IN THE HANDS OF THE FORCE

Han. She immediately followed him, wondering if something new had gone wrong or if anything had happened that she should know about. Not that he looked like he was in the mood to talk, of course, but it was worth asking.

She stepped cautiously up the platform and into the cockpit, and found Han in the pilot's chair, brooding. "Han?" He jumped and whirled around to face her. "Amidala! Do you need something?"

"Well, you nearly ran me over out there in the hangar," she said with a smile. "I wanted to check that everything was alright."

"I'm sorry…I didn't even see you."

She waved it off. "Is something wrong? Did something happen?"

"No, not really." He turned in his chair so that he was facing the console again.

"Okay," she replied, a suspicious tone in her voice. She waited for him to say something more, but he was back to glowering. "I didn't mean pry. I can leave you alone now."

When he didn't answer, she decided it really would be best for her to leave and turned to head out.

"Amidala?"

"Yes, Han?"

He face was creased with frustration. "How do you and Anakin do it?"

She glanced at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Don't take this the wrong way…but I'm finding it a more than a little depressing that Darth Vader can make a relationship work during all this and Leia and I can't."

Amidala didn't even bother pretending she wasn't taken aback. "Well…"

"Nevermind. I probably shouldn't have phrased it that way."

She took the co-pilot's chair and turned it to face him. "Don't worry, I'm not easily offended." Amidala looked at him thoughtfully. "I really shouldn't get too involved in what goes on between you and Leia, of course, but…I know the look on your face."

"Look? You mean the 'I'm ticked off at everyone and everything' look?"

"No, I mean the 'I'm in love with a Skywalker' look. Trust me, I originated it." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, well…you and Anakin just seem to relate better. I'm sure you must have problems, but you don't show it."

"If you had seen us before, when we were at the same stage in our relationship that you and Leia are, I don't think you'd say the same thing. We always loved each other, but his stubbornness and mood swings weren't nearly as…endearing…as they are now. And his Jedi training and responsibilities didn't help either. I wouldn't trade those times for anything, but the ease you're talking about wasn't always there."

Han seemed to consider that. "I'll bet Leia is as 'endearing' as Anakin ever was."

"Probably more so," she admitted. "Whoever winds up with Luke will get the least demanding role of all of us, I think." She sighed and leaned back in the chair. "You just need to be patient with her, Han. It'll be worth it in the end."

"Patience was never one of my strong suits. I'm trying, I really am, but I don't know if it's going to be enough." He looked at her gravely, and struggled with his next words. "And if it isn't enough…I worry sometimes…" He cleared his throat. "I don't know exactly what happened to Anakin before. And I don't want to make myself out to be so important – like, if she lost me, everything would just fall apart, or the same thing would happen to her –"

"But you know she's not immune to it. That no one is," Amidala finished for him. "But I see a strength in Leia that maybe Anakin didn't have. I don't think she's in the danger he was in back then. Still," she continued, "you should know that you are very important, Han." She sighed sadly. "I don't like thinking about it, but I've always felt that under different circumstances, I could have saved Ani, and I would have made a difference when other people simply couldn't.

"She loves you, and that means you have a special connection to her, a way to reach her that's unique. That's something both of you need to always cherish."

Han smiled. "Do you always give good advice?"

"Not always. You're lucky."

"Thanks, Amidala."

"Any time," she replied.

"Princess Leia," Borsk Fey'lya said, glaring directly at her. "Let me see if I understand. General Skywalker found Baron Durak'lya in my quarters…unauthorized mind you and now you are accusing me of betraying the Alliance?"

Leia stood her ground, meeting his glance with equal force. The two were now face to face once again in the Best Destiny's war room. Leia had called an emergency meeting of the Alliance Council to reveal the results of Luke and Anakin's investigation. The entire Council had gathered in the war room, eagerly anticipating what the Princess had to say.

Standing before the Council, Leia revealed to them everything the two Jedi had learned. See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo had discovered that Baron Durak'lya, the head of the Bothan spynet, had contacted the Empire just days before the attack on Sullust. Using Borsk Fey'lya's personal communication system, he revealed to the Empire the military secrets and defense codes used by the Rebel fleet. The Empire had been able to use these against the Alliance to conceal their ships on their way to Sullust. As a result, the Alliance had no idea of the Imperial attack and was nearly destroyed as a result.

Once in custody, Durak'lya admitted to Luke and Anakin that he had been merely following orders delivered to him by Borsk Fey'lya. The Bothan Councilor had given him his personal access codes and all the information his spies had learned about the Rebel fleet. According to the Bothan spymaster, it had been Borsk Fey'lya who had betrayed them all along.

Silence reigned on the Alliance Council as they were told what had been discovered. Borsk Fey'lya had taken the news as well as could be expected. Outwardly, he remained calm and collective. He had shown no signs of concern save for the perspiration he had wiped away from the fur on his forehead. He continued glaring at the Princess, his face rapidly twisting with contempt and hatred.

"That is exactly what I'm accusing you of, Fey'lya," Leia said. "Baron Durak'lya has submitted to a series of tests that have confirmed what he was saying is true. This, combined by the other evidence that General Skywalker has discovered would seem to point the arrow of guilt to one person…you."

Fey'lya looked at the princess for a long time, saying nothing. Finally, a smile broke through Fey'lya contemptuous face and the Bothan let a soft laugh.

"Well, Your Highness," Fey'lya said, clapping his hands. "I have to admit that I underestimated you. I never thought someone of your stature would descend to this level and begin making baseless accusations at your political enemies. It is apparent to me that you are so desperate to remain in power that you are willing to say anything."

"I would never stoop to your level, Fey'lya," Leia said. "The fact of the matter is…"

"The fact of matter is, Princess," Fey'lya interrupted. "That you have no evidence to go on accept the word of a traitor."

"That traitor is the head of the Bothan spynet," Leia said. "As well as a member of your senior staff."

"I never ordered him to betray the Alliance. Therefore, I cannot be held responsible for the Baron's actions."

"Councilor," Luke said, rising from his seat and walking towards Fey'lya. "Where was your flagship during the Imperial attack?"

Fey'lya looked at Luke, surprised at the question he had been asked. "I answered that question long ago, General. The Bothawui was with the Bothan front, fighting the first wave of Imperial TIE fighters. Our records indicate this."

"Yes, your records do," Luke said. "But the records of the ships that make up the Bothan front tell a different story. According to those records, the Bothawui was nowhere near the Sullust sector. As a matter of fact, your whereabouts were unknown for more than a day after the battle."

Fey'lya was taken aback at what Luke had just told him. He quickly recovered and gave the Jedi an amused look. "Our ships took considerable damage in the battle. It is likely that the records were effected by this."

"What about your ship, Councilor? Damage reports indicate that your ship was fully functional. There wasn't even a scorch mark on the hull."

Now Fey'lya just looked at Luke, not knowing what to say.

"Councilor Fey'lya," Leia said. "Since you have returned to the fleet, you have done nothing but try to stir up conflict. You have been uncooperative and very difficult to deal with…"

"I have not been uncooperative, Your Highness!" Fey'lya cut in sharply. "I offered you the services of the Bothan spynet…"

"The Bothan spynet that was run by Baron Durak'lya, a man who was just arrested for treason!" Leia said. "I want an answer, Fey'lya. Did you betray the Alliance?"

"This is ridiculous!" Fey'lya snapped, breaking away from Leia. "I refuse to answer your question." He turned his attention to the Alliance Council.

"My friends, it is clear to me now that Princess Leia's investigation is politically motivated. General Skywalker, who we all know is a close ally of the princess, has carried out an investigation that has one objective. It was not to find out who the traitor was. No, it's purpose is the complete destruction of Borsk Fey'lya. The evidence they have presented is ludicrous and based on the word of the real traitor. But this does not have to continue. My comrades, I ask you now to use the power given to you by the Alliance charter to put an end to this debacle of an investigation and commence with election of the new leader of the Rebel Alliance."

The war room erupted with the voices of the Alliance Council as the debated Fey'lya's request. Fey'lya turned back to Luke and Leia and gave them a confident smile. The Bothan was fully confident that the Alliance would grant them his request. He had begun to pick up support these past few days, especially with what had occurred in the Alliance mess hall. Luke and Leia knew that if the Alliance granted his request, it was very likely that Fey'lya had the support he needed to become Alliance leader.

After several minutes of heated debated, the voices of the Council quieted. Councilor A'Kla, senior member of the Council, rose from his seat and faced Fey'lya.

"Councilor Fey'lya."

"Yes, Councilor A'Kla."

"The Alliance Council rejects your request."

Fey'lya jaw dropped in shock as A'kla announced his verdict.

"We believe there is sufficient ground to continue the investigation," A'Kla continued. "You will answer the Princess' question."

Fey'lya looked around the war room, looking frantically for one councilor to give them their support. He found none.

Fey'lya turned to face Leia. Sweat covered the fur on his face. Through the Force, Leia could tell that heartbeat and fear increased rapidly. He knew he had been cornered and that his time was running out.

"Councilor…did you betray the Alliance?" Leia asked again.

Before Fey'lya could answer; a siren rang out from the war room's communication's console.

"Princess Leia," the communications officer said. "We have an emergency communication from Commander Antillies."

Leia and Luke shot each other a surprised look. Were they under attack?

"Punch it in immediately, Ensign," Leia said.

The chief carried out the order. In a matter of moments, Wedge's voice rang out through the war room.

"Princess Leia?"

"Go ahead, Commander Antillies."

"Rogue Squadron has just intercepted a message buoy. It appears to have been heading for the fleet."

"A message buoy?" Leia said. The sector they were in was supposed to be sparsely populated. The nearest Rebel outpost was light-years away. "Who is the message from, Commander?''

There was a long silence on the intercom before Wedge answered again.

"The Emperor."

It took several minutes for the message buoy to be brought to the Best Destiny's war room. The buoy was a Camen-class Imperial drone ship, spherical in form. The Camen-class ships were of the newest design, used to transmit messages into the deepest reaches of space. It stretched nearly three meters in length and was marked with the oppressing insignia of the Empire. A second insignia marked the ship much more prominently. The insignia was a saber, covered in a deep crimson red, thrust through a planet. It was the royal crest of the Emperor.

Silence once again reigned in the war room as the communication teams began work on accessing the message. The mood of the Alliance Council had once again changed. A short time ago, there had been an excited anticipation at the news that the Rebel traitor had been found. Now that anticipation had turned to absolute fear. To the members of the Alliance, the Emperor was just as terrifying as the Death Star.

Anakin didn't share those feelings of fear. He had been in the war room since Leia had called for the emergency meeting. He had stayed quietly in the background as Luke and Leia confronted Fey'lya with the results of the investigation. Fey'lya had been caught off-guard by the damning evidence he and Luke had uncovered. The Bothan had tried his best to discredit the two and end the investigation but to no avail. Just as Fey'lya seemed to be on the verge of admitting his guilt in the betrayal of the Alliance, the meeting was interrupted with the reports that a message buoy had been discovered. Once it was learned just what Rogue Squadron had found, Anakin had emerged and had taken a place at the front of the war room, just inches away from the drone ship. This was something that Anakin had been expecting for a long time.

Although he wasn't afraid, there was a nervous anxiety that ran through the elder Jedi. Following Anakin's return from the dark side, the Emperor had gone into a deep seclusion. He had been silent for a long time, plotting his next moves from the shadows. The Rebel Alliance believed that the Emperor was weakening. His iron grip on the galaxy wasn't so tight anymore. They had weathered the Empire's assaults after Hoth and managed to stay one step ahead of them. Once they had gained access to the secret plans to the Death Star and learned that Palpatine himself would be aboard it, the Alliance believed it was only a matter of time before the tyranny of the Empire was destroyed.

But Anakin had known better. More than anyone else in the galaxy, he knew how the Emperor functioned. Palpatine was more brilliant than any military tactician. He had lured the Alliance into a false sense of security by allowing the plans to the Death Star to fall into their hands. By that time, he had infiltrated their highest levels. Once again, the hand of Palpatine had crushed them.

Now, after days of chaos, Palpatine once again emerged. It was time for him to execute the next step in his master plan. It was this that made Anakin nervous. Whatever Palpatine had planned, he knew the effects would be devastating to the Alliance and quite possibly his family.

As the teams finished connecting the ship to the main projector, Anakin turned to his wife. Amidala met his glance with one of her own. Her face was as regal and calm as ever but Anakin could tell that she was just as concerned as he was. She knew how manipulative Palpatine was, how he planned every move as if he were playing a game of chess. Palpatine had used her almost as much as he had used Anakin in achieving his goals. She didn't know just what he would say but she knew the effects it would have.

