Palpatine
stood at the window of his massive black and red suites. Two red-clad
guards dragged Luke to his side. Luke kicked hard, trying to stab the
two furry monsters who had chains around his neck with his green
crystal horn. His nose was wrapped in a metal muzzle. “No!” Leia
lunged across the huge room, knocking over tables and chairs. “Get
your hands off him!”
The
fish men held her back, yanking her to the ground. “Hello there,
apprentice.” Palpatine smirked. “I see you walked right into my
trap. As did your rebel friends.”
“You
set this up,” she snarled. “The senators, Luke, Han...they were
bait. You sent that vision, the one where I saw Han's mother die. You
knew it would bring me here.”
“Partially,
yes.” He held his own blood red blade over Luke's horn. “My army
downstairs will make short work of them. Those rebels might make do
quite well as one of their number.” Long fingers in chain mail
gloves gripped the obsidian handle, holding it to Luke's horn.
“No!” Leia struggled wildly in Fett's armor-clad arms. “Where's Han? What have you done with him? I can't feel his energy anymore. He isn't dead, but a wall or something solid is blocking it.”
Palpatine
cackled and pointed at a statue made from red crystal on a stone
pedestal in the center of the room. “I think I prefer him this way.
Far less troublesome. Sultan Du Hutt will appreciate such a fine
decoration. Henry can still hear and think, but the crystal impedes
his movements. I'll be sending him along to Tatoonie on the first
available shipping boat tomorrow.”
Chewie
hurried to the statue, whimpering at the foot of the pedestal. He
rubbed against the crystal leg. The big chunk of rock looked exactly
like Han, right down to the scar on the chin and the scruffy hair, as
if a chisel had carved out every minute detail...including the look
of sheer terror on his face.
“And
now, my dear,” Palpatine turned to the the glowing gold and coral
sunset, “witness the end of all magic...and the beginning of my
reign as supreme sorcerer of the entire land.” Leia could only
watch as the crystal blade flashed and sizzled against Luke's horn,
just as the sun aligned with the moon in the rapidly darkening sky.
Luke struggled wildly at first, writhing in Palpatine's arms...but
the moment his horn was gone, he let out a gasping whinny and
collapsed.
“Luke!
No!” Tears flowed unrelentingly down Leia's pale cheeks. “No,
no...he never hurt anyone in his life...”
Even
before he raised the horn to the light, Leia could see the power
coursing through it. It flashed through the older man like a monsoon
in a jungle, gushing through his veins. His cackle filled the halls
and echoed in the chamber. His hair turned darker and darker. His
face lost nearly all of its wrinkles. “Yes...yess...this is it,”
he cackled. “This is mine! Unlimited power! It is mine...owww!”
Chewbacca
did not like people who hurt his master or his master's friends. Not
to mention, the human holding the unicorn's horn was making the most
gods-awful racket he'd ever heard. Wookie wolves had very sensitive
ears. That horn belonged to Luke, not him! He bit as hard as he could
into Palpatine's leg and instantly regretted it, spitting out sweat
and oil. He tasted like a charred lizard.
Leia
snatched the horn as soon as it hit the ground. The sun and moon
continued their relentless rise and fall as she went to her brother's
side. The monsters chased Chewbacca behind her, leading them under
the bed and over tables. Palpatine continued to wail about his
wounded leg.
The
others were just coming in as the light hit Leia. “Come on, Luke.
Stay with me.” She screamed as she held the glowing horn, placing
it back on his head. The light burst around them, a symphony of blue
and gold and green. “Luke!” Her arms went around her brother's
neck. “Please, please be alive!”
The
light of the moon and last of the sun collided, crashing across the
duo in waves. Palpatine screamed, even as Leia held onto Luke for
dear life. Chewbacca grabbed hold of the heavy oak bed with his
teeth, while the remaining monsters were flung into the wall. The
others, who had been coming in just as the light arrived, were nearly
knocked back downstairs.
