Chapter 8 – Reunited

Ezra muttered under his breath, his face pinched with concern. Sabine tapped her foot against the floor as she guided the ship forward with white-knuckled hands. Zeb paced back and forth, his heavy steps causing the compact cockpit to shake as if it too were trembling with anxiety. Leia alone was calm. She stood in between Ezra and Sabine with her hands held behind her back and her chin inclined.

"Are you sure?" Sabine asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes," was Leia's curt reply.

She was spared from having to explain herself when a transmission sounded from the coms system.

"Unidentified vessel, this is designated military air space. Leave the area immediately or we will be forced to open fire."

Leia gave her companions a confident nod. She took a breath before delivering her prepared statement. "This is Leia Organa, Senator and Princess of Alderaan. I was on my way to a humanitarian mission on Wobani when my ship was raided by pirates. My security detail managed to get me to safety, but our escape craft was damaged during the jump to hyperspace. We have lost control over steering and our hyperdrive is overheating. We request permission to dock in your hangar bay."

The com crackled for a few tenuous moments as they awaited a reply. Finally, they received one and Leia exhaled with relief. "You're in safe hands now, Senator. We'll pull you in with the tractor beam."

Sabine muted the line and gave Leia a look of begrudging appreciation. "Nicely done."

"That was the easy part," Leia said gravely. The Star Destroyer grew larger in their view port as they drifted forward. She had never seen one up close before. It truly was a massive ship…

Ezra's voice compelled her to look away. "You're sure this is the one? There's four other Star Destroyers, you know."

"This is the one." Leia nodded to herself with unwavering confidence. "Luke is here. I can sense it."

Ezra stood up from the copilot's chair. "I don't understand. I've been a Padawan for two years and I can't sense him. How can you? You have no training at all!"

Leia shrugged. "I don't need training."

The small vessel shuddered and Leia held out her arms to keep her balance. "They've got us in the tractor beam," Sabine announced.

Leia smiled to herself. "This is where the fun begins."

Δ Δ Δ

Obi-Wan didn't make a sound as he navigated the sleek hallways of the Star Destroyer. It seemed the Force was with him as he had yet to encounter a single soul, but Obi-Wan knew his luck would only last so long. He needed to find the tractor beam generator quickly.

He donned his cowl and raised his shields, hoping to stave off Vader's looming presence at least for the immediate future. He knew there would be no avoiding him, however. The moment he had sensed him, Obi-Wan had known that they would face each other. It was a confrontation he had been dreading ever since Mustafar. Ever since he had left him to die…

"I'm not ready, Master."

He whispered the words so faintly and so hoarsely that they scarcely escaped his lips. Eyes closed, he took a turn at his intuition's behest and continued onward.

"I have not yet mastered your training."

Of course there was no response. He could only ever communicate with his late master when he was deep in a meditative trance. Qui-Gon's Force presence was so weakly connected to the material world that it made it almost impossible for them to communicate. But in spite of the obstacles, they had found a way. The process had been arduous and the training grueling, but Obi-Wan had finally gotten a grasp on what his master had tried to learn all those years ago. Even so, he was woefully unprepared. He had thought he would have many more years to perfect the craft.

That wasn't the only reason he was apprehensive. There had been times he had yearned and pleaded for it, there had even been times when he had contemplated pursuing it, but now that he was finally here, Obi-Wan was afraid of it.

Death.

The Jedi told him not to fear such things. Mortality was but a figment of our distorted interpretation of the material world. With death, one began life anew when he became one with the Force.

In the moment, Obi-Wan could no longer find solace in these esoteric teachings. Death was real and it was terrifying. His heart hammered in his chest, each thump louder than the last until he could hear nothing but its powerful percussion. Obi-Wan stopped at the end of the hall and held his hand to the wall. He gasped for breath, pleading with himself to calm down.

The boy. Think of the boy. He needed help! Obi-Wan couldn't let him down!

And he wouldn't. Because he had promised never to do so again. He pushed himself away from the wall and regained his bearings. "I won't let you down, Master. I won't."

Δ Δ Δ

Vader stormed down the bridge of the Chimaera, officers parting before him and revealing the distinctive blue figure of Thrawn standing in front of the view port. As if sensing his arrival, the Grand Admiral turned around – a hint of wariness wrought across his features.

"Lock down the ship. Nobody leaves and nobody enters. Is that clear, Grand Admiral?"

Thrawn narrowed his red eyes. "May I ask what is the reason for this order?"