Anakin took Amidala's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled and did the same. At least this time they would be facing the Emperor together.

"Your Highness," the communications chief said, standing in front of Leia. "The final connection is complete. We can play the recording whenever you're ready."

"There are no signs of explosives or viruses in the buoy?" Leia asked.

"None. Everything checks out clear."

Leia shot a quick glance over at Luke. Her brother nodded his head, affirming what the chief had said. Leia turned back to the chief and took a deep breath.

"Very well…play the message."

The communications began to download the message from the drone ship. In a matter of moments, the main projector in the center of the war room roared to life and a large, holographic image formed. The image was transmitted in a light blue color and stretched all the way to the ceiling. There was no doubt in anyone's mind whom it was. The Emperor Palpatine.

Anakin watched the image of the Emperor very carefully. You couldn't get a reading through the Force of a hologram but one of the first things Obi-Wan had taught him was that you could learn almost anything you needed to know just by a simple appearance. He watched Palpatine very carefully, or what he could see of Palpatine. As usual, he was dressed in his dark black robe that covered his body and most of head. Much of his ruined face could be seen though.

The last time Anakin had seen his former master was on Coruscant six months earlier. He appeared via holographic image on that day but even then, the Jedi could see the fear on his face as he once again found himself confronting Anakin Skywalker. Still, he had promised the Jedi that it would be him that brought final balance to the Force. The dark confidence seemed to be with him once again as his image smiled confidently over the members of the Alliance Council.

Anakin also noted that the lines on the Emperor's face weren't as deep. His face was still ruined and decayed but not to the extent Anakin had expected. Having served the Emperor for more than two decades, Anakin closely watched how his extensive use of the dark side had ravaged his body. Once healthy and vigorous, his body had shriveled and decayed rapidly. The fact that this continuous destruction had come to a stop meant only one of two things. Either the Emperor had lessened his use of his powers (which Anakin severely doubted) or he had finally found a way to control the abuse the dark side had inflicted upon him. If he had found a way to do so, then the Emperor could be more powerful that Anakin could possibly imagine.

"Greetings, Rebels," the Emperor said, his image casting a large shadow over the Alliance Council. "It is beneath me to converse with beings such as yourselves. However, events have forced me to descend to your level."

The confident, arrogant smile once again formed on Palpatine's ruined face as he continued. "A few days ago, my forces crushed your ragtag fleet in the Sullust sector. Those of you who survived have been sent fleeing across the galaxy, foolishly believing that you could escape my grasp. I warned you that my hand would crush your pitiful, little band of traitors. I believe the…little exercise of my force was enough to convince you of this."

Palpatine chuckled before continuing. "Of course, I cannot take full credit for your defeat. My apprentice, Lord Vader, was very helpful in providing me with the information I needed for my fleet to crush you."

A collective gasp broke out from the members of the Alliance Council. Shock now set in among the members. They could not believe what the Emperor had said to them. Darth Vader had been reported dead six months ago. How could the dead grasp of the Dark Lord of the Sith reach out and take hold of them now?

The image of the Emperor waited, no doubt anticipating the uproar that would be caused by the Council upon learning his news. "I'm afraid the reports of Lord Vader's demise are a little premature. My apprentice has been among you for these last six months. Perhaps you know him best by his true name…Anakin Skywalker!"

A second collective gasp, more powerful than the first broke out. The fear within the Council now exploded as panic voices erupted, demanding answers. Anakin tried to fight down a surge of anger but was unsuccessful.

Damn you, Palpatine!

What he had done had been no surprise to Anakin. It was a classic strategy that the Emperor had employed. Why take the effort to destroy your enemies when your enemies can destroy each other? Now, his cover had been blown and the Alliance Council would be looking for answers.

Amidala sensed Anakin's anger and place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Even her touch was not enough to calm down him down. They both knew what the consequences of Palpatine's words might mean to them, and more importantly their children.

The arrogant smile quickly faded from the Emperor's face and was replaced by a cold expression of deadly seriousness.

"The only reason you have survived this long, Rebels, is because I allowed it! I did not concentrate my full attention on suppressing your little insurrection. No more!"

Palpatine's image seemed to grow even larger as he leaned forward, his ruined face moving closer to the members of the Alliance Council.

"The Rebel Alliance has four standard days to surrender themselves to me unconditionally. If you fail to do so, I will use the full power of the Death Star to destroy every world that harbors a rebellion." Palpatine stopped, allowing his words to sink in. The apprehension in the war room grew more and more with every moment Palpatine remained silent.

Palpatine's face softened, and once again he displayed a confident smile. "Oh yes, I did forget something, did I not? I am sure you would like to know the location of the Death Star. However, I believe I will allow Lord Vader to do so himself." Palpatine's eyes narrowed and he leaned even closer to the Council. "You have four days, Rebels. Do not make me destroy this galaxy."

With that, the Emperor's image flickered and then dissolved.

A powerful silence reigned in the Best Destiny's war room for a long time. Nobody wanted to do or say anything. A wave of darkness was now hovering over them. Darth Vader was among them, and now the Emperor was prepared to unleash their worst nightmare upon the galaxy. They all wondered just where the Death Star could be. Was it hovering over one of their homeworlds now? Would there be a second Alderaan? Was there any possible way they could get out of this?

"Skywalker!"

Both Luke and Anakin turned their heads at the sound of Borsk Fey'lya's voice. The Bothan made his way towards Luke and Leia. Only a short time ago, Fey'lya had sweating, stumbling mess in front of the Alliance Council. He seemed to be on the verge of revealing his involvement in the betrayal of the Alliance. Now, he walked boldly towards the two siblings, his somber face hiding his jubilation.

"General Skywalker," Fey'lya said. He turned his head towards Anakin for a moment before facing Luke. "Is what the Emperor said true?"

Luke just stared at the Bothan, saying nothing.

Fey'lya smiled. "Nothing to say, General? I thought you had all the answers." He walked passed Luke and headed towards Amidala.

"Councilor Amidala, former Queen of Naboo," Fey'lya said, bowing before her. "Maybe you could help us." The Bothan turned his attention to Anakin and looked him directly in the eye. "Is this man your husband?"

"Fey'lya!" Leia snapped. Fey'lya turned and faced the Princess. "What is it you hope to accomplish?"

"I believe the answer is obvious, Your Highness. I want to know if this man is indeed Anakin Skywalker…or should I say Darth Vader. I would take it from silence I have been met with that he is."

"You are out of line, Councilor Fey'lya," Councilor A'Kla said. "Mind you that we only the word of the Emperor to go on."

"I agree," General Dodonna said. "That man could not possibly be Anakin Skywalker. Skywalker died just after the Clone Wars. I read the reports myself."

"Did you, General?" Fey'lya asked. "I have read those reports as well. They only state that Anakin Skywalker was presumed dead. It was never confirmed. More so, they also state that Anakin Skywalker had been on a secret mission at the time of his 'death.' Fey'lya turned his attention back to Anakin and shot the Jedi a deadly look. "Could it be that this mission led him straight into the mask of Darth Vader and resulted in the betrayal of the Republic?!"

Voices rose immediately in response, some in defense of the Skywalkers, others demanding an answer to Fey'lya's question. Anakin watched the carnage around him. It was going just as Palpatine had planned. He could not allow this to go on.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhh!!!" Anakin screamed as a wave of pain engulfed his head. The scream had been so loud that the councilors had stopped arguing among each other and turned their attention to Anakin. The pain overwhelmed the Jedi and he collapsed to the floor.

"Anakin!" Amidala screamed. She, Luke, Leia, and several of the councilors ran to Anakin's unconscious form. The Jedi lay completely motionless. His breathing stopped and for all intents and purposes, he appeared to be dead.

Anakin opened his eyes but found nothing but darkness. He immediately got to his feet but could still see nothing. He felt cold and he could sense strong…and very familiar emotions all around him. Anger, fear, aggression…he was surrounded once again by the dark side of the Force.

But it wasn't his darkness. No, he had purged himself of that on Dagobah. But it was the darkness of a man that he knew quite well. A man whose soul was so black that no light could penetrate it. Loud laugher broke out all around him. The laughter was strangely powerful, and threatened to overtake him again. When he finally recovered, the image of Emperor Palpatine formed in front of him.

"How easy it was for me to take control of your mind, my former apprentice," Palpatine said. "The truth is, I know you better than you know yourself."

Anakin tried to lash out at him but could not move. Palpatine laughed at his attempt.

"I'm afraid you cannot harm me here, Skywalker. It is I who controlled this game."

"What do you want?" Anakin spat.

"I believe you know what it is," Palpatine said. He moved closer to Anakin until the two of them were face to face. "The Rebels are defeated, they no longer pose any threat to me. You know this to be true. In four days, I will unleash the power of the Death Star and destroy an entire world. After that little demonstration, I will be forever in control of the galaxy."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Palpatine smiled. "Precisely. You are the only one left standing in my way. It is time for us to end this struggle. I challenge you, Anakin Skywalker to confront me onboard the Death Star. Only then will the true Chosen One emerge and bring balance to the Force."

"I accept," Anakin said. "Tell me where you are hiding, Palpatine?

Once again, the Emperor smiled. With a simple wave of his hand, the planet Coruscant formed right in front of Anakin. Anakin's eyes went up in shock as he also saw the image of the Death Star orbiting the capital world. That was the world that the Emperor was going to destroy!

"Yes, Skywalker," the Emperor said. "I plan to unleash the Death Star upon Coruscant. The death toll will be one hundred times greater that that of Alderaan. Once it is destroyed, nobody will dare oppose me again. The galaxy will truly be mine.

"I look forward to seeing you again, my former apprentice," Palpatine said. "We have much to discuss…and to settle."

The darkness of Palpatine's presence was slow to dissipate and swirl away. In the last moments of their connection, his former master sent him a vision of Coruscant's destruction, and Anakin saw the capital of the Galaxy destroyed as effortlessly as Alderaan had been.

Anakin had shut himself off as best he could while on the first Death Star…he knew that he couldn't bear the suffering of all those people. Leia's anguish alone had been quite disturbing. But now, even though it was little more than a dream, Anakin felt the pain and horror of every being in the city. And, he felt Palpatine thrill at it, at such a powerful, destructive manifestation of the dark side.

The Emperor wouldn't hesitate to do what he said; Anakin had little doubt of that. To rid himself of the threat of the Chosen One, to remove the last obstacle that lay before him, Anakin was certain he'd destroy a dozen worlds. As long as he felt it would draw his enemy out.

"Anakin…Anakin, please, answer me. Wake up!"

Amidala's voice was panicked, and she was shaking him slightly. He slowly became aware of the rest of the room before he opened his eyes. There was yelling and arguing throughout. He could hear Luke and Leia trying to calm down many of the others, to little success.

"Ani?"

He opened his eyes but otherwise remained still. With Amidala leaning over him, no one noticed that he had regained consciousness, and the fighting in the background continued.

"Are you alright?" she whispered.

"I had a vision," he replied quietly. "It was…from Palpatine."

"What? He can still – I mean, you still –"

"I don't really know how to explain it." He risked glancing over her shoulder at the twins. She instinctively moved to cover him up. "Am, I have to leave. I have to face him."

"Now? Alone?"

"Yes. He's prepared to do anything to find me, and I won't allow any further suffering on my behalf –"

Before he could finish the sentence, Amidala was pushed aside by Fey'lya, who then grabbed Anakin by the collar and shook him. Anakin's first instinct – to reach out and catch Amidala – caused him to shrug Fey'lya off hard, and before he could figure out what was happening (or see if Amidala was okay), it seemed that everyone was grabbing and shoving one another, and the yelling increased in volume.

"STOP!" Luke shouted. He began trying to split people up, but it seemed a fight was inevitable.

At least, until Fey'lya spoke again.

"Yes, General Skywalker, let's stop the fighting so we can get answers to our questions," he snapped, ripping his arms away from those who were holding him back. "Don't think for a second that you're going to be able to avoid this."

Luke glanced at his father before responding. Anakin nodded to him. "We'll be happy to address this – all of this – with the Alliance Council immediately. But we can't let this lead us into mayhem."

"You are no longer in a position to give orders, Skywalker. No one here should have to take the word of a traitor."

"He is not a traitor," Leia said quickly. "And this will be explained."

Fey'lya sneered. "What explanation is there to give? Either the Emperor's claims are true, or they're not. And this man –" Fey'lya pointed to him, and Anakin tried to remain steady "– this man is either Darth Vader or not. There is nothing else to say."

An eerie silence fell over the room.

"Maybe there is." Another Bothan moved forward and into the crowd. "Palpatine's going to destroy another world, and if you are who he says you are, you know where the Death Star is. You have to tell us."

