"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan."

Those words where enough to send a chill right through the Old Jedi Master as he slipped his way through the dark blueish grey halls of the Death Star. He could dodge every imperial officer, every Stormtrooper, every droid.

But he could not dodge his old student.

The lumbering titan stood in the corner, having used the Force to cloud himself from Obi-Wan's dulled senses for a moment, until he was ready to reveal his presence. Years of isolation in the desert had taken their toll on the Clone Wars veteran, and a sobering thought filled Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He could not best Vader in a direct confrontation. Not in his state, having been weakened by years in the desert without practice.

Even at the height of his power, a lifetime ago when he was counted as one of the best swordsmen in the whole galaxy, he would have stood no chance against this terror. Anakin had always been a superior warrior to Obi-Wan. Always stronger, always faster. The only thing that had saved Obi-Wan from a beheading on Mustafar was Anakin's overconfidence in his abilities, and unrefined power in the dark side.

"We meet again, at last." Vader stated as he stepped forward, bringing his crimson-hued lightsaber to bear. Out of pure reflex, Obi-Wan smoothly ignited his own crystal blue blade, and assumed a simple Soresu stance. One he had used in countless battles.

Just past the towering cyborg, Obi-Wan could see the smuggler's ship, The Millennium Falcon resting in the docking bay. Close enough that he knew he would be able to sprint to it, if he could only evade Vader's swift strikes, and the inevitable blaster fire from nearby Stormtroopers.

"The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master," Vader said with absolute confidence as their blades came close to touching one another.

"Only a master of evil, Darth!" Obi-Wan spat as he stabbed his blade towards Vader's neck. Of course, Vader easily deflected the blow and retaliated, but Obi-Wan was fast enough to parry. Almost chuckling, Obi-wan found himself recalling his first duel with Count Dooku, on Geonosis. Before then, he had always assumed that Makashi, Dooku's chosen form for sabre to sabre duelling, was weak and inefficient.

Now, however, in his old age, Obi-Wan found himself adopting many of the techniques he had seen Dooku use to great effect. His lightsaber and Vader's danced around one another in intricate circles, briefly clashing together as each warrior tested the others defences.

Obi-Wan still held no hopes of besting Vader one-on-one. He knew that Darth Vader was holding back, being extremely cautious. No doubt due to the extensive injuries he had received on Mustafar. If he chose to, Vader would have no trouble obliterating him with a single sweep of his blade. Even the mightiest members of the Jedi Council, such as Master Yoda, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto and even Anakin himself would have second guessed their ability to confront Vader on their own. If the rumours he had picked up in Mos Eisley where true, Vader had hunted down and eviscerated an enclave of Jedi Knights and Masters who had attempted to overthrow the Emperor on their own.

"Your powers are weak old man!" Vader taunted as Obi-Wan skirted around his lumbering frame, sweeping his blade around in an arc, which he brought down on Vader's waiting blade just in time to push it aside.

However, Vader's cybernetic limbs managed to over-power Obi-Wan's tired old ones. A series of swift strokes shook Obi-Wan's core, though he did his best to steel himself against the barrage of attacks. Despite his efforts, however, he was being pushed back ever so slightly. Inch by inch, he knew his doom was drawing closer. Much like it had for Qui-Gon on Naboo, when Darth Maul had lured him into close quarters before gutting him. He needed to act fast to avoid that same fate.

He did just that. Vader lunged for a killing strike, but Obi-Wan strafed him perfectly, dodging the incoming blade and re-gaining his footing.

"You can't win, Darth," Obi-Wan quipped as he circled the tip of his blade around. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!" That much was true. Vader had no knowledge of the ability to re-gain one's consciousness after joining the Force. In fact, only three Jedi knew of it. Himself, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn, the latter only having barely achieved it before his untimely death. And even as a Jedi, Anakin never had much patience for the more spiritual side of the Force. He was a more practical sort, preferring to rely on his wits, strength and skills to get him out of rough situations.

"You should not have come back," Vader said firmly as the two of them locked blades again. Using the Force, Obi-Wan empowered his limbs enough to push Vader back a step, before cleaving his blade downwards. His strike was barely blocked by Vader's stout blade. If this was ten years ago, no doubt that strike would have sunk deep into Vader's shoulder. Again, he realized how much age was catching up to him.