Her
arms were still around her brother's neck. She couldn't lose him. He
was all she had left now. As she moved her head, she swore she
heard...thumping. A beating in his chest. Slow at first, then more
rapidly as he moved away from her and got to his feet.
“Luke!”
She threw her arms around him. “You're all right!” He nudged her,
holding out her sword in his teeth. “Thank you.” With that, she
turned to Palpatine, a determined look on her face through the haze
of magic. “No, Palpatine. We are not going to be your apprentices.
You've failed, Chancellor. We're Jedi, like our father and uncle
before us.”
“So
be it, Jedi.” Palpatine held out his sword as one of his men
wrapped silk bed sheets around his bleeding leg. “It'll make it far
easier for me to destroy you.”
They
just managed to duck away from Palpatine's blast as a small green
light bobbed into the room. “Harm those Jedi, you will not.” Yoda
fluttered down, now holding a crystal sword the same shade of emerald
as Luke's. “Waited for this a long time, I have.”
“The
last time I saw you was in the Council's chambers.” Palpatine held
out his sword. “I almost got the best of you then, old one.”
“Almost
is not 'kill,' Sidious.” Yoda leaped over his head with a
surprising nimbleness for an elf his age. “And kill me or them, you
will not.”
Leia
ignored the duo. She ducked around their fencing, hurring over to
Henry with Luke on her heels. Chewie was already there, whining at
the statue's feet. “Oh Han,” she whispered, leaning against him.
“I wish I knew how to get you out of there.” Wedge broke from the
others, putting his arm around Luke's neck and ignoring the zap he
got. Luke nuzzled him. “I know you can hear me. I love you, Han. I
love you with all my heart. I love that you're a scruffy-looking
idiot. Well, most of the time.” Leia climbed up to the pedestal and
stood on her tip-toes. “I love you, no matter what.” Chewbacca
joined her on the pedestal, giving his master a lick on his side.
Her
lips met his rock-solid ones, just as the light of the full moon fell
slowly across the room. As it continued its journey, it hit Luke
first. The pale light swirled around him, transforming him once again
into a young man.
As
her brother was returning to his human form, Leia gave her beloved
rogue prince a passionate kiss, a kiss of true love. The light that
swirled around Luke now flitted to Han, engulfing him. It became so
bright, Leia had to back away from his pedestal. After a few minutes,
the light finally returned to being a simple beam of moon dust...and
Han tumbled to the floor, now flesh and blood once more.
“Han!”
Leia, Luke, and Chewbacca all ran to his side. “Han, thank gods
that worked!” She threw her arms around him, kissing him for all he
was worth. He trembled in her arms, his body weak and covered in
lightning burns. “Han,” she added as she ran her fingers through
his hair, “talk to me. What's going on?” He shook his head and
gently touched his throat.
“He
can't. I made sure of that.” Palpatine held Yoda by his throat, the
tiny green elf twisting and gasping in his long fingers. “I cast a
spell on his throat that removed his ability to speak. He can't make
a sound...and can't give orders. Too bad. Looks like I'm still going
to have to be the king.”
“You...you...”
Leia growled and pulled her sword. “You slimy stuck-up toad!”
Luke and Wedge held up Han as Leia lunged for Palpatine, sword drawn.
“Don't
play games with me, child!” He sent jagged purple lightning over
all four of them, throwing them back into the wall. “Now,” he
shook Yoda like a rag doll, “we'll deal with you.”
“NO!”
Leia rolled into a sitting position first, just in time to see waves
of deep red-purple light sizzle over the small elf. The purple beams
drew a softer green light, yanking it into the chancellor's
chalk-white fingers and heaving chest.
“Leia...”
Yoda gasped as he tried to force Palpatine's hand away. “When gone
am I...last of the Jedi, you and Luke will be. Pass on...what you
have learned...keep...legacy ali...”
Leia
and Luke screamed in horror as Yoda's body dissolved in Palpatine's
fist, his body nothing but green dust fluttering to the floor. “Why
did you do that?” Luke was in tears. “He was just a little elf,
and the wisest creature I ever knew. He didn't hurt you!”