The image of Coruscant flashed in Anakin's mind again, and he pushed it aside with great effort. "I agree with Luke, this is a matter the Council must decide."

"This is a matter for every member of the Rebellion!" Fey'lya retorted. "We won't allow your desire to hide cost us the lives of so many innocent people."

"No matter what he said, it is not the Rebels that Palpatine is truly interested in. As you probably already know."

"What does that mean?"

Anakin stood directly in front of him and said, "It means, that no matter who you think I am, it doesn't change the fact that you've betrayed the Rebellion, or that you've been in league with Palpatine for quite some time. So let's not pretend that you don't know that the Emperor would gladly lead the Alliance and the Galaxy to slaughter to find me. I won't allow you to help him."

For a lingering minute, the two simply stared at each other tensely. "Whatever you think of me," Fey'lya replied, "we know that Palpatine is after you because he misses his apprentice. Which world will be the first to be destroyed because of you?"

"The Death Star is headed for Coruscant," Anakin said quietly, hearing gasps of shock. "But it will not be destroyed. Palpatine will be stopped before that can happen."

One of the members of the Council finally spoke out. "This is insane. I want guards on Fey'lya and Skywalker until we can begin to sort this through."

Several people on both sides began to object, but the efforts were futile. The Councilor kept speaking. "Clearly, the Alliance has suffered an utter subversion of our leadership on multiple fronts. And we have four days to settle this." He glared at both Fey'lya and Anakin, as several guards moved in around them. "Nobody leaves, nobody goes near a communicator, nothing. The Council must discuss this."

With that, the shaken members of the Council slowly left the room. Anakin's guards had their blasters trained on him, but their prisoner didn't intend to make a move. At least not yet.

Amidala and the twins gathered around him. "Father, what can we possibly do now?" Leia asked.

"I must go to Coruscant. No matter what the Council decides."

"If they believe that you're Vader, you'll be lucky to live through the night," Luke responded. Amidala shuddered and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Mother…We'll protect him, of course. But this news is going to tear the Rebellion apart."

"And give Fey'lya control," Leia added.

Anakin closed his eyes. "I don't know how to do this without damaging the Rebellion. If there's a way, we'll take it." He re-opened them. "But I know what my role in this must be," he said with finality.

Anakin was sitting quietly in a small room, just off the larger hall where everything had gone crazy. The guards had decided to keep both him and Fey'lya separated, and in a place where they wouldn't be able to do any further harm.

There were at least three or four of them standing outside the room now, and he could still feel the fear emanating from them. And their anger. He had overheard one of them asking how they were possibly supposed to keep Darth Vader at bay. The other responded that he'd shoot first and worry about the rest of it later – he'd love an excuse to blow Vader's head off.

Anakin sighed. He didn't blame them for thinking it, and there were moments when he thought he ought to let them administer some sort of punishment on him. But he couldn't concern himself with such self-defeating thoughts now. He really only had two concerns.

He had to leave, and get to Coruscant.

And he had to do it in a way that wouldn't cause complete anarchy within the Alliance.

He hoped that Luke and Leia were taking care of that now. He didn't want to have to fight his way out of there. He'd rather save his strength for Coruscant, and for facing his former master again…

That thought gave him chills. He knew what he had to do, what he was meant to do, but to actually stand before Palpatine…

He shook his head, trying to clear it. For a moment, he wished that Obi-Wan were there to guide him in this mission, to tell him that he'd be able to what the Galaxy was waiting for him to do.

But, although Obi-Wan was with him, and always would be, there were places where his master wouldn't be able to help him. There were things that Anakin would simply have to do on his own.

He only hoped he'd be up to the challenge, and that he wouldn't let everyone down. Again.

A rustle at the door disturbed his thoughts. It didn't really sound like a struggle, but he could hear something being pushed against his door, or sliding down it…

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Luke, Leia and Amidala came through it.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're trying to get you out of here," Luke replied. "There's a lot of confusion out there…there's almost an empty path we can take between here and the main hangar."

"And if we run into someone?" Anakin wondered.

"We'll just have to hope the mind tricks last long enough."

"Speaking of which," Amidala said, "those guards aren't going to be sleeping for long. We better get going."

Anakin gave her a curt nod, and the four stepped cautiously out into the hallway. They then followed Luke down a lesser-used hallway, and made their break for the hangar.

Luke and Leia took the front and the rear, blasters drawn and set to stun. Luke had been right…Anakin could hear people moving around in the rooms and hallways around them, but their path was nearly empty.

He focused as much as possible, trying to anticipate anyone coming their way so that twins wouldn't have to fire on them. He pushed out towards the stray person or two that he sensed, and used the mind trick to put them out. They were already passed out on the floor by the time they ran by. He had the fleeting sense that Luke was impressed, but they quickly returned their focus to the task at hand.

After passing through a back stairwell, they came upon a door to the hangar. Luke pushed it open cautiously, and Leia brushed past him to look around. Then they let the door shut.

"The hangar door is open, and they're only a few guards in there," Leia explained. "We should be able to get to one of the smaller ships by the door without them noticing…they shouldn't be able to stop us once you get the ship started. We can clear the perimeter defenses fairly easily."

Anakin grabbed Leia's shoulder. "We?"

"Yes," she responded. "We're coming with you."

"No," Anakin said. "You can't."

"What?" Luke said. "You weren't seriously planning to go to Coruscant and face him alone, were you?"

"For now, I must go alone. This is between Palpatine and me, and –"

"There is no way you can do this by yourself," Amidala snapped.

"Amidala, you know this is something I must do by myself."

That caused Amidala to fall silent. Anakin took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry."

She just shook her head. "Fine, but once you defeat Palpatine, even you can't defeat the entire Imperial army alone. You're going to need help."

Anakin nodded, "Yes, I will. I'll need the Alliance. You have to find a way to get them to come and fight. I know they're not going to want to believe you, but we don't have time for this now." He turned to his children. "I'm sorry I've made such a mess of everything for you. But this is the last stand. We must end this now."

"We'll figure it out," Amidala said. "We'll be there."

"I know," he whispered. "I must leave now."

Anakin gave his family a final look, and then ran into the hangar to depart.

"Father's ship has just made the jump into hyperspace," Luke said, turning to face Leia and Amidala. Both women heaved a sigh of relief. "Providing that he doesn't run into any delays, he should reach Coruscant in three days."

Luke shut off the tactical display on the main computer behind him in Leia's office. From here, he had been able to use the ships long-range sensors to keep track of Anakin. As expected, his father had no trouble slipping through the defense perimeter unnoticed. Luke had made sure that the Best Destiny's sensors did not detect his father's departure from the ship or the fleet. After that, there was nothing more Luke or the rest of his family could do for him. Anakin was on his own now, on a path that would lead him to his destiny and a final confrontation with the Emperor.

The thought troubled Luke greatly. He was finally beginning to come to terms with the fact that he was not the Chosen One. Anakin Skywalker was. His father was quite simply the most powerful Jedi ever. Not even Yoda could equal his power. He had witnessed that power first hand during the Imperial attack on the Rebel fleet. Anakin was one with the light side of the Force and it was his destiny to bring balance to the Force.

But would that be enough? Despite his father's great power, the Emperor had managed to seize control of his mind from several thousand light-years away. It could have killed him. Luke had been told that the light side of the Force was much stronger than the dark side. He knew this to be true. Yet there had never been one to wield the dark side such as Palpatine. He was the embodiment of the darkest reaches of the Force. Even without using his power, he had managed to find a way to infiltrate the Rebel Alliance and cause chaos. With the dark side as his ally, Palpatine might prove that his power is too great for even Anakin Skywalker to handle.

If Anakin Skywalker fell there would be nothing to stop Palpatine from destroying Coruscant and solidifying his control of the galaxy. Not even the rest of the Skywalkers.

"Luke, is everything all right?" Amidala asked, breaking his thoughts.

Luke's mind snapped to alert and he turned around to his mother. "Yes, Mother. Everything is fine…for now."

Amidala nodded. She knew what it was that was concerning her son. She too had the same concerns about her husband but they both knew that Anakin would want them to keep their focus in the here and now. They would worry about the future when that time came.

Finally, Leia stepped forward, breaking the silence. "Mother and I have been discussing our next course of action, Luke. We have to find some way to regain the trust of the Alliance while at the same time prepare for an attack on the Death Star."

"Agreed," Luke said. "We have very little time left to do so. It will take three days to reach Coruscant from our current location. So that leaves up less then one day's time to do so."

"The question is how are we going to accomplish that?" Amidala asked. "The revelation of your father's identity is doing just what the Emperor had hoped. It has split the Alliance apart and has caused support for Leia's leadership to crumble. It might be impossible for us to lead an attack now."

"There is still some support for us," Leia said. "Sylvn, of course, is behind us. I believe we have General Dodonna's support as well. We still have our support from several councilors. It is best for us to start there. It's important to remember that Fey'lya is disliked and distrusted by many members of the Council, even before we presented the evidence of his treachery. Hopefully, that will be enough for the Council to support my leadership and begin plans for an attack."

Luke nodded his head in agreement. "Then let's get started. Every second…"

Luke stopped in mid-sentence. He grew very quiet and began to look around him, sensing something. Leia sensed this as well as she too began to look around, her hand resting on her lightsaber.

"What is it?" Amidala said, concern evident in her voice.

"Somebody's coming," Luke said. "It appears as if…"

Before Luke could complete his sentence, a team of guards flooded into Leia's office. The team took up position around the Skywalkers, blasters in hand. For a moment, Luke and Leia considered pulling their lightsabers and defending themselves but Amidala shook her head. She knew it would do them no good. They were surrounded, and even if they got past the guards there were likely more of them all over the deck.

Leia looked around at the security team around them. Many of them were Bothans, members of Borsk Fey'lya's security team. Some of them were human though, and to Leia's surprise, they were all members of her security team.

What's going on here?

As if to answer her question the captain of the security team, a Bothan of middle age, stepped forward to confront them. His sharp pointed teeth formed in a wicked smile as he addressed them.

"Skywalkers," he said. "The new leader of the Rebel Alliance wishes to see you."

The security team forced the Skywalkers down the long, dark corridor that led to the Best Destiny's war room. Having been disarmed, there was little the family could do about it. As they continued to make their way through the corridor, their thoughts were consumed by the words that had just been spoken by the Bothan security officer.

The leader of the Alliance wishes to see you.

How could this have happened? They had thought for sure that the Council would not be able to trust Fey'lya again after the last assembly. How could they? The evidence had made it clear that he had betrayed the Alliance and had conspired with the Empire. The Bothan was now under the command of Palpatine. Surely, the councilors must have seen this and rejected his bid for leadership. Perhaps they had elected another leader, one who had been untouched by the events that have unfolded. A leader who would rise above the tactics employed by Fey'lya and back Leia's plan to attack the Death Star. It may very well have happened. Still, given the situation they were in now, it was most likely that that had not occurred.

They finally reached the doors to the war room. A senior Bothan security officer punched in his command code on the door's computer outlet. A moment later, the doors swung open. The Bothan turned around and glared at the Skywalkers.

"Get in."

Luke, Leia, and Amidala all exchanged looks at one another. None of them looked forward to what they would discover in there. It could very likely seal the fate of the Rebel Alliance forever. Still, no matter what happened in the war room, they would be facing this together, as a family. It gave them all the inner strength that they needed to walk through those doors, followed closely by the security team.

The full Alliance Council was in attendance. They flanked both sides of the Skywalkers as they were now being led to the center stage. The room was eerily silent but that in itself was deceiving. Through the Force, Luke and Leia could sense the emotions emanating from the various councilors. Some of them looked upon the Skywalkers with hatred and disappointment. Luke and Leia had been such a vital part of the Alliance for years. Through their great leadership and courage the Alliance had survived and had grown into a powerful force in the Galaxy. The fact that in their minds, Luke and Leia had thrown away all that they believed in to align themselves with the malevolent evil that was Darth Vader filled them with so much rage that is was almost beyond description.

Still, they could sense that some of the councilors strongly supported them. They looked upon the Skywalkers with sympathy, with respect, and even love. To them, Luke and Leia were still heroes. They had been always been a shining light to the Alliance even during it's darkest times. Yes, they did not approve of their alliance with Vader but they knew the two would never betray the Alliance. If they were to do something like this, they must have had a good reason. No matter how bad it might have looked on the outside.

Amidala didn't have the Force but she didn't need it. She had picked up on the various emotions that were ricocheting from every direction in the war room. She had seen events like this play out many years during her lifetime. She could still remember vividly the faces of the various senators when she called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership. The atmosphere had been charged, electric even. Still, it paled in comparison to what she and her family were now facing.

