SWTFW 04 - "Palpatine's Orders"

Unlike Jan who had no ability to foresee or recall unseen events, Palpatine questioned Vader. "During the battle, you said, 'the force was strong with this one.' What did you mean by that ?"

PRESS CTRL = (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0 (ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE THIS PAGE VIEWS BEST IN FIREFOX Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE THE FORCE WITHIN © April 2017 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission CHAPTER 4 - "PALPATINE'S ORDERS" [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ] * * * This entry is Rated: EVERYONE As Vader watched, the Emperor's own flagship came in for a landing. After clamps locked the ship into place, the emperor, Palpatine, stepped forward. And to the untrained eye it was not certain whether his figure or his shadow was more corporeal than the other. He walked towards, no, glided up to Governor Tarkin and spoke in a crackly voice, "Tarkin. Good to see you. We are not done with our attack on those persistent rebels. Not in the least. Attend me in discussion." He turned to face Vader. "Vader. Your services will also be needed. Let us convene in the lounge over there." and he held up a withered hand to point in the direction of the closest observation lounge. Palpatine started off towards it and Tarkin and Vader followed after. All of the stormtroopers and solders stood by at brisk and ready attention until the frightening and powerful trio were completely out of range. . . . Back on Yavin, Jan had fired up a hologram generator and was going over the earlier battle. Years ago, Leia was bored anytime something of the rebel's past was being presented. Being a little older and wiser now, she paid apt attention and focused on every word. Jan held a little pointer that interacted directly with the hologram. The view was of the Death Star and the plotted course all of the X-Wing fighters that had intervened and attacked it. "As you know, the plans we retrieved from the R2 unit showed a weakness in the Death Star's design. A small unprotected exhaust port. A direct hit from a torpedo of an X-Wing was indeed enough to create a chain reaction to destroy the Death Star." The hologram zoomed to show a close-up of the canyon and the flying X-Wing fighters. Tie-Fighters swooped in from the sides and picked off the hapless X-Wings. Jan continued, "It is regrettable that with in any war there will always be casualties. During this battle we lost Porkins, Branon, Tiree, Vander, Krail, Naeco, Nett, Dreis, and Darklighter. But they knew the odds when they took it. They fight for our freedom, and their deaths are not and have not been in vain !" Leia's eyes teared up. She knew many of these brave pilots during meetings and parties. She fought back the sorrow. Years ago she had learned to never get close to anyone, especially pilots for the Resistance. For their lifespan was often short and fleeting. It was the way of the war. But would she be this way about Han Solo additionally ? Was she truly in love with him - or was her heart so cold from these battles that she was desperate for any intimacy to warm it ? Leia looked up. Even Jan seemed a little teary-eyed. She had stopped speaking, clearly to give a moment of silence and respect for the lost pilots. Others surrounding the table had already bowed their heads in silent reverence. For without these pilots, everyone on the planet would've been destroyed now. Jan turned to look back at the hologram and continued. "It looked grim. We had already heard that the Death Star was within firing range of our base here in Yavin." "All the other X-Wing fighters at this point had fled, all except one. Luke Skywalker. And even then he was being hunted by 3 Tie-Fighters - as you can see here. Worse for Luke, our radios indicated the center attacker was none other than Darth Vader himself." The hologram showed the three deadly ships, the middle clearly being an imperial Tie-Fighter from the telltale curved wings. Few X-Wing pilots ever survived to live to tell the tale of destroying one of these lethal ships. Jan permitted herself an indulgent smile, "But then, something wonderful happened." The hologram showed a familiar outline intervening from the top of the canyon circling the Death Star. Jan raised her voice and spoke with more courage, "It was Han Solo in his Millennium Falcon. Completely unexpected. Last we heard he was going to pay off Jabba for the price he had on his head." "But no, he diverted his course to join our brave fleet of fighters - and just in time. And he fired off a shot HERE. And by doing so, destroyed Vader's right wingman, as can be seen HERE." She moved her hand back and the scene slowed down to show a critical event taking place. "From HERE, the confusion of the seemingly stray shot by Solo caused Vader's left wingman to careen into Vader's ship, causing him to twirl out of control into open space." She leaned close to the hologram, excited now. "Skywalker was now free of attackers. He had already passed the tower turrets - so it was up to him. And he fired off a torpedo. And what's especially interesting about this is he had earlier already turned off his targeting computer." "Without the targeting computer there was absolutely no way Skywalker could've made that shot. But somehow he did ... A shot one-in-a-million. And then we ordered the remaining fleet to withdraw as we knew the Death Star would soon explode from the chain-reaction that would follow." "And it did !" The hologram showed a magnificent explosion filling the large sphere with bright glowing cinders and fragments." Suddenly everyone stood up from their seats and applauded. Jan looked down and grinned modestly. There were victories in war, but as a boyfriend she had years ago had long taught her, it was not a matter of who was right or wrong in a war, only who was LEFT, to pray in mournful psalm ... Nonetheless she enjoyed the chance at striking out at the very heart of the Empire, and being utterly and wholly successful besides. Everyone had finally sat down to see if Jan had any more to say. And she did. "But we're not done yet. Vader is still out there. Likely he was now intercepted and picked up by one of the Empire's Star Destroyers. While we have won a great