“Oh,
but he did, little one. Many years ago. Him and others like him.”
When he turned to them, the old Chancellor was now a young man of
little more than twenty years. His brown hair was thick and dark, his
build was slight and slender, and every last inch of wrinkle was gone
from his pale face. “The Jedi Knights thought they, and they alone,
should hold the monopoly on magic. They fought with the light side,
only to neglect the dark. But the dark was waiting for it's chance
for revenge.” His blindingly white smile was feral. “Your father
doesn't know how much he helped me before he ran off. By killing off
those children, he killed their legacy and their chance at survival.”
“Father
did that to protect Mother!” Leia's growl almost matched
Chewbacca's. “He thought she was going to die! I won't let you
destroy the only people I have left!”
“That's
not true.” Amilyn and Wedge got on either side of her. “You have
us.”
Wedge
slipped his hand into Luke's. “All of us.”
“This
is sickening.” Palpatine held his hand again, the purple lightning
much stronger. Everyone ducked away as it shot to every corner of the
room. Furniture smashed and smoked; books and weapons were flung
carelessly from shelves. Luke reached his arms out to catch several
volumes as they fell. “Hey!” He shouted at Palpatine as the
lighting writhed around him. “Watch where you aim that! These are
valuable antiques!”
“Right
now, I don't think he really cares.” Wedge frowned as he pushed
Luke behind the remains of the table. “By the way...who are you?
How were you a unicorn?”
“My
name is Luke. I was cursed by Palpatine.” He ducked as one of the
lightning shots went wild. “I'll explain later. It's really a long
story.”
Boba
Fett held his bow and arrow on Han and Leia, forcing them out from
the chamber where Han's mother had died. “This is a bad time for
snogging, kiddies,” he sneered.
Han
glared at him, but Fett only shoved his arrow at his back. “Move,
Solo. My boss wants a word with both of you.”
“We
weren't snogging. We were getting something of Han's.” Leia pushed
past Boba Fett and ducked the lightning, lunging for Palpatine with
her sword. “I won't let you continue this any longer!”
“Nor
will I. This is ridiculous.” Palpatine held up his sword to the
beams of light that now almost dominated the room. “I fight better
in other forms.”
“Better
watch out,” Fett deadpanned as purple light blasted through the
younger man. “Boss gets a little testy when he grows.”
Leia
was ready for the dragon this time. “Oh no, you don't.” She
lunged for the beast with her sword the moment it appeared, stabbing
it in the foot. It roared and reared back, grabbing her and squeezing
her. She screamed...and her screams were matched by Luke's wails of
pure horror.
“I
should eat you right here, girl.” Palpatine had the worst breath
Leia'd ever laid her nostrils on. It smelled like dirty hose smoked
on a wood fire. “I should turn you into a rodent and have you for
supper, just like I did to King Josiah.”
That
got Han's attention. He tried to lunge for Palpatine, his jaw set so
hard, Leia was surprised it didn't dislocate, but Fett grabbed his
arms. “Oh yes, the king was such a tasty morsel! He figured out
years ago that I intended to take over the throne. It was hardly
suited the likes of a mere gypsy thief. He was a lot like you in that
way, Henry. He ordered his most trusted associates to arrest me. I
turned them all into harmless, fluffy mice and myself into a lion and
swallowed the entire lot in one gulp.”
He
leaned over Han, letting the prince see every last tooth in his wide,
wicked smile. “Josiah went first. It was very sporting of him,
really. He was very tasty, though all that muscle on him made him a
bit gristly.”
Chewbacca
didn't care how big this ugly lizard was. He would do anything to
protect his master. He leaped for Palpatine, scratching hard at his
side. The dragon swatted at him long enough to let Leia go. She
dropped to the floor with an unceremonious “thud.”
As
soon as Chewie ducked away from his hand to the safety of a
splintered gold-leaf side table, Han whipped out the mechanical bow
and arrow he'd retrieved from the other room. Before Fett or anyone
else could stop him, he loaded his arrow and let it fly. It soared
straight into Palpatine's right eye, making blue blood gush and
Palpatine roar like an enraged lion.
