sw-losthope

[sw-losthope]

Bail and Leia’s last conversation — Star Wars #40

[sw-losthope]

Lost Hope

read it on AO3

by sw-losthope

Summary: Failure. The Rebellion is on the brink of collapse after Darth Vader captures Princess Leia and the Death Star’s plans aboard the Tantive IV. The fate of the galaxy, and the balance of the Force are irrevocably changed as the princess of Alderaan learns the true nature of the dark side…

Words: 9480, Chapters: 5/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, M/M, Multi

Characters: Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian, Mara Jade, Chewbacca (Star Wars), Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s)

Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Han Solo, Mara Jade/Leia Organa, Leia Organa/Original Female Character(s), Lando Calrissian/Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Luke Skywalker

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Side!Leia, Canon-Typical Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Minor Character Death

read it on AO3

[sw-losthope]

Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Chapter 5

Hey, thanks for waiting! Here’s the next chapter:

Chapter Five

Luke had heard stories from Biggs and Uncle Owen about the Mos Eisley cantina, but seeing it in person was beyond overwhelming. A band of Biths played a jaunty tune that hardly eased any of the tension the young farm boy felt amidst the seedier patrons of the galaxy. A plethora of alien species dotted every dark corner of the bar, most wearing hoods like Luke to obscure their faces as they discussed business dealings or gossiped about underworld affairs. It was a haven for smugglers, bounty hunters, thieves, and just about any other criminal. Luke felt unnerved knowing he and Ben had garnered the attention of just about everyone there.

“Be careful, Luke,” Ben cautioned, “we’re only looking for a pilot, not trouble.” Luke nodded in understanding, he definitely didn’t want to start anything with anyone here. Taking a seat at the bar counter, the farm boy felt more out of place than ever.

The two sat there for a while. Despite the unsavory looks being thrown by everyone else in the room, the cantina banter seemed to be drawing the attention of the bartender away from the two conspicuous humans. It wasn’t until Obi-Wan set down a respectable stack of credit chips that the eyes of bartender came to the hermit, the rest of him following a second later.

“What can I get ya?” He barked with a raspy tone of impatience. Luke noticed that the man looked markedly worn down, a bit scruffy, fresh cuts on the edges of his wispy beard. He assuredly wasn’t the easiest-to-look-at bartender on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan pushed the stack of chips closer to the man, always keeping his hand on top, “I happen to be looking for transportation off-world, friend.”

The bartender turned his nose up at the words, “I ain’t your friend, and people don’t drink transportation, so I ain’t sellin’ it.”

“Perhaps I could--”

“Perhaps nothin’,” the bartender cut the hermit off with a definite tone of finality.

With a smile, Ben waved his hand in a delicate motion, speaking with a flair of confidence.

“You’d rather take the money and tell me what I want.”

Luke took a worried glance at the old man.

From the farm boy’s perspective, it sounded as if Ben had told the bartender what to do, and if what Luke knew about Mos Eisley types had an ounce of truth to it, then the bartender wouldn’t take too kindly to being bossed around. Skywalker felt himself get on edge and braced for some sort of confrontation when--

“I’d rather take the money and tell you what you want…,” The barkeep repeated. His voice sounded placated, the roughness in his face relaxed and his eyes seemed to slip into some sort of trance. “The only ship headin’ off-world is Solo’s…”

Ben didn’t bother to acknowledge Luke’s open mouthed amazement, “And where can I find this Solo?”

The barkeep seemed to have a moment of clarity as he let out a short snarky laugh before slipping back into the trance.

“Probably dead and in the ground,” The man provided with mild amusement, “Jabba’s men’ll have that Bantha fodder dead for wasting that Rodian in my bar. He’s probably being turned into a scorch-mark as we speak, him and his Wookie pal,” He pointed with his thumb to one of the spots where patrons could sit; only one was empty, and it was the one with what looked like a blood stain on the table… and a small black blaster mark on the wall, “Greedo never had a shot.”

“You will tell me where I can find Solo,” Ben spoke imperatively this time. Luke noticed that the bartender had been slowly getting more agitated; the power the hermit was using must’ve been wearing off.

The bartender’s eyes glazed over again at Obi-Wan’s behest.

“Docking bay… 94.” With that, Ben slid the credits over to the bartender and got up from his stool. The man shook his head as if he had just come down from a bad headache, pocketed the chips, and moved away to take a less-confusing customer’s order.

“Come along, Luke,” Ben said, making his way out of the cantina. Luke let out a sigh of relief, he didn’t like feeling the pressure of so many eyes on him. The sordid crowd made his skin crawl, but Obi-Wan seemed unfazed. Luke hoped that maybe when he was a Jedi, he’d have Ben’s courage.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, but halfway to the docking bay, Luke couldn’t hold his curiosity in any longer.

“What was that power you used?” He beamed, his voice bubbly, “Was that some sort of Jedi magic like back at the burrow?” Luke’s eyes were bright with enthusiasm and Ben couldn’t help but laugh.

“Is it too hard to believe I did it without some sort of magic?” He smiled, “I was known as ‘The Negotiator’ back in my prime!”

The winds picked up and a wave of sand interrupted Luke before he could get a response out. The loose layers Luke wore kept the sand out of his eyes and mouth, but the grains still buffeted his cheeks. Waiting for the winds to die down, they passed through the marketplaces lining Mos Eisley, each one filled with aliens and off-world items. Luke could never afford much more than the food and appliances Uncle Owen would let him buy, so he never gave the market much attention. But after passing through with Ben, everything seemed to have so much more color and detail.

As the wind quieted to nothing more than a soft whistle, Luke finally spoke.

“Yeah, but that thing you did,” he had been replaying the events over and over in his mind as they walked, “you told him what to say and he… did it. He looked as if he were in some… like--like you were messing with his mind.”

Luke pulled his cover tighter over his mouth, he was fumbling with his words, “Can Jedi really get into people’s heads and make them do things they don’t want to? It seems… wrong.”

Ben didn’t look at his apprentice, but Luke could see him thinking through the corners of his eyes. “You’re right. It is wrong to force others to do things they don’t want to. It is a dangerous power and can be abused for evil, but as Jedi we must use it only as a means to avoid conflict. A Jedi does not use the Force for their own benefit, but for the good of all.”

