Saga Into the Storm (Action/Drama, L/M, H/L, Vader, Palpatine) COMPLETE

Good for Luke to know that Han's there, even if they're separated, he's there. And now the others are off and away, and soon to start some more plans!

Looking forward to more Luke/Palpy/Vader!

 

I will wager that alliance command knows of Luke's parentage. Bail was in on the secret, or perhaps he took the secret to his grave.

I wonder if Leia needs to go to Dagobah now?....

 

Vivid scripts

""I feel almost claustrophobic when I read through the sections told from Luke's perspective (the massive prison, the Force lock, ugh!)""

Nice too know. I kinda wanted to have the Palace itself be a sort of background character in this, with its massive scale and incredible opulence that leave Luke feeling small and overawed and way out of his depth.


""Han never seems to lose his sense of humor, no matter how hard it gets ""

You're so right; he was exactly the wrong person for Palpy to keep on Coruscant with Luke.


""I'm surprised Han didn't make some mouthy comment about her upon entering the room, something like "wait, did she come with the room?" ""

Heh,heh; yeah, that would be just like him


""Can't wait happens next!""

That's what I like to hear! More on Friday.



Dancing Star

""Another truly amazing update!! The Han and Luke interaction was nothing less than perfect. Loved it and looking forward to more!!""

Aw, thank you so much! Glad you're enjoying it. More this Friday.



Jade eyes

""Loved the bits between Han and Luke and Mara and Luke... very much in character, all of them. Han's a true true sweetie though he would never admit it LOL.""

Thank you! Heh,heh; yeah, Han keeps it well hidden, but we all know the truth.


""Leia and Vader will have something to say about the "deal" too I think ""

Indeed they will... but is that too part of Palpy's larger plan? More on Friday.



Jedi-2B

""Great camaraderie between Luke and Han, as always. Loved the part about taking the giant painting with them when they escape. Hope everyone remembers this later.""

Heh,heh; yep, plot point alert!


""Was the reminiscing about the mission where they had to camp-out for five days the basis of that short story of yours?""

Wow, well spotted! Yeah, I think I actually might have written the camp-out viggie based on this one line. Hey, you're good!



The Solo Smirk

""Yeah! Team Luke/Han! Yeah!
I like your idea of keeping the two of them close together (in this mess).
As different as they are in terms of character/disposition they make up one hell of a team!"

Heh,heh. Yep, Han was exactly the wrong person for Palpy to keep as the deal, as he'll find out.


""I loved the Leia/Lando/Chewie scenes! So funny to have the princess and the gambler thrown together! Loved it!

Thanks! they don't seem to get togther much, so I thought they should have a little outing


""Keep it up!!!""

Will do! More on Friday!



Ocelotl Nesto

""I will wager that alliance command knows of Luke's parentage. Bail was in on the secret, or perhaps he took the secret to his grave.""

Hmmm... I think perhaps in this story he did indeed take it with him to the grave, for Leia's protection. As Palpy's already said though, the truth has a way of outing.


""I wonder if Leia needs to go to Dagobah now?....""

What, you giving up on Luke already? Wow, you're tough!



Jedi Master Cazz

""Good for Luke to know that Han's there, even if they're separated, he's there. And now the others are off and away, and soon to start some more plans!""

You know Han; he'll make it his mission to keep Luke grounded... but will it be enough?


""Looking forward to more Luke/Palpy/Vader!""
Exactly that this Friday.

 

I think my favorite parts are when Luke was shooting the blaster at Vader and when he negotiated for Leia, Lando and Chewie's release. Jeez, you keep these tense!

 

Hey Anduli Vader.


""I think my favorite parts are when Luke was shooting the blaster at Vader and when he negotiated for Leia, Lando and Chewie's release.""

Much Luke and Vader coming up over the next few weeks.


""Jeez, you keep these tense!""
Heh,heh; I'm just warming up!

 

His next question shocked Luke, though he hadn?t meant it to. ?Can he??

?No!? Luke upheld, hurt at Han?s words.

?Just?? Han paused, not sure why he?d even bothered to ask, aware of how much he?d just hurt the kid. ?Sorry. I dunno??

