SWTFW 03 - "The Grip Of Darkness"

Leia explained, "I'm concerned for Luke." Biggs spoke, "How so ?" Leia replied, "He has dark rings under his eyes that weren't there before the ceremony."

PRESS CTRL = (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0 (ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE THIS PAGE VIEWS BEST IN FIREFOX Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE THE FORCE WITHIN © April 2017 Written by David Wicker and "Karma" Please do not reprint without permission This will be a fan-fiction writing [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ] * * * This entry is Rated: EVERYONE This is a fan-fiction story where I tell the story of what happens between, "Star Wars 4 - A New Hope" and "Star Wars 5 - The Empire Strikes Back." GRIP OF DARKNESS Vader listened to see if his emperor Palpatine had anything further to say. The channel was quiet. He hesitantly clicked it off. A moment later the computer pleasantly chimed to show it had just received a new set of destination coordinates. Vader clicked one button to set the Tie-Fighter into auto-pilot and started on his way to Star Destroyer D-14. . . . Back on Yavin, Leia and Solo pulled away from each other, each with a sheepish grin. They really did kiss. Leia seemed to be the most ashamed and had her eyes downward. Solo, the old space pirate had kissed many a girl, but not like this. It was completely different. Something wonderful. He was the first to speak to break the uncomfortable silence. "So, uhh, princess, I'll see you later then." Leia's heart was so caught up in emotion she couldn't speak but only nodded. Solo found Chewie and headed back to the hangar where his Millennium Falcon awaited. Luke was feeling a bit better. He looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. The whispery strange dark silhouette was no longer behind him, but he did have dark rings under his eyes. "Lack of sleep." he told himself. He left to return back to the party where Leia found him. "Luke, are you feeling okay now ?" "Yeah." He looked at her. Her lipstick was a little smeared. So Han had kissed her after all. It was bad enough to lose what little of the family he had back on Tatooine, killed by the Empire, then Obi-Wan murdered in cold blood by the sith Darth Vader. But to add to all this, he didn't even get to kiss the girl despite being hailed as a hero. Leia came closer. It was clear to her that Luke was trying to hide the way he looked. Leia put a hand on his chin to try and turn him towards her. At once she saw the awful circles around his eyes making him look more dead than alive. "Lemme alone !" Luke said suddenly and slapped back at her. She kept her distance but watched carefully. Luke turned away hovering a hand over the top of of his forehead before finally adding, "I'm fine. Just tired. I'll feel better after a good sleep." Leia tapped a button by her side. At once an attendant arrived. "Yes ma'am." he said respectfully. Leia spoke, "This is Luke, a very good friend of mine. I want you to find good quarters for him so he can sleep undisturbed." "Yes ma'am." the attendant said. Then held out a hand, "Sir ? If you'll follow me, please ?" Luke was already angry at Solo for kissing the girl he loved and now was being pushed around by an attendant ten grades lower than him. But in truth, he was too tired to argue. "Yeah, sure." he managed to say, and then followed the attendant. Leia had some pleasant conversation with a few other pilots and then went to where the cake was. Only a few slices remained. Biggs was there refilling his glass with green punch. Leia tapped her controls again. "Where did you put Luke ?" A voice returned, the same attendant from earlier. "He's just now in room H-34. I tell you, he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed." Leia replied, "See to it he's undisturbed. Out." Then she went to Biggs. "You know Luke ?" Biggs smiled wide, "Yeah, I know him. Quite an honor he's getting here. I'm more than a little jealous. Still, we all worked together to make this happen." Leia nodded, "You're from Tatooine, right ?" Biggs nodded, "Yep. Him and me both." He paused for a second. "You seem troubled, are you okay, Princess Organa ?" She explained, "I'm concerned for Luke." "How so ?" * * * "He has dark rings under his eyes that weren't there before the ceremony." Biggs smiled. He was at first thinking it was something much worse but glad it was not. "Ah, he's just tired. Years ago, we used to shoot at Womp Rats from night well until the morning. I guess he's no longer the active boy he was anymore and age is finally catching up. In any case, we all need our sleep after what we've been through." Biggs lifted a fresh peeled shrimp from the table of ceremonial goodies. He eyed the shrimp carefully and his tone got more serious, "I also heard what happened. I had known Beru and Owen since I was a boy myself. They did a great job of raising Luke, and in many ways offered me great advice for growing up." "I'm sorry to hear they were both killed in an Empire assassination." He continued, "As for Obi-Wan, or as some on the fringe of Tatooine called him, 'Ben Kenobi,' He's what you call a wizard, strong with the Force. A very gentle and intelligent man from what I know and have heard. I can see why Luke is broken up over his death." He paused for a moment but then added with emphasis, "He would've made a great adoptive Father for Luke." Biggs was now quiet as he munched on the succulent shrimp. Leia then spoke, "Can you look in on him, tomorrow ? Say 10am ? That is, if he isn't already up." Biggs nodded, "Sure. What room will he be in ?" "H-34. Lower sections." Biggs grabbed two more shrimp adding them