PART Seven

"Vin," Charlotte spoke, her voice almost a hiss. 

Vin froze when the feeling seeped into him and met her gaze in complete understanding. He could sense it too. It had come upon them so suddenly that there could be no doubt as to what they were sensing. A cold creeping sensation that invaded them with little or not warning. It chipped away at the strength of their resolve and infused them with icy tendrils that quickly wrapped itself around their spines with cold fingers. The power of it was made it impossible for them to be mistaken even though such total confirmation sent dread through every fiber of their being.  

"I know," Vin responded gravely. "He's here."

They had just left Charlotte's lodgings in the Ithorian herdship, Seleusa Secanda, bound for the promenade deck where visitors to the city enjoyed the sights of Ithor beyond the confines of the self contained vessel that floated above the planet's surface. Charlotte's companion Maria had taken her daughter Lilith there in order to give her reunion with Vin some privacy. During their journey to Ithor, Charlotte had confided in Maria the nature of her relationship with Vin and upon learning he had finally made his arrival on board, had made a discreet exit to allow her mistress to deal with what was a difficult emotional situation.

Although Vin was certain his history with Charlotte was in no way resolved, he did not want to waste any time discussing it or for that matter, lingering in Seleusa any longer than he had to. When he thought about all those wasted years, where he had sought something to fill the void left behind by her absence, only to find out that she had always known that he was a Force adept, filled Vin with no small amount of anger. Those were years he could have spent with the Jedi before their ranks were so completely decimated by the Emperor and Vader. He felt as if she had stolen that from him by not telling him the truth. Even though he believed her when she said that she had done it for his own good, Vin could not help being resentful. Despite his deep feelings for Charlotte which would always remain no matter what course their lives had taken, he knew that the power she had over him was broken, perhaps for all time. He had come to Seleusa on the strength of a promise and once he delivered her an d her daughter to the Alliance, his ties with Charlotte could be severed forever. 

In truth, part of his desire for haste had to do with Chris’ premonition that he would soon find himself face to face with Darth Vader. Vin was not customarily one who felt fear. As a bounty hunter, it was impossible to let the emotion have too much power over him. The nature of the work required courage and sometimes more stubborness then sense. Vin knew he fulfilled both requirements with ease but Vader frightened him. Vader frightened Vin because it was not his physical body that was so endangered but rather his mind. Vader could climb inside his head and attack the part of his psyche he allowed access to no one, not even Chris. However, even that terrifying exposure would not be as devastating if Vader managed to extract the location of the child from his mind. The boy had to be protected at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing Vin’s life to maintain his safety.

It was betraying Luke Skywalker that frightened Vin even more than dying.

"We have to get off this ship." Vin declared after a few seconds of regaining his composure where he fortified his inner shields to ensure the secret of Skywalker did not reach either Vader or Charlotte. After abusing his confidence in her the way she had, he was not ready to trust her with such a secret. If she learnt about the child, Vin could not be certain that she would not use that knowledge to save her daughter Lilith. As much as he hated to think that she would do something so heinous, he had to at least consider the possibility when the stakes were as high as they were. Whether or not Charlotte sensed his suspicions about her, she did not say and was more focused on their immediate concerns. 

"Even if we left Seleusa, there’s no way we’re going get past an Imperial destroyer." She pointed out as they waded through the sea of bodies that were presently on the promenade deck of the herdship. The entire deck was a wide, open plan area contained only by the plexiglass walls that allowed its occupants to look out in the sprawling vista of landscape that was Ithor. Azure blue skies eliminated the need for artificial illumination as Ithor’s sun shone through the glass. The promenade itself contained stalls scattered throughout the deck sporadically, its vendors selling everything from foods, to exotic baubles of native Ithorian art.

"Well I’m not staying around to get caught." Vin returned shortly as they neared the glass. "Where is she?"

Charlotte paused and swept her gaze through the faces that were admiring the view outside. Human and non-human alike were staring at the scenery in the same awe. It was difficult not to when all they could see was an idyllic landscape of lush, green vegetation. A veil of mist lingered outside that was just thin enough to allow onlookers the spectacular view. She wished she could have allowed Lilith to enjoy this a little more since it was her daughter’s first interstellar trip. Lilith had spent her whole life on Atura and Charlotte was sad that her first trip away would be fraught with so much danger.  

"Mommy!" Lilith’s voice found her first.

Charlotte and Vin turned sharply to the sound of the cheery voice in time to see a little girl with flaxen colored hair bounding eagerly towards her mother. She paused slightly at the sight of Vin and for a few seconds, powerful blue eyes stared at him in curiosity as well as wariness. Vin tried to offer the child a little smile to disarm her anxiety at being in the company of someone she did not know but Lilith nonetheless continued to stare at him, even after Charlotte had swept her little girl into her arms. Following Lilith closely was Maria, a sultry beauty that reminded him of Inez if he had known the lady a decade earlier. Vin made a mental note that when they returned to the rebellion to warn her about Buck.

"Lilith," Charlotte looked at Vin. "This is Vin. He’s an old friend of mine." 

"Hey." Vin greeted her, wondering why those familiar blue eyes were scrutinizing him with such depth.

Lilith did not respond and continued to study him, an unfathomable expression on her serious little face. Vin was almost tempted to probe her mind to see what it was about him she found so intriguing but invading a child’s mind was beneath a Jedi and so he restrained himself, deciding that the less he had to do with her the better. She was Will Richmond's child and no matter how much Vin might have hated that fact once, it was true, she like her mother was a part of his life he was going to try and distance himself from when this was over. 

"Is there something wrong my Lady?" Maria asked anxiously, knowing Charlotte enough to note that the situation had become infinitely more tense since the last time they had been together.

"Vader is here." She said tautly. "If he hasn’t sensed us yet, which is extremely unlikely, he soon will." 

"How did you get here?" Vin asked. "Commercial transport?" That might have been the most logical way to track their departure from Atura to Ithor.

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "I have my own ship."

"You docked under your own name?" Vin stared at her, hoping she was not that careless. 

"Of course not!" She declared indignantly, wondering how he could think of being so foolish. "Will bought the ship…" her voice trailed away and dismay etched into her features. "Vader could have gotten the registry codes from him."

Vin tried not to be affected by the fear he saw in her eyes for her husband and old feelings of jealousy surfaced inside him where they had no business being. He crushed the emotion mercilessly and looked down to see the little girl staring at him again. Why did she keep doing that? He wondered to himself and decided he would debate the question later. "Alright, if they’re on the look out for your ship, they won’t be keeping an eye for mine. Vader doesn’t know our history." 

That was something anyway, Charlotte thought to herself. "You think we can sneak out of Ithorian airspace?" 

"I hope so," Vin replied as he gestured them to start following him as he made his way to the space port. "Vader can sense us through the Force, getting past him won’t be easy. If we can keep ahead of him long enough to jump into hyperspace, we should be okay." 

However, Charlotte could read the thoughts he did not say and knew perfectly well that his words were a far cry from the reality depicted in his mind and that reality did not give them much hope of survival beyond Ithor, let alone making the desperate jump into hyperspace.

**********

 Mary sat in the command chair of her bridge and let a bemused smile cross her face whenever she glanced in the direction of Buck Wilmington who was occupying an observer’s station on the command deck. The pilot kept glancing at the helm of the great ship, trying to hide the fact that he was bored out of his mind and would have preferred to fly his own ship the Rogue towards Ithorian space. At the moment, the freighter was nestled comfortably in one of the berths within the Purgatory, a state of affairs Mary was certain was driving Buck mad with distraction. The pilot was used to flying himself from place to place and seeing someone else at the controls was more than he could stand. In contrast, JD Dunne had been talking to all the bridge officers, learning what they did even though the boy was a born fighter pilot if Mary had ever seen one.

"Buck," Mary stifled a smile as she pointed her gaze at the Correllian. "Is everything alright?"

"I’m fine," Buck muttered with a hint of annoyance. He kept staring at the helm station, wishing all kinds of terrible things upon the poor lieutenant who was piloting, just so the Mon Calamarian would vacate the helm and that he could have a shot a piloting the warship.

"I see." Mary exchanged a glance with Chano who knew just as well as she did what was bothering Buck and shared the same amusement. "Have you ever piloted a Nubian warship before?"

"How hard can it be?" Buck returned cockily, earning a snort of derision from the helm officer, as evidenced by the surge of bubbles in the breathing helmet she wore around her head.

"A warship isn’t like flying a Correllian freighter full of illegal modifications Buck. They don’t handle nearly as well and they take a great deal of concentration. From your service record, you hardly logged any star time at a helm of warship." 

"A ship is a ship," Buck returned. "I ain’t met one yet I couldn’t handle. I’m that way with women too." He winked in her direction. 

"That explains you and Louisa anyway." Mary returned not at all offended. She had gotten used to Buck’s manner around women. He was hardly sexist but he could not help flirting around women.  

"What is it with you two anyway?" Buck asked, knowing full well that both women had little love for each other. However to be fair, the relationship had improved to a point where their hostility was displayed only by the digs they took at each other’s expense which Buck was starting to suspect was more an indulgence in friendly mischief between the two than any real dislike. 

"Nothing you should ask about if you want me to let you have a crack at piloting this bird." Mary gave him a warning look.

"Consider the question withdrawn." Buck retorted. "You’d really let me have a shot at piloting this baby?" 

"I would if you stopped calling my ship a baby. The Purgatory is a warship, a bird of prey in the sky. She is certainly no infant." Mary responded with a hint of pride in her voice.

"And you say I’m touchy about the Rogue." Buck retorted with a smile.

"Touché," Mary answered smoothly. "If you like, you can take us out of hyperspace when we get to Ithor." 

"I wouldn’t mind trying, I mean if that kid at helm can do it, I’m sure I can." Buck said loudly enough for the lieutenant to look over her shoulder and offer another annoyed snort, creating more bubbles in her water filled helmet.

"You’re charming Buck." Mary shook her head with a chuckle.

 "So many women say that." He grinned at her. 

"Commander," Chano suddenly spoke up as he was delivered some alarming news from the communications officer. "We have a problem." 

The grave expression on his way immediately cut short the banter between Mary and Buck. The rebel leader swung around in her chair and faced her executive officer, her slender frame tensing as she waited for him to tell her news she was certain was not good. Even Buck had straightened up in anticipation of what was coming.

"What is it?" Mary asked.

 "It’s a transmission from one of our informants at the Ithorian space registry." Chano began, his expression neutral even though his eyes were filled with concern. "He reports that the Avenger has just entered Ithorian orbit."

"Aw hell." Buck mused while Mary remained stone faced, offering no reaction because it was not seemingly for the commander of the ship to show fear. Such a display had a habit of travelling down the change of command quickly, infecting the rest of the crew and instilling their abilities with a sense of hopelessness that could be fatal to the mission.

"How long ago?" Mary asked, inwardly grateful that Chris was not here. News like that would have him chewing at the bit and there was nothing worse than a Jedi with an attitude.

"1 standard hour." Chano replied automatically.

"How long until we reach Ithor?" She directed her question at the helm. 

"5 hours." The lieutenant replied. "At maximum burn." 

"Buck," Mary took a deep breath, thinking quickly. Something had to be done. "How long will it take the Rogue?" 

"Three hours." Buck answered automatically, quickly grasping the plan she was putting together.  

"The Avenger is a superstar destroyer." Mary continued. "It’s a big ship, at least five times the size of a normal destroyer. It’s armament is greater than a dreadnought. It’s got multi-array sensor capabilities and an extremely powerful tractor beam. If I’m not mistaken it has a fighter complement of four squadrons, that’s almost as much as a space station. If you go in first, that’s what you’ll be facing."

"I know," Buck stared at her understanding the risks all too well. He glanced at JD briefly and the young man nodded in his direction, telling Buck that he was ready to accompany him no matter what the danger. "But it’s got to be done."

"I don’t want you to give away your presence," Mary said firmly. Buck had a tendency to act first and think later. The situation as simply too dangerous for such recklessness. "You will go to Seleusa and tried to locate Vin. If the Empire has him, we need to know if he is still on Seleusa or if he was taken on board the Avenger. With any luck, he’ll be on Seleusa still and we have some chance of getting him off the planet before its too late."

 "Vin won’t let Vader take him alive." Buck responded softly.

"I know," Mary sighed, aware of this possibility. "So we’ve got to let him know that we are in a position to help him if he has been captured."

Buck nodded but the truth was, if Vin was captured already and taken on board the Avenger, they would never get him back alive.

*********

Vin did not allow himself him any satisfaction when they reached the Tracker without incident. Port authorities had nary raised a brow at the Tracker's request for immediate departure. Vin felt unsettled by the ease of their confrontation with Ithor's space officials but could not pin down for certain whether or not his wariness had to do with Vader's near overwhelming effect on his psyche or a genuine threat. Nevertheless this uncertainty plagued him as they nestled in the cockpit of his ship and he began preparing his ship for launch.

"You were right," Charlotte remarked as she took her place in the co-pilot seat next to him. "They're not looking for your ship."

Vin saw her seated in the co-pilot's seat and found his mood souring. "Well that doesn't mean anything. Getting past the Ithorians is one thing, getting past the Empire is something else entirely."

Charlotte did not say a word, aware that his acidic demeanor was directed at her betrayal of him no matter how much he tried to put it behind him. Hiding the hurt she felt at his manner, Charlotte told herself again that he still felt for her but he had every right to be angry. She should have told him the truth, not only because he needed to know what he was but also because he had the right to choose his fate and she had denied that by remaining silent. Taking a moment to compose herself, Charlotte kept her face turned away not only from Vin but also from Lilith. It would not do for her daughter to see her in such a state when they were in so much peril.

The Tracker's engines fired a second later, lifting the ship gently off the landing pad following the opening of the enormous bay doors overhead. The craft soared through the opening and continued at cruising speed into the atmosphere. Once again, their departure had not raised any attention and while Vin did not feel as if they had made good their escape; at least one hurdle had been crossed. He tried not to think of the behemoth waiting for them in the skies above Ithor, the silent predator they could not see but could definitely feel. Charlotte said nothing about Vader but Vin was wondering why the dark lord was going to so much trouble to get his hands on one child.

Chris had led him to believe that the extermination of the Jedi was for the purposes of the Emperor having no one to challenge him, not to create a dark order of Sith Lords. Traditionally the Sith Lords composed of a Master and an Apprentice, the most basic of Jedi relationships; a school of Sith Lord apprentices though frightening in its possibility seemed unlikely. Vin remained silent about his suspicions because he was feeling a little guilty at how he was regarding Charlotte and knew he had hurt her. He could sense it despite her efforts to hide it from him. If there was not so much emotional connection between them, she might have succeeded in her efforts.

Although he felt uncomfortable talking to her about their past in the company of her daughter and her companion, Vin did not want her to feel any worse than she already had. Charlotte had acted as she had not out of any sense of malice but a desire to protect him. No matter what he might think about her actions, he could not deny that what was done had been borne out of her love for him. He was not blameless for what had transpired between them six years ago and so it was very selfish of him to be judgmental when his behavior had not been any more honorable than hers.

"Charlotte," he said gently. "We'll get out of here, I promise."

She turned to face him because of the tenderness in his voice and met his gaze. "I am sorry Vin." She whispered. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know that." Vin answered. "I just missed you for so long and suddenly my life started moving past you. I never expected to see you again."

Charlotte was about to answer when suddenly, a sharp beeping sound filled the air and immediately drew Vin's attention to a console screen at the corner of the cockpit control board. They had just breached the atmosphere and Vin had set the coordinates for their jump into hyperspace when the alert was sounded. Vin saw the readings on the screen and knew that his worst fears were confirmed. While he could not see the ship on the screen yet, he knew it would be a matter of seconds before they received a visual sighting. The ship was moving into interception trajectory and would reach them in a matter of seconds.

"Mommy look!" Lilith cried out.

"By the Force!" Maria's exclamation followed.

Vin looked up and saw the great ship sail into view of the cockpit window. He had heard about the Avenger's size from those who had seen it but it was nothing compared to the reality that appeared before him. For an instant, he was gripped with nothing less than awe as he saw the ship which made star destroyers looked infinitesimal. It seemed to fill the sky as it soared towards them, its engines seemingly like comets forcing a huge dark star forward. Vin swallowed thickly and reminded himself that if they did not escape that floating behemoth now, they never would. Wasting no time, he let his fingers fly across the cockpit controls, altering his trajectory to take his ship as far away from the giant warship.

More emergency signals began sounding throughout the cockpit confines and since Vin was too busy trying to put some distance between the Tracker and the super star destroyer, Charlotte assumed the office of the chair she was occupying. "They're moving into intercept!"