But age had never been a problem for Master Yoda, Obi-Wan realized. He had been so blind, that he had forgotten that with the Force, many things where possible. Concentrating hard, Obi-Wan felt new life shoot through his body. His arms felt lighter, as light as they had been they day he had fought General Grevious. His feet moved swiftly as he danced around Vader, who seemed to sense Obi-Wan's renewed vigour. Vader upped the tempo of his blade-work appropriately, matching Obi-Wan brilliantly.

Their lightsabers clashed again and again so quickly that no normal eye could truly see what was happening. Both Obi-Wan's brilliant blue blade and Vader's bloody red blade shone brighter than ever as they clashed together in a shower of sparks that could blind one if they looked at it for two long.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Obi-Wan saw his companions, plus Princess Leia, sprint across the hangar bay. All the Stormtroopers on guard where too busy watching the duel between their Lord and the legendary Jedi Master. Of his companions, only Luke, showing one of Anakin's most endearing qualities, curiosity, stopped to watch the duel.

Looking back at his former Apprentice, Obi-Wan knew that there was no way he was going to win this fight. His strength and endurance, though increased to incredible levels by the Force, would not last forever. Whereas he could feel the Dark Side fuelling Vader ever more.

Vader charged, swinging his lightsaber, allowing Obi-Wan to make his move. He stepped to the side, and in a blur of motion, leaped high into the air. He flew over the heads of the Stormtroopers, twirling his lightsaber through the air as they attempted to shoot him down.

He landed between Luke and the Imperials, keeping his blade in constant motion, turning their shots back at them and their Master, who had recovered, and was sprinting towards the ship, screaming at his men to shoot only the pilot, the boy and to spare the ship, the princess, and Kenobi. No doubt so they could be of use to Vader later.

"Run, Luke!" Obi-Wan commanded as the last of the Stormtroopers fell, and Vader grew ever closer. "Run now!" Luke did as he was told, sprinting up the ramp, with Obi-Wan in tow, still turning back shots from Stormtroopers as they poured into the Hangar bay.

The ramp closed, and the ship began to shake as it took off.

Almost immediately Obi-Wan felt his legs give out from underneath him, as his strength waned completely. Darkness gripped at the edges of his vision as he slumped against the side of the Millennium Falcon. He was more tired now than he had ever been in his life. Years of isolation had definitely taken their toll on his body. He was only allowed one moment of peace before he was surrounded by worried bodies.

"Are you alright?" Luke sputtered, putting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. In the process he brought back a very distant memory. One that involved a tired, aging Jedi Master, A young Skywalker, A Sith Lord and a desperate escape.

"...yes..." Obi-Wan replied weakly as he attempted to catch his breath. The fight had taken so much out of him. He desperately needed to meditate, but knew that now was not the time for that. The Empire would no doubt be sending T.I.E. fighters after them. They needed to get to a safe haven, and fast. "He was...stronger than I remembered..."

"Was that him?" Luke pressed, "was that Darth Vader? The one-"

"Come on kid!" The rugged smuggler, Han Solo, blurted as he appeared in the entrance of the Cargo hold. Sweat dripped down his face, which did not bode well for their situation. Although Obi-Wan had not known the Smuggler for more than a few hours, he certainly knew his type. And when someone as unflappable as he was was sweating, things where very dire. "We're not out of this yet!"

To his credit, Luke looked between Han, Leia and Obi-wan, unsure of what to do. To rectify this, Obi-wan gave a little nod, telling him to follow the smuggler to one of the two military-grade turrets on the top and bottom of the craft. Simultaneously Obi-Wan felt the Force shimmer with a faint cloud of the Dark Side. A cloud that he often sensed around Imperial Troopers and pilots. No doubt they where being pursued by T.I.E. fighters.

"Help me up," Obi-Wan commanded the droid, C-3PO. The golden protocol droid did as commanded, giving Obi-Wan the support he desperately needed in order to get to his feet. "The cockpit," he muttered softly, knowing that Chewbacca would most likely need some assistance in operating the craft, as Han was too busy warding off the Imperial assault. And although he had not piloted a craft in some time, he still felt he would be of more use there than sitting in the cargo hold.

