Prologue

Alternation

 

        The universe is a vast place.

        Time, even more so.

        And within the World Between Worlds, Time is boundless, endless, filled with infinite possibilities in an infinite amount of universes.

        Such as a universe where invaders from the outside ravaged the galaxy never before seen, or in another where everyone is made out of a kind of plastic.... Or others where events transpired in ways none one could've seen coming, such as the heroes failing in their task or dying.

        This is one such universe, where one inaction begins a ripple effect that puts the timeline on a course nobody could've predicted.

        And it all began at the end of a battle; a battle that would begin the flow of destiny. 

        Yavin.

 

 

        Frustration.

        Anger.

        These are just a few of the feelings that were coursing through the mind of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, as his Tie Advanced spun through the depths of space. He had the pilot right in his crosshairs but then... a last minute save by a old hunk of junk freighter saved the pilot and caused Vader's wingman to panic and clip his fighter, putting him in this situation. 

        By the time he was able to steady his ship, it was too late: the Empire's new superweapon, the Death Star- the product of over 20 years of construction, labor, and credits, was gone in the blink of an eye. All that work and effort to prevent its destruction, wasted, and the devastation of both Jedha and Scarif and the destruction of Alderaan, pointless. Once the Galaxy learns of this, it will be utter bedlam; in his calculating mind, he could see it: the Galaxy rising up against the Empire with the knowledge that as powerful as they are, the Imperial war machine is not invincible.... today proved that.

        As the Dark Lord gripped his controls to move the ship, he sensed something... something foreign yet familiar... very familiar. In the distance, he saw ships passing by the gas giant of Yavin: Two X-Wings, a single Y-Wing, and the freighter... the same YT-1300 they had captured aboard the Death Star just a few days ago.  

        The Millennium Falcon, he believed the reports called it.

        Logically, he should've left- he was all alone out here with no reinforcements and no survivors of the Death Star to back him up. But rage has a habit of overpowering logic.

        At the very least, he could deny the Rebels their heroes. 

        The engines of the Tie screeched to life as it blazed towards the gas giant, the surviving Rebels unaware of the encroaching danger. Within seconds, the fighter had the Falcon in its crosshairs. The Sith hovered his thumbs over the trigger and--

        Suddenly, the Tie suddenly stopped, lurching the Dark Lord forward into the console, smashing his life-support system against the control stick. The power was on, but the ship was not working. In seconds, he realized what it was: he was caught in a tractor beam. Peering out, he saw he had been caught in the beam of a Nebulon-B. Several, in fact. More Rebel ships soon came out of Hyperspace, with many locking tractor beams on his craft.

        The holographic display on the dash came to life as a Mon Calamari appeared upon it. "This is Admiral Ackbar of the Rebel Alliance. You are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender. Know that if you try to massacre the crews of our ship, it has been programed to self destruct; as powerful as you are, even you cannot survive an exploding capital ship in the middle of space, Lord Vader, nor can you take on thousands of us. Your only option is to surrender."

        Anger filled Vader but logic prevailed this time: the Mon Calamari was right- he cannot take on an entire Rebel fleet all by himself, nor can he survive the vacuum of space if he should somehow survive his threat... and with his life support damaged, there is not much he can do; his signature brute force won't work in this situation... but there is one thing he could do: he could learn. While he'll most likely be in a prison cell during his stay, he can still listen. He can overhear gossipy Rebels talking amidst the halls- he could hear their plans and then eventually escape and relay this to his master, which won't be for long since the Empire will likely be furious for the superweapons destruction and will be coming for revenge. All he has to do is be patient.

        And so, Darth Vader surrendered with the hidden objective to learn what he can before reuniting with the Imperial force that will inevitably launch an attack on the moon.

2: Chapter 1: Prisoner of War

Chapter 1

Prisoner of War



       For what should be an time of celebration was instead an time of anticipation, anxiety, and potential dread. The tension in the air at Yavin Base was palpable; it was so thick, you could cut it with a lightsaber and still find resistance, for coming down from space was a U-Wing carrying the most dangerous prisoner the Rebels had ever captured. Virtually everyone on site was armed, ready to blast the prisoner the millisecond he did something wrong.

       As the U-Wing landed at the far end of the pad, every guard, pilot, and even those in the technical and leadership positions, aimed every blaster rifle, cannon, grenade, and turbolaser at the ship. The crew onboard the ship knew that if the prisoner stepped out of line, they would die with him just from being close to all the explosions and were prepared for such an event.

       With a hiss the door opened, and in the center stood Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, now a prisoner of war. Due to his damaged life support system, there was little he could do: there were too many present for even him to challenge... but therein lies the Rebels first big mistake: having all hands on deck here for him means he can memorize and remember their faces, meaning that any spy work involving these particular Rebels present would be for naught. And this is on top of having the leadership present; likely not all of them since the Death Star likely made many flee for their lives, but enough to possibly put a dent in their operations.

       Without a word, he stepped out of the transport and onto Yavin proper. With all weapons trained on him, he slowly walked down the path made by the Rebel scum. Under his helmet, his eyes looked around as he took stock of their inventory. They had more fighters then what were present at the battle above, leading him to believe they didn't have enough pilots to use their entire stock of fightercraft; he did notice they had A-Wings on the ground, making him wonder why they didn't use them in the battle- they would've been effective against the Ties.