The Skywalkers were led all the way to the front of the podium before being told to stop. They did so and the security officers formed a circle around them, their weapons trained directly on them. Leia began to look around her, wondering just what was in store for them next.

She didn't have to wait very long. She looked up on the stage to see Councilor A'kla heading to the podium. The Caamsi had a sorrowful look on his face. No doubt the duty that he was about to perform was one that he preferred not too.

"I present to you our new leader," A'kla began, taking a long, deep breath before he spoke again. "Borsk Fey'lya."

A loud chorus of cheers and jeers broke out as Borsk Fey'lya made his way onto the stage, flanked by bodyguards and various aides. The Bothan walked with a regal stature, his crimson red cape flowing behind him. He reached the podium and looked out across the war room. He raised his right hand and waved to the members of the Alliance Council. They reacted accordingly…some of them continued to cheer while the rest of them stayed sitting in silence, refusing to acknowledge him.

Anger raged through Leia's entire body as she watched Fey'lya on the stage. She couldn't believe the Council had actually gone forward with this madness. Fey'lya had betrayed the Alliance. Regardless of this and despite the fact that his only loyalty was to himself and his own interest, he now stood before them all as their leader.

It was more then Leia could tolerate. For a dark moment, she thought about reaching out with the Force and cutting off Fey'lya's air supply. She had very nearly done so but had stopped herself. That type of action would lead her straight to the dark side. Killing Fey'lya in front of the Council would do her no good. All she could do now was sit back and watch.

Once the Councilors had settled down, Borsk Fey'lya finally spoke.

"I thank you, my friends. Your actions today have restored faith in our Alliance. As your leader, I will continue the pursuit of peace and justice for all beings across this galaxy. I wish my first action could be a positive one but such is not the case…" Fey'lya broke off, and slowly shot a hateful glare to the Skywalkers.

The Skywalkers didn't shrink down from it. They met Fey'lya glare with one of defiance. No matter what happened, he wouldn't break their spirits."

"Princess Leia. General Skywalker. Councilor Amidala," Fey'lya said with a slow deliverance, his eyes never leaving them. "You have been brought before the Council to answer the charges of conspiracy and treason brought against you. Have you anything to say for yourself before we begin?"

"Yes," Amidala said, stepping forward. "We do. How were you elected leader of the Alliance? Why weren't we notified of the Council's vote when it happened?"

Fey'lya didn't answer her. Instead, he turned to his left and motioned Councilor A'Kla to come to the podium and answer the question for him. The Councilor hesitated, then made his way back to the podium.

"The Alliance Council felt it best that the candidates involved not be present for the actual vote. After the events of the previous assembly, we thought it best to avoid any undo violence. To answer the first part of your question, the Council elected Borsk Fey'lya as its new leader nearly an hour ago. Leader Fey'lya's margin of victory was slim…"

"Yes, it was," Councilor Willard of Ord Mantell interrupted. "And very questionable as well."

"I agree!" General Dodonna shouted. "Borsk Fey'lya is a traitor and should not be allowed to…"

"Princess Leia is the only real traitor!" Councilor M'Hirii, a Fey'lya supported shouted.

A wave of arguments broke out between the councilors. This dragged on for several moments before three loud smashes of a gavel by Councilor A'Kla silenced them.

"Enough!" he said. "There are many of us who do not agree with this decision. It is however, final. We are bound by the Alliance Charter to recognize Borsk Fey'lya as our new leader."

A few minor grumblings could be heard from the councilors but that was all. They knew what Councilor A'Kla said to be true.

A'Kla stepped away from the podium and allowed Fey'lya to once again claim it. "Thank you, Councilor. As you have said, the decision is final. The Alliance Council has picked me for their leader. In doing so, they rejected the outlandish claims against me that I betrayed the Alliance. Like myself, they are also concerned over the revelation that Darth Vader has been among us for the past six months. That is where the charges against you come in." Fey'lya once again turned his attention back to the Skywalkers.

"Six months ago, you reported to the late Mon Mothma that Darth Vader was dead," Fey'lya continued. "However, we have now discovered that this was not the case. Lord Vader is very much alive. He has been among you these last six months. And while he has been among you, he has been plotting against the Alliance…"

"That is a lie!" Leia said. "We do not deny the fact that Anakin Skywalker has been among us these last six months. But never in that time has he plotted against the Alliance. In fact, he helped the Alliance by giving them tactical information about the Empire's defenses…"

"I see," Fey'lya cut in. "Can you verify that?"

"No," Leia admitted. "The only person who could is Mon Mothma."

"In other words, no one can verify it."

Before Leia could continue, Luke picked his opportunity to speak. "It doesn't matter if we can verify it or not. The only thing we can verify is the fact that it was you, not Anakin Skywalker, who betrayed the Alliance."

Fey'lya let out a loud sigh. "Still clinging to your lies, General. I suppose that's the defense you throw up to hide the crimes you have committed for your ally, Lord Vader."

"We have committed no crimes," Amidala said, struggling to maintain her composure. "Nor has Anakin."

"In case you have forgotten, Councilor," Fey'lya said. "Your husband has committed numerous crimes and atrocities against the Galaxy these last twenty odd years. He has continued to commit these crimes even after his 'disappearance.' Only now, your are there to help him."

Fey'lya snapped his fingers and his chief of security came forward, handing Fey'lya a datapad. Fey'lya turned his attention back to the Alliance Council. "I have proof of this. More then an hour ago, Anakin Skywalker escaped his confinement aboard this ship and has departed for Coruscant."

A startled gasp broke out from the Alliance Council. Fey'lya waited for it to shimmer down before he continued. "Our security cameras show that he had the help of these three individuals to do so!" He pointed an accusing finger at the Skywalkers.

"This is your phantom menace right here!" Fey'lya said, jumping off the stage and moving toward the Skywalkers. "Together, they conspired to release Darth Vader. He is now on his way back to Coruscant to report more of our secrets to the Empire. All because of them! They conspired to hide Darth Vader from us for these past six months. They gave our defense secrets against the Empire so they could use it against us. They are the ones who have been making blind accusations against myself to hide their own guilt. It is they who have betrayed us and condemned us all to oblivion!"

An uproar of voices broke out over the allegation Fey'lya had just made. Luke, Leia, and Amidala did nothing. They knew nothing they could say would be able to help them now.

"But their treachery against us is over," Fey'lya continued. He turned his complete and total attention back to the Skywalkers. "By the power invested in me by the Alliance Council, I am placing you three under arrest for the charges of conspiracy and treason!"

"Leader Fey'lya!" Councilor A'Kla said, his voice raising most prominently above the rest. "I do not believe that is called for. I don't think we can…"

"I am the leader now, Councilor!" Fey'lya snapped, seething in anger. "I will dictate what this Alliance can and cannot do. My orders are that Princess Leia, General Skywalker, and Councilor Amidala will be placed under arrest and confined to the prison barge for the remainder of this war. And that decision is final!"

The Alliance Council stood in stunned silence. They could not believe what Borsk Fey'lya had just done. Yet they knew they could not oppose him.

With a wave of his hand, Fey'lya ordered his guards to take the Skywalkers into custody. Luke, Leia, and Amidala all exchanged looks. They could not allow this to happen! They needed to get the fleet to Coruscant as soon as possible and if they allowed themselves to be imprisoned, the Alliance might never be able to do so.

Just as Fey'lya's officers were about to move in, the silence in the war room was broken by the sound of a loud, Wookie roar. It was followed by a Bothan officer flying through the air and smashing into the holo-projector in the middle of the war room; bouncing off, and slamming to the floor with a thud that followed it. Everyone in the war room turned around to see what had caused the commotion. The sight sent a wave of hope rushing through Leia.

Han!

Han Solo, blaster drawn, along with Chewie made his way through the Alliance Council. None of the councilors were brave enough to hold him, and especially Chewbacca back. Han made his way to the center of the room, his blaster pointed firmly at Fey'lya's head.

"You know, Fey'lya," Han said. "You might be able to fool a lot of idiots on the Council into trusting you, but you'll never fool me. Let them go."

Fey'lya was not impressed. Even with Han's blaster pointed at him, he did not back down.

"General Solo…you and your Wookie companion will stand down immediately. If you fail to do so, my security forces will take the necessary actions." Several of the security officers took their blasters off the Skywalkers and pointed them directly at Han.

"I'd like to see them try," Han snorted.

Fey'lya flashed the Corellian an arrogant smile. "I believe that can be arranged, General."

"I wouldn't bet on that, Fey'lya," Lando's voice called out.

Fey'lya turned around to see Lando, along with Sylvn and Wedge enter the room. Colonel Maya came in next, followed by members of her special forces team. More then a dozen soldiers followed them from various races and species, including some Bothans. The soldiers took up position in a semi-circle around Fey'lya and his officers. The soldiers drew their blaster rifles on the officers and at the same time the officers did onto them.

"Looks like the odds are even, Fey'lya. Like I said before, you'll never fool me. I know it was you who betrayed the Alliance. Now you're trying to put the blame on the people I care about. I'm not going to stand by and allow that to happen. I'll make you a deal…you stand down and release my friends, I'll let you live. If not…" Han stopped and flashed the Bothan one of his famous lop-sided grins. "Anything goes."

Fey'lya swallowed hard. Sweat was beginning to run down his face. Despite this, he continued to stand defiantly in front of the Corellian.

"I will not stand down, General Solo. You could kill me but then you and your friends will be dead as well. You know that to be true."

Now Han was the one to swallow hard. He knew Fey'lya was right. But he couldn't back down. He wouldn't let them down, especially Leia.

"At least I'll take you with me," Han said. "This is the last time I'm going to say this…stand down and let my friends go."

As the drama unfolded around them, Luke and Leia exchanged worried glances at each other. They then looked back at the situation around them.

Alliance officers had their weapons drawn against Alliance officers. They could see the hands of some of the officers shaking at the prospect of firing against their own. Several of the councilors had taken cover under their seats. None of them wanted to be caught in the crossfire. What had begun as a power struggle had now descended into civil war. This could not be allowed to happen.

One blaster fired could destroy the Alliance forever. That is what it had come down too. One shot and the Emperor will have destroyed the Alliance without lifting a finger. They the Emperor could not have this victory.

Luke and Leia turned towards Amidala, who met their glance. Without saying a word, they knew what it was that they must do. There was a time to fight and there was a time to walk away. This was such a time.

"Stand down, Han," Leia said, her voice breaking through the tension in the war room. "We will go to the prison barge without a fight."

Han, his blaster still pointed at Fey'lya, shot Leia an incredulous look.

"What?!"

"I said stand down" Leia repeated more forcefully than before. "There will be no fighting today."

"Are you out of your mind?" Han asked. "You can't let Fey'lya get away with this, Leia. I wouldn't allow it."

"You have no choice in the matter," Leia said, walking away from the security officers who surrounded her. She walked over to Han and the two were now face-to-face.

"Han," she continued. "You can't fight now. If you do, it will plunge the Alliance into civil war."

"Leia, I can't allow you, Luke and Amidala to be taken away. They could kill you."

"That won't happen, Han," Leia assured him.

"You don't know that!"

"And neither do you," Leia shot back.

"Leia…" Han began.

"Han, listen to me," Leia cut in. "We can't win this battle. We have to fallback and regroup. If we don't, the Alliance will be destroyed. Do you want that to happen?"

"No."

"Then stand down. If you really trust me…" Leia lowered her voice so that only Han could hear her. "If you love me, you'll do what I asked."

Han looked at her for a long time, saying nothing. Once again, Leia had asked him to trust her. The last time was aboard the Headquarters Frigate when she told him not to go to Endor. He had refused to trust and she had nearly died as a result. He couldn't allow her to captured but at the same time, he knew that he could trust her. Most importantly, he knew that he loved her as well.

Han took a deep breath, and with great reluctance, holstered his blaster. He shot a look at Lando and Sylvn, signaling for them and the rest of the soldiers to do the same. Slowly, and with equal reluctance, they stood down and lowered their weapons.

"All right," Han said. "I'll do what you ask." He shot a contemptuous look over at Fey'lya. The Bothan said nothing. Instead, his lips formed in a satisfied smile over his latest triumph. He then signaled for his officers to take the Skywalkers into custody once more.

The security officers focused their blaster rifles on the Skywalkers once more. Before they were taken out, Han once again faced Leia and spoke to her in a low voice that only see could here.

"This isn't over yet, Leia. I'll find a way to get you out. I promise."

Despite the seriousness of her and her family's situation, Leia still managed to flash her love a weary smile.

"I know."

"Leader Fey'lya," General Dodonna said, the words emerging through clenched teeth. "The fleet has come out of hyperspace."

