Shoutouts (in no particular order):

Princess-Kinky: Here is more!!!!

Freakazoid: Huzzah! I love it when I can make people weep. I'm very glad you liked the Luke-Biggs scene—I sort of added it on a whim to show their developing friendship that stretches into the opening scene of this chapter.

ewan's girl: Thank you so much for your reviews!!! Very kind. And about following into ANH…well, you'll see.

Just me: Here's more for you, too!

The last post of this fic!!!!!!! Wow. I actually began writing this in my spare time a couple of years ago, but only recently developed and edited it into what you see here. My original ten pages grew into about fifty-five…not bad, really.

Ah, yes…an explanation of what's up with the suggested AU ending is at the end of this chapter. But don't skip the text in between, even though this chappie is about twice as long as the others. I didn't wish to split it, because it's our novelization of ANH up to the point where Obi-Wan dies. It may or may not be good…but read it anyway. It also may or may not be completely accurate; while Jandalf and I have seen ANH numerous times, neither of us actually owns a copy of it, so we took the dialogue and scene description from the fourth draft of the script that I found online. This first scene with Luke and Biggs is actually in that draft of the script, and so we decided to add some things, and subtract others.

Keep in mind, this is only our representation…no copyright infringement intended whatsoever!!! Though you probably already knew that.

We hunger for feedback, as usual.

Jandalf: Feedback is YUMMY.