       Off in the distance, that's where he saw it, the YT-1300 that saved the X-Wing and led to this: The Millennium Falcon. He saw people beside it with the princess among- likely the crew of the ship that saved her just days ago- a scoundrel and his Wookie companion. Hard to believe that hunk of junk was responsible for all of this, but the Force works in mysterious ways. He recognized one of them, a boy with dirty blonde hair in a Rebel flight suit. His mind pictured him in a white outfit and he remembered: 

        This boy was the one who yelled out in shock and fear when he killed Obi-Wan Kenobi; he only got a brief glimpse of him before the boy shot the door controls, but he recognized him. 

       At the end of the path were four people Vader recognized: Mon Mothma and Jan Dodanna- two former high ranking senators in the Senate, or what was the Senate, and a pregnant green Twi'lek he recognized from Lothal many years ago; he never figured out what her name was, not that it mattered at the time, but he recalled that former Governor Pryce referred to her as Hera Syndulla. The last he recognized from the Clone Wars: Rahm Kota, a Jedi that never used Clones in his army, instead relying on his own homegrown militia.... how every lucky of him.

       He came to a halt when he stood in front of them. He stood tall to try and be imposing, but after the major loss the Empire experienced just a couple hours ago, nobody was scared. At least the three of them weren't. One of his guards approached and handed Kota the dark lord's Lightsaber.

       "Lord Vader." Hera spoke. "It's been a long while since Lothal. You hurt us then, but that didn't stop us. Instead, it made us stronger."

       "You've caused a lot of trouble for the Rebellion." Mon Mothma spoke. "And took many, many, many countless lives in the many crimes against sentients you have committed."

        Rahm spoke up to say, "You will be put on trial for crimes against the Republic and the Galaxy, and then executed publicly for the Galaxy to see, to show them that your Emperor is not invincible and to give the suppressed and enslaved hope."

        "A lofty plan..." Vader finally spoke. "... but that fails to include the inevitable Imperial attack. The Death Star may be gone, but we know where you live, and it won't be long until they come for you with enough firepower to raze this forest to ash."

        "By the time they get here, we'll already be gone." Dodanna spoke. He stepped aside and ordered the guards, "Put him in a private corner and keep a close eye on him... there's no telling what this machine of a man will do if given the chance." With a nod, the guards gestured Vader forward and he followed. As a precaution, Kota ignited his green saber and followed, to make sure he didn't try anything funny.

        The ignition of the blade drew the attention of the boy, who watched as the armored hulk in black was escorted into the main Yavin temple base. A feeling of anger rose up in him as he closed his hands into fists.



        True to Vader's warning, early warning posts from neighboring star systems have reported that the Imperial fleet was in movement, with at least a dozen Star Destroyers and 2 dozen Arquitenss, Gozanti's, Quasar's, and Raiders from Celanon, Toprawa, Serenno, and Raydonia gathering at Junction, the closest system to Yavin on the galactic map. There was only one reason so many Destroyers were gathering in one spot:

        Retaliation.

        The Rebels have days, or merely hours, before the Empire comes knocking on their doorstep once again. While the flames of war had been ignited by the destruction of the superstation, the Rebels were in no way prepared to fight such a large fleet; they barely won the last fight, and it was thanks to a lucky one-in-a-million shot they won. 

        The ground crews were already on the move, working tirelessly to pack up everything and get out of dodge, but there was a lot of equipment spread out over a large swath of land, some in such remote places' ships cannot land. They were pressed for time, but the terrain wasn't helping.

        From behind the forcefield of his own cozy little "cell" deep within the temple, Vader watched from his seat- a mere stool- as the Rebels were scrambling to detach the consoles and terminals from the power couplings and move them out. He will give the Rebels this: they are nothing if not quick. 

        His observation of the madness was interrupted when the boy came out from behind the corner with angry intent. "When they said we had a prisoner..." He said barely containing it. "...I didn't expect it to be you."

        "Nor did I expect the hero of the day to be so young." Vader said. "And filled with such anger. If you were anyone else, I wouldn't bother to hazard a guess, but you... I recognize you from the station, for those brief seconds when the door closed after you shot the lock. You yelled out when I slayed Obi-Wan."

        "Of course, I yelled out- why wouldn't I? You killed someone I cared about. It may've only been a couple days, but he was my master... and yours too. He told me you were once his apprentice, until you betrayed him and killed his other."

        Kenobi? Another apprentice? Absurd. Either his master fed this boy lies, or there is something else at play here. But one thing that did catch his ears was that Kenobi only had the boy as his student for a couple days, meaning this pup barely, if any, has any training. "He sought to train you as a Jedi at so high an age? How very bold of him- his last apprentice was half as old as you when he took him on. It would seem that he had a habit of taking on students far past the appropriate hour."

        "It doesn't matter now, does it?"

        "I suppose it doesn't." The two stared each other down before Vader asked, "As he is slain, I am curious: where was the old man hiding?"

        "Tatooine." Of course... out of the cruel irony of the universe, of course it had to be the planet of Vader's birth, one filled with bad memories... good choice: he vowed never to set foot again on that sand pit again. "He had a small hut outside Mos Eisley." The boy saw that Vader had closed his hands into fists out of anger. "That angers you?"

        "Considerably. Tatooine was where I was born and a place I vowed never to return to. A dark and dirty trick he pulled." 

        "Funny... I didn't know Tatooine produced such evil lords of darkness." The boy smirked. Vader kept his anger down- he could strangle the boy here and now with the Force... but something about him felt familiar somehow. "I mean, I'll admit, the planet is a boring old dustball with barely anything to do, but it was still my home. Least it was until your goons killed my aunt and uncle and destroyed my homestead; I will never forgive the Empire for that."

