Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Redeeming Darkness ❯ Escape the Death Star ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Author's note: I've used the original script of ROTJ to plot the first part of this scene, but it will shortly go way off into AU. And I'm not using the post-ROTJ novels at all. I'm making this thing up as I go along.

I'm sorry if you've reviewed my story. I haven't been able to read them because FF.net is being weird. Don't give up, though. If you really want me to read it, send it to me at saiyan_sentinel@hotmail.com. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 2: ESCAPE THE DEATH STAR
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The Death Star would soon be destroyed. The Executor the Super Star Destroyer which had been Vader's flagship, had crashed into the station like the head of a well-aimed arrow, causing damage everywhere. And then had come the Emporer's death. The energy released as the Dark Master had passed from this existence, due to his head being smashed against the wall of the power core as he fell, had created cascading power failures station-wide. It had also caused fear and panic to blossom throughout the crew. It was inevitable with the dark side vibrating from the loss of one of it's greatest practitioners.

Luke Skywalker dragged his father with him as he made for a shuttle craft. He had to get the both of them out of there before the Rebel teams were successful in finishing the job. He knew that the shield was down, so it would only be a matter of a few moments before Lando Calrissian and the fighter squadrons blasted the core and the station was history.

He finally got to the ramp of the shuttle, but he stumbled, falling into the broken man.

"Luke." The young Jedi almost didn't hear the word, but he turned to hear his father. "Help me take this mask off."

He looked at him confusedly. "But you'll die!"

The tired voice spoke again. "Nothing...can stop that now. Please. Just once...let me look on you with my own eyes." Slowly, hesitantly, Luke removed the mask from his father's face. Beneath the scars was an elderly man. His eyes would not focus. But the dying man smiled at the sight before him. Weakly, he said, "Now...go, my son. Leave me." He shifted and groaned with the pain that wracked his cursed mechanical body.

Luke shook his head in denial. "No, you're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you!"

Suddenly there was a presence behind him. Luke turned around and was surprised to see a pair of human boys standing there. Both resonated with power through the Force. Why he hadn't sensed them earlier, he had no idea. The older of the pair was trying to hand him something. "Here. Make him swallow this. There's no time to explain, but it will help him."

Sensing no lie, Luke nodded and took the small green bean and helped his father to get it inside him. It was difficult, and his strength was rapidly fading away, but finally he had it swallowed. Both men felt what happened next. Vader, or rather, Anakin Skywalker, was suddenly flooded with new life. Not only was the battle damage to what was left of his biological body repaired in an instant, but some of his mechanical systems as well, those which most closely resembled their organic counterparts. It was enough. Barely, but enough. He was still in trouble, though. If he didn't put the mask back on, he would still die. But he looked at the thing and despised what it represented, all that he had done in the name of the Emperor.

The same boy looked at him. "I know you don't want that thing back on, but you have a chance now, a chance at life and a chance to make up for everything you've done. It's not going to be easy, and there will probably be times you want to just give up and let those with reason for vengeance have you. But I doubt you'll be alone in this thing. Your family will help you. And so will we. But for all that to happen, you have to put that mask back on, and we have to get on that ship before this place becomes our grave." As if to emphasize his warning, the station gave a lurch, promising that Lando had just gotten the job done.

Anakin nodded. Luke said, "Help me get him on board." Together, three of them got him onto the ship, got the mask back on his face so that he could breathe and strapped him into a seat. "You boys get strapped in. This is going to be a bumpy ride." Indeed, the whole deck started shaking with the force of the explosion trying to escape the innards of the dreaded space station. But Luke was still the best pilot in the fleet, and he got out by the skin of his teeth. He smiled slightly when he heard the twin sighs of relief coming from the two mystery boys.

They cleared the station quickly, along with the Millennium Falcon and a couple of fighters, all of them well behind the remainders of both battle fleets. They felt the shockwave as the station blew completely, collapsing in on itself in a massive explosion. But when it was over, and they were alive, the two boys whooped for joy. Luke could only grin at their enthusiasm, not blaming them for it. After all, it wasn't every day you escaped such massive destruction.

Trunks and Goten were just glad that their accidental wish hadn't ended up with them dead. That had been too close. Trunks'd had one senzu bean in his pocket, something that his mother had always insisted on, knowing that her son was way too much like his father to not get into trouble once in a while. He hadn't been sure that it would work on Vader with all the mechanical parts he had. Krillin had found out when Eighteen had given birth to Marron that the beans wouldn't work on her android systems, only her human ones. As it was, the bean had obviously not worked on every system, just barely enough to keep him from expiring, as he had been about to do.

Now, there would be a lot of questions, and not just about his and Goten's timely appearance. Luke was going to have to not only help his father become a good man again, but he was going to have to keep him from being killed by those he had wronged. Probably the first one would be Chewbacca, and there wasn't much to stop a Wookie. Trunks figured that he would have to be ready to stop him. He was fairly confident that he could do that without hurting the big alien. But that would be only one among many. This could get hairy, and fast.

Goten was just bouncing in his seat, wanting to meet the Ewoks, though he didn't say as much.

As they glided into a decending orbit, Trunks spoke to Luke. "How are you going to keep them from killing him on the spot?"

Luke glanced at his young passenger. "By telling them that he's my prisoner. It's going to get interesting, that's for sure. He's hurt a lot of people. But hopefully he can take this second chance and make good on it. I've known for some time that there was still good in him. I didn't know if I could bring it out, but I had to believe that it was possible." He cleared his throat. "So, how do you know so much about what's going on? I haven't told many people that he's my father."

Trunks sighed. See? Questions already. "Our story is pretty complicated, and it's going to sound really weird. For now, let's just say I had some inside information. I'll tell you the rest later, but you're about to have your hands full. I'd like to help. Like you say, he's hurt a lot of people that are going to want him dead. Just protecting him long enough to get him in a place where he can make the change he wants to make is going to be plenty difficult."

"So it is. You and your friend are pretty young. I can sense that you're both very strong in the Force, but just how will you help me?"

Trunks grinned. "Don't worry about that. Goten and I will be able to lend a hand. But you've got to do the convincing, get them calmed down. Oh, and I think you'd better look closer. It's not the Force that makes us strong. It's something else, something that's not quite so manipulative of the user."

Just then, a man appeared on the forward viewscreen. "Imperial vessel, please halt and surrender."

Luke responded. "This is Luke Skywalker, along with two passengers and one prisoner. I'm going to flip on my viewer so you can see I'm telling the truth."

"Proceed."

Clearance for landing unmolested was recieved, and Luke was erroniously congratulated for capturing Vader. Shaking his head as they landed, Luke said, "Now the fun really begins." There was no doubt that fun was the last thing on his mind.

Well, there's the next chapter. Reviews, please!