"Bweep-Bwoop" the little Droid, R2-D2, who Obi-Wan remembered had a knack for flying Anakin's personal Jedi Starfighter, whistled as the two of them passed by. He also remembered what a colourful personality R2 had. Something which certainly had not been dulled by time.

"Yes, yes," Obi-Wan nodded, waving the droid off, "eventually. When the time is right, my little friend." With that, he hobbled his way into the co-pilot's chair, next to the towering Wookie, who rumbled his approval as Obi-Wan took up a set of controls. He also took it upon himself to call out targets, trying to discern where and when they would be in optimal firing range.

"I count six fighters," Obi-Wan said calmly, analyzing the situation. His eyes darted around, following each of the T.I.E. fighters as they flew circles around the ship. "Two coming in from Vector Five-Six-Thirteen. They're targeting our engines."

"Don't you dare mess with my ship's controls old man," Han spat, as he rotated his turret and fired along the path Obi-Wan had suggested. His shots where true, sinking into the Imperial ships with ease. "Alright..." the captain half-moaned, "you know what you're doing after all."

"I was flying ships before you where born!" Obi-Wan chuckled in response. "Another making a run for the power coupling on the under-carriage. Luke, take the-" Before he could say anything, the T.I.E. fighter exploded into a million pieces.

"I got him!" Luke cheered gleefully, in a voice that once more reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin.

"Focus, Luke," Obi-Wan chimed, not wanting the young man's jubilation to get the better of him in the heat of battle.

The destruction of their three wing-men caused the remaining T.I.E. fighters to break off their planned attack run, manoeuvring themselves into a more optimal firing position for taking out the gunners.

But Obi-Wan sensed that something was off about the attack. The Empire knew that they had important tactical data aboard their ship. Information that could lead to the downfall of the monstrosity that was the Death Star. So why where they not deploying their entire fleet of T.I.E fighters to bring them down? Even if they lost a third of their ships, the sheer number would be enough to overwhelm the smuggler's ship.

Or failing that, they could send a few Star Destroyers their way. The Millennium Falcon had already proved that it was incapable of escaping an Imperial Tractor beam. So why was Vader not ordering their immediate capture?

As the final T.I.E. fighter exploded in a shower of debris, Obi-Wan came to a sudden realization.

"R2," he hastily ordered, "scan all frequencies. See if you can pick up any anomalies!" the Empire had been given plenty of alone with the ship. And any individual worthy of commanding such a powerful super-weapon would surely understand that their escape was a distinct possibility. And they would obviously try and capitalize on such a situation.

"Bweep-bwoop teedlee-dee!" the droid chirped excitedly, as Luke, Han, Leia and C-3PO entered the cockpit.

"What?" the smuggler scoffed, "what did he say?"

"He says that there is an unidentified electronic signal coming from underneath the main radar dish," C-3PO quipped politely, as R2 projected a three-dimensional image of the device. Obi-Wan could not recognize it himself, but it was definitely based on Old Republic designs used during the Clone Wars. He himself had seen such devices used before.

"That's an XX-25 S-Thread tracker," Leia remarked, as she slid into the only unoccupied seat. "Very new, I've only heard about them being used twice before."

"Can it be disabled?" Obi-Wan asked. They couldn't just let the Empire track them wherever they went. They needed to get rid of it as soon as possible.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "No, I don't think so anyways. Every XX-23 and -24 model came equipped with explosives. If we attempt to remove or deactivate it before we land, it will detonate. And it'd probably take this ship down with it."

"Not this ship sister," Han scoffed as he kicked his feet up. "She's tough enough to take-"

"Captain, the chances of this ship surviving an explosion of that magnitude are Four-Hundred and Seventy-Five thousand to One!" C-3P0 exclaimed worriedly. Obi-Wan stood by the droid's concern, though his excessive emphasis on numbers and probability was ludicrous. And it caused unnecessary worry throughout the crew. No one said anything to anyone for a few long minutes as they all contemplated what to do next.

"We'll have to land," Leia remarked, as she pointed to the star-chart on display. "Yavin 4 is our best bet. It's the closest, and largest, Rebel Base. If anyone's going to be able to take the battle-station out, it will be them," she said surely, looking to both Obi-Wan and Han for their input. But there really was no choice. Their ship only had enough fuel to barely reach Yavin 4. All other spaceports where out of reach.

...xxXxx...

Not for the first time, Wilhuff Tarkin was not keen on being in the presence of Darth Vader. Even on the best of days, the Sith Lord was at best, manageable. His penchant of strangling officers did not go unnoticed, and Tarkin understood perfectly that the only reason he was still alive was due to an executive order to Vader, from the Emperor himself.

Together, the two of them stood in a private conference room. And they where speaking to a hologram of Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor sat in his High Throne, located in the very heart of the Empire in the Imperial Palace. From there, he had access to every channel of communication, the location of every Imperial asset, and every Imperial credit. There was even a rumour that had reached Tarkin's ears that the Emperor could initiate a self-destruct sequence upon any ship he wished. Something that Tarkin knew was well within his power.

"So," The Emperor snorted, "Obi-Wan Kenobi has returned, after all these years..." he said, putting his hands together, contemplating his next words. "How fortunate that you where there to deal with your old Master, my apprentice." Palpatine said with a small grin.

"He escaped, my Master," Vader said without a hint of emotion. "The Rebels executed an extraction for Leia Organa, the Princess of Alderaan, who we-" he was silenced by a wave of the Emperor's hand.

"It is my understanding that Alderaan was destroyed," Palpatine said coldly, as his eyes flickered from Vader to Tarkin. "By our battle-station. Was it not?"

"It was, my Lord," Tarkin said stiffly, sticking to facts, not wanting to upset the most powerful being in the galaxy. "As per your orders. My most recent intelligence reported that Senator Organa was planetside less than an hour before we arrived in-system. I have no reason to believe that he survived." Bail Organa and his allies had long been a thorn in the side of the Empire, even before it had been formed, he had resisted it's rise. Slowly, the Emperor, Tarkin and Vader had all worked to root out those traitors. The fruits of their labour unfortunately came to found the core of the Rebellion that they now fought.

"Good," The Emperor hissed from underneath his hood. "Good. With his passing, the Rebels will be devastated, with only Senator Mothma to lead them. She will most certainly fail."

"My Lord," Tarkin nodded, stepping forward. "Lord Vader...and I," he said, giving himself credit for an idea that he had initially rejected, "placed a tracking beacon upon the Rebel ship. Should it rendezvous with the Rebel Fleet, or proceed to one of their hidden bases..."

"You will annihilate them," The Emperor cackled, shifting a finger as he spoke. "However, if the Rebels do indeed possess the stolen Data Tapes...and if they are in the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is a great risk. Governor Tarkin," he said, as a smaller image of three Star Destroyers appeared, "You will oversee the battle from a safer distance. Remote control over the Station will be yours. Lord Vader," The Emperor hissed, as his beady little eyes flickered towards the Towering Sith Lord. "The remaining Inquisitors will be dispatched to your side immediately. You are to intercept any and all rebel command ships that attempt to leave the system. And bring Kenobi to me. Dead or Alive. Am I clear?" he said, as his fingers tapped the edge of his Throne.

"Yes my Lord," they both replied in unison.

...xxXxx...

Luke Skywalker had never seen so many ships together in one place in his life. Counting them all, he was sure there where enough to fill the entire Mos Eisley Spaceport ten times over, if not more.

The majority of the ships he saw where X-wing Fighters. Nimble dog-fighters he had seen on the holovids, which where used by the Rebels against the Empire. About half as many Y-wing bombers could also bee seen, as well as a number of A-wing starfighters.

But more interesting to him was the plethora of converted civilian ships. Freighters, Cargo Transports and old Clone War ships peppered his vision. It was all like a dream come true. He became so caught up in everything that he didn't notice a rusty-looking Astromech, easily older than some of the ships, run headfirst into his leg.

"Ouch!" Luke grunted, as the droid proceeded to run over his foot. The droid, as well as the tall Lasat that accompanied it, both let out a chuckle as they blew past him. He briefly thought about confronting them, but realized that he would quickly lose Ben and the Princess in the crowd if he did. So, he doubled his pace to better keep up with the two of them. Behind him, Han Solo and Chewbacca lagged, conferring with one another. Secretly, Luke hoped that the duo would stay with them.

