The Death Star entered orbit over a world of blue seas and landmasses covered in green plains and white tundras. Escorted by Darth Vader, Leia was brought aboard the bridge and led before Tarkin."Governor Tarkin," she said with a clear hint of venomous hatred.
"I should have known you'd be holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."
"So Vader answers to Tarkin...", Mace mused at seeing this.
"Which would establish him as the Sith's Hunting Dog at this dark age.", Mundi added.
"Charming, to the last." Tarkin smiled as he held the Princess' chin. "You have no idea how difficult is was for me to sign the order to terminate your life."
Ahsoka looked down, Leia's situation mirrors hers when she was accused of the Jedi Temple Bombing. Plo Koon put a hand on her shoulder, assuring her that she is all right.
Anakin felt like strangling Tarkin because of who he is and his future.
"I'm surprised you had the courage to do it yourself."
"Reminded me of Skywalker, she has", Yoda chimed with a short chuckle.
"Princess Leia, before your execution, I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Empire now."
"The more you tighten your grasp, the more systems will slip through your fingers." Leia taunted.
"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station." he fired back. "In a way, you have determined the first system to be destroyed. Since you have refused to cooperate with us and tell us where the Rebel base is, I have decided to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."
"WHAT?!", shouted about everyone in the audience on hearing Tarkin's plan.
"But Senator Organa lives there!", Padmé called out. "They can't be serious about this!"
Leia's look of defiance melted in an instant and she began to plead with Tarkin, "No! Alderaan is peaceful! We have no weapons, you can't- "
"You have another target? A military target? Then name the system!" Tarkin glared at her. When she didn't respond, he got up in Leia's face. "I grow tired of asking, so it will be the last time. Where is the Rebel Base?"
"At this point, she has no way out...", Shaak Ti stated grimly for the Princess.
"Choose between an innocent planet and the hope that the Galaxy would be freed, she is forced to.", Yoda lowly said with a frown.
Leia tried to resist, but between Vader at her back, Tarkin breathing down her neck and the sight of her defenseless home world, she folded. "Dantooine." She sighed, "They're on Dantooine."
"No...knowing Tarkin, he knows his targets well.", Anakin admitted, clenching his fist.
Tarkin smiled, "You see, Lord Vader, she can be reasonable." He turned to one of his subalterns. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."
"Traitorous scum...", Mace cursed out in fury for the man. The rest are desperately trying to restrain themselves and march on Tarkin's office .
"How can he do this to innocent people?!", Ahsoka angrily asked. It was bad enough that he had accused her of something she hasn't done, and now she saw the monster that took form of a human.
"Morals and ethics are the least of Tarkin's concerns. That is why I don't trust him", Rex stated, his eyes looking at the Grand Moff with hatred.
"What?!"
"You're far too trusting." Tarkin smiled coldly, "Dantooine is too remote a target to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry. We'll deal with your rebel friends soon enough."
"NO!" Leia tried to stop him, but Vader held her back.
"TARKIN!", Anakin shouted, furious. He was starting to regret saving his life back at the Citadel.
In the control room, men in black helmets pressed a series of buttons and a power down sound was heard. In a metal tunnel, two men ducked as a massive beam of green energy shot past them. Outside, eight beams met at a central point, merging into a larger beam that shot the planet before them and destroyed it in a massive explosion. It was so massive that the shock wave could be seen as a flaming halo.
And then there they have it. Alderaan, the peaceful world and the home of Leia Organa, destroyed in a single shot.
To say the least, the Jedi Council and those present were shocked. No one had expected it would happen, but to see is to believe. One second Alderaan was hanging in the void, the next it was space dust. Padmé's hands covered her face as tears formed in her eyes.
"Senator Organa...", Obi-Wan called out in a lowly tone while pinching his temples at the sight.
"That's it!", Anakin angrily snapped. "I'm going to have a little word with Tarkin after this!"
"Restrain yourself, Skywalker.", Mace ordered, with the Jedi Knight looking at him with disbelief."We are going to have a little word with him."
On the Falcon, Ben grabbed his heart and sat down. Luke, who held his lightsaber before him while an orb floated in front of him, saw the obvious distress on his face and came over to him.
"He...he sensed it has he?", Luminara called out in worry.
"I'm afraid he has, Master Unduli.", Plo Koon answered in a dejected tone.
"Are you alright?" he asked, voice full of concern, "What's wrong?"
"I just felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened. You'd better, get on with your exercises." He told Luke as he hung his head.
