Vader tried to draw you to Bespin."

"And succeeded in doing so," Luke added. "Not only that, but Imperial Center will be locked down. She will want to keep you on the planet. And not only that, but she'd have one person searching for you who would make your capture a priority in life."

"You mean Mara Jade."

"Yes, Mara. My wife. And believe me when I tell you this, Leia, when she gets an idea, she will not stop until she's achieved it. Han's torture will continue until you reveal yourself, and while that is going on, the propaganda machine will be working overtime. The Rebellion saw Palpatine as the ultimate evil. The Empire will believe that Leia Organa Solo is ten thousand times as evil as Palpatine."

"I can handle being villified, Luke."

"I know you can. But could you allow Han to suffer needlessly? Furthermore, once you have been captured, Isard will be given full reign to drag whatever information about the Rebellion you possess out of you. I have no doubts that when Han is o

artoo recorded a few sessions from yoda?

I agree that the Empress would not want to make Leia a martyr, but I also agree with Luke that the Empress has other options.

Like the idea that Artoo is helping Leia with her training, agree with yodaminch that ?he? could have recorded some of the training sessions but Artoo is sufficiently cunning I could even imagine him having sliced into the Jedi Temple records (during his Padme / Anakin Skywalker time) for a complete set of information.

Well, it's all up to Leia, and quite ironically, too, I must say.

Thank you, Tych. I missed lots of posts.. was on vacation

And seems I've missed more two posts Oh my..

They're great! Good job

yoda: Yup, that he did. Clever little bugger, isn't he?

_JM_: Yeah, Kanti wouldn't want to martyr Leia, that's for sure. Glad you like the idea of Artoo aiding Leia. And I guess he might have recorded something from the prequels, given his comment to 3PO at the end of TUF.

SilSolo: Yes, it is all up to Leia, isn't it?

LaYa_: Hope the vaction was a good one. Glad you've enjoyed the last couple of posts.


Well, I'm glad to see that the idea of R2 hasn't been completely laughed at. I was a little hesitant to make him Leia's "teacher," but things seem to have worked out. I also know I said the next post would be up Monday, but it's ready now. So without further delay...


"The fleet is in position, Admiral. They merely await your orders."

"Thank you, Captain," Grand Admiral Thrawn said, his blue-skinned face totally unreadable. Pellaeon didn't understand why the admiral had ordered only the fighters to attack. "You're wondering why I've ordered our capital ships to hold back."

Pellaeon wondered how Thrawn had managed to tumble to that conclusion, even though the admiral was dead on. "It seems to me that it wouldn't take much to move in, snag Solo's freighter, and then put an end to the Rebellion."

"You fail to understand what would happen if we did that, Captain," Thrawn said. "As long as Solo remains in command, there is at least some degree of unity. Remove that, and the Rebel fleet will break up. However, I am not going to risk the lives of our pilots needlessly. If the time comes..."

"Our bombers are being torn apart by the A-Wings. And the TIE commander reports that he has lost half his strength to this unknown Rebel fighter."

"Very well," Thrawn said. "Order Admonitor forward. But make sure that Captain Niriz knows that he is to engage the fighters only. He is not to attempt to capture Solo. Meanwhile, I want the interdictors to create a slight gap in their coverage. And then move the Chimeara to block that very escape vector. If Solo is going to try and get his fleet out, we will be here to stop him."

"As you command, Admiral." And as usual, Pellaeon didn't have the slightest clue why Thrawn was going about the battle this way. But over the last four years, since Thrawn had returned, summoned back by the Empress, Pellaeon had seen too many of Thrawn's similar strategies succeed.

"And Captain," Thrawn added, almost as an afterthought. "Inform Colonel Phennir that I don't want him going off on some kind of personal vendetta against Antilles and Rogue Squadron. His mission is to divert them, not to hunt them down and destroy both the best the Rebellion and the Empire have to offer."

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


Back to Luke & Leia tomorrow.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Good post

Waiting for more

Hmm. Interesting ploy thrawn has. although wouldn't han notice no one going after him?

And the TIE commander reports that he has lost half his strength to this unknown Rebel fighter.
Unknown Rebel Fighter? Bravo Squadron have E-Wings?

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EDIT: Ooops. I just looked at CUSWE and when I tried typing ?Bravo? in it told me that was the callsign for the Naboo fighters attacking the Droid Control ship...and then I remembered that the Naboo were helping Leia ij this story.

Feel daft now, slipped my mind that they?d supplied fighters as well as Panaka and Typho being involved.
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I like how Thrawn is toying with the Rebels, Pellaeon would just go for the kill but Thrawn is willing to keep the Rebels around as long as he can manipulate them into fitting into his plans.

Not sure what the point of leaving a gap in the Interdictor coverage and then plugging that gap with the Chimaera is. I do have an idea but it is rather based on a story I wrote so the idea seems better to me than it probably should.

Possibly wise to warn Phennir against personal goals as in canon in RS:ITES when he engaged Tycho that was outside his mission profile and motivated by a desire to kill one of the Rebels best.

LaYa_: More is coming, don't worry.

yoda: Thrawn's plan, though maybe I shouldn't reveal this now, is to try and draw Han straight to the Chimeara.

_JM_: Yup, it's those pesky N-1s. As for Thrawn's plan, see my comment to yodaminch above.


And now, let's get back to Luke and Leia.


