Star Crossed Fanfic

[Rogue 9]

Dang it, making people think there's a new chapter is only funny when I do it. All of you, stop it now.

[darthdavid]

NO MORE SHALL BE WRITTEN TILL THERE IS A NEW CHAPTER, UNDERSTOOD?

[Rogue 9]

Isn't that kind of contradictory, Lord David? I mean, if no more is written until the chapter is complete, the chapter will never be written.

Oh, and

[Ghost Rider]

Stop spamming, both of you.

[Pcm979]

Great, now he'll never see my *actual point* underneath all the me-tooing.

[Stravo]

I desperately wanted this to be one long chapter but it's getting a bit out of hand, so I broke it up into two parts. The second part is well on its way to being finished but seeing as it's been a while please enjoy Part One of the end of the Darkstar Arc and prepare for part II tomorrow or later tonight. I found that since my mom has been in the hospital my writer's block on this chapter has vanished and I can't stop writing. My angst is your gain it seems.


Chapter 77: The Fall of the House of Darkstar Part 1



“Keep her in range and concentrate fire on her bridge and engines.” Tarsi snapped.

“Aye Captain.”

The Adjudicator’s many batteries were pouring a torrent of green turbolaser fire into the Devastator. Both behemoths were now fully engaged with each other, giving no quarter and fully intent on destroying the other.

Their fighters swarmed around each of the small cities like attendant insects, battling in mad dervish like dances.

Tarsi smiled grimly.

His men were rising to the challenge. He could see the gleam in their eyes, the smiles just behind their lips. They were alive again. They could taste victory. The crew was too long in dock, too long in doubt of their mission and their future.

Tarsi gave them a chance to seize their own fate and they were proud to be masters of their destiny once again.

It no longer mattered that out there the enemy were men and women who called themselves Imperial as they once did.




“You know something Scotty?” McCoy huffed as he managed to negotiate the last set of steps on the ladder.

“Careful Doctor McCoy. There are many things up here that could hurt you or worse.” Scotty warned. He was examining several conduits intently. Bright electrical tendrils of energy arced between the conduits illuminating the area around them like an artificial sun.

“I am a qualified psychiatrist, you have to be when you’re the chief surgeon on a starship.” McCoy continued as crouched down to catch his breath. Scotty smiled to himself as he popped open a panel on the side of one of the active conduits.

“And I believe I can honestly say that you are certifiable for bringing us up here when you said yourself this beast is going to blow up into a radioactive cloud the size of Montana.”

“For someone who is constantly on the officers to get into shape and diet you certainly look like you can use a wee bit of your own advice.” Scotty noted with a grin as he found the controls he needed and began working on the chips.

McCoy grimaced.

“You keep your diagnosis on what’s wrong with the warp drives and such and leave the medical opinions to qualified personnel.” He grumbled. “Besides I’ll have you know I am perfectly within the range of average fitness for a man my age and build.”

“Of course you are Doctor.” Scotty relented. “Please hold this for me and don’t drop it.” Scotty handed him a small crystal chip.

“What is it?”

“A plasma relay control chip. I intend to bring down that shield one way or another.”

“You mean you can control the field from here?” McCoy asked excitedly.

“No.” Scotty replied simply as he slammed the console shut and carefully walked over to the next console searching for the same crystal plasma router.

McCoy frowned.

“Then what the hell can you do from here?”

“Well Doctor, it’s a matter of simple redirection of force.” He snapped out the next router with a satisfying click and made his way to the last console.

“Redirection of force?”

“The reactor is venting plasma at an increasingly accelerated rate. Eventually it will reach a critical level when it will no longer matter and the core will consume itself in a runaway reaction. But before that happens these relays are trying their best to vent the plasma away from the core.”

Scotty indicated the tall spindly conduits towering overhead. A sparkling brilliant ball of plasma suddenly danced between two of the conduits and lashed out like a lightning bolt against the concrete and steel containment walls, punching a house sized smoldering hole into the wall.

“You want to control those?!”

Scotty nodded.

“Aye, Doctor. The shield around the control station is too powerful to overcome with anything short of these plasma bursts.”

“Scotty, Jim and Spock are down there. They’ll be fried too.”

“That’s why you have to warn them. While I’m making the final adjustments to the emitter.” Scotty said as he took the crystal chips from McCoy’s hands and carefully approached one of the tall conduits.

“This is sounding like one of our usual half assed solutions to a problem.”

“They usually work.”

McCoy smirked and flipped open his communicator.

“Jim, it’s McCoy.”




Kirk wiped sweat from his brow and lowered his phaser. It was warm in his hand. The shield quickly stabilized back to a cool glowing wall after the angry red distortion caused by his phaser subsided.

Darkstar chuckled.

“You never stood a chance Kirk. Frankly, I must say I am disappointed. I really thought you would be some sort of challenge.”

“This isn’t over yet.” Kirk snapped angrily.

“Did I touch a nerve?” Darkstar sneered.

“I’ve taken down men much larger then you Darkstar.” Kirk smirked.

“Let’s get one thing straight Captain Kirk. You are a relic of an age long gone by. Your Federation is long gone replaced by this ghost of its former self. Now a mere remnant struggling to survive from under the jackboot of the Empire I hear your slogan is ‘The Federation lives.” How quaint and touching but who are you kidding Kirk? Your Federation died decades ago when those that embraced the ideals of pacifism and the betterment of humanity seized the reigns of power. To them you are an anachronism, much like my collection here. An oddity from the past with an odd sentimental value.” Darkstar leaned in close to the shimmering field.

“Tell me Kirk, what do you say to yourself when you’re alone in the dark, hmmm? Why did you come out here in the first place? What were you running from?”

Kirk glared at Darkstar, hands tightening into fists.

“Ahh…so I was right. You were running. How many have you led to their deaths? Hmmm…sweet boy? How many of those oh so young Starfleet officers ended up sucking vacuum or vaporized by plasma because you thought you could win a no win scenario?”

Kirk stared hard at the young mad man on the other side of the field. His communicator chirped.

“Go ahead. Answer the call. I have all the time in the world and I’ve looked into your heart James T. Kirk. You are a tired young man who thought if he held on long enough and fought with the ferocity of a man afraid of oblivion and defeat that you could turn the tides of fate itself but you my dear Captain are Fortune’s fool. You just don’t know it.”

“Kirk here.” Kirk said tightly.

“Jim! You’ve got to get out of there. Scotty’s gonna direct some of these plasma bursts down on the bunker.”

Kirk nodded.

“Good work Bones.”

Spock strode over to Kirk holding his own communicator to his ear and nodding.

“Please alert Mr. Scott that optimum firing time would be on my mark.”

“I hear you Spock.”

“What are you doing?” Darkstar asked, eyes narrowing.

Kirk smiled as he began to back away.

“Let’s just say that you’re about to find out that never giving up is the reason why the Federation is not simply another fiefdom of the Empire and why we will win this war. Because I don’t believe in what everyone else believes. I don’t believe in the no win scenario.”

Darkstar opened his mouth to reply when Harry Mudd sprang on top of him and frantically reached for the lightsaber clipped to his belt. Darkstar exclaimed in fury and surprise when Anastasia clawed his face with one hand and also reached for the saber. The three figures formed a tangle of limbs and tortured faces as they struggled valiantly for superiority.

"Whatever you're going to do do it fast Captain!" Harry exclaimed as he bit three fingers of Darkstars that found their way in his mouth.