"We've got to get out of their tractor beam range!" Vin shot back as the Tracker made a sharp turn away from the Avenger and began surging ahead.

"They're in pursuit." Charlotte reported, her eyes watching the screen that told her the Avenger was bearing them on them hard.

Vin poured more power to the engines, hoping to outrun the craft in order to make the jump to lightspeed but the Avenger was the most sophisticated ship in the Imperial fleet and she wanted her prey badly. No sooner than that thought had crossed his mind, the Tracker shuddered violently. The floor under his feet seemed to give way as the ship dipped sharply to a side. Without being told he knew that the Avenger was firing upon them. The blast that had bombarded his ship was not enough to destroy the Slipstream cruiser but continued assault would polarize her deflector shield and disable their ability to jump to hyperspace. He thought quickly, they had one chance and one chance alone to escape the Avenger before they were battered into submission.

"Charlotte, set course 3.3.4." Vin instructed and prayed to the Force, he was not making a fatal mistake by this desperate inspiration.

"What?" She stared at him in astonishment. "Are you serious?"

 "Do it!" He ordered sharply.

 Charlotte swallowed hard, wondering if he was mad but capitulating to the realization that they had no choice. "The course set."

 "My lady, what is happening?" Maria asked as she clutched Lilith closely. The little girl terrified by the situation was clinging to young woman since her mother was busy helping with the business of keeping them alive.

"We've changed course. We're not going to make the jump to hyperspace." Charlotte answered softly.

"But why?" Maria asked horrified by the idea that they would be remaining in Ithorian space.

"Because we'll never gain enough speed or distance away from that ship to make the jump." Vin retorted. "There's only one place we can go right now that the Avenger can't follow us and that's into the atmosphere."

"Back to the herdship?" She questioned once again, dubious about the plan as it was.

"No," Vin shook his head. "I have a feeling that this time around, they won't be so eager to let us back in. So we're going down to Ithor itself. We're going to land."

PART Eight

Admiral Jeya swallowed deeply as he proceeded towards the Sith Lord staring through the huge pexiglassed windows of the bridge at the planet below them. No doubt, Vader already knew the news Jeya was bringing to him but that did not make the admiral’s fear any less. Vader was known to have little tolerance with failure and the number of commander who had died at his hands made him just as infamous. All these facts were prevalent in Jeya’s mind when he approached the tall man completely encased in black. He could have been mistaken for a dark statue if not for the raspy breath that could be heard through the audio amplifiers of his cybernetic armor. For some, that hoarse electronic breathing could follow one into their nightmares as it had for Jeya on numerous occasions since he had become master of the Avenger, Vader’s personal ship. 

There was no need for Jeya to announce himself upon reaching Vader. There was not a person on board who could sneak up upon the dark lord, not unless they were a Jedi but those too were becoming extinct, if they had not become so already thanks to the efforts of Vader and the emperor. Even though Jeya had been informed that their mission to Ithor was for the purpose of capturing an important member of the Rebel Alliance, Jeya did not believe that was all there was to it. The expenditure of using a super star destroyer to retrieve one rebel seemed excessive and Jeya had started to suspect that the illusion of capturing a rebel insurrectionist was incidental to a hidden purpose that Vader had not deign to reveal. Not that he wanted to know of course. It was wiser to remain oblivious to the business of the Sith Lord and the Emperor if one wanted to survive in the new order. 

"Yes Admiral." Vader broke the silence in his heavy, ominous voice. "You have something to report?" 

Jeya swallowed thickly, trying to hide his anxiety before answering. "Yes my Lord. As you may have seen, the Tracker has entered the Ithorian atmosphere. I believe they will take refuge in one of the herdships. It may be necessary for us to send our agents to make a more direct retrieval." 

"Your stupidity does not cease to amaze me Jeya." Vader swung around, his dark cloak flowing around him as he faced the frightened Admiral. "Vin Tanner is no fool. He will not return to the herdships. He knows that the Ithorians probably monitored his departure and the hostilities above their planet. They will not offer him sanctuary in any of their cities now that they now we are involved. He has one choice only, to land on the surface of Ithor itself." 

"The Ithorians will go mad!" Jeya exclaimed. "They consider home soil to be sacred! They’ll kill him before we ever get our hands on him." 

"Tanner is a Jedi." Vader stared at him through his mask. "The Ithorians will not catch him." 

Jeya began to understand once he was provided with that information. "He may elude us if he makes it to the surface, my Lord. The Ithorians will not permit our stormtroopers to land in order to make a search, we may have to wait him out until…." 

"There will be no waiting." Vader cut him off. "The Ithorians are member of the Empire, they will allow the search once we’ve made our point." 

Jeya’s blood ran cold. "How would we do that my Lord?" 

"Bring the Avenger closer to the atmosphere and target the herdship closest to the landing coordinates of the Tracker." Vader ordered.  

"That would be Cathomira. Lord Vader, there are 1 million people in that city," Jeya declared. "Some of them are loyal Imperial citizens." His horror had overridden his natural fear to make that declaration. 

"Compassion is misplaced in a man of your rank Admiral." The dark lord hissed. "The Emperor has long disapproved of Ithor’s arrogance in believing its position as a producer of food should place it above the interests of the Empire. We will rectify after this day. Now carry out the order." 

"Sir," Jeya protested further, his courage not completely deserting him yet. "Not all the inhabitants of Cathomira are Ithorians, some are humans." 

"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good Admiral." Vader retorted, starting to get impatient with the man and all his questions. "This will bring our prey forward without having to expend any considerable man power in retrieving him. Now I have indulged you long enough Admiral," his voice became sinister with warning. "Carry out the order or I shall find someone else who can." 

The threat was clear and in the face of his absolute certainty that he would die here and now if he said another word in protest or questioned the dark lord further, Jeya’s courage evaporated completely. "Yes Lord Vader." 

With that, he turned on his heels and walked away, eager to put some distance between himself and the dark lord whose decision just condemned a million people to their deaths.

************

Klaxons were screaming across the ship as the Tracker breached the perimeter grid that surrounded the planet’s surface.

The Grid as it was known to native Ithorians was a highly sophisticated security net employed by the Planetary Agricultural Sector to prevent illegal incursions into the rich farming land by smugglers and other non-authorized persons. Only harvester ships and planter vessels were allowed to land on Ithor. Harvesters collected the profitable food crops for processing and export off world, while planter ships did exactly as their name implied, planted new seeds to replace the ones that had been reaped during the harvest. Only these ships possessing the appropriate access codes that could allow them passage through the net without alerting every alarm attached it.

Unfortunately, the Tracker had no such permission and when the Slipstream cruiser penetrated the Grid, it immediately set off all the alarms and sent Ithorian security forces scrambling to their ships in order to hunt down the trespassers. Vin was aware of the danger when he had changed course and headed towards the surface. However, he was more certain of their chances against the Ithorians than he was of the Avenger and at this moment, the agrarian race seemed the lesser of the two evil. Vin estimated a matter of minutes before the first Ithorian ship fell into pursuit and immediately sought a suitable landing site so that they could avoid an aerial chase.

"Everybody brace yourselves!" Vin shouted as they skimmed the surface of Ithor, swooping past fields after fields of farmland, ranging from arable across the flat even terrain to terrace farming on the slopes of high mountains. It seemed as if every inch of Ithor had been

"Why?" She looked at him. 

"Because we’re going to have company soon and it’s going to get rough." Vin responded shortly. 

"Ithorians?" She asked, hating the idea of dragging more innocents into their flight from Vader.

"Planetary Security," Vin confirmed. "However, I don’t think the Ithorians will fire on us because we’re too close to the surface. Ship’s blasters might harm the vegetation and they won’t have that. Chances are they’ll try and force us to land."

"I thought we wanted to land." Maria asked, wishing that this flight was over and trying to hide the fact that she was almost as frightened as Lilith.  

"Not under their control." Charlotte answered before Vin could. "Ithorians aren’t stupid, they’ll hand us over to Vader to save their own skins. They riding a thin line with the Empire as it is. The Emperor has no love for them even if they are a substantial food producer. If anything that makes it worse. The Emperor hates having to rely on a non-human world. It wouldn’t take much for him to come in and completely subjugated the population." 

"I’ve got three ships coming in on attack vector," Vin announced as he saw the readings on the screen of the cockpit controls. "They’re going to try and box us in to force us to the ground." 

"What are you going to do?" Charlotte asked fearfully as she looked out the window and searched for the ships they had yet to see. 

Vin did not respond; his attention was too focussed on the ships closing in on them. He could see them accelerating from the readings on the screen next to him and knew that they would soon try to trap him. Instead of giving them that opportunity, Vin diverted more power to his thrusters and the Tracker surged forward, slamming its occupants into their seats with a sudden jolt. The land beneath them began to sweep past faster, green fields blurring until the colour became a blend of vegetation, earth and water. Behind them, the Ithorians ships had raced to catch up but Vin was utilizing his Jedi reflexes and he managed to navigate the twists and turns of the terrain they were flying past with a little more advantage than his pursuers. 

The Tracker flew close to the ground, so much so that Vin could almost feel the tops of trees and other natural formations scraping the bottom hull of the craft as they skimmed across the surface. Vin could see the communications indicator flashing at him repeatedly, no doubt trying to convey the message of warning from the Ithorians that they were trespassing on protected terrain. Vin had no desire to hear what he guessed would be the standard message that warned them that they would be boarded if they did not comply with the directives to break out of Ithorian space. Studying the readings of the ships that were following them, Vin deduced that they could were short ranged pursuit vessels. This meant that they were not equipped for an extended chase and had only a limited amount of fuel before they would have to break off and return to base. Fortunately, the Tracker did not have that problem and unless a phalanx of TIE fighters joined the pursuit, Vin could keep going until h e exhausted the Ithorian efforts and they were forced to discontinue. 

Suddenly, Vin saw a number of other blips appear on the console screen. He counted a dozen and those ships were coming in fresh and from a completely different location. They were preparing to surround the Tracker and cut off its route of escape. Vin immediately pulled up, forcing the Tracker to begin climbing towards the stratosphere once more to avoid from being hemmed in by the Ithorian ships. The Slipstream barely made it past the kill zone that the Ithorians had attempted to create around them and as the Tracker continued its ascent, Vin knew that he would have to open fire on them or else they would never be able to land on the Ithor. 

"I’m going to have to open fire." He said after a pause. 

"Vin are you sure?" Charlotte asked as she turned to him at that statement. She was trying not to let her fear get the better of her but she had come to the same conclusion he had even though she was not flying. She could feel his attempt to avoid shooting innocents but they no longer had a choice. Their options were dwindling with each passing moment and there was no other recourse left to them. 

"We have to get past them." Vin sighed heavily. "If we don’t get past them and they take us alive, it's over. You know that." 

Their eyes met and she nodded. Yes she did know that for a fact. "You get past them," she offered after a moment. "I’ll take the gunnery turret." 

"Can you handle it?" Vin stared at her, unaware of how much experience she had. Unfortunately, he needed to focus on getting past the Ithorians and could use her help in manning the guns.  

"Yes," she nodded taking a deep breath. She knew he could see just how fearful she was, not only of letting them down at this crucial point but because it had been a long time since she had used her Jedi abilities. Fear for her child had forced her to hide the best part of herself and though it was good to finally admit openly what she was, Charlotte could not help feeling the awesome weight of responsibility that came with being a Jedi. "Yes," she said after instilling herself with resolve. "I can do it." 

Vin gave her a look of understanding before facing front again. "I'm going to do everything I can to shake them. I want you disable their ships. I don't want to hurt them unless I can help if but we have to get them off our backs before the Avenger decides to give them some help with a squadron of TIEs." 

Charlotte absorbed his words and unfastened herself from the seat in order to reach the Tracker's gunnery turret. Vin took a deep breath and faced front again. The ship was starting to enter the upper atmosphere and Vin knew that if they entered space once more, they would come under a renewed attach by the Avenger. Turning the Tracker sharply towards the surface once more, the Slipstream cruiser sliced through the air as it surged back towards land. Immediately he saw the pursuing Ithorian ships falling into pursuit and knew that they would be converging upon the Tracker as soon as it made another attempt to land. Fortunately, the Ithorian Runners were not made for upper atmosphere. Their purpose was mainly to chase away trespassers from their territory, which gave Vin some room for maneuvering. 

Unfortunately, the Tracker could not remain airborne for very long and no doubt the Avenger was monitoring their progress within the atmosphere. Somehow, he simply had to land. There was no other recourse. If the Avenger itself did not capture the Tracker, the TIE fighters it would soon send against them the longer the ship remained in the air would. The sound of approaching Runners could be heard by the increased pace of digital beeping that emanated through the cockpit the closer they reached the surface. Vin could see them spreading out around his ship once more, preparing to ambush him in the same pattern used earlier. 

"Charlotte." Vin spoke up knowing that audio receivers in the gunnery turret would allow her to hear him. "They're moving in for the kill. Are you ready?" 

"Yes." She answered. Her voice was still a little uncertain but he could feel her resolve even from the captain's seat. "Let's do this." 

The Tracker surged into the kill zone with gun ports firing. The blasts were accurate, owing to Charlotte's amazing reflexes thanks to her adeptness with the Force. The initial blasts served to force the Runners to fall back, taking them by surprise because their prey had taken so long to fire, they had believed that the Slipstream craft had been incapable of doing so. For a few precious seconds, they were disorientated by the vehemence of the attack and debated at what was to be done. To fire on the enemy craft could mean harming the vegetation they were so determined to protect. However, their prey was not limited by such considerations. Once Charlotte had overcome her anxiety, the rest came easily and the gun ports began to fire with such speed the pilots in the Runners had difficulty coping with the barrage.  

In the meantime, Vin was navigating through the aerial traps the Runners were attempting to ensnare them in an effort to make the laser assault ineffective. However, Vin was much too seasoned a pilot to fall for such tricks and Buck always said that the best way to outwit a computer guidance system on another craft was to ensure you didn't fly using your own. Vin used the Force to guide him through the zig zagging ships that crossed his path, determined to bring them down. The Tracker was his ship and he knew what she was capable of doing. With Charlotte at the gunnery turret, they were a deadly combination and ships began falling out of the sky as Charlotte followed Vin's advice and disabled the Runners instead of outright destroying them.

The Ithorians, whose physiological differences made their reflexes slower, were no match for a full Jedi and an apprentice. Very soon, all the Runners were either limping ineffectively behind them in vain hope to catch or had simply broken off the pursuit, returning to their ships to tend to their damaged crafts before they crashed on the surface. After what seemed like an eternity of time, the Tracker was alone in the sky once more and Vin found himself letting out a heavy sigh of relief as the danger passed for the moment. 

"I don't think I want to do that again in a hurry." Vin muttered as he fell back into his captain's seat once he had found a suitable place for them to land. He had elected to land the Tracker in a series of canyons that were one of the few places on Ithor that was considered unsuitable for farming. The high walls and meandering paths would allow them an avenue of escape should Vader sent out TIE fighters after them.  

"Are we safe?" Maria asked gingerly, almost afraid he was going to say they were not. 

"For now," Vin sighed. "The Ithorians are going to regroup. Chances are they're going to ask the Empire for help." 

"How long do we have until they come for us?" She asked once again, the fear in her eyes was more than evident.  

"Not long enough," he did not look at her when he answered. He could still feel Lilith's gaze burning into his back and reminded himself that when this was all over, he was going to find out what it was about him that the child found so fascinating. "I'm kind of surprised Vader hasn't sent a whole bunch of ships after us. They're never been particular about minding anyone's territory. I can't understand why they haven't come after us."

"They want us alive." Charlotte retorted as she came through the cockpit door and took her seat in the co-pilot's seat. Now that the danger has subsided for the moment, it did not take long for Lilith to break away from Maria's grip to wrap her arms around her mother's neck and hold on tight in anticipation of a comforting embrace.

"We're okay baby," Charlotte reassured her daughter with a smile as she sat the girl in her lap after taking her seat. "We're gonna be okay." 

Vin watched mother and daughter together and could not deny that Charlotte's love for her child was admirable. Once again, the wish that Lilith had been his surfaced again and Vin brushed it aside as foolishness, knowing it was never meant to be. Still, so much would have been different if the little girl had been his own child. They would not be strangers right now, they would have been family. Still the past was done and Vin did not want to let that harm their future friendship, if that was all that was left to them. "You did good Charlotte." 

"Its been a while," she smiled, her mood a great deal better now that she was holding her daughter safely in her arms. "I'd forgotten what it was like." 