        Vader remained silent and let the boy rant on, looking and searching for any kind of probe or weakpoint he can use to exploit this and potentially turn towards the Dark Side... if Obi-Wan thought it wise enough to raise this boy to be a Jedi, then so will he. But some things weren't adding up: why did his former master choose the former home of his fallen apprentice as his hideaway? And why wait until now to start the boys training? Something wasn't adding up.

        "I wouldn't bother talking to him." Hera said as she walked up from behind with her arms crossed in front of her. "He's as cold and ruthless as they come. He hunted us specifically during the founding days of the Rebellion proper... killed a good friend of ours."

        "Sounds like a lot has happened before I joined." The boy commented.

        "That you did..." She sighed as she rubbed the top of her full-term belly. "We haven't been formally introduced, have we? My name is Hera Syndulla: liberator of Lothal. leader of Phoenix Squadron, and General in the Alliance to Restore the Republic." She offered her hand.

        "Those are lofty titles." and the boy took it in kind. "Hopefully destroying the Death Star and leading to the capture of Vader will be mine."

        Hera chuckled. "Titles aren't everything, mr, un... I never got your name during the briefing- you joined and were off so fast."

        "The name is Luke. Luke Skywalker."

        Underneath the visor and the dark armor, Vader's eyes went wide, feeling shocked for the first time in nearly 20 years... What did the boy say his name was? He slowly moved his head to look at the boy. "Well then, Mr. Skywalker, let's hope you can bring that station-destroying luck to our cause." With a nod from them both, she walked away: she needed to get her ship airborne yesterday.

        As Luke got ready to leave, Vader rose from his seat. "Boy." He stopped and looked back to the black-armored warrior. "What did you say your name was?"

        "Luke Skywalker."

        It was starting to click in his mind, why Kenobi chose Tatooine. And did the boy say Mos Eisley before? "And where are you from?"

        that's an odd question to ask; surely the murderer would remember the names of his victims. "I was raised by my Uncle Owen and my Aunt Beru. Why?"

        So much confusion swirled in the dark lord's mind right now. "... Curiosity." Was all he could say.

        Before Luke could ask why, "Luke!" He heard one of his companions yelled from outside. "Can you give me a hand with this?!" Luke's vision lingered on Vader for a bit, before he ran off to help his companion. 

        Along with his thoughts, Vader rushed through them to try and make sense of everything: there were no other Skywalkers on Tatooine during his childhood- it was only him and his mother Shmi; there's technically Owen, but he was only related by marital ties and kept the name Lars, so that would only mean that... that he didn't... that he didn't kill Padme on Mustafar all those years ago.

        The only logical course of events he could think of was that after their battle, Kenobi rescued Padme and took her to safety somewhere, where she would ultimately die giving birth, with Kenobi taking the infant to his closest living relatives: his uncle and Anakin's brother-in-law Owen on Tatooine, a planet Vader swore to never return to. Which means that Luke is his... is his son.

        But... but Palpatine told Vader that his rage, he killed Padme on Mustafar, meaning that.... that he knew. He knew Padme was still alive during the entire operation; he knew that she gave birth... he knew everything.

        ... he stole everything.

        Palpatine lied.

        Turning his back to the forcefield, Vader used his anger to destroy the lights above him, casting him in darkness. ".................. he..... lied!" With a burst from the Force, everything within his 'cell' went flying everywhere, with the stool hitting the forcefield and shocking his guards, making them jump in their skin.




        Outside, at separate locations of the base, both Luke and Leia felt a chill. Normally, anyone would chalk it up to a windy day, but there's no wind right now; the only strong puffs of air are coming from the exhaust of the various craft launching into space, but they aren't anywhere near any spaceships. Plus, this chill.... it felt like it was in their very souls.

        "What was that?" They both whispered in unison, unaware that the other said it.

        


        "Hey. Kid." Luke heard Han said. "Mind helping me out with this?" The smuggler asked, holding a crate in his hands and with many more beside him and his copilot Chewbacca.

        "Un. Yeah." Luke ran over to help him load the crates. At first, he thought it was more reward money, but when he peered inside, he saw, "Grenades?" He pulled one out. "Why are you loading grenades?" He peeked into another box. "And blasters?"

        "I was hired by a captain to transport these to a Rebel Cell operating near Fostar Haven; seems a Imp officer defected protecting Alderaanian refugees and the ground forces need these weapons to keep the refugees safe."

        "Fostar Haven- how far is that?"

        "Pretty far." Han closed the crates back up. "You may not see me after this, kid." He grunted as he picked up the blaster box and began loading it onto the cargo lift.

        Luke followed with the grenade box and saw that Han's reward was still there up in the hold. He did get his prize, so why did he come back? "Han, why did you come back to save us? You had your money; you could've left and not looked back."

        Putting his crate down and leaning forward on it, Han lingered on his response. "... It didn't sit right with me. You were all about to risk your lives against that planet killer while I just wanted to pay off my debts. There was also this lingering feeling in the back of my neck, like maybe the old man rubbed off on me in some way." After everything Obi-Wan said to him on the flight to Alderaan, Luke can only guess which saying he felt convinced Han to come back. "Plus, the big lug here likes you guys." Chewie let out a comical roar that sounded like he was being sarcastic in his response. "You did too say it."

        It felt nice to know that Han wasn't only about the money; somewhere inside, he had a heart and a conscience. Honestly, he felt like the smuggler put up with him because he had no choice: he was trapped on that station just as much as they were. "Well, good to know it's not only money that motivates you." Luke commented. With a smirk, Han continued loading on crates as Luke and Chewie helped. 