“I didn’t think he had it in him.” Kirk sighed.

Sulu and Mara raced up to Kirk preparing to fire on the bunker when Kirk began waving them back while Spock watched his tricorder.

“I have calculated the transport window he has on the shield allowing beam up by weakening the shield at one particular point. The window itself is keyed to an exponential scale, difficult at first to discern but ---”

“Ready whenever you are Spock.” Kirk cut him off as they backed away quickly. The trio was now on twisting and turning madly as Darkstar began to work Mudd off his back and slapped Anastasia hard, sending her stumbling away from him.

“Now Mr. Scott!” Spock shouted then all of them raced down the walkway away from the bunker. The air around them exploded into a brilliant white cascade of light and fire. If they were able to look back and see through the incandescent blast they would have seen the three figures transfixed by the light, their skeletons suddenly briefly visible for a moment before impact.

The shield bunker was blasted by a successive wave of plasma bursts and the superstructure around the bunker screeched and gave way under the jarring impacts, metal on the edges of the bunker instantly vaporized into bright red light. The walkway groaned and finally screamed as it started to come loose from the reactor core. The Bunker shuddered and dipped backward into the abyss below as its foundations slowly gave way.

Kirk looked back and squinted through the bright light and molten metal.

“Spock?”

Spock cupped his hand over the display on his tricorder.

“Shield function is non existent. We’ve overloaded the grid Captain but there is no telling how long we have until it reactivates or the bunker falls out of its housing. I’m reading catastrophic structural damage. In a matter of minutes it will fall off the housing as will this entire walkway.” Spock warned. The walkway groaned lowly and shook as if in response. Kirk rose unsteadily to his feet.

“Then we don’t have much time.” Kirk stated grimly and motioned for the others to follow him.




The doors to the lift snapped open and Colonel Kilraven and his troops snapped their blasters up at the ready.

“Sir?”

“I see them.” Kilraven replied as he saw the wall of Jem’Hadar clones standing in front of the lift. He noted the body of one of Darkstar’s men rent limb from limb. He also saw the shattered remains of many Jem’Hadar littering the massive room. Cloning tanks neatly lined up in rows all around them. A very quick count gave him a daunting possibility as to the number of clones he could be facing.

Some of the stormtroopers with him were the newer variant of clones with Jem’Hadar traits. Bigger and bulkier they were possibly facing brothers on the other side.

The stormtroopers did not hesitate as they filed out of the lift and immediately knelt or crouched into a defensive square with the Colonel in the center.

“You will disperse in the name of the Imperium.” Kilraven ordered grimly.

The Jem’Hadar said nothing.

Kilraven was on a tight schedule, above him Lord Vader was wading through his men intent on getting down to this level as quickly as possible. He did not relish engaging a numerically superior foe at this range.

“Colonel Kilraven is it?”

Kilraven’s eyes narrowed as he heard the voice. Was it possible?

“The voice sounds familiar. Identify yourself.”

“I would not be so keen on taking that tone of voice with me colonel.” Luke replied as he stepped out from the center of the crowd of Jem’Hadar. They obediently parted for him.

“Lord Nemesis. Forgive me my lord I had no idea.” Kilraven replied immediately and bowed his head respectfully.

“I take it Lord Vader is above us assaulting this position?”

“Indeed my lord. I assigned most of my platoon to hold the enemy in a rear guard action long enough to locate you and get you to an LZ ASAP.”

Luke nodded and seemed to look away for a moment.

“They will not hold for long, his fury is like a super nova. Signal the landers to use blasters and torpedoes and make an LZ in the chamber beyond.” Luke indicated the reactor core with a sweep of his arm. Worf and Uhura watched him with quiet respect. Chewbacca was stunned by the sheer command presence and confidence in the young man who only a year ago Han had pulled from the snow drifts in Hoth.

“Of course my lord.”

“Who is in command above?”

“Captain Tarsi has theater command sir. The Adjudicator is currently engaged in hostilities with the Devastator.”

“So, it has begun.” Luke murmured, He looked back up at Kilraven. “Colonel, these Jem’Hadar are allies of the Imperium.”

Kilraven’s eyes widened slightly.

“They will assist you in the defense of this platform. Your orders are simple. Hold this position as long as possible, delay Lord Vader and his men then initiate a fighting withdrawal to the LZ behind you. You are authorized to use any means necessary to stop his advance.”

“Understood my lord.”

“And Kilraven. I mean it when I say to initiate a fighting withdrawal. When your position becomes untenable you are to withdraw. Too many have died here already. It is time to leave this place.”

“Permission to speak freely sir?”

Luke nodded curiously.

“Are you well sir? I mean…you seem different somehow.”

Luke smiled coolly.

“All will be explained in the debriefing. Do you have a com channel to the Adjudicator?”

“Of course.” Kilraven nodded to his communications trooper who dutifully handed a comlink to Luke.

“Adjudicator come in.”

“Adjudicator here.”

“Tarsi this is Lord nemesis.” Luke hated addressing himself as Nemesis but now was not the time to make announcements as to his true identity.

“My lord! Where are you?”

“Lock into my position with this comlink. I will need an orbital strike from the Adjudicator’s guns. I am currently over a hundred meters below solid rock and will need a chamber exposed for an LZ.”

“My gunners are tracking now…yes…we see it. Looks like some sort of power core.” There was a muted report on the other end then Tarsi spoke again with tension in his voice. “My Lord the reactor core shows it is not far from a critical overload. You don’t have much time.”

“Then you will make sure the chamber is exposed as quickly as possible captain. Prepare the Adjudicator to make the jump to lightspeed as soon as I am aboard.”

“Of course my lord.”

“And Captain?”

“My lord?”

“Good work.” Luke switched off the comlink and handed it back to the communications trooper. He nodded to Kilraven.

“Give me some time, Colonel. That’s all I ask.”

“You will have it my lord.”

“First, let us make sure they’re descent will not be easy.” Luke stated calmly and extended a hand towards the lift. The lift suddenly groaned lowly like an old man getting out of bed then the metal struts supporting the shaft began to buckle in hesitant squeals of metal and circuitry. Finally the shaft and lift gave way as if a giant fist had closed in a vise around the lift. It collapsed into a crumpled ball of twisted steel and the shaft shuddered hard, collapsing halfway into a shattered funnel.

Luke turned on his heel and approached Chewbaccca and Worf.

“I’m going to ask you to help them in the defense here.” Luke asked.

Chewbacca roared something. Luke smiled and gently reached out and scratched Chewbacca under the chin. “Chewie, I need you here. I’m not the boy I used to be. I can take care of myself.”

“We’ll do as you ask.” Uhura replied without hesitation. Chewbacca growled his assent and Worf snapped up his pain pike. “I do not shy from battle.”

Luke paused and turned his head to regard the assembled Jem’Hadar.

“First Parmok Krell.”

The big alpha nodded to Luke.

“I want six of your best men to accompany me in this attack run while you assist the Imperium forces in this holding action. Then I want your men to prepare for extraction.”

Krell nodded slowly.

“Jem’Hadar do not retreat.”

“Unless it is in their best interest, I made it clear to all of you that we are leaving this hole together or not at all. I will need warriors such as yours in the war that is coming with the Empire.”

Krell smiled softly.

“As you say Walker of the Skies.”




“Artoo are you certain this is a good idea?”

