Princess of Darkness

Chapter 14

There were few times when Leia's anger rivaled her father's, but this was one of those rare times.

"I humbly beg for your forgiveness, losing them was-" He was cut off by a raging Leia.

"You lost them? What do you and your men have a job for if you cannot take down a simple smuggler ship?"

"My Lady, I-" The pathetic officer pleaded. He was interrupted again, lifted off the air and struggling to breathe. Leia watched in satisfaction as his life began to leave him.

"Apology accepted, captain Needa." He let the body fall. Leia waved at the stormtroopers to take it away.

"Lord Vader, Lady Ruby, The ship has done a full sweep of the area. If the Millennium Falcon went into lightspeed, they could be on the other side of the galaxy by now."  Admiral Piett reported.

"Alert all commands, and calculate every possible route. I want them found." Vader ordered.

"Yes my Lord. We'll find them."

"Don't fail again, Admiral." Vader threatened. The fear in Piett's eyes was enough to show he understood.

When he left, Leia turned to her father.

"They stuck to the ship, didn't they?" 

"Almost certainly. Alert Boba Fett before we go into lightspeed."

"Will do, Father."

Han, Ava, Eli and Chewie had indeed been attached to the ship, and had no idea they were being followed by one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.
***

Luke and Lily were meditating again, this time only Luke stacked the rocks, and Lily was elsewhere in quiet, trying to submerge into the Force. It was a challenge at first, but then she found a rhythm, and was lost in the force. 

She saw Naboo and Coruscant, the way they were long before the Empire. She saw Mustafar, the most feared planet for Jedi and their supporters. 

Then the images changed into a vision.

A large Star Destroyer was looming in the stars, and the Millennium Falcon was flying away, followed by a different, foreign ship. She saw Bespin, and the City in the Clouds. The Falcon was flying toward it. There was a feeling of safety. 

The vision grew darker, and she heard the fire of a blaster, and the hum of a lightsaber. She saw Han, Ava, and Eli, felt their betrayal and pain. Oh the pain! It became to much.

She snapped out of the meditation and ran to Master Yoda and Luke.

Luke was sitting on the ground looking troubled.

"Luke!" She called, still catching her breath. "Eli, Han, Ava... Cloud City..." He waved her to stop.

"I saw."

"It is the future you see." Yoda said.

"The future?" Luke and Lily said simultaneously. 

"Will they die?" Luke asked.

"Difficult to see. Always in motion the future is."

"We have to go to them." Lily said. Luke agreed with her.

"Decide you must how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could. But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered." Yoda advised.

They went to train again, the vision still burning in their minds.***

Vader and Leia went to the hologram holding a hologram of Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett.