What Could Have Been Part III: The Destined Warriors

Scouting

     Luke

      Lieutenant Luke Skywalker... Wait no... Captain Luke Skywalker... No-no-no... General Luke Skywalker... I like the sound of that... General Luke Skywalker...

       "Alright boys look alive," Luke barked into his headset. He veered his speeder in between tangles of trees and indulged in the pleasure of commanding his own team of scouts- granted there were only six of them. Still, the small allowance of power was satisfying to the young Jedi. He knew he could handle a simple scouting mission. And so far, things had gone well enough. They had nearly completed their sweep of the southern region and would be returning back to camp soon. That was- if they didn't find anything before then.

      But as fate would have it, something found them first.

      "Stop over here. I wanna have a look around," Luke instructed his team. "Something isn't right here." Leaving their bikes parked in a circular formation, Luke and his team spread out over the area in groups of two. Luke wandered away from the rest and followed his senses. He could feel something strange about this place. They weren't alone.

      He knelt on one knee and pressed his palm to the ground. That was when he felt it; a faint pulse that grew stronger and faster with each beat. He wasn't sure if it was in his head or not, but Luke swore he heard tiny accelerating beeps before...

      "Hit the deck!"

      Boooommm!

      Luke was thrown back by the explosion and landed hard on his left side a few feet from where he had been kneeling. His team gathered around him and helped him to his feet. "What was that?" one of the scouts asked quickly. Luke brushed himself off and rubbed his left shoulder. "Land minds," he muttered. "Someone's been waiting for us." The unsettled dust hung in the air like it had been suspended in time. Silence fell among the scouts. Luke eyed the bushes throughout the area and then lifted his head towards the net of vines and tree leaves.

      "Up in the canopies!"

      Hidden among branches and greenery, a dozen or so figures peered down at Luke and his men with blaster rifles and in an instant, bolts of energy were raining down on them. Luke ignited his lightsaber and deflected the firing back at the treetop snipers. "Get to your bikes!" he commanded his men. With a swipe of the Force, he shoved one of the firing strangers off his perch and he landed on the ground with a sickening thud.

      Then Luke noticed that one of the men still in the trees was sporting a bright yellow armband with an obscure pattern Luke recognized as Barnabas the Cynical's signature symbol. These men weren't strangers at all. They were pirates.

       Uninterested in a stand-off, Luke retracted his sword and made a bee-line for his speeder. He had allowed his men a head start in escaping which meant that he would have to outrun Barnabas' minions by himself. Sure enough, more of the pirates were hidden out on speeders of their own in the bushes. This ambush must have been planned. How could he have been so foolish? His first time as a leader and he had failed. Barnabas would pay...

       Luke took off on his speeder with three thugs tailing him. One followed directly behind him and another on each side. Okay, Luke thought with a smirk tugging at his lips. Let's see if you fellas can keep up with me. He made a sharp turn the his left and gunned the speeder in another twist around a fat tree trunk. Two of the speeders just made the turns but one crashed into the monstrous tree with horrible howl.

      That got 'em, Luke thought in satisfaction. He pushed the engine to its limit and plowed across shrubs and bushes until he thought up another scheme to lose the other two speeders. Up ahead he spotted a fallen tree trunk with just enough space beneath it for a speeder- minus its rider, to pass under. It would be perfect for his stunt.

       Luke dipped his speeder down so it was lined up to slide under the moss-covered log. The two pirates were right on him so that if he slowed down the slightest bit, they would all collide. Luke took a deep breath and focused on the upcoming collapsed trunk. He opened his mind to the Force and let it flow through his entire body. It ran through his veins and it seized his mind with its awesome power, allowing him to think, to see the universe in a different way. Just before the bike zipped under the thick log, Luke leaped off the speeder. His timing was absolutely perfect. While he was air-born and sailing overtop the obstacle, the unmanned vehicle sped forward under it. For a split second, Luke allowed his eyes to close; relying solely on the Force to guide him back to the bike.

      And the Force did. On the other side of the log, Luke plopped back into his seat and took back the handlebars. He couldn't help but turn around to watch the two unfortunate pirates collide head-on with the immense tree. The impact was enough to launch the speeders into an aftermath of smoke and fire which to his own guilt, caused Luke to smile in amusement.

      And that was why he didn't see the tree coming...

      Jeez guys this chapter was so short but I just couldn't fit anymore into it and starting another section would make the chapter too long so SORRY!

      Anyways, Luke and Leia are both currently in some sticky situations and I bet you are all wondering what Anakin is up to as well but you must all be patient. The next chapter I think will be very very very special. Watch for another update soon! Until next time, may the Force be with you!