“So…,” Luke pondered the old Jedi’s words, “since he wouldn’t tell you willingly, you made him tell you to avoid violence?”

Ben gave a slight nod, “Correct; getting involved in an altercation there would have been detrimental to our journey. There was also the need to hurry.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Ben’s voice was grim and the old Jedi picked up his pace, “If what our friend back there told us is correct, then we should hope we find this Solo before Jabba does.”

Luke had forgotten the bartender mentioning Solo being in trouble with Jabba. Even on the moisture farm, Luke knew the name and all of its infamy. The Hutt crime lord practically ruled the underworld and called the shots from his palace on Tatooine. If Solo was in trouble with the Hutt, then he made a dangerous mistake coming here.

“Right,” picking up his pace, Luke hurried after the old Jedi. Together, they maneuvered their way through the crowded pale yellow streets of Mos Eisley, holding onto the sliver of hope that Jabba the Hutt hadn’t already turned Solo into a scorch-mark.

“Jabba, Jabba, Jabba,” Han Solo had no idea how he was going to talk himself out of this one, but a charming smile couldn’t have hurt the situation, “you gotta believe me, I wanted to get that shipment to you just as much as you did. You think I like missing deadlines or dumping cargo?” The Hutt didn’t respond, his wrinkled, slime-crusted face more impassive than Solo had ever seen. The slug’s wide, ugly orange eyes tracked the smuggler as he paced back and forth.

“No!” Han put his hands on his chest and gave the most hurt look he could manage, “I’m a businessman at heart, so when those Imperials started boarding me, it was either face a life sentence or--”

“Or lose my money,” The Hutt bellowed. His long, green tail struck the sand and raised a small plume of dust. Han wasn’t the most fluent in Huttese, but he had taken enough jobs from Jabba to know a good tone from a bad one.

Solo kept his hands on the sides of his waist, fighting the urge to scratch that itch rising up his back and onto his neck, “It wasn’t an easy choice, Jabba.”

“And was frying poor Greedo an easy choice, Solo?” This time, Han didn’t have to fake his outrage -- but he definitely tempered it a bit.

“You sent Greedo to blast me!”

“Greedo was told to send you a message,” Jabba gurgled out in his wet language. Han really wished the Hutt would’ve just learned some Basic. ‘Guess when you’re the big, bad boss of the Underworld, you don’t really have to cater to your employees,’ Solo thought to himself.

“If the message was that you wanted me neck deep in the nearest Sarlacc Pit,” he shifted his weight as he felt the less than subtle truth in his word, “then message received.”

The Hutt let out a sonorous laugh, his meter wide head throwing back as much as his lack of a neck would allow. Han took the time to triple check his possible exits. ‘Yup,’ he lamented, ‘still trapped.’

A dozen of Jabba’s finest covered each exit; a ragtag group of the roughest humans, Rodians, and Weequays Han had the displeasure of being held prisoner by. To Jabba’s right was perhaps the worst of the whole bunch -- Boba Fett. The infamous Mandalorian had been working for Jabba for years, taking care of any snitch, runaway, or loose end that happened to be bad for business. He was said to be faster than a Jedi, deadlier than an Acklay, and uglier than a Rancor. Unfortunately, Solo found himself on Jabba’s short list, and taking care of a dozen of Jabba’s enforcers sounded like a vacation compared to taking on Fett.

Han’s eyes covered the remainder of the bay, all that he had going for him was the Falcon, but even with Chewbacca inside, Han knew that it would take far too long for the ship to power up its defense turrets to be of any help; he couldn’t really signal the Wookie from outside without Fett blasting him. Besides, Chewie knew better than to try anything.

Every possible way out was blocked, every move checked, and no matter how many times Han ran through the situation, it all ended exactly the same -- except for one small detail. Just as the Hutt’s boisterous laughter died down, Han caught the slightest movement of something on one of the upper balconies of the docking bay. ‘Cover fire seems a bit overkill, huh, Jabba?’ Solo thought to himself, but, for some reason, it didn’t feel like another precaution.

“Solo, my boy,” Jabba’s ravenous mouth drew the smuggler’s attention again, “it pains me to do this, but,” Han took a step back and glared at the Mandalorian who had drawn his blaster on Solo. The cornered smuggler didn’t bother reaching for his own DL-44… not while the odds looked like this, “You’ve cost me too much, too often. I’m afraid that last job was your last.”

Han let himself catch his breath, long enough to mask his panic with even more confidence, but short enough that Boba didn’t take it upon himself to scorch him.

“What if I could find another job -- one worth double that last shipment?”

The Hutt let out a low groan. “Han, you were my favorite out of the bunch. Fett, you may--” Jabba was cut off by the loud ringing echo of a blaster shot, and he grunted in surprise as his hired bounty hunter flew backwards. Han wasted no time drawing his own blaster and opening fire on the two nearest thugs.

They were caught off guard and fell with a thud, but Solo wasn’t as lucky with the rest -- not even a second later, the surprise faded, and the other enforcers cocked their blasters and trained them on Solo. A familiar Wookie battle roar reverberated through the Falcon as it powered on, its repulsorlift engines raising a cloud of sand and dust, obscuring Han and the Hutt. ‘Heh, they won’t dare shoot knowing they might hit target practice over here.’

“You will pay for this, Solo!” Jabba roared furiously, unable to do much more as Han placed his blaster against the slug’s thick body.

“Probably,” The smuggler agreed, “but it doesn’t look like I’ll be paying today.”

Just as he finished his sentence, Han saw Fett roll to his feet, grab his blaster, and aim at Solo in one fluid motion. The bounty hunter was as quick as the stories told about him, and as Fett let loose a volley of blaster shots, Han realized maybe one of those stories hadn’t been as true as the others.

Luke had begun to think that maybe getting involved with this Solo guy was more trouble than it was worth, but seeing the brown haired man try and talk his way out of a hopeless situation made Skywalker’s heart drop. To get into the docking bay, he and Ben had to sneak around armed guards blocking the entryways, they were lucky that no one was up on the second floor overlooking the bay. From their vantage point, they were able to hear the exchange and see the slow, inevitable shift towards Solo’s end… and Luke couldn’t stand for it.

