The Empire Strikes Back

"I will keep faith, at watch continually,
Close at thy side and vigilant from afar,
And never gentle to thy enemies.
And now thou seest them herein slumber seized,
These ravenous monsters, stretched upon the ground,
Maidens abominable, children gray with years,
With whom no God consorts, nor man nor beast,
Abhorred alike in heaven and on earth,
For evil born, even as the darkness where
They dwell is evil, the abyss of Tartarus.
Yet thou must fly and grow not faint of heart.
They will track down thy steps from shore to shore,
Forever traveling the wide ways of earth
Past island cities, over distant seas, and nurse thy tribulation patiently
Until thou comest to the citadel
With a judgment of thy suit and gentle charms,
Of speech, we shall find out at last a way
From all these evils to deliver thee,
Being moved by me even to kill thy mother."
—Eumenides

Chapter One: Grow Not Faint of Heart

"Move!" Connan shouted, shoving at Luke to get him through the door. "We have to get to Makrin Main!"

Apparently, Luke didn't need to be told twice. He kept a firm grip on his blaster and tore through the doors of the governor's palace of Makrin City.

Connan came out next, completely ignoring the shots flying past her head. The people firing at them weren't aiming well at all; she could sleepwalk through their assault and come out unharmed. She took a look around to judge the angle of the blaster fire and raised her hands up.

Six Stormtroopers rose into the air from various spots around them. Connan sighed and threw them all toward each other. They collided in the middle with a smack and fell to the ground.

"Get going!" Connan barked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear—it must have flown out of her ponytail when she'd been cornered between all those Stormtroopers before—and adjusting her robes.

Han walked out of the palace doors like he owned the place, dragging a spluttering Leia with him.

"Are you insane?" She asked as Han hauled her forward. "What are you doing, landing in Makrin Main? Why didn't you use the palace spaceport?"

"We would have loved to, really." Connan replied acidly. "But we didn't want to impose on Vader, or his ship."

Leia paled. "When did he get here?"

"About two minutes after we did." Han replied, ducking as another shot flew past his head. "You're lucky Connan and Luke could find you at all. We told you not to go off on your own like that."

Connan found the Stormtrooper shooting at them and Force Choked him before throwing him at a few troops just entering. She gave Leia a small smile. "Although I have to admit, it was very clever of you to hide within the city."

Leia brightened. "Really?"

"Of course. It was just bad luck that someone ratted you out. It could have happened to anyone." Connan stormed over to the door Luke had just pelted through—the blast door that was now completely shut. She looked at Han and grinned. "Back up."

Both Han and Leia were yards away instantly. Connan faced the blast doors and concentrated.

She held her fists together and to her right. She focused all of her energy into her hands and held it. The air around her began wavering, and she threw her arms as hard as she could and shoved the Force away from her.

The blast door crumbled like it had been made of plywood.

"Show off." Han grumbled, walking through the doorway. "Come on, we're going to fall too far behind."

"And Vader is catching up." Connan reminded.

Han sighed. "That too."

XXXXX

By the time they were a block away from Makrin Main, the number of Stormtroopers had multiplied. Connan and Luke were running back and forth, picking them off.

"Carth," Han barked into his comm. link. "You and Chewie get the ship ready."

"It's about time." Came the reply.

They passed through a huge doorway before entering the spaceport. Connan studied the frame of the passage. She looked toward the beams attached to the door. They were massive, and they stretched horizontally to connect with each other as well as the rest of the hangar.

She turned and nodded to Luke. "Get inside the ship."

Han and Leia made it to the Millennium Falcon first. Han handed Leia off to Mission and sprang toward the turrets. Connan and Luke dove on board and stayed on the ramp, keeping balance as Carth turned the ship on and prepared to leave.

"Ready… now!" Connan shouted.

The two beams crackled and busted, ripping off from the doorway and groaning as the first one fell. The second one came later, but only because she'd been busy bending it. When her beam fell, she used the Force to wrap it around one side of the door and the other, so it wouldn't be moved very easily at all.

Carth closed the ramp and the two tumbled to the ground. Connan felt the tell-tale jerk meaning the jump to hyperspace and tried her best not to heave.

"Hah!" Her mind screamed. "Take that, Ani!"