        As Luke continued helping load crates onto the loading ramp, he slowed as thoughts came into his mind: memories of Obi-Wan Kenobi... a man almost everyone believed to be a crazy old hermit but was in truth a Jedi Master in hiding to keep an eye on Luke as his father was not a spice freighter but a Jedi himself... which got him thinking: was Kenobi going to train him the entire time? Was it always his destiny to become a Jedi? He kept the lightsaber of his father, which was hanging off of Luke's belt, and his hut back on Tatooine looked far bigger then it appeared... what if Obi-Wan planned to train him but events and people, like Uncle Owen, prevented that?

        "Hey. Luke." Han snapped his fingers, breaking the former farmer out of his trance. "You in there?"

        "Un, yeah, sorry." He started to move his crate but stopped again, feeling a pull, a pull to return home. "I'm sorry, Han, but there's something i have to take care of." He pushed the crate away and started back towards the main temple base.

        "Where are you going?" The smuggler asked, confused as to why his bud was leaving.

        "I'm going home; there's some things I need to take care of."




        From down upon the surface of the planet Junction, the local populace looked up towards the sky, wondering and worried about why so many Imperial ships had gathered in orbit above them. None of them had seen a fleet of this scale before. Among the myriad of crowds were Rebel operatives- outwardly, they lived as locals: merchants, bankers, actors, what have you. They knew this fleet wasn't for them, but as payback for the victory the Rebels had just attained. 

        The population breathed a sigh of relief when they watched the fleet jump into Hyperspace; they were safe from whatever this buildup is for. For the operatives, however, they knew it was happening.

        One of the operatives slid away from the crowd and returned to his apartment. Hidden behind a secret compartment in the closet was a transmitter hooked up the local signal tower. With a flick of the switch, the machine built into the wall came to life. "Rebel Command, Rebel Command, this is J1. The Fleet is on the move; I say again, the Imperial Fleet is on the move and they are 30 strong- they are heading your way."





        Back on Yavin IV

    
        Strolling out of the main temple with speed in her steps, Hera slapped her hands together to get the ground crews working overtime. "Alright, let's pick up the pace people! We just got word; the Imps are on their way! Whatever you can't carry: blast it, burn it, or bury it!" Her faithful droid Chopper rolled up to her. "Chop, go find Zeb and warm up the Ghost; we need to get as much personnel and supplies onboard as we can carry." 

        "Bwom bo ba ba..." With an annoyed yet hurried set of beeps and chirps, Chopper rolled away.

        He almost ran into R2-D2, who was following behind Luke as he hurriedly walked along the pavement towards his assigned X-Wing, with C-3PO not far behind them both. Hera saw the young lad walk by her with swift determination, which had her curious.

        As Luke started to climb into his X-Wing and R2 used his jets to fly up into his socket, 3PO asked, "Master Luke, where are you going?"

        "Back to Tatooine." Luke grunted as he climbed into the cockpit. "I'm going back to Obi-Wans hut; there may be some things hidden away that I may need if I want to become a Jedi."

        "Interesting timing, all things considered." Hera commented as she walked up alongside the protocol droid. "The Empire's fleet just jumped and they will be here soon."

        "Oh my, now that is a worry." 3PO worried. "They'll be coming for you, Master Luke, as you were the one who destroyed their battle station."

        It soon dawned on Hera that... the Empire likely did not know that this farmboy from a dustball in the middle of nowhere was the one that fired the killing shot; the only one that does... is locked up in the temple, meaning that, "Yeah... he is... but the Empire doesn't know that. Any broadcasts of the battle would've been at a range, and they would've cut them when the station went boom, meaning nobody knows that it was Luke here that did it. Him leaving for his little side mission isn't suicidal: it's smart as they will be hunting for the pilot, but he won't be here; the only Imp who knows, we have locked away."

        "Lucky me." The young lad said back as he started flipping the switches and pressing the buttons to turn his fighter craft on. "And I know nobody here will rat me out unless they're spies."

        "OH, an excellent observation, Master Luke." 3PO said. "With your anonymity still intact, the Empire will not be hunting for you on Tatooine, or any other planet. Not unless one of the Rebels here is pressured to under penalty of death or are spies, as you suggested."

        "Which hopefully won't happen if we leave here soon enough." Hera said. Before she left, she pulled out a comm unit from her pockets. "Here." She offered it to Luke and he took it. "Nearby Tatooine is my home planet of Ryloth; there is a Rebel Cell led by my father operating out of there. They will help you find us. The answer to their challenge is Kalikori."

        With a nod, he placed the comm link inside one of his flight suits pockets. "Thanks, General Syndulla. And I will return." She nodded back to him and left with the protocol droid not far behind her.

        With the engines ignited, the X-Wing slowly lifted off from the ground, and with a powerful thrust, took off towards the sky. Be it for pastime or combat, the speed of this ship was unperilled but any other ship in the Rebel fleet, except for the A-Wing. 

        Reaching the dark cold blackness of space, the X-Wing maneuvered past several Rebel Ships: transports, frigates, cruisers, even huge capital ships- he even saw a Mon Cala ship. All taking on cargo and personnel evacuating from the moon below. It was a chaotic mess, with barely any room to maneuver.

        As he passed by a Nebulon-B, Luke stared out at the ship and wondered if he was making the right call, leaving right now when they'll need all pilots on deck for when the Empire attacks... but becoming a Jedi, it may be the only key they have to ending this- he felt it in his gut. 

