From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:31:16 1997 DISCLAIMER - The characters and story lines found here are the property of CC, 1013, George Lucas, and Lucasfilm Ltd. No infringement is intended. Authors note - I decided to post this to the newsgroup in celebration of the re-release of the Star Wars trilogy. It was first posted in AOL X-Files Forum in the Genre Changes folder, a place where X-Philes could take Scully and Mulder and write them as characters in a Victorian novel, a Children's book, or a very warped version of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This was my contribution, a re-working of my favorite Star Wars film, "The Empire Strikes Back". Just think of it as an Alternate Universe where the characters of The X-Files and the story of The Empire Strikes Back collide. Hope you enjoy it! SPOILERS - Everything from the first three seasons is fair game. Archive Classification - C (Crossover), T (action/adventure), H (humor), slight MSR, but since the characters really aren't themselves, I think this can be read by everyone. The Government Strikes Back (1/7) By Kelli Buyer (KSculder@aol.com) Not so long ago, in a galaxy far, far away............. a rebellion was brewing. The Galactic Empire, which had steadily gained power in the local star systems, had overstepped its bounds. For some time the Empire had been intercepting radio transmissions from some planet in a distant galaxy. In a move to break the spirit of the more fractious planets in its domain, the Empire foisted these transmissions on innocent populations. This plan backfired though, on the planet Alderaan, when the government began broadcasting something called "The Donny and Marie Show" 27 hrs. a day. Though the people fought a doomed rebellion, from the ashes of their defeat , the Rebel Alliance was born. Worried about the Rebel threat, Empire scientist devised a way to concentrate the radio transmissions into deadly weapons. It was a dark time for the Alliance when the Death Star, with its "Captain and Tenille Planet Blaster", was built. All was not lost however, as a small band of Rebels, led by Princess Dana and Fox Solo, were successful in destroying the base. Unfortunately, Ben Trustno-wan Kenobi was not so lucky and perished in the battle. Saddened by the loss, Dana and Fox, together with their friends Walter the Wookie and Alex Ratwalker, fled with the Rebels to regroup and plan their next strike, this time on the icy planet of Hoth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Princess Dana drummed her fingers against the lights of the console. She was in the middle of her second shift and the blinking lights were starting to give her a headache. Passing a weary hand through her auburn hair, she turned away from the console in time to see Fox Solo enter the Command Room. With not one look in her direction, he walked towards General Rabwin. Dana's eyes narrowed as she watched him. He was so annoying, so smug, so stubborn, so beautiful...........Dana gave a little gasp and whirled around to her console again, smothering the thought. Fox Solo was certainly an exasperating mystery. For some time she had harbored the idea that he might be interested in her.........not that she cared, of course. Against her own volition, her eyes drifted back to the lanky figure of Fox Solo. Ever the blunt one, Fox started right into a conversation with the General. "I'm sorry sir, but I have to leave- Flukie the Hutt had increased the price on my head and I need to settle it." The General paused slightly and then nodded his head. "I hate to lose you Solo, but I understand. Good Luck to you." "Thank you General." Fox turned abruptly and walked away, leaving a dumbfounded princess behind him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fox Solo stood in the corridor, waiting. He had felt Dana's eyes on him as he made his announcement. He could imagine the princess running after him, pleading tearfully for him not to leave. Then she would throw her arms around his neck, kissing him, giving Fox the one reason he needed to stay here. Hearing the light footsteps behind him, he wiped the smile off his face as he nonchalantly turned around. He was sorely disappointed at the sight of the calm princess with one elegant eyebrow raised. "Fox, I want you to reconsider leaving. The fight against the Empire is just heating up- we need experienced people and you're a good pilot." she finished rather tersely. "And-?" he asked helpfully. "And what?" This was NOT going the way he had imagined. "Don't you want me to stay for any OTHER reason?" he said, leaning closer to her in case she felt the urge to kiss him passionately. Dana's eyes which had been narrowed in confusion suddenly flew open. "Oh, so I was right, you DO have unresolved feelings for me!" she cried gleefully. "N-no-oo, I don't" he sputtered, caught off guard. "Yes you do!" "No I don't!" "Do too!" "Do not!" "Y'know, I'm glad you're leaving!" she yelled in sudden anger. "Yeah? Well I'm glad to BE leaving!" he shot back. "Sure!" "Fine!" "Whatever!" they yelled in unison as they stormed off in different directions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sighing in frustration, Walter the Wookie set the empty 'Die Flea Die' container down as the door to his quarters chimed. He pushed the release button and the door opened to reveal an angry Fox Solo. Fox stomped past him and began to pace around the room, muttering to himself. Smiling inwardly, Walter leveled a paternal look in his direction and asked, "Girlfriend problems?" Fox stopped cold. "No, and she is NOT my girlfriend!" Walter shook his head, dropping the subject. Fox Solo might be the hottest pilot in the galaxy, but he was a complete idiot in matters of the heart. Fox nodded sharply at the resulting silence, glad he wasn't getting an argument. "Well," he said, clearing his throat. "Get your cold weather gear together, we're going outside to search for an unidentified object that crashed near the base." "But I've got a date with Holly tonight!" wailed Walter. "And she's going to wear those size seven heels I love so much!" "I'm probably doing you a favor keeping you from the date," Fox sniffed. "You have the tendency to let Holly walk all over you." "But I LIKE it when she walks all over me." muttered Walter as he followed Fox out the door. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ice slid through his grasping fingers as Fox scrambled up another drift. Beside him, Walter swore as a gust of wind blew his fur into his face. Fox suppressed a chuckle. Walter was the only Wookie Fox knew of that had to contend with Male Pattern baldness. He'd taken to growing his neck fur long and combing it up over his head. The end result was rather silly, but as long as he was happy, Fox wasn't going to mention it. Walter finally gave up the battle with his wind blown fur and turned towards him. "Why is it," he growled. "Every time you have a fight with Dana, you volunteer us for some hare-brained mission? Y'know, I DO have a life, even if YOU don't!" Fox was about to reply when he spotted smoke rising beyond the next rise. Waving to his friend, they crept cautiously to the top. Before them a blackened crater marred the whiteness of the snow. Suddenly, hundreds of multicolored creatures swarmed onto the ice. Grabbing frantically at the viewer at his belt, Fox swung it around to the metallic multitude. "I can't believe it! They appear to be cockroaches!" he said breathlessly. One of the cockroaches scurried up to them, hefting a small camera in its front legs. "Say cheese!" it chittered, snapping a picture. Walter snorted with amusement. "Well that was - " he stopped as he noticed the Seal of the Galactic Empire emblazoned on the back of the retreating roach. The Wookie met Fox's eyes and they both uttered a soft "Uh oh". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Wouldn't you know it' mused Princess Dana tiredly. 