I loved that exchange between Han and Luke. I loved the entire exchange, but for some reason, that part really stood out. Great job!

Whilst in the cockpit, the first pilot?s blaster a reassuring weight in her hands, Leia had risked a few moments to quiz the second as he released the restraints in the main hold. ?The two men who came in with us, why aren?t they on the transport??

?Who??

?The Corellian?where is he??

The man glanced up nervously. ?He?s in the Palace?the Commander kept him there, I think.?

?Why??

?I don?t know.? He?d leaned back as Leia jammed the blaster forward in silent encouragement. ?I don?t! They wanted? they needed him for something, I don?t know what. They were gonna release him I think?they were gonna release him pretty soon.?

?And the other, what about the other prisoner??

?Other?? The pilot frowned, unsure. ?There?s no? there was no other.?

?Luke Skywalker!? Leia had said through gritted teeth.

YEAH, LEIA!

Now Lando stepped silently up behind Leia, making her jump. ?One comlink, sweetheart.?

?Don?t call me that,? she scalded

Love, love, love that. I could just see her reaction to anyone but Han calling her sweetheart.

?We wait,? she replied simply.

Lando frowned. ?For how long??

The com buzzed in Leia?s hand and she arched perfect eyebrows at him. ?Not too long."

Hahaha!

I could quote more favorite parts, but then it would be the whole chapter. So.

Have I told you enough that I'm obsessed with this story? Because I am completely obsessed. It's amazingly well-written, everyone is perfectly in-character, the dialogue is witty and clearly thought-through, and it is funny and suspenseful all at once. I love that you've got Leia as a strong character who can fend for herself and think for herself, I love that she's going to be more than a pawn in Palpatine's plan, Han's damsel in distress, or Luke's secret twin sister with Force potential that never gets realized. I feel like Leia's character sometimes gets overlooked post-ESB. In ROTJ, she wasn't the same strong, witty princess that she was in ANH and ESB. But that isn't the case here; I love how you have her in the post-ESB universe as still very strong-willed and independent. I love all of the characters, for the record, but she really shines in this chapter, so I wanted to comment on that. Sorry if this is a random tangent. Point is: I heart this story. Update soon, please!

 

?I?ll stay,? Han said firmly, meaning it.

One of my absolute favourite lines!!! Han is the pure-hearted rock of this story!

Also love the part where Luke unnerves Mara for the first time
And off course I love the rest of it too but you should know that by now!

 

Hey LASOS!

Thanks for the great post, man

"" I love that you've got Leia as a strong character who can fend for herself and think for herself, I love that she's going to be more than a pawn in Palpatine's plan, Han's damsel in distress, or Luke's secret twin sister with Force potential that never gets realized.""

Hey, glad you liked her. I kinda wanted to give Leia her own distinct story arc in this tale, with her own problems and responsibilities which escalate as time and events move on. Hopefully she'll come out the other side of all this with a little more depth and a lot more experience. As, hopefully, will everyone else... everyone who survives, that is!


""Sorry if this is a random tangent. Point is: I heart this story. Update soon, please!""

Your wish is my command... more in a couple of hours... how's that for service!



Kataja!

""?I?ll stay,? Han said firmly, meaning it.
One of my absolute favourite lines!!! Han is the pure-hearted rock of this story!"

Aw, stop - He'll never get his head through the next door if you keep on like that!


""Also love the part where Luke unnerves Mara for the first time. And of course I love the rest of it too, but you should know that by now.""

Heh,heh,heh; Mara's still blissfully unaware.
Actually, so is Luke at this point!

Thanks for the post, little Juniper!

 

CHAPTER EIGHT




It was amazing how quickly routines were established. By nightfall, Luke was sitting patiently, waiting for Palpatine to arrive. Waiting for the redhead to come in and announce it.

Like clockwork she did, the doors cycling through their staged lock release, Luke counting how many bolts there were for the first time.

She walked in with a face like thunder, and he smiled into those cold eyes. ?Hey, Red.?

?The?? She floundered momentarily, taken off-guard by that, but quickly found her stride again. ?The Emperor commands your presence.?