"Excellent. What is our current position?" Fey'lya asked. Not that he really needed to be told. He knew exactly where they were.

"We are currently in the Yaneth sector, course setting 117.21. What are your orders…sir?"

Borsk Fey'lya said nothing. His various bodyguards on the bridge of the Best Destiny, stood by his side. It had been several hours now since he had been elected the new leader of the Rebel Alliance and he savored every moment.

"Sir?" Dodonna asked again, his patience wearing thin.

Fey'lya still didn't answer him. He greatly enjoyed making Dodonna wait up on him. The General had been Princess Leia's chief of staff and one of his most persistent critics. He had violently opposed his challenge to the Alliance leadership. Now Dodonna, just like the rest of the fleet had to answer to his superiority and his leadership. It gave the Bothan quite a great deal of joy.

Fey'lya took a long, deep breath before he finally responded to the human. "We are close to the Yaneth Nebula?"

"Yes, Leader. It is only half a light-year away."

"Of course," Fey'lya said. "Have the fleet take up position as close as possible to the nebula. The violability in that area of space is so strong that it will obscure the sensors of any enemy ship that may be looking for us. From there, we will be able to complete our restoration of the fleet and once again be ready for combat."

"Yes, Leader," Dodonna said. "I'll inform…"

"I wasn't finished, General," Fey'lya said, his voice cold and deadly. "Never speak out of turn with me again."

Dodonna shot Fey'lya an angry look, but eventually, he closed his eyes and nodded his head. Fey'lya smiled. He knew that the General would obey.

Fey'lya drew himself to full attention as he addressed the entire bridge crew on the Best Destiny.

"In a matter of hours, I will be giving an address to the entire Alliance fleet. It is time for us to once again emerge from the shadows and begin a new era in our history. Dodonna, make the necessary arrangements. Have my staff meet me in my quarters in twenty minutes."

"Yes, Leader," Dodonna said, doing the best he could to hide the disgust in his voice.

With that, Fey'lya and by his bodyguards departed from the bridge and headed for the turbolift.

In a matter of minutes, he came to the office of Leia Organa. As leader of the Alliance, it belonged to him now. He signaled two of his bodyguards to go in ahead of him. He wanted to make sure there were no traps awaiting him. The guards made a quick and efficient search of the office. They came out and reported no signs of any danger. He then dismissed them and entered the office. He made sure that the door behind was sealed and that there was nobody watching him.

Once this was complete, Fey'lya let out a long, cryptic laugh.

At last, the Rebel Alliance is mine!

Standing in the office of his vanquished opponent Leia Organa, he savored this moment for a long time. It had taken him years to get himself in this in a position such as this. He had always sought power. The feeling of being in control and having power over others meant more to Fey'lya then respect or money or love or anything else this Galaxy had to offer. Ever since his early days, he knew that it was his destiny to lead the Galaxy as he saw fit. Now, that opportunity was closer to him then ever.

It had not been an easy path for him. The Emperor's hatred for aliens made it nearly impossible for a non-human to hold any real power in the Empire. That had not deterred Fey'lya however. There were always ways to get around such things, as long as you were intelligent and crafty enough to do so. Borsk Fey'lya always had both of these things.

He started his career in public service with the Bothan government. Back in those days, when the Empire was truly at the height of its power, the government on his homeworld was little more then a puppet one. The Imperial governor, who was human, wielded the real power on his homeworld. All the Bothans had submitted to it. But not him.

He worked his way through the ranks, starting first as an aide to several prominent Bothan "leaders" and then serving on his planetary council. Eventually, through a combination of skill, craftiness, and Fey'lya had to admit, luck, he had obtained the role of President of the Council. The role was mostly a ceremonial one but he would never settled for that. Eventually, his sources in the Bothan spynet had found some damning information on the Imperial governor who ruled over the homeworld. It seemed the governor was secretly supplying Rebel groups with classified information about Imperial security. Fey'lya had confronted him about this and used the information to blackmail him. Although the governor remained in power for several years afterward, it had really been Fey'lya who was in control of the planet. His years of careful planning were finally beginning to pay off.

However, his power only extended to his home system. As an alien under the Empire, there was very little real chance of advancement. He had to be satisfied with ruling just his small piece of the galaxy.

That changed when the Galactic Civil War broke out. There were calls on his homeworld to join the Rebel Alliance in its early days but he dismissed them. Anyone who sought to challenge the Empire was foolish. Their power stretched to infinity and they would likely remain in control of the galaxy for generations to come.

Fey'lya had been shocked when the Alliance had defeated the Empire on Yavin several months later. For the first time, he had truly considered the fact that the Empire could be defeated. With the Empire gone, he would be free to extend his power past his Bothawui. This was an opportunity Fey'lya could not allow to slip out of his grasp. Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, he petitioned his homeworld for Alliance membership and it was granted.

He quickly rose up the ranks in the Alliance, gaining a seat on the Council. In his position, he was able to persuade several alien worlds to join the Rebels. Membership grew, and Fey'lya's prestige with it. He gained more and more allies and some of them believed that one day the Bothan would be leader of the new government that the Rebels would form once they defeated the Empire.

However, not all his collogues shared this view. Leaders like Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and especially Leia Organa were terrified of him. They believed (correctly the Bothan admitted) that Fey'lya was with the Alliance to fulfill his own selfish needs. They conspired with other members of the Council to prevent him from gaining a seat on the main ruling body, the Alliance High Command. They were successful and Fey'lya found himself for the first time in many years with a questionable future. As long as those leaders remained alive, he would never obtain his dream of galactic power.

Fey'lya knew he couldn't allow that. He began to make contact with the Empire. He started to supply them with critical information. Perhaps if he helped them to destroy the Alliance, perhaps then they would allow him to obtain the power he so desperately sought.

In a matter of weeks, the Bothan finally had his opportunity. To his great surprise, he came in contact with the Emperor himself. Palpatine had become aware of his dealings with Imperial officials and made him the offer he had been waiting for. If he were to supply him with all the necessary military and tactical information about the Alliance fleet, he would make Fey'lya a Grand Moff in the Empire. He would be a sectorial governor in the Core Worlds, with power over trillions! It was an offer that Fey'lya eagerly accepted.

Conspiring with many of his fellow Bothans and some Alliance personal, he provided the Empire with all the information that he needed. They used it to attack the fleet at Sullust. The death toll had been great but much of the Alliance had still managed to survive. He contacted the Emperor once more, expecting the old man to kill him. To his surprise, the Emperor reassured him that he had done well and that he himself would provide Fey'lya with the information he needed to take control of the fleet. Palpatine had done so with the message buoy he sent, and now Fey'lya had assumed the position of supreme leader of the Alliance.

Now that that was complete, it would be time to make contact with Palpatine once more. He quickly moved to the holo-projector in the middle of the office. He stepped inside and activated the privacy shields. Fey'lya quickly punched in the communication code that led to the Emperor's communication system.

In a matter of moments, the holographic image of Palpatine's withered face appeared before him. Fey'lya quickly knelt down before him. A nervous energy ran through his body. The presence that the Emperor projected, even as a holographic image, was enough to nearly crush the Bothan alive.

"Your Majesty," Fey'lya said, bowing his head.

"Your report, Fey'lya."

"Your plan has been a complete success, Your Majesty," Fey'lya said, raising his head ever so slightly. "I am now leader of the Rebel Alliance."

The Emperor nodded. "Just as I had foreseen. What of the Skywalkers?"

"Amidala and her children are now in my custody," Fey'lya said. "They are being held in the prison barge under maximum security. I promise you that they will remain there. Anakin Skywalker however…" Fey'lya stopped, not knowing how Palpatine would respond to the news. "He has…"

"Yes, I know," the Emperor said, cutting in as if Fey'lya had never spoken. "He has escaped your custody and is now on his way to Coruscant."

Fey'lya's face showed a flicker of surprise but he quickly dashed it. "Yes, Your Majesty. However, I can send some ships after him if you'll…"

"Do not concern yourself with Skywalker," Palpatine said sternly. Fey'lya swallowed hard, sweat starting to form on his fur. "I will deal with him."

"Of course, Your Eminence."

"What is your current position?"

"I have ordered the fleet to take position behind the Yaneth Nebula. The volatility of the star will make it impossible for them to detect the Imperial fleet."

The Emperor smiled. "Excellent. You've done well, Fey'lya. You have displayed great abilities rarely found in non-human species. There will be a great many changes in the Empire once the Rebels are destroyed. I promise you that as a Grand Moff you will be part of this new Empire."

"Thank you, Your Eminence," Fey'lya said. "I only live to serve."

"I have no doubt, Fey'lya," the Emperor said. "The Imperial fleet will arrive in the Yaneth sector in six hours time. From there, they will carry out the final destruction of the Rebel Alliance. Carry out your business and make sure that no one discovers this. If they do, eliminate them."

"I will see to it that your will is carried out, My Emperor," Fey'lya said.

The Emperor merely nodded. His image flicked and then dissolved for good.

Fey'lya sat kneeling the in the holo-projector for a long time. In only six hours, the Alliance would be destroyed. Then he would be taken back to Coruscant and take his place as a Grand Moff of the Empire. Fey'lya eagerly waited for that moment to arrive. But not now.

Rising to his feet, he deactivated the projector's privacy shields and stepped once again into his office. Before he could assume his rightful place of leadership, there was much work he needed to finish. The fleet was expecting an address from him in the next few hours. He would give them one the likes of which they had never seen. At the end of that speech, he would sit back and watch the Empire wipe out the Rebellion once and for all.

Also, there was the matter of who would serve under him in the Empire. He had given the matter a great deal of thought and he had finally made his decision. Fey'lya took out his comlink and activated it.

"Prepare my shuttle."

Baron Durak'lya walked regally down the corridors of the Bothawui. He looked dapper in his dark green military dress uniform. A large, black belt sufficiently held back his considerable mass and made him look quite trim. His uniform bore on it numerous medals for bravery, awarded to him during his long career in military intelligence. His cape flew in the wind of his powerful strides. On either side of him was a pair of bodyguards, making sure that nobody stood in his way.

It was an ironic site. Almost a day ago, Durak'lya had been thrown into a cell on the prison barge, thanks to the actions of Luke and Anakin Skywalker. They had been confident that capturing him was the break they needed to discover the conspirator in the Alliance. Now, Luke Skywalker was a prisoner in his old cell, and Durak'lya, now a free man was on his way to a meeting with the new leader of the Rebel Alliance, Borsk Fey'lya.

The very thought made the Baron chuckle. Even after the Skywalkers had imprisoned him, he had little doubt that his confinement would not last. Once Borsk Fey'lya had executed his plan, it would be the Skywalkers who would be named traitors to the Rebel Alliance. Durak'lya would just be an innocent victim, framed by a corrupt band of Jedi.

What a plan it had been. The Emperor himself had contacted Fey'lya and made him an offer that he couldn't refuse. A chance to being an Imperial warlord in his empire. All he had to do was betray the Alliance and give the Emperor their classified military secrets. For that kind of power, Borsk Fey'lya would do anything.

But even a man as cunning as Fey'lya was, he could not do this alone. That's where the Baron and the Bothan spynet came in.

Fey'lya already had access to the Rebels military secrets. But it was his, Baron Durak'lya's job to sabotage Alliance Intelligence and make sure they didn't know what it was that Fey'lya and the Empire had planned. So Durak'lya went to work. His spies eliminated several of the Alliance operatives involved in the Endor surveillance, including Commander Petarius. In the meantime, the Baron had begun to secretly contact members of the Imperial spy network, giving them information on how to avoid any further Rebel surveillance. It had worked out perfectly.

A smile came to the Baron's face as he thought of what the future now held for him. For more than two decades he had been a friend and ally of Borsk Fey'lya. Unlike a great many fools on the Bothan homeworld, he quickly realized that a friendship with him could lead to a very profitable future. He could now see so very clearly the sight of Imperial Governor Fey'lya, with Baron Durak'lya at his side.

Well, Durak'lya thought. At his side for the time being.

After all, a man like the Baron had no intention to be second best all his life.

Durak'lya and the two bodyguards at last reached the doors of Borsk Fey'lya's private quarters. As Durak'lya waited, the bodyguard on his right walked over to the communications panel and identified himself. They waited for a few moments before the doors swung open.

The bodyguard moved aside and allowed the Baron to walk inside. Durak'lya strolled in confidentially where Borsk Fey'lya stood waiting for him. Almost immediately the two men broke out in laughter. Durak'lya walked up to him and embraced his old friend. Fey'lya did the same.

"Well, I must say, Baron," Fey'lya said, breaking the embrace. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"I could say the same," Durak'lya said. "Leader of the Rebel Alliance."