Vader came to a stop and he could feel the bridge grow still with anticipation. News of his encounter with Thrawn had no doubt spread like wildfire. Good. Such a display would instill subordination as well as fear: The two greatest attributes in an officer.

"We have been compromised. Rebels are aboard this ship as we speak."

Thrawn expressed surprise at this. "But Lord Vader, the Rebels would never be so brash. We are in orbit around Imperial Center. Surely they would not –"

Vader raised a finger, quelling Thrawn's speech. "Do not question me. The Rebels are here and Kenobi is with them."

"Kenobi? The Jedi?"

"I must face him. Alone."

Vader spun on his heel and made to depart, but Thrawn called after him. "Lord Vader, what would you have me do with the princess?"

He stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder. "What princess?"

"The Princess of Alderaan. She requested to dock about ten minutes ago."

Vader marched back to the Grand Admiral. "And you allowed her?"

"I did."

Vader growled. He knew of this princess. She was the daughter of two known Rebel sympathizers. "She is a diversion. I want her arrested."

"But Lord Vader, if you are mistaken, the optics of such an order –"

Clenching his fist, Vader exerted a tiny amount of pressure on Thrawn's larynx. The Grand Admiral shut up abruptly, his face blanching with fear. "I don't care about optics. Arrest her and heighten security in the detention center. The Rebels are after the boy."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Thrawn managed to say, his voice high.

"If the Rebels succeed, I will hold you personally responsible, Thrawn." With this threat hanging over the Grand Admiral's head, Vader turned around and stormed away.

Δ Δ Δ

The hatch to the Phantom opened with a creak and Leia descended the ramp without a moment's hesitation. She held her head high and proceeded with an air of royal elegance which came from years of experience and practice.

An Imperial officer flanked by a half dozen stormtroopers on either side awaited her at the bottom of the ramp. She frowned at the sizable greeting party. Was this strictly necessary?

"Senator Organa, welcome aboard the Chimaera."

The officer was a lanky man with a thin face and a drooping eyelids. He peered down at her with a look of undisguised contempt.

"Thank you for rescuing me and my crew –" Leia began, but the officer cut her off.

"I have orders to arrest you. Please give me your hands."

Leia took a step back. "Arrest me? For what?"

The stormtroopers pointed their blasters at her and Leia froze. "Your hands, Senator." The officer produced a pair of binders and Leia gulped. This wasn't how she had envisioned things unfolding.

She summoned her courage and set her jaw. "You have no right to treat me this way. I am a member of the Imperial Senate! You can't just arrest me without cause!"

"Continue to resist, and I will be forced to stun you."

She heard a whirring sound as the stormtroopers set their blasters to stun. Staring down the barrel of one of these carabiners, Leia felt her resolve wither.

"Very well," she said, her voice squeaky. Extending her hands, Leia braced herself for the cold metal of the binders. Yet before the officer could slap them to her wrists, a blaster bolt pierced the air and the man was struck directly between the eyes. The officer fell to his back, dead. Leia stared at his blank expression – his eyes glassy and his mouth ajar. She was transfixed with macabre fascination. That man had died right in front of her! She had never seen violence like that up close.

"Leia! Get down!"

Only then did she register the chaos around her. Blaster bolts whizzed about while she stood vigil in the middle of the crossfire. She experienced a shock of terror at the realization that she could end up much like the man at her feet if she didn't move. Falling to the ground, she tucked her chin into her chest and held the back of her head with her hands. She pleaded for it to end, the deafening noise of the blaster fire drowning out her screaming.

"Leia, are you alright?"

And just like that, it was over. The colossal sound was gone, but her ears were still ringing – the voice calling to her sounding distant and muddled. She suddenly felt someone prodding her shoulder.

"Leia? Are you hit?"

She looked up to see Ezra standing over her, green lightsaber in hand. When she opened her mouth to respond, no words came out. She was mute.

"Sabine! Get over here!"

The Mandalorian girl was suddenly at Ezra's side. She took off her helmet to inspect her.

"She's fine. Just in shock."

"Leia, we need to go." Ezra grabbed her by the elbow and hoisted her to her feet. Leia's legs wobbled, seemingly unable to support her own weight. "Zeb, help me out, would you?"

Leia felt herself get lifted up by her scruff. Startled, she found her voice again.

"Hey! Let me go!"

Zeb chuckled and set her down gently. "We good to go?" he asked.

"This place is going to be crawling with bucketheads in a minute," Sabine said.

Ezra gave her a concerned look. "You sure you're okay?"