A speeder pulled up in front of Ben and Leia, and out hopped two guards, and an old man, who quickly hugged the Princess tightly.

"You're safe," the old man said warmly, "when I heard about Alderaan, I feared-"

"No time for pleasantries, General Dodanna," Leia said curtly, bowing her head as she spoke. "We have the tapes from Scariff! R2," she said, summoning her droid, who rolled forward and whistled merrily, "will show them to you, once we reach the command centre," she said as she boarded the speeder, with the droids, Ben and Luke in tow. One of the guards, however, aimed a blaster rifle at Luke's chest, stopping him cold.

"Not you," the guard snapped, "back up before-"

"Soldier this man helped rescue me from that horrible Battle-Station," Leia replied firmly, staring the guard down. "General, these two are to accompany me. Furthermore," she sighed, as she, and Luke, looked back towards Han and Chewie, "those two are expecting some form of payment."

"Understood," Dodanna replied with a curt nod, aimed at Ben. "Welcome to the Rebellion, General Kenobi! And..." he said, his eyes darting towards Ben, obviously looking for Luke's name, and not wanting to sound rude about it.

"I'm Luke Skywalker," Luke said politely, holding out his hand, just like his Uncle had taught him to do. However, the General's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

"Skywalker?" Dodanna said, looking from Luke to Ben as the speeder tore off towards the main portion of the base. "As in Anakin Skywalker? The Hero of the Republic?"

"His son," Ben replied simply, nodding his head. "General, you may wish to begin the evacuation of the base. Our ship was tracked. Might I suggest setting up a rendezvous point-"

"Ahead of you on that, general," Dodanna smirked as the speeder banked sharply. "Most of the upper command has already left the system, heading for one of our three main bases. However, the bulk of our military forces remain planetside, ready for action." The speeder continued along a marked path, skirting around a modified light freighter, which was being attended to by the same droid that had run over Luke's foot. "Unfortunately most of our command ships took a beating over Scariff. Less than half are combat ready. And we are in need of a new flagship." Looking around, Luke wondered why none of the ships still on the ground would suffice. They where all larger than any he had ever seen with his own two eyes.

"A yes," Ben sighed with a small chuckle. "Now it is all coming back to me. So many times...outgunned. Outnumbered. Yet we still managed to pull through." Once again, just like on Tatooine, Luke's mind was filled with a thousand buzzing questions. How many battles had Ben and his Father been involved in? How many people had he killed? What where the Clone Wars like? All of these and more threatened to overload his brain, until he calmed himself down, just like Jek Turbond, the man who had first taught Luke how to fly a ship, had taught him. He let out a slow, deep breath as the speeder came to a steady stop.

They all disembarked, and two crowds quickly converged into one. The first was comprised of people expressing their condolences to Leia for the loss of her Father, and Planet. The other was comprised of people both wishing to help Ben as he walked, and to plead for his advice, even as he told them he did not know enough to give his opinion.

Luke, C-3PO and R2-D2 however, where quickly pushed to the back of the room, into a corner as more and more people flooded in. Apparently news of their predicament had spread rapidly. More rapid than the General in charge wished, apparently.

"My goodness!" C-3PO exclaimed as he was rudely shoved into Luke by a pair of pilots in full flight gear. "How rude!" the droid said, causing one of the pilots to turn around with a scowl.

A scowl that quickly faded once he caught sight of Luke.

"Biggs?" Luke blurted at the sight of his childhood friend.

"Luke?" Biggs Darklighter said simultaneously. Without a pause, the two best friends pulled one another into a tight, brotherly hug. It had been nearly two years since they had last seen one another. The last time they had seen one another was minutes before Biggs had boarded the transport, heading for the Imperial Academy. There, he would be classically trained as a pilot and get to explore far-off worlds, just like Luke had always dreamed of. "How in the blazes did you wind up here?"

"Long story," Luke replied with a smile, as he clapped a hand on Bigg's shoulder. "I'll tell you later!" he said, as things inside the room became very heated.