"Yes. That does have a nice song to it, does it not?"

"Always knew you had it in you, Borsk," Durak'lya said warmly.

"Yes, yes," Fey'lya said, nodding his head in agreement. He then motioned for him to have a seat. Durak'lya sat down on a nearby couch. He looked around and found the place still battle-scarred from his previous encounter with the Skywalkers. Fey'lya made his way to a wall-side cabinet. From it, he pulled out a bottle of Bothan ale and a pair of goblets.

"Have the arrangements been made?" Durak'lya asked, unable to contain himself.

"They have indeed," Fey'lya said, filling up the glasses with ale. "It's only a matter of time before the Rebels are destroyed and I'll be on my way to the Emperor's palace. Only a few…trivial matters remain."

Durak'lya nodded. Fey'lya turned around to face Durak'lya.

"Of course," Fey'lya said, his face showing a touch of irritation. "It almost didn't happen. You revealed my involvement a little too soon, Baron."

Durak'lya shifted uncomfortably on the couch, but held Durak'lya's look. His good eye meet Fey'lya's with equal ferocity.

"It couldn't be helped. Those Jedi are…persuasive individuals."

Fey'lya's face continued to bore down into Durak'lya for a few moments. Slowly, his lips curled in an amused smile.

"Well, no harm done. The important thing is the plan has succeeded. We're here, living free while the Skywalkers are rotting away in the prison barge. I suppose there is some justice in this universe."

The Baron breathed a sigh of relief and found himself laughing in return. Fey'lya laughed as well as he walked over to Durak'lya and handed him one of the goblets.

"I propose a toast," Fey'lya began, raising his goblet high in the air. Durak'lya did the same. "To the future. One in which I will rule supreme in the Empire."

"And one in which I will rule at your side," Durak'lya added. Fey'lya blinked, and then nodded slowly to himself. The goblets clanged together loudly and both men drank their contents.

The ale was excellent and Durak'lya savored the taste. It reminded him of the fresh fruit that could be found during the summer season in his home village.

"Very sweet," Durak'lya commented. "How old is the vintage?"

"Twenty-five years," Fey'lya answered. "Just before the Empire took over. Even with the Galactic Republic crumbling around them, the Bothans could still make good ale. I believe it's a testament to our people."

"Here, here!" Durak'lya said, taking another large sip.

Fey'lya sat down on a chair several feet across from Durak'lya. Seeing that the mood was casual, Durak'lya placed one of his large, tree-like legs on a glass table in front of him and leaned back comfortably on the couch.

"So," Fey'lya began, after a few moments of silence. "Have you given any thought to your future these past few hours?"

Durak'lya looked at him, mild surprise registering at his face. It seemed to him to be a redundant question.

"Well, of course," he added. "I've been thinking about it for some time. It will be a pleasure to be out of the intelligence field after all these years. It is time for me to move on. I am tiring of all this spying and intrigue."

"Two things that you were very good at, my friend," Fey'lya said. "I can still remember the look on that Imperial governor's face when you found out about those 'secret' dealings he had with the Rebels behind the Empire's back. He looked as though he was about to be swallowed whole by a Hutt."

"Yes," Durak'lya said, recalling the memory. He suddenly realized that sweat was beginning to fall down his brow. His fur was getting a little moist, making him uncomfortable.

"Is something the matter, Baron?" Fey'lya asked, noticing the change.

"No, I'm fine, Borsk," Durak'lya said. He took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the sweat of his brow. "Just feeling a little hot. Must be this damn dress uniform. I never much cared for it." With his free hand, he opened up the dark green jacket and began to loosen his collar.

Fey'lya nodded, saying nothing. He took another sip of his ale. Durak'lya did the same, hoping it would cool him off. Instead, it had no effect. He just seemed to be getting hotter and hotter.

"What were we talking about?" Durak'lya asked, suddenly forgetting his train of that.

"The future."

"Yes, that's right," Durak'lya answered, suddenly brightening up. "The future. What a future if will be. The things we can do together in the Empire…"

"WE?" Fey'lya suddenly cut in. A loud laughter escaped his mouth. nlike the previous laughter he had heard from Fey'lya, Durak'lya noticed a cruel and sadistic edge to this one.

"Who ever said anything about we, Durak'lya?"

"What do you mean?" Durak'lya asked. He took his feet off the chair and sat up straight on the couch. The fur on his face was now glistened with heavy sweat.

"I believe you'll find the answer in your hand, my dear Baron."

Durak'lya looked down at the goblet that was in his hand. Inside, he could see a small trace of yellow in the light blue ale. He put his finger inside and swirled it around. In a matter of moments, the entire content of the goblet had turned yellow. He looked up at Borsk Fey'lya in horror.

"That's right," Fey'lya said, a smug expression forming on his face. "Rentix. A poison of your own making. It works very quickly, though if I recall…it's often very painful to those who ingest it."

Shock quickly turned into a cold, seething rage inside of Baron Durak'lya. That Bothan bastard! He had been tricked and betrayed, by Borsk Fey'lya of all people! Poison was flowing through his veins even as he thought of his. He didn't have much time.

Moving quickly, he rose to his feet. He lifted his goblet high in the air once more. This time, it was with the intention of throwing it right into the face of Fey'lya. He swung his arm with all his might but a surge of pain suddenly shot through the limb. The goblet fell short, landing at Fey'lya feet. The goblet's poisonous substances splashed harmlessly over Fey'lya's boots.

Durak'lya felt his legs go weak and he dropped to his knees. The pain continued to surge in both of his arms. His throat started to tighten, making it difficult to breathe. A slow, consistent pounding started up inside his head. He could barely make himself move.

Fey'lya stood up from chair and laughed.

"The head of the Bothan spynet," he said. "The most powerful branch of intelligence this side of the Empire. A legendary spy in your own right. Yet you couldn't even see this attempt on your life coming. It looks like your skills are already beginning to slip, Durak'lya."

He moved several feet closer to Durak'lya and turned to face him. The Baron flashed his "friend" the most powerful look of hatred he could muster. He wanted answers, right now.

"Borsk…" he started to say.

"Leader Fey'lya!"

The fury in Fey'lya's voice startled him. Durak'lya hesitated for a moment, and then began to question again, ignoring Fey'lya's outburst.

"Why?"

"Why?" Fey'lya repeated. He was silent for almost a minute. In that time, the pain inside Baron Durak'lya began to increase at an astounding level. He now was beginning to know some of his victims felt when he had carried out this kind of poisoning on them.

"Because it simply had to be, my friend. You should know why. One day you were going to betray me."

"I would not have!" Durak'lya shouted. The force behind it racked his body with even more pain. "I have…always been loyal to you."

"Yes, you have," Fey'lya agreed. "Until recently. Those private messages to the Empire weren't the only things you were using my communication codes for. I happen to know that you used them to elicit deals on the black market. You filled up your pockets with a great deal of credits. How else would you have been able to afford that nice little apartment you have on that pleasure ship?"

"All right," Durak'lya admitted. "I did use your communication codes to make some financial gains for myself. But at no time did I ever put those credits to work against your interests, Fey'lya. Never!"

"I know, Fey'lya said. Again, he was vouching for the honesty of his friend. "But the more wealth you acquire, the more of a threat you become to me. You are…or should I say, were a powerful man. It was only a matter of time before your ambition caught up with your wealth. Eventually, I would not be able to control you. When I become a Grand Moff, I need allies I can control.

"You remind me a little of the way I was when we first knew each other. Rich, ambitious, intelligent…all the qualities necessary to be a powerful man."

Fey'lya moved closer to Durak'lya. He leaned down, until he was face-to face with him.

"But," he continued. "There can be just one powerful Bothan in this galaxy. That Bothan is me. It is quite simply my right, especially after all I've accomplished."

"What about…my people?" Durak'lya asked. The pounding in his head was like a drum. "I have many friends. They'll come after you. They'll…"

"…Be lead to believe you were killed by supporters of the Skywalkers," Fey'lya finished. "The plans have already been made. No, Durak'lya, I'm afraid there's only one thing that can save you now."

Fey'lya reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small vile. Inside it was a green liquid. Durak'lya instantly recognized the green substance as the only antidote to Retinx.

"You know what this is so I won't waste my time explaining," Fey'lya said. "Tell me one good reason why I should give it to you." He held the vile out tantalizingly over Durak'lya's head.

At this point, the Baron had little left. His head was almost numb with pain from the constant pounding that was going on inside it. His body felt as if it were on fire and sweat now drenched his fur. The poison had nearly run its course. But there was still one last chance. He had to make the most of it.

He raised his arm at Fey'lya; hand extended and summoned up his remaining strength.

"You need me, Fey'lya," he croaked, his breath escaping him. "I'm…the only person you've been…able t-to count on. It's been my intelligence…and my abilities that have gotten you where you are. I…helped you become governor of Bothawui. I convinced you to join the Alliance. I-I, allowed for you to betray the Alliance and become their leader. That…should…count…for…something…"

Fey'lya considered this for a second. To Durak'lya, it seemed an eternity. Finally Fey'lya nodded slowly to the Baron.

"You are right, of course Baron. That should count for something. I will tell you this," he began. Hope creped up in Durak'lya before Fey'lya continued. "When the time comes for me to write my memoirs, I will be sure to dedicate the book to your memory for all the work you have done on my behalf."

Durak'lya's jaw dropped and he became crestfallen. There was no hope left.

Fey'lya calmly put the small vile in his jacket and stood confidently before Durak'lya.

"Good-bye, my friend. I look forward to seeing you again in the great beyond."

"Borsk…" Durak'lya said desperately, his hand still stretched out. But it made no difference. In almost no time, his hand fell to the side and his body fell backwards. He lay on the floor of the spacious quarters, his body overcome with pain.

His vision was blurring and it would be only a matter of seconds before his final rest. But he could still see standing above him the imposing shape of Borsk Fey'lya. He stood tall, proud, and in absolute control over everything.

"Grand Moff Raynar," the Emperor said as the holographic image of the Grand Moff knelt before him. "Borsk Fey'lya has provided me with the location of the Rebel fleet. The coordinates and sector information is being sent to you as we speak. I want your fleet to depart from Sullust at once."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Raynar said, bowing his head. "What of Borsk Fey'lya? Do you wish him destroyed as well?"

"Borsk Fey'lya is a fool. He is not unlike other politicians that I have used over the years. Greedy, squabbling, only concerned with his own interest…so very typical. It was so easy to take control of him. Now that he has carried out my wishes, I no longer have any use for that alien filth. He is to be destroyed as well."

Before Raynar could speak, Palpatine continued once again.

"See to it that your fighter specifically target the prison barge. I have some…old friends there to deal with."

"Then I have your permission, My Emperor?" Raynar asked.

Palpatine moved closer to Raynar's image, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the words he had spoken so long ago.

"Wipe them out. All of them."

Raynar nodded. With a sweep of his hand, the Emperor deactivated the communication system. Raynar's image flickered and then dissolved.

Rising from his throne onboard the Death Star, Palpatine walked over to the round window behind him. From there, he looked down on Coruscant. The planet had been the center of the galaxy for thousands of generations, the shining jewel of the Republic and eventually the Empire. But now, the world was small and stood powerless in the face of the power he would unleash upon it.

Palpatine looked at the space around him. A squadron of Star Destroyers surrounded them, ensuring that no one would interfere with what would be carried out in less than four days time. In that time, the Rebels would be destroyed, taking that accursed woman Amidala and the children of Skywalker with them. That would leave only one man left that could dare to oppose him.

Palpatine was forced to admit that he looked forward to Skywalker's arrival. It had been for too long since any being had given him a true challenge. He knew that his former apprentice could do just that. It would be a confrontation that likes of which the galaxy had not seen. But despite Skywalker's power, in the end the Emperor would destroy him. No one had ever equaled his power and no one ever would. Anakin Skywalker would be destroyed, just like every Jedi before him.

Once that was complete, the Force would be balanced and the Emperor would be in complete control of it. With the full power of the Force behind him, every being in the galaxy would be under his direct control. No one would ever oppose him again. Their lives and their souls would live only to serve their Emperor. He would truly be the ruler of this universe.

The Emperor let out a smile with his ruined teeth.

Han and Chewbacca waited impatiently outside the doors of Borsk Fey'lya's office. The Bothan had called for them a short time ago. To make sure that they would come, he had sent a full security force to greet them. Apparently, there was a matter of some importance that Fey'lya wanted to discuss with Han.

Chewie growled something in a low voice. He had asked Han what he thought Fey'lya had planned for them.