Luke turned his head as the door opened, Leia standing framed by the light from an outer room. "I've thought about what you said, Luke. Do you really think that the Empress will simply abandon her pursuit of the Alliance?"

"No," Luke replied. "She won't. The Alliance has to die, Leia. It has to disappear, break up. The Alliance, as we know it, has to disappear. That is the only way." Then, through the Force, he added, *it's the only way you can save the Alliance from it's fate.*

"And what about me, Luke? Is she really going to stop looking for me?"

"Leave the Empress to me, Leia. Disappear. Find somewhere to settle down with Han."

"And what of your daughter?" Leia asked. "I can't let you raise her in darkness, Luke. She deserves better than that."

"My father was denied the chance to raise his children, Leia. You know what happened on Bespin. Would you force the same thing on Selena at some future date?"

Leia pondered the question. "No," she said, finally. "But I need an assurance from you, Luke, that my niece won't become a monster."

"I have seen, better than anybody, what the Dark Side is capable of. I will not allow my daughter to succumb to its temptations."
Leia considered his words, feeling no deception through the Force. Granted, if he wanted to hide something from her, Luke's abilities in the Force far outstripped her own. But something in his face, in his eyes, convinced her of the truth behind his words. "I would never take you back by force, Luke," she said. "But I had hoped..."

"It can't happen, Leia," Luke said. "I can't come back with you."

"I know. Somehow, I knew before I even came here." She drew one hand from behind her back. In it were the two lightsabers taken from Luke when he'd been taken from the Imperial Palace. He attached one to his belt, then turned the other over in his hands. It was his first lightsaber, the one he'd constructed in Ob-Wan's hut on Tatooine. He thumbed the activator, and the green blade sprang into existence.

He moved it through the air, hearing the humming blade change pitch as he did so. Then, he thumbed the switch again, and the blade vanished. He then handed the weapon back to Leia. "Keep this," he said. "You're on your way to becoming a Jedi. That much is evident. You deserve to carry this weapon."

Leia nodded, accepting the lightsaber. "I'll keep it safe, Luke," she said. "Now, I think there's somebody who really needs her father."

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



That's it for now. More to come tomorrow.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Sounds like Luke is playing the long game, fragment the Alliance into tiny hidden pieces and keep the knowledge and spirit of the Rebellion alive until conditions are better.

I do hope that Luke?s confidence in his ability to protect his daughter from the Dark side and to manage the Empress is not as misplaced as his confidence that he knew what he was doing in Dark Empire.

Whoa I missed two posts? Luke's plot is definitely a good one. Leia fighting with a lightsaber soon, I guess? Looks like a real interesting game of chess between Luke and Kanti.

Well, Panaka was an Imperial Moff during the Rebellion and Naboo apparently a bastion of Imperial support during the Rebellion incidentally, though I've haven't gotten up to the Naboo part yet?

Out of curiosity, is Thrawn setting on of his "Very Nasty" traps for the Rebels or his "Absolutely Nasty" traps?

_JM_: Yup, Luke's playing the long game. Let's just hope he doesn't have to play it too long, because sooner or later, Kanti will have had enough of it.

SilSolo: Yup, those two are going to be spending some time trying to outmaneuver each other.

Pelranius: Where did you get the idea of Panaka being a Moff? I don't think I gave that impression. As for Thrawn, well, you'll have to wait and see.


And now, onto today's post!


Han may have been concerned about the nature of the Imperial ambush, but Pash Cracken wasn't too terribly concerned. After all, things wouldn't get really deadly until the Star Destroyers entered the mix. It wasn't that he didn't care about his pilots; every hit he heard about sent a chill through his spine. By the time the day was over, how many letters would he have to write.

Then better to eliminate the fighters now, Pash thought. Because they'll prove a nuisance once the capital ships get into the fray. He settled back, looking for a target of opportunity. The TIE bombers the Imperials deployed hadn't proven a match for his A-Wings, but he hadn't expected them to. He was about to order the Aces to aid the Rogues when Wedge's voice came over the comm.

"Pash, the General needs a run on the Destroyers."

"Is this a prelude to something ludicrous?" Pash asked, wondering just momentarily if General Solo had lost touch with reality. Then he realized that the Star Destroyers might be a little less likely to engage if they thought they were in danger.

"Lead, Two," his wingmate cut into the channel. "The dragships are moving."

Pash looked up sharply. Indeed, the Interdictors were moving and...that didn't make any sense. "Wedge, have your astromech run a scan and tell me if I'm seeing things."

"You mean like the Imps opening a hole for us? If you're seeing things, then so am I."

"Solo to Alliance ships. The Imps are making some kind of move. Get out of here and jump to hyperspace!"

"Wedge, so we..."

"Like the Sith we do," Wedge said, and Pash could already see the reason. One of the Destroyers was edging out. Pash juked the fighter to one side, just barely avoiding a venomous green turbolaser blast.

"Looks like the big boys are coming out to play. Still think we should hang around?"

"Han's trying to protect the fleet by covering their retreat. I'm not going to be the one that has to tell Leia I abandoned her husband."

Wedge then flipped over to the squadron frequency. "Rogues, we're staying, and covering the Falcon."

"Negative," Han's voice came over the comm, and Wedge realized that he didn't want to know how Han had broken into the conversation. "You can't do any more good. This was a trap. I'm not going to let anybody else die. Give my apologies to the High Command."

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


Last L/L post coming tomorrow.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Great posts