As the Hutt let out a deep laugh, Luke began to rise and reached for the blaster he had taken with him from home. Just as his fingers edged the handle, he felt Ben place a hand on his shoulder. “Patience, Luke,” was all the hermit said. Luke brought his head down just as Solo threw a passing glance up to where they were.

Imagining himself in the man’s position, trapped and alone, Luke felt a surge of empathy for Solo. Whatever he had done to put himself in the position didn’t matter, Luke could feel the fear in Solo resonating inside his own mind. The short hairs on Luke’s arm rose with a wave of cold goosebumps, an uncomfortable itch moving up his spine and to his neck. Luke scratched the spot, and refocused his attention on the scene below.

The green armored gangster had raised his blaster rifle and had it aimed directly at Solo. The fear Luke had been feeling spiked, and whatever Ben had tried to tell him about patience slipped away. Solo let out one last plea before the Hutt cut him off, and right before Jabba finished talking, an uncontrollable urge moved Luke to action.

Pulling his blaster, Luke fired a single shot directly at the armored thugs chest, knocking him back. It seemed like that one action spurred a flurry of activity as Solo wasted two more thugs, and the freighter the altercation was happening under activated, its repulsorlifts kicking up a miniature sandstorm. Luke covered his face as the sands hit him. He was only down for a moment, but in that time he heard the sounds of Jabba roaring in anger. Fearing the worst, Luke turned, to find everyone below… still.

Around a dozen blaster rifles were aimed at the group of four by the ship. The hum of the freighter’s engines barely muted the sounds of Ben Kenobi’s lightsaber as it deflected the bodyguard’s blaster shots and held itself by the thug’s neck. Luke hadn’t even noticed the hermit move, one second Ben was right next to him, the next he had jumped down and cleared 30 feet. ‘Was this what it was like to be a Jedi?’ Luke’s mind raced in awe, ‘Super speed? Mind control? What could possibly kill anyone as strong as Ben?’

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have business with your friend here,” Ben’s calm voice put Luke eased Luke a bit, but the dozen or so blasters aimed at the old Jedi didn’t.

The Hutt let out a series of vicious sounding noises.

“It’s either this, Jabba,” Ben countered the slug, “or we can all see how fast Solo is on the draw.” The Hutt let out another round of deep laughter, before speaking in Huttese again.

“Yeah, yeah,” Solo said cautiously, “50,000 sounds a little high for,” he gestured around to Obi-Wan and the two dead thugs, “a little misunderstanding.”

With another laugh and phrase in Huttese, Luke saw all the thugs lower their blasters, the one in green armor hesitated before following suit. Solo pointed his blaster pistol a little bit away from the Hutt, and Ben deactivated his blue beam. Slowly, Jabba and his crew made their way out of the docking bay. They didn’t bother to pick up the dead bodies, instead kicking them out of the way so the Hutt didn’t have to crawl over top of them.

A moment passed, and Solo and Ben exchanged a few words between one another. Finally, the smuggler nodded and let out a heavy sigh. Turning to look up at Luke, Ben smiled. “Come along, Luke. I think we’ve found ourselves a ship.”

End of chapter five

beginning / back / next

[sw-losthope]

Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Chapter 4

Hello, lovelies! Here’s chapter 4, happy reading!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Luke hadn’t been expecting any visitors -- least of all the old hermit his uncle had told him to stay away from -- but as he settled the airspeeder to a rest and pulled the power converters from the seat next to him, he noticed Ben Kenobi and his aunt and uncle making their way out of the burrow.

“Uncle Owen! I swung by the Tosche Station and got those power converters like you wanted!” Luke hefted the cells into his arms and lugged the batteries over to the group. As he got closer, he noticed the grim expression on his uncle’s face, and his aunt wiping her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Luke asked, still cradling the converters.

“Nothing,” Lars answered gruffly, “we were just showing Ben here the way out.”

“But it’s almost nightfall, isn’t it dangerous for him to go out by himself?” Luke didn’t know the hermit well but he knew he wasn’t okay with someone getting ambushed by a pack of tuskens, “Shouldn’t he stay the night?”

Lars tried to say no, but Beru cut him off.

“Luke is right, dear,” She turned to the old man and gestured back down, “Please excuse us, it seems we lost track of time. Thank goodness for Luke.”

“Thank goodness indeed,” The hermit gave Luke a slight nod before turning away. Luke watched Ben walk back in, his aunt following after. Owen stood where he was, a look of frustration and worry angling his face.

“I’m going to set these down in the garage,” Luke told his uncle, moving past him as the weight of the converters began to strain his back. He stopped as Lars placed a hand on his shoulder and turned his nephew to face him.

Owen looked into Luke’s eyes for a long time. An unmistakable tone of desperation and irritation tinted his voice, Luke hadn’t seen his uncle this upset since the tusken raid that took out one of the vaporators a few months back. 

“You’re a farmer, Luke. Whatever that old kook downstairs tries to feed you, don’t buy into it. Your father wanted you to be safe with us, and I’m not about to let some balding wizard spit in the face of your father’s wishes.”

Lars held his nephew there for a moment longer before letting out a sigh. “Go set down those converters, we’ll deal with ‘em in the morning...together,” With a quick pat on Luke’s back, Owen headed down the stairs, leaving Skywalker to wonder just what was going on.

It took Luke about ten minutes to heave the power converters down to the garage, but he gave himself a good twenty to catch his breath and let all his sweat dry up. While he dried off, Luke took a seat on the red R5 unit he and his uncle had bought a day or so ago. A restraining bolt kept it from moving and making noise, so Luke filled the silence himself.

“What had all that been about up there, do you think?” Luke asked the nonresponsive droid, “I’m not as blind as a mynock, I can tell something’s happening.” He stood up and ran his hands through his blonde hair, shaking his head in frustration.

He let out a long groan, “And what had all that stuff been about my dad? Do you think Old Ben knows something about him?” He sat down cross-legged next to the droid, his hair ruffled and matted with sweat.

Resting his head against the red astromech, Luke cooled the left side of his face on the cold metal, “I saw Biggs earlier...Biggs Darklighter, do you know him?”

No response.

“Yeah, well,” Luke answered himself. “You will soon. Wanna know why?” His voice turned to a whisper as he peaked around the room as if someone would be listening in, “he’s leaving the Academy to go to Bestine and join the Rebellion.”