        "Am I making the right choice leaving right now, R2? Hell is about to come knocking at their door and I'm leaving for what's likely going to be a pointless venture." The familiar cheeps and beeps came from the droid, with a translation by the ships onboard computer appearing on a viewscreen on the dash; R2 replied asking if he felt like he wasn't worthy of being a Jedi or following Obi-Wans footsteps. "It's not that I don't feel that I am worthy, I just... I just wonder if it was a good idea to leave at this moment; I feel like I'm abandoning everyone to die."

        Leaving the Rebel fleet behind, the X-Wing later passed by the fresh wreckage of the station that was the Death Star; just scattered debris of scaffolding, hull, and whatever else survived, with most of the fragments burning up in the gas giant of Yavin. Hard to believe that only a few hours ago he was fighting for his life to destroy that thing. According to scanners from both the X-Wing and R2, there were escape pods, but barely any: at least 5. Depending on their size, anywhere between 50 to 80 people could've gotten off.... barely a point percent of the population of something that large. And he was the one that snuffed them all out. It's war: people are going to die and they already have with Alderaan... but that doesn't weigh any less on his conscience... not everyone in the Empire is evil; one of his friends joined up and even he planned to... so how many people on that station were there just because it was a job to get money to their families or to pay off debts or because they had no place else to go? Or were willing to defect to the Alliance after Alderaan?

        Were there any innocent people on there?

        R2 beeped again, asking Luke if he felt like going back to the moon. After thinking about it, he decided to not to: the Empire will be looking for the pilot, and while he believes nobody on Yavin would give him up... it doesn't mean they won't unwillingly, especially since they have a Dark Lord as their prisoner. On that note, it's possible none of the other cells heard that he was the one that destroyed the superstation either, so going to Ryloth after Tatooine may be a good idea in the long run, but as for right now.... 

        Using the ships computer, he calculated how long a jump from Junction would be to Yavin; it took them days to reach this place after they fled the Alderaan system... the navicomputer didn't give him much hope: it was at best a days jump from Junction to Yavin. Could they evacuate in time? They have, bare minimum, 18 hours before they get here. They were moving really fast down there to get things squared away and off the moon.

        "No...... they should be gone before the Empire gets here: there's at least an 18 hour jump from Junction to here, so they should all be long gone by the time the first Imp ship arrives." With affirmative beeps from R2, Luke felt assured.

        With the coordinates locked in, the X-Wing jumped into hyperspace.
 

3: Chapter 2: Revenge on Yavin

Chapter 2

 

Revenge on Yavin

 

       With time working against them, the Rebels had no time to waste until the retaliatory Imperial fleet arrives to exact its vengeance for the destruction of the Death Star. In the strict few hours they had until their Empires arrival, many key personnel were transported offworld and many Rebel ships had fled in varying directions, to insure that at least one will make it past whatever blockade awaits at the many other systems surrounding Yavin. Whatever equipment they couldn't take, they sabotaged or destroyed to prevent their use against them, or buried for when a future Rebel cell would return to dig up what they left.

 

        Despite the strict time limit, many were able to get away: Luke for his journey to Tatooine to learn more about Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca to deliver supplies to a Rebel group near Fostar Haven, Hera Syndulla leading her cell towards the nearby world of Lothal to link up with a friend, and Ackbar ordering the gathered ships to random corners of the galaxy to await the call to regroup at one of several key locations while Mon Mothma left on her assigned Nebulon-B to link up with a freelancer.

 

    The only remaining high-ranking personnel and heroes that were left on the surface of Yavin 4 were General Rahm Kota, Jan Dodonna, and Princess Leia Organa... and the war criminal Darth Vader.

 

        They thought they still had time to get the last of what they needed loaded up.

 

        But time had run out.

 

        

        Out at the outskirts of Yavin Prime's orbit, a lone A-Wing waited. This fighter was one of several scattered around the system as advanced scouts, waiting for the arrival of the retalitory fleet.

 

        They didn't have to wait long.

 

        Just as the human pilot was starting to get bored waiting, they emerged: a fleet of at least a dozen Imperial-class Star Destroyers, flanked by multiple escorts of Gozanti's, Raider's, Arquiten's, and a single Interdictor. In a panic, the pilot turned her ship around and sped back towards the moon.

 

        "Come in, Yavin base! Come in, Yavin Base!" The pilot screamed in a panic. 

 

        Down on the ground, the static of her transmission echoed through the already abandoned base. The remaining ground crew stopped what they were doing to look up at the speakers.

 

        "{Come in, Yavin Base! If you can hear me, the Empire has arrived! They brought a lot of heavy hitters! I tried to jump, but my hyperdrive won't activate! They must have a Inter---}" The familiar roar of a Tie engine and its blasters were the last thing to come through before communications with the fighter stopped.

 

        "You heard her, people!" Kota yelled as he marched through. "The Empire is here and it sounds like we're not going anywhere! Any ships that can fight, get them moving. All else start setting up ground defenses- we'll make the Empire pay for every inch!" With gusto, the remaining Rebel personnel moved, armed with the knowledge that if they are going to die, they'll at least make the Empire bleed, as if they weren't bleeding enough with the loss of their planet killer.

 

        "You plan on fighting them?" Leia asked from behind, approaching him along with Dodonna; she had changed her outfit to that of combat armor, in the event the Empire arrived before they could leave. "Are you insane?"