"The rebellion can use all the Jedis it can find." Vin added as the Tracker started descending into the canyon. The illumination from Ithor's sky suddenly disappeared as the canyon walls surged up around them, blocking out the sunlight. "There aren't many of us left." 

"Your Master," Charlotte asked. "Who is he?" 

"Chris Larabee." Vin replied, finding it strange to be talking not just to another Jedi but to a Jedi that was Charlotte. He never thought that he would meet another one other than Chris and Ben Kenobi who was hiding out in Tatooine. 

"I know Larabee." Charlotte replied, her features etching in recognition. "He fought in the Clone Wars. For that matter, so did I." 

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Vin turned to her in surprise. 

"Yes," she nodded. "It was the first time the Jedi had ever become involved in a war but the cause was important enough."

It was indeed. The Clone War was a galactic conflict that would have toppled the Old Republic far more violently then the covert assimilation into the Empire. The Jedi Order, who had for a long time opted to remain neutral in such conflicts in order to demonstrate their impartiality, had joined the cause and it was perhaps the single greatest war ever fought in the galaxy. All the core worlds had participated, Correllia, Coruscant, Sluis Van, Mon Calamari, Nal Hutta and even the Hapes Consortium had banded together to fight the common threat. It was their finest hour and a poignant swan song to the dark times that would soon descend upon the Republic.

"I lost my father there." She said sadly.

 "I'm sorry," Vin found himself saying. "I didn't know that."

 How could he know, he thought almost instantly. She had never given him the chance to find out.  

Suddenly, what felt like a maelstrom of terror and agony, ripped through his consciousness. The pain was so intense that it sliced through his mind with such force that for a second, he lost control of his ship and forced the autopilot to take over the descent of the Tracker into its predesignated coordinates. Vin almost blacked out from the pain and for an instant, he did not know even know where he was. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he thought it might explode. So disorientated was he that he did not even realize that the effect on Charlotte was worse. Half dazed, he turned in his direction to see her on the floor next to him, clutching her stomach as if she was going to gag.

"By the Force!" She was sobbing. "By the Force, what did he do?"  

"Mommy!" Lilith was crying out, not understanding what had happened. Maria was on her hands and knees as well, trying to help her mistress to her feet. Vin could share Lilith's fears and her confusion because he was not certain what he had just experienced either. For the first time since this had all began, Vin wished Chris were here to explain it to him. 

"Charlotte," he managed to say, the mind burst still sending shockwaves throughout his system. "What happened?"

"Oh Vin," she continued to weep, unable to look up at him. "They're all gone! He killed them all!" 

"What?" Vin demanded, those terrible words bringing him out of the fog faster than anything else she could have said. "Who? What are you talking about?" 

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Vader just destroyed a herdship Vin. A million people just died because of us!" she wailed. "Because of us!"

PART nine

"Buck," JD Dunne glanced at Buck Wilmington as he looked up from the communications section of the cockpit controls of the Rogue. "I'm receiving transmissions from Ithor." 

In the cockpit window before them, the planet Ithor glimmered iridescently against the velvet beauty of space. It was one of the most picturesque worlds in the galaxy and its surface, though one could never land on it, was similarly gifted in its rich, textured landscapes of lush, green vegetation. On more than one occasion during his trips to Ithor, Buck had enjoyed the vistas to be seen from the decks of the herdships that hovered above the surface. Unfortunately, this was one instance where the journey to Ithor would not allow enough time for such pleasantries. The Rogue had managed to enter Ithorian space, escaping the formidable sensors of the Avenger whose presence above the planet was nothing less than ominous. Buck only hoped that its remaining status around Ithor, meant that they had yet to acquire Vin Tanner. If this was indeed the case, then there was still a chance to retrieve the apprentice before the situation worsened. 

"Transmissions?" Buck returned the younger man's gaze. "What sort?" 

"Well I'm not sure, there's a lot of them." JD responded and tapped his com unit just to ensure that it was not a hardware malfunction. "There's so much of it. It's almost gibberish." 

"Let me hear it." Buck ordered and JD complied immediately, flicking a switch and filling the cockpit with a cacophony of frantic voices, overlapping over one another. It was almost frenzied. Buck tried to filter out the noise to hear one specific thing but did not help and finally he came to the conclusion that all this chaos could have only one cause. "There's some kind of a planetary disaster." He guessed. "I can't imagine anything else that would cause this much excitement down there." 

"What kind of disaster?" JD inquired, immediately running a scan on the planet to find if Buck's supposition were indeed true. 

"You tell me." Buck responded. 

JD frowned since it was a rather silly question since he was manning the sensors and continued with his scans, finding no destruction on the surface that could be considered a planetary disaster, no stray meteors findings it way into orbit, no volcanic activity, or seismic disturbances, nothing at all. "Nothing Buck," JD answered after a moment, puzzled. "There's nothing, Its peaceful down there." 

"Could be one of the herdships." Buck suggested. "Check it." He instructed when suddenly the interlapping noises was overshadowed by a powerful transmission that sliced through all the others with a burst of static that made both men wince. 

"Damn! What is that?" JD swore as the squeal droned out all the voices. 

"Someone is sending a planetary wide transmission. If there's anything capable of receiving down there, they'll pick this up." Buck explained. "Can you pinpoint its source JD?" 

"Yeah," JD nodded and acted quickly to give Buck a response. It took him a few seconds to complete the task but when he did so, the expression on his face told Buck it was not good news.  

"It's coming from the Avenger." 

"Attention citizens of Ithor." A voice started speaking no sooner than after JD had made that revelation. "This is Admiral Jeya of the Imperial flagship Avenger. As you now aware, we have opened fire on the herdship Cathomira. Ithor is charged with giving aid and comfort to a member of Rebel Alliance and an enemy of the state. Until you surrender him to us, we will begin orbital bombardment of all herdships. You have three hours to comply." 

With that the transmission ended. 

"Hell." Buck gasped, unable to believe that the Empire could resort to such brutality in the capture of one rebel. 

"Buck what are we going to do?" JD looked at him in outright fear. 

"I don't know," Buck replied shaking his head. "Whatever it is, we better do it quick, because to save those people in the herdships Vin is liable to give himself up to Vader." 

**********

For a moment after the transmission was heard, no one in the cockpit of the Tracker could speak.  

Charlotte was right, Vader had destroyed the herdship because of them. When she had first stated it, Vin could not believe it. He did not imagine anyone being so callous as to murder a million people just to acquire one person. The atrocity of it was beyond his ability to comprehend and yet upon hearing the cold blooded demand made by the Admiral of the Avenger; Vin had to concede that there were no depths to which human ugliness could sink. The choice before him was clear even though he was terrified of making it. However, he had accepted the consequences of his actions before he embarking upon this journey and now that the moment was upon him, he could not change his mind.  

"I have to go." He said quietly. 

"No!" Charlotte returned firmly. "I would never ask you to do that and I don't expect you to." 

"Charlotte it isn't your choice!" Vin snapped. "You heard him! If I don't turn myself in within three hours, he'll shoot down another herdship!" 

"Wait a minute." Charlotte stared at Vin. "Him. That admiral said him, didn't he?"  

"Yes," Vin nodded wondering what she was getting at when suddenly it struck him too what she was trying to say. "I thought he was after you and Lilith. They're not suppose to know about me." 

"They're not suppose to," Charlotte's mind started racing. "But they did know about your ship even though they were supposed to be searching for mine. How could they know? You said you had false registration codes since joining the rebellion, unless someone recognized the ship itself, the Avenger should not have been able to identify the Tracker."

"You’re right and somehow they knew I was the one who was coming." Vin agreed with her deductions. "Vader couldn't have just sensed me when he dropped out of hyperspace on the Avenger. I was careful."

"He would have sensed a Jedi, not necessarily you." Charlotte retorted. "Besides, I've been reinforcing your shields with mine. He could not know about you unless he knew you were coming."

"What?" He stared at her in accusation, not at all liking the idea of her being inside his mind. Her hiding her Jedi ability and his for so long was still a sore point with him. "You've been in my head?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded as if it was a secondary issue because in truth, it was. Their immediate concerns made the matter of violating his personal space a little trivial at this time. "Considering what you have in there, it was a good thing I did. He would have kept at you until he broke through your defenses."

"You mean you know about...."

"Yes," Charlotte raised her eyes and met his, perfectly aware of why he had concealed things from her and felt a little hurt that he would consider her capable of such betrayal. Whatever else she might have done, she was no traitor to the Jedi. "Whatever you may think of me Vin and no matter how justified that opinion might be, I still know what it is to be a Jedi. If keeping what you know a secret from Vader ensures that bastard and his Emperor is destroyed, my life and that of my daughter is worth sacrifice."

"I'm sorry," he started to apologize but there was no apology he could make that would take back the sting of his suspicion and he could feel the hurt inside Charlotte. However, he knew not what else to say that would make that hurt dissipate other than trusting her a little more than he had until now. Charlotte the woman he once loved and the Jedi were two different entities and somehow he had to trust in the latter even if he could not trust in the former. Their survival depended upon it.

"It explains one thing then," she dropped her eyes to her hand and specifically the band of gold around her wrist that had been given to her on the day of her matrimonial. Her face tried not to show the sadness at realizing the truth but there could be no other explanation. "We were set up."

"Set up by whom, my Lady?" Maria asked unable to imagine who could have done it when the only persons knowing about their departure from Atura was presently in the cockpit of the ship. 

"By Will." Charlotte whispered softly, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill over her lashes onto her face. "He set us up."

"I'm sorry," Vin reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, knowing that it was cold comfort. As much as he might hate the idea even now, Charlotte did love her husband and she was right, he must be responsible for the situation they now found themselves, although Vin suspected that Crawl might have have something to do with it as well. Will Richmond could not have been responsible for this entirely on his own. If Vader were searching for Vin and intended to use Charlotte as bait then there was only one person who could have given him that information and that was Crawl. While Vin was certain that Crawl would not have surrendered willingly, no doubt he would have told Vader everything he wanted to know after being tortured or simply because Vader had ripped it from his mind. Vin shuddered at the thought and hoped the Modrek was still alive but somehow he doubted it. "But I think Vader would have approached Richmond first. I may not think much of Richmond but I do know he loves you, he wou ldn't use you for anything."

Charlotte turned to him in surprise, never believing that Vin could be magnanimous enough to be so charitable in his opinion of her husband. Years ago, when Will had learnt about her affair with Vin, he had reacted violently, sending thugs who ensured that Vin was left in a medical centre long enough for her to be spirited secretly away to the Corporate Sector, out of reach or so Will thought. He had underestimated just how persistent Vin could be and eventually that persistence led to their last meeting where she had told him to go. "But he did Vin. He used me to lead Vader to you. He knew that a threat to Lilith would send me fleeing off planet and straight to you for help because I had no one else to turn to." 

"I still don't think he would have sacrificed you." Vin declared. "Not willingly." 

"Perhaps not," she whispered. "But his cooperation ensured that you would be captured and I would be the cause. I can't forgive him for that. Because of us and what he did, those million people died when they didn't have to."

Unfortunately Vin could not disagree with that, although for the moment it did not help their situation. "Still doesn’t get us out of trouble." 

"Knowing the presence of a trap or the formulation of one is the first step to keeping from being caught in one." Charlotte remarked and sounded very much like the Jedi she claimed to be. It still took Vin a little bit of getting used to.

"Well we know its there, question is how do we get out of it? At this moment, the only way of getting out this mess is for me to give myself up in exchange for letting you, Lilith and Maria go." Vin answered gravely. He had no wish to be a martyr but the truth was, he could not stand by and let those people die. He would could never live with all those deaths on his conscience, even it meant his own.

"Vader would never keep that promise Vin." Charlotte responded, not about to entertain the idea of his sacrificing himself that way under any circumstances. As it was, she was furious with Will for using her as bait to lure Vin from the safety of the Rebel Alliance because she would never condone such an act of betrayal which was precisely why Will did not tell her his plan, she supposed. "He’d wait until you were in his power and then come after us. As grateful as I am for you would take that risk for us, its pointless."

Vin did not think so but he remained silent for the moment. They would try another way to extricate themselves from their present dilemma but if things deteriorated any further, Vin would have to decide whether or not one life was worth the sacrificing if it meant the saving three others.

"Mommy, I’m scared." Lilith responded.

"I know sweetie," Charlotte turned to her child and open her arms so the little girl could come into her embrace for a little comforting. "But this won’t be for long. Soon we’ll be away from here." 

"I’m not afraid of being here," she answered as she nestling unto her mother’s lap. "I’m afraid of the bad man in my head."

Both Charlotte and Vin stared at the child sharply. It was no wonder the child kept staring at him! She could sense Vin just as Vader could now sense her. "Aw hell!" Vin swore. "Could he know where we are?" 

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "Even Lilith doesn’t know, he could not garner enough information from her mind to pinpoint us." 

"He makes me feel cold, mommy." The girl looked at her mother, hoping that she would have some way to make the unpleasantness stop, as all mothers often did.  

"Lilith," Charlotte said firmly. "I want you to listen to me carefully. You do not want the bad man in your head, so you need to think that there is a wall between you two. Close your eyes and picture that wall. Imagine it there Lilith, imagine it now." 

Lilith closed her eyes and her face contracted in concentration as she tried to do as instructed, while listening to Charlotte’s voice. After what seemed like an eternity of minutes for those inside the cockpit with her, Lilith finally opened her eyes and responded. "I can feel him going away now mommy. I can feel him behind the wall." 

"Good," Charlotte smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead. "When you think he’s in your head, you just think of that wall and nothing else."

"Is that how you do it mommy?" Lilith asked. 

"More or less." She nodded; proud of her daughter’s achievement; however, the new problem that just surfaced was not lost upon those present. "We have to get out here." 

"I know," Vin agreed, "but that’s easier said then done. Somehow we have to get past the Avenger and make sure they know we’re leaving so Vader doesn’t decide to use the rest of the herdships for target practice."

**********

With all the activity and panic taking place on board the herdships across the planet, the Rogue entered Ithorian space without raising barely a hint of interest. As the ship flew into the atmosphere, Buck could only imagine what kind of chaos had been borne out of Vader’s threat to destroy the floating cities. Even as his ship penetrated the skies of Ithor, he could see the mass exodus of ships departing the herdships. Those who were fortunate enough to own ships were speeding away from the planet determined not to get caught in the crossfire between the Empire and its quarry. For those who were not so lucky, there would be bribes and threats for passage off world.  

Despite himself, Buck marveled at the genius of Vader’s strategy even though he did not think Vin would be foolish enough to fall for such a ploy. No doubt, Vader believed that Vin might attempt to take advantage of the mass departures and lose the Tracker in the ships that were leaving Ithor, while the Avenger waited like a predator in the dark. However, if Vin did not choose to take the opportunity and remained bound to the planet, the deadline would eventually draw him out because Vin would never allow so many innocents to die for him. Buck was certain that he would give himself up rather than face that possibility. 

"They’re all leaving." JD stared in horrified fascination as the ships, ranging from small shuttles, to large cruisers streaked through the sky like vermin deserting a doomed expedition.

"No one wants to be incinerated JD," Buck said tautly. Unable to make his move until they were well beyond the notice of the Avenger, Buck had been waiting for their insertion into the atmosphere in order to act. "Alright, we’re under the planetary cloak, I want you to send a message to the Tracker, using the carrier wave."

 "Carrier wave?" JD exclaimed. "But that’s primitive!" 

"I know but Casey came up a with the idea of using a carrier band signal to get past Imperial surveillance. We can’t use scramblers to contact him. They may not be able to track the signal but their sensors will still register one and right now its better if the Avenger doesn’t know we’re here."

"Will Vin?" The young co-pilot questioned. "He might not be in the Tracker." 

"He’s in it," Buck said confidently. "If he was on a herdship, the Ithorians would have given him long before the Vader found it necessary to start shooting down them down." 

JD could not fault that logic and decided to question the order no further. "Casey come up with this idea?" JD asked instead and tried not to sound surprised that the haughty young woman was so capable despite her sheltered upbringing and her decidedly arrogant aristocratic mannerisms.

 "Yeah." Buck glanced at him cockily. "That girlfriend of yours is pretty smart you know." 

"She’s not my girlfriend," JD barked back. "I hate her." 

"I used to hate the first woman I fell in love with too," Buck returned with a little smile.

"So what happened?" JD asked as he began transmitting the message to Vin that they were here and more importantly that he was not alone.  

"Oh not much," Buck grinned at him. "I just married her."

*********

  "It is gone." Vader declared as he continued his vigil by the enormous window on the bridge of the Avenger.

