On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter XXXIV

"Don't do love,

Don't do friends,

I'm only after success.

Don't need a relationship,

I'll never soften my grip.

Don't want cash, don't want card,

Want it fast, want it hard.

Don't need money, don't need fame,

I just want to make a change,

I just want a change...." Luna was singing softly to herself as she monitored everyone's progress, attempting to see if she could manage to remember all the lyrics should she manage to become a main singer again.

As far as Luna could tell, things appeared to be going to plan. The Rebels had commandeered some stormtrooper armor—they were lucky she was in control of the cameras and speakers, she overheard Leia saying something along the lines of Luke still being unable to properly pass as a stormtrooper before Han responded with the fact he was the only member of the group that could. The strange part was that they'd split into two groups and appeared to have brought a friend along, though Luna couldn't recognize who it was just off of movements, helmet and all preventing her from viewing his or her face. Han, Luke, and Leia—at least she was pretty sure it was the three of them—were heading underground towards the safe while their friend and Artoo were headed somewhere else. Vader was drawing attention to the opposite side of the base and causing all the Imperials to turn their focus away from where the Rebels were working—Luna had been leading most of the collaborative attacks and calling units away from other parts of the base to allow the Rebels more room to work until the Hands appeared on scene, telling the troopers to back off so they could fight the Sith alone.

Of course, Skywalker Luck, by definition, ment that such things would not remain on track.

"....I know exactly what I want and who I want to be.

I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine.

I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy.

Oh! Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no—" Luna cut herself off as the door behind her was prompted open through the Force—which was a mistake on the part of the Emperor's Hands. The very use of the Force, ever unwilling to work with Palpatine's abominations, acted like a blaring warning to her. Luna was already in the air, flying into an attack before the door was fully open, impaling one of the four Sith entering before springing back away from the activating red blades and throwing her lightsaber in an ark to destroy the control panels and monitors. She landed on top of the now useless holo table, coldly studying her three new enemies as her lightsaber returned to her hand, burning bright like a fire opal.

~*~

"Why is it that whenever a plan involves the two of you, it falls apart around us?!" Han questioned as he ducked back into a closed doorway to take cover from the laser blasts raining down on them from the other end of the hall.

"I'm pretty sure your luck's no better, Han!" Leia shot back.

"To be fair, this plan was destined to fall apart from the beginning!" Luke shouted in response.

"Regardless, got any bright ideas?" Han yelled over the laser fire.

"One, but it may get the Hand's attention on us early!"

"Don't see any other options!"

"In that case," Luke muttered slipping back from his position to allow Leia better cover and range, pulling the stormtrooper helmet off of his head, "I'd like to be able to actually see."

"Whatever. Hurry it up, Kid!"

Luke drew out his lightsaber and stepped into the open, deflecting laser blasts back to the enemy as he marched forward. Leia and Han came out from where they had been taking cover, flanking the young Jedi as his saber became an emerald shield of its own, allowing allied blasts past the barrier but not the Imperial's. It took a few minutes, but the steady forward pace Luke was able to maintain allowed the Rebels to clear the hallway.

Which led them into another corridor. Also full of stormtroopers.

....It was a good thing Luke had been practicing.

~*~

"Well, they aren't supposed to be there," Padmé muttered to herself, peeking around a corner to find what appeared to be two siblings standing guard inside the room of the control console she needed to access. The worst part was that both of them had lightsabers. Considering their similarities to the numerous holos of Palpatine's Hands she'd seen, Padmé didn't need to be told to know what the two were.

Now she had to think up a way to get rid of them. She had a thermal detonator on her belt, but it would probably destroy the control console and wouldn't necessarily knock both Hands out of commission if they reacted quickly enough.

And Padmé had seen enough Force users in action to know better than to try and take them head on.

This was a problem.

~*~

It was insulting. The fact Palpatine had deemed any of these Hands as useful Sith who could possibly replace Vader was up right insulting. Truely. The only thing they had going for them was numbers.

And even that wasn't going all that well. For them.

Vader squeezed his fist before throwing his arm out, the darkside channeled from it crushing the lungs of a nearby Hand before brushing a dozen enemies off their feet and into a wall with the force of a ship's thrusters, while his lightsaber slashed through the arm of a nearby attacker.

One of the Hands cackled as he launched himself at the Sith Lord.

"We—" he started before Vader grabbed him by the throat and crushed his trachea.

"—found," a nearby Hand picked up as she crossed blades with the Dark Lord, "your—" She was cut off as the Sith Lord disarmed her and relieved her of her head.

"—Shadow," another male Hand finished, grinning maniacally. The enemies around Vader began to laugh even as the Sith Lord felt fear settle in his heart.

"I wonder how many Hands it takes to make a Shadow fall," a female Hand questioned, a crazy look in her eye.

"I bet less than ten," one of the Hands responded.

"I say fifteen," a second countered.

"....Then I suppose I shouldn't entertain you children any longer," Vader growled.