The Hero's Path: Episode II

The Refugee

Summery: Starts right where episode one left off. On the way home, Luke has to stop at Alderaan to repair his ship. But when Vader shows up on the same planet at the same time, everything goes wrong.

Author Note: Episode two in a five, possibly six, episode series. Please read the Episode One first or you won't understand this!

Since you guys didn't give me any input on this, I decided to go ahead and post it.

Chapter One

It was a fine day for space traveling. There had been no mishaps with The Silver Star, the ship Warlen had given him, no unexpected supernovas, and no run-ins with space pirates… and yet Luke Skywalker was upset. It was for the simple reason that the finest adventure he'd ever had was over. He wouldn't lie; it had been sort of freaky at some parts, but there other times when he had enjoyed himself. But it was over now… and he was going back to Tatooine.

It was strange that he was going back. He hadn't planned to go back, but Warlen had knocked some sense into him. (Maybe it had happened when he was being thrown from dimension back to dimension.)

Luke sighed and looked out the window. He was sitting in the cockpit, watching hyperspace go by. It was a shame it was over… but maybe it was for the better. After all, he needed a break.

A sudden beeping sound caught his attention. Luke began checking the readout screens, searching for the problem. After a few minutes he found it. There were a few loose panels on top of the ship. He would need to land somewhere and repair it. Luke checked the map for the nearest planet.

Alderaan.

"Hmm, okay," Luke said. "Alderaan's good."

He had heard of Alderaan a lot. It was one of the few planets that was still peacefully, and untouched by the war thus far. All lot of the people from Alderaan were senators because they believed in talking through a situation rather than fighting. Not exactly Luke's style. He preferred an outright fight instead of stupid small talk, but this was because talking never seemed to get him anywhere. He usually got through a situation better when he was fighting.

Luke set his course for Alderaan. When he did, he began to feel better. At least he wasn't going straight home. Luke wasn't at all looking forward to having to explain everything to his aunt and uncle. Oh yeah, they were going to be mad… he'd probably be grounded for the rest of his life.

Luke cringed. Why, oh why was he going home, just for the sake of getting grounded for the rest of his natural life!?

…

A few hours later, Luke had arrived at Alderaan. It was such a beautiful planet; Luke wished he had run away here instead of Coruscaunt. He wouldn't have ever met Lenson… but then he wouldn't have ever met Warlen either. At least something good came of being forced to get that stupid cursed ruby thing.

Luke landed and walked down the ramp of The Silver Star, and looked around for an attendant. He saw one soon enough and walked up to meet him.

"Hey, person," Luke said. He didn't mean to be rude; it was just his natural behavior.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" the man said smiling.

These people sure are friendly. Aloud, Luke said, "There's a few loose panels on top of my ship and I need them fixed. Like now."

The man nodded, thinking inwardly that this kid could use a lesson in manners. But he agreed to do the job and have it done in less than an hour.

Luke shrugged. "Good enough." Up till now, he was planning to stay and watch. Maybe he could learn a few pointers about fixing ships. But suddenly, he saw lots of stormtroopers being led by Darth Vader!

They were about thirty or forty yards away, and they didn't see Luke, but Luke, being up on the landing pad could see them.

He turned back to the attendant and spoke in a rush. "Okay, get it done as fast as you can, I'll-be-back-later,-bye!"

The attendant watched Luke run off the platform and rush out into the streets, loosing himself in the crowd. He shook his head. That kid was strange.

…

Luke ran through the streets of Alderaan as fast as he could. He didn't even know why he was running. It wasn't really Vader he was worried about. The Second in Command of the Empire could care less about a kid like him, but all those stormtroopers made him nervous. After all, he had had bad experiences with stormtroopers.

For a second, the memory of the stormtrooper back on Coruscaunt tackling him and dragging him to his feet played in his head. Yes, he wanted to get as far away from the stormtroopers as possible. The farther away the better.

…

Darth Vader walked through Alderaan, looking this way and that. The people stared at him in fear and stumbled to get out of his way. Vader paid them no mind. There was only one person he was concerning himself with.

Luke Skywalker.

The young thief, the boy who he had almost had on Coruscaunt before his friends had broken him out of jail. He knew the boy was here. He felt his presence strongly. Something had happened since Coruscaunt which had caused Luke to grow strongly in the Force.