Since this had become his personal carrier, Vader had come to the begrudging realization that this was his favorite location on the great ship. When the Avenger sailed away from Coruscant Vader often found himself here, watching the other ships sweep past, seeming infinitesimal in the face of the super star destroyer. It gave him a sense of power ands seemed to enhance the fearsome aura around him. The reputation of the Avenger alone was already synonymous with Darth Vader. More often than he had thought possible, people had begun to associate the arrival of this ship with his presence. Vader did not mind that at all. Fear was good and coupled with the black mask that was more than just a protective armor but the second skin of the man he had become; he felt damn near invincible.

"Gone Sir?" Admiral Neya, prompted by Vader’s statement had left his position on the command deck to investigate.

"I felt the child." Vader answered. "I felt her mind for a brief time." 

"Governor Richmond’s daughter," the Admiral responded in understanding, aware that Charlotte Richmond was once a Jedi and those genes would surely have passed on to her offspring.

"Yes," Vader nodded. "The Force is strong in her." 

"Old enough to begin Jedi training am I correct?" Jeya ventured a guess. He could still remember what it had been like when the Jedi was at the height of their power. Children identified with a massive midiclorion count were soon assimilated by the Jedi order, taken for training before they were handed over to the masters who would oversee their apprenticeship. If the Republic still lived, undoubtedly, Lilith Richmond would have undergone such training. 

"Yes." Vader answered neutrally. 

Jeya stared at the man before him, wondering how the Jedi had been so wrong about Vader. For all their prescience, they could not foresee the danger in making Darth Vader one of them. "How old were you when you undertook the training?"

 Vader turned to him slowly and Jeya wondered if he had overstepped his bounds by making so personal inquiry. The Admiral swallowed thickly, anticipating a quick death by way of the invisible talons Vader employed effectively so often. 

"We were not discussing me, Admiral." Vader warned. "We were speaking of the child. When we apprehend Tanner and Richmond's wife, I want the child brought to me."

"To you Lord Vader?" Jeya's brow raised in question. "I thought we were returning her to her father, the Governor." 

"I am altering our bargain with the Governor," Vader retorted sharply. "Considering his complicity in all this, he should be grateful that I do not alter it further. When the child is in custody, she will be brought to me." 

"May I ask for what purpose?" Jeya asked before he could question the prudence of the inquiry. 

Vader did not answer but Jeya was certain whatever the reason, it could not bode well for Lilith Richmond at all. 

PART Ten

 As the time drew closer and closer to the deadline for Vader’s ultimatum, there was still no solution in sight for the occupants of the Tracker and its captain. There was a great deal of activity taking place in the air and through the communications channels being employed by the Ithorians. Ships were leaving the herdships in a panic to escape the impending destruction promised by Vader in his threat. In the meantime, Ithorians authorities tried desperate to plead their innocence at the accusation of treason as well as clemency for their floating cities. The more Vin listened to the fear and desperation in their voices as they transmitted continuously to the Avenger and were met with repeated indifference, the apprentice knew that he was a harbinger of death for this world.

 Charlotte had wanted them to leave with the exodus that was making it was out of the planet’s atmosphere at this time but Vin knew that would be a grave mistake. Vader was waiting for them to take the opportunity and with so many ships in the air all at one, it was tempting fate to limit their field of escape when the Avenger moved in for the kill, which it inevitably would. Thus for the moment, they waited impatiently in the canyon, trying to decide what to do. The Ithorian runners were no longer concerned about capturing them, preferring to expend their energies to disaster relief and search for whatever survivors that might be left after the destruction of Cathomira. However, Vin was realistic, they could not wait out this situation any longer, something had to be done. Unfortunately, the apprentice was not prepared to sacrifice himself until after he was sure that Charlotte and her family could leave Ithor safely.

 "She’s asleep." Charlotte announced as she returned to the cockpit. Both Maria and Lilith were presently in the sleeping compartment of the ship getting some rest. Considering the uncertainty of the next few hours, it was prudent to take the time while they could. Charlotte herself felt a little drained but her mind was too filled with worries about their situation to be able to let down her guard enough to rest herself. Judging by manner in which Vin was staring out the cockpit window into the harsh, rocky terrain beyond the ship, she guessed that he was more or less in the same state of mind.

"How are you doing?" She asked even though the emotions she was sensing from him indicated his mood regarding their predicament was anything but optimistic.

 "I’m fine," Vin responded. "Best for Lilith to get some rest while she can." He returned in an effort to change the subject.

Charlotte let out a deep sigh and faced front. "We’ll get out of this Vin." She said trying to sound as hopeful as possible. 

"I’m not so much concerned about me getting out of this than I am for you, Lilith and Maria." Vin replied. "I accepted what could happen to me when I came after you." 

"And you still did, even though there’s nothing between us anymore." She stared at him.

Vin turned to Charlotte and met her eyes. "When you told me to go six years ago, something inside me died. I hated you for making me do that even though I knew it was probably the right thing. I couldn’t take care of you or Lilith, no matter what I told myself. I spent who knows how long taking out my hurt on every bounty I claimed, until one day it stopped hurting and I found out that life goes on. There wasn’t anyone after you until Alex. I used to blame you for that too but I dive in deep every time I start to care, that’s my weakness but you showed me I could be that happy Charlotte. You showed me that I didn’t have to be lonely and for that there will always be a part of me that loves you."

Charlotte smiled and reached for his hand. "I’ll always loved Will." She stated, having no wish to lie to him. "I loved you in a way too. You came to me when I was so scared and alone, when I thought that my entire world, the world of the Jedi was over. I turned to you for all the wrong reasons Vin and I’m sorry but I did love you. I’m glad you found someone, I’m glad that she makes you feel whole. You did that for me once and I’ll never forget it." 

"Chris told me before I left the Alliance that I would face Vader and that I would die." He said finally. 

"No," Charlotte shook her head. "The future is unclear. Emotions always effect the outcome. What he saw may have been true for the time but now that you know what he has seen, it changes things. You know the trap, so you can avoid it."

"I know the trap," he looked at her, "but I don’t think we can avoid it. There’s only one way off this planet Charlotte and that’s through Vader. The important thing here is to get you, Lilith and Maria away safely. What happens to me isn’t that important. I’m not a full Jedi and you are.’

"And do you think that makes you any less deserving to live? We both know if you face Vader, its suicide. He’s not only a full Jedi but also one of the strongest that has ever been. A fully trained Jedi Knight would be hard pressed to defeat him and you have been an apprentice for only a few months."

"Maybe its destiny." Vin retorted, having heard all the reasons for his not going because he had been debating them for quite some time himself. However, for all the arguments and points of contention, one fact remained irrefutable; he had to go. "Charlotte, you’re probably right but I don’t have to win when I fight Vader, I just have to keep him busy enough for you to escape."

"And what about what you know?" She accused desperate to keep them from reaching the decision she knew was fast becoming inevitable. "Don’t you think that is too important to fall into his hands?"

 "I’ll die before he takes it from me." Vin said firmly and so certain of that fact that if nothing else.

 "You can’t keep him out." Charlotte countered.

 "Yes, I can. He’ll be too busy fighting me to try and read my thoughts." Vin replied.

 Charlotte’s eyes narrowed and she stared at him. "Vin, have you ever fought another Jedi before?"

 "I’ve sparred with Chris." He shrugged uncomfortably in his chair. 

"That’s not what I mean." She answered. "I mean actually fight a Jedi to the death?" 

"No." Vin dropped his gaze to the steel deck.

 "Well I have and its like nothing you can imagine. Its not just fighting Vin, it’s trying to keep the dark side contained. Its walking a razor’s edge where you have to keep from falling over to the dark side while actually fighting it, to keep the fight defensive, not offensive." She explained. "I’ve done it a few times and it’s a terrible thing to kill one of our own when the dark side has claimed them."

"Charlotte," Vin raised his eyes and touched hers. "There is no other way." 

"How am I going to look your Alex in the eye and tell her that I let you do this?" She asked quietly. "If you care nothing for yourself, think about her."

"I do care about her." Vin said quietly, wishing she had not brought up Alex. "I don’t want to do this Charlotte but I have to."

Suddenly, a console on the cockpit controls flickered to life, indicating with successive flashing on the small screen that something new had developed. Vin immediately caught sight of it and read the message flickering on the digitized screen at two-second intervals.  

"What it is?" Charlotte asked as Vin leaned over for a closer look.

 "I’ve got a message coming on a carrier wave band." Vin said with a little smile.

 "A carrier wave?" She stared at him in astonishment. "Who uses that anymore?

 "The Alliance." Vin retorted shortly and immediately punched in a response through the keypad before the screen. "It’s an emergency frequency we use sometimes when we can’t trust a scrambler. That means someone from the Alliance is here." Vin almost hoped it was Chris but knew it was impossible almost immediately after the thought had crossed his mind. Chris was in no shape to make such a trip, not even the amazing abilities of Jedi recuperation could allow for that.

"What’s the message?" Charlotte asked, a surge of hope moving through her that help had come and that Vin would not have to go through a confrontation with Darth Vader.

"Its from Buck," Vin announced. "Buck Wilmington, a good friend of mine. They’re in Ithorian space. I’m going to tell them where we are."

"Thank goodness." Charlotte exclaimed and eased out of her chair, feeling a flood of relief.

Vin said nothing, keeping carefully hidden even from her that even though Buck’s arrival was a fortuitous, it did not change their situation. The Rogue was no more capable of escaping the Avenger than the Tracker had been and with Lilith and Charlotte on board, there was no guarantee that Vader would not be able to pinpoint them on the ship. If anything, the arrival of Buck Wilmington convinced Vin that it was now possible for him to be sure that if he went to face Vader, Charlotte and the others would be safe.

**********

 It did not take long for the Rogue to find the canyon in which the Tracker had used for a temporary refuge from the Imperial ship in orbit around Ithor. Buck was relieved to know that the apprentice was still in one piece, having entertained some rather disturbing thoughts that they might have been too late, that Vin had already gone to Vader in order to save the Ithorians from further destruction. As the Correllian freighter landed inside the corridor through the mountain, Buck was impressed by Vin’s selection of a hiding place and was glad the young man had not done anything rash.

"How’s Chris?" Vin asked first when the three friends were finally reunited and introductions were made. They had retired to the passenger cabin of the Tracker, where they could talk for a moment about the crisis they were presently embroiled and how they would extricate themselves from it. 

"Well he was more than ready to climb out of bed to come after you." Buck said with a frown. "Took Mary and me quite bit of talking before we convinced him to let us handle it."

 "Mary?" Vin stared at him in surprise because the commander of the rebel base was absent. "Where is she?"

 "She’s two hours behind us." Buck explained, observing Charlotte as he spoke. She was a pretty thing, not quite what Buck expected actually but just the kind of looks that would make someone like Vin go off and do something stupid, he supposed. "She’s coming on board the Purgatory."

 "She shouldn’t," Vin frowned unhappy about that. "The Purgatory’s no match for a ship like the Avenger."

 "The Purgatory is a warship?" Charlotte ventured a guess. 

"Yeah," JD nodded in response. "A Nubian with a lot of refitting to make it a match for any destroyer." There was almost a hint of pride in the young man’s voice but then he had every right to feel that way. Since coming under Mary’s command, the Purgatory had much reason to be so celebrated among the members of the rebel alliance, almost all of Mary’s victories in space had been on the bridge of the Purgatory.

 "Not the Avenger," Vin returned crisply.  

"Relax Vin," Buck interceded before this conversation went any further. "Mary’s not going to engage the Avenger, she’s not that crazy. She intends to run a little interference for us so we can make the jump into hyperspace."

 However Vin was not about to concede that their problems were over. "Did you hear the transmission from the Avenger?" He asked the older man.

 Buck nodded grimly, meeting both Charlotte’s gaze and that of the apprentice. While Vin was determined, Charlotte appeared afraid and if it was Vin’s intention to play martyr, then Buck could very well understand her anxiety. "I heard it. They’re trying to make you give yourself up Vin, pure and simple."

 "Unfortunately it’s working." Vin retorted. "If I don’t show in two hours, they’re going to destroy another herdship."

 "Only because they think you’re still hiding out." Buck pointed out. "When we get past them, they’ll know different and abandon the target practice. Look, Vader may get away with one city but he won’t with two, I’m sure he knows it. Ithor is a rich planet and holds considerable importance in the food supply of the Empire; they can’t afford to alienate them too much. The destruction of the first herdship was to show the Ithorians that the Empire could do it. If they went in for a second, there will be a mass riot that even the Emperor is going to have to explain and I don’t think he wants to tell the Imperial Senate that his henchman shot down a city because of one man."

 "Listen to him," Charlotte declared, glad that she was not the only one who was opposed to Vin making a sacrifice of himself. "He’s right."

 Buck’s argument though good did not sway the young apprentice because the government that would allow the slavery of dozens of worlds would have little difficulty in accepting the injustices presently taking place on Ithor, Vin was sure of it. "Well we should take advantage of the fact that they don’t know about the Rogue." 

"That’s a idea." Buck agreed with that. "What do you have in mind?" 

"Buck, Charlotte is a Jedi." Vin announced and she glanced at him, wondering why it was necessary to make that revelation to the pilot in his opening statement, even though it was not really a secret. 

Buck could not hide his surprise and understood now why the lady had been hiding as well as her strong connection to Vin. He absorbed the information and turned back to Vin after a moment. "That’s real interesting Vin but what’s it got to do with your plan for getting out of here?"

"With Vader being on that ship, the minute we leave orbit, he’ll know who we are. He can sense us on whatever ship we might be on. So I figure we split up."

 "Split up?" Buck stared at him, not liking this idea at all. "Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"That way, it will give Vader two targets to track and one of us can get away while the other can head back down here and wait until Mary gets here with the Purgatory." Vin suggested. 

"Not bad." Buck responded but his gut told him that there was something more at work here but for the moment could not guess what. However, to prevent Vin from making any heroic gestures that would get himself killed, Buck had one condition on his plan. "Alright but JD goes with you."

Vin met Buck’s gaze directly and answered. "Sure, no problem."

"Then it’s a plan," Buck responded, still a little uneasy about it all.  

Something about Vin’s acquiescence made it too easy and he could tell by the expression on Charlotte’s face that Jedi or not, the lady held similar feelings of discomfort about Vin’s ready agreement to his conditions. Only JD seemed oblivious to it all, though the young man was curious as to why Buck was so insistent that he play co-pilot to the Tracker. The Slipstream did not require a co-pilot as much as the Rogue but he supposed that Buck had reasons he would let JD in on later. 

"When do we leave?" JD asked. 

"The sooner the better," was Vin’s taut reply. 

*************

 The Admiral was not surprised when the transmission from Ithor finally reached him from the communications officer of the Avenger. 

Considering what Lord Vader planned to do if the rebels did not capitulate to his demands, he supposed the only surprise to be had in this whole incident was the fact that it had taken them this long to make their response. With only an hour left until the deadline, the transmission had come exactly when they had anticipated, although for the purposes of pure drama, Jeya would have preferred it if the rebel had left it until the last moment to create some sense of occasion. Still, the rebels were hardly an imaginative lot. Self-appointed heroes seldom were. However as he read the message transcribed before him, Jeya had to confess that the rebel Vin Tanner was not entirely stupid.

The message demanded Lord Vader’s attention immediately and thus Jeya departed off the bridge in order to deliver it personally. Usually a junior officer would undertake such errands but on the ship where Darth Vader was master, even an admiral was reduced to delivering messages with the rest of the rank and file. Vader’s quarters were the largest on board the Avenger and it was where he spent most of his time when he was carrying out the Emperor’s orders. It was rumored that the dark lord had been given a fortress in Coruscant but spent most of the time on board this ship since he very rarely out of the Emperor’s service. Still, Jeya wondered how did the man spend the scant time he had to himself? Every man in power tended to have excesses, even the Emperor was known for his voracious indulgence in young courtesans. Vader seemed more machine and man and yet who he once was remained a mystery. Did he have friends? Family? A wife somewhere perhaps? Jeya doubted it. A person such as Vader wou ld not allow himself the indulgence that would weaken him.

Arriving at Vader’s quarters, Jeya was mindful to be invited before entering. Vader’s quarters were modified just for him. When the door slid open before him, Jeya stepped in and paused, taking a moment to compose himself so that he would not stare when he saw the dark lord inside the cybernetic chamber he used to maintain the infamous armor. Circular in shape, when it was activated, the outlet would seal the dark lord inside its confines, possibly giving him a moment of respite from the armor that kept him alive. Jeya suspected that it was the only place that Vader ever removed his outer casing. Vader’s protective orb was exposed and the dark lord was nestled on a chair within it, appearing deep in thought.

