Queen of Eden

Chapter 3 - Attack

Getting kidnapped by Ewoks to be served as a meal in Threepio's honor was not on Luke's agenda but... it worked. At least the Ewoks are on their side now.

The Ewoks are celebrating and Luke was relaxing in the moment until his thoughts start to wander again. Vader is here. If he wants to talk to his father, this might be the last chance he gets. His father is on the Death Star and it could be destroyed while he's on it. He can't let that happen. He – he has to talk to him.

Ben and Yoda can say what they want but...

If Vader used to be a good person, there has to be something of the father Luke always wanted still in him. He can't believe all of that is gone and if Vader really cares for him, then...

It's dangerous but he thinks it's a risk worth taking.

Luke stands, quietly slipping out of the hut to look up at the night sky, up to the moon far above where his father is now.

But that's when he suddenly senses something else. That other being of the Dark Side that he thought he sensed briefly when they were coming to Endor. He can feel it again. And now that he's standing out here in the darkness, it feels like – like it's coming closer?

It feels very present right here.

They hadn't seen any more traces of the people who were after Camie and he was starting to hope that maybe they lost the trail, but he must have been wrong.

A chill snakes down his spine. It's something –

Whatever it is, it's right here right now, isn't it? And it knows where they are. It's coming here.

A branch snaps somewhere close by and Luke turns sharply, scanning the trees. Uncalled for, his eyes land on a – It's too dark to see shadows moving but there are definitely yellow eyes staring at them through the shadows.

And those eyes don't belong to an animal.

Is that - ?

He's almost certain their eyes lock for a moment and it sends a spiking jolt of fear through him.

Branches snap behind him again and he whips around, half braced for an attack but it's only Leia quietly stepping out of the hut where the rest of the Ewoks are. They're making so much noise it's hard for Luke to hear anything and that's not helpful right now.

"Luke? What's wrong?" she asks.

His gaze darts between her and the eyes. The eyes are still there.

"Act casual," Luke orders, keeping his voice low.

Leia's expression flickers with a mix of fear and apprehension but she quickly schools her expression. "What's going on?"

"We're being watched. I think it's whoever's after Camie. Tell the others to be ready for an attack. I'm going to lure them out."

"By yourself?" she demands.

"I'm the only one who can handle him, if he's really a Sith," Luke replies, with a little more surety than he's feeling. They don't have time for a disturbance like this right now. It could give away their position to the Empire – to Vader – and then everything's going to be over.

Leia nods, but she doesn't look very happy. "Be careful."

"Tell Camie to stay out of sight," he adds as a final afterthought before he turns away, moving soundlessly down the path away from the others.

Time to track down whoever's out there without alerting them that he's doing so. Luke can still swear that he feels eyes on him as he moves, climbing down from the trees to silently move across the forest floor below, but when he looks back at the spot where the eyes were before, he sees nothing.