“Good
idea, Henry!” Amilyn was on Palpatine's other side. She just
managed to miss debris from the ceiling before her eyes slid to the
emerging stars out the remains of the window. A slightly cracked
mirror on the wall reflected the brightly emerging moon. “Perfect!
Commander Antilles, help me please.”
They
managed to heft the heavy piece off the wall, then stumble over to
the window. Amilyn peered out the remains of the window, grabbing a
piece of rock to keep from falling out. “Now, we just have to hold
it at the right angle...” They lifted it together, tilting it just
so. After a few minutes of tilting, the shafts of moonlight fractured
and hit Palpatine's other eye, completely blinding him.
He
was about to reach for Leia again when twenty balls of fluff suddenly
leaped onto him from the ceiling. Wicket jabbed his spear into
Palpatine's leg, making him jump and the whole room shake. Ewoks
grabbed at the spikes on his head, rode his arms like a swing, and
threw rocks and javelins at his side. They snatched his tail, only to
be flung off when he swung them away...but they came back for more,
thinking it was a fun game and wanting another ride.
Leia
would have doubled over laughing if the whole thing wasn't so
serious. “How do you feel about the people now, Palpatine?” She
held out her own sword as Luke drew his. “Wicket,” she called out
to the fluffball by his side, “get your people off the big mean
lizard.” She waved, pointing down. “We're going to get rid of
him. As much as you're enjoying yourselves, he's not a toy.”
“You
little brats!” Palpatine drew to his full height, pushing his head
straight through the roof. Everyone jumped away as wooded boards and
bits of dust and debris clattered to the floor. He swatted Leia into
the heavy walnut bed board as easily as if she were a fly. “Now,
young Skywalkers, you will die.”
“Here's
a juicy one for you, Master!” Boba Fett poked at Han and stepped
aside when he took a swing at him. “I'll tell my boss something
else. He's been a thorn in my side for years.”
Palpatine
was flailing around the room, searching for something, anything to
kill. His claws finally wrapped around Fett, lifting him to his
mouth. “Boss, what are you doing?” Fett wriggled like a fish
caught on a hook. Palpatine opened his mouth filled with sharp teeth
as light flowed from Fett. “Boss, you wouldn't dare!” Ignoring
his protests, the huge lizard dropped Fett into his jaws, chewed him,
and swallowed him, armor and all.
Amilyn
turned pea green while Wedge winced. “That wasn't pleasant. I've
heard dragons will eat anything, I didn't know they'd eat iron
armor.”
“Please,”
Luke begged as the claws flailed for Leia again. “Don't hurt her!”
Luke tugged at his side, letting the dragon sweep him into his
claws.. “I can heal you. You're not this. You're human, like us.”
“Luke,”
Leia hissed, “what are you doing?” Han and Wedge went to her
side, but both of their eyes were on the duo by the remains of the
window.
“I
can heal you, Palpatine.” Luke gave him his calming smile.
Palpatine's fingers were already starting to smoke. “I can make you
better. Your magic needs to be purified.” Luke concentrated,
sending his green light over Palpatine's hands with a gentle smile.
To
Luke's surprise, Palpatine shrieked like a dying banshee. He managed
to drop Luke onto Han before his entire body was engulfed in green
fire. “Thanks, brother.” Leia drew her sword. “I'll finish him
off.” She grabbed Luke's green sword and focused, drawing light
from ever corner of the kingdom before plunging both swords into
Palpatine's belly.
Luke's
eyes widened as an intense blue-green fire consumed Palpatine and
everything around him. “Everyone out!” The floor under them began
to rumble. “This tower is going to blow!”
Han
slung his bow on his back and grabbed Leia's hand. Leia tossed Luke
his sword and slid hers back into her scabbard, stuffing Wicket under
her arm before they dashed out. Luke took Wedge's hand, picking up
another Ewok in the other. Chewbacca nudged three smaller Ewoks on
his back. Amilyn gently pushed the others to the door. She was the
last one out the door and down the stone stairs before the tower
collapsed, flattening a significant portion of the side of the
garden.