A huge grin crossed Luke’s face as he said the last word, “The Rebellion! It’s crazy, right?” Unable to stay still with his sudden surge of energy, Luke stood up, “I told him that it sounded crazy and that it’ll probably be a longshot if he ever comes across them, but I know he will…”

Luke’s voice grew soft.

“If anyone can find the Rebels...it’s Biggs. He can do anything; he’s almost as good a pilot as me,” His smile dropped as he sat in front of the restrained astromech. Thinking about his childhood friend going off to fight in a war seemed bigger than anything Luke had ever imagined on Tatooine. His best friend gone amongst the stars Luke could only dream of getting to. The thought of Biggs getting shot at, or captured, or worse...

“I know you can’t hear me, but,” His voice was barely audible as he pressed his forehead against the droid and closed his eyes, “I’m gonna be right behind you, Darklighter. Don’t get yourself killed before I find you. Uncle Owen won’t keep me past this season, and when I get to the Academy...I’m going to catch up to you in no time, I prom--”

“Luke!” Aunt Beru’s call broke the farmboy’s train of thought, and he stood alert as if he had been caught trying to steal a scavenger’s ration portions, “Luke, come up for dinner!”

Realizing he hadn’t been overheard, Luke let out a long sigh. Placing his hand on the droid’s circular head, Luke gazed at his reflection on the dusty metal, “I’ll get that bolt off, Red. Don’t worry, I won’t forget about you -- that’s a promise!”

With that, Luke made his way up the steps, turning off the lights in the garage. In the quiet darkness of the repair station, R5-D4 let out a low whirr of gratitude before powering down.

Dinner was uncomfortably silent. Luke was the only one really looking up from his food, so he was the only one who could see the furtive looks being traded between his aunt and uncle. The back and forth seemed to play like an argument, and as Aunt Beru let out a long breath, Luke could tell his uncle had won.

Aunt Beru rose, her plate almost completely untouched, “Let me clear the table,” she gathered her plate and Uncle Owen’s, making her way over to Luke’s. Just as she reached out to take Luke’s plate, Beru let out a panicked shout. She had tripped, and the two full plates of food she had been carrying fell out of her hands and towards Luke.

Skywalker flinched and closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.

It never came.

Opening his eyes, Luke saw the two plates and their contents a few inches from his face...floating in midair. His mouth dropped in utter amazement, and he turned his head to see if everyone else could see what was happening. It turns out they did, and Uncle Owen looked even more furious than ever.

“I said none of your magic in my house, Jedi!” Owen shouted, he stood up and slammed his hand on the table.

“Jedi?” Luke said dimly, looking at Old Ben who had his hand outstretched towards the floating plates. With a wave of his hand, the plates moved through the air and sat on the table, their contents following suit, only a little worse for wear.

“I want you out of my home this instant!” Owen hollered, “You’re not taking Luke, so get it through that rancor-thick head of yours. You hear me?”

Ben opened his eyes and stood, his voice calm, “Forgive me, Lars, but that decision is Luke’s.”

Owen took a step towards the old man, standing in his face.

“I said he ain’t going anywhere. I’m not gonna let you get my nephew caught up in some crazy space war, so you’d best be making your way home -- you’ll have about an hour before nightfall.”

Ben stood his ground, his expression not changing as his eyes went from Owen to Luke and then back to Owen, “As you wish.”

The old hermit put his hood on as he moved past Lars towards the door.

“Wait!” He turned at the sound of Luke’s voice, “You’re a Jedi?”

The old man smiled, a small one, “I am.”

“Did you fight in the Clone Wars?” Luke asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Luke --,” His uncle tried to growl, but Ben cut him off.

“I was a general in the war,” The old man said, lowering his hood again, “just like your father.”

A gasp came from Beru as she covered her mouth. Owen gave the old Jedi a dark glare.

“But,” Luke was the only one who wasn’t silent, “my father wasn’t a Jedi….He was a navigator on a spice freighter…,” He looked to his aunt and uncle, both of whom didn’t look him in the eye, “Right?”

“That’s right,” Owen snarled, “your father was a navigator and he died a navigator.”

“Your father,” Ben said plainly, seemingly ignoring the animosity in Lars’ voice, “was a Jedi Knight, Luke. One of the greatest, and my closest friend.”

“Is that true?” Luke asked incredulously. No one responded. “Is that true?” He demanded, standing up.

“Yes…,” Beru choked out from behind her hand.

“Beru!” Owen snapped.

“No, Owen….He deserves to know,” she wasn’t going to give this time. Beru put a hand on Luke’s shoulder and he turned to face her. His eyes were full of disbelief.

“Luke... Your father was a Jedi, but he died fighting in the war -- a war just like the one going on now. All the Jedi died because they were reckless. We tried to keep you from that life because only pain exists for people like that. Please, you have to believe us, Luke.”

Skywalker stepped back from her, looking back and forth between his aunt and uncle. “How could you all keep that from me?” tears formed as his voice got more and more upset, “You’ve been lying to me about my life since the beginning...and if it weren’t for Ben, you guys probably wouldn’t have even bothered telling me the truth, would you?”

Luke glared at his uncle, “And you probably would have kept me here as a farm hand for the rest of my life. No academy or piloting for me, just,” He gestured around himself, “vaporators and sand. Is that what you wanted?”

“We wanted to keep you safe, Luke,” Beru pleaded, “It was the only way, please--!”

“Just stop!” Luke yelled. Everyone was looking at him. His breathing was heavy and his face was hot, “Stop lying.”

A hush fell over the room, as the young Skywalker caught his breath. He looked up, his gaze going directly to Ben. “My father,” Luke asked quietly, “If he was a Jedi, could I be one too?”

Owen and Beru both looked at one another as the old hermit spoke.

“You could be an even greater Jedi than your father, Luke,” Ben took a step back into the room, “but it is not a choice to be made out of anger or betrayal.” Skywalker’s eyes dropped slightly.

“Being a Jedi, Luke, is about compassion,” A warmth seemed to permeate the room as the white-haired hermit spoke, “It’s about forgiveness. The first steps will be hard, but you must face them if you ever hope to become a Jedi.”

Ben turned and walked up the steps leaving Skywalker with his aunt and uncle. For a while, no one spoke. The calm the Jedi had brought when he spoke had faded and all that was left was the anger and tension.

