THE FORCE WITHIN
© November 2017 Written by David Wicker
Please do not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 23 - "Of Shoes And Ships"
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This entry is Rated: EVERYONE
Hey and hello ! Did you have a good Halloween ? Well, it's November now so - time to get back into writing. :)
Luke headed back to the room he was originally assigned. He shuddered and still felt sick from earlier. He tapped a button and a mechanical voice answered.
"Medical Lab. Can I help you ?"
"Can you send by two Stronthium tablets, please ?"
"A moment ..." the mechanical voice replied. There was a flurry of computer gears and papers being shuffled. "This is Luke Skywalker ?" the voice asked.
"Yes." Luke said.
"Confirmed. We will send by a droid with the requested medication. Hope you get to feeling better, sir." With that the voice clicked off.
Luke hurriedly took a shower. By the time he was drying off there was a pleasant chime at the door.
And of all robots he should see it was R2D2 !
Luke smiled. His team did a good job of putting him back together after R2 was fired upon by Tie-Fighters while battling in Death Star's canyon. He tapped the top of the droid fondly. R2 chirped both friendliness and concern.
"Do you have the tablets ?" he asked the ambuquad.
R2D2 opened a panel and a thin metallic arm with two fingers held out the tablets. Luke took them with an ample glass of water. In the silence R2 once again chirped concern.
Luke laughed slightly. He was not witness to the time where robots first became sentient as that was before he was born. So it was always a sticky thing for him in his head to address them - as, well, as if they were human. Somehow he didn't feel that way about C3PO or RD2d2 though and was perfectly comfortable with them.
"I'll be fine. Just a bad - relationship. Bad juju." Luke told the R2 unit.
Luke felt the pills finally hit his bloodstream and felt quite a bit better. R2 ambled forward on two stubby legs, looked up slightly, changed its aqua visor lamp to blue and chirped again in question.
"It's okay, R2. I can do this. We just need to check out a stray magnetic signal. It's probably nothing. Likely a leftover SOS from some alien long passed away - that's usually what these things are."
Luke, full dressed, stopped by a storage area to request a parka and other warm clothes he would need as both him and Han Solo were headed towards the harsh outside cold.
. . .
The scene scrolls away to reveal a Star Destroyer. Aboard of course is Darth Vader. The meeting he called to order finishes up without any more delays and Vader then seeks out Smite.
Smite is found to be taking a leisurely stroll down a shopping mall inside the Star Destroyer. It's rather silly but all the shirts have emblazoned on their front, "Support your Empire."
But Smite is not so much interested in these as he is shoes. He steps in to be helped by someone working there. They take off Smite's shoes to see they are nearly worn through.
The shoe salesman points out many models but no, Smite wants the most expensive pair. The Adamantium.
The salesman protests, "Sir. Those are for display only. The only other person who would wear let alone afford these would be - "
But he is cut off as Darth Vader enters where Smite has sat.
"Milord !" the salesman says, both in answer to Smite's question and a sign of utter respect for the dark Sith. The very person who wears the same shoes.
Vader speaks in deep and sepulchral tones. "If this customer wants these shoes, I suspect you had better give them to him."
The salesman jerks his head down again to show the utmost respect. "Milord, I don't think this custom can ill afford the price let alone the - "
But this time Smite interrupts him with a slight tone of agitation, "I have a little over 2 billion Empire credits if you check my account. Surely some of that would cover the cost ?"
The salesman blanches with wide eyes. Smite looked to him to be no more than a homeless bum let alone a billionaire. "Yes, yessir. We don't normally handle ... But in this case ... Okay. Give me a second ... They are I believe - ah - a little over 3-million Empire credits not counting the tax."
Vader steps forward and it almost appears as if the very area he stands around is a light vacuum and sucks away any degree of friendly illumination from around the store. His shadow billows out larger than normal.
Vader holds out a gloved hand and speaks with echoing authority, "These shoes are free of all costs. Now thank the customer, and go sit in the back of your shop until the day is done."
The salesman face goes perfectly blank and repeats stupidly. "These shoes are free, compliments of the manager. Thank you for your purchase. Have a good day." With that he numbly gets up, walks to the back of the store, and sits in a corner just as Vader directed him to.
Smite laughs slightly watching Vader's incredible use of the Force. "I was going to pay for them." he scoffs.
Vader steps closer and puts a gloved hand on Smite's shoulder. "I would say you have earned your pay for today with our earlier successful skirmishes. New and sturdy shoes are the least of my gratitude. I wonder - if after you have finished here we could sit and talk ?"
Smite nods, "Certainly Lord Vader."
. . .
Back with Rebecca, the El-Aurian, she has sensed something is wrong. She looks all over for Luke and cannot find him. "D****t !" she says to herself. Then storms down the stairs where her brother is grinning from ear to ear. Much like the cat that swallowed the canary, feathers, beak, and all.
"What are you smiling at, idiot !?" she declares angrily.
"You might want to see this." he offers. She approaches and her brother taps a few buttons on a news reader. A thin piece of plastic that displays news articles much like a modern iPad tablet. The front page appears and figuring prominently on it is Luke Skywalker !
She hurriedly reads the words, "Guardian of the galaxy !"
"Wha - What !?" she sputters completely dumbfounded.
Her brother, Darren, grins again, "Apparently your 'playboy' is the key to the Federation's Death Star destruction. I suggest you let him go as he will do the greatest good without you - and you can go and find someone else to play with."
If anything Rebecca is furious at Darren's off-handed and insidious remarks. Luke was much more important to her than a plaything. Wasn't he ? Well !? ... But she finds herself nodding and finally speaking. "Yeah, okay."
Darren nods in approval. "Good. Let's have some breakfast then and check out quadrant Iota 47-9. There were earlier reports of a large space battle there. We may find good clusters of Duranium for salvage."
She was without words but nodded. Luke was gone. And no, she shouldn't go after him. Her brother was right. If Luke was the main figure responsible for the destruction of the Death Star, there was no telling what other good he would do for the galaxy ... that is, without her to slow him down.
. . .
Back with Luke and Han, they were fully outfitted, geared, and ready to enter the very harsh and cold wilderness.
(to be continued)
END OF CHAPTER 23
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