?Pretty much figured that,? Luke said, setting forward, unsure why he was doing this but enjoying setting her off-balance all the same, his mood still light from seeing Han.

?And don?t call me Red,? she clipped, dropping into pace as he passed her, two Royal Guard falling in behind them.

?How about Rusty?? he teased quietly. ?I gotta call you something and you won?t tell me your name, so take your pick.?

?I'm Commander Jade,? she said haughtily, eyes straight ahead.

Luke waited until he was almost at the far door to preclude any comeback from her. ?Nah? I think I like Red better.?

Then he was through and she dropped back, remaining near the door, and Luke cautioned himself to concentrate?this was no longer a game.



Palpatine?s eyes were dangerously narrowed as Luke entered the room and turned to him, his stare cold and ominous. Directed not at Luke but at Jade, who had bowed deeply, some undercurrent of apprehension in her sense now.

Palpatine remained staring at the woman as she straightened, her eyes to the floor, so that Luke, aware that he had caused this and feeling suddenly protective even of her, spoke out.

?Excellency,? he acknowledged as he?d heard others do, bringing the Emperor?s baleful yellow eyes to him.

The Sith Emperor stared, and for the first time, Luke recognized his individual accent in the Force, as if he had neglected in that moment to hide it completely. It roiled in fury at the woman, some sense of possessive ownership being infringed. Then it was gone, hidden away completely as he too brought his attention to the moment.


Palpatine turned and walked slowly to his chair, taking the time to regain equilibrium before sitting and looking to the boy.

?Sit,? he commanded simply. And the boy did?as easily as that. Perhaps it would be no struggle after all, to gain his obedience.

?You spoke with your companion today?? Palpatine said.

?Yes?? the boy replied. Then, because he was uncertain what else to say, ?Thank you.?

Palpatine kept his eyes steady on the Jedi, but was pleased.


?I would... like to see the others, if I may?? Luke was wary, unsure if Palpatine would want something in return.

?Others??

Luke frowned. ?Leia and Chewie.?

?They are gone, Jedi.? There was a self-congratulatory note mixed in with the Emperor's politely feigned confusion.

?Gone?? Luke prompted, alarm giving his voice volume.

?Of course?that was the agreement. That you would stay for twelve weeks if they were let free. They set out to Neimoidia before dawn this morning and chose to leave the transport at Cat Dato Spaceport. They were not followed, as we agreed, so I have no information as to where they are now, but I?m sure your little Princess is already??

?This morning?!? It was a stupid thing to say in the face of this torrent of information, but Luke was genuinely surprised that they were gone?that he hadn?t realized that they had been taken.

He reached out now with the Force, his urgency slicing so easily now through the murky susurration which clouded about him, but was unable to find any trace of Leia. A memory hit him in that instant?of waking in the early hours of the morning, sure that someone had called out his name. Not in fear, just? realization. It must have been Leia; she must have recognized they were being separated and thought of him in that moment.

Luke chided himself for not recognizing it was her at the time, not realizing they were gone,

 

Delicious. As always, I'm amazed by your Palpatine. I can totally buy that this malevolent genius brought down the Republic and the Jedi without them knowing he held the knife to their proverbial throats until it was already too late. And the hints at Palpatine's plans for Mara ... chilling but totally in character for a creature like Sidious who perceives individuals as little more than pieces on the chessboard. Unfortunately, he's not constrained by ridiculous things as rules. Poor Luke doesn't have a chance.

What fascinates me the most in this chapter, though, is the voice you've given Vader. With just a couple of lines, you've painted his self-hatred in such a way that it's almost painful to behold. He is still a slave and always will be. The creature that was once Anakin Skywalker is so broken that it makes perfect sense for Sidious to begin looking elsewhere for a replacement. I think that, subconsciously, Vader knows perfectly well that his son is being groomed to take his place, but he is too afraid of his master and himself to take action.

Awesome job, blank. Awesome fraking job.

 

Wow! You are an AMAZING writer! Really, I think you're better than Timothy Zahn.

Someday Luke will accept Vader as his father. Someday. Then they can overthrow the Emperor together and turn the Empire back into a Republic!

 

You are so talented!! That post, as usual- awesome!! Hang in there, Luke!! Looking forward to more!!