"Yes Admiral?" Vader wasted no time with the pleasantries and asked. "There is news?" He asked, perfectly aware that must have been for Jeya to be here.

"We’ve received a transmission from Vin Tanner." Jeya announced himself.  

"And?" Vader made no move to leave his seat.

"He will await you in Seleusa at the end of the deadline." Jeya continued. "However, you must let the others with him leave. He does not name the ship in which they will be departing."

"He is aware that I will know which it is." Vader retorted in anticipation of a question originating from Jeya in regards to that point.

"Your orders my Lord?" Jeya asked. 

"We must not keep Tanner waiting. When his friends attempt to leave Ithor, let them through and have my shuttle prepared for departure immediately." Vader spoke after a pause. "With some added embellishments of course." 

The embellishments did not bother Jeya as much as the notion of letting the other rebels go. "My Lord are we to let them go?" Jeya exclaimed.

"It is Tanner I want." Vader’s voice seemed to become deeper and louder at the same time. "The others are of no use to me."

"What about Governor Richmond’s daughter?" Jeya pointed.

"If I have Tanner, then I have no need of her." Vader answered, keeping to himself that once he extracted what he needed from Tanner, he would have no need of Lilith Richmond.

 Instead, he would have a young Skywalker.

*************

Once Charlotte, Lilith and Maria had returned with Buck to the Rogue and Vin found himself with a temporary co-pilot in the presence of JD on board the Tracker, it was time to make their departure from Ithor. Both ships took of at relatively the same time and made quick progress out of the atmosphere although they maintained radio silence as they approach the atmospheric shield around the planet. The exodus was still taking place and it was not difficult for them to insinuate themselves into the path of the ships that were leaving the Ithorians herdships in an effort to avoid the impending destruction. As the ships climbed into the atmosphere, Vin kept a close eye for the Avenger, perfectly aware that when Vader detected the presence of Jedi, the temporary cloak this fleet of ships around them had provided would disappear. 

"So far so good," JD remarked as he helped Vin with the co-piloting of the Tracker since Vin seemed unusually tense. JD himself had no idea who Darth Vader was aware of how dangerous a dark Jedi could be and everything he had heard about the Sith Lord seemed to indicate that he was someone JD had no wish to see anytime soon. If someone like Vader was gunning for Vin in particular, JD could not blame the apprentice for his concern. JD had seen what Vader had done to Chris and that was enough to scare him, let alone imagine wondering what someone of lesser skill might endure facing the Sith Lord. 

"Yeah," Vin said shortly, his eyes watching the blue of Ithor’s sky disappearing for the twinkling sparkle of space. Somewhere in all the beauty was the Avenger, Vin thought grimly.

Almost as soon as they broke through the atmospheric layer of the planet, the Avenger swooped down on them, like a shark attacking a school of fish. The other vessels scattered and it was evident that the great ship was only interested in one craft and it was not Vin’s ship. The Tracker was swept out of the way by the destroyer’s inertia, losing control of its anti-gravs for a brief moment. Both Vin and JD struggled to remain in the chair as the leviathan swam past and began concentrating its fire on the Rogue.

"Buck!" JD cried out as he saw the freighter take heavy bombardment as it struggled to shake off the massive ship coming at it in a ferocious vector.  

"Buck, I’m going in!" Vin shouted into his com unit. "When you see an opening, get the hell out of here!"

"I ain’t leaving you both!" Buck’s determined voice returned a short time later.

 "You don’t have a choice!" Vin retorted. "You have to get Charlotte and the others away."

With that the apprentice terminated the conversation and immediately angled his ship at the destroyer. He glanced at JD and took a deep breath. "JD I’m sorry." Vin looked at him.

 "You’re sorry?" JD stared back at him in confusion. "I thought we were going to give Buck an opening?" The young man’s demanded.

"I am," Vin replied. "Just not the kind you think."

Without saying another word, Vin slammed his elbow into JD’s face. The youth slump backwards against his seat, his head impacting hard against the headrest as he slumped into unconsciousness with only his belt keeping him in the chair. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and turned his ship around. The stars in front of the cockpit showed his radical change in course and saw his com panel flare with incoming transmissions. The Avenger having noted the change in the Tracker’s trajectory, immediately discontinued their attack on the Rogue and began to veer away. The freighter, taking advantage of the situation immediately put a good deal of distance between itself and the departing destroyer. Vin ensured that the Avenger knew that he was heading back to the Ithor before he answered the frantic transmissions coming from the Rogue.

 "Vin, what the hell are you doing?" Buck demanded.

 "What I have to do Buck," Vin responded firmly, daring not to think too much about what he was doing or he would lose his nerve. "I made a deal with them Buck, my life for all of yours. As long as I keep my end of the bargain to meet Vader on Seleusa, the Avenger won’t fire upon you when you try to leave Ithor."

"Are you insane!" Buck sputtered in response. "What about JD?" 

"JD’s going to be fine." Vin glanced at the young man who was still quite unconscious. "I’ve set the Tracker on autopilot, she’ll set down in the canyon again until the kid comes to. I’m going to get to Seleusa on a life pod. My trajectory takes us straight past the herdship."

"Vin don’t do this!" Charlotte cried out frantically. "Don’t throw your life away for us! Please!"  

Hearing her plea was like feeling knives piercing his heart but Vin refused to be swayed by them. He had made a bargain with Vader and it looked like the dark lord had honored his end of the transaction. Now it was Vin’s turn. Swallowing hard, he answered softly, "I’m not throwing away my life but all your lives for mine is a small price I don’t mind paying." Vin answered, starting to find it difficult to keep talking but his emotions were starting to overwhelm him. "Tell Alex I love her and tell Chris, that he was right."

 With that Vin terminated the channel between them and hoped that Buck would relay those last words to the people he cared about because he had a feeling he would never see them again.

PART ELEven

"We're going back for them." Buck Wilmington stated firmly, taking his eyes away from the scanner that indicated the Avenger was veering away from the Rogue and making its way back to Ithorian orbit. 

Charlotte remained silent for a moment, unable to think clearly because her thoughts were filled with panic. She should have guessed this was what Vin had intended to do and cursed her foolishness for minding his privacy and not searching his thoughts before they had taken off from Ithor so that she could learnt that this was his plan all along. She should have known that he would rather sacrifice himself than to see all his friends caught in Vader's net when it was only he that had to suffer. How could he believe that any of them would find that sacrifice tolerable? With a sigh of deep pain, Charlotte realized that he had not, which was why he hid from them what he was doing, to take the choice out of their hands, to make the decision they could not. 

"No," she swallowed thickly. "You will not turn back."  

Buck turned to her in astonishment, not quite believing his ears. "What do you mean I won't turn back?"

"You won't turn back, you're taking my daughter and Maria away from here, you're going to return my Lilith back to the Rebel Alliance where she will be safe from Vader." Charlotte answered in a measured voice, not looking at him. 

"The hell I will," Buck retorted. "If you think I'm going to leave Vin and JD to Vader, you got another thing coming lady!"

"No one's leaving anyone!" Charlotte barked back just as sharply. "I'm going." 

"What?" Buck stared at her with even more incredulity. 

"My lady you must not!" Maria exclaimed from the seat behind her.

 "I'm going," Charlotte repeated herself and met Buck's shocked expression with an expression of steel. "I'm the only one who can, I'm the Jedi remember?"

 "No," Buck was already shaking his head in refusal. "Jedi I or not, you're not going back there alone."  

However, Charlotte was not listening. She had made up her mind long before she had spoken and she was set on her course. "It has to be me because you're no match for Vader. I don't intend to fight him, just get in his way long enough to help Vin. You have a life pod do you not, on this ship?"

"Yes," Buck nodded, not seeing what crazy plan she was intending on carrying out. "I've got a pod but it will only go to the surface." 

"Well I'm going to follow the Tracker down," Charlotte answered. "Once I retrieve the ship and your friend, we'll go to Seleusa to get Vin." 

"That could work." Buck agreed before he realized that he was starting to go along with this insane idea. "Wait a minute, you're not going to do this alone. We all go!"  

"No," Charlotte glared at him. "You have to get my daughter out of here. I won't let the Empire get their hands on her, not for anything you hear me?"  

"But my lady...." Maria protested again and this time even Lilith who had been remaining silent because of the angry voices bandied about the cockpit found the courage to speak. 

"Mommy I don't want you to go." She said to her mother. 

Charlotte took a deep breath and faced her daughter. "Lilith, I always taught you never to run away from yourself didn't I?" 

"Yes mommy," Lilith nodded. "You said that a Jedi must always know their heart." Her small voice sounded peculiar indeed making that recital but she did so perfectly, word for word and what was more she understood. 

"I haven't been doing that Lilith. For a long time, I hid what I was because I was afraid for you and that was wrong. You needed to know the real me, the tradition you come from and its nothing to be ashamed of. The Jedi were great Lilith and I was one of them for a long time. I hid what I was because I was afraid for you and for myself but I can't hide any more because a good man is going to die for us and I can't let that happen. Do you understand?"

Lilith nodded "You're going to save him." 

"Yes," Charlotte nodded, kissing her on the forehead. "Because I'm the only one who can." 

"Look," Buck interrupted, "no one is saving anyone, I haven't agree to anything yet."

Charlotte took a deep breath and turned to Buck before speaking coolly. "You will take my daughter to the Alliance. You will question me no more on this matter and you will let me leave your ship, unhindered." Her fingers moved just enough for the suggestion to be planted in his head and for a moment, Buck appeared dazed as he closed his eyes trying to compose himself from the Force working its way into his mind.

His thoughts were scattered and Buck blinked furiously in an effort to remember what it was he had been thinking when the words came out of his mouth. "Yes," he nodded slowly. "I will take your daughter to the Alliance and I won't you stop you."

Charlotte gazed at him a minute longer, content that the suggestion had taken root and knew that he would take Lilith to the rebel base without any further debate. It was just as well; she had little time to expend on that venture alone. Taking a deep breath, she faced Maria this time and ran a hand of confidence over the young woman's shoulder. "Maria, I need to look after Lilith no matter what happens to me. I can't promise you anything in return except my thanks and my confidence that you will do your best." 

"My lady, you are coming back." Maria stared at Charlotte, suddenly having the terrible insight without the aid of any Jedi prescience that her lady was making her farewells.  

"Yes I am," Charlotte responded, trying to sound as if she believed it. "But in case I don't, you have to promise me that you will look after Lilith." There was a hint of pleading in her voice that she had hoped to avoid but could not help exude in the face of her request of the young woman.  

"You know I will," Maria swallowed thickly. "You gave me a home and a family my lady, when I was nothing. It would my great honor to do this for you."

"Thank you," Charlotte said relieved and trusted Maria enough to keep her word in this before turning to Lilith. She gathered her daughter in her arms and held her close. Lilith in turn clung to her mother with just as much intensity. The fear radiating from her little body was easily sensed by Charlotte but to her pride, Lilith was doing her best to hide it form her. "Baby I love you." Charlotte whispered as she parted from Lilith's embrace and looked her daughter in the eye. "Whatever happens, I always will, you know that."

"I do mommy," Lilith started to weep, her own senses telling her something terrible was happening. "I love you too."  

Each tear shed broke Charlotte's heart just a little more but she had to do this, not only to save Vin from Vader but also to ensure the sanctity of the secret that would see Lilith's own freedom some day in the future. She was willing to risk all to see to it that some day her daughter would not have to hide what she was and be proud of it. "I will come back," Charlotte said firmly as she disengaged herself from Lilith's embrace. "I promise you I will do everything to make that happen."

Lilith nodded as she saw Charlotte stand up from her seat and reach into the folds of her cloak to produce something that neither she or Maria had ever seen. Charlotte held the device in her hand, feeling its weight and finding it very comforting how easily it felt in her grip once more even after such a length of time. The light saber was not that different from that carried by Vin Tanner but this one was far more seasoned and had seen battles that the apprentice could not even begin to imagine.

"It's been a long time since I've used this." Charlotte said with a little smile and glanced at Lilith, "someday, you will build your own. I'm going to see to it that you can."

No matter what the cost. 

**********

The life pod arrived in Seleusa as expected with little interference from the Empire or the Ithorian authorities. Vin directed the small craft into the emergency landing bay at the herdship's spaceport after leaving JD and the Tracker in the canyon where they had taken refuge earlier. He tried not to think too much about what he would be facing as he brought the life pod into its unceremonious landing amidst the howl of beacons that sounded throughout the hangar bay. Technicians and port authorities were keeping close eye on him, aware that his arrival was due to an effort to save the lives of more Ithorians from the Emperor's brutal intimidation and thus when he emerged from the craft was regarded with some measure of respect. Particularly when they saw the light saber in his hand and identified him a Jedi.

One thing was clear to him however the moment he arrived on the herdship and that was the fact that he could sense that Vader was already there.

Like an invisible thread pulling him along, Vin was helpless but to follow the dark and sinister sensation exuded from one whose power came entirely from the dark side of the Force. Vin felt fear bubbling inside of him and as he progressed along the empty hallways of the herdship, he forced it away knowing that it could be used against him and he refused to allow Vader to have that much power over him. He had in his life, never been afraid of anything before, daring to take chances no sane man would attempt because he refused to allow fear to keep him from his goals, no matter how reckless the course may be. This would be no different. Vader was stronger yes but was he invincible? Vin did not think so. Yoda had said the dark side was very strong but a Jedi with the Force as his ally, devoid of fear and doubt, could best it. For the sake of his continued existence, Vin would have to believe that passionately or else Vader would destroy him. 

He made his way to the roof of the herd ship, where it was used as a landing pad for terrestrial skimmers used to transport people from one community to another on Ithor. When the doors to the lift module slid open and he found himself standing below the Ithorian sky, Vin could see no signs of such ships. They had abandoned the place probably on the instruction of the dark lord who wanted to face him alone. Vin remembered the lessons taught to him by Chris and Yoda and hoped that those teachings would be enough to offset his lack of experience when facing a dark Jedi of Vader's caliber. Vin stepped out of the lift module and let his eyes scan the roof for Vader. He could feel the presence of the Sith Lord close by and was certain that the recognition was mutual. Taking a deep breath, he left the safety of the lift and continued forward, certain that Vader would show himself soon enough.

He did not have long to wait. 

Rounding the corner of the roof, he heard the raspy breathing and recognized it as those produced by someone wearing a respirator. It coincided with a chill running through his entire body and as the cloaked figure in a polished black mask came into view, Vin knew it could be no one else but Vader. He looked in person more frightening than his description, appearing like a statue carved from black armor and the sound of his artificial breath was almost as chilling. He stood almost a head taller than Buck Wilmington and as Vin approached him, the apprentice was determined not to feel the fear that was whispering at him to give up what Vader wanted and leave here with his life. 

"The Force is with you, Vin Tanner." Vader greeted politely.

"And with you." Vin responded in turn for it was the way of the Jedi to be civil in all things, even though what they were about to do was hardly that.

"It took remarkable courage to come here," Vader continued speaking. "I sense your fear in this confrontation." 

"I fear nothing." Vin retorted, feeling a surge of anger because inside he knew it was true, he was afraid and hated Vader knowing.

"You are strong Vin," Vader responded. "One of the strongest even though you are but an apprentice. I would hate to take your life." 

"That's kind of you to say," Vin snorted, igniting his blade and prompting Vader to do the same because he hated talking to this creature or letting Vader climb inside his head. "I'll try to be as considerate when its time for me to take your life."

"That is unfortunate," Vader returned more amused then insulted by Vin's response. "The Emperor could use someone with your potential. I could complete your training. I bested your master, Larabee, I could teach a great deal more than he possibly could." 

"Chris let you win." Vin declared, refusing to give this bastard the satisfaction of thinking that he had aachieved some kind victory over Chris Larabee. 

"You won't have the same luxury with me, little apprentice." Vader answered before swing his blade into a neat arch that would have taken Vin's head off. The younger man immediately raised his own lightsabre and blocked the blow, sending the beam of crimson energy bouncing off its surface as its master launched another attack, this time faster and with greater accuracy. Vin met him blow for blow, refusing to allow him any quarter and for a moment they stood in circle of space, blocking, parrying and thrusting with neither making an advance or a retreat. Suddenly Vin had the idea that Vader was not fighting him but rather testing out his defenses, trying to learn how to get through them without killing him because he still needed Vin alive. 

"You can't kill me!" Vin gloated as he shoved Vader away. "You can't kill me because you need me to tell you about Skywalker! Can you?"