'I do my job to evacuate the base, wipe the computer core clean, and wait till the last moment to handle any problems - and I'm rewarded with the company of a man who drives me up the wall.' The man, one Fox Solo, was currently ushering her through the empty corridors, dodging pieces of ice falling from the ceiling, and trying his hardest to get Dana's legs to keep the pace his much longer ones were setting. The evacuation had started immediately on discovery of the Imperial probes - they couldn't afford to second guess the response time of the Empire. And they had been correct; Star Destroyers ringed the planet and Imperial Walkers had attacked the base within a day. Even as they ran through the abandoned halls, Dana could hear the fire fight going on overhead as Alex Ratwalker and his squad of Rogue fighters attempted to buy some time so the others could get away. Up ahead were the doors leading to the hanger bay where the Millennium Falcon and Walter waited. Dodging through the half open doors, Dana and Fox ran to the solitary ship and up its open hatch. Fox left her standing in the cargo hold as he scrambled to the cockpit and started throwing switches left and right. The princess glanced around the hold, sighing at the mess. It wasn't the first time that she had wondered how this ship, in its condition, managed to fly. Must be the work of some higher power, she thought, making a small grimace of distaste as she noticed the two fish floating belly up in the aquarium. A rustle of papers caused her to turn around and spy Walter the Wookie lounging at the holo-chess table, reading a copy of 'Space Jockey Digest'. "Aren't you supposed to be in the cockpit helping Fox start the ship?" she asked incredulously. "Princess Dana", the Wookie said with a hint of haughtiness. "I think you underestimate the duties and responsibilities of my position." "YOU'RE THE CO-PILOT!" she yelled. "Oh. Right." he said grudgingly as he slipped past her to the cockpit. Dana followed him, skidding a little as the deck trembled with the force of the engines coming on line. Propelling herself to the nearest chair, she glanced out the window and felt her blood run cold at the sight of the squad of Stormtroopers entering the hanger. "I think you had better get this ship out of here right now!" she said tightly. "I always do what the Princess orders!" Fox saluted smartly. "Well, most of the time." he amended. A pause. "Um...........some of the time?" The lateral engines kicked in, hurdling the ship away from the hanger and leaving the Stormtroopers yelling in impotent anger behind them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Breaking free of Hoth's gravitational pull, the Millennium Falcon encountered a larger threat. "Three Imperial Star Destroyers off our starboard bow." reported Dana, glancing at the scanners. "Nothing to worry about - once we are in hyperspace, they won't be able to track us." Fox replied with a smirk. He made a grandiose gesture and flipped a large lever up. The engines' steady hum rose to a piercing shriek and then abruptly became silent. Fox stared at the stationary stars through the front view screen, his jaw hanging loosely in its socket. "Heh, heh", he said weakly. "Momentary glitch, let's try that again, shall we?" This time the engines gave what amounted to a cough and the stars remained stubbornly still. "The Hyperdrive doesn't work." Dana said, making it a statement rather than a question. "Tell me something I don't know!" Fox snapped. "Ok," Walter said blithely. "When you were making that Byers run in the Langly Sector, I was running around with your old girlfriend behind your back." The princess glared at him to shut up since Fox seemed oblivious to anything other than the misbehaving controls. Glancing at the panel in front of her, Dana said, "Well, as the situation stands, we have a asteroid belt bracketing us on our aft side and three Imperial Star Destroyers blocking all other escape routes." She gulped slightly as she leaned closer to the readout. "And the ships have been refitted with the new "Yoko Ono Death Ray"." "We're toast." Walter moaned to no one in particular. "No we're not." Fox said, snapping out of his lethargy. "This little lady has some surprises left in her. What weapons do we have on board to throw at them?" "Uh," Walter mumbled, avoiding his eyes. "The Village People Mild Irritant 1000." Fox just stared at him as Dana leaned back in her chair and said "Yep, we're toast." As Fox continued to stare, the Wookie burst out, "Well, if you hadn't been spending all of our credits on that Kellian bar maid, I could've gotten something better!" "Stop it!" Dana interrupted before a fight could ensue. "This is not going to help us get out of our current situation." "Okay, okay." Fox said as he shifted in his seat and gazed out the view screen. A moment later he turned to the princess with a wicked gleam in his hazel eyes. "Y'know," he drawled with such false cheerfulness that Dana knew she was going to hate his suggestion. "I do have the reputation as a maverick. It comes in handy in certain situations." He grinned. "This is one of those situations." Turning around, he punched a set of coordinates into the computer and the Millennium Falcon surged along a new course. Straight into the heart of the Asteroid field. End of Chapter One From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:32:45 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back (2/7) By Kelli Buyer KSculder@aol.com Lightyears away from the fleeing Millennium Falcon, Alex Ratwalker looked with dismay at his damaged X-Wing and at the surrounding swamp that seemed to be the main feature of the planet Dagobah. He had flown here after the battle at Hoth, telling his wingmen that he had a small matter to look into before going to the Rebel rendezvous site. Saying it was a small matter was a lie, but one he could live with if what Ben Trustno-wan Kenobi said was true. Before he had died, Ben had told him that he was born with a talent to control the Force, an ancient power the Jedi Knights could use. He had also told Alex about the enigmatic being called Froda, who was supposed to be a powerful Jedi Master and was purported to be on Dagobah. So here he was, lost in a bog, looking for a complete stranger who was his last hope - his last hope at being considered something other than a farm boy from Tatooine. With sudden purpose, he wheeled around and strode off through the vegetation. He had thought that his role in the destruction of the Death Star would give him some status, but the Rebels still treated him like a child and gave him the nickname of 'Ratboy' (a name he despised). And the worst one, he thought, wrinkling his nose at the fetid air of the swamp, was Fox Solo. He continually called Alex 'Kid', and ditched him like someone's bad date when something exciting happened along. Even though Fox projected a loner image, he was very popular with a certain segment of the Rebels - the female segment. They seemed to love the idea of a 'rebel Rebel', but Fox didn't even notice their attention. Now in HIS case, thought Alex, nervously giving a large snake a wide berth, all he managed to evoke was maternal instinct in the female Rebels. He'd taken to slicking his hair back with grease, thinking it made him look older, tougher. It also had the added advantage of making the women on the flight crew reluctant to keep up their practice of patting his head when they strapped him into his X-Wing's cockpit. Wouldn't they all be surprised when he returned with unbelievable powers! Finally, he would get the respect he deserved (and all the dates he could ask for!). His excitement faded though, after tramping through the never-ending greenery of the swamp for a few hours. A thick mist had settled over the swamp , causing the cries of the local wildlife to echo eerily. The once familiar shapes of the trees took on the illusion of horrible monsters reaching out with withered fingers to snatch at his clothes. He stumbled over a half buried log and found himself in a pool of black goo. Scrambling out of the sludge, Alex looked at his ruined clothes and the growing puddle of black slime at his feet with disgust. With his luck, that black blob will turn out to be a native life form that doesn't take too kindly to being stepped on. 'Great, Alex' he thought shakily. 'Let's get paranoid now.' A snapping twig behind him caused Alex to whirl around. Through the fog, a light appeared and with it, a shadow was moving menacingly towards him. Stricken with fear, Alex couldn't even reach his lightsaber. He decided to fall back on plan that served him well back on Tatooine - faint dead away. Before he could follow this strategy though, the seemingly ferocious shape stepped through the mist and became a short, slightly wizened man wearing a furry vest with a pair glasses perched on the end of his stubby nose. Peering rather nearsightedly around the glade, the gnome glanced wistfully at the stunned young man and said with hope, "You wouldn't happened to have brought any beautiful, petite redheads with you by any chance?