Leia nodded dazedly. "Yeah, I…" She glanced down at the dead officer sprawled out on the ground. Swallowing hard, she returned her gaze to Ezra and gave him a nod. "I'm fine. Let's move."

Δ Δ Δ

The engine room echoed loudly with every sound he made. Obi-Wan did his best to keep quiet, but there was only so much discretion he could afford to make. In this instance, making haste took precedence over his personal security. That seemed to be the case far too often for him

"Any idea what's going on?"

"I dunno. Probably another drill."

Two stormtroopers talked with one another idly, totally oblivious to Obi-Wan's presence. He was hugging a cylindrical mechanism, inching along the narrow platform toward the control panel. He spared a glance over his shoulder but instantly regretted indulging his curiosity. There was no railing on the platform and all that separated him from a sheer drop into the bowels of the ship was two inches of corrugated metal.

"Keep calm, Kenobi. Just keep calm."

He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the panel in question. Looking it over, Obi-Wan shrugged to himself before pulling the large lever. That looked important. There was a glissando of lowering pitches as the tractor beam powered down. A red light flashed, and Obi-Wan was satisfied he had done his job.

Before he returned to the safety of the main platform, Obi-Wan stopped to unscrew a bolt from the control panel. He then crept around the corner to see the two stormtroopers still standing guard at the entrance to the hallway. Neglecting their duties, the soldiers continued to chat.

"You heard what Vader did to Blueface?"

"Oh yeah. That was brutal."

Obi-Wan paused at Vader's name – the reminder of their impending encounter causing his pulse to quicken. Quelling this thought, Obi-Wan took the bolt in his palm and threw it at a metal silo at the opposite end of the hallway. The bolt sailed true and made a loud sound when it hit the silo.

"What was that?"

With the stormtroopers distracted, Obi-Wan slipped into the hallway and hurried away in the opposite direction. The door to the engine room closed behind him and Obi-Wan brushed his hands together to applaud a job well done.

Glancing around to see that nobody was around, Obi-Wan produced his comlink. "Maul, do you copy?"

His companion was quick to reply. "We've just dumped the scanner and are on our way to the detention center."

Obi-Wan considered his best course of action. Should he make his way back to the hangar and hope to keep Vader away from the detention center? This would be the ideal strategy, but Obi-Wan didn't know if he trusted Maul enough to commit to it. What if Maul chose to follow through on his threat and kill Kanan? He could then rescue the boy himself and take an escape pod to the planet's surface. While it would be a daring plan, Obi-Wan wouldn't put it past Maul.

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

"You want us to stop? But what about Vader?"

"We'll face him together if it comes to that."

"But –"

Obi-Wan deactivated the device and tucked it back into his pocket. He could only hope Maul would follow the order.

Without knowing where he was going, Obi-Wan meandered down the hallways of the Star Destroyer. He had a general recollection of the layout of Venerator-class destroyers, so he figured he had to go aft to find the detention center. All the while, Vader's presence continued to bear down on him. Obi-Wan wanted to open up to the Force to find his companions, but he couldn't do this without exposing himself.

He took a turn and nearly tripped over something. Looking down, he did a double take when he saw a fallen stormtrooper, a smoldering tendril of smoke wafting from a blaster wound to his chest. Who had done this? Maul? Wouldn't he have used his lightsaber?

Obi-Wan looked up when he heard a sound. It sounded like retreating footsteps. Stepping over the stormtrooper, Obi-Wan followed in pursuit. Reaching the end of the hallway, he looked left then right. That's when he saw them.

"Ezra Bridger!"

The boy with the green lightsaber stopped at once, and the Lasat leading the rear nearly crashed into him. As Bridger turned around to face him, Obi-Wan's stomach dropped when he saw who was next to him.

"Leia?"

The princess' eyes widened before ducking her head in shame. Incredulous, Obi-Wan gaped at her.

"What is going on here?"

"Master Kenobi –" Bridger began to say, but Obi-Wan cut him off.

"I want to hear from the princess."

He approached the mortified girl with three long strides. She seemed unable to meet his gaze.

"Care to explain this to me?"

She mumbled to her feet, and Obi-Wan had to lean forward to hear. "I'm sorry, Master Kenobi. I just… I really wanted to help."

Obi-Wan sighed. He knew he ought to be upset with her, but he couldn't muster it. All he could think about was how similar she was to Anakin.

"From here on, you are staying with me. Do you understand?"

Leia nodded without looking at him.

"Good." Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and turned to Bridger. "Do you know where you're going?"

The boy was about to say something when he froze. He and Leia both looked beyond him in unison, their faces blanching with fright.