Artoo beeped and whistled happily as he finished venting insecticide into the part of the garden where Vader’s men were advancing in the face of furious defense by the Imperium storm troopers that were left behind.

“Their life support systems will protect them from that! You have the tactical genius of a hyrdospanner.” Threepio complained bitterly.

Artoo squawked a string of unflattering remarks as he activated the electrical outlets scattered around the periphery of the garden and several of them managed to spark. The sparks ignited the flammable insecticide and a wave of fire whooshed down the line of troopers and splashed over to the other side of the garden.

“Artoo! That was wonderful.” Threepio exclaimed. The technicians in the control room with them whooped in joy and slapped Threepio roughly on the back, some patted the domed droid’s head.

Vader strode through the smoldering fire and suddenly turned his head to look right at their observation camera.

“Artoo…” Threepio moaned.

“Oh crap, it’s like he can see us.”

“What is that thing?!”

Vader motioned towards the command center with a quick cutting motion of his hand and a team of stormtroopers broke away from the main body of troops and rushed to the command center.

“How is that possible?”

Artoo whistled bravely and beeped an encouragement to Threepio. A panel slid away beneath the onrushing troopers revealing the waste disposal chute below. One of them charged right into the open space and disappeared into the cavernous disposal bays below the palace. Another trooper toppled over the edge and held on for dear life.

The team continued advancing more cautiously.

“We’re running out of tricks little guy.” A technician sighed deeply.

Artoo refused to surrender to despair as he activated a series of sprinklers in front of the control room. Water quickly began pooling around the entranceway.

“You won’t have enough time to flood that space, we thought of that.”

Artoo whistled an explanation as he accessed the power circuitry again.

“Uh, you have us at a loss.”

Threepio was about to explain when the sound of men hammering against the door interrupted them.

“Open up in there! Open up in there!”

“Artoo now would be a good time.” Threepio urged. Artoo waited a little longer and the monitor showed one of the stormtroopers stepping away from the door and motioning with his thumb towards it. The others aimed their blasters.

“Artoo!”

Artoo watched the stormtroopers sloshing now through ankle high water and beeped mischievously as it activated the power outlets near the door. The water frothed and sparked. The troopers standing in the water stiffened suddenly and began convulsing before collapsing in smoking heaps into the water.

The technicians roared their cheers of approval.

“I must say Artoo all of this is giving me a flutter.” Threepio sighed in relief.

Vader continued striding forward. One of Darkstar’s guards popped up suddenly and fired a disruptor burst at the dark lord. Vader held up a hand and the disruptor bolt struck it dissipating in a flash of light and sparks. He extended his hand outward with palm open and the guard was blasted off his feet and soared several meters up through the air and struck a marble column with a bone cracking impact and flopped lifelessly down to the floor.

He advanced and activated his lightsaber, deflecting several more blaster bolts from stormtroopers and waving his men forward. The stormtrooper commander quickly took up a pace beside Vader.

“Commander, I will not ask you again. Take the command facility over there or you will displease me.”

“Of course my lord!” The stormtrooper snapped obediently and personally led a squad to the command center.

Vader snapped another blaster bolt back at the Stormtrooper firing it not bothering to break his stride as the trooper screamed and collapsed.

Above the advancing Imperial troops, two Imperium Stormtroopers crept up to the discarded antipersonnel cannon and inspected it. The over heated battery was not a problem. A few adjustments later the cannon was ready.

Vader’s helmet snapped up to catch sight of the threat and the source of the disturbance he felt a moment before.

The team opened up with the newly repaired anti personnel cannon. Angry red bolts streaked along the ruined garden gouging out new trenches of earth and stone. Several of Vader’s men screamed as they were felled by the new attack.

Vader stood before the onslaught as one of the Imperium troopers directing the gunnery crew waved frantically towards Vader. The cannon swung quickly and opened up again. Vader snapped his saber up and the storm of red energy danced off his blade as it moved in a barely perceptible spinning circle, the black armored giant did not budge under the vicious assault, the ground around him hissed and exploded at the energy deflected by his saber but he himself was untouched.

As he withstood the energy blasts the rest of his men surged forward in a merciless wave and assaulted the remaining Imperium position.

Vader suddenly pivoted on his right foot and swung his saber in a wide arc, catching the next volley of energy and batting it back up to the cannon. The catwalk and the gunnery crew along with the cannon were instantly vaporized by the redirected bolts. The lift area below was littered by raining shattered stone and steel.

He strode to the lift after a moment of inspecting his handiwork. He glanced at the controls and his men quickly gathered in a defensive square around him.

“Sir, it will take us a few moments to override the control co---”

Vader’s fist burst through the command pad. Sparks and smoke hissed and spat from the ruined pad as he extracted his fist holding several blackened chips in his hand which he promptly discarded into the floor. The doors to the lift snapped, open.

“We don’t have time for battlefield niceties. Gather your men for a rappelling assault down the shaft. Lord Nemesis is slipping away from us.”

“At once my lord.” The storm trooper bowed his head quickly and scurried to the rest of his men who were uncoiling rappelling line and prepping their weapons. Vader glanced down the ruined shaft way and could feel him moving like a ghost down below. There was something different about him. The cold furnace of his anger no longer burned brightly. There was an odd calm about him, like a cloak as he let the Force flow. The Darkside bubbled and frothed around him like a stormy sea but it was held at bay as he worked the light side of the Force. But the darkside was around him, an ever present hungry thing. Yet he held it at bay, tapping its strength but not its taint.

“What have you done, Lord Nemesis?” Vader hissed to himself.





The X-Wings soared down past the first missile batteries in sub orbit over the palace. The missiles spun away from the batteries as the fighters passed and began pursuit, their seeker warheads eagerly searching for signatures to home in on.

Several explosions blossomed in their path as Wedge whooped in exhilaration while passing through a thick cloud of bright white hot rounds.

“That was close boss.” Hobbie warned.

“I’m picking up multiple threat signatures from the surface.” Jansen warned.

“Guns. A lot of guns.” Wedge concluded.

A hornet’s nest of orbital gun batteries uncoiled from their positions and began firing round after round into the air with the intent of knocking down the Rogues before they could do their damage.

“What about torpedoes boss? From this range it’ll be hard to miss.” Rogue Nine suggested as he held his fighter steady through the shockwaves of missiles exploding behind him.

“That’s no good. We can’t be sure if they’ll hit with all this flak.” Wedge explained as he nearly lost control when three missiles zipped right over his cockpit and unleashed their multiple warheads into empty space. The warheads exploded almost immediately as their proximity sensors were tripped and a series of explosions rippled right into his flight path.

“Boss!”

“Hang on!” Wedge shouted and shunted what he could into the forward screens and angled the ship to miss the center of the explosions. The shockwaves ruined his aerodynamics, batting the fighter around like a butterfly in a stiff wind and sending him into a corkscrew spin.

“Boss, we’re coming in to try –”

“You stay on target damnit!” Wedge shouted as he grunted against the unyielding controls. “We need to knock out those scramblers and torpedoes might nuke the whole palace making all this for nothing!” he explained as the X-Wings alarming spin suddenly recovered and he eased it back into the attack dive. His threat displays were all lit up like a carnival but the target lights suddenly appeared dimly.

“I’m getting targeting data!”

“Copy that Rogue two. Steady boys, lets make this pass count because I sure as hell don’t want to go through that again.” Wedge snapped.

“Roger that. Coming up on my targets.

“Steady.”

“Picking up ground fire. Looks like phasers and disruptor cannons.”