Luke went first.

“I’m going to become a Jedi like my father,” He declared, Owen didn’t look at him.

“Uncle, I...I think I understand why you’d lie to me, but I need to follow my own path. Staying on the farm my whole life? I can’t do that….All of my friends are gone, Biggs is gone. Everyone’s growing up and making something of themselves and seeing the galaxy, and I --I just don’t want to be left behind.”

“Luke,” His uncle responded, his blue eyes finally meeting Luke’s, “not this way.” He shook his head slightly, “I promise, the end of this season, I’ll take you to the Academy -- you can sign up, you can be with your friends, just…,” His voice cracked, “don't go like this, not with him.”

They held one another at that moment for a long time, but after taking a shaky breath and wiping his eyes, Luke came to his decision.

“I’m sorry, Uncle. I love you,” He looked to his aunt, “Both of you. Thank you for everything. For taking care of me; raising me, keeping me safe, teaching me to pilot and cook and look out for myself. Thank you ...but if I don’t go now,” his voice trailed off and he looked back to his uncle who was silently pleading with him, “I don’t think I ever will.”

Walking to the door, Luke placed a hand on the frame and turned back to his family.

“I’ll come back,” He managed. “I promise.”

With that, Luke Skywalker made his way out of the dining room--out of the burrow he called home -- towards the old Jedi and the future that was now ahead of him.

End of chapter four

beginning / back / next

[sw-losthope]

Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Chapter 3

Hey! Thank you so much for waiting, here’s chapter three. Chapter four is finished (needs some beta-ing), and will be posted on Saturday.

Enjoy!

Chapter Three

The twin suns of Tatooine beat down hard on the old hermit as he made the trek back to his domed burrow. The rugged russet steeps jutting upwards from the arid Dune Sea were the only relief from the cascades of endless pale sand. Entering his home, the hermit set down the two water jugs he had been carrying, and slowly rested himself on his bed.

A cold shock went through him; an instance of fear, confusion, and loneliness–voices of millions crying out before…nothing. As soon as the feeling came, it had passed, but a darkness lingered.

Do you feel it, Obi Wan?

“Yes,” The aged jedi answered, lowering his hood. Obi Wan Kenobi let out a pained sigh, “The Force. Vader and the Emperor…they’ve done something terrible.”

The voice of Obi Wan’s past master seemed to pause before responding. Finally, Qui-Gon Jinn continued.

Alderaan, it’s gone.

“How?” Kenobi asked solemnly, his eyes closed in concentration as his thoughts travelled to the past.

A weapon…With the power to tear worlds apart in an instance.

Obi Wan took that in for a moment. His face contorted as he reached out with the Force to find–

Leia.

Qui-Gon’s voice confirmed what his old padawan had been dreading. The first of the Skywalker twins had been captured by the Emperor.

She has been lost to the dark side of the Force.

“Does that mean it’s time?”

Yes…

A soft breeze seemed to rise from nowhere, warming Obi Wan with memories of standing in his maverick master’s presence. Jinn’s voice seemed to echo quietly before it was nothing more than a whisper in Kenobi’s ears.

You must train Luke as you did his father. Be patient with him, Obi Wan…He will help bring balance to the Force.

“I will try, master.”

Do or do not, Obi Wan…There is no try…

With that, the last of the voice’s warmth faded, and Obi Wan felt the cold tendrils of the dark side permeating through the Force again.

Can I do it, master? Obi Wan asked himself. He had failed Qui-Gon once before with Anakin. He had underestimated the turmoil in his young apprentice. He had abandoned him to defeat the Separatists at such a pivotal moment in Skywalker’s life, and the gnawing fear that if he had just been there for Anakin, then the Jedi Order would still exist. So would the Republic…so would Alderaan…

So would Anakin.

Had Obi Wan not taken the mission to Utapau, he could have given Anakin the advice he needed to resist the temptations of the dark side.

Or maybe he wouldn’t have. Maybe Anakin still would have turned into Darth Vader, and Obi Wan would have died along with the rest of the Jedi during the purge. Maybe Luke and Leia would have fallen into Darth Sidious’s hands just like they all did.

Obi Wan pushed the thoughts from his mind; there was no use dwelling on the mistakes and possibilities of the past. All that remained now was Luke–with Leia in the Empire’s clutches–he was the last hope the galaxy had to stop the Emperor and Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, was the only hope Obi Wan had of saving his fallen apprentice.

Pulling his hood over him again, gathering the remaining credits he had been saving, and placing two lightsabers beneath his brown robes, the old Jedi master made his way from his burrow, and to the home of Owen and Beru Lars.

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a leia comic about loss.

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Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Chapter 2 

Here’s the next chapter! Enjoy!!

Chapter Two

“What is the meaning of this transmission, Lord Vader?” The drawling voice of Emperor Palpatine echoed in Darth Vader’s private chambers. Vader lowered himself to one knee and informed his master.

“I have captured the rebel traitor Leia Organa along with the plans stolen from Scarif,” Vader spoke, his low voice filled with reverence as he tried to please his master, “An astromech and protocol droid accompanying her were also taken into custody. Intelligence believes they are the property of Bail Organa and are searching their data records for details concerning the hidden rebel base.”

A smile filled the face of the hooded hologram. “Good,” The Emperor’s eyes were far away, “very good. With the location of the rebel base, we will be able to eradicate them and they will be powerless to stop us.”

He took a deep breath before speaking again.

“There has been a great divergence in the Force, have you felt it?”

“Yes, master,” Vader responded. Capturing the princess along with the plans had brought a great sense of finality to everything; there would be no more opposition, no more uprisings, no more rebellion–not after the galaxy experiences the power of the Death Star.

“You have done well, my apprentice. Tell Governor Tarkin that he may do as he pleases with the planet Alderaan, and once we have the location of the rebel base, he is to crush them once and for all.”

“Yes, master.”

“Vader,” The Emperor’s eyes focused on his black-clad apprentice. Though the hologram was blue, Vader felt he could see the yellow tint of his master’s eyes burning into him, “Return to Coruscant after our triumph. There is much work to be done, old friend.”

“Yes, my master.”