"What? What is it?"

"It's him," Bridger whispered.

Obi-Wan turned around and there he was. Darth Vader was standing about two dozen feet away with his red blade active in his hand. Shields disintegrating in an instant, Obi-Wan was struck with a shocking cold and a red-hot rage. Vader spoke, and his deep voice was nothing like the one he remembered.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi. We meet again at last."

Obi-Wan activated his blade and held out his free hand to shield the girl. "Leave now," he said out of the corner of his mouth to Bridger.

"I'm going to help you!" the boy hissed.

"No. Take the princess with you."

Bridger hesitated, but his companions convinced him to obey. "Ezra, come on!" one of them pleaded. They turned to run, and Obi-Wan dropped his arm. Holding his lightsaber with two hands, he assumed his master's posture – knees bent and blade vertical at his side.

Vader began to approach, his movements slow yet threatening. "You are here for the boy."

Obi-Wan's grip on his lightsaber tightened and his lip curled with disdain. "He is not yours to corrupt."

Vader came to a stop. Two meters separated the former friends. For a long while, neither said anything as they looked each other over. Vader's respirator filled the silence, the caustic sound reverberating through Obi-Wan's tense body.

"You wish to steal my son from me."

Obi-Wan's posture slackened with dejection. So he knew. The boy would never be safe now.

"I will do what I must," he said resolutely.

Vader stiffened, the symmetry of the situation not lost on him. He raised his lightsaber and a flare of fury projected through the Force.

"You will fail."

Δ Δ Δ

Leia ran as fast as she could, but she struggled to keep up. The long white dress coupled with her much shorter strides had Leia far behind Ezra, Zeb, and Sabine.

"Wait!"

They turned a corner out of sight and Leia' s panic augmented further still. She had never experienced such sheer terror. The arrival of Vader had been accompanied by an oppressive chill which had Leia shivering. She had seen the man from afar before on Imperial Center, but never like this – as his enemy and target. His jet black armor and blood-red eyes made him look like the manifestation of death itself.

Leia felt horrible for running, but what could she do? She wasn't a fighter, she never had been. Master Kenobi would face Vader alone. And he would lose.

Making the turn, Leia was relieved to see her companions had stopped to wait for her. Yet as she approached, Leia realized that they weren't waiting for her at all. Their path had been blocked by someone.

"Maul!" Ezra exclaimed.

The Zabrak whom she had been so afraid of before now came as a welcome friend. Surely he could protect them from Vader.

"What are you doing here, Bridger?"

Ezra glanced over his shoulder to see her running toward them. "Are you okay?"

"I…I'm…" Leia stopped to catch her breath. She was woefully out of shape compared to the rest of the crew. "I'm okay."

"What is going on? Why are you here?"

"We're here to help," Ezra said.

Maul growled. "We don't require your assistance."

Just then, two figures emerged from the intersection behind Maul. At first, Leia startled when she saw they were dressed in stormtrooper armor, but they weren't wearing helmets and she recognized them at once.

"Ezra?"

It was Kanan. The Jedi wasn't wearing his face mask, and his blind eyes were closed. Walking at his side was Han, the handsome pilot she had met earlier that day.

"You came anyway? I can't believe you!" Kanan scolded his Padawan.

"Really?"

Kanan snorted. "You're right, I can believe it. Although I would have thought you would have listened to Master Kenobi if not to me."

"Why did you get separated?"

"We split up. He was going to meet us here. Did you see him?"

"He's back that way." Sabine pointed down the hallway from where they had come. "He's in trouble, Kanan."

"What kind of trouble?"

Ezra explained. "It's Vader. He's here."

Maul's eyes flashed. He looked beyond Ezra, but neither Vader nor Kenobi were in sight. They were far away.

"We have to help him," Ezra said.

Maul shook his head. "No."

"What do you mean no?"

"They boy is our first priority. Kenobi can hold his own for now."

Ezra and Kanan shared a look. During their moment of indecision, Leia stepped forward. "Come on! Let's go!"

She clapped her hands and took off in the direction where she instinctively knew Luke to be. The group behind her didn't follow right away, perhaps surprised by her initiative. Kanan called out to her.

"Princess, wait!"

Leia reached the bend in the hall and was startled to see a half dozen stormtroopers rushing toward her. There was a flash of red, and suddenly Maul was in front of her. Wielding his double-bladed lightsaber, the Zabrak deflected the bolts directed at her before charging the advancing formation. Leia watched in awe as Maul cut the stormtroopers down with brutal precision and force.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up dazedly to see Kanan at her side. The Jedi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I… yeah. Fine."