 

Oops, Master Yoda's name just slipped out there, didn't it?

Interesting that Palpatine noticed that Mara may have some kind of connection with Luke. Thank goodness he doesn't yank her from this assignment.

And I see you've been tinkering again here and there, which screws up my punctuation editing. But I admit I did notice at least one spot that I just flat out missed. Too busy reading and enjoying instead of paying attention, I think!

 

Han was exactly the wrong person for Palpy to keep as the deal, as he'll find out.

Awesome! I'm really looking forward to the fair amount of havoc that will be caused by this deadly combination of "clarity" (Luke) and "craziness" (Han, for the most part, that is)! Haha!

****

I just love how Palpy tries to throw as much dirt on Luke's friends and role models as he possibly can! I hope that he does not succeed in turning "the boy" that easily...and if he does, will Han be the counter pole?

My favourite sentence of this post: ?You have been given a rare gift, child, that of clarity. It is given to so few; do not waste it.?



Impressive! Most impressive, blank!

 

Awwww awesome chapter! Poor Luke, Palpatine is certainly playing him well, and it was nice to see Vader taking time out of his busy schedule to do a little parenting, very well written.

Great job, I can't wait for more! But for now I'm so so so off to bed for me! Looking forward to another chapter!

 

Palps is brilliant genius in this... his isolating and sly insinuations to draw a person away from all he thinks he knows and trusts, until he doesn't trust even his own perceptions and emotions, until there's a yawning chasm that Palpatine fills with his own desires and agendas. And your Vader is also amazingly detailed in this. I hope he, Luke, Mara and Leia and Han team up to bring down the Emperor in true Jedi style. It hurt to read all the stuff he said about Leia... I hope Luke really didn't buy a bit of it.

 

Gah! Palpatine is such a manipulative snake! Diabolical! It makes me want to turn to the Dark Side just READING this! STAY STRONG, LUKE!

And yay, Vader's here!!! LOVED the exchange between Luke and his father. Stunning.

?Why do you always try to provoke?? Vader asked into the silence.

?To remind us both of what you really are,? Luke replied, not bothering to turn.

Um, wow. Wowwowwow.

Can't wait for more updates. *waves hand* You WILL update as quickly as you did after my last reply.




....Maybe I need to work a little harder on my Jedi mind tricks.

 

Oh, wow.

This story never ceases to amaze me. That dialog between Luke and Vader was spectacular. Vader is pouring out to Luke the truth: Palpatine brought down the Republic, the Jedi and the Senate, yet Luke is more focused on pushing Vader away than pushing Palpatine, so I get the feeling he's not taking these things seriously. Luke is too bound to the memory that Vader killed Kenobi and that Vader has been this great menace for many years to realize that Vader really is the lesser evil here.

I'm also wondering how the Emperor will respond when/if Luke starts to get closer to Mara. Amazing work, Blank

 

your charatcherization of Palpy is well done...

I think most of us have had our words, lives, truths, turned on end like Palpy does. It is very crafty and disturbing. Luke is in the shroud of darkness now. He has to learn how to combat the darkness...

He needs to start working out again too... He is going to get soft if he doesnt get some sparring in soon.

 

Rigil Kent

Hey, thanks for the post
Man, how are you managing to read at the mo - you're posting so much stuff over at ff.n, it's amazing!


""What fascinates me the most in this chapter, though, is the voice you've given Vader. With just a couple of lines, you've painted his self-hatred in such a way that it's almost painful to behold. He is still a slave and always will be.""

Thanks; glad that came through. I always figured Palpatine had controlled him for so long now - since childhood really - that it really would be beyond Vader's ability to openly turn on him. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to, he's just totally unable to do it. That's what he believes he needs Luke for. But on the other side of that scale, Palpy's using all the same techniques on Vader's son that he once used to bind Vader to him, and they've worked so well for him in the past...


""Vader knows perfectly well that his son is being groomed to take his place,""

Absolutely. But he's counting on the one thing he has on Luke that he believes Palpatine can never equal or break; Luke's his son. Whether Palpatine's decision to underline for Luke that the boy's destiny is in his blood - which also underline's Luke's relationship to Vader - will ultimately be the subtlest, most sublime of moves or a resounding disaster... time will tell.