Audreidi: Right…So here's the somewhat epic end, which is really only the beginning…

~~~***~~~

The years came and went again, leaving fading memories to recess into the far reaches of the mind. But Luke didn't have many memories that he needed to lose, yet. He was twenty years old now, and hardly looked it. There was still a very boyish quality about him, something that reflected his inexperience. For that reason, his curiousity and spirit of adventure were still insatiable, so when his longtime friend Biggs came back for a visit from the Academy, Luke wanted to absorb as much knowledge as he could from him. Owen had said Luke wouldn't be going to the Academy for at least another season, far too long for the young man.

However, as the pair walked leisurely around Anchorhead, Biggs occasionally taking a sip from the malt brew he had in one hand, Luke was doing most of the talking. He was deeply involved in telling Biggs of one of the events he had missed, and gestured animatedly while talking.

"…so I cut off my power, shut down the afterburners and came in low on Deak's trail. I was so close I thought I was going to fry my instruments. As it was I busted up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was pretty upset. He grounded me for the rest of the season. You should have been there…it was fantastic."

By the broad grin on Luke's face, Biggs could believe it, though the older man shook his head. "You ought to take it easy, Luke. You may be the hottest bush pilot this side of Mos Eisley, but those little Skyhoppers are dangerous. Keep it up, and one day…whammo. You're going to be nothing more than a dark spot on the down side of a canyon wall."

Luke grinned. "Look who's talking. Now that you've been around those giant starships, you're beginning to sound like my uncle. You've gotten soft in the city."

Biggs sighed and downed the last of his draught. "I've missed you, kid."

Luke shrugged. "Well, things haven't been the same since you left, Biggs. It's been so…quiet."

Luke was surprised then; the expression Biggs adopted was bordering on surreptitious, and he leaned closer to his friend to speak in a lower voice. "Luke, I didn't come back just to say goodbye…" He frowned. "I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust, and if I don't come back, I want somebody to know."

Luke's eyes widened. "What…what are you talking about?"

"I made some friends at the Academy." Biggs quirked a smile and lowered his voice to a near-whisper. "When our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance."

Luke was stunned, and forgot to keep his voice down. "Join the Rebellion? Are you kidding? How?"

Biggs shot him a glare after looking around quickly. "Quiet down, will you? You've got a mouth bigger than a meteor crater!"

"I'm sorry. I'm quiet." Luke whispered in his ear. "Listen how quiet I am…you can barely hear me…"

Biggs shook his head, some of his anger dissolving. "My friend has a friend on Bestine who might help us make contact."

"You're crazy. You could wander around forever trying to find them."

"I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them I'll do what I can on my own. It's what we always talked about." Biggs' expression was possibly the most deadly serious Luke had ever seen from him. "Luke, I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side—the side I believe in."

Luke groaned miserably. "And I'm stuck here."

"I thought you were going to the Academy next term. You'll get your chance to get off this rock."

Luke snorted. "Not likely. I had to cancel my application. There's been a lot of unrest among the Sand People since you've left. They've even raided the outskirts of Anchorhead."

Biggs laughed. "Your uncle could hold off a whole colony of Sand People with one blaster."

"I know, but he's got enough vaporators going to make the place pay off. He needs me for just one more season. I can't leave him now."

"I feel for you, Luke, but you're going to have to learn what seems to be important or what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire? You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems; it won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock."

Biggs shrugged. "Things always change."

"I wish I was going. Are you going to be around long?"

"No. I'm leaving in the morning."

"Then I guess I won't see you." Luke kicked at a stone lying in the middle of the street.

"Maybe someday." Biggs grinned. "I'll keep a lookout."

"Well, I'll be at the Academy next season…after that, who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet, that's for sure." Luke looked right into his friend's face. "Take care of yourself. You'll always be the best friend I've got."

"So long, Luke." Biggs gave his friend one last smile, and headed toward the power station, leaving Luke behind to stare after him.

***

The Jawa sandcrawler slowly trundled across the sands. Korhi was filled with pride as he paced the bridge; his aging father, Kiniuk, was slowly handing the reins of command over to his son. Korhi had just made a deal with a couple of moisture farmers that he considered good. He had sold them two droids that the clan had recently discovered, a protocol droid and an astromech. Kiniuk had reprimanded him over the embarrassment of the other astromech's failure, but Korhi had taken it in stride and had replaced the blown motivator as soon as the sandcrawler had gotten back underway.

So good had his day been, his mood was hardly tarnished by the squad of stormtroopers that hailed the crawler and demanded it come to a stop for inspection. Upon sight of the squad, however, Korhi became somewhat uncertain. This group of troopers was far too large for a simple inspection; he suspected something else was underway.

The captain ordered all of the Jawas out of the crawler to line up on the sands. Indignant, Kiniuk was bent on hobbling over to the officer and giving him a piece of his mind, but Korhi held his father back and confronted the captain himself, asking what the problem seemed to be.

The captain ordered him to bring out a listing and description of every droid they had sold in the past three days.

Korhi was flabbergasted, but sent one of his subordinates into the crawler to retrieve the information. The captain inspected the datapad, and nodded to his troops. "The droids passed through here." Turning to Korhi, he demanded, "Who did you sell the protocol droid and the R2 unit to?"

Korhi's suspicions had proven accurate. Something was going on here, something big enough to make him posture himself rigidly and declare the Imperials had no business demanding something like that of a group of private traders.

So the captain had taken up his blaster rifle, and fired at Korhi's cybernetic arm. The blast took off most of the hand, and Korhi howled with pain, sitting suddenly down on the desert ground.

The captain had ordered him to answer once more, then he had his troops fire.

The clan, who had stood silently through the whole ordeal, collapsed in rows, some running away in panic but all mowed down by the blaster fire. Even Kiniuk.

Korhi shrieked in rage. He found no words in his vocabulary that could so vividly carry across the horrible anger and grief that burned within him. He was drawing his own weapon when the blasters caught him up in their fiery grip.

***

He had had a lot of time to think, over the years. They were years he used to rediscover life, love, and eventually himself. And now he could sense it was drawing to a close. Time was running out. It had been his enemy, then his friend, then his dearest love, and now it was urging him forward. And he knew, somehow, that soon he would have no use for Time…

But it accompanied him on his daily morning walk, as it always did, making the suns dawn over the horizon and letting him meander for a couple of hours, as was his way. He had grown so close to Time, that he had barely noticed it pass. Both a curse and a blessing, I suppose, he thought, ruefully rubbing his beard, which had turned almost entirely white with age, as was the case with his hair, which had thinned dramatically besides.

Memory was the same, intertwined with Time and yet holding a different character. He had learned to look at the good memories, the time he had spent with Anakin and everyone else before the dark had taken hold.

He smiled. The usually oppressing air had a strange fresh quality about it today. He entertained fantasies of a winter storm blowing in, covering the landscape with a blanket of powdery snow, and he laughed at the thought. We'd freeze to death if it got below 283 Kelvin, he told himself, knowing how most sentients' bodies adapted to a constant climate.

