[Chapter Seventeen]
Coiled conduits buzzed overhead, illuminating the chamber. Equipment was bolted to the floor, encased by metal to house more conduits. The structures were large as buildings, and joined at their corners or walls to form a maze that stretched for thousands of meters. Smoke swirled to movement of bodies and blaster bolts.
Leia's trigger finger hurt, her muscles ached, but discipline and willpower were in surplus. She rose out of cover, killed a trooper, lowered back down, leaned out, and took another with a head-shot.
There were four survivors in Group A, one man with a broken arm. Explosives were planted on three sides of the generator, but they still needed to clear this area for the fourth. Groups B and C were out of contact. Probably dead, Leia thought darkly. Rest their souls, they ran vital trial and error. We know how many explosives we need, where to place them.
"I'm useless here," Said the man who cradled his arm. "I'll try to confuse them while you guys make a run for the sweet spot. If those are your orders, mam." He was delirious, so Leia saved the food chain lecture.
"Good luck," She said. Maternal nature could wait.
~ ~ ~
Luke floated alone in a void. The war outside his cockpit drew to a close. The Emperor, wherever he is, must fear for his title.
Junk rained through Coruscant atmosphere, igniting in flame. Thousands would die from the hellish wreckage, Luke knew. The voice of his nemesis had gone silent again, leaving him to accept the galaxy's new fate.
My son. Do you finally see the power of the dark side? The Force conquers all. I accepted my destiny, written in the stars. Join me, Luke. Become my right-hand in this age, and help to bring peace to the far corners of the universe.
Luke blinked. Why was Darth Vader referring to him as son? That ploy was old. He elected to ignore Vader's invitation to evil. "You said earlier, father, that you wanted me to give you a challenge. Face me. I've changed since our duel on Cloud City, so let's see if it's been for better or worse, shall we?"
Obi-Wan and Yoda are hostile voices in the mind, worse than myself. They pull your strings, Luke, in ways far more sinister than those I've exploited.
"I am a Jedi Knight," Luke said. "My masters were flawed, but they taught me well, as you once admitted. Do you take my offer to fight or not, Vader?"