"Welp," Han said, clapping his hands as he came from the bridge, "You can forget about those Imperial slugs. Told you I'd outrun 'em."
"I don't think they're on the mood, Han.", Caleb told the smuggler.
When nobody moved to thank him, he looked around. The Old Man was watching the Kid play with his laser-sword, blocking a pair of laser blasts the floating ball shot at his with the sword.
"Well, don't everybody thank me at once." he grumbled. "Anyway, we should be reaching Alderaan in a few minutes."
"You have no idea...", Anakin called out to the smuggler, facpalming, still shocked to what had transpired.
Artoo pressed a button, setting up a trap on the game he was playing with Chewie. The Wookie saw the trap and moved one of his pieces to break it. What he didn't anticipate was the secondary trap he had walked into when Artoo moved another piece to take out one of Chewie's more powerful pieces. Chewie growled in frustration.
"What? He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help." Threepio said, trying to placate him.
"You're not helping, Threepio.", Padmé said in a deadpanned tone.
Chewie continued to growl. "Bit of advice: it ain't wise to upset a Wookie." Han warned Threepio.
"But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid." Threepio countered.
"That's cuz droids don't rip people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookies are known to do that." Chewie simply smiled and put his hands behind his head.
"Master, please teach me not to upset a Wookie when I meet one.", Caleb pleaded, frightened.
Depa chuckled. "Of course, Caleb."
"I see your point, sir. Artoo, I suggest a new strategy: let the Wookie win."
Chewie chuckled and stuck his tongue out at Han.
Luke had ignited his lightsaber again and was watching the orb floating in front of her. It was covered in small laser barrels and was constantly changing position vertically and horizontally.
Occasionally, it would fire a small bolt at Luke, which he would block with his blade. Ben watched him, analyzing his style and looking for faults, though the ones he did find were minor at best. There was one thing though: he was too conscious of everything.
"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through them." He reminded him
"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke asked, dropping his guard a little.
"To a degree, but it also obeys your commands."
"Can't Master Kenobi teach Luke dueling?", Ahsoka asked.
Plo Koon shook his head. "He has first to learn the basics before dueling. And he has a long way to go to enter that stage."
Thinking on this, Luke missed a block and a laser bolt hit him in the thigh. It stung like hell, but left no mark, not even a singe in his breaches.
Han laughed at his misfortune. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster at your side, kid." he said.
"So uncivillized...", Obi-Wan commented, with the others agreeing with him.
"You don't believe in the Force, do you?" Luke asked, deactivating his saber.
"Kid, I've been from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange things, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all powerful Force controlling everything." Han said, drawing from experience, "There's no mystical energy field controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."
"He lives in the Outer Rim, does he?", Shaak Ti asked.
"Possibly", Yoda answered.
"I suggest you try it again, Luke." Ben said, standing and pickup a helmet hanging on the wall. "Only this time, let go your conscious self, and act on instinct." He put the helmet on the boy's head and put down a visor in front of his face.
"Well, with the blast shield down, I can't even see! How am I supposed to fight?" he whined.
Ahsoka and Obi-Wan chuckled. "He even spoke like his father."
"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them." Luke shook his head, but followed instructions and reignited his blade. He could still hear the orb hissing as air jets allowed it to change positions. He tried to follow that, but still received a blast to his forearm.
"Stretch out with your feelings." Ben urged. A little annoyed, he tried and managed to block a blast to his chest and two more to his legs in quick succession. "You see? You can do it." Ben said happily.
"He is a quick learner. He certainly takes after his father.", Luminara praised the young boy on the screen.
"If the dark times haven't fell, I imagine him being among the best in the Academy", Ki-Adi Mundi added, with others looking with a raised eyebrow since the Order forbid any attachments or relationships within the Order.
However, Yoda scratched his chin with interest, thinking potential Jedi like Luke here would be a great addition to the Order, especially to the fact that he was the son of the Chosen One.
"Huh, cool." Luke chuckled.
"I call it luck." Han said, unconvinced.
"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck." Ben responded.
"Didn't I say that?", Ki-Adi said, flanbergasted.
"Look, good against remotes is one thing. Good against the living? It's a whole 'nother beast." A beeping sounded next to him. "C'mon Chewie, we're coming up on Alderaan."
"You know, I did feel something." Luke told Ben as Han and Chewie left for the bridge. "I could almost see the remote."
"That's good. You've taken your first step into a larger world." Ben said with a smile.
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