It was then that he noticed the bantha tracks running alongside his in the loose top layer of sand. Puzzled, he followed them. Banthas didn't often travel this way; it was the first time he'd seen tracks here in fifteen years. There were probably Tusken Raiders in the area.

Obi-Wan stretched out his senses. Sure enough, half a kilometer of desert presented a group of three or four, and they were oddly excited…

He hastened his pace, wondering what could have roused the Sand People so. He decided to probe the area more closely as he made his way forward.

A discovery. They had found something…someone, he corrected upon closer scrutiny.

Suddenly a flash of alarm came to him from someone else.

Luke. What's he doing out here?

Obi-Wan now had to pick his way among the craggy terrain. Luke was down in the gorge, and his mental voice was silent, dormant. He suspected the boy had been knocked out, in all probability by the Tuskens, who were busily focusing their attention elsewhere at the moment.

He reached the slope that would lead him into the ravine, and opened his mouth and throat wide.

The horrible echoing bellow came even closer to that of a krayt dragon, now that he had seen and heard one first hand…and now that his protectiveness had arisen at the thought of Luke at the tender mercies of the Sand People. He sensed the Tuskens tense and scramble away in panic, though with a faint determination to return later and take another look at the mechanical thing they had found.

Obi-Wan sighed and put up his hood. It usually went up at this hour, as the suns grew hotter over the day and Obi-Wan grew older over the years.

There wasn't much down in the ravine—just a landspeeder, miscellaneous items tossed around carelessly, and a young man lying prone on the ground.

How he's grown. Though he still has much to learn. Obi-Wan suspected Luke's lessons to follow might become quite overwhelming, as they would now have to be performed very quickly. He knelt by the side of the boy, and stretched out a hand, his fingers lightly touching Luke's temples, using a Force technique to bring him back to consciousness.

Obi-Wan heard a barely perceptible warble, and pushed back his hood, peering into the little alcove where an astromech droid hid, chirping softly to itself.

He smiled. "Hello, there. Come here, my little friend. Don't be afraid."

Twittering curiously, the astromech hobbled out, burbling what Obi-Wan suspected was a question.

"Don't worry," he said, and gestured to Luke, who was beginning to stir. "He'll be all right."

Luke groaned and sat up, holding a hand to his aching head. "What happened?"

Obi-Wan could barely contain the joy that swelled inside him at seeing Luke alive…no, just here, beside him. "Rest easy, son. You've had a busy day." And it's about to get busier, I believe. "You're fortunate you're still in one piece."

Luke's blue eyes widened in recognition; he had not forgotten the face of the man whom he had been so curious about for most of his life already. "Ben? Ben Kenobi? Boy, am I glad to see you."

Obi-Wan arched his eyebrows. "The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly. Tell me, young Luke, what brings you out this far?"

"Oh, this little droid." Luke looked exasperated, but somewhat impressed besides. "I think he's searching for his former master…I've never seen such devotion in a droid before. He claims to be the property of an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Is he a relative of yours? Do you know who he's talking about?" Luke asked hopefully.

Obi-Wan sank down onto a rock, a faraway look in his eyes. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan…now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time…a long time."

Luke seemed puzzled. "I think my uncle knew him. He said he was dead."

"Oh, he's not dead…not yet." Well, close enough, he thought dryly.

Luke's face lit up. "You know him?"

"Well, of course, of course I know him." Obi-Wan smiled and put a finger to his breastbone, tapping once or twice. "He's me. I haven't gone by the name of Obi-Wan since, oh, before you were born." The true Obi-Wan never left; it's just his private name that's come back to the public. Or at least to Luke and this droid.

"Then the droid does belong to you." Luke looked as if he was elated at solving an uncooperative mystery.

"Curious. I don't seem to recall ever owning a droid." He furrowed his brow, then suddenly rose his head to look at the overhanging cliffs. "I think we had better get indoors. The Sand People are easily startled, but they will soon be back, and in greater numbers."

Suddenly Luke blinked, remembering something. "Threepio…"

***

After recovering the protocol droid, who was every bit as prissy and pessimistic as Obi-Wan remembered him to be, Luke drove them all to Obi-Wan's house, following the Jedi's directions.

Luke looked around inside the weathered hovel curiously while conversing with his new-found friend. "No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here, and not gotten involved."

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Luke was rapt with interest.

"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father."

"I wish I'd known him." Somehow having a moisture farmer for an uncle didn't sound quite as exciting as a Jedi warrior for a father.

Obi-Wan nodded. "He was the best pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself." His eyes fixed on a point infinitely far away. "And he was a good friend. Which reminds me…" He rose to rummage around in an old trunk that sat by the wall, a decrepit piece of furniture but still functional. "I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough—" Well, Anakin would have, had he known of your existence, Obi-Wan thought— "but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did." Obi-Wan wore a wry smile as he came up with the object nestled in the palm of his hand. And you would have, too, had I but asked.

See-Threepio somehow fidgeted and said to Luke, "Sir, if you'll not be needing me, I'll close down for a while."

Luke nodded absently. "Sure, go ahead." He accepted the lightsaber from Obi-Wan carefully. "What is it?"

"Your father's lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster." He watched as Luke ignited the lightsaber, the long blue blade sliding out of the hilt. Fascinated, Luke experimentally swung it, testing its strange balance, while half-listening to Obi-Wan continue. "An elegant weapon for a more civilized time. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire."

Suddenly sobered, Luke extinguished the lightsaber, watching the beam shrink back down. "How did my father die?"

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force."

"The Force?"

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things," Obi-Wan explained, passing on the words he had heard from so many other Masters. "It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."

Artoo-Detoo warbled from his position on the floor, bringing Obi-Wan's attention to him. "Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you come from."

Luke frowned. "I saw part of the message that he was…" He cut himself short as he saw the projection of the girl he had seen before, at home.

Obi-Wan sat back calmly. "I seem to have found it." That face…that face could only belong to one person.

Leia's message began. "General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour." Then she spoke the words that had been rolling through Luke's head all night and all morning long. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope."

Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat as she looked left and right, then the message faded away. He frowned deeply. The survival of the Rebellion in my own house, and I'm not even supposed to be here…

Luke had stars in his eyes, it was plain. Obi-Wan considered for a moment, then turned to his young charge. "You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with me to Alderaan."

Luke was taken aback, and laughed, a short quiet sound. "Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late—I'm in for it as it is."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

Frustration was etched into Luke's features. "I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here."

Obi-Wan merely raised an eyebrow. "That's your uncle talking."

Luke sighed. "My uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?"

"Learn about the Force, Luke."

But Luke wasn't quite listening. "Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going."

Obi-Wan nodded resignedly. "You must do what you feel is right, of course."

***

Both Obi-Wan and Luke knew the reception that awaited the former should Luke bring him to the Lars homestead. But despite this, they agreed to face it together, Obi-Wan quietly smiling at Luke's offer to bear the brunt of Owen's fury.

However, their discovery on the way sidetracked the plan somewhat.