“Angle your deflectors for maximum phaser deflection.”

“Rogues, this is Sagan, picking up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters coming your way.” Captain Entebbe warned.

“I don’t see anything.”

“Pick up your visual scanning.” Wedge ordered as he eased the cross hairs on his cannons to the first set of target designation lights.

“I see them.”

“Here they come!” Hobbie warned.

A squadron of converted shuttles and civilian transports soared down out of the low lying cloud cover and began firing volleys of phaser and disruptor fire at the swift X-Wings.

“I’m going in.” Wedge announced and unleashed a furious fusillade from his cannons, bathing the target area in angry strobing crimson light. The laser bolts slashed through the transmitter complex at the top of the hill overlooking the palace and it detonated into a rapidly expanding column of fire and smoke.

Wedge’s X-Wing banked hard around the column of fire avoiding a scissoring attack from multiple phasers. Three shuttles swarmed Wedge’s X-Wing as he avoided the next series of attacks.

“Rogues, the priority targets are the transport scrambling stations! Don’t let these clowns divert you.”

“Roger that boss.”

Wedge pulled back hard on his control stick sending his X-Wing into a hard climb. The shuttles tried to match him and continued hounding him with phaser fire. He smiled and dropped power to his engines.

His X-Wing dropped back down suddenly as it stalled and lost all forward momentum in its climb. It dropped right past the pursuing shuttles.

Wedge aggressively stabbed down on his weapon controls while simultaneously gunning his engines and hoping that he had enough thrust to stop the plummet into the ground rapidly looming up behind him.

Two of the three shuttles blossomed into balls of fire and molten metal as Wedge accurately picked them off. The last shuttle peeled away and flew right into another volley of fire and another X-Wing flashed by over head. Wedge’s X-Wing recovered from its stall.

“Good shooting Jansen.” Wedge laughed as he leveled his fighter.

“What would you do without me boss?” Jansen replied.

“I’m sure I’ll think of something snappy but right now I’m just trying to keep this squadron in one piece.” Wedge replied as he watched two X-Wings split into a quick scissors attack on a group of shuttled while a third span through the brief hole created and destroyed another transporter scrambler transmitter.



Kirk rushed through the entranceway of the control center and ran into a right cross that sent him sprawling into the opposite wall. He shook his head to clear the ringing.

“Fool!” Darkstar spat and swept Kirk’s legs sending him crashing onto his back. Darkstar followed up immediately with hammer kick down on Kirk’s sternum. Kirk cried out I pain and blood spat from his mouth onto his chest.

“You thought me some sort of fop didn’t you Kirk?” Darkstar sneered as he snapped kicked and caught the side of Kirk’s head. Kirk groaned and rolled over, catching a hold of Darkstar’s ankle and pulling it along with him as he rolled over.

Darkstar snarled in anger and frustration as he was yanked off his feet and crashed to the ground where Kirk delivered an elbow to the fallen crime lord’s throat. Darkstar sputtered and gasped, one hand clutching his throat as the other whipped out like a striking cobra to collapse Kirk’s nose into a puddle of ruined cartilage and blood. Kirk was not there to receive the blow however, as he rolled away and kipped up quickly to face his foe.

“You talk too much.” Kirk gasped.

Darkstar kipped up as well and entered and offensive stance, arms tucked in and ready for a quick strike, legs dancing around looking for an opening.

Mara rushed through the door toting her blaster. She glanced over at Kirk and Darkstar then back into the recessed of the control bunker.

Kirk smiled at first but then frowned as Mara avoided the combatants and rushed towards the back. Sulu and Spock quickly followed and stopped to circle Darkstar.

“No! Mara’s going after the hypermatter reactors! Stop her whatever the cost!”

Sulu and Spock hesitated, noting Kirk’s injuries and Darkstar’s aggressive stance.

“Damnit that’s an order!” Kirk barked. “I’ll handle him.”

“We’ll be right back sir!” Sulu shouted and he and Spock raced after Mara into the back of the bunker.

“Handle me?!” Darkstar sneered. “You should show more respect Captain. After all, I’m about to kill a living legend.” Darkstar snapped and swept in a roundhouse kick towards Kirk’s head. Kirk caught the kick and twisted the leg hard at the knee.

Darkstar howled and was pulled off his feet and swung into the far wall with a resounding thud. Kirk smiled and wiped blood from his lips.

“You know that human phrase about counting chickens?” he taunted.

“No I cannot say I am familiar with your pathetic culture, Kirk. I would not be so proud of a race that will live out the rest of their lives as slaves!” Darkstar roared and charged at Kirk. Kirk stepped in to receive the charge but at the last moment the crime lord danced out of Kirk’s grasp and back spun with a kick into Kirk’s groin.

Kirk cried out in pain and awkwardly fell to his knees. Darkstar drove his knee into connect with Kirk’s chin. Kirk fell backwards, legs splayed out like a spider’s. Darkstar took a moment, dancing on the balls of his feet to catch his breath and smiled viciously down at his fallen foe.

Kirk’s legs snapped together and caught the crime lord’s injured leg and collapsed it hard down on the knee with a wrench of his waist and legs. A low wet crunch followed and Darkstar howled in anguish as he fell down on top of Kirk and began throttling him, sweat and spittle dripping down on Kirk’s face as his eyes blazed into the Captain’s with a murderous fury.

“You will die now Captain. Die like the scum that you are, dreaming of a free Federation that is no longer yours to save in a battle you cannot win at the hands of a man that is out of his time as well.” Darkstar grunted with effort as he squeezed and squeezed, feeling Kirk’s throat constricting with a delicious effort. Kirk’s face was swollen and red as he struggled against the death grip on his windpipe.

Kirk’s hands suddenly lost their grip on the crime lord’s choke hold and surged forward, fingers curled like talons right into Darkstar’s eyes.

Darkstar screamed and released his hold on Kirk. Kirk did not hesitate to bring his knee up hard in three quick jabs into Darkstar’s groin and midsection. He worked his feet up into Darkstar’s stomach and kicked up sending his stunned enemy up into the air to crash down a meter away from him.

Kirk coughed and gagged as he struggled into a standing position.

Darkstar rolled onto his back and groaned as he dragged himself up into a crouch, one hand cupping a ruined eye, blood pooling up around his fingers. The other eye blinked painfully as it regarded his foe.

“That doesn’t work anymore Darkstar.” Kirk said in a raspy whisper. “I came all this way to face those demons and I have. The end result doesn’t matter. It doesn’t whether I win or lose. What matters is the struggle. What matters is that humanity and the Federation said ‘we will not surrender’.”

“And…” Darkstar choked back a spastic cough. “what does that matter in the end, James? What have you gained by prolonging the inevitable?”

“The same thing I gain by fighting this fight against you in a reactor that’s about to blow.”

Darkstar’s sole eye blinked.

“Enlighten me you bilious bastard.”

Kirk smiled weakly.

“That who and what we are is not dictated by who wins or loses. The measure of a man is in how he acts in defeat and not in victory. It’s all about who and what we are in the dark, alone, when it doesn’t really matter. Look at you for instance. Running away, throwing anyone and anything in our path whether it be a horde of your throw away troops or an army of rampaging clones but in the end, despite it all, you ran and you continue running, hiding behind force fields and defenseless women.”

“Interesting you should say that Kirk, because my favorite woman is off on a grand tour of the tunnels beneath us. That treacherous slug Harry Mudd joined her.” Darkstar said coldly.