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On board the Star Destroyer "Erlenmeyer", a black robed figure strode down a dull gray corridor. Darth "Cancerman" Vader, the second most powerful man in the Empire, paused and looked down at the Control Center of the ship. Pushing a button on his chest plate, he received an intoxicating hit of Morleyan Vapor. It may be an addictive habit, but it made dealing with the imbeciles who were his top officers easier. Vader glided into the room, the residue of Morleyan Vapor seeping from the holes in the black mask that encompassed his head. When he had first woken up in an Imperial medical ward and found himself dependent on this metal mask for his very life, he had been furious. Later though (after he had killed the doctor, of course), he found the mask actually enhanced his position. Humanoids were notoriously reliant on facial expressions to gauge each others moods. Starring at a blank metal facade caused an irrational fear in people, the fear of the unknown. 'And,' Vader thought as the Control Center personnel went out of their way not to draw attention to themselves. 'A little fear can be very useful.' Turning from the radar screen, Admiral Blevins had spotted him and was hurrying over with an eager to please look on his face. "Ah, Lord Vader", he stammered. "You grace us with your presence. I have followed your orders with great speed and I think you'll be pleased with my efforts." At this Admiral Blevins puffed out his chest with evident pride. "Perhaps. Of course, this little effort wouldn't have been necessary if you had captured the Millennium Falcon on Hoth as we planned." Vader said softly, deflating Blevins quicker than a prick of a pin. Turning, Vader walked to the pair of Bounty Hunters, a man and woman, waiting on the other side of the room. Impatiently, he waited for Blevins to catch up and begin the introductions. "My Lord, I believe one of these two Bounty Hunters will meet our needs. This one", he gestured to the woman. "Is called the UDG - she has quite the reputation." The Admiral winked broadly. The woman, her blond hair cut short, tried to slither seductively over to the men but caught her heel on the bottom of the railing and had to flap her arms to keep from falling. Regaining her balance, the UDG adopted what she hoped was a suggestive leer as she looked between the two men. Seeing no reaction from either of them, the UDG stamped a dainty foot. "Oh, poop!" she pouted and flounced from the room. "Not much of a threat, was she?" whispered Vader, darkness coloring his voice. Blevins gulped audibly. "Er, I - I think we'll have more luck with Yappi here, the reports say he's stupendous!" The remaining man bent his dark curly head closer to them. Suddenly, his dark eyebrows began to jerk and wiggle in a hypnotic dance. Blevins felt his eyes grow sleepy until with a *snap*, Yappi held his purloined wallet triumphantly under his nose. The smug smile was wiped off his face though, when Vader grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the deck. "You're nothing but a lousy pickpocket!" he hissed. "So's your old man." Yappi managed to squeak. Vader let go of him and the man crawled from the room. The Dark Lord turned to Blevins and stared at him. Blevins, unable to stand the silence, blurted out, "Y'know, I really didn't have a lot of time to do this, and on Saturdays it's near impossible to find good Bounty Hunters and - *erk*." Blevins' lifeless body slid to the deck and Vader lowered his gloved hand. At that moment, the cheery, female voice of the ship's computer rang out, "Attention all decks. The winner of the "Blevins' Longevity" pool is ..........Ensign McFarland!" "All right - I won!" a young man jumped up from his console. Vader turned swiftly in his direction and the ensign sat down hurriedly. Vader sighed. He was surrounded by incompetent fools - did the Empire have a line in it's employment forms that said "To join, must have the IQ of a rock"? He walked up the steps, preparing to leave the room , when a figure disengaged itself from the shadows of the doorway. A husky voice caressed his ears. "I've heard you're looking for someone to capture the Millennium Falcon." The figure stretched it's mouth in a predatory smile. Vader felt wild laughter build within himself, but outwardly he only nodded calmly to the now familiar figure. 'Now will all my plans come to fruition. Oh, Fox Solo", he thought gleefully. 'You won't stand a chance!' End of Chapter Two From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:33:51 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back (3/7) By Kelli Buyer Ksculder@aol.com Deep within a cavernous asteroid, the Millennium Falcon, it's electronic systems shut down, lay hidden from the searching Tie Fighters. In the dimly lit cockpit, the three inhabitants sat silently, almost afraid to breathe and give away their position to the Imperials. "Y'know", Walter said suddenly, causing the others to jump. "I've given this a lot of thought and I've got an admission to make." The Wookie looked down at the console, carefully avoiding their eyes. He took a deep breath and said gravely, "I'm married - have been for seventeen years." "What?!?" Fox yelped. "I'm your best friend and you don't tell me something important like that? All this time - no stories, no pictures, no ring on the paw? Are you serious?" Walter finally looked up at the flabbergasted pair, his eyes merry. "Naaah, I was just joking. I thought it was getting too gloomy in here and I'd liven things up with a startling revelation." "Lovely, got any other conversation tidbits to pass the time with?" Fox muttered darkly. "Yeah, I just realized that besides this metal chain, for all intents and purposes, I've been walking around buck naked all this time." "And on that auspicious note, *I'm* going to go work on the Hyperdrive systems." Fox said, catapulting out of his chair. "I'll go with you." Dana said hurriedly, leaving Walter to stare after them in confusion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Standing in a small alcove, Princess Dana closed off a damaged valve to protect the rest of the ship's systems. Glancing behind her, she watched as Fox gave the power coupling on the Hyperdrive an experimental thump with his fist. Suddenly, the entire ship rocked, throwing Dana off balance and into Fox. He pulled her against him as she fought for some purchase on the sliding deck. The rocking ceased and Dana, suddenly very conscious of Fox's arms around her, said quickly, "Okay, the shaking has stopped, you can let go of me now." Fox ignored her and if anything, pulled her closer, as he gazed upwards, trying to visualize the Tie Fighters' movements. Standing within the circle of his arms, the princess was unnerved to feel the steady beat of his heart underneath her fingertips and with a burst of energy, wiggled loose from his grasp. Taking a moment to regain her composure, Dana turned to face Fox, but nearly lost it again when confronted with the intensity in his hazel eyes. The look was shuttered quickly and replaced with a familiar mocking smile. "Been a long time?" Dana's mouth dropped open. "Of course not!" She settled her hands on her hips as she glared at him. "Unlike you, *I* have a very full social life!" "Oh, yeah? With who?" "Well-", she thought frantically. "There is uh, Commander Pendrell, head of the Bio-Engineering section - " "Pendrell? Ooh, right, Pendrell." Fox resisted the urge to pucker his lips in distaste. "Wasn't he the one who gave you the closet organizer for your birthday?" He placed his hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. "How romantic." Dana gritted her teeth. "He just happens to be practical. There is nothing wrong with that." He nodded noncommittally. "Suuure, but I notice you haven't been seeing him lately." "If you hadn't noticed", she remarked icily. "There's a war going on. We both have our responsibilities." "Excuses, excuses", Fox smiled knowingly. "Maybe you just have somebody else on your mind, hmmm?" "Oh, and that somebody being you? That's a laugh!" As the words left her mouth, Dana was surprised to see a brief look of hurt cross his face. She was even more surprised at the corresponding pain in*her* chest at that look. What was happening to her? "Oh, I don't know" Fox said with forced lightness. "I think I'm a pretty nice guy." "Yes, but", she said nervously, wishing he wasn't standing so close. "You certainly don't do anything to change your reputation with the rest of the officers." Fox stepped closer to her, his eyes playful once more. "I have a reputation?" he asked softly. Talking around a suddenly dry throat, Dana answered, "They say you're a bit......spooky." Time seemed to stop at his next words. "Do you think I'm spooky?" There was such wistfulness evident in the question that she felt her heart ache. " No...." Dana whispered truthfully as Fox cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her gently. The sound of a hastily cleared throat caused them to jump apart. Turning, they saw Walter, blushing furiously to the tips of his fur, standing at the entrance to the alcove. "Uh, I thought you might want to know that there is something out there in the cave." Looking flustered, the princess darted around the Wookie to grab a breath mask and hurried from the hold. Fox followed slowly, his mind still engaged in more pleasant pursuits. Getting over his embarrassment quickly, Walter sang after him, "Fox and Dana, floating in Zero G. K-I-S-S-I-" "Oh, shut up!" Fox caught up with Dana at the bottom of the ship's ramp as she stared distrustfully at the ground of the cave. "The ground here doesn't seem very solid." she remarked, stepping off the ramp and feeling her shoes sink slightly. 'Wonderful, there goes another pair of shoes' she thought with disgust. "Yeah, and doesn't the air feel humid to you?" Fox said, adjusting his breath mask and turning on his flashlight. "Humid?" Walter repeated as he stood at the top of the ramp. "I can't go out in that! My fur will get all frizzy!" Fox turned to him with an evil grin. "Tough luck Handsome, get your hairy derriere over port side and check it out." Walter stomped off, muttering dire Wookie threats. Still grinning, Fox joined Dana at the front of the Millennium Falcon. "Found anything?" he inquired and then gave a surprised yelp as something hit him in the back of the head. "Look out! Mynocks!" Dana yelled, dodging another of the creatures. "Yeah, we've met," Fox bent to pick up his dropped blaster. Walter appeared from behind the ship at the princess' cry. "Walter, make sure there are no Mynocks chewing on the power cables!" Fox called and received a grunted acknowledgment in reply. A moment later he heard the loud discharge of a blaster. He was about to walk over to Dana when the ground leapt under his feet. The shaking stopped as soon as it had begun, and Dana looked at him in confusion. "That wasn't a concussion from the detonation of an Imperial bomb." Fox nodded in agreement as something else occurred to him. "And I'm not sure this is a cave." "What?" Dana cried. "Just because a cave has some peculiarities doesn't mean that this isn't normal for this type of asteroid. There hasn't been a lot of research done on asteroid belts." Fox didn't look convinced. "I think there is a more unusual reason for all of this." He pointed his blaster at the ground and fired. Immediately the ground bucked under their feet. "Seems this 'cave' doesn't like people shooting at it!" Fox yelled as he grabbed Dana and ran unsteadily to the ship. They were met there by Walter and together they ran to the cockpit. After strapping themselves in, Fox hit a button and the engines screamed to life. The Millennium Falcon lurched forward and flew for the distant opening. Dana pointed in horror. "The cave is collapsing!" All three of them gasped as the ship shot out of the opening and their 'cave' became an enraged Space Slug which roared at its escaping meal. The cockpit was silent. Fox was so shaken he couldn't get a 'I told you so' past his lips. After a few moments, Dana managed to speak up. "It just occurred to me, if we exited out of the creature's mouth, doesn't that mean we had to enter through it's -" "Hey! Anybody want to play Stratego? I know I do!" Walter said loudly, running from the cockpit. Fox put his head in his hands and moaned, "My ship. My poor ship." End of Chapter Three From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:35:08 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back (4/7) By Kelli Buyer Ksculder@aol.com In the short time that Alex had spent with Froda, he was amazed at the new world that had been opened to him. Froda was a wonderful teacher (though given to distraction) and a wellspring of knowledge. In no time at all, Alex learned about the best singles bars in the galaxy, helpful fashion tips, and how to say "Hey baby, what's your sign?" and "Help, I'm in need of medical attention." in twenty different languages. He was also learning about the workings of the Force in his spare time. At the moment, Alex was rather bored as he sat, flipping through a back issue of 'Wild Women of the Planet Siliconia'. Suddenly, his face went rigid and he stared blankly in front of him. Froda, who had been cooking their dinner, noticed this change and leaned over to peer into his eyes with concern. Alex came to at that moment and finding himself nose to nose with a bespectacled gnome, let out an ungodly shriek. "Uh, sorry to surprise you like that, but it looked like you were in trouble." Froda winced and rubbed his ears. "Trouble?" Alex mumbled and then shot to his feet. "No, *I'm* not in trouble - Dana and Fox are! I have to go to them immediately!" "Now wait a second - before you go running off half-cocked, sit down and tell me what happened." Froda pushed the much larger man over to a rock and sat him down. "Well, I was sitting and reading an article when suddenly I saw a vision of a city in the clouds." Froda glanced at the magazine. "Strange, I get most of *my* visions while looking at the centerfold." Alex sighed impatiently and continued. "I saw my friends in this city, surrounded by evil. I felt their pain, their desperation - I *can't* stay here any longer, I must help them!" He surged to his feet and crashed through the thick vegetation without a glance behind him. Froda followed slowly, a look of trepidation on his usually impish features. Catching up with Alex at his newly repaired X-Wing, he shook his head slowly and asked, "Do you think this course of action is wise?" Standing on the X-Wing's ladder, Alex had gotten over the initial rush of fear for his friends. Crowding out any thoughts of common sense, scenes of more seductive value were now playing through his head. Heroic scenarios in which he saved his friends' lives and saw the admiration for his accomplishments light up their faces was too intoxicating to dismiss. It was these images that were foremost in his mind as he heard Froda's soft question. As Alex turned to face him, Froda's next words died on his lips as he saw the stubbornness etched into those handsome features. Knowing his advice would go unheeded, he sat glumly on a rock, watching as Alex continued his preparations for departure. "Well my boy, I had hoped you would have learned to curb your impetuous nature in my absence." a voice Alex never expected to hear again, intoned. His face drained of color, Alex turned as the figure of Ben Trustno-wan Kenobi walked into the glade. Regaining the use of his voice, he stuttered, "Y-y-you're supposed to be d-dead!" "Me? Dead? My goodness!" Kenobi said with an air of deep surprise. "Oh please, not the 'No one ever *really* dies' speech again!" Froda started to groan before Kenobi cut him off with a look. "Now" the new arrival sighed. "How did I supposedly *die*?" "Uh, Darth Vader cut you in half with his light saber." Alex looked pained at the memory. "Did you actually SEE him hit me?" "Well, I kinda had my head turned - you see the stormtroopers were attacking and -" "Yes, yes" Kenobi interrupted. "You say you didn't see me hit - was there a body?" "No. All we found was your robe." "So, you didn't see my 'mortal blow' and there was no body found. Sounds to me like you've been gravely mistaken." Kenobi gave him a sympathetic look. "But," Alex said weakly, still confused. "You're glowing!" "Ah - too many spicy bean burritos." Kenobi said, patting his stomach and shooting a glare over to Froda who was about to comment. Alex shook his head to clear this strange conversation from his mind. "I am very glad to see you again Ben, but I can't waste anymore time - my friends need me. And *nothing* will stop me from leaving!" Froda stepped in front of the speechless Kenobi. "All right young one, if you are determined to leave, we will not stop you." Alex's expression softened at this and he whispered, "Thank you Froda." His eyes searched out Kenobi's "Thank you *both*. I won't let you down - you'll see!" With that he lowered the canopy and fired up the engines. Kenobi glowered as the ship rose from the swamp. "Well now I have my proof - 800 years of enforced celibacy on this godforsaken planet has surely unhinged your mind that you would allow him to go running off like that!" A far away look entered his eyes. "How like his father he is!" At this last comment, Froda seemed to grow in power, his small body so enveloped by the Force that even Kenobi stepped back in awe. "You never told him, did you?" Froda said in a severe tone of voice. "Even though it is his right to know his own history! Did you lie to him?" "I never lied to him! I, uh, may have omitted certain truths during our conversations, but I had my reasons. Now Froda," Kenobi soothed. "You know you don't have a head for planning - I HAD to keep him in the dark. Too much information would make him a danger to himself and to others. His safety is paramount to the furthering of our plan!" "*Our* plan? You mean *your* plan to ease your conscience about the bad choices you made during your youth, don't you?" the gnome said sharply. "I will admit to some selfishness in this endeavor, but you must believe me," he said feelingly. "I also seek to do what is right. And now that hope, maybe our LAST hope, has run off and I cannot see how any good will come of it." Froda looked up into the darkening sky, his eyes catching the glow from the receding ship. "Perhaps." he whispered. "But I have a feeling he may very well surprise us all." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Surrounded by the vastness of space, the ship floated, waiting. The sole occupant of the shadowy cockpit sat silently, seemingly the picture of innocence. Anyone who had spent even a moment in her presence though, would remark on the wrongness of that statement. Bounty Hunter Bambi Fett was many things but innocent wasn't one of them. In the early part of her chosen career, in the war between the Okobogeeans and the Heuvelmanians, she had transmitted a scantily clad picture of herself to the Okobogeean fleet. The all male contingent who had spent waaaaay too much time in space had abandoned their posts to ogle the picture. The ships, bereft of guidance had flown into a nearby blackhole. The loss of those ships had shifted the balance of power and the Heuvelmanians easily won the war. Their leader had rewarded Bambi richly and had even offered the hand of his son in marriage. Hiding a grimace of distaste, Bambi had declined and left the sector. Even though the war had been fought in the outskirts of the Empire, her reputation had grown and reached the ears of prominent "businessmen" with Imperial connections. With an eye to increasing her prestige and power, Bambi Fett took jobs that would make her talents invaluable to the right people in the Empire. She could never of guessed though, that a side job for that fat slug, Flukie the Hutt, would lead her to a meeting with the Lord of the Sith himself. Bambi afforded herself a leisurely stretch and grinned at the thought. She couldn't care less why the Empire was interested in the Millennium Falcon and her captain. If everything went as planned, she would be able to collect on the bounty for Solo's head from Flukie AND gain a position in Vader's entourage. And of course from there, it wouldn't be too hard to gain the trust of the Emperor and perhaps succeed Vader as the second most powerful person in the Empire. The disposal of Vader shouldn't be too tough - she dismissed the rumors of his strange "powers" as mere children stories and she certainly was confident in her own "skills" - after all, he couldn't be ALL machine underneath that cloak! Bambi was prevented from following that line of thought by the activation of the sensor alarm. Glancing at the scope, she smiled at the sight of the Millennium Falcon flying completely unaware towards her. "Well now," she purred. "Let the Game begin!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fox Solo sat by himself in the Falcon's cockpit, deep in thought. In those thoughts, the personage of Princess Dana figured prominently. The sweetness of their kiss had faded, replaced by self doubt. What had he been thinking? A little harmless flirting and spirited arguments were one thing, but kissing a royal princess with such serious intent was another. He was a lowly ex-smuggler, for crying out loud! Not exactly the class of person a princess would be interested in. Lost in such depressing thoughts, Fox didn't hear the sound of the hailing frequency being activated at first. When the sound finally penetrated his subconscious, he jerked upright, cursing himself for his inattention. Glancing at the small ship through the view screen, he heaved a sigh of relief. 'I'm making it too easy for a Imperial Star Destroyer to sneak up on us.' Fox thought sourly, opening the channel. 'Luckily it's a false alarm.' A visual of the other ship's occupant showed up on his screen and he found himself gaping at it. One part of him was enraptured by the dark hair and eyes, coupled with a luscious mouth, but another part was urging caution. The woman lowered her head shyly and nibbled her lower lip and even his rational part gave up its cautionary words and stared in admiration. "Oh, I'm so glad you are here! I thought I was going to die out here all alone. I experienced a power surge and it wiped out my guidance computer. I'm new to this sector and I'm very lost." she finished softly. The way she enunciated the word "surge" made Fox's heart take up a loud hammering in his chest and he gulped audibly. "If it wouldn't be any trouble," she continued. "Could you show me the way to the nearest outpost? I need to get the circuitry fixed by a knowledgeable person. In fact, maybe you could take a look at it, you look like a man who is good with his hands." Fox began to sweat profusely. "And maybe you could show me around - a little hospitality can go a *long* way, y'know." she said invitingly. The last of Fox's brain cells took an abrupt vacation southward to his nether regions and he replied shakily, "Well, um, the nearest planet would be Bespin and I do know someone who could help - " "Oh, yes, that would be fine. You don't know how thankful I am for this. You are going to be a great help to me." the woman smiled and whispered. "Yes, a GREAT help." In the hold, concentrating over a Stratego board, Dana and Walter didn't even feel the ship change course............ End of Chapter Four From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:36:17 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back (5/7) By Kelli Buyer KSculder@aol.com The breeze that was a constant companion to Cloud City ruffled the hair of the three individuals standing on the Landing platform. Using Walter as a windbreak, Princess Dana turned to Fox. "So tell me again why we stopped here?" Fox didn't meet her eyes, seemingly intent on the wide doors leading into Cloud City. "I thought our first order of business should be getting the Hyperdrive fixed, in case we meet up with any more Star Destroyers. Bespin was the closest planet and I just so happen to know the Head of this Mining Colony." "I agree that the Hyperdrive is important to us, but how do you know this person isn't sympathetic to the Imperial Cause?" "Lando?" Fox laughed. "Oh, he wouldn't have anything to do with the Empire, he doesn't have a use for *any* government. He may act like a scoundrel in public, but he has always been good to his friends." Dana didn't appear convinced but couldn't comment for the doors of the city opened. A squad of uniformed guards appeared, led by a handsome man wearing expensive clothes. Lando X, the leader of this colony, was a man of middle years, with dark features that at the moment were schooled into the image of friendliness. His eyes though, were filled with intensity as he looked at the Millennium Falcon and the three people before him. The look was gone in an instant, and Dana wondered if she was just getting paranoid and imagined it. Fox closed the distance between the two men, and if he was surprised at the change in his old friend, he didn't show it. "Fox Solo, this is quite a surprise! What brings you into my neck of the woods?" Fox shook the offered hand and grinned rather sheepishly. "Well, our Hyperdrive is broken and we thought it would be a good excuse to rest a bit in your lovely city while it's fixed." "Lovely, hmm? You haven't even *seen* the city yet!" Lando looked past Fox and nodded a greeting to Walter. His eyes finally rested on Dana and he walked over. "Now these two Bantha lovers I know, but I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure of *your* acquaintance." Trying to fight down the feeling of unease, the princess smiled tightly, "The name's Dana." "Just Dana?" At her nod, he laughed softly. "Ah, a woman of mystery! I must say Fox, your choice in companions has improved remarkably since we last met!" As Fox blushed, a beep sounded from Lando's wrist communicator. He glanced down at the letter X that appeared in its window. Heaving a dramatic sigh, he turned from Dana. "Well, unfortunately I'm needed elsewhere. My men will show you to your rooms. Oh, and before I forget....here" He handed Fox a large unmarked manila envelope and walked away. Fox opened the envelope. "Wonderful - a stack of maintenance forms to fill out! I hate paperwork." He grinned over at Walter and tossed him the bundle. "Here you go, my furry co-pilot! Fill these out , would ya, please? *I'm* going for a walk around the city!" After asking the head guard for the location of their rooms, Fox smiled at Dana's look of concern. "Don't worry about me - I have a *great* sense of direction!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An hour later, he had to admit he was lost. All he had intended to do was find that woman and make sure she got the help she needed. Now that he was thinking with a clear head, he knew that the momentary feeling of attraction was meaningless. He had to admit the truth to himself - he loved Dana. He wasn't about to let a royal title stand in the way of what could be the best thing to ever happen to him! After he found the woman and done his good deed for the day, he would go to Dana and start doing things the right way. 'Ah, who am I kidding? I want to see Dana right *now* and forget the rest! Now, where can I get some directions?' he wondered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chief Engineer Frank Burst looked out at the dark blond figure sitting underneath the Millennium Falcon. "Hey Modell! You fix that Hyperdrive unit on that ship like I asked?" The man looked at him, smiling, his light blue eyes meeting Burst's with a strange intensity.. "Of course I fixed the Hyperdrive. It's working better than ever! If I do say so myself, I think I deserve a promotion for the outstanding job I did!" Burst's eyes glazed over as he replied, "Good work, Modell. We're lucky to have such a diligent worker on our staff. Just between you and me", he whispered in a conspiratorial tone. "I think you're heading for a big promotion! Now don't go telling anyone yet!" "Oh, you can trust me, it will be our little secret." Modell winked broadly. Burst smiled and turned away, rubbing his forehead as if he had suddenly gotten a headache. Watching the Chief Engineer walk off, Modell whistled a few off-key notes, happily. "Sucker." he murmured as he opened up another Carbo drink and watched the clouds drift by. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dana paced the room given to them by Lando X, waiting for Fox and Walter to return from their explorations of the city. When she had first arrived at the room, she discovered a beautiful dress laid out for her. She had to concede it felt wonderful to change out of her dirty Hoth pantsuit and don the soft, clingy material. Releasing her hair from the no-nonsense braid she normally wore, she stepped over to the room's mirror and smiled in approval of her image. Since the destruction of her world Alderaan and her total immersion in the Rebel agenda, she didn't usually have a reason to dress up. In fact, Dana made sure the outfits she wore were nondescript and practical, anything that might de-emphasize her royal title. With the dissolution of the Old Republic, that title didn't mean much, but that didn't stop the Rebels from putting her on a pedestal. The thing about being on a pedestal though, it was a lonely existence, but one that she had become accustomed to. So it was quite a shock to her established world when she met Fox Solo. From the start he had treated her like an equal. He would talk, argue, and be playful with her as if she was any other person. This had caused quite a scandal with the Rebel hierarchy who thought she should be treated like some precious flower, but she secretly loved it. It was such a pleasure to be thought of as a person and *not* just a title. Just then the doors of the room swished open and Fox walked in. He spied her and stopped with a look of wonder on his face. "You look so beautiful!" he finally whispered, never taking his eyes off her. This simple statement, coming from one who didn't bandy words about, touched her deeper than any sonnet spoken by some besotted court poet could ever do. Dana walked to a cabinet, trying to control her wildly beating heart. "Are you thirsty?" she asked, striving to appear outwardly calm. "The room has been stocked with a variety of drinks." Fox was suddenly standing behind her. "If there is iced tea in that cabinet, it could be love." he said softly. Dana looked down at the hidden container she had pulled without looking from the cabinet. Cerulean Iced Tea. She caught Fox's gaze and smiled slowly. "Must be your lucky day." He gave her a beautiful smile and leaned down to kiss her. As he was about to reach his destination, Walter burst into the room. "There's nothing to eat in this place!" he growled loudly. Fox muttered something about the Wookie's dubious parentage and stepped away from Dana. Walter strode over to the table and sniffed appreciatively at some covered containers. Opening one of them up, he grinned. "Hey, Fox, someone knows you too well." Fox stepped over to investigate and gave whoop of glee. "Sunflower seeds! I haven't had any in so long. Lando certainly knows how to make a guy feel welcome!" At the mention of his name, Dana frowned. "Fox, I know you consider Lando your friend, but I have a feeling he's hiding something from us." "Oh Dana!" Fox mumbled around a mouthful of sunflower seeds. "Lando has always been like that, pretending to be aloof and dangerous. It gave him quite the rep as a smuggler, and it certainly didn't hurt business!" "Yeah, but you haven't seen him in years, what if he isn't pretending anymore?" she said quietly. Before he could answer her, the door opened and Lando X walked in. His penetrating glance took in everything and Dana couldn't suppress the shiver that worked its way up her spine. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I thought you might like to go to dinner." He gave them a polite smile that didn't reach his dark eyes. At the word "dinner", Walter and Fox nearly jumped forward with such eagerness that Dana had to smile at the sight. She crossed the room and took Fox's arm before he could run out the door. He smiled down at her. "Did I mention how hungry I am?" "No, you aren't that obvious." she said dryly. "Well lead on Lando, the food awaits!" Fox cried as they left the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Walking through Cloud City, the group marveled at complex machinery that kept the mining company in the black. "Y'know, you amaze me Lando. I never figured you for a responsible leader of a legit business, I always thought you would be heading the Smuggler's Guild by now." mused Fox. "Yes, a lot has changed since you last knew me." Dana gave Fox a sharp glance at this, but he shook his head slightly as Lando continued, unaware. "Back then I would have laughed at the thought of settling down and running a business. It's been a rewarding experience though. It has its risks just like smuggling and the ones who take the big chances end up the winners. It's all how you play the game. Now, take me for example", Lando paused outside of a large door and turned towards them. "I *know* how to play the game, I'm very good at it. I'm successful because I know when to fight for something and when I need to cut my losses. As a good "businessman" yourself, you understand that Fox, don't you?" Warning signals went off her brain as Dana saw something unsettling flicker in Lando's eyes as he spoke. "It all comes down to this - survival is dependent on the actions you take -" Lando turned to hit a button and opened the door, revealing a long table set for dinner and a familiar black-robed figure, wreathed in a cloud of foul smelling smoke. "And the choices you make." he finished, looking into Fox's shocked features. Fox saw a momentary look of regret cross Lando's face