Luke slowed the landspeeder to a stop before what remained of an enormous sandcrawler. Jumping over the side of the vehicle, he walked in astonishment among the smoldering wreckage and the bodies strewn across the sand. "It looks like Sand People did this, all right. Look, here are gaffi sticks, bantha tracks…it's just…I never heard of them hitting anything this big before."

Obi-Wan had already gotten himself out of the speeder and was inspecting the carnage. "They didn't. But we are meant to think they did. These tracks are side by side. Sand People always ride single file, to hide their numbers."

Recognition dawned across Luke's face as he saw the markings on the sandcrawler. "These are the same Jawas that sold us Artoo and Threepio."

"And these blast points," Obi-Wan gestured, "too accurate for Sand People. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise." Well, more precise than Sand People, at any rate. Stormtroopers' visors look to be nearly opaque. He stood, watching Luke complete the train of thought that had already brought a premonition of heavy dread within him.

Luke was plainly bewildered. "But why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?…Unless…" In a look of horrible comprehension, he turned back to the two droids, who were somberly looking on at the bodies after coming off the speeder. "If they traced the robots here, they may have learned who they sold them to…" Luke's words came faster. "And that would lead them…home!" He started for the landspeeder, sickened at the thought of what might have happened…

Obi-Wan raised a hand in alarm. "Wait, Luke! It's too dangerous."

But Luke was already whizzing off over the sand.

Obi-Wan lowered his head. Death awaits him, in one form or another. I just hope the Imperials have left already, or I'll be going to Alderaan on my own…

Sighing, he turned to look at the two droids while keeping his senses trained on Luke. We might as well start cleaning this place up.

***

It wasn't very long before Luke returned. Obi-Wan had started a fire and he was piling the bodies of the stricken Jawas to the flame with Threepio's help, and among the dead he recognized one Jawa with a damaged metallic limb. Oh, Korhi. The added losses were weighing heavily on him when Luke skimmed back slowly and jumped out of the speeder.

Obi-Wan knew all too well the look of heavy realization on Luke's face that made the boy appear several years older, all at once. They're dead. Owen…Beru…gone. And he knew, too, the helpless burning rage behind the smothering sorrow. Luke was finding a new resolve. Obi-Wan only hoped he could redirect the youth's emotion before it was too late.

So he became the voice of reasoning comfort, hiding his own sorrow. "There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed, too, and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire."

Luke suddenly felt a wave of wild abandon. "I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me, now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

Years. So many years have passed while I have been waiting to hear those words. Smiling gently, Obi-Wan and Luke loaded the droids back onto the speeder, and drove for Mos Eisley.

***

Mos Eisley, possibly the dingiest city on Tatooine, well-deserving of its reputation. The armpit of the galaxy. Obi-Wan remembered the expression well. Spacebums of all kinds would come to find relative refuge from any kind of pursuit, making the general crowd rough, not something a sentient would want to be caught in without a weapon of some sort by their side. Fortunately, Luke had Obi-Wan for that purpose, though he didn't know it.

"Mos Eisley spaceport," Obi-Wan said as they stood on the overhanging cliff, looking down at the city. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." He looked pointedly at Luke, who gave him a determined smile.

***

Their progress into Mos Eisley was halted soon by several stormtroopers, one of whom was ranked a captain by the orange band on his shoulder.

"How long have you had these droids?" one of the troopers questioned Luke in a filtered voice, making the terse conversation rather more impersonal.

"About three or four seasons," Luke said nonchalantly, while managing to look concerned enough. Obi-Wan silently congratulated him on handling the situation.

"They're for sale, if you want them," added Obi-Wan.

The captain ignored the offer. "Let me see your identification," he ordered Luke, who began nervously fumbling for his ID card.

Obi-Wan reached out and touched all three minds to plant a suggestion. "You don't need to see his identification."

The captain relaxed. "We don't need to see his identification," he said, half directed to his two subordinates.

"These are not the droids you're looking for," continued Obi-Wan with a subtle wave of his hand.

The captain accepted this as well. "These are not the droids we're looking for."

"He can go about his business."

"You can go about your business," the captain confidently told Luke.

Obi-Wan smiled, a bit slyly, and waved his hand once more. "Move along."

The captain gestured for them to keep going. "Move along. Move along."

Luke, evidently relieved, pulled up beside the entrance to a rundown cantina and hopped out of the speeder.

A Jawa ran up and began running his hands over the speeder, jabbering greedily to himself before Luke shooed him away. "Go on, go on." He turned back to Obi-Wan, who was walking around. "I can't understand how we got by those troopers. I thought we were dead."

Ben smiled, a bit mischievously. "The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. You will find it a powerful ally."

"Do you really think we're going to find a pilot here that'll take us to Alderaan?"

"Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Only watch your step," he added. "This place can be a little rough."

"I'm ready for anything." The way Luke carried himself, he evidently believed his words.

"Come along, Artoo," said Threepio, nervously following along behind his master.

***

Chalmun's cantina was in dire need of renovation, though one could hardly tell through the smoke-laden air. A large assortment of species filled the bar, some of kinds that Luke had never seen before, let alone heard of. Obi-Wan went in unhesitantly, finding an empty spot at the bar, and started immediately to talk to the less intoxicated sentients in his immediate area.

Luke looked over the room uncertainly. The bartender arrested his survey and growled, "We don't serve their kind here!"

"What?"

"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here."

Luke glanced to Obi-Wan, who was now busily holding conversation with one of the gaudily-dressed pirates. Some of the creatures around the cantina were beginning to shoot unfriendly glares in Luke's direction, which made his decision quickly.

Luke turned to Threepio. "Listen, why don't you wait out by the speeder. We don't want any trouble."

"I heartily agree with you, sir." The two droids went back outside, easing the tension in the cantina's smoggy air.

Obi-Wan had discovered a potential candidate, and was glad he could understand Shyriiwook. The Wookiee had introduced himself as Chewbacca, and nodded, rumbling softly in his throat as he agreed to take Obi-Wan to his captain.

Luke had found a spot at the bar and casually sipped at his drink until a foul-smelling Aqualish butted in beside him, obviously drunk, and warbled out some slurred words. Luke tried to ignore him and turned back to his drink, but another sentient forced him back around.

"He doesn't like you," jeered Pondo Baba, poking a finger at Luke. The Aqualish, Dr. Evazan, gurgled in agreement.

"I'm sorry," Luke said, trying to turn back to his drink, which wasn't that good anyway.

"I don't like you either," continued Baba. "You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence in twelve systems."

"I'll be careful, then," Luke assured him, by now somewhat nervous.

"You'll be dead," shouted Baba, and reached for his blaster.

Obi-Wan moved in beside Luke and spoke in a calm voice. "This little one isn't worth the effort. Come, let me buy you something."

Enraged, Pondo Baba lashed out, sending Luke careering backwards to crash against a table, knocking it over. He drew his weapon from the holster.

The bartender panicked in the background. "No blasters! No blasters!"

But Obi-Wan was already moving. With agility belying his age, he brought his lightsaber up and ignited it. In a flash Baba's severed arm lay on the floor. Obi-Wan slid his blade back into the hilt and clipped it back onto his belt, his neutral expression never changing. He moved to help Luke up, and when the two men came back to the bar a respectable amount of room was given for the older man. I probably shouldn't have done that; word gets around quickly. But chances are I'll be gone by the time the rumor reaches Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan gestured to the huge Wookiee, who stood patiently by the bar. "This is Chewbacca. He's first mate on a ship that might suit our needs."