Kirk’s face contorted into a mask of anger and frustration.

He started to surge forward when he was interrupted by the sharp snap hiss of Luke’s lightsaber. Pulsing crimson light danced along Darkstar’s face as he held up the lightsaber and spun it several times as if testing the weight. He turned his full attention back to Kirk.

“Now where were we? Oh yes…you were going to ‘handle me.’” Darkstar said in a cold monotone as he advanced with the lightsaber blade humming hungrily.

[Ghost Rider]

Very cool set up.

Yeah, Vader is not one happy camper and the space battle is a nice prelude of things to come.

I really have to see what comes of this to the other factions such as Thrawn and the Big ugly himself.

[Mr Bean]

Crap that was quick

*Edit Damn... thats a good clifhanger

[The Cleric]

I'm torn between my love of Luke, and my lustful wankery of Thrawn. Nah, Thrawn wins.

[Agent Fisher]

FIRST POST!!

Wow!

Edit: DAMN!!!! guess not.

[Captain Cyran]

Damn, Stormtroopers vs. lots and lots of Jem-Hadar. Darkstar is obviously gonna loose though, Kirk has already beaten Luke, even if he did have help. Darkstar stands no chance.

[darthdavid]

supremely kickass!!!

[Crazedwraith]

Excellant. (Damn now i can't get bill&ted out of me head hehe that rythmes)

Most stupendous cliffhanger hope you can deleive on the sheer badassness of that last scene...

[Rogue 9]

Schweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

[Prozac the Robert]

You know, I actually enjoy this more than the book I'm reading at the moment. Thanks for spending however much of your time in writing it.

[Trytostaydead]

:cleans up after himself: DAYAM! Good read! We have to WAIT for part II?

[Pcm979]

You guys are never satisfied, are you? He released this half *early*. Feel happy!

Vader kicks arse, btw.

Edit: You really capture the SW feel, Stravo. I can imagine that trooper who falls into the bottomless pit™ letting out that special Lucasfilm scream...

[Trogdor]

Excellent chapter, I love the title, and good luck to your mom, Stravo.

[Comosicus]

Yummi .... new chapter. Too bad I have to wait till I return from work in order to read it. Today it's gonna be such a long day.

And all the good wishes to your mother, Stravo.

[Alan Bolte]

No! No damn you! I need to sleep and study and such! I now refuse to read this until my Econ homework for Friday is done. So there!

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

Excellent.

[Dillon]

A new chapter, just what I need after suffering through the last book of the Bounty Hunter Wars and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter.

That is one kickass cliffhanger, and that was great speech from Kirk.

[Stravo]

*SIGH* There's nothing short about this story is there? Sorry guys. This chapter is just getting too damned long to fit in everrything I want to show. So once again I am forced to release another chunk before I can finally end this arc to my satisfaction. Anyway please enjoy the hopefully second to last installment. The final one may be out very soon.



Chapter 78: The Fall of the House of Darkstar part 2



“Stop right there!” Mara snapped and held her blaster to the largest hypermatter reactor set up in the maintenance room. The back of the room was open to the abyss below, the wall torn down by the stresses of the plasma strikes and the failing structural supports. The air howled in a loud cacophony around them. Her hair tumbled around her as if she were underwater as she watched the two Starfleet crewmen with a menacing glare.

Sulu stopped short but held his phaser steadily on Mara as Spock checked his tricorder and scanned around the room.

“You know what would happen Vulcan if I blasted this reactor.”

“The resulting damage could cause a core breach and destroy the reactor.”

“And?” she pressed.

“The explosion would detonate this bunker and most likely most of this chamber as well as initiating the larger core breach of the reactor.”

“In other words one big boom.” Sulu muttered.

“Don’t be so down, Mr. Sulu.” Mara chided. “This battle was over before it began. Your precious Starfleet is not going to get its hands on these reactors.”

“I must point out the logical conclusion to your threat.”

“Which is?”

“You will die as well. Frankly Ms. Jade, after a short analysis of your behavior coupled with the rumored romantic links with Darth Nemesis who now calls himself Luke Skywalker I do not think that you mean yourself harm even if you wanted to make us think so.”

Mara stared hard at the Vulcan and then at Sulu.

“If you were so certain of that Mr. Spock why are you not doing anything about it?”

“Because I was hoping to bring this confrontation to a peaceful result. All we want are the reactors. You can leave with Lord Nemesis or Luke Skywalker or whatever he is calling himself unmolested. It is an even exchange in my view. The high lord of the Imperium for a handful of reactors.”

“You logical fool!” Mara exclaimed. “What makes you think you can even threaten him?”

“I wouldn’t have to harm him at all.” Spock said evenly and took a step forward. Sulu tensed and aimed his phaser.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Mara exclaimed and pressed the blaster into the side of the reactor.

“All I have to tell him is that you murdered Princess Leia in cold blood.”

“What?!” Mara whispered. “You can’t prove that and what would it matter?”

“I can prove it by simple logical deduction Ms. Jade.” Spock continued and took another step forward. “You see the scratches on your face were created by a being whose nails were significantly narrower and smaller than those of a Jem’Hadar. The location and depth of your scratches would indicate that your assailant was significantly shorter and smaller of frame than a Jem’Hedar, much like the Princess.”

“And Nemesis would believe that nonsense why?”

“He doesn’t need to believe me completely Ms. Jade. All I need to do is pique his curiosity and natural suspicion. Then he would simply probe your mind for the truth.” Spock paused for a moment as he let the words sink in. “I wonder Ms. Jade…how long could you resist his mind probe? Would you even know he had discovered the truth until it was too late?”

“Damn you!” Mara snarled and her blaster suddenly trained on Spock’s midsection. The Vulcan leapt out of the way as Sulu fired a short burst from his phaser. The stun blast sent Mara recoiling backwards, the blaster slipping out of her grasp and right out of the open back wall behind her, vanishing into the swirling abyss below.

Mara shook off the effects of the stun as if it were a mere body blow and reached for one of the reactors. Sulu’s eyes widened.

“Spock that was max stun!” He exclaimed in shock.

Spock charged her and Mara sidestepped him delivering a crippling kick into the back of his thigh and following up with a chop to the nerve clusters of his neck. Together the blows would have crippled or killed a normal human but Spock was a Vulcan. The blows merely slowed him down as he backhanded Mara with a resounding crack as his arm connected with her torso and face.

She sailed backwards and into the opposite wall.

Mara landed on her feet and wiped blood from her nose. The Vulcan would be trouble, he possessed five times her strength and was obviously trained in the rudiments of hand to hand combat. She needed to destroy those reactors and he stood between her and the objective.

“You have no idea what you’re facing Vulcan. I am one of the Emperor’s Hands. I deal in death and dismemberment. I am his will made flesh and you think you can stand between me and my objective?”

“Yes, I do. You don’t have the time to be making threats and chest beating statements Ms. Jade. Time is on my side.”

The bunker decided to protest that statement as it shuddered hard to the left and a squeal of metal coming apart was followed by the room dipping backwards a full 20 degrees. Sulu lost his footing and slid down to the open wall in front of him. Spock quickly reached out and snatched Sulu’s right shoulder and hooked his arm underneath it as he held himself steady with the other arm holding onto an overhanging coolant pipe.

Mara stumbled to her left as well but recovered her footing quickly and launched herself in a flying leap past Spock and landed on the maintenance table where the reactors were neatly arrayed, held in place by a stasis field.