The hologram cut off, and Vader rose. Without the hum of the Emperor’s image, the room was silent, save for the rhythmic breathing emanating from the sith. Stepping from the chamber, Darth Vader made his way to the viewing gallery of the Death Star to deliver his master’s will to the Grand Moff.

—-

Darth Vader, flanked by two grey officers, entered the gallery to see the Grand Moff staring out the large viewport towards the planet Alderaan in the distance. A group of stormtroopers stood at rigid attention against the far wall, a shiver of pressure moving through them as the dark lord moved past.

“Governor Tarkin.” Darth Vader addressed the Moff.

“Ah, Lord Vader,” Tarkin’s expression never changed as he turned to face the sith, he lowered his hands, clasping them behind his back, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Vader motioned with a slight wave of his hand and one of the officers handed the Moff a datapad.

Tarkin studied the text closely, his expression stolid and unreadable. He spoke as he read, “So the rebel base is on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin, and it appears our Chandrilan senator Mon Mothma is at the head of it all.”

“The Emperor requests that you deal with the base immediately,” Vader’s tone wasn’t particularly threatening, but the mention of the Emperor was always enough to create an edge.

The Moff looked up and lowered the datapad. “And I shall. Once Bail and Breha Organa are brought to me, I will take care of the rest.”

“I suggest you hurry, Governor,” Vader warned, “the Emperor would be most displeased if the rebels are allowed to escape.”

Tarkin smiled.

“Have you seen the Death Star in action, Lord Vader?”

“No.”

“Then you have yet to witness the true extent of the Empire’s might.”

“The true extent of the Empire’s might, Governor,” Vader pointed a black finger at the Moff, “is the Force. The power to destroy worlds is insignificant to the power of the dark side.”

Tarkin’s thin-lipped smile faded, but not completely.

“Perhaps I could give you a demonstration then. I have seen your Force, allow me to show you mine.”

Darth Vader was silent save for his breathing. His finger was lowered, but his dark gaze was still pointed very sharply at Tarkin.

“Up in the recreation office,” Tarkin spoke, taking Vader’s silence as an acceptance of his offer, “you will be able to see the show. I assure you it will be well worth the wait. The sight is truly …breathtaking.” His smile widened as he turned back to look at the blue-green world. “And I do hope you don’t mind a little company.”

—-

Vader… The princess thought to herself. Where did he go to? Was he going to interrogate Mother and Father? Torture them?

Her fear of the black cloaked man who had killed most of the crew on her ship confronting her parents…

She didn’t want to think about it, and she didn’t have to.

No more than 5 minutes after Vader departed from the viewing gallery, the door to the office Tarkin had locked her in opened, and the dark lord stepped into the room.

Leia was silent as Vader marched towards her, his breathing growing ever louder. Just as she was sure he was going to harm her, his footsteps passed and he stood by the office window, looking down into the viewing gallery where Tarkin and his stormtroopers stood unmoving.

Leia hesitated. She wasn’t entirely sure what the meaning of intimidating her was; truth be told, the Empire had gotten everything they could want from her. She had been caught red-handed with no one knowing where she was, her life was forfeit.

Regaining her composure and swallowing her fear, Leia stood tall. The stun cuffs she wore hurt her wrists, but that was the last thing she was worried about at the moment.

“My parents,” She managed, “what does Tarkin plan on doing to them?”

Vader didn’t respond, his breathing unperturbed.

“The Governor mentioned bringing my parents aboard this place,” Leia continued, “Does he plan on questioning them? They don’t know anything. They’re innocent. I told the governor that I did this alone, you shouldn’t punish my family for–”

“Do not presume to tell me what I should or should not do, Princess,” Vader’s voice was just as heavy and menacing as it had been aboard the Tantive IV, “You would do well to mind your place as our prisoner. The Empire’s hospitality does not run deep for traitors.”

Leia stopped speaking. Her plea had failed, and once again, she realized just how powerless she truly was to stop anything. She had been given one mission–one goal–and she had failed; when her father needed her most, he placed the fate of the galaxy in her hands, and she had allowed the Empire to wrestle it from her. Now, her life, and the lives of trillions, were no better than dead.

There was a change in atmosphere as a click sounded over the room’s speakers. A low hum of a wind current and background typing filled the ambiance of the office. The noise even covered most of Vader’s breathing. As another beep sounded in the room and the familiar footsteps of stormtrooper boots hit her ears, Leia realized too late what was happening.

Rushing to the dark lord’s side, Leia stared out at the viewing gallery, and she felt her heart catch in her throat as she tried to choke out some word that would make this reality go away. All that came out was “No…”

“Queen Breha and Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan,” The Moff’s voice sounded as if it were right behind Leia, it made her skin crawl,“So good of you both to join me in the Empire’s hour of triumph.”

Bail and Breha Organa shared an unreadable look with one another. The slick, silver half cape Leia’s father wore over his grey suit, along with the simple pale violet of her mother’s gown, gave the impression that Tarkin had snatched them from their home.

“Governor,” Bail’s voice was filled with the passion and indignation he usually reserved for the privacy of family dinners, “what is the meaning of this? What is this thing you’ve brought us to?” His eyes blazed as he gestured at the station around them.

“This is the solution to the pitiful Rebellion you, your wife, and a handful of other extremists have gone through the trouble of creating.” Leia could see her father’s face grow a shade paler.

“I don’t–”

“Do not play coy with me, Viceroy,” Tarkin snapped, “Your daughter told us enough before my patience with her grew thin.”

“What have you done to my Leia?” Breha moved past Bail to stand in Tarkin’s face, “Where is our daughter, Governor?” Her voice was a blend of fear, anger, and something …deeper.

“Your daughter is, just like the rest of your rebel friends will soon be, dead.”

Breha took a step back, her anger gave way to the haunting reality of the Moff’s words. Bail caught her, a similar anguish played in his eyes but his tone was steel.

“We demand that you bring us our daughter this instant,” Bail insisted, “We have been loyal servants to the Empire, with nothing but good works to our name. I am a member of the Imperial Senate, Tarkin, and I demand that you bring me our daughter.” His voice seemed to catch in his throat as he finished.

Tarkin eyed Bail for a moment. “I’m afraid with the dissolution of the Senate, you have no sway here, Senator. And,” He gestured to the viewport, Bail and Breha’s eyes focused on their homeworld, “with the destruction of Alderaan, neither will you, your Grace.”