Luke was still in awe of the way Obi-Wan had decisively dealt with the situation, and numbly followed behind the Jedi and Wookiee on the way to his destiny.

Chewbacca led them to the back of the room and slid into a booth beside the man already sitting there, who lounged against the wall, eyeing his potential customers indolently, though there was a faint glimmer of sharpness under the easy-going mask. He leaned forward, bringing his elbows onto the table, looking at them expectantly.

"Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system."

"Yes, indeed," Obi-Wan replied. "If it's a fast ship."

Captain Solo cocked an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face that was inconspicuously sardonic. "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

Obi-Wan matched his expression, and thought, I should have expected this. Even if he is spouting a vain lie, Force knows I don't get out much. "Should I have?"

"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs." Through Han's cocksure attitude, Obi-Wan knew now that he was telling the truth, and taking a considerable amount of pride in it. Han continued, "I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk cruisers, mind you—I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?"

"Only passengers," said Obi-Wan, knowing that this captain would be doing some smuggling as usual despite the different sort of cargo. "Myself, the boy, two droids…" He tilted his head back ever so little to add some weight to his words. "…and no questions asked."

Han grinned. "What is it? Some kind of local trouble?"

"Let's just say, we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."

"Well, that's the trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. Ten thousand, all in advance." Obi-Wan saw the spark that was driven by eager desperation. Captain Solo needed all the credits he could get his sticky fingers on. His reply was interrupted by Luke's incredulous outburst.

"Ten thousand? We could almost buy our own ship for that!"

Han smirked. "But who's going to fly it, kid? You?"

Luke turned indignant. "You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself…" He turned to Obi-Wan. "We don't have to sit here and listen—"

Obi-Wan interrupted him as he responded to Han. "We haven't that much with us. But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan."

"Seventeen, huh?" Han pretended to mull it over, then nodded. "Okay, you guys got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay ninety-four."

"Ninety-four," Obi-Wan repeated, and suddenly sensed a spike of outside attention.

Han looked over the Jedi's shoulder. "Looks like somebody's beginning to take an interest in your handiwork."

The faint voice of a trooper reached their ears: "All right, we'll check it out." But when the Imperials passed by the booth, only a scruffy-looking smuggler and his Wookiee friend occupied the table, not even taking the energy to look up at the stormtroopers.

Once the stormtroopers had passed out of earshot, Han turned to Chewie with a eager smile. "Seventeen thousand! Those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship, and get her ready."

Chewie had left, and Han was getting up, checking his pockets for some cash for his drink, when a blaster was shoved into his face. He looked up to see a familiar Rodian.

[Going somewhere, Solo?] Greedo asked in an evidently smug voice.

Han sat back down while saying evenly, "Yes, Greedo; as a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money."

Greedo took the seat opposite from him, the blaster still trained on Solo. [It's too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head, so large that every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first.]

"Yeah, but this time I got the money." Han rolled his eyes in annoyance.

[If you give it to me, I might forget I found you.]

"I don't have it with me." Han's fingers slowly moved toward his holster. "Tell Jabba—"

[Jabba's through with you,] Greedo sneered. [He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser.]

"Even I get boarded sometimes." Han's voice was weighted with irritation. "Do you think I had a choice?"

[You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship.]

"Over my dead body," Han scoffed, his blaster gradually emerging from his holster under the concealment of the table.

[That's the idea,] Greedo said with a note of enjoyment. [I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time.]

"Yes, I'll bet you have." Han jerked his head to the side as a splash of blaster energy pitted the wall; almost instantaneously he squeezed his own trigger, and Greedo collapsed onto the table, the smell of charred flesh and ozone filling the air. The cloud of smoke mingled with that of the smog already in the air.

Han stood in disgust, holstering his blaster, and flipped the bartender a coin. "Sorry about the mess."

***

The Arcona owner of the speeder lot eventually surrendered somewhat to Luke and handed him some coins. Luke fingered them absently. "He says it's the best he can do. Since the XP-38 came out, they're just not in demand."

Obi-Wan nodded. "It will be enough. If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well."

Luke took one last wistful look at his faithful landspeeder, and then rounded the corner with Obi-Wan.

Neither one noticed the black-cloaked figure that moved out of the shadows and began to follow them at a healthy distance.

They reached the docking bay shortly; Luke stared dubiously at the beat-up Corellian freighter resting in the middle.

"What a piece of junk!"

Han came down the boarding ramp. "She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself." He gestured for them to go in. "We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here."

They filed in, Threepio nodding at Captain Solo. "Hello, sir."

Han was somewhat relieved. Sure, the cargo had already proven to be rather annoying, but at least he hadn't gotten into any serious trouble yet…

Then the filtered voice reached his ears: "Stop that ship!"

Imperial stormtroopers had to be the least welcoming sight to his eyes. He quickly drew his blaster and snapped off a few shots as another command was given. "Blast 'em!"

These Imps mean business, he thought grimly, and ducked as he raced up the boarding ramp and into the cockpit, yelling, "Chewie, get us out of here!"

"Oh, my," mourned Threepio as the passengers strapped themselves in for takeoff. "I'd forgotten how much I hate space travel."

Han climbed into his pilot's seat while Chewbacca groaned to himself about the present circumstances. It wasn't long before they blasted out of Mos Eisley, and out of Tatooine's arid atmosphere.

Han typed away madly at his calculations, and glanced up through the cockpit's large viewport. "It looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold them off…angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed."

There was not one, but two Star Destroyers, and both had noticed the YT-1300 rocketing into space.

Luke and Obi-Wan slid into the cramped cockpit, the former watching in fascination.

Han continued typing, and advised Chewbacca, "Stay sharp. There are two more coming in; they're going to try to cut us off."

"Why don't you outrun them?" questioned Luke. "I thought you said this thing was fast."

"Watch your mouth, kid, or you're going to find yourself floating home," snapped Han. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose them."

Luke wasn't so sure as the Millennium Falcon began to shudder under Imperial fire.

Han almost grinned. "Here's where the fun begins."

"How long before you can make the jump to light speed?" Obi-Wan asked calmly.

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer." Han was absorbed with his work.

"Are you kidding?" exclaimed Luke. "At the rate they're gaining—"

Han cut him off impatiently. "Traveling through hyperspace isn't like dusting crops, boy. Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"

Luke ignored the rhetorical question as he pointed at a blinking red light. "What's that flashing?"

Han brushed his hand away as one would an annoying insect. "We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in; I'm going to make the jump to light speed."

The stars lengthened into streaks as Han pulled the lever, and the Falcon along with its occupants were embraced by the dancing streams of light as they were carried into infinity.

***

It wasn't long before Obi-Wan brought his seeker remote to Luke's attention, and it didn't take the old Jedi any time at all to convince Luke to begin practicing with his father's lightsaber.