“Han!
Luke!” Leia flung her arms around Han and Luke as the Ewoks
chattered around her. “We did it! We're all right!”
Wedge's
wide eyes settled on Luke. “Who are you, and how did you set the
dragon on fire?”
Luke
blushed. “My name is Luke Skywalker. I'm a healer and a mage. I was
trying to heal him. I didn't think the spell would react that way!”
“Pure,
young Skywalker's magic is.” Yoda's familiar light fluttered
in...but this time, Yoda seemed to be merely a ghost, a pale form
Leia could easily see through. “Too pure for Palpatine. His magic
was pure corrupted evil. Evil magic cannot withstand the light, and
the light cannot snuff out pure evil alone.”
“When
I drew magic,” Leia looked at her blue-stained sword, “it
felt...warm. Not like draining. More like a...transfer, from one
living creature to another.”
“Share
the energy, you did.” Yoda nodded. “There is a way to take energy
without causing harm. Jedi did it often. Was how we kept up our
battles without burning ourselves out.”
Han
frowned and tugged at Leia, nodding in Yoda's direction. “Oh, I
forgot. You probably can't see him. Han, this is Yoda. Yoda, this
is...”
“Prince
Henry.” Yoda's bow was more like a bob. “Honor to meet you, it
is. Knew parents well during the Alliance Wars.”
“Stop
confusing him.” Ahsoka met them in the hall, followed by Wedge's
guards, and to Leia's delight, a battered but moving Bail and Breha.
“He's had enough trouble as it is.” She curtsied elegantly. “Your
Majesty, your subjects are waiting in the main courtyard. We
evacuated the castle when we saw the fire out the tower windows.”
Han
opened his mouth to greet her, but nothing emerged by silence. He
stroked his throat. “Damn it!” Leia growled. “Palpatine took
his voice. He can't talk.”
“I
can help with that. I'm the healer.” Luke smiled and rubbed his
hand down Han's throat. A trail of green light followed his fingers
before being absorbed into his friend's adam's apple.
Han
gasped and rubbed his hand over his throat. “Thanks, kid.” He
gave Luke a quick hug. “I owe you one.” He raised his eyebrow.
“But what about the spell on you?”
“Died
when Palpatine did.” Luke grinned at him, but his eyes slid to
Wedge. “I'm now a free man.” Wedge grinned back.
“Come
on, kiddies.” Han put his arms around Luke and Leia. “Let's go
address my subjects.”
Leia
pulled away. “What makes you think your subjects are going to just
suddenly accept you as their king?”
“She's
right.” Bail exchanged looks with Breha. “He'll need help running
the kingdom. Someone with brains, strength, and compassion. Someone
who knows how to put up with him.”
The
female knight rolled her eyes. “And who would this paragon be?”
Han
took her hand as they stepped out into the courtyard. “I'll tell
you when we're outside.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Leia
had never seen such a crowd. Everyone in town was in the courtyard!
Torches flickered like stars in the indigo night. The moon showed
over the great masses, revealing Hera and Kanan at their cart, with
Sabine and Ezra holding hands by the remains of the taffy-pulling
stand. Jyn, Cassian, and their group were freeing people in tattered
counselor's finery from the chains of Palpatine's army.
“Masters!”
Cyril and Artello hurried up to them. “I'm so glad to see you fully
functional again!” Artello's gave a high squeak on his flute.
“Artello also expresses his delight at seeing you. After the tower
came down, we thought you'd all been killed!” Artello rolled his
eyes and squeaked his flute again. “You thought they'd be fine!
Artello, no one could have survived how the tower came down! There's
stone masons who are still sifting through the rubble.”
“Everyone
is here, Your Highness. Jyn and Cass and I rounded up as many
townspeople as we could. All the senators and missing people are now
human and accounted for.” Lando explained, then kissed Amilyn's
hand before turning to Han. “Hey, buddy. Glad to see you're all
right.”