“Now, Mr. Spock, let us see what we can do about your predicament.” She said frostily and casually released one of the reactors from the field. It slid loudly off the edge of the table and tumbled end over end towards Spock.

“Spock let go! I’ve got a way out!” Sulu shouted.

Spock swung Sulu towards the near wall and reached out with the other hand and caught a hold of the tumbling reactor and held it firmly over the yawning abyss as he strained with the other hand to hold himself in place.

Sulu scrambled up on the wall and started to make his way towards the table.

Mara quickly kicked the next reactor off the table and its started its rapid slide towards Spock. Spock grunted as he looked up at the rapidly approaching reactor and had to make the decision to either get out of the way or try to stop it from tumbling out of the room.




“Do you have the targeting data?” Tarsi demanded.

“It is marked and locked in Captain.”

“Fire.”

Tarsi watched his gunnery crew in action. On the view ports beyond he watched several turbolaser bolts flash down to the planet’s surface.

“Now I want that air defense network cleared. I don’t want Lord Nemesis being knocked down by a stray missile.” Tarsi ordered hands on the railing to his command deck. He could feel the tide turning, the captain of the Devastator must be feeling it as well.

“Already on it sir. Bomber squadrons have begun launching torpedoes. Fighter squadrons following through to escort the landers home.

“Sir, the Devastator is trying to launch fighters to assist in their own recovery efforts.”

“Let’s not give them the bloody satisfaction. Concentrate fire on the hangar bays and likely areas of egress. All anti-starfighter batteries are to prioritize targets to anything that tries to head to the surface. Have the Warbirds decloak on the far side of the planet and begin long range bombardment and over watch positions from extraction point.”

“Deploying.”

“I want Lord Nemesis in our hangar deck within the next fifteen minutes. Navigation.”

“Sir!”

“Prepare to make the jump to lightspeed as soon as we have package secured. Course heading is directly back home. I have a feeling we’ll be bringing hell back with us.”

“Understood sir.”

Tarsi strode over to his XO who had his head bent over the tactical station and talking in an animated fashion with the long range sensors chief.

“I take it we’re having company?” Tarsi asked.

His XO looked up sharply.

“Hard to tell sir, but we may have several Imperial ships inbound. Their hyperspace signatures are hard to make out due to a mixture of damage to our long range arrays and the amount of energy flying out there.”

“If I were Thrawn and Lord Vader decided to come here on his own I would make sure he was successful in this mission.” Tarsi concluded.

“Or it could be reinforcements from Grand Admiral Kittaine.”

“Or it could be a Federation fleet using the rebel frigate’s hyperdrive to drag them along to these coordinates.” The tactical officer added.

Tarsi looked down at him, eyes narrowing.

“What makes you say that?”

“These signatures are a little too weak to be large Imperial cruisers. We know the Federation Remnant has used this piggy back tactic before in several battles. I suspect that’s what we may be facing.”

Tarsi nodded.

“Kirk is down there. He only has that damned Science vessel and the X-Wings…it makes sense that he would have his own extraction planned as well.” Tarsi mused. “It matters not. Let’s keep our eyes open. Whether it is the Empire, reinforcements or the Federation all we have to do is hold position long enough to recover Lord Nemesis.” Tarsi stated and straightened up.

“You hear me. No matter what comes we will hold here for Lord Nemesis. We will not leave this system without him no matter the cost.” Tarsi announced proudly.

His crew all exchanged glances and nodded in agreement before returning to their work.



Kirk ducked under Darkstar’s swing. The lightsaber sizzled as it touched off the metal wall beside Kirk. The crime lord stalked after Kirk, lightsaber flashing before him.

“This ends here and now. I have suffered enough of your insolence. Do you know what will be lost when this reactor explodes!?” the lightsaber flashed down hard nearly taking Kirk’s left leg off. Kirk danced out of the way but Darkstar brought the blade back up at an angle towards Kirk’s midsection. “All the unique and wonderful treasures that will be lost because of your half assed rescue attempt!” Kirk twisted at the waist to avoid the blade.

“Centuries to collect and catalogue!” Darkstar continued swinging the blade in a series of chopping strokes, each missed strike touched the metal grating and it sizzled and snapped on contact with the humming blade. Kirk back pedaled furiously out of reach from the blade and then stopped short, pivoting in hard at the bottom of another downward stroke and delivered a crushing elbow into Darkstar’s throat.

The crime lord sputtered and swung back out wildly. Kirk barely ducked under the swing, feeling the passage of the blade over his head by mere inches. Darkstar swung it back down furiously. Kirk danced back. The blade landed in the grating, metal sizzling into a pool around the blade tip. Darkstar smiled viciously and snapped the blade up at Kirk, flinging the molten metal at him.

Kirk exclaimed in pain as some of the molten metal struck his chest and arms.

The room shuddered hard and dipped backwards again. Kirk lost his footing and stumbled to one knee. He looked up sharply as Darkstar smiled triumphantly. He whipped the saber up over his head and laughed heartily.

“It’s over James.”

The lightsaber came down hard and fast and Kirk tried to roll out of the way but knew he was a step too slow.

The lightsaber was savagely yanked out of Darkstar’s grip. The crime lord stared dumbly at his now empty hands and slowly looked up.

Luke Skywalker stood defiantly in the entrance of the bunker and held the lightsaber in his hand. He swung it in a figure eight around his body and smiled softly as he closed his hand around the hilt and felt all the grooves and notches he had not felt in too long.

“Darkstar, you treat this like a utility knife, some weapon to use to hack up your opponents. This is a lightsaber.” Luke said coolly. Darkstar was suddenly thrown clear against the far wall and held there.

“Wait! Wait a damned minute!” Darkstar sputtered.

“You see this is a Jedi’s weapon. Not so clumsy or random as your disruptors and phasers. It’s an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” Luke finished and Darkstar felt his face slapped back and forth by an invisible hand. Blood spilled from his nose as he glared at the young man as he quietly walked up to Darkstar. He was flanked by several Jem’Hadar.

“Now. It’s time you were brought to justice.”

“You think you have the balls Nemesis?! No matter what happens here today you were mine. All mine as my plaything and nothing you do here now or ever will change that.” Darkstar shouted, spittle spraying with his words.

Luke examined the crime lord closely for a moment, he held out his hand and Darkstar flinched. Luke grabbed a firm hold of Darkstar’s chin and cheeks and turned his face from side to side.

“I don’t hate you little man. I pity you. You think you are some great power in the world, a mighty titan astride his empire. You are nothing more than a maggot feeding off the rotten scraps of the table of those who are indeed great and better than you. A filthy little worm that thinks he is the king of all that he surveys. You will soon discover that these treasures you’ve spent your life acquiring own you and not the other way around. You are defined by what you own and who you hate and nothing more. Now that I look on you all I see is a miserable creature beneath my contempt.”

Darkstar smiled coldly.

“That may be Skywalker but since you’re no longer Darth Nemesis that means that telling you that Anastasia is about to die might move you to save her, no?”

Luke’s eyes narrowed on Darkstar and he saw the image in the crime lord’s mind.

“You diseased maniac!” Luke shouted and strode past him, releasing Darkstar from his grip the crime lord slumped down to the floor. “Watch him!” Luke ordered and rushed towards the back of the bunker.

Darkstar slowly rose to his feet and smile at the Jem’Hedar.