The remote made small hissing noises as it used jets of air to propel itself, weaving in front of Luke, who watched it intently.

Obi-Wan was standing to the side, watching him, when the surge came, and he was pulled into a realm of pain…

"…is peaceful, we have no weapons, you can't possibly…"

"No…NO!"

A scream. A scream such as he had never felt, not in all his years as a Jedi, as a general…never before had there been something of this magnitude, this turbulent maelstrom of confused agony.

Someone was playing a dark and deadly game.

He hadn't even noticed himself tottering to a seat; hadn't even noticed Luke coming toward him with a concerned look on the boyish face.

The youth's words penetrated the veil woven by the agonized consternation of millions. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

Obi-Wan drifted back from the feelings of the plunging deaths. Luke didn't feel it. I must keep a good face up for him. Such a feeling would be too much for him just yet, but I will tell him no lies. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force…as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced…" Mere words cannot describe the atrocity. "I fear something terrible has happened." He put a hand to his forehead. But to whom? And where? The blinding pain had washed out any sort of connection he might have made.

But Obi-Wan fixed his gaze back on Luke, and tried a reassuring smile. "You'd better get on with your exercises."

Han entered the main hold just then, looking even more sure of himself as usual. "Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I'd outrun 'em."

Chewbacca was busying himself with a dejarik game with Artoo, and Luke was silently continuing with his lightsaber, Obi-Wan watching.

Han was tempted to roll his eyes, and dropped himself into a swivel chair by the computer board. "Don't everyone thank me at once." His passengers once again failing to respond, he continued, "Anyway, we should be at Alderaan about oh-two-hundred hours."

Chewbacca reached to press a button, moving one of his holographic creatures to intercept Artoo's.

"Now, be careful, Artoo," Threepio said, becoming involved in the game.

But the little astromech burbled with glee as he spotted a flaw in the Wookiee's plan, and killed off one of Chewbacca's most important pieces.

Chewbacca looked up and roared a complaint at the astromech, angered.

"He made a fair move," stated Threepio. "Screaming about it won't help you—"

"Let him have it," interrupted Han. "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee."

Threepio somehow managed to look flustered despite his stationary faceplate. "But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid."

Han wore a roguish half-grin. "That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms outta their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that."

Chewbacca sat back in his chair and put his clasped hands behind his head, rumbling softly in his throat.

"I see your point, sir," Threepio said quickly, and looked down to his counterpart. "I suggest a new strategy, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win."

Artoo warbled a melancholy protest before returning to the game.

Luke waited stock-still in the middle of the hold area, watching the remote carefully.

Obi-Wan studied his movements, gauged his reactions. "Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him."

"You mean it controls your actions?" asked Luke, not taking his eyes off the hovering seeker.

"Partially," answered Obi-Wan. "But it also obeys your commands." A lesson in control, to be learned later when you begin to show an appropriate amount of finesse.

The only part of Luke that moved were his eyes, following the little ball. It shifted back and forth, and suddenly let loose with a small laser beam, striking Luke in the leg. The boy winced, taking one hand off the lightsaber handle to hold the sting.

Han burst out with laughter. He had been eyeing the whole procedure skeptically, and said, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."

"You don't believe in the Force, do you?" Luke said, a bit angrily.

Han rolled his eyes. "Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything." He raised his brow contemptuously. "There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny."

Obi-Wan smiled quietly. He'd heard it all before.

"It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense," added Han before looking back to the computer panel.

"I suggest you try it again, Luke," Obi-Wan said, taking a helmet and coming up to Luke. "This time, let go your conscious self, and act on…" He firmly placed the helmet over Luke's head, covering his eyes on the word: "…instinct."

Luke laughed. "With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?"

"Your eyes can deceive you," Obi-Wan told him, sitting back down. "Don't trust them."

Han skeptically shook his head, watching the training again.

The seeker activated as it sensed the igniting lightsaber rise in its fields; it bobbed around in the air, then struck out at Luke, the tiny bolt shooting past the lightsaber into the youth. He grimaced under the blast helmet.

Obi-Wan could feel his fading motivation. "Stretch out with your feelings," he encouraged.

Luke straightened and wrapped both hands around the lightsaber handle again, attempting to regain his composure. He stood, frozen, as the seeker hissed to one side…back again…and let out what seemed a barrage compared to before. But Luke moved fluidly, deflecting one, two, and three roundly. He extinguished the lightsaber and pushed the helmet off his head, somewhat flustered but glowing with happiness.

"You see? You can do it." Obi-Wan smiled proudly.

Han raised his eyebrows. "I call it luck."

"In my experience," returned Obi-Wan, "there's no such thing as luck."

But the captain refused to back down. "Look, going against remotes is one thing. Going against the living?" He shook his head, wearing a wide smile of insincerity. "That's something else." Then his attention was drawn to the small light flashing on the far side of the control panel, and he rose from his seat. "Looks like we're coming up on Alderaan."

As Han and Chewbacca headed to the cockpit ahead of them, Luke turned to his mentor. "You know, I did feel something. I could almost see the remote."

Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder. "That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world." A world that will take many more steps to even begin to understand, young one. Regardless, you're making a good start.

***

Despite the shortness of time over the trip to reflect over the massive disturbance, it was plain to Obi-Wan that millions, possibly billions of people had been stricken instantly dead, and he guessed that the Empire was not to be considered blameless. But the horrific agony that was the trail was far too painful for him to concentrate on following through the stars; he'd have to wait and see what catastrophic event made its way into the rumors of the public.

For now, he eased his concentration, focusing only on building mental shields. The closer he came to the Core, the more readily his enemies would be able to detect him. I must be ready.

I am. I have been for over a decade. Instead of the rush of adrenaline that might have arrived in his youth, he simply smiled and waited for the return to realspace.

Han and Chewie were working away in the cockpit; the former was busily looking over the controls. "Stand by, Chewie…here we go. Cut in the sublight engines." He pulled back on a control lever, and the strange patterns of hyperspace elongated back into streaks, then shrunk into the tiny pinpoints of light that marked the stars.

But it quickly became evident that they had not re-entered vacuum in its truest sense. The Falcon shuddered as it was hammered by small chunks of rock.

Han frowned, quickly checking the navicomputer. "What the…? We've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts."

Obi-Wan and Luke came into the cockpit, Luke edging in uneasily. "What's going on?" he directed to Han.

"Our position is correct, except…no Alderaan." Beneath the furrowed brow, Obi-Wan could sense his confused mind working rapidly for a credible answer to the disappearance of an entire planet.

Obi-Wan realized, and sank into his memory. The voices…were Alderaan's people.

Luke was taken aback. "What do you mean? Where is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid…It ain't there. It's been totally blown away." Han's thoughts eclipsed into a stricken numbness at the thought.

"What? How?"

Obi-Wan gazed out of the cockpit as they came clear of the space debris. "Destroyed, by the Empire."

