On the bridge of the Star Destroyer, Captain Needa and his executive officer watched as theFalconturned their way.
"They're moving to attack position." Needa realized. "Shields up." The Falcon raced along the length of the Destroyer, but didn't fire it's weapons. Instead, it blazed past the bridge, making everyone near the front of it duck instinctually. "Track them." Needa ordered. "They may come around for another pass."
"Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on any of our scopes." One of the lieutenants reported.
"What in the world?"
"They can't have disappeared. No ship that size could have a cloaking device."
"Well, there's no trace of them sir."
"Captain, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit." One of the operators called out.
Captain Needa sighed, knowing what was to come of him. "Get a shuttle ready." He told his officer, "I shall assume full responsibility for losing them and apologize to Lord Vader. Meanwhile, continue to scan the area."
"Nice knowing you Captain", Anakin called out. As much as they disapprove of that statement, they had seen what Vader could do to failures. Ozzel is the proof of it.
A new day had dawned on Dagobah, and Luke was still shaken by what he had seen in the cave. He stood on his hands, with Yoda sitting on one of his feet as he extended the other and one of his arms outward.
"Luke is doing well so far", Shaak Ti commented for the young man.
"And he will be, I can tell", Anakin assured her.
"Use the Force." He whispered to him. "Now, the stone." He watched as a large stone lifted off the ground and hovered in the air. "Feel it." The stone lowered onto another.
Suddenly, Artoo began beeping in alarm as Luke's X-Wing began to sink further into the bog. Luke lost his control, tried to regain his balance but ultimately fell, taking Yoda with him. He stood and saw that all but the tip of a single wing was now submerged.
"Oh no," he waded up to his ankles, "We'll never get it out now."
"So certain are you." Yoda said, shaking his head. "Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing I say?"
"Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is totally different."
"No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."
Luke shrugged. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
"No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."
Many of the Jedi had conflicting thoughts of what Yoda had said, they often disagreed with that statement. They cannot do something or fail to do so without first trying.
Luke nodded and turned back to his ship. He took a deep breath, stretched out his hand and closed his eyes. He reached out with the Force and gripped the ship, willing it to rise up from the swamp. It responded at first, shifting upwards, the water bubbling around the wing tip. Yoda watched with wide eyes; he was actually doing it.
"It's working!", Ahsoka pointed out.
"No...", Mace interjected. "Not yet..."
Luke's face contorted into a frown, and Artoo started beeping again as the X-Wing sank fully into the swamp. Yoda closed his eyes and sighed. So close.
Luke flopped down beside him on his back, his chest heaving.
"I can't do it." he panted. "It's too heavy."
"Size matters not." Yoda told him. "Look at me. Judge me by my size do you? Hmm?" Luke shook his head.
"And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Even between the land and the ship."
Luke rose and looked down at his teacher. "You want the impossible." he walked away and took a seat on the ground underneath a gathering of trees.
"Nothing is impossible with the Force, Luke", Obi-Wan commented. "You just have to be patient."
"That is unfortunately a trait that he and his father lacked", Mace pointed out.
Yoda shook his head again and closed his eyes. He stretched out his hand, his face the picture of serenity. The swamp water began to bubble again, and Artoo started beeping to get Luke's attention. With an exasperated sigh, Luke exited his hiding place and his eyes widened instantly.
He watched as his ship rose from the swamp, water draining out of it and plant life clinging to it. Yoda moved slowly, guiding the ship to a nearby clearing. Luke's mouth was agape as the ship lightly set down right in front of him.
"Alright, that's impressive." Rex admitted.
"The difference between master and student laid out right in front of you." Ahsoka agreed.
He walked over to Yoda. "I don't… I don't believe it."
Yoda nodded solemnly. "That, is why you fail."
Yoda closed his eyes in deep thought. Luke indeed had great potential, he is aftet all the son of the Chosen One. However, like his father, he was impatient and impulsive in his training.
Back with the fleet, the ships began to move away from the asteroid field on Vader's orders. Captain Needa fell to his knees, clutching his throat and gasping for air before he finally expired at Vader's feet.
