STAR WARS

Tales From the Jedi Academy

Ben Skywalker stood looking out at the busy traffic lines of Coruscant thinking of how soon he would be leaving the busy city-planet for the peacefulness of Yavin 4. The planet Yavin was a gas planet with solid moons on which the Jedi Academy was on the forth moon. Ben turned as he heard someone enter the room. His mother Mara Jade Skywalker smiled when she saw him standing there.

"How are you doing, Ben? Ready to go?"

Ben smiled back and nodded. "Yes, I'm ready to go." His smile flickered. "But I sort of don't want to go to the Academy now. I want to wait a while before I go."

Mara laughed. "You have to go. You're at the age where you need to go to the Academy now. Your dad is waiting for you to get there, Ben."

Ben nodded and followed Mara out the door and to the shuttle that would take them to Naboo, where they would meet Han and Leia, Ben's aunt and uncle.

One standard hour later Ben and Mara walked down the gangway and across the docking area to the Millennium Falcon, where Han and Leia were waiting for them.

"It took you long enough didn't it? But if you came in that thing I'm surprised you're here at all," Han told Mara. "It won't take you near as long to reach Yavin 4 in this ship." Leia smiled at Han's boasting.

"Good to see you Mara, and you too Ben. I bet you're ready to go to the Academy now."

Ben smiled. "Yes, I'm ready to go now."

Han nodded and they all loaded up on the Millennium Falcon to go to Yavin 4. Han got the coordinates from the navicomputer but Ben interrupted him from starting the hyper drive. "The last time I was on this ship the hyper drive didn't work. I was just wondering if you fixed it."

Han pulled back the lever and the ship vanished into hyperspace. "You were saying, kid?" Ben turned away with an embarrassed grin on his face. Han smirked and went back to work trying to find out how much time it would take them to get to Yavin 4.

On the planet Hoth the new Emperor of the Empire stood at the command center listening to the reports coming in from his commanders, waiting for the moment when he could send his troops to the planet Bespin to take over very silently. He turned as his aide came in.

"Your Highness, all the units are ready and are in position to start their attacks. Shall I give the order?

The Emperor smiled wickedly. "Give the order and prepare my shuttle to take me to the command ship. Inform the commander I will be joining him shortly. You may leave now."

The aide bowed and walked away to carry out his instructions. The Emperor walked across the command center to the docking bay and his shuttle. A few minutes later he came to the bridge of the Star Destroyer Chimaera, floating in space beside her sister ships, the Death's Head and the Judicator.

"Commander Titus," the Emperor said, "so nice to see you. I trust the campaign is going well so far?"

Commander Titus came to attention. "Yes, Your Highness. Everything is going well so far." The commander gulped. "We have learned that the Millennium Falcon got away from our spies on Naboo. They have no knowledge of who the passengers they were expecting were. They also do not know where the Falcon headed after it left. The spies were told to report back to Hoth as soon as possible."

"Good, very good. When they return I want you to kill them immediately commander."

"It shall be done." Titus flinched at the thought of what might have happened to the spies had his Emperor been in a bad mood.

Titus went about his duties as if nothing had happened hoping that the Emperor would not make his presence a problem. Titus knew well what would happen if he appeared to be a problem to anyone.

Death! He wouldn't last long after the Emperor found out if this was happening. "Take the ship out into hyperspace Captain. Set course for the Bespin system." His orders were followed immediately.