"Don't take off like that," Kanan said. "Stay with Ezra and me. We'll protect you."

Leia looked up at Maul. The Zabrak had deactivated his lightsaber and was giving her a curious look.

"You can lead us to the boy?" he asked.

Leia nodded. "I know where he is."

Maul's eyes narrowed further still. He took a step toward her and Leia gulped. "Lead the way, Your Highness."

She glanced at Kanan. He seemed to understand her anxiety and he gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Follow the Force," he told her.

Leia furrowed her brow at this instruction. Was that what she had been doing? She had merely been acting on instinct up until now.

"He's close," she said. Once again, she couldn't explain how she knew this. She just did.

Maul stepped aside as Leia began to walk – tentatively at first before quickening her pace. She started to jog, and Leia grabbed the skirt of her dress to give her greater mobility. With each step, she began to grow more and more excited. Luke was close! Finally, they were going to be reunited!

Wait, what? Reunited? She'd never met him before!

So why did it feel as if she knew everything about him?

After ten minutes, she came to an abrupt halt. She held out a hand to stop the procession behind her. Closing her eyes, Leia contemplated her feelings.

"This is it," she said.

"Where?" Maul asked.

"Down the hall on the left."

"Let's go."

"No, wait." She stopped Maul just before he stepped out into the hallway. "There's stormtroopers. A whole bunch of them."

"How do you know?"

"I… I just do."

She heard Ezra speak from somewhere behind her. "Vader must have stationed them outside Luke's cell. He knew we were coming for him"

"We can lure them away," Kanan said. "Sabine, Zeb. You go with Maul and get their attention. Ezra and I will deal with the rest."

"I don't think so, Jarrus. I am getting the boy."

"He doesn't know you," Kanan said.

"Yeah, and you'll scare him," Ezra added.

"No I won't!"

"This isn't a debate," Kanan said with authority. "We'll meet up with you back at the hangar. Han you go too and get the ship ready to leave."

Maul hesitated for a few moments before folding. "Fine," he grumbled. Drawing his lightsaber, Maul stepped out into the hall. Sabine, Zeb, and Han followed him with blasters raised, the former shouting out a greeting to their foes.

"Hey! Bucketheads!"

"Rebels! Blast them!"

Maul deflected a few bolts before turning to run after the trio who were taunting the pursuing stormtroopers. Kanan held out an arm, instructing her and Ezra to wait until the coast was clear.

"Alright, let's go."

"There still a few left," Leia warned him.

Kanan gave her a look. He seemed to be impressed. "You have attuned sight, Princess."

Leia frowned. "I'm not seeing them."

"Neither am I."

Kanan opened his eyes to reveal a milky white film covering his pupils. He winked and gave her a half-smile.

"There is more than one type of sight."

With this, the Jedi leapt out from behind the wall and charged the remaining sentries. Ezra was quick to follow, but his assistance proved unnecessary. Kanan felled the remaining stormtroopers with apparent ease.

"We'll stay here and keep look out," he said to her.

Leia stepped into the hallway and suddenly felt a twinge of uncertainty. She looked at the cell door and felt her mouth go dry. She was about to ask Ezra to accompany her when a blaster bolt whizzed by.

"Go!" Kanan yelled.

Dispelling her diffidence, Leia rushed toward the cell door while Kanan and Erza covered her. There was an orange button on the wall and Leia mashed it with her fist. The door to the cell opened vertically and she hurried inside.

He was curled up on a black bench inlaid in the back wall. The boy had shaggy blonde hair and tanned skin. He seemed to be asleep, but the sound of the commotion in the hallway caused him to wake with a start. Their eyes met and Leia felt her heart skip a beat.

"Who are you?"

She blinked once. "Huh? Oh!" Remembering why she was there in the first place, Leia shook her herself back to her senses. "I'm Leia Organa. I'm here to rescue you!"

Luke sat upright, his eyes wide. "You're who?"

"I'm here to rescue you!" She gestured to the open cell door. "I'm here with Ezra Bridger!"

"Ezra?"

"Come on!"

Luke didn't need any more convincing. He jumped to his feet and the two of them ran out of the cell together.

Author's Note: Space twins together at last! I've been envisioning this scene for a long time, so it was great to finally write it. Leia rescues Luke this time around! As Darth Maul would say: What fun! So much crazy stuff is going down in the next chapter, I don't even know what to tease! You're just going to have to stay tuned, I guess!