He was almost completely positive that this skilled child was his son. Almost sure. Almost. He had to see him. Touch him. Look into his eyes. And then he would know. Vader wasn't going to let the boy get away. Luke didn't know that Vader was looking for him, and this would work to his advantage…

…

Luke wasn't running anymore. There was no reason to. The stormtroopers and Vader were far behind him. Or so he thought…

He suddenly heard a deep, mechanical voice, not far off say, "There's the boy! Get him and bring him to me!"

"What the hell!?" Luke exclaimed. The shock that Vader was after him was too much. For a second, Luke panicked. Then, when he saw all those stormtroopers coming after him, his feet started going fast.

He began running faster than he ever thought he could run. Prison was one thing, Vader was something else completely. He couldn't let himself be brought in front of that freaky guy! He had to get out of here!

…

Fifteen year old Leia Organa was just getting into her speeder when she saw the boy. She was just coming from her friend's house. They had been planning her birthday party. It was still a few months off, but it was going to be a big party, and everything had to be planned far in advance.

She had come outside when her speeder came to pick her up, and then she nearly got run over by a blonde boy, about her age, running as fast as he could, breathing had.

"Sorry!" Luke exclaimed when he bumped into the girl. "I didn't see you."

Leia was a bit outraged. "How could you not have seen me!? I was right in front of you!"

"Stop nagging me, woman!" Luke yelled. "I'm trying to get away from… uh, someone."

"Who?" Leia asked. She was very curious about this boy.

"Uh…" Luke glanced behind himself. No stormtroopers in sight, but they could be just around the corner. "I'll explain it all to you if you take me a few blocks in your speeder."

Leia thought for a second. This boy could be dangerous, but then, he didn't seem dangerous. A little rude, yes, but she decided it was because he was in a hurry to get away from whoever was chasing him.

"Okay, get in."

Luke got into the speeder as fast as he could, and Leia followed him inside. When the speeder had taken off, Luke finally began to breath normally again. "Thanks."

Luke didn't normally say thanks to anyone. But he just felt like he needed to say it. After all, this girl didn't have to help him, but she had just the same, he decided that she deserved to be thanked.

"You're welcome," Leia said. "Now who were you running from?"
"Stormtroopers," Luke said shortly. He was still slightly out of breath after all that running.

Leia's eyebrows went up slightly when she heard this. "Stormtroopers? Why? What did you do?"

"Nothing, stormtroopers hate me."

Luke knew that saying he hadn't done anything wasn't exactly honest. He had broken the law on a daily basis back on Coruscaunt... but then she didn't need to know that, did she?

"Well if you didn't do anything, why are they chasing you?" Leia asked skeptically. She knew there had to be some explanation. Her father, Bail Organa once told her that there is always an explanation for everything.

Luke shrugged. "I don't know; Vader told them to." He said this without thinking. Of course he didn't know that the girl would be so alarmed.

"Vader!? Vader told them to chase you!?"

"Hey, stop freaking out, alright? I didn't do anything to make Vader mad, or want to catch me, and that's the truth!" Luke insisted. And this time, he was telling the truth. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to make Vader interested in him. In fact, this was all very confusing.

Somehow, Leia knew that this boy was telling the truth. One way or another, he was innocent…. "Okay. So… what's your name?" Leia asked.

Luke smiled. Finally, a question he wouldn't have to lie to answer. "Luke. What's yours?"

"Leia. It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah whatever," Luke said, distracted. He was looking out the window, trying to get some sense of direction. Luke kept looking out the window. "Uh… do you think you could drop me off at the landing pads back there?"

"Wait, I'd love for you to meet my father. And maybe he could help you. He loves to help people."

"That's great, but I really need to get off this planet as soon as possible," Luke said.

"But we're already here," Leia said. And it was true. The driver had landed at the palace, and Leia was now walking out the door of the speeder. "Come on," she urged. "You won't regret this, I promise."

Slightly annoyed, Luke sighed and followed Leia out of the speeder and on into the double doors that led to the inside of the palace.

…

Vader was very angry when his stormtroopers came back and reported to him that they had lost sight of the boy. He told them to keep looking. He would not let this boy leave the planet!

…