"I don't know, Chewie," Han said, though he had a pretty good idea why he was called. Fey'lya likely knew that he was planning to get Leia, Luke, and Amidala out of custody. He was also sure that Fey'lya didn't care for Han's defiance of his "authority."

Han shook his head in disgust. He couldn't believe that the Alliance Council had been foolish enough to pick Fey'lya as their leader. While he hadn't been present for the Council meetings, he had learned about what happened. It didn't surprise him to discover that Fey'lya had betrayed the Alliance. Han had never trusted the Bothan. He had seen so many slimebags like him all over the galaxy. The Bothan had conjured up this entire situation with the Empire and now the people he cared about, especially Leia were paying the price.

Han would do whatever he could to free them. He had let Leia down too many times these past few days. If it hadn't been for her and Luke, he would still be spending his days in a block of carbonite in Jabba's palace. He promised himself that he wouldn't make the same mistakes with Leia again. That was, of course, providing that he got out of this meeting with Fey'lya alive.

Several more minutes passed. Finally, two Bothan security guards exited Fey'lya's office and stood before Han and Chewbacca.

"Leader Fey'lya will see you now, General," one of them said.

"You'll have to remove your blaster," the other guard said. "No weapons are allowed inside."

As they went for Han's blaster, Chewbacca roared at them furiously. The Bothan guards jumped back in fear, before pointing their blasters at the Wookie.

"It's okay, Chewie," Han said, stepping in front of the two guards. He took off his gun belt and handed it to one of them. After staring at the Wookie for a long time, the Bothan finally took it.

Han turned back to Chewie, who was still snarling at the two Bothans.

"Don't worry, Chewie, I'll be fine. Trust me."

The Wookie nodded, and growled something at Han. This caused the Corellian to smile.

"I will be, you big furball," Han said. "You be careful too, all right?"

With a final, reassuring glance from Chewie, Han turned away from him and entered Borsk Fey'lya's office. At the end of the room, he saw Borsk Fey'lya standing by his desk. One of his aides and a pair of bodyguards surrounded him. With a simple gesture, he dismissed them all. They left, leaving only Han in the room with Fey'lya.

The Bothan forced up a large, pointed smile. This nearly caused Han to laugh out loud. Even Jabba could have manufactured a more sincere smile.

"General Solo," Fey'lya said as he approached Han. "I'm so glad that we finally have a chance to speak with one another. It's so very good to see you." Fey'lya stopped before Han and held out his hand.

Han didn't move. He merely stood his ground and glared at the Bothan. After a few moments, the smile on the Fey'lya's face faded and he put down his hand.

"Well," Fey'lya said. "I've never been one for formalities myself. I've found shaking one's hand to be an annoying and unnecessary human protocol." He walked away from Han and took a seat behind his desk. "Won't you please have a seat, General."

"I'll stand," Han said.

"Whatever you prefer," Fey'lya said. "Would you like something to drink? I believe I have a bottle of Corellian rum…"

"What do you want, Fey'lya?" Han snapped. "I don't have time for your phony attempts to become my friend. If you have something to say, then say it."

The Bothan sighed. "Very well, General. Then I will get straight to the point. You probably think I summoned you here to kill you…"

"That's a pretty good guess, Fey'lya," Han said sarcastically. "Did it take a whole team of your aides to figure that one out?"

"That isn't the reason I summoned you," Fey'lya continued, ignoring Han's sarcasm.

"Lucky me," Han smirked.

Fey'lya's patience was already beginning to wear thin but he tried not to show it. "Instead, you are here because I wish to offer you a seat on my new Alliance High Command."

"Really?" Han asked, raising his eyebrows skeptically.

Fey'lya nodded. "You would become the new supreme commander of the Alliance fleet under my leadership. I believe you could be most useful in this new government."

Han laughed. He walked over to Fey'lya's desk and leaned over until he was face to face with the Bothan.

"Fey'lya, I have no intention of joining you or your 'government.' I know exactly what you are. You are a traitor and a coward. You managed to put the blame on my friends but I know the truth, Fey'lya. You are the real evil behind all of this."

Fey'lya looked at Han for several moments, saying nothing. He then laughed and leaned back on his chair.

"As if you're one to talk of sorted pasts, my friend? You know, not all of our Generals have your distinguished background. Were you not once running illegal narcotics to the Hutt crimelords?"

Han smirked. "I'm not a saint either, I admit that. But the difference between you and me is that I know I'm a crook. You don't."

Fey'lya glared angrily at Solo, which seemed to make the human even more amused.

"Fey'lya, the only thing I want is for Leia and her family to be released and for you to step down as Alliance leader. That's all that I want."

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Solo."

"Then I'll just kill you instead," Han said.

"You could try," Fey'lya said, smiling arrogantly. "Though I doubt you would get very far."

Han knew that he was right. There were plenty of security cameras in Fey'lya office and he wouldn't put it past him to have a sharpshooter or two hiding somewhere. The Bothan was taking no chances with him whatsoever.

Fey'lya rose from his desk and walked over the nearest viewscreen. He stayed there for a long time, saying nothing. Slowly, he turned around once again and faced Han.

"Whatever you might believe about me Solo is irrelevant. The fact is what's done is done. Only the future is what matters now. A future that can be profitable for both of us."

Han stood his ground, looking unconvinced.

"You know, General, I've never understood your loyalty to the Skywalker family…"

"Loyalty is something you have no idea about, Fey'lya."

"Perhaps it is not one of my stronger virtues," Fey'lya admitted. "But even if it was, I wouldn't place my loyalty with the Skywalkers. Especially considering what they have done to you, General."

"And just what have they done to me?"

"Come now, Solo, don't fool yourself. You've never wanted to be with the Alliance from the start. You first got involved with them for money. The only reason you have remained is because it was in your best interests. If you stayed, you could be protected from the bounty that Jabba the Hutt placed on you. In that time that you have remained, the Skywalkers have been using you for their own purposes.

"Solo, I know what happened to you on Bespin. I know that Darth Vader nearly killed you by freezing you in carbonite. Isn't it strange that the two people you hold dear, General Skywalker and Princess Leia have now embraced Darth Vader, despite what he has done to you?"

"That's not true," Han said, furious at the accusation. "They are not associating with Darth Vader…"

"Oh yes, of course, Anakin Skywalker," Fey'lya said, rolling his eyes. "No matter what his name is it still does nothing to change his past. You of all people should know this."

"I…" Han started to say, but his voice trailed off. He remembered telling Chewie the exact same thing. It was surprising to find out that he and Fey'lya sounded so much alike.

"General," Fey'lya said, walking closer to Han. "I know what it is that you really want. Deep down, the only thing that you're concerned about yourself. You, like me are not concerned with this bickering and this fighting. We are beyond such things. But both of us could end this fighting, Solo. You are still a hero to the people of Alliance. They look up to you…you are the man who helped destroy the Death Star. The Alliance will listen to you no matter what."

"But what about Leia and her family?" Han asked, a note of uncertainly in his voice. "I can't just allow…"

"Forget the Skywalkers!" Fey'lya said. "The family is nothing but a committee of hypocrites. They say they want peace and prosperity but then they associate themselves with one of the greatest evils this galaxy has ever seen. They don't care who they hurt in the process, even the man they claim is their closet friend."

Han said nothing. He just stood there, staring at Fey'lya.

"I need you on my side, Han. This could be very beneficial to you. You could finally be a rich man. Perhaps you can even write off your debt to Jabba's clan, who I'm sure are quite displeased with what has happened to him."

Fey'lya held out his hand once more, sensing that his prey was weakening. The Bothan looked Han directly in his eyes.

"Join me, Han. Together we will usher in a new era of greatness for the Rebel Alliance."

Han looked at Fey'lya for a long time, saying nothing. Finally, his lips formed in one of his lop-sided smiles and he reached out and shook Fey'lya's hand.

"I think I like that idea very much, Fey'lya. A chance to be rich and powerful…I have to admit that I could never do that by associating with the Skywalkers."

"Exactly my point, Han," Fey'lya said, smiling legitimately for the first time. "I promise you that you have made the best decision of your life. You will not regret this."

"I have no doubt, Leader," Han said, still smiling.

"General," Fey'lya said. "I will be addressing the Alliance fleet in a few hours. I think it would be a…great show of unity if you were to be present."

"I'll be happy to be there, Leader. You have my word."

"Excellent," Fey'lya said. "Perhaps you could talk to some of your friends, like General Calrissian. Inform them how profitable joining this new Alliance will be."

"I think I can convince them of that," Han said. "I'll see you later."

Han turned around and exited the office. He stepped outside and found Chewie. The Chewie gave Han a questioning look but the Corellian did not answer. He grabbed his gun belt and the two of them walked over to the nearest turbolift.

After waiting for a few moments, the turbolift doors slid open and Han and Chewie stepped inside. Once the doors slid closed and the turbolift started movie, the Wookie once again asked Han what had happened.

"Fey'lya offered me a chance to join his new government. I accepted."

The Wookie growled incredulously. He asked Han if he was actually serious about it.

Han's lips slowly formed in another one of his legendary lop-sided smiles as he looked up at Chewie.

"Like hell I am!" Han said, a fire burning brightly in his eyes. The Wookie roared with approval. "Contact Lando and Sylvn. I have a plan."

Maybe she was getting used to the Force, after all.

At least, that was the conclusion Leia was coming to as she sat quietly in her cell on the prison barge.

She wasn't clawing at the walls or sniping at the guards or any of the other things she was prone to doing in situations like this. But she wasn't exactly sitting on her hands either. She was waiting, quietly, almost patiently, but she was ready. She was ready to take the opportunity when it presented itself.

It was a curious kind of balance, but she mostly liked it. And she had the feeling that it was right somehow. Asking Han to stand down in the war room was difficult (and she knew it was equally difficult for him to agree), but she had recognized immediately that it was the only choice that gave the Alliance any chance of survival.

Still, Leia had always been able to size up almost any situation – what made this different was her acceptance of what happened. Usually, by this point, she would be angry with herself for not putting up more of a fight, would be driving herself crazy trying to figure out a way to fix the mess she created…some logical part of her knew better, but that part had always been the quieter of the two voices.

But, as they were being led to their cells, and the self-agitation started, she had heard Luke's voice in her mind. You were right. Trust yourself.

And she did. She had no doubt in her mind that she'd be able to do whatever it took to get them on their way to Coruscant. But she understood that waiting now was as important to successfully escaping as fighting would undoubtedly be later.

Her father would smile (mostly with relief) when she told him this – he often warned her about not letting the "agitated voices" continue to control her, and about the struggle he had had with it throughout much of his Jedi training.

Maybe she was finally starting to understand it.

Leia could sense Han quite clearly – something she hadn't been doing of late because of their silly and frustrating fights. But now, after the way he trusted her in the war room…it was a much-needed reminder that they needed each other too much to continue driving each other crazy. She hoped Han felt that way too. Right now, though, she could tell his mind was on other thoughts.

He was going to get her out of here.

And she'd be ready when he did.

Han ran through the hallways of one of the main Alliance freighters, with Chewie hot on his heels. He hoped he looked like someone you wouldn't want to stop or question. Time was running out – he wanted to free the Skywalkers before Fey'lya made any big moves, and there was some sort of announcement coming very soon.

It turned out that Fey'lya wasn't as trusting as their last conversation indicated. Han hadn't been given any access to the Rebellion's critical systems – weapons, ships, communications, nothing. Everyone involved in the coup attempt in the war room had been stripped of those privileges as well. All he had really gotten for his trouble was several quickly spreading stories, no doubt started by Fey'lya himself, about how he had finally gotten on the "right" side. About how his change of heart meant that the Skywalkers' attempts to unseat him as leader of the Rebellion were officially over.

Han wasn't surprised. It would have made it easier if Fey'lya had given him some real powers to go with his new position, but it made more sense that he would try to reap the benefits of the story without taking any risks just yet. That was fine. Han could only hope that the rumors had spread far enough, and would be effective enough to allow him to free the Skywalkers and retake control of the fleet without a great deal of bloodshed. They might be able to do this before Fey'lya even knew what hit him.

When they finally reached the ammunition storage room, they found two Bothans guarding it. Without hesitating, Han went up to one, grabbed his arm, and pulled him aside. "Listen to me, I need to get in there now."

"General Solo, all weapons rooms have been sealed off. If you need something in particular, we can get it –"

"Look, I don't have time to sit here and fill out a request form." He looked around as though he were worried about someone overhearing him. It seemed to work – the guard leaned in closer. "There are still some people who want to make trouble for Fey'lya. I've got some people together to stop them, but we need to be armed."