 

        "You heard the transmission, princess; the Empire brought an Interdictor with them and that means we're not leaving. We lost our chance to get out while we had it- all we can do now is put on a defense and make their black eye even worse."

 

        "But most of our heavy equipment is gone." Dodonna argued. "All we have now are just a couple of turbolasers and some cannons, and we barely have enough combat-worthy vessels. We need to try to leave- that Interdictor's range can't be much!"

 

        "You're arguing semantics! They'll chase us down if we try to run away!"

 

        "Excuse me, sir." C-3PO interrupted, turning the already frustrated general's direction towards him. "But the Princess is right. Our defenses are only comprised of a few turbolasers to prevent them from landing right on top of us and at least 70, 75 soldiers, as well as only a few combat fighters and I think only 3 CR90 Corvettes and a single GR75. That will not defend against the incoming attack."

 

        "Then what do you propose then, droid?"

 

        "Well... we do have a bargaining chip." 3PO turned towards the temple.

 

        The two knew who he was referring to and Kota was not happy about it. "No. Absolutely not! That monster is responsible for the destruction of the Jedi Order- MY Order- and killed thousands of people across the galaxy. He will answer for his crimes!"

 

        "He can't answer for them if we aren't alive!" Leia argued. "You are both right- Vader must be punished for what he has done, but at the same time he's the only way we're going to be able to get out of this alive and in one piece. If we negotiate our departure for his return--"

 

        "Never!" Kota shouted. "Not in a million years! Even if I have to die to make it happen, that traitor will answer for what he did. End of discussion!" And he meant it as he marched off in the direction of the forest, fuming at even the idea of giving up their prize.

 

        "That man is going to get us all killed." Dodonna said, which Leia silently agreed with. "While I understand his point of view, we do not have the luxury to come up with any alternate solutions."

 

        "But he is right." Leia said, surprising both her and Dodonna. "That Interdictor will just stop us from jumping, and running till we're out of range won't work either. Either we return Vader for safe passage, or we die." She turned to 3PO, "Can you think of any other way to get through this alive?"

 

        "I'm afraid not, your highness. Our only chance is if one of the cells comes to our aide, but other than Admiral Ackbar's flagship, we don't have any ship capable of standing up to an Imperial Star Destroyer, much less that fleet in orbit."

 

        "Last stand it is then..." She sighed. She pulled out her blaster; she had this gun ever since she learned how to fight, and now it looks like she may die with it. "....If I'm going to die, I'm gonna make the Empire sweat for it."

 

        "We don't have that many troops." Dodonna expressed his thoughts aloud. "We have at bare minimum 70 ground troops... and we have 3 CR90's, which means..." He then looked to Leia and said, "We can pull as much personnel from each corvette as we need, leaving only a skeleton crew to run each ship. That way, we can increase our chances on the ground. During that time, we'll reestablish a galactic uplink and transmit a SOS message to the rest of the Alliance... hopefully someone up there will be able to come to our aide in time... or launch a rescue mission in the event of our capture."

 

        "You really think they'll take us alive?" Leia asked, doubtful that they will take prisoners.

 

        He nodded in his response, "I would, if nothing more than to brag I caught the insurgents that's been giving us grief for a some time. Course..." He looked up, and then did she, up at all the triangles of death up in orbit, "...that all depends on who is leading this retaliation."

 

        Up in orbit, the Imperial Fleet was moving into position, setting up a blockade around the 4th moon of Yavin. They would just blast the base from orbit and call it good, but no: the Emperor demanded that they take the moon to learn about the whereabouts of many Rebels that had already fled into the cosmos by now. They also knew that Vader had been taken captive, thanks to the black box recovered from the A-Wing they destroyed upon their arrival, as well as a contact on the surface- another survivor of the battle who crash-landed on the surface of the moon.

 

        From the side viewport, Shaef Corssin, captain of Vader's personal flagship the Devastator, gazed out at the remnants of the Death Star... he was just aboard the station mere days ago, delivering Lord Vader and Princess Leia to Grand Moff Tarkin... hard to believe the Grand Moff and everyone else he had delivered were dead.

 

        "Captain."  He heard a trooper from his right. He looked and saw one of the onboard Stormtroopers approach him to deliver a report. "Scans of the surface show that there is a small force of Rebels still on the surface, congregating around the largest temple. They show a small contingent of troopers and only three battle-worthy corvettes and about eight fighters, maybe more if the A-Wing from earlier wasn't the only scout."

 

        "We must've arrived just before the rest could evacuate." He took the report from the trooper and looked it over. "What else?"

 

        "Our contact on the ground says that they are setting up defensive positions, and that Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and Generals Jan Dodonna and Rahm Kota are on the surface as well. She also hasn't seen Lord Vader exit the temple since his capture, so she believes he is still somewhere inside."

 

        Well, this could be a lucky day: not only would they be able to take their revenge for the Death Star's destruction, but also capture 3 high ranking members of the Rebel hierarchy and rescue Lord Vader himself. This could net him a promotion for sure. "That rules out orbital bombardment then. Tell Ozzel to begin landing procedures. and order the Frenzy, the Honbell, and the Corvus to follow them down to provide close support- that'll give the corvette's something to shoot at and without a doubt the Rebels will try to shoot the transports out of the sky. And tell our contact to assume sniper positions." The trooper nodded and went off to inform the communications officer their orders. Shaef returned his gaze to the moon below, watching as the Raider and its two Gozanti escorts started to enter the atmosphere, flanked by wings of Ties and landers. "At the very least, we can get something out of this mess of a day."