Han snorted. "The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more firepower than I've—" He cut himself off as a signal started flashing. "There's another ship coming in."

"Maybe they know what happened," suggested Luke.

"It's an Imperial fighter," observed Obi-Wan as he recognized the model, looking between Han and Chewbacca to the readings on the computer.

Chewbacca barked his concern.

"It followed us!" exclaimed Luke.

"No," said Obi-Wan. "It's a short-range fighter."

The day was proving to be much more to handle than Han had predicted. "There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?"

The fighter rocketed past them as Han slowed to gain a safer position behind the TIE.

"It sure is leaving in a big hurry," observed Luke. "If they identify us, we're in big trouble."

"Not if I can help it," growled Han. "Chewie, jam its transmissions."

"It'd be as well to let it go," suggested Obi-Wan quietly. "It's too far out of range."

Han added power to the sublight engines. "Not for long."

They all watched as the TIE fighter drew closer to what looked like a star at first…but the hovering disk gradually increased in size.

Obi-Wan was attempting to work out the puzzle. "A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own."

Luke voiced his own thoughts on the matter. "It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something."

"Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us." Han had dropped the mystery for now, content to simply blast the little fighter into atoms. It was steadily losing ground to him, though blasting ahead at almost full speed…it was the almost that slightly bothered Han.

But something else caught their attention. The point of light that seemed to be the TIE fighter's destination had grown far too large for a star.

"Look at him," Luke said. "He's headed for that small moon."

Strange, Obi-Wan thought, burrowing into his memory. I don't recall Alderaan ever having any moons…

"I think I can get him before he gets there…" Han's eyes focused on the barely perceptible fighter. "He's almost in range."

In complete comprehension, feeling the life aboard, Obi-Wan said grimly, "That's no moon. It's a space station."

"It's too big to be a space station," Han ridiculed, though he was looking at the growing sphere now, instead of the fighter.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," muttered Luke.

They grew closer; Han tried to smother the shock in his voice as he spoke to Obi-Wan. "Yeah…I think you're right." He suddenly gathered himself into action. "Full reverse. Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."

The Wookiee copilot moaned as the freighter shuddered and began to vibrate as the TIE fighter reached the battle station safely.

"Chewie!" Han repeated. "Lock in the auxiliary power!"

Chewbacca snarled back his frustrations.

"Why are we still moving towards it?" Luke said in a panicked voice. The gargantuan metal orb was giving him the creeps…much the same way the deserted Tusken camp had all those years ago.

"We're caught in a tractor beam," Han snapped. "It's pulling us in."

"But there's gotta be something you can do!" Luke was beginning to doubt the piratical savvy of the hired captain.

"There's nothin' I can do about it, kid," Han said, exasperated with life in general. "I'm in full power…I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight."

Obi-Wan heard the steely resolution in Han's voice, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting."

Han physically relaxed, his eyes trained on the battle station, mind working away furiously.

Obi-Wan knew there was more to this man than met the eye…he could only hope that that would be enough help to Luke; he felt it was likely the boy would have to carry on without Obi-Wan's physical presence after this was over.

Han now turned to the onboard systems, pulled up the ship's log, and began typing away furiously. Obi-Wan watched as words appeared on the screen, telling that the crew had abandoned ship just after takeoff, leaving in a couple of the escape pods. Fortunately, there already were a couple of escape pods gone from the ship; Han had never bothered to replace them, as there were enough for him and Chewie at least.

The four watched in silence as the Falcon was pulled past a docking port control room and several turbolaser turrets. This battle station is a formidable weapon, indeed, thought Obi-Wan. But not powerful enough.

***

The conference room was empty save for Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader. The former leaned over the table to push a button in response to a comm call. "Yes?"

An officer's voice came over the comm. "We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system. Its markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley."

Vader's suspicion was instantly aroused. "They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the princess. She may yet be of some use to us."

***

The Sith lord approached the troops surrounding the Millennium Falcon in the docking bay as an Imperial officer and several troopers came down the boarding ramp. The officer noticed Vader and marched up to report. "There's no one on board, sir. According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff. It must be a decoy, sir. Several of the escape pods have been jettisoned."

"Did you find any droids?" Vader inquired.

"No, sir. If there were any on board, they must also have jettisoned."

There it was again. That little niggling in the far reaches of Vader's perception. Someone was here, someone he knew. Someone Force-sensitive, and able to block himself effectively. That alone told Vader all he needed to know. "Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of this ship checked."

"Yes, sir." Any resignation the officer might have had at this order was buried away deeply. Orders were to be followed, not questioned…especially when they came from Darth Vader.

The Sith lord tried unsuccessfully to locate the elusive presence. It slipped away from his grasp every time he tried to put a finger on it, to hold it still, and he mused to himself, too quietly for anyone else to hear. "I sense something…a presence I haven't felt since…" But he cut off the thought abruptly and stalked away. He might not be able to pin the old man down metaphysically, but even Kenobi could not escape physical discovery.

As Vader left, he heard the officer issuing commands: "Get me a scanning crew in here on the double. I want every part of this ship checked!"

***

The muffled thundering of steps rang out over his head, then all was silent. Pushing up on the concealing floor panels, they emerged from their hiding places.

Luke took a breath of fresher air, and said to Han, "Boy, it's lucky you had these compartments."

"I use them for smuggling. I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them," the captain grumbled. "This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."

"Leave that to me," Obi-Wan advised.

"Damn fool," Han muttered. "I knew you were going to say that."

Obi-Wan might have grinned, in an earlier year; he kept it to an internal smile. "Who's more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him?"

Chewbacca voiced his opinion as they struggled out of the hidden compartments. Han put up a hand for silence as he listened to the voice coming from past the open boarding ramp, the distant voice of a stormtrooper.

"The ship's all yours," they heard. "If the scanners pick up anything, report it immediately. All right, let's go."

Han nodded to Chewie and drew his blaster.

"What're you doing?" hissed Luke. "They'll hear that!"

Han shook his head and pointed to the butt of his blaster. "I'm going to use the other end, kid. Some things have more than one use."

Chewbacca stood ready with him, and they struck out silently as the crewmen came inside. Both of the Imperials fell to the floor, unconscious before they even knew what had happened, letting the large scanning machinery fall to the floor with a loud crash.

Han shouted down the boarding ramp to the guards, "Hey down there, could you give us a hand with this?"

The stormtroopers fell for it, and this time Han used the regular business end of his blaster, stunning the two before they could issue any cries.

Chewbacca quickly produced a couple of small syringes he had picked out of the ship's med kit, and injected half a syringe into each of the men.

"Anesthetic," Han noted. "Should keep them out for at least three hours. Okay, kid, get yourself into one of these uniforms. We'll have to masquerade Imperial style."

Han had just gotten his helmet on when the voice of an officer came over the comm unit next to his ear. "TK421, why aren't you at your post? TK421, do you copy?"

Fully decked out in his stolen stormtrooper armor, Han walked down to the bay floor and looked up at the officer peering out of the window. He tapped at the side of his head, giving a small shrug.