"I do not have to kill you little apprentice, I can cause you enough pain to ensure that you give me what I want." Vader returned confidently.  

"NEVER." Vin hissed and came at him with an offensive blow, slamming his saber into Vader with all the strength he could muster. The dark lord retreated as Vin vented his fury and outrage at Vader's presumption at his lack of skill. The blue glow of his saber impacted hard against Vader's own crimson blade until he was pushing Vader across the tarmac, seeing nothing but the enemy he had to destroy.

Suddenly Vader stopped retreating and caught Vin's latest blow with a powerful block before shoving back hard enough for Vin to stumble backwards, almost losing his balance. The pause in hostilities gave both combatants time to take a breath and Vader lowered his weapon confidently and regarded Vin almost contemplatively. "You are strong apprentice. You are possibly even stronger than Larabee but your ability to control your fear is slipping. I can defeat you and you know it, you feel it inside of you and that is why I will win." 

"Take your best shot!" Vin lunged at him again and once more Vader blocked his blow easily, with Vin coming at him, using all his strength to wear down his opponent. He swung hard and fast, leaping into the air at one point in neat somersault and landing behind Vader to disorientate him. Vader barely avoided the strike that might have decapitated him and dropped to his knees before lashing out and bringing Vin to his own knees before leaping to his feet again and renewing his attack while the younger man was at the disadvantage.  

Vin saw the blade coming down on him and raised his own to avoid being mortally wounded. He rolled once he had fended it off and got to his feet again to see Vader taking the offensive with a series of hard and powerful strikes. The strength of the man took Vin's breath away and soon the apprentice was using all his reserves to keep those blows form meeting its mark. Vader was not only a powerful Jedi but he was extremely skilled with a sabre and Vin was just too new at this to mount a defense that could defeat him. Still the younger man was not about to give in and with every strike that Vader delivered, Vin countered it back with equal force, giving as good as he got for as long as he was capable. 

However, Vin never stood a chance and he was about to be shown how futile trying had been. 

Vin raised his sabre to strike when he saw Vader lower his own, thinking for a moment that somehow the dark lord had misjudged his skill and had left himself wide open for attack. Vin ran forward, preparing to make the kill when suddenly, he was swept off his feet and flung into the doors of the lift module. He impacted against the steel with so much force, the air escaped his lungs and it felt as if he might have broken every bone in his body with the pain that followed. For a few seconds, Vin reeled from the attack until his senses screamed warning and he came around just in time to see Vader coming at him again. He threw himself out of the way just as Vader's blade tore through the steel doors of the lift and Vin scrambled to his feet, searching for the lightsabre that was no longer in his hand and seeing it on the floor nearby. Concentrating hard, the weapon returned to his grip, just in time for him to ward off another powerful strike by the dark lord.  

"I don't wish to kill you little apprentice," Vader spoke as he continued his attack. "I am only interested in my son. If you give me what I want, I can complete your training and we can faced the Emperor as Master and Apprentice. Do you know the power of the dark side; have you allowed yourself to feel it? Join me and you will become a part of the New Order. The Republic was decayed and chaotic, whole races squabbling with each other, never accomplishing anything. The Emperor has a vision and you can be apart of it."

"Your new order is going to die!" Vin shouted defiantly, striking back in an attack of his own even though he could not keep it up for very long. His limbs ached from the impact with the door despite his best efforts to ignore it. "The Rebel Alliance is going to finish your Empire before this abomination you call a new order even has a chance to begin!"  

"The Rebel Alliance is nothing!" Vader roared and a surge of power escaped him, tearing Vin off the floor and crushing him to the ground once more with a hard thud.

Vin let out a groan of pain as he felt something give way this time and knew that he had broken ribs. There was little time to reflect on the pain as he saw Vader coming for him again, this time, his attack was ruthless and precise, blade after blade of powerful strokes that Vin could barely block let alone defend. Vin was becoming exhausted and Vader seemed unstoppable. With a feeling of anguish and growing despair, Vin realized he was going to die. He was going to die here and probably not before giving Vader exactly what he wanted the truth about Skywalker.

"Give in Vin," Vader lowered his weapon once more as Vin staggered away, having real trouble holding up his blade as he panted in exhaustion and pain. "I don't know want to kill you but if you choose to ally yourself with what is left of the Jedi, you give me no choice but to destroy you." 

"If that's my destiny, then so be it." Vin responded defiantly.

"Is it also the destiny of the one you love to die at my hands?" Vader asked. 

"What?" Vin stared at him, wondering what he could mean by that remark. He could not possibly know about Alex, could he?

"I see her in your mind. Your thoughts about her are strong indeed and they betray you. Love is a weakness my young apprentice; it is an exploitable vulnerability. Give me what I want and I will not send a legion of my troops across the galaxy to hunt her down. If you will not give me my son, then I will take your lover!" 

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM ALEX!" Vin screamed and lunged at the dark lord, feeling a swell of adrenaline flood through this veins as he went after Vader with vengeance.  

Swinging wild and hard, Vin drove Vader back once more, his offensive almost frenzied as he kept slamming his blade against Vader's own. Vader deflected the strikes easily, watching the younger man get wilder and more reckless, knowing that he would soon run out of energy and be completely open to defeat. Vader could feel the rage building inside of Vin and knew that he was closer to the dark side than he knew but unfortunately, Vin Tanner would not be able to use that to his advantage. He had difficult containing what power he had already without being bombarded by the unparalleled surge of strength that would come from accessing the dark side.  

"I won't let you get her!" Vin swung again, determine to kill this foul creature before he could harm Alex.

"Foolish boy." Vader shook his head as he caught Vin's latest blow and shoved back, utilizing the Force to make the return strike even more powerful. "You make it all to easy."

Once more Vin was swept of his feet. He sailed through the air with such speed that he had no idea what was happening until he felt the tarmac under his shoulder and a sickening sound of a bone popping upon impact. He let out a scream as the pain flared from his injured side and spread through the rest of him. He was still on the ground when he saw Vader come at him and this time Vin did not know if he could defend himself. Tears running down his cheeks in agony, Vin raised his uninjured arm and deflected Vader's downward strike. The impact of sabre upon sabre almost dislodged the weapon from Vin's hand and he rolled onto his stomach to scramble away, trying to gain a little ground so that he could catch his breath. 

However Vader was not giving him that respite and the dark lord made his advance again, lashing out with brutal intensity, shaking off every effort Vin made to defend his strikes, as if they were nothing than annoyances. He was driving Vin towards the edge of the roof, swinging his blade over and over again until the apprentice could do nothing but retreat in an effort to prevent that final decisive blow that would end this duel once and for all. Vader could feel Vin's defenses starting to slip, the fear was overwhelming the younger man now, salting his bones to the point where his mental shields would come down with one resounding crash and Vader would at last get what he wanted, the location of his son. 

"I'm giving you one last chance little apprentice," Vader declared. "Tell me where my son is and it will not end the way it is going to."

"NO!" Vin screamed, refusing to be swayed by that offer even though the temptation to concede was overwhelming. He was going to die and he knew it. He tried his best and it was not good enough! The Sith Lord was just too strong. However, Vin did have the choice of how he would leave this world and he would do so with honor, keeping his word to Chris to never betray the secret the Jedi had entrusted him with. Darth Vader could kill him but he would never defeat him.

"I will die before I let you take it from me!" Vin hissed and with the last ounce of strength he had, he raised his sabre in the air and came at Vader for one final blow that would either finish him or the dark lord. Unfortunately, Vader was too seasoned to be caught that way and swung his own blade in a defending blow, intending to finish this battle once and for all. 

The blade sliced through Vin's shoulder, eliciting Vin's first and only guttural scream he had ever uttered in his life as he felt his flesh, bone and muscle giving way in a burst of excruciating agony. Warm blood began flowing immediately down his chest and though his arm had not come away from his body, it remained in place only by a twist of flesh. Blinded with pain, Vin collapsed on the floor, hardly aware that his light sabre had fallen from his hand and was rolling across the tarmac, out of his reach. He hit the ground; not noticing it when his skull cracked onto the hard surface, sending waves of disorientation through him that was drowned in the sea of agony already coursing through his body. His cheek scraped against the steel floor and seconds seemed to pas before his cheek became wet with blood. He blinked twice and understood that it was because he was lying in a puddle of his own blood.

"You can still survive." Vader spoke once more, the harsh breathing of his respirator hovered over Vin's ear as he leaned down to make a final offer, now that the battle was truly over and done with. "Give me what I wish and I will see to it that you are given proper medical treatment. You do not have to die here."

Vin turned his head and looked the dark lord straight in the eye. It was difficult to talk because his lungs were filling up with blood and his body was starting to shut down, however, he refused to go, not before he gave the Sith Lord a final answer with which to remember. Vin was overcome a deep sense of peace, despite the excruciating pain, in knowing that the end had come and he had not submitted to his fear or Vader's temptations.

"Never," Vin answered, smiling weakly. The upturn corner of his lip sent a rivulet of blood down his face. "The only way you will meet your son is the day he comes to kill you." 

"FOOL!" Vader swore and raised his sabre to deliver a final blow, deciding he had enough of this fledgling! "Keep your secret then!" Vader bellowed in fury. "You can take them to hell with you!"

However, the deathblow he intended to strike Vin Tanner with, never met its mark. It was halted in mid air by the presence of a new blade and an entirely new face. 

"Care to try someone your own size?" Charlotte Richmond asked.

PART TWELvE

"We finally meet." Darth Vader responded to the challenge offered by Charlotte Richmond, once the surprise of her arrival had worn off. "I would have thought you and your child would be on your way to the Alliance by now." 

"Matters on Ithor required that I remain." Charlotte said coldly, keeping her light saber against Vader’s to ensure he did not make any sudden moves towards Vin. Charlotte tried to keep her eyes averted from Vin's body lying on the tarmac, or notice the crimson pool that was spreading around him was blood from a grievous wound. Behind her, JD Dunne was moving towards the fallen apprentice, cautiously keeping an eye on the two Jedis whom were about to do battle.  

"Get him out of here JD." Charlotte ordered, never moving her eyes away from Vader as she spoke. 

"He’ll never leave the system alive." Vader hissed, keeping his gaze similarly focused Charlotte and paying little attention to the young man whom was trying to remain beneath his notice.  

"He’ll take his chances." Charlotte answered for JD. "Go on JD, take him out of here!" 

JD did not pause to answer her. He had heard descriptions about Lord Darth Vader from those who had seen him in person and none of those descriptions did the man any justice. Seeing this cloaked figure in black armor was possibly one of the most frightening moments of his young life. He did not know anything about Sith Lords but if they all looked like Vader, then JD was extremely grateful that the Sith only came in twos; a master and an apprentice. For an army of such creatures was the stuff of nightmares. JD did not think he would ever be able to hear the sound of a respirator again without shuddering inwardly or connecting that chilling sound to Vader. However, he could not dwell on the sinister looking Jedi when Vin Tanner needed help so desperately. 

JD lowered himself to Vin and took hold of the apprentice’s wounded body, trying not to be affected by the metallic stench of blood suffocating the air around him or the sight of so much of it that it was a puddle of black on the ground. Vin’s arm was barely attached to his body and when JD lifted him off the floor, he had to do so ensuring that the arm remained that way since there was no longer any bone to support its weight. Muscle and sinew were sliced apart and what remained connected to Vin, did so with the flimsiest threads of flesh. JD felt his stomach lurch and thought he might gag at the gruesome sight but he fought the sensation away because Vin needed his help. Vin was barely conscious, blood frothing at his lips with each exhale and JD could tell that unless he was brought to the Tracker where the medibay would stabilize his condition; Vin would die before they even left Ithorian orbit. 

"Come on Vin," JD said softly as he hauled Vin to his feet and began dragging the apprentice towards the lift module once more. Charlotte was still Vader at bay and as he moved away from them, he noticed Vader’s eyes following their departure. Never in his life did JD wanted to be away from any place badly and the dark lord’s gaze only made him move faster. He wanted to call after Charlotte but knew it was a futile effort and he knew it. She had already told him what his instructions were once they had reached this point and the situation was too critical to deviate from it now. Besides, he had a feeling she had known that this was the way it was going to go from the moment she decided to help rescue Vin.  

The Tracker was presently docked and waiting their arrival at the spaceport. JD did not think they would have much trouble from the Ithorians trying to prevent their depature because on when he had accompanied Charlotte here, the sight of her light sabre had been enough for them to step aside. JD was convinced the look in their eyes when they saw her was almost one of reverence. JD had never made a solo flight himself but he was confident Buck had taught him well enough to try, besides they was no choice. He had to get Vin help and there was no alternative for him but to succeed because the consequences for failure was not something he wanted on his conscience.  

Arriving at the lift doors, he cast a gaze back at Charlotte and Vader who was staring at each other like titans about to do battle and appeared as if they were waiting for him and Vin to go before they began to fight. He wished he could say something to Charlotte as the doors slid open and he stepped inside. JD wished he could tell her how brave he thought she was and how she should be coming with him now that they had found Vin but he dared not risk disrupting her concentration with such a formidable enemy before her. However at this instant, he understood now what she had said before they had arrived here, that one of them would have to remain behind to keep Vader busy while the other rescued Vin. And since the one who remained needed to be a Jedi, there was never a question in her mind that it was going to be her. 

Go!

JD blinked when he heard her voice in her mind. Go now, while you still can!

This time there was no hesitation as JD entered the small compartment of the lift module, hanging on to Vin, once her voice had faded out of his mind. Activating the control mechanism against the wall, JD could only stare as the doors started to seal and Charlotte disappeared entirely out of his view, to be frozen forever into his memory.

************

She attacked the moment Vin and JD were out of her sight.  

Unlike Vin who had been a novice, Charlotte was not out of practice and although she had never shown her daughter her skills as a Jedi Knight, there were many nights when both Maria and her daughter had been slumbering when Charlotte had crept out train and keep herself sharp. Whether or not it was enough for her to prevail against Darth Vader was another thing entirely but she was not afraid. If this entire affair had wrought anything, it had shown Charlotte the folly of fearing too much. She was done with her fears and her insecurities. Lilith was safe and beyond the Empire’s reach now, Charlotte could feel it and she also knew that Vin would do everything possible to protect her. Whatever the future held for her, Charlotte could face it knowing that. 

She swung hard at Vader and he raised his saber blocked her blow, staggering backwards at the ferociousness of her attack. Like a mother rancor protecting her young, Charlotte maintained the devastating pace, using all the skills at her disposal to fight a seemingly invulnerable enemy. Leaping into the air, she somersaulted over his head and landed behind him and kicked out her foot no sooner than she had touched the ground, sending him forward clumsily before she came at him again. Vader recovered quickly, fast coming to the realization that he had to re-evaluate his attack strategy because he was no longer fighting and inexperienced opponent. Obviously Governor Richmond’s wife was a skilled Jedi and would need to be treated as such.

This time he met her offensive, putting a great deal of power into his return strikes. However, as strong as he was, Charlotte was faster and there was a grace and agility to her movements that was not capable of being repeated by his body armor. She dodged out of his way easily and slammed her sabre down, this time connecting with the crook of his shoulder long enough to cause sparks to spit from the ruptured wires of the cybernetic covering. Vader uttered a cry of pain and lashed out a gloved fist in wide swing. His knuckles met her jaw and she stumbled back, reeling in disorientation but not enough to be caught at a disadvantage. She brought up her weapon once more as he thrust his own blade in her direction and she shoved the weapon away from the torso it would have otherwise penetrated. The sound of lightsabers clanged loudly, its sounds reverberating through their bones as the battle seemed to be gain momentum almost to fever pitch. 

"Your husband has underestimated you greatly." Vader remarked when a break in the fighting had come. "He said that you had forgotten your skills, that you had left the Jedi way far behind you." 

"My husband has been mistaken about a great number of things." Charlotte declared, aware that this effort at conversation was merely a tactic in delaying the battle while Vader came up with a plan. It was time she did not intend to give him. As a Jedi he was the strongest but he was also a Sith Lord, drawing on the dark side for his power and the Force lost it potency when employed in such a manner. She may not be able to beat him but she could certainly hurt him. Charlotte raised her weapon and swung the energy beam at Vader, only to have him deflect her blow. For a few minutes, they stood before each other, matching one another in skill and strength. 

Charlotte fought like a hellion giving him little or no time to catch his breath because the only way to defeat someone like Vader was to wear him down. They both leapt into the air, charging each other in flight as their sabers slammed dangerous against each other, until the sound of the wind blowing was drowned out by the noise of their weapons. They landed on the ground again and to resume the dance once more. Neither of them were aware that they were being observed closely by the Ithorians and the newly arrived Imperial troops who had seen the departure of the Tracker from Seleusa and deduced that something had gone wrong with the dark lord’s audience with Vin Tanner. 

