A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Return, Part 8

Luke turned himself into the first officer he saw, making sure not to reveal he was part of a group. He refused to answer any questions about how he'd gotten in or where he was from. The officer confiscated his sword and bound his wrists in chains.

Vader was in the entryway, preparing to lead the troops into battle, when the officer arrived with his son. “Here's a Rebel who surrendered to us.” The officer nudged Luke forward. “He denies it, but I believe there may be more of them.” The man handed Vader Luke's sword. “He was armed only with this.”

The hulking man in the black armor took the sword. “Leave us please, Captain Gregory.” He turned to face his son the moment he was alone. The boy's face was impassive, his blue eyes filled with determination. “I knew you'd come to me, son.”

The young knight in the black and gold armor nodded. “I know, Father.”

“So, you've accepted the truth.”

Luke followed him as they made their way down the hall. “I've accepted the truth that you were once Sir Anakin Skywalker, my father.”

Vader pointed the sword at the boy's chin. “That name no longer has any meaning to me. You will never say it again in my presence.”

Those brilliant blue eyes gazed hopefully into his visor. “It's the name of your true self. You've only forgotten.” Luke looked away, out a window to the spring sunshine. “That's why you couldn't turn me before, at the Kingdom of the Clouds. That's why you won't take me to Palapatine now.”

His father gazed down at the green crystal sword in his hand. “I see you've constructed a new weapon.”

Luke did not turn around. “I no longer use yours. I lost it.”

The larger man admired the workmanship, the silver handle and the sparkling rock blade. “The craftsmanship is amazing. Indeed, you are powerful, as our King has foretold.”

His son finally turned back to him. Those blue eyes were so full of hope. Just like his mother's had been, once. “Father, come with me. Come with us. You don't belong here. You're no one's slave.”

Vader let out a growl, bristling so hard, his son stepped back a centimeter. “No one calls me a slave, boy. I am not a slave. I spent the first nine years of my life as a slave. I will never be one again!”

“You see, Father?” Luke found the courage to get as close to his father as he could. “You're still in there, under all that armor. I saw it with Arthur in the Woods. I just saw it now. I can feel the conflict in your heart. Let go of your hate.”

The fire Luke saw in his father's passionate movements was snuffed out just as quickly as it arrived, as if he'd snuffed out a candle. “It's too late for me, son.” He took Luke's arm. “I will take you to the King. He's your master now.”

Luke's stomach tightened. “Then my father is truly dead.”

Vader turned to a group of king's guards nearby, signaling to them. “Take the boy to the dungeons until I'm ready to deal with him.” He was about to follow them towards the back of the complex when he saw another familiar figure, this one in green armor.

“Fett.” He pointed his son's confiscated sword at the huntsman. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't feed you to the nearest sand trap monster. There's been reports that you let Solowolf go, not to mentioned failed to stop the siege of King Jabba's Palace.”

Fett gingerly pushed the sword from his neck. “I can't tell you what your daughter is up to if I'm being digested for a thousand years.”

The sword remained on his chest. “I felt her presence as well. Her magic is equally strong, but she's less foolhardy. She won't be as easy to lure as her soft-hearted brother.”

Fett crossed his arms. “Leave that to me. I'll have her in His Majesty's arms within a half-hour.” There was a smirk in his voice. “For a price.”

“Whatever King Jabba paid you for Solowolf and his horse, double it.”

“Done.” Fett tapped the sword. “You might want to lower this so I can do my work. I can't abduct your daughter with a crystal sword in my chest.”

Vader reluctantly and slowly lowered the weapon. “This is the last time, Fett. If you fail me, you'll suffer a punishment worse than being fed to a monster.”

“As you wish.” The two went off in opposite directions, Vader towards the throne room, Fett towards the drawbridge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leia wished the castle wasn't so damned dark and dreary. She heard it was different, once. Once, it was Nabarrie Castle, filled with light and laughter. Gold had glittered on white stone, and a sparkling fountain flowed merrily in the courtyard. Now, it was a place of darkness. Everything seemed calculated to snuff out the light, from the dry brown grass in the courtyard to black stone walls and gray battlements.

Her head hurt worse than ever. She had to focus hard to keep her mind on what Han was saying. She felt his fingers on her shoulder. “Hey, Your Worship, are you ok? Did you even hear what I said?”

She rubbed her temples. “I'm sorry, Han,” she explained. “It's all the dark Force magic in this castle. It's really getting to me.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “Well, as soon as we get the drawbridge open, we'll get you and Luke away from this. I promise.”

The Ewoks and the human members of their group gathered in a shadowy alcove, just to the right of the drawbridge controls. The entire area was crawling with Imperial troopers, horses, and battle carriages, preparing to fight the Rebel horsemen below. “The main entrance and drawbridge are heavily guarded, a lot more than when General Solowolf and Commander Skywalker rescue me three years ago,” Leia told them. “This is not going to be easy.”

Lakeeta, a little brown and tan female Ewok, tugged at Leia's sleeve. Wicket's missing! He's been missing since we got here!

The princess only groaned. “Wonderful. Han, Wicket's missing.”

That was when they saw the plump brown-furred warrior sneaking over to the battle carriages. He'd been fascinated with the carriage that brought them here and wanted to take a closer peek. The little Ewok managed to climb into a carriage and take a rein that had been left on the driver's seat. Go, horse! He squeaked. I wanna ride!

The horse went, all right. It dashed across the courtyard, Wicket squeaking all the way. Most of the soldiers and another battle carriage followed him. Only three soldiers remained.

Han grinned. “Not bad for a fuzzball. There's only three left.” He gave Leia his laziest smirk. “What were you saying about 'not gonna be easy'?”