The officer left the window; Han quickly gestured for the others to follow him. Chewbacca trotted down the ramp, followed closely by Obi-Wan, then Luke came in his set of armor with the two droids. All considered, the smuggler captain was surprised at how quickly they got up to the small office overlooking the docking bay.

The office's door slid open; the Imperials inside were taken aback by the sight of the snarling Wookiee, who flattened the officer with a sweep of his arm. The aide reached for his blaster too late, and received a blast from Han.

Luke, Obi-Wan, and the droids quickly followed them into the room, Luke closing the door behind them and tearing off his helmet, revealing his exasperated expression.

"You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here."

"Bring them on," Han shot back. "I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around."

"We found the computer outlet, sir," Threepio interrupted their conversation.

Obi-Wan turned to the computer as Artoo sidled up. "Plug in. He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial computer network."

Artoo plugged into the jack and the screen came to life. He burbled something to Threepio after a few moments, who translated for the group. "He says he's found the main computer to power the tractor beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor."

The screen flashed readouts as Threepio droned like a narrator: "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave."

Obi-Wan studied the readouts. "I don't think you boys can help. I must go alone."

"Whatever you say." Han sat back in the chair and shook his head. "I've done more than I bargained for on this trip already."

"I want to go with you," interjected Luke, stepping forward.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Be patient, Luke. Stay and watch over the droids."

"But he can—"

"They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan," Obi-Wan pressed on him. "Your destiny lies along a different path than mine. The Force will be with you…always." He touched his lightsaber clipped to his belt and silently stepped out of the command office into the hallway.

***

The corridors were long and wide, but not many troops occupied this area. Mentally reviewing the location from the computer monitors, it wasn't long before he entered a service area that powered the tractor beam. Below the walkway the chasm stretched out for what seemed to be a hundred kilometers, but that didn't faze him; he'd fought for his life on walkways narrower than this.

An enormous pillar was located off to the side, with only a tiny path surrounding it. He edged around, keeping his weight close to the pillar, and reached the controls.

A twist here, a pull there. One of the most powerful tractor beams in the galaxy was rendered ineffective in mere seconds by a furtive old man.

As he kept moving around the pillar of machinery, a few stormtroopers marched by. He heard the filtered voice of an officer: "Secure this area until the alert is canceled."

Another trooper responded. "Give me regular reports."

The squad passed on, leaving behind two as guards.

"Do you know what's going on?" one of the stormtroopers asked the other, only slightly curious.

"Maybe it's another drill." The stormtroopers, not expecting any trouble, were facing each other and hardly bothered to survey the area.

Obi-Wan stretched out his hand, just a little; a small echoing noise reached the stormtroopers' minds.

The second trooper was alerted, and looked in the direction he thought the noise had come from as Obi-Wan slipped past. "What was that?"

"Oh, it's nothing," the first trooper shrugged off. "Don't worry about it."

Obi-Wan was not one to tempt fate, certainly not after all these years, and kept his haste in check as he glided silently through the halls. A rushed decision could create a compromise he didn't want, and he knew there were only two outcomes here and now. Either he made it back to the Falcon, or was dispatched by Vader. Knowing the Sith lord's preferences, Obi-Wan doubted Vader would be pleased to hear that his old Master had been mowed down by an overwhelming barrage of blaster fire. No, Vader would want the glory to himself, to exact his revenge.

Obi-Wan was using nearly all his concentration to shield himself and the other party (especially Luke), and couldn't risk probing the area closely enough to reveal the mentally cloaked Sith lord that homed in on his distant wake.

So it was that his faint hope of actually reaching the Falcon before fate claimed him rose slightly as he closed in on the door that would lead him into the hangar bay; that same spark of hope was extinguished at first the sound, then the sight of Darth Vader closing in on him.

Out of the cylindrical hilt enclosed in Vader's ebony-gloved hand, a crimson blade slid up. Obi-Wan slowly stepped forward, taking out and igniting his own lightsaber. So it had come to this…

The mechanical voice that Obi-Wan had never yet heard emanated from beneath the death-mask. "I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete."

The Jedi Master shifted his stance into a defensive position with an elegant ease belying his age as the dark lord continued. "When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."

"Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan returned as the mental pressure began. Vader had indeed grown powerful, and the festering wave threatened to push his mind over the brink…but he had taught this monster much of what he still used, and was able to counter the psychic blows as the physical ones began.

This was his first lightsaber duel since Anakin's fall, and was likely to be his last. So focused were the Sith and the Jedi on each other, they hardly battled with the physical intensity that Obi-Wan so well remembered; Vader was more intent on breaking into old Kenobi's mental defenses.

And almost slipped through as Obi-Wan blocked an onset of nausea.

"Your powers are weak, old man," Vader taunted, coming in for another assault.

But Obi-Wan's blue eyes were burning with all their fire of his youth. "You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Vader ignored his words, strengthening his attacks.

The interest of the troopers in the docking bay were drawn by the duel, something they'd never had the opportunity to witness before. As they came closer to the action, blasters ready, Han was waiting for a clear run to the Falcon, and seized the moment. "Now's our chance. Go!"

They started for the freighter as Ben looked over to the doorway, seeing the troopers heading in his direction. He was trapped, finally cornered by the Empire…or so Darth Vader thought, who pressed in his offensive.

Luke didn't think of running to safety. His widened eyes were trained on his best friend and his soon-to-be mortal enemy.

Obi-Wan turned to look at Luke, and smiled, bringing up his lightsaber vertically in front of him. He would not die in vain; he had already accomplished much, enough to ensure Luke's continuing curiousity and relative safety.

He felt, more than saw Luke's shocked expression change to horror as the red blade cut into his side, and then there was nothing…

But just before that moment of void, he heard Luke's scream, he saw Vader purposefully striding toward the docking bay…and he reached out to shut the door.

***

The cloak was empty. Vader had seen Kenobi vanish in what took no time at all. He had heard of this happening before, but had never actually witnessed it; he'd heard, as a Padawan, that it only happened to the Jedi who achieved true enlightenment.

Well, someone had been enlightened enough to shut the blast doors in his face, and he had little doubt as to who had done such a thing.

So turning back to the empty robes, Vader extended one gloved hand to pick something small, fine, and silver off the inside of the hood…

~~~***~~~

Jandalf: Huzzah!

Audreidi: The AU ending I have mentioned has sort of grown into a fic of its own, and we are already well underway, with a fair idea of what it'll turn out to be like. So, all that taken into consideration, Jandalf and I have decided to post it as a fic of its own. It wouldn't necessarily help to have read this first, but I think I have and will be placing some references into it from this fic.

Jandalf: And remember, people, Vader extended one gloved hand to pick something small, fine, and silver off the inside of the hood…

Audreidi: Jandalf! Don't!

Jandalf: But I'm only creating a horrible horrible cliffie!

Audreidi: They already know there's a cliffie.

Jandalf: Well, yeah, but I'm making it worse. MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!! READ THE AU!!!! Read it good.

Audreidi: (sigh) Anyhow, thanks for reading, and MTFBWY, one and all.