Vader was using his physical strength in the battle ensuring that each time he made a strike, it would require a good deal of effort on Charlotte’s part to keep it from reaching its mark. The mechanics of his body allowed him that advantage while taking away the graceful agility of movement. Charlotte on the other hand moved swiftly, never remaining in one place long enough for him to concentrate his attack to such a point that she had trouble holding her ground. Leaping and twisting in the air, she was like a wind sprite, delivering her strikes and then slipping out of reach before he could move to engage. Spark flew from the meeting of their blades and the fierce fighting continued, waiting for one of the combatants to weaken.

"Not so easy to kill us when you’re not hunting down our families and butchering us with your Imperial dogs is it?" Charlotte hissed as she struck him again. This time her sabre catching him on the side, creating a fissure that bled the cybernetic gases that kept him alive inside the dark armor. He uttered another cry and she relished the sound of his pain. Concentrating hard, she allowed herself a momentary indulgence and sent him flying through the air, his dark cloak billowing in the wind as he crashed on the floor not far from her. Breaking into a running start, Charlotte raced towards him, weapon drawn and prepare to leap when suddenly out of nowhere, a blast of energy struck her full on the side. 

Charlotte uttered a scream as she collapsed on the floor, feeling the sting of what she knew could only be a bolt from an Imperial stormtrooper's blast rifle.

"WHO DARES!" She heard Vader roar through a haze of pain encompassing her whole body. Her vision was cloudy and she could not see well but the sensation of agony was most acute and she could only hiss quietly in pain because there were little strength left in her for anything else. Her sabre was still in her hand and though she knew she was dying, Charlotte would not let Vader claim her dead boy as a prize. Taking a deep breath, she rolled onto her stomach, unaware she was trailing blood as she moved forward painfully. The action alone drew her a frustrated cry of agony with each inch she managed to cover. In the distance, she heard Vader demanding the contingent of stormtroopers, who had given them authority to intervene and the one who had shot her was soon writhing on the tarmac, being strangled by the dark lord for his interference in what was clearly a Jedi matter.

None of this mattered much to Charlotte who left Vader to his petty tyrannies and ignored the death scream of the man who was summarily executed for taking her life. She saw the edge of the roof come into view and stared at the beauty of Ithor for once last time. Forcing herself to her feet took every ounce of strength left in her but Charlotte was determined to die well. She heard someone shouting at Vader, alerting him to what she was doing but paid little attention to it. It was too late for that anyway. Taking a deep breath, she took a second to admire the pristine beauty of blue skies and a majestic landscape of rolling green fields. As the last thing she would ever see in this life, Charlotte was pleased with the view.  

She could feel tendrils of Vader’s power reaching for her, attempting to keep her from completing this one final task. However, he was not going to take this away from her. Closing her eyes, Charlotte ran forward shakily and with the power of the Force masking the pain in her legs and her torso enough for her to make that running start, Charlotte jumped over the edge. She heard Vader scream behind her in fury but she did not care, she could feel the wind in her hair and the lush scent of Ithor’s air in her lungs. She did not look at the ground miles below for she would make acquaintance with it soon enough.  

Until then however, Charlotte would dream of her daughter's freedom and ride the wind into eternity.

************

Buck could not believe that woman had done something like that to him! The Rogue was already in hyperspace; her course was set so Buck could do nothing to change it until he reached the other side of the dimensional passageway. Although it was possible to change course in hyperspace, Buck was not prepared to do it when there was a child and a girl not much more than a teenager on board his ship. He would not risk their lives in case he miscalculated even by a fraction. An incorrect calculation on his part and he could cause the Rogue emerge in the middle of a supernova or a black hole and that was not how he wanted to end his day. Besides, despite her manipulation, Charlotte Richmond was right, her daughter did need to be taken to safety.

Inwardly, he was still furious how he could have fallen under a Jedi mind spell so easily. Chris had done it to him a few times in his life, usually when Buck had gotten his mind to chase after some woman Chris knew would get him killed. Buck was usually pretty sore with the Jedi after that but things always had a way of working out just so that Buck would realize that Chris had actually done him a favor as opposed to robbing him of a glorious night of passion. However, he was still unimpressed by having fallen under its sway when exerted so expertly by Charlotte Richmond. One minute he was arguing with her about the ludicrous notion of her returning to Ithor herself and the next thing he knew, he was staring at his cockpit watching the spots in front his eyes disappear after making the jump to lightspeed.

Buck wanted to go with her so that he could get JD back himself. Even though the young man had learnt a great deal since becoming his co-pilot, Buck was not at all happy that he was on Ithor alone while a superstar destroyer was in orbit around the planet. Now he would have to return to the rebel base, leave Charlotte's daughter and the girl Maria before being able to return to Ithor to find out if JD and Vin were okay, not to mention the crazy Jedi who had put him in this situation in the first place.  

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Maria staring out the cockpit window, her eyes very far away as she held the blond waif in her arms. Both females seemed somber and Buck could not blame them for that. The little girl in particular was feeling her mother's departure profoundly and once again Buck cursed himself for being so weak willed to fall under the suggestion of a Jedi mind trick and let the woman go off on her own. 

Suddenly, Lilith sat up in Maria's lap with her eyes wide open and squealed. "MOMMY NO!"  

"Lilith!" Maria looked at her in concern. "What is it?"

The child had started to cry, anguish contorting her features into an expression that broke Buck's heart into a thousand pieces at seeing it. "She's dead!" Lilith started to sob loudly. "Mommy's dead!"  

"Of course she isn't," Maria said quickly, embracing the little girl, with panic clearly marking her own features. 

"Yes she is!" Lilith bawled loudly the way a six-year-old would. "Mommy's gone! I felt her go away!"  

Buck knew she was right and before he knew what he was doing, Lilith was in his arms and he was holding onto her tight as she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed loudly without restraint. He wished with all his heart that the little girl was wrong but his own instincts told him that it was a futile hope. Adam, Chris' son had been the same way. The boy had always known when his father was near and Buck had seen them have conversations without ever saying a word to each other. He and Sarah used to marvel at the strength of that bond as well as envying it at times. If Lilith said her mother was dead, then Buck believed her.  

"I'm sorry darling," Buck whispered softly in her ear. "I'm so sorry." 

However, despite admonishing himself for feeling so selfish, Buck could not help wonder that if Charlotte was dead, where was Vin and JD? 

************

"Charlotte...." Vin groaned as he lay on the bunk in the Tracker's medibay.  

"I'm sorry." He wept softly, tears streaking down his cheeks as he surfaced in and out of coherence. JD had placed him inside the automated compartment and placed him under the ministrations of the medi-droid that was keeping his vital signs stable and pumping him full of pain nullifying drugs for his trip back to the rebel base. She was dead. He could feel inside his soul and knew that at that moment, wherever she was, her life had come to an end. He felt her consciousness extinguish in one final instant, before fading away like smoke forever. "I'm sorry." He whispered his eyes blinded with tears as he stared into the ceiling above.

 With the knowledge of her death heavy in his mind, the pain he was enduring seemed far away although Vin could not be certain that it was not the drugs that caused it to diminish. Whatever the reason, Vin forced himself from the bed.  

"Sir, you must stay in bed." The droid declared reproachfully but Vin ignored it. His left side and his arm were encased in a stasis pack and he was still very weak but Vin could hear the sounds of bombardment against the hull of ship and knew that they were far from out of danger.

"To hell with it," he grunted weakly and stood up. He could not just lie here when so much was going on outside. Besides, if he stayed where he was he would have nothing to do but think about Charlotte and the fact that she had died for him. At the moment, Vin was too raw inside to endure that.

He made his way to the cockpit; not an easy feat to accomplish when the ship was being bombarded by what he was certain was energy blasts from fighter cannons. So far, the Tracker was enduring against the barrage and JD was holding his own to give the detonations against the hull down to a bare minimum. Bracing himself against the walls of ship with his uninjured hands, Vin walked slowly to the cockpit, feeling every shudder and every heave of protest uttered by the ship whenever the enemy's blast met its mark. He knew that his ship was being flown hard because he recognized the sounds it made and could tell when the superstructure was being placed under extreme pressure.

He arrived in the cockpit and saw the Avenger bearing directly ahead of the Tracker, looming closer and closer in the window as the smaller craft surged on ahead. Flying across the sky surrounding the Tracker, a dozen TIE fighters were literally swarming around them in frenzy. Vin watched JD at the controls of his ship, flying the Slipstream the way a mad man would but somehow, he was managing to keep them from being destroyed. Vin struggled into the co-pilot's seat next to JD; content to let the young man handle things even though Vin did not hold much hope for them to evade capture indefinitely.

"What are you doing here Vin?" JD asked horrified as he saw his friend next to him. To him, Vin looked half-dead and had no business being in that chair when he ought to be with the medical droid being treated and kept in stable condition. "You should be in bed!" 

"What's the point?" Vin asked weakly. "It's going to take a miracle for us to get out this alive."  

"Things are bad," JD agreed as he flew through the ships before them, trying desperately to put some distance between the Tracker and the superstar destroyer determined to capture them now that Vin had reneged on his deal with Vader and had fled Ithor. The great ship had closed in on the small ship as soon as the Tracker had left orbit, this time making no mistakes as it sent a phalanx of TIE fighters to cut off any route of escape. The net was closing in on them but JD was not going to taken without a fight. Buck Wilmington had taught him that lesson most succinctly. "But we're getting out of this." 

"Charlotte is dead." Vin answered him with that statement. 

JD cast a brief glance at Vin and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Vin. She was a brave woman." 

"I should never have come to Ithor." Vin shook his head, hardly noticing that they were engaged in their fight for their lives outside the hull of the ship. "I killed her by coming here!" 

"VIN!" JD said sharply. "I don't have time for this!" The younger man barked at him and surprised the apprentice by the intensity of his voice. "I'm sorry Charlotte is gone but you didn't kill her and she knew very well what she was doing when she came to rescue you. I need to concentrate on getting us out of here alive and since you can't help me with that, I suggest you sit quietly and let do what I can. That lady gave up her life so that you and I could escape with ours, I sure as hell am not going to let that sacrifice go to waste." 

Vin did not answer and looked away from JD, feeling warm tears in his eyes because the younger man was right. Charlotte had sacrificed her life for not only the two of them but for her daughter as well. It was wrong to let that sacrifice be for nothing. Closing his eyes, he felt droplets of moisture run down his cheeks even though he kept himself facing away from JD. "What do you need me to do?" He turned to face JD a moment later, an expression on his face that told the younger man that he was not angry at what JD had said to him. It was actually rather justified. 

"At the moment?" JD asked as he banked the Tracker hard and it slipped in between two TIE fighters that could not pull up in time. Their collision and destruction bathed the cockpit in a flare of light as the Tracker flew through the momentary debris field and started streaking towards the huge destroyer at accelerating speed. "I just need you to sit there and stay alive. You don't look capable of much else." He added with a slight crook on his lips. 

"I'll see what I can do." Vin returned softly and noted the trajectory of the Tracker. "JD are you attacking them?" He asked with a little grunt.  

"No," JD shook his head as the distance between the small ship and Vader's personal carrier began to close. "Buck told me once that the tractor beams on Star Destroyers have a very narrow field to be so precise. I figure that it I can get close enough to it, I can skim the edge of the tractor field." 

"And keep those fighters from firing on their own ship." Vin responded impressed but was starting to feel his energy reserves dwindling again. The drugs were making it hard for him to keep alert even though so much was happening around him.  

"That's the theory." JD replied with a deep breath, hoping the gamble did not get them both killed. 

The Tracker flew towards the Avenger fearlessly while still dogged by a number of TIE fighters that were less anxious than they were before earlier about firing upon the small craft when it was so close to the large destroyer. Instead, they spread around the Avenger, attempting to box the Slipstream cruiser around the massive breadth of the ship, forcing it to break off and head back into open space so that they could pummel it with more laser blasts. If it were not for the inordinate thickness of the cruiser's hull, the Tracker's shields would have buckled already but despite its reinforcements, the smaller craft was reaching its limits. When its shields collapsed, nothing would keep the Tracker from being destroyed. The powers that be wanted the passengers of the craft brought in alive and so the squadron leader of the TIE fighter contingent was herding the Tracker in for boarding, rather than disintegration.

The Tracker remained closed to the hull of the Avenger, skimming dangerously near the surface of the last craft and further limiting the TIE fighter's ability to shoot them down. Unfortunately, the ship was corralled and unless JD wanted to head back into space once more, they would be more or less threat. If Buck was here, JD might have been able to remedy their situation by getting into the gunnery turret but the precision flying required to stay ahead of the TIE fighters could not be duplicated by auto-pilot. Vin was in no condition to take his place either, hell the apprentice should not even have been out of the medi-bay let alone at the controls of ship trying to evade capture by Imperial pilots. 

Just when JD started to contemplate the notion that perhaps they ought to take their chances in open space once more, a most curious thing happened. One of the TIE fighters exploded and it had nothing to do with the Tracker firing upon it. The flare of its destruction lit up the sky and was quickly followed by another and then another, until debris started to fill the sky.  

"What the hell?" JD mused when suddenly a voice came through the comlink. 

"Tracker get your ass to the hangar bay doors. We're wide open and we don't have time to stop." Mary Travis' voice ordered sharply throughout the small cockpit. 

"ALRIGHT!" JD grinned as he stared at the external scanner and saw the Purgatory swooping from nowhere, ploughing the space between them like streaking comet. She was laying down heavy fire and moving fast in an effort to shoot down any TIE fighter's in the air while at the same time, keeping her momentum so that she could escape the super star destroyer.  

"Yes Sir, we're on our way!" He declared jubilantly as he angled the Tracker away from the destroyer and rushed to meet the Purgatory. "We're gonna be okay Vin!" JD grinned as the Tracker swooped in behind the Purgatory and quickly positioned itself to sail right into its open landing doors. Pouring all power to the rear thrusters, the Tracker surged ahead, keeping pace with the Purgatory as well as gaining a little more distance so that it could enter the landing bay.  

"We made it!" JD declared exuberantly as they heard the hangar doors closing behind them once they were inside the Purgatory. Shutting down all the ships' system, JD never thought he would be so glad to catch a ride home instead of making the journey himself. "You're going to be alright Vin," he said as he was flicking switches. However, when he looked over his shoulder, Vin Tanner had lapsed into unconsciousness again.  

With a sad sigh, JD added softly even though Vin could not hear him. "At least I hope you're going to be okay."

EPiLoGuE

He could smell Alex in his lungs. 

The soft scent of her skin flooded his consciousness with her intoxicating scent despite the fact that he was presently drifting in the limbo between sleep and wakefulness. He could feel her warmth against his skin, a gentle stroking sensation that moved across his cheek and filled with so much comfort that it chased away the demons that had plagued his dreams. Aspects of her swirled around his head, tantalizing him with the tasty morsels of her being until he was savoring each sensation with growing intensity and the unreality of his present state of mind began to evaporate with his diminishing unconsciousness.  

Vin Tanner woke up and found Alexandra Styles next to his bed, her hand lazily stroking his brow as she closed her eyes, appearing to drift off herself as she continued the soothing motion. By the looks of it, she had been at his bedside for quite some time now and he wondered how long he had been unconscious. His body still ached but the pain was distant now, held in check no doubt by drugs and other remedies. Glancing at his shoulder, he saw that it was encased in bacta-pack. A mixture of cybernetics and bio-genetics, the bacta-pack ensured that his wounds were protected from germs and bacteria, while the cybernetics monitored the progress of his ministrations under surgery and made sufficient repairs if necessary once the patient was up and mobile. 

He stared at her for awhile, enjoying the sight of her because it did much to alleviate the pain in his heart that no amount of surgery could heal. No matter what JD had said to him on the Tracker, Vin knew that if he had not rushed off on his own, perhaps Charlotte might still be alive. He was so determined to prove he could do it on his own, he had not only risked his life but he had cost Charlotte’s her. While the decision to face Vader had been entirely her own, Vin knew that she had been prompted into action because she had wanted to save his life. For all that he said to her and all that was no longer between them, she had still traded her life for his. He could tell himself forever that it was not his fault that she was dead but he would never really believe it. 