“Now that wasn’t exactly the best course of action to take, wouldn’t you agree?” Darkstar chuckled. The Jem’Hedar started to back away as he stepped forward. Darkstar extended his left hand. One of the Jem’Hedar doubled over in pain. Darkstar cackled with glee.

He did not see the haymaker that struck him squarely on the nose. Darkstar stumbled backwards as his nose collapsed into his face in an explosion of blood and snot. Kirk lunged forward and pinned the crime lord to the wall, placing one forearm under Darkstar’s chin and into this throat.

“Now that I know about your little pain implant maybe I can separate it from your arm.” Kirk jerked on Darkstar’s left arm. Darkstar snarled and struggled. “I don’t think a human can rip another human’s arm off Hieronymus. But let’s find out.” Kirk said with a harsh smile as he jerked on Darkstar’s arm.

“Blast you Kirk! This ends one way or another.” Darkstar howled and slammed his head down against Kirk’s.




Mara reached for the next reactor. The Vulcan was forced to dodge the previous reactor as it tumbled past him and down out of into the abyss. Spock struggled valiantly to hold on to his purchase with one hand and the hypermatter reactor with the other.

She grunted as she kicked the next reactor off its housing and towards the edge of the table. Mara was bathed in a bright green light and she was thrown off the table. Sulu quickly scurried hand over hand along the piping on the ceiling towards the table.

“I’m moving to secure the reactors. Get yourself clear, Mr. Spock.” Sulu called out as he landed on the edge of the table and checked the stasis field around each device.

Spock nodded and took a deep breath before pulling himself up over to the wall and hauling the reactor to a more secure spot in a corner of the maintenance room. He paused to check the reactor for any damage. His eyebrow arched as he spotted something odd.

“Not so fast Mr. Sulu.” Mara gasped as she swept Sulu’s legs out from under him. She groggily leapt up onto the table and dropped a knee down on Sulu’s chest as she reached for his throat. Sulu blocked her with an elbow and struggled to bring his phaser up around for another shot.

Mara grasped his wrist and held his gun hand away from her.

“What kind of lady shakes off two heavy stun blasts?!” Sulu growled.

Mara smiled grimly. She slapped away his elbow and snaked her free hand over to Sulu’s throat.

“I’m no lady, Sulu.” She replied. She did not want to admit that the second blast almost knocked her out. It took all of her training to overcome the stunning effect of the Federation phaser. One more hit and she doubted she would recover. She needed to end this quickly.

She started to squeeze and jerk his head to the right. Sulu kicked up at the waist and managed to hook one leg over her shoulder and pulled backwards. Mara grit her teeth and leaned forward as hard as she could and squeezed his throat even harder, digging her fingers into his flesh.

She saw his eyes begin to flutter and his legs slowly weakened.

“That’s it, it will be over soon.” She promised.

The impact of the third stun blast was like a freight train bowling her over. She spun off the table and crashed against the wall, slumping down out of sight. Spock waited a moment, phaser trained on the spot where she fell.

Sulu coughed and sputtered as he rose to a seated position and rubbed his raw throat.

“Thanks Mr. Spock. Looks like the third time’s the charm.” Sulu croaked.

Spock arched an eyebrow.

“Quaint human sayings aside, Mr. Sulu, we have a problem.”

“What?” Sulu asked suddenly concerned.

“The hypermatter reactors are---“ Spock paused as he noticed something in Sulu’s hands. “Where is your phaser?”

Sulu looked around suddenly alarmed. A bright green blast snapped Spock back off his feet and sent him sprawling to the ground. Sulu spun on his waist and began to lash out with his legs to strike Mara.

Mara was a shade faster and blasted Sulu with his phaser.

Sulu slumped down on the table top.

Mara slowly inspected both fallen men. She nodded to her satisfaction and checked the phaser’s power setting.

“Remarkable weapon. Non lethal uses are very efficient and powerful. Let’s see what happens when we crank it up a bit.” She said coldly.





“Watch yourself, there’s a nasty crossfire by that transmitter.” Wedge warned but it was too late. The X-Wing was spinning in a tight strafing run on one of the last remaining transport scramblers when it got caught in a storm of metal fired by the emplaced guns circling the transmitter.

The X-Wing was smacked to the left by the hammer like impacts and smoke began to belch forth from one of the engines. The fighter struggled to maintain control.

“Eject Rogue 8, eject!” Hobbie urged. He glanced back at the transmitter station and gunned his own engines for a tight turning attack run.

“I think I can keep her up.” Rogue 8 grunted loudly as he fought with his control stick. The sharp whine coupled with the cacophony of multiple alarms in the background of his transmission told a different story.

“Rogue 8, listen to me, take her down quickly. It sounds like you’re having a multiple engine core failure. Rogue 9 fly over and watch him as he ditches then mark with flares and transporter markers so that the Sagan can begin recovery operations as soon as we get this blasted scrambling field down.” Wedge ordered.

“Roger that boss. Sorry.” Rogue 8 lamented.

“Nobody’s fault. We knew this would be a tough nut to crack now get out of here before you draw more fire. Rogue 9, stick to him until recovery starts.”

“No problem.”

A warning buzz overhead on Wedge’s HUD drew his attention.

“Missiles inbound from orbital platforms!”

“They can’t be getting a signature!” Jansen protested.

“They’re not.” Wedge concluded coolly as he saw the first wave of missiles raining down on their position. The missiles opened their cones and spat forth a smaller barrage of warheads that exploded as they fell in a rain of fire.

“They’re blanketing this whole area in the hopes of just taking us out.” Wedge concluded as he brought his X-Wing out of a steep climb and dove for cover.

“Damnit boss this ain’t exactly fair.” Jansen spat.

“Since when has fair had anything to do with it?” Hobbie sighed.

“Boys, I’ve got an idea how to take that hornet’s nest out.” Wedge said softly as he checked his tactical computer




“Anastasia!” Luke exclaimed. He rushed to the edge of the ruined back wall of the bunker. Large swaying metal conduits and pipes jutted out into the abyss below. Anastasia was hanging on to the very end of one of the conduits. Harry Mudd was slowly crawling out towards her.

“Now hold on my dear, this is a little more than what I’m used to doing.” Harry stammered trying his best not to look down and ignore the steady groan of the metal shaft that he was relying on for support.

“Please hurry Harry. I’m slipping.” She cried out in a near panic, legs dangling helplessly.

“Anastasia!” Luke shouted again. The wind tunnel effect of the chamber and the constant blasts from the reactor were drowning him out. Luke doused his lightsaber and clipped it onto his belt then somersaulted up and out of the chamber.

He landed gracefully on a ruined gantry that had been blasted down off the roof of the bunker and now hung perpendicular to where Anastasia was holding on for dear life. Luke quickly scurried down the gantry, not fearing the height and the cross wind at all, confident that the Force would keep him safe as he approached them.

“Goodness gracious!” Harry exclaimed and held up one hand defensively over his face as he saw Luke appear beside them. “Please don’t hurt me Lord Nemesis! I am a simple man! I am an insignificant insect! I am—”

“Harry.” Luke interrupted gently.

“I am a worm your Sithness!” Harry groveled, trying to gauge Luke’s reaction through fingers splayed over his face.

“Harry!” Luke interjected more forcefully.

“Have mercy to one who is not worthy to be shine your boots!” Harry pleaded.

“Harry!!” Luke and Anastasia exclaimed in exasperation.