before the mask fell again and then the feeling of betrayal hit him full force. "A lot has changed since you last knew me", indeed! Why hadn't he listened to Dana when she voiced her distrust? Hissing a curse through clenched teeth, he spun away from Lando and pulled his blaster from his belt, intent on rectifying the situation. Before he could pull the trigger and blow a hole in that ugly black mask, the blaster was yanked out of his hands. Flying through the air, it landed in the outstretched hand of Darth "Cancerman" Vader. "Now then", Vader said with a pretense of sorrow. "Is that any way to treat your host?" At that moment, Stormtroopers materialized and surrounded them. Fox thought he couldn't feel any worse than at that moment, but then a familiar figured moved from shadows of the room and stood next to Vader. It was the woman he had led to the city. He felt a darkness come over him as he took in her outfit. Bounty Hunter. He had led his friends to this place to be captured by the Empire because he hadn't been thinking. And now the Rebel Alliance was at risk because of the knowledge they had that the Imperials could use to their advantage. And it was all his fault. End of Chapter Five From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:37:35 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back (6/7) By Kelli Buyer KSculder@aol.com In a room used as Cloud City's Medical Ward, Fox lay strapped to a tilted examination table. To his right, Vader waited for the two Stormtroopers to finish securing his bindings. As the two stepped back from the table, Vader leaned towards him. "You are very fortunate, Mr. Solo. I almost couldn't find a qualified Pain-Delivery Technician on such short notice." "Lucky me." Fox said dryly. "Indeed." Vader glanced over his shoulder at the attractive woman who had just entered the room. "You should feel honored, I hear she is very.......talented." He gave a cruel laugh and left the room in a puff of smoke. The new arrival walked to the table and stared at Fox appraisingly. "Hi, I'm Phoebe, I'll be your Chief Tormentor for the day." She set a large bag on a cart near his head and began to remove equipment from it. As she busied herself, Fox glanced at her name tag that read "P.Greene". He wondered if that was her real name or just a description of the hideous color she was wearing. His thoughts turned inevitably to the betrayal at the hands of an old friend. Everything seemed to be mixed up - he just didn't know *what* to believe anymore. The only thing that was certain, he thought as Phoebe picked up a devious-looking tool and moved towards him, was the fact that he would be screaming in the next few moments. He just hoped for the sake of his ego it wasn't a girlie scream. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the blazing red sun was seemingly enveloped by the swirling mists that constituted the Planet Bespin, in a far off storage hold shut off from any natural light, the group of despondent Rebel prisoners stood in front of their captor. Vader was in fine form as he gloated over the scene in front of him. The prisoners, on the other hand, were a little worse for wear, though their eyes were still defiant. Surveying the group, Vader halted in front of Walter. "Well, well, well" he rasped in surprise. "This is the first time I've ever seen a bald Wookie!" Walter snarled, "Why don't you kiss my - "and grunted as Fox shoved a cautionary elbow in his side. Vader chuckled, satisfied with the Wookie's reaction and stepped back to the platform that surrounded the lethal-looking machine at the room's center. "This is a day I have long waited for," he sneered. "The day I finally get rid of you annoying Rebels. And I owe most of it to the diligent efforts of Bounty Hunter Fett here." At this, Bambi appeared behind Vader. She stopped in front of the group, her eyes glittering in the dim light, and idly stroked the Club-tailed dragonfly pendant hung around her neck. "Oh, he was easy," she purred, looking at a blushing Fox Solo. Her look of triumph faded though as she saw the princess touch Solo's hand and lock eyes with him. After a moment, Solo looked back at Bambi, the self-disgust that had been written on his countenance, replaced now with a calm strength. "It was no trouble at all." she finally muttered, watching Dana through narrowed eyes. "Good, good," murmured Vader as he turned to look into a corner of the room. "and don't think I have forgotten *your* help in this, Lando X. I have a feeling that this mining colony is going to have *record* year in profits." Lando bobbed his head in thanks and retreated into the shadows once more, away from the burning looks of the Rebel prisoners. Vader flicked his black cloak behind him and returned his attention to the group. "You should know that the benefits of your capture is two- fold - first, your elimination and secondly, it will draw your comrade Alex Ratwalker here so I can deliver him to the Emperor." Ignoring the gasps of horror this revelation caused, Vader continued , "Of course, it wouldn't do me any good to bring damaged merchandise to the Emperor, so I think Fox Solo will test the Carbonite-freezing machine for us before I put Ratwalker in it." Before he knew what was happening, Fox was hustled to the machine's platform. Stormtroopers snapped the restraints on his arms and legs as he stared into the anguished eyes of Princess Dana. Suddenly she broke free of the guards and ran to the base of the machine. "Fox, I.....I love you!" she cried. "I know." Fox said simply. "*You know*?!? What -" Dana stopped as she looked up into Fox's eyes, which were filled with such emotion that words couldn't begin to do them justice. Stormtroopers led her away from the platform, but her eyes didn't leave his even as the platform was lowered into the pit. Lando watched this silent exchange from the shadows and felt the stirrings of an emotion he hadn't experienced in ages. Regret. He didn't realize he was shaking as the image of Dana, tears running unchecked down her face, engraved itself into his brain. But it was too late for regret as the machine screeched to life and the sound mixed with the howls of a grieving Wookie.... End of Chapter Six From KSculder@aol.com Fri Jan 31 22:50:22 1997 Disclaimer can be found in Part One The Government Strikes Back -(7/7) By Kelli Buyer KSculder@aol.com As if in a waking nightmare, Dana and Walter were led by Stormtroopers down one of Cloud City's little used corridors, with Lando at their head. Suddenly, a group of City guards surrounded the Stormtroopers, their weapons raised. As Dana and Walter watched, dumbstruck, the Stormtroopers were stripped of their weapons and at a signal from Lando, led away. Left alone, Lando produced a set of keys from a pocket and unlocked Dana's bindings and then moved to the Wookie. No sooner did the bindings leave Walter's wrists, then he grabbed Lando by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall of a nearby elevator. Dana walked over to the trapped Lando and demanded, "Where did they take Fox?" Breathing heavily, he growled, "Forget about that - it's too late to do anything. I'm giving you your freedom, it's all I can do for you! "Not good enough!" Walter snarled and gave him a headbutt. "Tell her what she wants to know!" Lando glared at him, trying to appear brave. "You're fools for going after a dead man!" "He's not dead." Dana said through clenched teeth. Lando gave a painful laugh. "Doesn't matter - he will be once Flukie the Hutt gets a hold of him. Listen to me, Dana. Walk away, grieve for Fox and never look back. You *will* be able to live with yourself." Stepping closer, she fixed him with a sharp gaze. "Will *you*?" His eyes widened and he was at a loss for words. Remembering the earlier feeling of regret as he watched Fox and Dana say good-bye, Lando returned her gaze. Her eyes were filled with the strength of her beliefs and Lando had the sudden wish to have something he could believe in again. He took a deep breath and replied shakily, "I'll take you there." And as he led them away, Lando felt the self-imposed darkness that had been his sole companion all these years finally begin to lift Unfortunately, they arrived at the hangar at the same moment that Bounty Hunter Bambi Fett took off with her precious cargo. Watching the ship disappear, Dana had the unreasonable thought that somehow Fox was leaving her behind once again. She was startled by Walter laying a gentle paw on her shoulder. "Dana, we need to get