Laying his head back on the pillow, he shuddered slightly as he felt the tears come freely. He did not want to sob or weep but he needed to mourn and with the shedding of those tears, fell his defenses lower. Vin sucked in his breath and tried to remain quiet, not wishing to wake up Alex but his sorrow reached her on a level that was not quite physical and she raised her head to look at him. Their eyes met and he saw the sympathy in her eyes as she reached over and held him in her arms, while mindful of his injury. For a long time, she held him close, allowing him to cry his tears into her shoulder, stroking his hair and whispering to him in a soft voice that everything would be alright. 

"Its not your fault baby." She spoke quietly. "I know you don’t think that now, but it isn’t." 

"I shouldn’t have gone after her." He cried despaired, his head still resting against her breast. "If I had….." 

"Vin, if you had not gone after her then she, her child and her friend would all be dead." Alex replied. "You did what you thought was right and for that a little girl is free. I can’t say anything to you that will make this better except that the best thing you can do now is to get well. She would want you to keep her daughter safe." 

Yes, Vin had to concede that. Alex was right, Lilith would need guarding and for what her mother had done for him, Vin was determined that the little girl need never worry about Vader or the Empire again. "How long have you been here?" He asked, glad to see her even though he was somewhat surprised by her presence. 

"Mary contacted me during the Purgatory’s trip from Ithor." Alex answered, entwining her fingers in his. "She knew I would want to be here." 

"I’m glad you came." Vin swallowed thickly, his throat felt dry and immediately prompted her into giving him a little drink of water.  

"I had this feeling you know," she dropped her gaze for a moment when she had lowered the cup back onto the table beside his bed. "I don’t know how I knew you were in trouble, I was almost waiting for Mary’s call. I just knew you were hurt."

 "I loved her once," Vin admitted readily, wanting no secrets between them on this matter. "I guess a part of me will always love her but that’s not why I went there. I went because I promised her that I would come if she ever needed me." 

"Vin," Alex interrupted before he could go any further. She did not need him to tell her what she already knew in her heart. It was illogical to assume that before entering each others lives there were no past lovers or deep attachments. There were such things in Alex’s past and she was not about to hold it against Vin that he had loved before her. "You don’t have to explain it to me. I know how we feel about each other and I have to trust in that if there is ever to be an ‘us’. I’m in love with you Vin, I’m almost certain of it and whatever happens, I’ll be there with you even if I’m not always around. We’ll get through this."  

Her confidence and her sincerity flooded his heart with affection and it was good to know that she understood his feelings about Charlotte and was not intimidated by it because there was no reason for her to be. When he had told Charlotte he loved her and he had meant it. Charlotte was someone from his past, in more ways than one now and Alex was his future. Still, it did feel good hearing that she returned the intensity of his passion. Almost as good as knowing that she had remained at his side since she arriving at the rebel base, keeping watch over him in his unconscious state. He had never had anyone care that much for him. Although now that Vin considered it a little more deeply, he had also underestimated how much Charlotte had cared for him too. Vin could not repair the mistake made by him in regards to his past love but he could ensure he did not repeat it with Alex.  

"I love you Alex and I’m glad you understand," Vin said softly as he touched her cheek gently. Their eyes net and so much was exchanged in that single look that Vin knew that what he felt for Alex was strong and passionate, yet markedly different from his feelings for Charlotte. There was something to be said about knowing one’s heart so completely and with Alex, he felt a strange kind of confidence, he supposed, was his corresponding faith in her. "It means a lot to me." 

"You mean a lot to me." She captured his hand on her cheek and turned her head just enough to plant a soft kiss on his palm.  

They did not speak for a few seconds before something else filled his thoughts and despite how painful the subject or how tender the moment, he had to satisfy his curiosity. "Did they know what happened to her?"

Alex nodded slowly, anticipating the question at some point. "Our Ithorian informants report that after you and JD left Seleusa, Charlotte fought it out with Vader. After you took off, the Avenger sent the troops in and a stormtrooper who didn’t know better, shot her during the battle. Vader killed him for it." 

"It was a Jedi matter," Vin said sadly, trying not to let the news of Charlotte’s end bring fresh tears to his eyes. All he could do to contain his sorrow and anger was to turn away from Alex momentarily while he composed himself. "And her body?" He almost could not bring himself to say the word. "I suppose they sent it back to Richmond?" 

"No," Alex shook her head. "There was no body. Before she died, she threw herself off the herdship. I guess she did want them to have the satisfaction of having a trophy."

 "At least that’s something." Vin retorted but in truth, he did not think that was much at all. However, he was pleased about one thing at least and that was the fact that Vader had been denied what he wanted. 

The secret about Luke Skywalker was still safe. 

************

Vin dozed off after being visited by a number of his friends, including Mary Travis, who offered him a suggestion about what was to be done about Maria and Lilith. Very quickly, they had both agreed that the rebel base was no place for a child and Mary thought it would be a good idea if Maria and her new charge traveled to Bakura in order to live with her own son Billy and his grandfather Orin Travis. Bakura’s proximity to the core worlds kept Imperial activity to a bare minimum and Mary doubted that the Empire would be all that concerned with a child. Still, Vin would rather not take any chances and agreed to the idea, pending on what Lilith and Maria thought about the idea themselves. He wanted to protect Lilith but he would not presume to lord over her just because he felt guilty about her mother’s death. 

When he woke up again, he found that his latest visitor was not Alex, who had disappeared to get some rest herself , but rather Chris Larabee. The Jedi looked in almost as bad shape as he and the two warriors, both possessing their own battle wounds faced each other for the first time since this whole affair on Ithor had come up. Normally Vin could read the emotions radiating from the Jedi but on this occasion, Chris’ thoughts were a mystery to him. He thought that Chris might be angry with him and was shutting him out. Vin supposed that the Jedi was perfectly justified in that after all, he had run off foolishly, not to mention impetuously. It was the last time he would ever do that again. The consequences of his actions, no matter how small had serious repercussions on all those around him. Vin felt ashamed of what he had done but not the feelings that had inspired it. He had given Charlotte his word and if a man could not honor his word, what was he then? 

"You’re not a man," Chris said as he lowered himself onto the chair that Alex had occupied earlier. "You’re a Jedi." Chris was still wearing his medical fatigues and was yet to be released from the ministrations of the base’s medical centre. His visit to Vin’s room had been accomplished by way of a crutch for he was still too weak to walk on his own and had ignored the medi-droid’s ardent protest that he remain in bed instead of pursuing such a laborious undertaking.  

"I’m not even that." Vin retorted bitterly. "I faced Vader and got my ass thoroughly kicked. It took Charlotte to save me and she died because of that." 

"She died because that was her destiny and she made the choice to intervene. Don’t lessen her gift to you by thinking you were not deserving of it." Chris reminded gently and then added. "Vin, I’m sorry about Charlotte." 

"I shouldn’t have gone." Vin whispered unable to meet his gaze. "I made things worse for her by going Chris. You were right, I should have stayed." 

"There are some things about which no one can tell us what to do Vin," Chris met his gaze with sympathy. "We all find ourselves facing moments like that and in the beginning we all make mistakes by following our heart instead of our heads. No one is exclusively immune, not even the Jedi. If anything, we follow our instincts too much sometimes only we call it adhering to our destiny when the simple truth is we just believe too greatly in being right. It’s a failing we all share so I wouldn’t beat yourself up too much about it. You’ll learn as I learnt what risks are worth taking and what cannot be changed no matter what one might wish." 

"If I ever get to be a Jedi." The younger man snorted. "At this rate, I’ll get myself killed first."

"Vin," Chris met his eyes firmly. "You faced your fear by going to fight Vader. I know how terrified you were of doing that but you went anyway because you wanted to save Charlotte and the others. You faced him and you fought him." 

"And I lost." Vin pointed out.  

"Being a Jedi is not about winning or losing Vin." Chris returned with a little smile. "Its about facing fear, about not letting it beat you or tempt you to the dark side. You may not have beaten Vader but you did face your fear and overcome it and for a Jedi, there is no more important obstacle then that." 

"Are you telling I made it?" Vin stared at him in astonishment. "That I’m a Jedi now?" 

"No," Chris shook his head. "You’re not a Jedi yet and honestly, you’ll know when you are without me having to mark the day. You still have a ways to go yet but you’ve taken an important step forward." 

"I guess that’s something," he sighed and faced Chris again. "What happened to him Chris? What could have possibly happen to a man to make him turn out like Vader?’ 

Chris stiffened, knowing something of the tale but not enough to give Vin an answer. In truth, many Jedi had wondered about it but the answer was elusive and those who survived tried not to delve too much into the how, possibly fearing the answer might lead them to take the same path. "I don’t know Vin. Ben didn’t like too talk too much about it. I only know that the dark side can trick you into believing it can be controlled. Perhaps that’s what happened to Anakin. Maybe he thought he could use the dark side to help others. They say the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Perhaps he thought he could tame the dark side and discovered too late that it was he was being tamed instead." 

"It’s scary thinking a person could get so bent out of shape to become what Vader has." Vin remarked. He hoped he would never find out what could twist a man’s soul so much that it would shape him the way it had shaped Vader. The memory of his duel with Vader would stay with him for a long time. It was not simply because he had almost died at the hands of the Sith lord but because it was a terrifying reminder of how never to underestimate the dark side of the Force. Vader was a living testament to that misconception and how horribly wrong things could become if one did not take the training of the Jedi to heart. 

"I like to think there is some good in him," Chris replied, his own memories of the Vader and Anakin still haunting him on some nights, especially when he recalled the moment during their battle when he had almost succumb to the dark side. "But its going to take more than any of us can manage to bring it out again." 

"I feel sorry for the poor bastard who ever gets saddled with that job," Vin declared sarcastically.

"Vin," Chris said suddenly, brushing the subject aside for the moment. "Its good to have you back. I was starting to think the worse for awhile there." Chris had known the instant Vader had delivered the blow that almost killed Vin. Chris could hear the scream in his mind, even so far away from Ithor. For a terrible moment, Chris had almost dared to consider the possibility that Vin was dead and that loss seemed unimaginable. If not for the threads of consciousness Chris could still feel emanating from the younger man through their close mental link, he might have feared that initial vision to be the truth.  

It was not easy for Chris Larabee to admit his feelings like this and Vin was somewhat touched by the effort. Both were rather solitary men by nature but for some reason they shared an unexplainable kinship that was more than just the Force at work. "I know what you mean. Its good to be back Chris. I won't run out on you again, I promise." 

"Vin you didn’t run out on me," Chris said firmly, not wishing the younger man to think that any point. "You did what you had to do and in your place, I might have done the same." 

"Thanks Chris," Vin replied with obvious relief. "That’s good to know."  

"However, if you do it again, I will kick your ass." Chris added with a little smile.  

"Thanks," Vin gave him a look. "You’re a real friend." 

**********

The Modrek did not know how long he remained in his cell but was certain he was soon to die.  

When Vader had taken all that he knew from Crawl's mind to learn all he could about Vin Tanner, the Modrek had resisted in the finest tradition of the his people's warrior culture, determined that the dark lord would not make him betray the young apprentice. Unfortunately, Crawl never really had a chance of resisting the Jedi who was willing to tear his mind asunder to acquire what he needed. Crawl liked to think that if he had been younger, he might have been able to withstand the mental assault but the truth was, Vader was simply too strong for him. It had taken less than an hour for him to betray Vin and when Vader was finished with him, he was dragged back to his cell in detention facility somewhere in Coruscant and left there to rot. 

Imperial prisons were neither dank nor stygian. There were monuments to industrialization. Steel walls, hard floors, and dark metal surface that made one feel entombed inside a iron coffin with no way out but through the front door. There were no windows, no contact with other prisoners; the walls were sound proof so there was nothing to hear but one's own breath suffocating with loneliness. Food was dispensed through a slot in the wall and that soon became the only way for Crawl to mark time. After awhile, Crawl started to go a little crazy from not knowing how long he had been trapped inside this steel dungeon. Had it been days or weeks? The expanse of time became blurred in his mind and he started to believe that they had forgotten about him and he would die in here without ever seeing the sunlight again. 

Crawl was actually starting to consider taking his own life when the doors slid open miraculously and he saw another being for the first time in so long, he could hardly remember. The new arrival could have been mistaken for being human if not for the indigo colored and his red eyes. He looked in every other way human except for those two variances. A regal looking man in his white Imperial uniform, the Modrek had never a uniform like that. He knew that since the Empire had come into existence, some would be demi-gods eager to show the galaxy that they were great military men, fashioned uniforms for themselves, usually encrusting their chests and collar with all kinds of decorative braids and medals that were probably bought more than earned.  

The uniform of the man who entered was not encrusted with such adornment and all that marked his rank was the gold braids on his shoulders. The Modrek stared for a moment and observed him more closely when his visitor strode into the room. According to the rank insignia on his uniform, this humanoid was a Grand Admiral and he looked it too. Stony faced, hard but ruthlessly intelligent eyes studied him with even greater precision than even Crawl was scrutinizing him. For a few moments, neither man spoke as the Grand Admiral stood in the middle of the cell, his personal guard, Crawl assumed, waiting for him at the doorway. 

"So you are the Modrek who delivered Vin Tanner to Vader?" He said coolly, his voice measured and indicative of a cultured upbringing. 

Crawl did not speak suddenly having this premonition that this creature before him could be almost as bad as Vader, if not worse. 

"Your people are a proud race." The Grand Admiral continued to speak. "It cannot have been easy to have fought so valiantly and still be defeated by a power you cannot see or touch. The Jedi are insidious in that way. They rob one of a fair fight." 

Crawl did not react but he agreed with the Grand Admiral wholeheartedly on that point. 

"I have no wish to kill you. Your records indicate that you have been a loyal citizen of the Empire since its inception and that your friendship with Vin Tanner originated prior to his acts of treason. You do not have any current links with the rebellion other than occasionally keeping contact with Tanner. You are for most part, a law abiding citizen of the Empire." The Grand Admiral declared. "I do not make war on civilians, Mr Crawl. Your infractions are minor and certainly not warranting an extended imprisonment in this facility." 

Was this Grand Admiral letting him go? Crawl thought to himself, trying to quell the surge of hope that bubbled inside of him at that possibility. There had to be some price to all this, he told himself. The universe could not be so benevolent, at least not the one he knew. For the first time, Crawl allowed himself to speak. 

"What do you want from me?" 

The Grand Admiral's lips curled slightly. "I see we understand each other. Excellent." He said with a nod of approval at Crawl for letting him get to the point. "Vader is interested in Vin Tanner which I consider a minor matter. The Jedi and their kind are done in this galaxy. I seriously doubt that the existence of a handful of Jedi is any threat to the Empire as it stands so I will dispense with trying to wring more information about Tanner from you." 

Despite himself, Crawl reacted enough to show that he was glad of that. 

"However, while I consider the Jedi are non threat, the Rebel Alliance is another thing entirely. Great storms often announce themselves with the coming a small breeze and right now, the Rebellion is a small breeze. The Emperor has foreseen just how much destruction they can cause and wants the movement destroyed now, while we are still able to contain the situation." 

"I don't know anything about the Rebel Alliance." The Modrek said sincerely. "I've only been in contact with Vin twice and the last time was when Vader took the information about Charlotte Richmond from me and made me send that transmission after she contacted me." 

"Ah yes," the Grand Admiral smiled and his red eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke. "So let's talk about that transmission, shall we?"

************

Less than fifteen minutes later, following his order to release the Modrek, Grand Admiral Thrawn was making his way back to his ship, the Chimaera, currently in orbit around Coruscant. Although receiving some initial protest from the warder of the facility, Thrawn saw no reason to go back on his word to free the Modrek after he was given the information needed. Thrawn had been right to keep him detained, as opposed to allowing the execution order that Vader had desired carried out, believing that the Modrek who were a claustrophobic race, would be more pliable after spending a good deal of time inside a cell. No doubt the Sith Lord would have some thing to say about this when the news reached him but Thrawn was not concerned because in exchange for the Modrek's freedom, he would be delivering Mary Travis to the Emperor. 

His adjutant, Lieutenant Pallaeon fell into stride with him as he made his way back to his shuttle presently awaiting him at the launch bay of the prison facility. "Did he cooperate, Sir?" Pallaeon inquired even though he should have known better by now that Thrawn would have made him talk one way or another.

"Yes he did," Thrawn answered calmly. "I want our best code slicers on Bimmisari immediately. Tanner has some kind of a redirect at a transmission storage facility there, which sends all communications addressed to him through a scrambled frequency. Crack the frequency code and we not only have the whereabouts of his ship and but also the location of a Rebel Alliance base in the Territory." 

"And Mary Travis." Pallaeon concluded. 

Thrawn allowed himself a little smile, "and Mary Travis."

THE END

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