victory, despite the tiredness we feel in our bones, we cannot stop now and must press our attack ..." Her voice faded out as the camera receded from the exit door and ultimately found Luke Skywalker, asleep in bed. But his dreams were not pleasant. They were lurid and frightening. An ominous fog surrounded him in his dreams and he heard strange voices that faded in and out: * * * "Let him go. Stay on the leader." "Rebel base, 30 seconds and closing." "The force is strong with this one." "You may fire when ready." "Commence primary ignition." "I have you now !" Suddenly the visage of a bleached-white partially melted face with Vader's mouthpiece appeared to Luke ! He jerked away and shouted in fear. But if he expected someone to console him - or even acknowledge him, it would not happen. Walls of the rooms on Yavin were made of a super-dense alloy that no sound could travel through, not even the door. Luke's eyes teared over thinking once again of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen. It was all so - unnecessary ! There was no reason for the Empire to kill his adoptive parents. There was no reason at all - unless - maybe Obi-Wan lied to him ? A strange and scary voice pervaded Luke's mind. "Ben Kenobi lied to you. That's why they're dead !" Luke shook his head and shouted to clear it of the unwanted message. He really was awake now though and couldn't go back to sleep. He finally got up, splashed a little water on his face, and looked in the closet. Therein was a flight uniform. He bit his lip as if deciding something. Finally he took it down, dressed, left his room, and headed towards the hanger where the X-Wing fighters were being refueled. . . . Back on the Star Destroyer in the conference room, Palpatine was having a light show of his own. An entirely different hologram, but whereas the Resistance was showing a victorious battle, here it was altered to show a great defeat in the Empire. Palpatine's voice crackled. "We know the Resistance knew of the one unprotected exhaust port on the Death Star that caused its demise. We know these plans were given to that droid. We know those plans were given to the droid by Princess Leia. What we DON'T know is where the original information came from !" Palpatine looked back at Tarkin and Vader who seemed nonplussed by the knowledge. "It must've been from WITHIN !" and he stamped a foot on the floor. Despite being made of a super dense alloy it cracked under his awesome dark power causing the room to shake for a moment. Vader and Tarkin were immediately alert. Palpatine turned so they could not see him smile. He enjoyed ruling with fear and would have it no other way. He continued quietly as if nothing happened, "Vader, you said, 'the force is strong with this one.' Can you tell me what you meant by that ?" Vader wracked his brain to come up with an answer. He had learned long ago that those in power in the Empire punished those who gave the wrong answer. Hell, you could even give the right answer, just too slowly and seriously suffer for it. Vader's deep voice spoke, "I felt a presence - one that I had not felt before." "From the pilot of the the last X-Wing in the Death Star's Canyon ?" Vader nodded. Despite Palpatine facing the other way he knew of Vader agreeing. Palpatine stayed quiet a moment longer to let Vader explain more. Vader spoke. "There was something. Something else. The droid ! That pilot had the droid, R2D2. The one earlier with the Death Star's plans !" "What else ?" Palpatine casually asked. He was not so much questioning Vader as testing to see how far his powers in the Dark side of the Force would allow him to see beyond what was seen. "The pilot." Vader reached out with his dark power. "His name was Luke Skywalker !" Palpatine spoke, "That name is familiar. We earlier received a message of reconnaissance that his parents were killed in the line of duty because they refused to divulge the location of the droid in question." "Yes." Vader said. Palpatine turned to look at Vader. His hollow yellow eyes pierced the mask to see a frightened Anakin beyond. "If the force is strong with him. This - could be used to our advantage, my friend." Palpatine reached out a hand into the air and closed his eyes. The very area around his hand grew dark as if he were sucking the very light, the very life, out of the room. While Vader had his own protective gear providing him with artificial air, Tarkin struggled to not cough during this strange moment of being unable to breathe. It passed quickly and the darkness faded. Palpatine opened his eyes and spoke, "This pilot is indeed strong with the force. And he is young, angry, and vengeful. All good characteristics for a student of the Dark Arts." Vader himself even now was a student to Palpatine. A moment of jealousy passed his mind thinking this snip of a boy might supersede even him. Palpatine then faced Tarkin and asked, "How soon can you launch an aerial attack on Yavin ?" Tarkin nodded and spoke coolly, "Very soon. Despite the destruction of the Death Star, many of our tie-fighter ships and pilots were aboard the outlying Star Destroyers. I can have 50 ready for you within the hour." Palpatine nodded, "Make it so." He then whirled to face Vader, rather frightening really, as he appeared so slow and feeble to move quickly like this. "Vader ! I want you there. Destroy everyone on Yavin - everyone except this boy. Luke Skywalker." He held a hand up and shook it slightly, "Perhaps we can turn him to the Dark side of the Force. But if not, he too must be destroyed with the others. Do you understand ? The thin line of surviving Jedi must end !" Vader nodded, "Yes, my master." Palpatine turned to glide to the window. It was an unusual design, more like a metallic interlace of a spider's web in a large ugly octagonal window. He placed his hand on the cold thick glass and rubbed a bony hand down the side. He cackled in evil laughter, "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen it ..." (to be continued) The offer to co-op chapter writing for this story is now over. Thanks to everyone interested who submitted a sample of your writing style. I feel at this time it would be better for me to write out the remaining chapters as they will stay focused and directly on plot throughout. Return back HOME You are Earth Visitor #