to his plate of select delicacies. "I'll do just that. I'm sure he's just overwrought by everything that has happened. Hell, anyone would be." Biggs pulled away to see another friend of his, Wedge, and departs the table to greet him. Leia was alone again. A moment later, Jan Dodonna, the general and commander of the attack on the Death Star approached her. "Princess Leia ? Can I have a moment of your time ?" Leia was at once attentive, "Yes ma'am ?" Jan smiled broadly, "First off, a very warm and heartfelt congratulations on the destruction of the Death Star. For everyone involved. It was clear our moon of operations would be their next target." Then she looked to the side with despair, "But we're not done yet. From what I am understanding of the report, Vader still lives. We won't be safe until that evil sith is either captured and imprisoned or dead." She continued, "As you know I'm opposed to violence, but in these uncertain times it becomes a requirement just to survive. We have set up a projection room just ahead in Visual 3 on where we last saw Vader's position. We wanted to send some scouts X-Wings in that area. We may find useful debris as well. Would you accompany me, please ?" . . . Back in space, Vader had exited light-speed and was just now arriving at Star Destroyer D-14, along with a few other Destroyers. At once a message came through his speakers. "Identify yourself !" Vader spoke simply and quietly, "Vader." A set of red lights on his computer console suddenly shone green. It was a rare thing only reserved for the highest in command. Not only was he permitted to enter past the shields but was given free reign to fly where he will around the massive ships. Other lesser pilots were only authorized a forced computer-handled auto-landing and no permission to wander freely around space. But Vader had no time to waste through visually inspecting the outer perimeters of any of the surviving Empire crafts. He clicked a few buttons and quickly auto-piloted himself in the dock. Vader's ship went through a wide opening underneath and was locked high above the ground in retracting clamps. A moment later he descended from below on a controlled invisible force-field beam dais. He is greeted at once by Admiral Motti. Motti had at one time confronted Vader regarding the design of the Death Star, and Vader was still sore from the event. Vader spoke in sepulchral tones to Motti. "And how is it you are here !? Weren't you ordered to stay aboard the Death Star ?" Motti quavered, "That is correct, sir. However, it was clear the Resistance was going to breach our security screens, sir. And as you know they found a weakness which led to the entire destruction of the base, sir." Motti wanted to add that he warned Vader about this very problem but was too frightened to confront the deadly sith. In an uncomfortable silence he added, "Would it have been better that I died with the others on the doomed Death Star, sir ?" Vader could feel Motti's fear, delicious to his senses, and leaned very close and breathed in his digital raspy voice. "We need all the soldiers we can find. For abandoning your post, you are reduced from Admiral to Soldier Class 3rd Division. Get yourself fitted, soldier." Motti balanced in his head which would be worse. Death by disintegration, death by Vader's unbreakable and invisible choking hold, or to accept this demeaning demotion ? "Yes sir." he said, glad he still had a head to salute to - and quickly beat a retreat from the area to put on a stormtrooper's outfit. Vader looked around, he could see Nahdonnis, Tagge, Yularen, and his right-hand man, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. He could dismiss all of these important people from evacuating the Death Star as they had never gotten under his skin like Motti did. Vader at once approached Tarkin. "What is the current status ?" he asked him. Tarkin returned an oily smile, fully aware that this powerful sith thought of him as a friend and compatriot, a rare thing amongst those practiced professionally in the dark side of the Force. He relayed, "As you should know, Vader, the Emperor is on his way here to survey and advise. As far as we can tell, the rebels are still on Yavin. Not everything disintegrated from the Death Star and we have ships out collecting what bits survived the devastation. Some of which we know were not disintegrated will be star recorders, and they will be brought in and examined." Vader thought briefly. Star recorders were devices that recorded data. Not just what happened around them but millions of terabytes of personal data if so desired. And they were protected in a seamless box by a molecular mix of exponentially increased dark matter material from premature and controlled black hole technology. The material was so strong that it could even survive the power of an exploding sun; an apt description for the now defunct Death Star. Vader's smile of confidence was hidden behind the mask. In truth Vader cared for very few people outside Tarkin. Countless lives he knew were killed aboard the Death Star, but the all-important star recorders survived. Vader's breath quickened as he thought - we will not have to start over from scratch. We have in fact not lost anything, at least on a technological level. We will rebuild our plans from the undamaged star recorders, and then once again we will grow to be a force more powerful than the universe has ever known ... ! (to be continued) If someone still wants to co-op with me on the story at this point, send me a SAMPLE of your writing style first via private message so I can see your expertise. And if it looks good we'll go from there. Return back HOME You are Earth Visitor #