“I'm
glad, too.” He grinned and held up a fist. “Before I address my
people, there's something we need to settle.”
Lando
didn't have the time to duck before Han slammed him square in the
chin. The former baron landed in the near-by berry pie stand with a
crash! “Buddy,” he groaned, wiping off his sleeves, “this is a
new uniform! I just had the cape washed last week!”
“Don't
turn me over to bounty hunters at the first opportunity, then.” Han
held out his hand. “Friends, buddy?”
Lando
let him help him to his feet. “Yeah, friends.”
Ahsoka
chuckled. “I think they're ready for you, Your Majesty.”
“Thanks,
Tails.” Han took Leia and Luke's hands and turned to address the
audience. “My people,” he began, “yes, I am Prince Henry of
Naboo. Yes, I was every inch the scoundrel and wastrel people called
me. I wasn't killed on the road. I was kidnapped and attacked by
Chancellor Palpatine, the same man who raised your taxes, jailed many
people merely for having magic, and bred fear and corruption in this
land.” His voice became steely. “The same man who made who
murdered King Josiah and Queen Jania and used their council for his
monster army.”
He
closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing as voices
flew around like wildfire. “I thought I wasn't worthy of being
king, that I couldn't handle ruling. I thought I wanted my freedom.”
His eyes met Leia's. “What I needed was people to rule with me. I
needed a new start. Naboo does, too.”
He
squeezed Luke and Leia's shoulders. “This is Lady Leia and Lord
Luke Skywalker, the son and daughter of Sir Anakin and Lady Padme
Skywalker, the greatest Force Knight and Councilwoman this kingdom
ever had. They have proved to be loyal and just friends, to Naboo, to
it's people, and to me.”
Han
blushed, trying to figure out how to get the next words out, but
Chewie gave him a nudge. “Uh, Leia, look, I want you to be my
queen.” He rubbed his scruffy head and looked down at his toes like
an embarrassed school boy. “I saw what you did for me back there.
You're just...you're amazing. What I'm trying to say is, I love you.”
Leia
just put her fingers on his lips. “I know.” The hills rocked with
the sounds of the entire kingdom cheering at the most passionate kiss
seen at Solo Castle in years.
King
Han and Queen Leia became two of the most beloved monarchs in the
history of Naboo. Leia became known as “The Warrior Queen” for
her ability to lead her troops into battle and always come out the
best of it. Jyn and Cassian remained lovers; their Rogue One Squad
was known for taking only the toughest military intelligence
assignments. Kanan and Hera remained at the castle as the royal
family's personal blacksmith and one of the most beloved army
carriage drivers, continuing to raise their three children. Bail and
Breha took Cyril back to Alderaan, where they rebuilt Alderaan Manor.
Bail and Mon Mothma were now the head Chancellors – Bail of
education and culture, Mon Mothma of defense.
Luke
was now technically a prince, but he rejected his title in favor of
starting a new Force Mage training school on the island of Atch-To,
just forty miles west of Naboo. Wedge became his lover and bodyguard;
his friends remained at Solo Castle as the bodyguards to the Royal
Family. He offered a position to Ahsoka, but she declined, claiming
she was happier in her cottage in the mountains. Yoda, and even
Obi-Wan and Anakin, popped up to help occasionally.
No
one knew what became of crafty Lando Calarissian. Last anyone in
Naboo had heard, he was gambling for control of a string of taverns
and theaters in the city of Cantino Bight. It was also rumored that,
despite his reputation, he was courting the Princess Amilyn...and she
wasn't turning him away.
Queen
Leia and King Han enjoyed many years of prosperity in Naboo before
bearing a little son they named Benjamin, declaring him sovereign
prince and the heir to the throne. There were others who watched the
boy, dark men who hoped he would be the one to return the dark side
to the throne...but that, friends, is another story for another time.
For now, let us leave things here, in happily ever after...for no
matter what the future brings, they are, after all, happy now.
The
End