She wanted to literally wipe that grin off his face. She settled for pushing past him haughtily. “Let's go, Sheep Herder.”

He was right that taking out the rest of the guards wasn't hard. Han tapped on the first one's shoulder, luring him to the other Rebels. Leia used her power to turn the second one into a butterfly for a few minutes, long enough for him to flutter towards the main castle. The Ewoks swarmed all over the third, knocking him into the brittle grass.

There were two stout chains holding up either side of the drawbridge. Han hacked at the first with a thick ax he'd taken from Jabba's Palace. Four Ewoks helped him with their own small but sharp axes, made for cutting the sturdy, ancient trees of the Kingdom of Endor. Leia helped one of the woodsmen from Sequoya Village cut the other side.

“I've got it!” Han exclaimed in delight as the link gave another inch. “I've just about...”

That was when a white-armored hand yanked him back. The gypsy thief found himself staring at two Imperial lords and a platoon of soldiers that almost filled the entire courtyard.

The nobleman in the courtyard sneered. “You rebel scum.” He shoved his sword at Han's gut.

Han was less concerned with the sword than the noble's words. He gave the man his nastiest glare, his hands on his hips. “Scum?”

The noble snatched Han's ax from his grasp. He did notice that the Ewoks seemed to have made themselves scarce. They'd vanished without a trace. “Cowards,” he grumbled under his breath.

“HAN!” His face turned white as Boba Fett towed Leia from the other drawbridge chain. She was kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs. “Let me go!”

“Leia!” Han started to his betrothed, but five swords and lances blocked his way. He could only watch as Fett hit the young woman on the back of her head with the butt of his knife. She collapsed into his arms. He handed her to one of the guards clad in red armor, who carried her off to the king's chambers. “Damn it, Fett! You aren't an Imperial. You don't care about what they're doing. Why are you helping Vader?”

Fett jabbed Han from behind with his knife. “The Empire pays more.” He nodded at the guardsmen. “Take him and the Rebels to the dungeons.”

Han should have been worried about Lando and Wedge and the Wookie stallions who wouldn't be able to enter the castle and get into the vault. He should have been worried about what Vader and the Imperials were going to do to him and the others. He should have been worried about his own hide.

Instead, his eyes could only follow the guard carrying the unconscious Leia as they moved in the main castle.

~*~*~*~*~*~

King Palapatine was in his chambers when Lord Vader's daughter was brought to him. “Good,” he cackled. “Very good.” He ran his bony fingers across her cheek, smooth and pale as fine porcelain. “So beautiful...so pure. It'll be an honor to corrupt such a maiden.” He looked towards the guard. “Kill Solowolf. At once. I don't want him alive another hour.”

The guards simply nodded and bowed before him, their crimson capes dipping low to the dull obsidian floor beneath them. The first guard left Leia on the enormous bed made of black stone, with gargoyles in the headboards and a mattress stuffed with feather down. He dismissed them with a wave of his hand, his attention entirely on the beauty before him.

“First of all,” he crooned, his fingers tugging at her plain pale blue sleeve, “these simple peasant's clothes aren't worthy of the fairest of them all. I must transform this into a gown fit for the future Queen of the Empire.”

Black light washed over the sleeping princess. When the light vanished, she now wore a fine gown the color of midnight, with spidery black lace trim and tulle, transparent lace sleeves, and an enormous collar of black swan feathers that nearly dwarfed her head. A necklace of onyx and black diamonds glistened on her neck, and a spike-laden silver tiara, with a single black diamond in the center, rested in her short velvet-brown locks. Lucious black lips stood out in relief from her stark-white face.

Palapatine's fingers moved to her temples. “Now, pretty one, how to gain your favor.” He concentrated, allowing the images in the girl's mind to wash over him. What he saw was sickening. “You're in love,” he sneered. “Deeply in love with that gypsy thief...no.” What remained of his eyebrows went up as far as they could go. “With a half-Corellian, half-gypsy nobleman. That fool Jabba tried to hide his true identity, but you two defeated him.” His eyes narrowed. “You vowed to marry him after the invasion of Bast Castle.” The thin lips turned up in a sneer. “No matter. This can be easily worked around.”

The wizened figure turned to the gilt-edged mirror on the other side of the room. It was one of the few artifacts from the original Nabarrie Castle he'd kept. It could turn a magician into anything he chose, along as he could envision it. He'd gotten such strong images from the Princess' mind, he would easily be able to transform himself into her noble thief, at least long enough to convince her to wed him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lando and Wedge were having their own problems. The Imperial battle carriages had attacked almost immediately. The remaining Sith Dragons – not as many as there had been three years, but still at least thirty – swooped in a few minutes later. They burned carriages right and left.

Niem Numb, an excitable carriage driver who sported the droopy jowls and large, expressive dark eyes of the Kingdom of Sullustia, chattered nervously in his native language as he and Lando just barely missed a fire blast from a dragon.

Lando gulped. “That was too close.” Niem tugged at his friend's tan cape. Lando looked over his shoulder...and noticed that the back door to the Falcon, the one that was perpetually coming off its hinges, was gone. “Oh Force,” Lando groaned. “It must have come off during the battle. Han's going to kill me. I promised him I'd take care of this rust bucket!”

Admiral Ackbar's carriage rode alongside the Falcon. “We're going to need to spread out,” Lando insisted. “The dragons catch us more easily when we're together.”

The old squid sounded concerned. “This close to the mountain, we won't last long against those battle carriages.”

“We'll last longer than we will against those dragons,” Lando insisted.

“This is a trap!” The elderly admiral wailed. “If we don't pull out, or at least move out from the mountain now, we'll all be killed.”

“Admiral,” Lando said determinedly, “Han will get the drawbridge down. We've got to give him more time!”