Wild confusion filled Breha’s eyes. “What do you–”

“Fire on Alderaan,” Tarkin commanded into his comlink.

A loud, high pitched ringing flooded Leia’s ears as she felt the station shake. A bright emerald beam shot outwards, directly at Alderaan. With a burst of light, the region of the planet where the beam hit seemed to explode, rising like a dark cloud into the atmosphere. The fear Leia had felt tingling in the back of her mind cut off as if she had suddenly lost her connection.

“Cities can be replaced,” the Moff’s voice resonated in the now complete silence, “I’m afraid worlds cannot.”

Bail and Breha stood quietly where they were. Stepping from Bail’s arms, the Queen of Alderaan placed her hands against the window. “Alderaan,” her voice was as distant as it had been on those evenings so long ago, “What have you done?”

“The rebel base, your Grace,” Tarkin ignored her question, “What is its location?”

No one said anything. Tarkin moved to stand next to Breha, his hands still clasped behind his back. The area where Alderaan used to be was now nothing more than a plume of debris stretching upwards, seemingly reaching out for help.

“You’re a monster,” Breha finally said, “I’ve known long before this but being able to say it…” the words were the only comfort the Queen could feel. Leia wanted to be there with her mother, but Tarkin’s sick plan was to strip her Grace of everything she held dear. First her daughter, now Alderaan, next…

“Target the planet,” The Moff spoke into his comlink.

“No!” Bail shouted, stepping forward. His heart cried out for his people as much as Breha, but he couldn’t bear to let the torment she was undergoing continue, “We’ll tell you, just…please, let our people live.”

“Bail,” Breha’s voice was hollow, “don’t.”

“I must, it’s the only way.”

“You can’t lose hope,” Tears fell from her eyes, but she was not broken, “Fear will not hold my people hostage. If you try to break us, to withhold the freedoms and liberties we have been entitled, then you will only destroy yourselves. I am Breha Organa, Queen of Alderaan, and this power you have, Governor? It cannot intimidate me.”

The Grand Moff didn’t speak. He instead motioned to the line of stormtroopers behind him. Bail and Breha were grabbed and put on their knees, facing the sight of their beloved planet. In the middle of that view, was the figure of the one man who controlled the fate of billions.

Tarkin glared down at Leia’s parents, his eyes glancing up for a moment to the window where she and Darth Vader were. If he couldn’t get his pleasure from torturing her parents, then he’d get it from torturing Leia.

“Fire when ready.”

It wasn’t slow. In fact, when it happened, Leia could have sworn she had only blinked. One second, Alderaan was there, and then it wasn’t. If it hadn’t been for the yelling of her father or the gnawing emptiness in her heart, she could’ve been having a bad dream. An awful, evil dream.

Bail’s shouting had turned to sobs, he had lost his composure and was being held up by two stormtroopers. Tarkin made him powerless to even grieve properly.

Breha, however, was silent.

“Nothing to say, your Grace?” Tarkin toyed. “No words of inspiration? Where is your hope now? Where is your rebellion? You’ve lost,” looking down at her, he gave a slight nod, and the sound of a blaster shot burned in Leia’s ears.

The yelling stopped. The crying. Everything.

All that sounded was the soft thud of Breha’s body hitting the cold station floor, a thin trail of smoke rising from the hole in her chest.

“Hope,” Breha whispered, her eyes finding their way up to the window where Leia was watching. Leia couldn’t tell if her mother even saw her, if she felt Leia’s presence at all, or knew that Tarkin had not taken everything. “… Is never lost,” Breha let out a soft breath of air, and the glow of her pulmonodes went dark.

Bail Organa’s pain rendered him mute. He rocked in place; his mouth and face were contorted in anguish, his voice failing to articulate a semblance of what he was feeling.

Tarkin stood over him next. “The last of the Organa’s. A truly lonely existence, isn’t it, Viceroy?” He turned back to the viewport, with Alderaan gone, it was now just a dark canvas of scattered debris and starlight, “Trooper, you may fi–”

The Moff coughed.

He swallowed hard, but something was caught in his throat. Trying to speak, the Imperial found himself struggling for air. His hands rushed to his neck to fight the feeling as if something invisible were choking him.

“Va…der,” Tarkin spat out as he turned to look up at the office window, his eyes aflame with a dark fury. He stumbled back slightly and rested against the dark viewscreen. Tarkin let out one last guttural inhalation before collapsing onto the floor.

The stormtroopers looked at one another, confused, wondering what to do. With a click, the audio in the office cut off, and Leia watched a group of them check the Grand Moff’s body only to find that he was indeed dead.

She let her eyes close. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as the ache of powerlessness died down. She let everything in the world slip away, save for the sound of punctuated breathing, and the weight of a heavy hand around her heart.

end of chapter two

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Chapter 2 will be posted tonight !!

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Check out chapter 1!

Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Failure. The Rebellion is on the brink of collapse after Darth Vader captures Princess Leia and the Death Star’s plans aboard the Tantive IV. The fate of the galaxy, and the balance of the Force are irrevocably changed as the princess of Alderaan learns the true nature of the dark side…

A Star Wars AU writen by none-other than: @mother-cocoon

Chapter 1 will be posted soon. Give us a follow to stay updated!

Edit: Chapter 1 is up!

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Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Prologue + Chapter 1 |

Written by: @mother-cocoon

Edited and beta-read by @lastjedis

Preface:

I’d really like to thank Thais and everyone else who’s giving this a chance; it has been so much fun working on this au, and if you guys enjoy it, I’d be more than happy to give these characters the endings they deserve.

Chapters will be sporadic, but we’ll try to hammer them out close enough together!

Thank you all so much again—enjoy chapter 1, and may the Force be with you <3

-Mod Paul

Keep reading

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Check out our recent chapter!

Leia Organa as Darth Vader by Phil Noto

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Star Wars Episode IV: Lost Hope

Act 1 | Prologue + Chapter 1 |

Written by: @mother-cocoon

Edited and beta-read by @lastjedis

Preface:

I’d really like to thank Thais and everyone else who’s giving this a chance; it has been so much fun working on this au, and if you guys enjoy it, I’d be more than happy to give these characters the endings they deserve.

Chapters will be sporadic, but we’ll try to hammer them out close enough together!