What a week. Leia had offered to go to Shelkonwa on her own when the others in their Renegade group had been asked to take a side-mission and look into the pirates that had been stealing from the Rebel Alliance, and had left before they could discuss it much more. After Han and Carth talked Connan out of trying to go after her, they proceeded to head toward the pirating problem.

That in itself had been a strange case to deal with. In the six months Connan, Carth, and Mission had been stranded in the future so far, they had not seen anything like an AWOL Stormtrooper.

After dealing with the AWOL group (and going through a bizarre adventure where they formed a small truce, so neither side would tell on the other), Connan felt it.

Leia was in danger.

It hadn't taken any time at all to get the others to start looking through Makrin for her. No one questioned Connan about what was happening to people. She seemed to have a connection—especially to Luke and Leia—and always knew when something was happening.

As soon as they had landed they'd formed two groups of three; Han, Luke, and Connan to go bust Leia out, and Carth, Mission, and Chewbacca who would guard the ship and get it ready for immediate departure.

Their plan had worked splendidly. Even in the middle, when Connan suddenly felt the need to rush their rescue as she felt Vader's presence rise up in her mind, they hadn't encountered him. They'd gotten away without catching a glimpse of the Sith Lord.

Connan was pretty ecstatic.

She was also still on the ground. Connan pulled herself up and turned to offer Luke a hand.

As she pulled the boy up he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"How did you do that?" He asked, amazed.

Connan laughed. "Oh, Luke. You can do it, too."

Luke frowned. "No, I can't. I can barely sense where enemies are."

Connan shook her head and clapped him on the shoulder. "We'll work on that."

The two strode into the main hold, where Carth was already perched, waiting for her. When he saw her, he was by her side in an instant, holding her tightly and breathing onto her neck.

"You're okay." He whispered, more to himself than to her.

Connan grinned. "Six months and going strong."

Han came in to the main hold and took a seat, followed by Chewbacca and C3PO, who began setting up a dejarik board. The last two droids, R2-D2 and R7-B3, came in after, quietly beeping toward each other.

Mission came in, pulling Leia with her, and sat down on the couch, strategically placing herself so that Leia would be forced to sit next to Han.

Leia glared daggers at Mission and took the seat, not looking at Han and scowling at a floor tile in front of her.

"We should go back to Yavin IV." Han stated. "They're anxious to hear from us."

"I agree." Connan replied. "But we will have to take a longer route."

"What for?" Luke asked.

"There weren't many TIE fighters or Star Destroyers after us when we left Shelkonwa, which means that either they were unprepared for us, or they are lined up along our known routes to lie in wait for us." Carth answered.

"We're going to have to take a strange route to get there, so we avoid any Imperial fleets in our way."

Leia frowned in thought. "I agree."

"So it's settled." Han said. "I'll zigzag us through the galaxy, and it'll take us a week to get to where we need to go, instead of the two days it usually takes."

Connan shrugged. "It gives me time to teach Luke how to pick things up."

XXXXX

In a final fit of rage (which wasn't very rare these days, he'd been angry and maddened with rage for almost twenty years, now) Vader lifted both of his hands and blasted the beam. It bent one way, but the other side of it was wrapped around the other side of the doorway, and wouldn't budge.

Vader felt like screaming. How dare they try to outsmart him? How dare they get away with it?

How dare Connan do something that yet again proved just exactly how strong she was? It would take him hours to open this damn door; hours of manipulation and concentration to bend the large pieces of steel so that they were no longer blocking his way.

From the back of his mind, in a place he had once hoped was long forgotten, in the back parts of his subconscious where he still referred to himself as Anakin Skywalker, something very familiar tugged into his mind.

"Take that, Ani!"

Vader shook his head. Even when he was Anakin, he could never hear Connan's voice in his head, and he had never ventured to check that he could, especially since the rather violent way she ended their bond. He hadn't been able to feel a thing from her.

Hmm, he thought. Maybe things are changing.

XXXXX

"I just don't understand it." Luke whined as he opened his eyes and flopped onto his back.

Connan sighed, trying not to roll her eyes. She lounged on the couch in the main hold, wrapped in a blanket that Han had been nice enough to bring her. She was propped up with her arm leaning on the armrest, and on the other side of this armrest there sat a stationary R7, who looked like he would start laughing at any moment.

Leia sat on the other side of the couch, reading a small datapad that updated her on the current status of things in the Rebellion. Mission bustled in and out of the main hold, going on expeditions for things she was convinced Connan needed: some food, another blanket, something to occupy her temper so she didn't try to Force Choke anyone.