"Yep, it was nice knowing him", Anakin uttered.
"Even Viceroy Gunray has better policies than that." Luminara said.
"Which isn't saying very much." Obi-Wan added.
"Apology accepted, Captain Needa." he sarcastically said, walking around his corpse. He signaled for a pair of troopers to dispose of the body while he approached Piett.
"Lord Vader," he said, coming to attention, "Our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the Millennium Falcon went into light speed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now."
"Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last know trajectory."
"Yes, my Lord. We'll find them."
"Don't fail me again, Admiral." The way he pointed at Piett told everyone present who would be the next to go if they did.
"Alert all commands. Deploy the fleet." he ordered.
Unbeknownst to every Imperial in the fleet, the Falcon was actually under their very noses, stuck to the backside of the bridge they had buzzed. Han, Chewie and Leia watched the movement of the Star Destroyers, while Threepio was busy berating them. Han specifically.
The audienced had varying reactions, some were gobsmacked yet impressed by this maneuver, others were downright shocked and some gasped upon seeing this. Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon laughed at this, seeing that Solo had his own tricks at his sleeve.
"Okay, I admit. Solo is one sneaky bastard. An impressive one at that", Anakin stated, couldn't help but be impressed at this course of action as well. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Does that mean you'll approve of him now, Master?"
"No"
"Captain Solo, this time you have gone to far!" he exclaimed while Chewie howled at him. "No, Chewbacca, I will not be quiet! Why doesn't anyone listen to me?"
"Because you spent most of the time whining, blaming Artoo, and little to no help?", Luminara snarked at him.
"The fleet's beginning to break up." Han noticed. "Go back and stand by the manual release for the landing claw."
Chewie stepped out, on his way.
"I really don't see how that it going to help." Threepio said, "Surrender is a perfectly acceptable alternative in extreme circumstances." Han sighed and looked pleadingly at Leia. Leia obliged and quickly switched Threepio off before he dug his scrap pile any deeper.
The audience breathed out, not wanting to hear the protocol droid at the moment.
"Thank you", Han said dramatically.
"So, what's the next move?" Leia asked, leaning forward on the control console.
"Well, if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before jumping to light speed, and we'll just float away."
"With the rest of the garbage." Leia nodded, "Clever. And after that?"
"After that, we gotta find a safe port somewhere around here." Han switched on the navicomputer and took a look at their position. "Any ideas?"
"Dunno. Where are we?"
"The Anoat system."
"Anoat system. There's not much out there."
"No, there isn't. Well, hang on, this is interesting. Lando."
"The Lando system?"
"Lando's not a system, he's a person. Lando Calrisian. He's a cardplayer, gambler. Scoundrel, you'd like him."
"I have conflicting emotions of having another scoundrel to tue group", Obi-Wan uttered.
"Thanks." Leia drawled.
"Bespin." Han thought about it. "It's a bit far, but I think we can make it."
Leia looked at the screen. "A mining colony?"
"Yeah, a tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it. We go a long way back, Em and me."
"Can we trust him?"
"No. But he's got no love for the Empire either, I can tell you that."
'I doubt that would be enough', was everyone's thought, knowing how crafty they were when it comes to negotiations.
They felt the ship move somewhat and Han sat up in his seat, Leia sitting back in hers. "Alright, Chewie, get ready. Detach."
They watched as the Falcon pushed off from the ship, letting momentum carry them away from their hiding place. As the cockpit swung back towards the Destroyer, they saw a large hole behind it where large pieces of scrap metal were floating out, just as Han had planned.
"You do have your moments." Leia commented. "Not many, but you do have them." She gave Han a small peck on the cheek.
Anakin rolled his eyes at the sight.
They waited until all the ships had made the jump to light speed before they fired up their own engines and flew the other direction. However, they didn't notice another ship do the exact same thing behind them.
From the cockpit of his one-of-a-kind ship, Boba Fett followed behind them, keeping just far enough away to stay off their radar, but keep them on his.
"Looks like someone had the same idea as them." Kit Fisto sighed.
"With the son of Jango Fett after them, this will not end well", Mundi added.
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