Kithura Vess

Hi! Thanks so much for the great post.

""Someday Luke will accept Vader as his father. Someday. Then they can overthrow the Emperor together and turn the Empire back into a Republic! ""

Aaah, if only it were that simple!
More on Friday!



Dancing star

Hello! Thanks for the post, you're very kind! Glad you're enjoying it.


""Hang in there, Luke!! Looking forward to more.""

What, nothing bad has happened yet! Well, nothing bad by comparison....
Let's see what we can whip up this Friday, huh?



Jedi-2B

Hiya

""Interesting that Palpatine noticed that Mara may have some kind of connection with Luke. Thank goodness he doesn't yank her from this assignment.""

Yeah, he's just too confident of his own hold on her to pay it too much heed... yet.


""And I see you've been tinkering again here and there, which screws up my punctuation editing. But I admit I did notice at least one spot that I just flat out missed. Too busy reading and enjoying instead of paying attention, I think!""

Heh,heh; ah, you know me, I don't mean to change anything once you're done, it just kinda... happens.



The Solo Smirk

Hey there! thanks for the post!

""Awesome! I'm really looking forward to the fair amount of havoc that will be caused by this deadly combination of "clarity" (Luke) and "craziness" (Han, for the most part, that is)! Haha!""

Wow, interesting that you should label them that way round. Right though... at the moment.


""I just love how Palpy tries to throw as much dirt on Luke's friends and role models as he possibly can! I hope that he does not succeed in turning "the boy" that easily...and if he does, will Han be the counter pole?""

Heh,heh; I think Han's the counter-pole just by existing!

More on Friday; Back with the boys and their scheming... and Leia gets some unexpected news.



Jedi Master Cazz

""...It was nice to see Vader taking time out of his busy schedule to do a little parenting, very well written.""

Heh,heh; not exactly a natural, is he?


""Looking forward to another chapter!""

Coming up, Friday night.



Jade eyes

""Palps is brilliant genius in this... his isolating and sly insinuations to draw a person away from all he thinks he knows and trusts, until he doesn't trust even his own perceptions and emotions, until there's a yawning chasm that Palpatin

 

CHAPTER NINE





?Leia!? Mon smiled broadly, arms out in welcome as Leia rushed from the transport onto the deck of Home-One, the Alliance?s main Mon-Cal cruiser, Lando and Chewie in tow.

?Mon.? She smiled, embracing the older woman genuinely- it had been so long since she had seen her, had felt safe.

Mon Mothma held on to Leia for long seconds, pleased to have her back safely. They?d always been close, practically family, Mon having known Leia since she was a child, knowing her adoptive parents well. They were all the family each had left now.

Mon had already read Leia?s report, written on her week-long journey back to the fleet, and spoken with her several times, when both their ships had happened to be in realspace between jumps at the same time- though she?d chosen not to mention the spy. Some things were best done face to face.

?Lieutenant Grade will see that your friends are settled in quarters?we have something we need to speak about,? she said gravely, leading Leia away.





?Please!? Leia said dryly as she held the clear bag which contained the comlink, disbelieving eyes turning from Mon to Crix Madine, his face hidden in the low light of Home-One?s carefully emptied Communications suite.

?We?re not assigning blame- yet,? Madine said neutrally. He too knew Luke, and was alternatively having real trouble accepting what appeared to be right in front of him, then brief bursts of resentment as facts mounted up, though strangely, being forced to validate it now to a disbelieving Leia was consolidating his own opinion. ?What we do know for certain is that this is the comlink which was sending out coded messages. We can track them specifically to this unit.?

?Everybody sends out unauthorized transmissions,? Leia argued, unconvinced.

?These are encoded,? Mon said softly. ?Once we had the comlink to work with, we traced over forty transmissions on its bandwidth over the last year, all encoded. It?s a standard com, Leia-it shouldn?t even be able to transmit on that kind of compressed frequency.?

?You don?t even know it?s his,? Leia said, unwilling to give in so easily, that little voice whispering at the back of her mind.

?It was in his crate,? Madine said levelly.