In the middle sat Carth, who occasionally grabbed at Connan's hand and squeezed it, so she wouldn't do something mean to the poor boy.

"What don't you understand?" Connan asked.

"I can understand being able to see with my eyes closed." Luke stated. Good, Connan wouldn't have to go over Force Sight, again. "But I just don't get how I can make things float with my mind."

This time Connan did sigh. "Let's use an unorthodox way, then." She murmured, shifting her position to lean on Carth. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. "Sit up. Face the lightsaber." She waited until he did so. "Now close your eyes."

Luke glared. "If I can't do it while looking at it, I'm not going to be able to do it while not looking at it."

Connan shrugged. "So you say. I think we've just got to work backwards. I think you understand theory more than practicality." Like me, she refrained from adding. "So. Close your eyes."

Luke groaned and did as he was told.

"Picture your lightsaber in your head. Describe it to me."

"It's just a lightsaber." Luke stated. "The hilt is black, the clasp that sheathes it and pulls it back is red, it's got a small guard on it to keep another blade from running into my hands…." He went on describing the little glitches and inconsistencies of it, and the inside circuitry and crystals.

"Now that you've got a good picture of it in your head, hold out your hand and feel like that very description is in your hand." Connan said.

Luke held his hand out and frowned. His lightsaber rose silently into the air and landed softly on Luke's palm. The surprised boy opened his eyes and gasped.

"I did it!" He called.

"You'll get to the point where you don't have to understand the whole object you're picking up. You don't even have to be able to see it, really. Once you learn how to sense where things are, you can learn how to bring them to you."

Leia gawked. "That is amazing," She admitted. "He actually did that himself?"

Connan nodded. "He did."

Mission hustled into the room and stopped by Connan, taking a moment to stick her tongue out at Leia (which was reciprocated by the Princess herself) and grin at the ecstatic Luke. "We just got word from Commander Jan Dadonna. Mon Mothma has been in contact and will be in Yavin IV within a month. She's bringing the ex-General Rahm Kota along with her."

Connan's ears perked up. "In a month? She sure likes taking her time, doesn't she?"

"She's just as busy as you are, Connan." Carth defended.

"Fine, fine." Connan waved it off. "I can wait."

XXXXX

As it turned out, Connan had to wait.

As soon as they got back to Yavin IV, Luke was called away again on another mission. He opted to go this one alone, as he often had before. Connan would make sure to keep an eye on him while was away, and make sure that nothing bad happened.

Other than that, though, Connan didn't do anything. She spent her days discussing tactics with Carth and the other commanders at Base One, if she did anything.

Carth made sure to always stay by her side. She seemed more irritable lately, though if it was because of the waiting spell they were going through, or if it was because she was tired of waking up in the middle of the night sick to her stomach, Carth didn't know.

Connan had started a bad habit of waking up at two or three in the morning and throwing up whatever it was she ate before she slept. At first Carth had been insanely worried and tried talking her into seeing a doctor. After her adamant refusal ("What was the point?" She'd asked, rubbing his shoulder consolingly. "They'd find a bug or something and the medicine they'd give would be totally ineffectual, because I can't get rid of it until we go home.") Carth had stopped with the nagging her to see a doctor and simply worried about her constantly.

What was worse was the fact that nothing she ate would quiet her stomach. And she tried many things. Once she asked for olives and pickles (which he knew for a fact that she detested) and ate enough for two cannoks. It hadn't worked; she'd still been sick when she woke up next. Another time she wanted lemons, nothing but lemons.

She was very bored for that month, Carth could tell. Some days she'd just stare off into space, her arms draped across her stomach, or her hands entwined with Carth's, or simply fidgeting with his hands, lost in thought. Whenever he asked what was on her mind she'd reply with a wistful "Nothing," and would change the subject to something else.

It sometimes annoyed him that she wouldn't speak her mind.

Not that Han didn't annoy him anymore. Oh, no, Han was still way up there on his list of people to dislike. He seemed fascinated with Connan, and was always following her somewhere to ask her more questions.

As much as he would have liked to believe Connan's "He Likes Leia" theory (especially since Carth had seen Leia give Han many glares over the last month), until he knew for sure why he was bothering Connan so much, he couldn't trust the man.