Thank you all so much again—enjoy chapter 1, and may the Force be with you

-Mod Paul

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended. (x)

Prologue

The earliest memories Leia had were of the evenings on Alderaan. She would sit on her mother’s lap and watch the sunset from the balcony of their home, the lake surrounding their city reflecting the soft red-orange hues of dusk. She could feel the tenderness of her mother’s fingers running through her hair, the gentle beating of pulmonodes through her mother’s dark blue gown.

“Alderaan,” Breha spoke almost dreamily, as if it were something imaginary and not right before her, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Leia?”

Leia was half asleep, but she nodded, pulling herself closer to the warmth of her mother’s chest.

“It’s easy to forget the rest of the galaxy doesn’t have what we have…” The words were pitying, but there was fire beneath them. “One day, Leia, every star and all of their worlds will have peace. I know it.”

Leia could remember her eyes closing as the sun settled behind the valleys and grasslands.

“Until then, the galaxy is going to need us around to get them there, hm?”

Her mother laughed, quietly to herself. She was careful not to wake her daughter.

“Until then…” Breha sighed, the last trails of sunlight fading from Alderaan.

Chapter One

The shadow of the moon fell over the planet of Alderaan.

Slipping silently through the blue-green planet’s orbit, it eclipsed the sun, looming overhead. It would have been a spectacular lunar phenomenon, but Alderaan had no moons.

Princess Leia Organa could make out her homeworld through the Death Star’s viewport. From where she stood, she could see the lush green valleys and snow-capped mountains lining Alderaan. Alderaan’s rivers seemed to outline the numerous cities and population centers before joining to fill the planet’s deep blue oceans.

In the back of her mind, a thousand miles away, Leia felt like she could sense the panic and fear of her people as they stared up at the sky, wondering what the source of this darkness could be. She wondered if they would have felt any comfort knowing someone just as scared was looking back at them.

“Welcome home, Princess,” The cold voice of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin came from behind Leia, “Admiring the view? It pains me to say it, given the circumstances, but Alderaan truly is one of the better worlds this galaxy has to offer; pity it’s rife with treachery.”

Leia didn’t respond as the Moff placed a calloused hand on the shoulder of her white dress and came to stand beside her. She could see his wiry figure in the reflection of the viewport, his vicious eyes were trained on the planet before them. She could make out the dull grey-green of his uniform, and the frosty white smattered amongst his aged brown hair. Everything about him, from the way he carried himself, to the way he dressed, to the way he spoke, it was all so calculated.

“Truth be told, we had expected Bail Organa of sedition long before this,” His voice oozed with satisfaction, “To think he’d give himself up by giving us his own daughter.” The Grand Moff’s hand moved a loose strand of Leia’s hair behind her ear. His finger lingered a moment longer than necessary on her neck, and Leia pulled her head away from his hand just enough to send the message.

Lowering his hand and stepping away from the view, Tarkin took his place in front of a line of stormtroopers. A dozen of them standing like an armored wall, motionless until given permission to move. Leia watched them from the reflection in the window. Tarkin turned his head just enough to address the troopers on his right side, “Bring me the Queen and her consort.”

Leia’s eyes widened as she tore herself from her world, “No!” She exclaimed, moving towards the Moff as much as his stormtrooper guards would allow.

Tarkin’s lips formed a thin smile.

“Is something the matter, Princess?”

“My parents,” Leia tried to mask her fear with guilt, “they had nothing to do with this. This was my plan–my idea.”

Leia tried to look as culpable as possible under the pressure of Tarkin’s hawkish gaze, it wasn’t hard.

“A confession? That’s good, I’m sure the Emperor and Lord Vader would love to skip the trials and move straight ahead with your execution, but…”

His smile fell.

“Do you really expect me to believe that a 19-year-old senator organized a coordinated attack against an Imperial research facility without the knowledge, or acquiescence, of her politically capable parents?”

The tone of his question was rhetorical. Leia knew he was daring her to answer but staying silent was practically admitting that her mother and father were members of the Rebellion. She couldn’t betray them to this man…

She took a deep breath, straightened herself, and put on the most regal voice she could manage in stun cuffs.

“Yes. I, Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan, organized and perpetrated the rebel attack on Scarif by myself, and without the knowledge of any other.”

Leia held her ground, it was all she could do. Maybe if she could save her parents, then she wouldn’t have completely failed her mission…

“Interesting thing about rebels, Princess,” The Moff mused, “You’re like vermin: when one is found, there is sure to be a nest of a dozen more nearby. Or in this case,” Tarkin smiled again looking past Leia to the planet behind her, “2 billion more. Bring me Bail and Breha Organa.”

Leia wanted to yell out again, to do something, but she was powerless to stop the Grand Moff. She had failed her father aboard the Tantive IV, Darth Vader and his contingency of stormtroopers had captured her before she could finish planting the Death Star plans on an old Artoo unit.

With her capture, the rebellion’s only chance at destroying the Empire’s superweapon had slipped away and, with it, the hope of fighting the empire.

All those people who had risked their lives to stand up to the cruel reign of Emperor Palpatine…their sacrifices had been for nothing because she…she had failed.

A cold sweat worked its way down Leia’s back and she blinked, not realizing that the Grand Moff was standing over her, the towering angle creating shadows on his face that made his features even more severe. He grabbed her chin with his hand and moved an icy thumb across her cheek, brushing away a tear she didn’t know she had shed.

“Don’t cry, princess. We haven’t even gotten to your punishment.”

With a wave of his hand, two stormtroopers left the line and made their way towards her. Tarkin moved to the side as the troopers grabbed Leia by her arms and escorted her out of the viewing area. Tarkin watched the princess leave, his eyes only leaving her after the doors slid shut.

Stepping once again to the center of the viewport, he crossed his arms over his chest, positioning a hand slightly above his chin. His eyes studied the features of the planet as it continued along its shadowed rotation. He savored the sight, knowing he’d be one of the last in the galaxy to see it.

“Governor,” A grey suited technician approached him, interrupting his silent revelry, “The station is ready to fire, sir.”

The Grand Moff’s eyes glinted with sadistic anticipation, “Set for standby. Be ready to fire on my orders.”

“Yes, Governor.”

The technician moved away, and Tarkin returned to his silence.

End of Chapter One 

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