 

    The roar of engines and the blasts of laser fire came from high above as the fighters they belonged to danced their dizzying waltz. A single CR90 hovered over the main plaza of the base while the other two were deep in the thick of the aerial dogfight to intercept the shuttles, only for the Raider to cause them trouble.

 

    "It begins." Kota said as he looked up at the air battle.

 

    Off in the distance, they could see the shuttles and two Gozanti's making landing approaches. With no time left, the Rebels had to finish whatever they were doing and take defensive positions. Turbolaser fire from the jungle destroyed an approaching Sentinel shuttle, forcing the remaining vessels to turn back around and land further back.

 

    "We've run out of time." Jan said, having dressed himself up in combat fatigues and having grabbed a spare pistol from a soldier. "They'll eventually destroy those Turbolasers, allowing their landing craft to approach unpeated."

 

    "We'll make them work for it." Kota said as he ignited his green saber, walking out into the jungle to join the forward defenses.

 

    Leia, also dressed in combat fatigues, walked up beside Jan as she tightened her shoulder straps. "I'll admit... I feel more nervous now than I did yesterday."

 

    "Agreed." Jan nodded. "At least with the Death Star, our deaths would've been quick. But with the entire Imperial army and navy on our doorstep... I fear the Emperor's wrath more than the planet killer."

 

    Out in the wilderness, the Loader shuttles dropped their pods. Upon impact with the ground, the pods main doors opened and Pod Walkers and AT-PT's came marching out. From the Lambda's and Sentinels came scores of troopers. One of the Gozanti's dropped its payload of 4 AT-ST's, while the other dropped 2 AT-ST's and a single AT-AT; there sight of that monstrosity was enough to send chills.

 

    ".... yeah." Leia responded as she readied one of the E-11 Blasters she, Luke, Han, and Chewie had stolen during their escape from the Death Star. "I see what you mean."

 

    Within the darkness of his 'cell', the Dark Lord seethed, infuriated at the perceived revelation of his life being destroyed by his master. Even the sounds of battle outside did nothing to pull him from his anger. The realization that he had been lied to for nearly 20 years had him seething in deep hatred.

 

    The first chance he could get, he would take his revenge.

 

    "I think he's in this cell." He heard someone outside. That prompted him to gaze over; a Stormtrooper and Scout Trooper were approaching his cell- he just now noticed that the shield had been deactivated, likely from the battle outside. "Lord Vader, apologi--...." The trooper cut himself off when he saw how badly demolished the room was- it looked like a nuclear device went off. "...what happened in here?"

 

    Vader did not respond to that question. Instead, he approached the open door. He kept his anger bottled within, giving the troopers a sense of calmness around him. "Trooper... you arrived sooner than expected..." He looked back to his room and decided to give them an answer, "The battle outside caused some issues with the structural integrity."

 

    The scout trooper originally went to university in a degree in architecture so he knew a thing or two of how buildings worked. This... this was not structural damage from the battle outside. This was internal. But knowing Vader's legendary brutality, he and his comrade stayed silent on it. "Apologies, sir, we would've gotten here sooner if--" Vader then walked past them, heading away from the two of them.

 

    Leaving that cramped cell behind, Vader left the confines of the temple and entered the remains of a warzone: fires raged in the jungles beyond, casting plumes of flame and smoke up into the sky, where he saw an entire fleet waiting in orbit. Jutting from the ground were the remains of many Rebel starships: their fightercraft and CR90's. Bodies of dead Imperials and Rebels lay everywhere, cut down by laserfire, shrapnel from grenades and other explosives, and even some to traps. At the edge of the battlefield, he saw the few remaining prisoners, numbering 12 in total, being rounded up at the base of a Sentinel shuttle, among which were Leia Organa- wearing a different type of outfit suited for forested engagements, a bloodied and bruised Rahm Kota, and Jan Dodonna.

 

    "Ah. Lord Vader." A quick turn showed Commander Ozzel and Shaef approaching the dark lord, with Shaef being the one speaking. "I am pleased to see you are well."

 

    His instincts told him to attack and kill all here, Imperial and Rebel alike... but that would not get him close to the Emperor and his revenge. Instead, he put on a venire of calmness. "You wasted no time getting here." He said calmly.

 

    "I know that with you, it's best to be punctual." Shaef replied, feeling confident in knowing that.

 

    "My lord," Ozzel interrupted, ". we've taken prisoners." He led Vader and the captain to the prisoners; even their leaders looked beaten and bloodied. "This lot surrendered when they saw their last ship go down and last turbolaser destroyed. We have identified these three as high-ranking members of the command staff: Rahm Kota, Jan Dodonna, and--"

 

    "Princess Leia Organa..." Vader interrupted, gazing down at the former Princess of Alderaan. He some weird way, he should be thanking her: it was thanks to her that began the events that led him to encounter his son. "I remember her from our times on the Death Star."

       

        Leia glared up at him with a gaze as sharp as knives- she had a lot of choice words for him, but Kota beat her to the punch. "Go to hell, traitorous monster!" He shouted in his face.

 

        "Sit down!" The Jedi was hit in the gut by the butt of a stormtroopers rifle, sending him to his knees. "I'm sorry for that, Lord Vader. Will you do the honors of their execution yourself?"

 

        His instincts were screaming at him to give in and slaughter everyone. His hand subtly moved to reach for his lightsaber, but he stopped himself in time before it even got close. "... No. We will transport all of them to Coruscant. There, the Emperor will decide their final fates."