“What?” Harry asked cautiously.

“Help me.” Luke said as he straddled the gantry and Harry’s conduit then reached down for Anastasia.

“I knew it.” Anastasia gasped as Luke reached down and grasped her wrists and began to pull her up. Harry reached out and steadied her as Luke lifted her and held her close to him on the gantry. She looked up into his eyes. “I knew you would come back for me, Luke.” She kissed him long and hard as the wind whipped around d them.

They parted and Luke watched her for a moment.

“There’s a lot we’ll have to talk about. For now, we have to get out of here and deal with Darkstar.”

“How do you intend to get out?” Anastasia implored.

“Uh...a hand perhaps?” Harry asked trying to maneuver his bulk up to the gantry and teetering dangerously close to falling off his conduit.

An earthquake suddenly rumbled through the chamber, concrete and steel began giving way above them. The ceiling started to crumble and tumble away down through the chamber in massive chunks the size of houses. Sunlight streamed through the crater above them and the sounds of engines thrummed deeply in the air.

“What?!”

“Seriously, I’m having a little trouble here.” Harry stammered as his eyes widened as he regarded the yawning chasm below struggling to maintain his balance.

Luke looked up and smiled.

“That, Anastasia is the way out courtesy of an Imperium Stardestroyer.”

“Anastasia dear…this is a rather impending disaster for me.” Harry snapped but it was drowned out by the roar of more debris coming down with a thunderous roar. The first Imperium lander appeared at the lip of the cavern, pausing to sweep the area with search lights before descending into the chamber.

Another explosion rippled further off to the side, thick black smoke began billowing out from the main access way leading back to the cloning chamber. Luke frowned.

He spied several of his stormtroopers exiting the cloning chamber onto the bridge firing a steady fusillade back into the chamber as they waved the Jem’Hedar back past them.. The Jem’Hedar for their part moved in tight disciplined formation out onto the bridge. Chewbacca’s roar was clear even this far away as the Wookiee backed out onto the bridge firing his disruptor.

“He is a little ahead of schedule.” Luke muttered.

“Who?”

“This is getting ridiculous!” Harry shouted and suddenly yelped as he slipped off the conduit and began to plummet down into the depths below. How embarrassing. Harry mused in his head.

Luke extended his hand outward as he turned with Anastasia on the gantry back towards the bunker. Harry’s fall stopped short merely a few meters into his plummet. He quickly ascended up to the gantry and landed with all the grace of a wounded duck behind Luke and Anastasia.

“That was unnecessary you know! Making me wait like that?”

Luke paused and looked back at Harry. Harry’s lips snapped shut as he saw something in the young man’s eyes.

“I didn’t forget the part you played in this tragedy Harry Mudd. The fact that you tried to save her is the only reason I didn’t let you meet your fate at the bottom of this pit.” Luke said with a steely intensity.

“I meant no harm! I assure you!” Harry stuttered and held up his hands defensively.

“I know you didn’t Harry.” Luke’s voice softened slightly. “But you see, all our actions have consequences whether we ever meant to or not. It’s a hard lesson to learn. I mean to make you see the errors of your ways. That’s why you will join with Captain Kirk in his rebellion against the Empire.”

“Kirk?! He’d as soon send me out the nearest airlock as have me help him out.” Harry exclaimed in outrage.

“Then I guess you’ll have to convince him how useful you are, won’t you?” Luke replied as he gingerly led Anastasia over the last portion of the ruined gantry back into the bunker.

“The man is an insufferable do gooder! He wants nothing to do with me!” Harry whined.

“You will try to convince him.” Luke replied waving his hand gently.

“I will try to convince him.” Harry replied without hesitation. Anastasia glanced curiously at Luke and then to his hand. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the ship rising loudly behind them.

“What is that thing?!”

Luke looked back towards the sound already certain of the answer. How could he forget the sound of those engines?

The Millennium Falcon floated at the same level of the bunker. Luke peered into the cockpit and spied the young man at the controls. His eyes narrowed.

“Han?” He whispered. No, that couldn’t be right. Upon closer inspection it was not Han, but his vision wavered for a moment and he saw Han again sitting at the controls. Han looked over at him, a mournful expression in his eyes. He was not wearing his normal clothes. He wore an Imperial uniform.

“What is it?” Luke asked.

“It is the Future you see.” Han replied in Yoda’s voice.

“The future?” Luke asked in confusion.

The vision vanished as quickly as it came. Luke felt a ripple in the Force.

“Mara!” Luke exclaimed suddenly and rushed back into the bunker just as it screeched and rumbled again and tilted backwards another 20 degrees. Anastasia helped Harry by pulling him back into the bunker.

“Are you feeling alright?” She asked him inspecting him.

“I am fine my dear…but can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“What was that thing he was doing with his hand?”

“You’ve got me.”

“That’s an odd man you’re in love with my dear.”

“I don’t love him!” Anastasia protested.

Harry shook his head and muttered "He's a little too young to be having nervous tics like that." as he followed her out in her pursuit of Luke.




“Goodbye Sulu, Mr. Spock. If it’s any consolation you almost won.” Mara said as she aimed her phaser at the two fallen Starfleet officers. Her head still swam from the heavy stun blasts and her limbs felt leaden and numb. Intense light flooded the maintenance room as the wind picked up accompanied by the unmistakable loud throbbing of repulsors.

She looked up sharply and saw the Millennium Falcon floating steadily in front of the open back wall.

She heard something behind her.

Mara turned as quickly as she could, pivoting on her left foot. She turned to face the slight green figure of Princess Leia. Her metallic revealing suit was replaced by a snug fitting Starfleet uniform.

“Remember me?” Leia spat and delivered a haymaker that catapulted Mara off her feet. Mara landed on her back and started to kip up when Leia’s follow up roundhouse kick connected with Mara’s face and snapped it backwards painfully.

Mara blocked the next kick with a sweep of her forearm but the phaser fell from her clumsy numb fingers.

Get it together damnit! Mara urged to her self as her head swam. Her senses were distorted and out of whack. She tried to focus, using all the techniques her master taught her. The focusing worked. Long enough to feel the jarring pain of Leia’s punch that twisted her nose and sent her head snapping back into the metal grating floor.

Leia slid on top of Mara and began to unload all her pain, frustration, anger and sorrow into this woman who had tried to kill her, a woman that had betrayed her, and a woman that loved Luke.

Mara groaned under the hail of fists. She could no longer fight the Princess off as the damage she had absorbed finally overcame her.

“Stop!” Luke shouted and Leia was pulled off Mara and landed unceremoniously on her back several meters away.

Leia looked up at Luke.

“Luke, she---“”

“I don’t want to hear this right now. Vader has broken through our defenses. Unless you want to face him you have to leave now!” Luke urged.

“Jim!” Leia breathed.

Luke looked confused at the sudden explosion of emotion and concern from her as she got on her feet just as Spock and Sulu groggily came around.

“Will you leave them alone?” She asked Luke.

“You’d ask me that?!” Luke replied stung by the unspoken accusation.

Leia frowned and glanced over at Mara.

“Sometimes the only way we can gauge others is by the company they keep.” She replied frostily and rushed past Luke. He stood quietly for a moment pondering her words.

[El Moose Monstero]

Good stuff again, this thing must be a bitch of a length to merit a 3 way split. You must be sick of the sight of it.

[desertjedi]

Man I cant imagine how long this chapter will be when it's over... But it;s great stuff!