Which was why when he saw Han trailing after Connan one day, he followed. He stopped at the door after Han had already gone in and listened.

"I just want to know something that's been eating away at me for almost six months now." Han stated as he walked into the room. Connan looked up from the datapad she'd been skimming and cocked her head to the side.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"It's been six months." Han clarified. "How come you're not… showing more?" He asked, trying to put it delicately. He flinched to himself.

Connan sighed gustily and put the datapad down. "I knew you were going to ask that." She said. "And it's a very long story."

"Can you paraphrase?" Han suggested. Then he asked, "Does it have to do with you being that lady you talked about before—about being Revan?"

Connan frowned. "How do you know about that?" He hadn't been in the room when Leia discussed it with them.

"I'm good at knowing things." Han simply said. He repeated his question.

"Sort of." Connan crossed her legs. "I suppose since you do know, it'll just seem confusing until I tell you. So you have to know that whatever it is I'm telling you is true, no matter what I say. Got it?"

Han nodded.

Connan took a deep breath. "There is a Dark Sided lifeform called the Byssual, and it has been sent multiple times to drag my friends and I into the future, where the Emperor can make me fall to the Dark Side and be used by him until either one of us dies."

Han stared. "This has happened before?"

"We made our fourth trip to the future six months ago." Connan frowned. "Well, my fourth trip. This is Carth's third, and Mission's first."

"And what does that have to do with—" He made a circular motion toward Connan, in the general direction of her stomach.

"Well, there's a matter of paradoxes that comes about when things like this happen." Connan started. "It wouldn't make sense for someone to have sustained an injury—a large gash to the side, say—prior to going into the future, and have it healed and gone by the time you get back. There would be contradictions, and everything would be messed up, and so on. That actually happened the last time we came," Connan remembered. "Jolee Bindo had a side wound for almost nine months because he got it right before we left, so for almost nine months it wouldn't close."

"And it's the same thing in your case?" Han guessed.

Connan huffed. "Three of us can't exactly get dragged into the future and four of us come back, right?"

Han shook his head. "No, I suppose not." He shrugged. "I guess that makes sense. In a strange, twisted kind of way."

Connan groaned. "You're telling me."

Mission ran in past Carth, giving the shocked man a smile before heading into the room.

"Connan!" She cried. "Mon Mothma is here. She brought Kota, just like she said she would."

Connan grinned. "Great. Let's go meet them."

XXXXX

Mon Mothma looked much like she had twenty years ago, never mind the added wrinkles and worry lines. When Connan came through the door—with Leia and Mission following behind her—she grinned and held her arms out.

Connan ran out and hugged her, just like a child.

"Senator Mothma!" She cried.

Mon Mothma laughed. "There's no need for the title anymore. Not since the Emperor dismantled the Senate. "I am, however, the Chief of State for the Rebellion." She grinned at Connan. "I've been waiting for a chance to talk to you myself. I'm sorry it took me so long to arrive; but I thought that my long-time friend Rahm Kota should be present."

Kota reached for Connan's hand and grasped it. "Charmed, milady." He said suavely, kissing her hand.

Kota was an old man, she could tell. He had stark-white hair, most of it pulled back into a high ponytail. His eyes stared straight forward and his posture remained slightly bent over and unsure, though Connan was positive that he was anything but.

"Now, where in this place may we talk privately?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Yeah. This way." Connan turned and led them down a corridor she knew would be deserted. Leia and Mission followed.

XXXXX

"This looks private enough." Connan stated, closing the door behind them. They were definitely in a deserted room. It was so old and unused that there was dust on the tables, and the desks were rickety and probably unstable.

"Now," Mon Mothma started, sitting down serenely on an old chair. "I was told you were in need of information."

Connan nodded. "I do." She replied. "I'd like to start heading out on my own, to start looking for Jedi, or at least for people who will help us."

"We have people already doing so." Mon Mothma explained.

"I'm talking about powerful people." Connan clarified. "Jedi, specifically. I already have one name that I'd like to head out and look for." I hope he's still alive, Connan thought. It's hard to tell who is alive and who isn't after twenty years.

"And you need our permission to do so?" Kota asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'd do it anyway." Connan grinned. "I would like to know if you have anyone in particular that you're looking for. Somewhat of a starting point."

"I'll send a list of names to you shortly." Mon Mothma stated. "So you can get started as soon as possible."