 

        Shaef nodded, "Very well sir." The three of them started to walk off elsewhere while the troopers forced the Rebels to their feet. "It'll be some time before we leave- we're salvaging a crashed CR90; we damaged the engines severely enough to crash it into the swamplands. We should be able to pull some vital intel from that."

 

        "Very well..." Vader said distantly, starring out at the burning wrecks out in the jungle.

 

        Stepping back, Ozzel discreetly asked the Devastator's captain, "Is it just me, or does Lord Vader seem... off?"

 

        Shaef slowly turned to look at him, feeling like the ground commander is insulting their leader with that question. "What do you mean off?"

 

        "Just felt like it... it's no secret he has strange sorcerer powers that allow him to bend people and objects to his will, yet he didn't try once to escape."

 

        The troopers who found Vader overheard their commanders talking and the Scout chimed in, "The room we found him in was decimated to hell and back, like it got hit by a powerful earthquake, a high speed hurricane, and the Death Star Superlaser at the same time."

 

        The stormtrooper then added, "I saw him yank down a transport ship and tear it open like it was nothing during his hunt for that Kenobi fella years ago, so I know he has the power to do it, but... why not here?"

 

        Shaef understood their questions and, while he will be reporting them for speaking ill of their superior, he did give them a reply, "He is powerful, yes... but not immortal or infallible. Even he has limits, and it's possible that at the time of his capture, there was simply no way for him to escape, and he knew that our retaliation was soon approaching. Or maybe he let himself get captured so that he may eavesdrop on as many as he could; learn where they all fled to." All possiblity's to take into consideration.

 

        From the jungles came a lone figure: a feminine pilot shouldering a sniper rifle. She gave Vader a look as she passed by, glad to see he was alright. "Ah, and here's the hero of the day now." Ozzel commented.

 

        The pilot lowered her rifle and put it in her other hand, "Sorry I'm late, sir: trekking through the swamp has its issues."

 

        "No need to apologize, Versio." Shaef said. "Your impromptu scouting intel proved to be invaluable. These Rebels may've destroyed our new weapon, but we captured three high-ranking members of their hierarchy, there may be a medal and a promotion in your future." He turned to look back towards the shuttle, watching as the last of the Rebels were being loaded on. "Captured or executed, the Rebels will be in disarray." He snapped his fingers as he remembered, "Speaking of which, were you able to overhear or find out who was the pilot that destroyed the station?"

 

        She shook her head. "No. There was so much noise and movement, I couldn't hear anything."

 

        And that also includes all the miles of muck she had to wade through. Still, there is another they can ask: one who was inside their base. "Did you hear or see who it was, Lord Vader?"

 

        The last to board the shuttle, Leia's eyes went wide when that question was asked. Stopping at the ramp, she looked towards the gathered Imps- towards Vader- worried about Luke's safety: he was in earshot of a lot of people and even talked to Luke himself. The imposing figure turned back to them and took a long time to respond, leaving her more worried. He is going to reveal Luke's identity and where he went; the Rebels will be short their hero and--

 

        "..... no. No, I did not."

 

        ...and that was not the response she expected. Vader should've told them who the pilot was: he fought him, he met him, and he clearly heard people talking, so why is he being silent about it? She barely had time to process this as she was shoved into the shuttle by her guards.

 

        From high above in space, the region that was the Rebel base was alight in the crimson reds and oranges of fire and the black smoke that rose from it. The Empire's many TiE's, Shuttles, Gozanti's, and the Corvus departed from the hellscape, returning to the fleet that were prepared to depart.

 

        The Shuttles carrying Vader, Shaef, and the prisoners all headed for the Devastator, located at the head of the pack when they arrived, now at the rear after they rotated around to depart.

 

        "I shall be in my chambers." Vader said immediately as he departed from the Lambda shuttle and onto the cold reflective steel of the Star Destroyers hanger. "Do not disturb me until we arrive at Coruscant."

 

        "Very well, my lord." Shaef responded. He wasn't going to argue- after all, he was needed on the bridge.

 

        Outside, the rest of the fleet had begun to depart- their work here was done. Stormtroopers saluted the captain as he came aboard. Outside the viewport of his destroyer were the remains of the Death Star, with most of the debris now entering the atmosphere of the gas giant and burning up on reentry. The pieces that do survive will be too deep in the depths to reclaim. The rest will likely remain in orbit, waiting to be picked at by scavengers, scrapers, and opportunists like vultures.

 

        "Send word to Imperial Command." He ordered the comms technician. "We'll need salvage crews out here soon before the vultures start coming to peck at the corpse."

 

        "Yes sir." the crewman saluted.

 

        And with that order given, the last ships of the fleet entered Hyperspace, ready to return home with their captives and summerly execute.

 

    

        Out of the gaseous clouds of Yavin came a GR-75 Transport, having hidden within the clouds of the gas giant since the Empire arrived. With the last of the ships gone, it jumped into Hyperspace in the same direction as the Imperial fleet.

 

        Vader wasted no time in returning to his quarters, which comprised of a single spherical meditation chamber that cracked open like an egg whenever it opened. Once in his room, he sealed the door, and did the same to the chamber when it lowered, sealing him within.

 

        Alone in the isolated realm that was his home on the Star Destroyer, Vader wasted no time in activating the dashboard. He needed to do his research on the information he had learned on the moon's surface. Using both Imperial Databases and the Holonet, his search for answers would begin on the last place he wanted to remember.

        The first target for his search: Anakin's stepbrother Owen Lars.