?We?re not saying it was his,? Mon cut across him, wishing to give Leia time to come to terms with this. ?We?re just looking for answers.?

?If I were an Imperial agent, I don?t think I?d keep my doctored comlink in my own crate,? Leia said of the large, plasteel chests which every member of Alliance personnel had, each with their name stenciled on the side, always moved from ship to ship as they were reassigned. They held all of that crew member's personal belongings- in Luke?s case pitifully little: his uniforms and fatigues, a few pieces of civilian clothing, a reader and a mass of work-related data chips?and this.

?We?re not blind to that either,? Mon assured gently, quieting Leia?s anger. ?Leia, we knew we had a spy- we knew almost a year ago.?

?Luke has been with us for three, Mon,? Leia interjected.

Madine shook his head. ?We knew we had a spy a year ago- he was probably operating long before we realized.?

?He?? Leia said pointedly. Of everyone here, she had thought Madine would be the least likely to accuse, having himself been an Imperial defector, and therefore being under suspicion when he first arrived. But then, maybe his Imperial history was beginning to show through.

?The last coded transmission from this com went out less than two hours before the Imperial blockade on Hoth,? Madine said gravely. ?The one before that was three weeks previously- when the last of the main units transferred planet-side. The one before that was sent the day that the first advance units arrived there to set up camp- Rogue Group included. We don?t know what they say yet- we can?t crack the code- but I think the dates pretty much say it all.?

?Yes. I don?t doubt that this is the unit that the spy was using to send out information- I just question the ow

 

Palpy has likely figured out their code if Mara hasnt. He has stacked the deck big time against them all.

 

?Fantastic,? he nodded, dryly amused. ?The only thing worse than being bored to tears reading these things has to be watching someone else being bored to tears reading these things. You have my sympathy.?

She glanced up at him without lifting her head, the slightest hint of shared amusement visible in her eyes.

One of my favorite passages in this chapter. Along with:

Looking up from her own reader, Mara arched her eyebrows. ?I guess that depends how good you are with them.?

?I?m terrible with them- can I have a pack now??

You write fantastic banter between them, even when Mara would kill anyone for suggesting she's bantering with the prisoner.

Loved Han & Luke's secret conversation over the sabacc game. And of course, perceptive Han is already noticing subtle changes in Luke.

Nothing is impossible in Palpy's scheme to discredit Luke, is it? He's a master at it.

I noticed you put the hyphen back in Home One. It doesn't have one, really. I looked it up.

Great chapter! I'd better get going on betaing before you catch up with me.

 

?Any chance of some real books??

?Those are real books,? she said evenly, not looking up from her own silver-plated auto-reader.

?I meant books I?d actually want to read,? Luke said, turning back to the bookcase.

?Those are useful books. Relevant.?

? ?The Psychology of Mass Perception??? Luke asked, incredulous. ?Have you read it??

?The Emperor chose them,? Jade countered, ignoring his question. ?When you?ve read them all, I?m instructed to allow you more.?

LOL! What a bore down there in the Imperial Palace, Luke is dying already to get some action, I presume...and he's granted only a once in a week visit by Han...urrgh!

Don't read these books, Lukie! Palpy is trying to manipulate!!!

I'm wondering - if Luke feels that his quarters are closing in on him...what must Han think?






He also worried that maybe the guards thought they were hugging way too much?

I loved the secret scheming between Han and Luke! Very clever! And Mara watching over them with narrowed green eyes! Haha! We'll see who's more clever...



?Want something to take away with you?? Luke asked. ?I can recommend?well, none of those actually. Maybe the fleet command structures one. Might come in useful one day.?

?Thanks,? Han said dryly, shaking his head. ?Knowing who?s tellin? ?em to shoot at me doesn?t really help that much if they're still shooting.?

I love Han's dry sense of humour!




I don't take this spy-theory seriously and Leia shouldn't listen to Mon & Co.!

 

Well, I knew Leia was an extreme girl, but... that's a little too extreme, I surely hope she isn't going to release any incriminating evidence to Mothma...

Great code between Luke and Han by the way, very clever, hopefully they'll remain undiscovered for some time yet, Palpatine is smart, but he's no pilot.