Connan nodded. "All right. I have a few questions about the Rebellion in general, if that's all right."

Mon Mothma glanced at Kota, who stared straight ahead, and looked back at Connan. "Very well."

"When did it start?"

"The Rebellion started deep into the Clone Wars, at the meeting you witnessed between a few of us who did not like the way things were going." Mon Mothma stated. "But we did not become so organized until two years ago."

Connan nodded. "So I haven't missed much. Who got the ball rolling?"

Kota cleared his throat. "Vader's own apprentice, my dear child."

Connan blinked. "Vader's—" She gawked. "Vader took on an apprentice? He can't breathe properly without asking his Master for permission, and he took on an apprentice?"

Leia giggled. "He wasn't bad."

"His story was long, and it wasn't happy." Kota explained. "But in the end he knew in his heart what was more important to him."

Connan frowned. "Who is this person?"

"We called him Starkiller." Kota continued. "I first met him above Nar Shadaa, when I could still see. He was sent out to kill me. He nearly succeeded. I fell to the planet below and lost my sight, and the Force."

Connan sympathized.

"He found me months later in a bar in Cloud City and talked me into joining him in making a rebellion against the Emperor." Kota kept talking. "Even toward the end, when he found out he'd been double crossed himself, and the rest of us were taken prisoner, he ventured to the Death Star to break us out. He gave his life to save us."

"Wait." Connan stopped him. "So he's dead?"

Leia nodded. "By the Emperor himself."

Connan shook her head. Well, damn. It would have been useful to have this boy around.

"The symbol for the alliance is his family's crest." Leia continued. "We chose it out of respect for him."

Connan shrugged and nodded her head. "Well, thank you for your time." She stated. "You've given me a lot to think about."

"If you have any more questions, feel free to ask." Kota invited. "We'll be here for some time."

As Mon Mothma and Kota left, Connan simply rubbed her forehead.

"Didn't go as you planned?" Leia asked.

"Of course it did." Connan replied. "I'm going to get a bunch of names of people that would be useful to the Rebellion."

"You look upset." Mission remarked.

"Something's not sitting right with me, I guess." Connan shrugged.

"Of course it doesn't sit right," Said an eerily familiar voice. "It's wrong."

Connan blinked and looked to the front of the room. She grinned at the familiar face in the front, floating a few inches off the ground.

"Hello, Kreia." Connan smiled.

Leia gawked. "What is that?" She asked.

"I am a regenerative being at one with the Force. I've chosen to come back just now to make sure that the Dear One doesn't miss out on a chance to do something that will help this Rebellion she's undertaking." Kreia answered.

Mission frowned. "Huh?"

Kreia rolled her eyes underneath her hood, completely put upon. "I'm a dead person who will come back every now and again to make sure that my child is all right."

Leia blinked. "That was blunt."

Connan grinned. "She's like that." She turned back to Kreia. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Galen Marek isn't dead."

Mission narrowed her eyes. "Who isn't dead?"

"The one called Starkiller. He's not dead." Kreia repeated.

Connan perked up. "Good."

"Wait." Leia spoke up. "How is that possible? My father saw him die."

"You father was mistaken." Kreia clarified. "Starkiller is alive and well. He is living with his droid Proxy and the woman called Juno Eclipse."

"Any idea where he might be?" Leia asked.

Kreia smirked. "Of course I know where he is. But what would be the fun in telling you? You'll never learn how to find these things out on your own if I tell you where he is."

Connan grinned, seeing Leia's abashed face and cutting off the argument before it was started. "Well, we have a starting spot. Thanks for the help, Kree. I'll talk to Carth and we'll head out within the week."

Leia stared at Connan. "I'm going, too." At Connan's questioning stare, Leia continued. "I've seen Starkiller before. He saved me from the Imperial Fleet, and saved my father twice before. If he's alive, I want to find him."

Connan nodded. "All right." She made sure she was out into the hallway before adding, "I'll see if Han will go."

Connan ran away, barely avoiding the shoe that was chunked at her and the uproarious laughter coming from Mission.

XXXXX

So it took a while to update today. Sorry guys. It's been a tough day. Not as bad as last week, though. I'm in for a busy month, so if I don't update it's not for lack of trying.

There's not a lot to talk about this week. I haven't started on the DVD yet and probably won't for another two or three chapters, since I've got to make up for a three-year gap in between these movies.

See you when I see you!

Amme Moto