to the Millennium Falcon before the Stormtroopers find us." She nodded. They began to run just as the sound of heavily shod feet was heard charging down the opposite corridor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alex Ratwalker crept along one of Cloud City's empty corridors, trying to find any clue to the whereabouts of Dana , Fox, and Walter. Coming to a large door marked "storage hold", he entered. Through the dim light he saw a large machine rising from the center of the room. He was about to turn away when he heard a slight hissing sound come from behind the machine. Still thinking of his friends, Alex walked over to investigate and nearly lost his head as a glowing lightsaber flashed out of nowhere. He stumbled back and went deathly pale as he saw the black-robed figure appear from the shadows. "Greetings, young Ratwalker." Darth Vader said with an almost pleasant air. "I've drawn you here for the purpose of making an offer you *can't* refuse." Scrambling backward, Alex tugged his lightsaber from his belt. Vader approached, seemingly unconcerned. "The Emperor has taken an interest in you, young Ratwalker. He wants you to join the Empire and help him teach the Rebel Alliance the error of their ways. Since the outcome of this encounter is predestined, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Alex ignited his lightsaber and held it out in a challenge to Vader. "Oh, Alex, you don't disappoint me." Vader said softly. "The hard way it is." Without warning he lunged forward, swinging his lightsaber in a wide arc. Alex hurriedly raised his and countered the onslaught. The battle was engaged with the two combatants weaving back and forth across the floor, the only sound , the electric crackle of the lightsabers. Alex, not used to this type of fighting, tired quickly. He stumbled slightly, which Vader took advantage of and sliced off Alex's hand. With a cry of pain, Alex collapsed to the floor. Towering over him, Vader said, "Y'know, the Emperor is not concerned if you lose a few unimportant pieces along the way, but you could make it easier on yourself if you just gave into your fate." In a surprise move, Alex picked up the fallen lightsaber in his remaining hand and leapt up to engage Vader once more. "I have to admit, I'm curious why you seem to hate me so much." Vader asked. Alex paused and said scathingly, "You killed my father, you monster!" Vader stood motionless. "Well, that's odd." he replied in a neutral tone. "You see, *I'm* your father." Alex stared at him, utterly shocked . "Shouldn't you be dramatically screaming in denial right about now?" asked Vader. When Alex didn't reply, he continued, "Ah, the strong, silent type, hmm? Well, I have to agree. Emotions are highly overrated. You will go far in the Empire with that attitude." Alex was losing his hold on sanity. In desperation, he tried one of Froda's favorite tricks. Suddenly, a bevy of beautiful, eager young women surrounded Vader. He stepped back in momentary confusion and Alex ran for his life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Princess Dana and the others had just reached the corridor that led to the Millennium Falcon's landing bay, when they nearly ran into a lone figure. Dana gasped in shock as she recognized the pain- filled vestige of Alex Ratwalker. All questions died on her lips as the sound of a squad of Stormtroopers drew nearer. Placing an arm around him, Dana led Alex to the hangar and into the ship. Switching to her doctor mode as she bandaged his wound, Dana heard Walter and Lando enter the cockpit and prepare for a hasty departure. After double checking her work, she squeezed his shoulder gently and disappeared into the cockpit. Left alone, Alex twisted on the make- shift medical bed, the events and revelations of the past hour finally catching up with him. Suddenly, the cellular phone attached to his belt, rang. Picking it up hesitantly, he answered. "Alex." "You're a hard man to reach, Alex." came a sinister voice. "Not hard enough, apparently." he managed. "Have you given any more consideration to my proposal, my son?" Alex shivered at the words "my son" and said quickly, "The answer is still no." Vader's voice became softer, more insistent. "I know you don't believe it right now, but we are very much alike, you and I. We both want to do what's right for the people. The problem with the Rebel Alliance is that they harbor the mistaken notion that people want *freedom* from the Empire. But people are basically lazy. They want a government who will make decisions for them so they can continue living out their dull lives without being bothered." There was a pause, then Vader continued, his voice almost at a whisper. "Just think about it, Alex. Once we restore order to the galaxy, you will be hailed as a hero. No longer a farm boy from Tatooine, but a man of importance. Imagine your friends' faces as they look upon you with admiration and respect." It didn't take long to imagine, it had been a part of Alex's dream or some time. The seductiveness of the image had a tight hold on him, but the ramifications of what he would be agreeing to, hit him like a wave of cold water. Shivering, he yelled, "Never!" and hit the "power off" switch on the cellular. Rising gingerly from the bed, he stood in the cargo hold, consumed with self loathing. From the cockpit came the sounds of a heated argument between Dana and Lando about the hyperdrive that *still* would not work.. Suddenly, there was a loud "thwack" and an accompanying "ow!" sound. "Ooo - nice headbutt, Dana!" came a cheery voice. Alex sighed. He had hoped to rescue his friends and instead, had to be rescued himself. It was the story of his life - why couldn't he do something right for a change? Alex pushed a module that was hanging half-way out of it's socket in the Hyperdrive unit, back into place. Suddenly, a high pitch whine was heard and the stars outside the cockpit window blurred into streaks of light. Cheers erupted from the cockpit and Dana entered the cargo hold, grinning triumphantly. "Oh, Alex, you've saved the day!" Engulfed in her hug, Alex smiled. 'Sometimes dreams *do* come true.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aboard the Medical frigate "Anazasi", Princess Dana stared out of the medical ward's lone window at the Millennium Falcon. It had been decided that Walter and Lando would go to Tatooine and begin a reconnaissance mission to the abode of Flukie the Hutt. The two had become fast friends, exchanging stories and favorite head-butting techniques. Dana sighed and wished them luck. From behind her, she heard Alex shift on the examination table. He was looking at a selection of artificial hands that would replace the one he lost. The medical droid, X288Files, known by everyone as "Jim", hovered by the table, waiting for his decision. "Ooo- I really like that salamander one!" Alex said. "(-)@\/$~ 4 */r w@^^@#t*/?" "Yes, I'll take the four-year warranty." Alex replied, knowledgeable in "Jimspeak" Jim hummed softly, as it attached the new appendage. The operation complete, Alex slid off the table and joined Dana at the window. He put his arm gently around her shoulder and gave her a consoling squeeze. Dana smiled at him, glad for his presence at her side. Any semblance of stability was welcome, if only to distract her from her unsettling thoughts. Last night she had been visited by Fox in a dream. He had said they were bound by fate and that he would return to travel this road with her. She had awoke in such a serene state that she marveled at her quick acceptance of the dream as the truth. This was against her very nature, but so much had recently happened to change her. She could imagine telling her father, with his no- nonsense military background, about her dream. He would ask what reason she had to hold such faith in something as flimsy as a dream. Looking out at the boundless field of stars, Dana could only think of one answer she could have given him. "I *want* to believe." THE END And that's all she wrote. I hope you enjoyed it. This was a fun (if sometimes frustrating) excursion for me - my first creative fiction story since I graduated from College. Sometimes though, you just have to follow through with something when an inspiration hits - mine happened when I was watching WOTC while having "Empire Strikes Back" on my mind - my brain just coughed up the name Bambi Fett and I cracked myself up (yeah, I know, I have a weird sense of humor ). Any comments can be sent to KSculder@aol.com