"But sir, I haven't heard anything –"

"Of course you haven't," Han snapped. "You think they're going to talk to Bothans about their plans? Look, I'm Fey'lya's most valuable ally right now, and I'm going to prove it. I need to get some of my people armed, and I need you to keep it quiet. If you blow our cover on this, our Leader may never know exactly who's plotting to get him. We need to lure them into this, but we need to be ready when they strike. Got it? Now come on…my people will be here in a few minutes, but Chewie and I have things to handle."

The guard looked worried. Han sighed dramatically. "Look, you heard Fey'lya himself talk about this, about getting rid of these traitors. You know that's what he brought me on board to do. So, come on, you're wasting my time here."

The guard nodded and quickly punched in the code to open the storage room doors. Han and Chewie rushed in, and grabbed as many blasters as they could holster, and quickly ran back out.

"What should we do now?" the other guard asked.

"My people will be here soon…you don't have to do anything," Han called over his shoulder. He and Chewie made their way back up the hallway, and headed for a small, seldom-used hangar. It was empty, as he had hoped. Chewie barked at him loudly as they entered.

"I don't know, Chewie," he replied. "We don't have to convince them of anything. If they stayed confused long enough for Sylvn and Lando and their people to get in there and get out, it doesn't matter what they make of what I said. Once we get people re-armed, we've got a chance at this."

More barking, as Han prepared the shuttle for take-off and opened the hangar door. "Lando and Sylvn can stun them if they have to, but I'd rather not leave a trail of bodies behind. The quieter we can do this, the better. A full-out inter-Rebel battle isn't going to do anyone any good. If we can sneak this on them, and do this peacefully…" Chewie nodded in agreement, though he still seemed concerned. "Hey, come on – would you question my authority if your were some low-level Bothan?" The Wookie just laughed in reply. "I didn't think so."

The shuttle pulled out, and they headed for the prisoner barge.

"I have orders directly from Fey'lya. He wants to make an example of them, and I need to get them out of here."

Leia smiled. She had sensed Han's presence before he arrived to harass the guards. He had put his plan into motion…now it was time to act.

"General, last time I checked, you weren't Supreme Commander yet. I cannot simply release these prisoners to you. If you allow me to contact Leader Fey'lya, I'm sure we can straighten this out."

Chewie clearly wasn't pleased by the suggestion. Han continued to try to reason with him. "He wants to keep it quiet –"

"Sir, I must check this –"

Several blaster shots rang out, and Leia felt the guards passed out, stunned. "Han?"

"Hang on, I'm putting in the code now."

A few seconds layer, there was a quick flash from the energy shield that held her dissipating. Almost simultaneously, the alarm system went off.

Leia sprinted from her cell, with Luke and her mother coming out of their cells just behind her, and found Han frantically trying to shut the warning system down. He gave Leia an exasperated glance. "Your Highness, we've really got to stop meeting like this."

"Does that mean you're going to stop saving me?"

"Not a chance," he said with a smile. "You've got to keep the hell out of trouble."

"What's going on with the rest of the Alliance?"

"By now, Lando and Sylvn should have them armed, and they should be moving to other parts of the fleet."

"We better get to the Best Destiny then," Amidala said, "and get after Anakin."

"The guards will be here soon," Luke added.

Han tossed Amidala an extra blaster, while Luke and Leia retrieved their sabers from behind the guards' stand. "Well then, let's get out of here," he said. "It's not going to be easy getting back to our shuttle, and people are going to start catching on here real quick."

Without another word, Leia ignited her saber and led them out. She could sense the extra guards coming from all directions, and let the Force guide her away from the bulk of them, down a flight of stairs, and through a back way to the hangar.

The first shots came from behind as they made their way down, and she knew Luke would take care of it. A guard leapt out in front of them once they reached the bottom, and she quickly crouched down to deflect the shot, and Force-pushed another one down the hallway. Mother and Han were blasting in front and behind them as they ran down the hallway. Leia kept pushing forward, seeing and reacting to each new danger before it had even presented itself. She felt exhilarated.

By the time they reached and boarded the shuttle, her elation was mixed with determination. It was time to end Fey'lya's destruction of the Alliance once and for all.

"Leader Fey'lya," General Dodonna said, sitting atop the commander's chair on the bridge of the Best Destiny. "The fleet is standing by and awaiting your transmission."

"Thank you, General," Fey'lya said, dismissing the man with a wave of his hand. Dodonna stepped down from the center port and Fey'lya took his place. From here, he looked down upon the large bridge of the Best Destiny. He took a great deal of pleasure in what he saw.

He was surrounded by many of his co-conspirators. Some of them were members of his staff; some were military personal, while others were fellow members of the Alliance Council. These were the beings that lived only to serve Borsk Fey'lya. He had used each and every one of them to obtain the leadership of the Rebel Alliance and he had been successful. Soon, the Rebels would be destroyed and he would take his place among the Empire's most powerful and influential men. The thought of this brought a proud grin to Fey'lya's face.

Of course, his mission was not yet complete. He would have to keep the Rebel fleet distracted long enough for the Empire to arrive. That was the purpose of the address he was about to give to the fleet. While the Rebels attention was focused on him and his plans for their future, the Imperial fleet would emerge from hyperspace and attack. It would be a relatively quick and easy slaughter. He took particular pleasure that the last thoughts of the doomed Rebels would be about Borsk Fey'lya and how their new leader would usher them into a new era of greatness. If they only knew.

There was also another concern. The only member of his staff not present was General Solo. Fey'lya was not surprised. He knew the Corellian could not be trusted. He had a strong feeling that Solo was not serious about joining his staff and was merely leading him on. It would appear that he had been correct.

A shame. Solo might be beneath him but he was a popular man, and could have been a vital asset in his new leadership position in the Empire.

No matter. He had already sent members of his security team to deal with Solo and his Wookie companion. Once they were dead, the last vestiges of serious resistance to his leadership would be wiped out. He had defeated the mighty Skywalker family, something that the Emperor had never been able to do. Wiping out an oafish fool like Solo would prove to be no problem whatsoever.

"Leader Fey'lya," Dodonna asked in an impatient tone. "Are you now ready to speak?"

Fey'lya's mind snapped back to the present. He looked down upon Dodonna. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the insolent man. He had to remember that there were still some who would oppose his leadership. Men like Dodonna and Councilor A'Kla, who was also present. However, they would soon learn to do what so many had learned in the past. They would respect the authority of Borsk Fey'lya.

"Yes, Dodonna," he said, his voice cold. "You may begin transmission."

He turned away from Dodonna and towards the camera in front of the bridge viewscreen. It was from there that his address would be broadcast all through out the Rebel fleet. The light came to life, indicating that the transmission had begun. Fey'lya smiled warmly towards the camera. It was time.

"My comrades," Fey'lya said, his voice warm and soothing. "I stand before you as the new leader of the Rebel Alliance. I know that this has been a difficult time for all of us. The Empire has decimated our fleet and we have now fled into the heart of the Outer Rim. The Death Star, once our greatest fear, has now reemerged over the capital world of Coruscant. The hope and optimism this great Alliance seemed to once feel now appears to be lost forever. I won't lie to you; this is our gravest hour."

Fey'lya paused, allowing his words to sink in with the Rebels before he continued.

"But let me assure you, even in our darkest hour hope still exists. It is a hope that burns brighter then any before it. For today, under my leadership the Rebel Alliance will…"

Before he could complete his statement the light on the camera disappeared, ending his transmission. Fey'lya stopped his speech and looked at the camera dumbfounded.

"What happened?" he demanded, glaring down at the technicians below him.

"I don't know, Leader," one of them replied. "Everything was running smoothly and then the transmission just…died out."

"Then fix it," Fey'lya said. His voice was calm but inwardly he was seething. He would not tolerate this for much longer.

The man nodded and he and the other technicians got to work on the controls. Several seconds passed and the camera was still not functional.

"Well?" Fey'lya asked, his patience almost gone.

"I don't know what's going on, Leader. It would appear that we are unable to reestablish the link."

Exploding in rage, Fey'lya stormed down the center port and made his way to the technicians' pit. Shoving the men out of the way, he quickly reviewed the control panel and found that they were correct in their judgment. They could not reestablish the link. Frustrated, he slapped on a communications link and spoke into it.

"Communications Control, this is Leader Fey'lya. I demand that the transmission link be restored to the bridge immediately."

No response. Fey'lya tried it once again, more belligerent than before. There was still no response. Literally fuming in anger, the Bothan decided to open a channel to the security team on Deck Two, which housed the Communication Control room.

"This is Leader Fey'lya. I want the security team to proceed to Communication Control at once. Once there, you will restore broadcast capabilities to the bridge. Is that understood?"

Silence once again reigned on the bridge for a long time. Finally, a loud crackling static penetrated the communications link. It was almost impossible to hear anything but a few words could be deciphered.

"…Under attack…blaster fire…Skywalkers have…penetrated…" the voice went silent and all that was left was the crackling static.

Fey'lya's eyes went wide and his body jerked back. It had been difficult to hear what the security officer had said but he heard one word ever so clearly. The bridge crew let out a collective gasp, for they had heard the same word as well.

Skywalkers. They had escaped their imprisonment and were now onboard the Best Destiny.

Despite his shock, Fey'lya presented a calm demeanor. He turned to his operations officer and took a long, reassuring breath before he spoke.

"Chief, I want you to flood decks one through three with neuron gas. That will be able to stop the Skywalkers before they can get very far."

"Yes, sir," the Chief said.

Fey'lya turned away from the bridge crew and confidently let out a smile. This would be no problem at all. They may have broken out of their confinement but in the end it made very little…

"Leader Fey'lya!" the Chief said, breaking the Bothan's thoughts. "I can't access the gas."

Fey'lya glanced furiously at the man, his body shaking with rage.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone has locked out all of the anti-intruder devices on the ship. They've been encrypted in some kind of code. I cannot release the gas or initiate any of the defense mechanisms."

"Leader," his communications chief cut in. "We're are being hailed by hundreds of ships from all over the fleet. They want to know why the transmission was cut. What should I tell them?"

Fey'lya didn't answer him. His mind was focused on what the operations chief had told him. He knew that there was only one man on the ship that could lock at the anti-intruder defense mechanisms. He shot a slow and deadly glance in the direction of General Dodonna.

The old man met his glance, standing defiantly before him. Fey'lya calmly walked towards until he stood face to face with him. His lips formed in a sneer as he spoke.

"It was you who locked out at command codes. You were the one who designed the Best Destiny so you are the only one capable of doing such a thing."

Dodonna merely nodded.

"Do you realize what you have done, Dodonna?" Fey'lya said, an eerie calm to his voice.

"Yes, Fey'lya…I realize what I have done."

"That is Leader Fey'lya to you, General!" the Bothan snapped.

"Perhaps it is to some but not to me!" Dodonna responded. He could see the rage in Fey'lya's eyes. "You haven't fooled me for a moment, Fey'lya. I know what you are and what you have done. You are a traitor and a servant to the Emperor!"

"General," Fey'lya said, assuming a position of authority. "You are an important, respected man in the Alliance. So I will allow you this one opportunity. Stand down, and release the anti-intruder defense mechanism immediately, and I will be willing to forget this incident."

"I will not!" Dodonna said defiantly. "I have spent my entire career living up to the values they taught me at the Academy. Strength and honor, neither of which you possess. Most important of all, they taught me about loyalty. I do not recognize your authority, Fey'lya. The only authority I recognize is that of the true leader of the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia Organa."

Fey'lya remained locked in his glare with Dodonna for a long time. Finally, to the surprise of everyone on the bridge, the Bothan laughed and turned away from Dodonna. He walked several feet away from him and then turned back around to face the old general.

"But of course, General." With blinding speed, Fey'lya reached into his uniform jacket and pulled out a blaster. He pointed it straight at Dodonna and fired.

The first shot hit Dodonna in the stomach, doubling him over. The second shot hit him in the left shoulder, jerking him backwards. Fey'lya fired two more shots into Dodonna's chest. The old man flew backwards, his body crashing to the floor. There, his body lay limp and motionless, pools of red blood emerging from it.

The bridge crew looked on in stunned silence. Even Fey'lya's own allies could not believe what he had just done. Fey'lya simply put his blaster away and turned to face the crew. He pointed an accusing finger over at Dodonna's lifeless body.

"That man was a traitor. He betrayed our Alliance, just as the Skywalkers have. This treachery will no longer be tolerated."

Fey'lya turned to his communications chief and spoke.

"Inform the fleet that we are experiencing technical difficulties with our transmission due to the Yaneth Nebula. Inform them that we will restore transmission as soon as possible."

The communications chief nodded and quickly got to work. Fey'lya turned to face his security chief. "Chief Kuralla'lya!"

"Sir!"

"I want you and a full security force to take care of this insurrection immediately. You are to use any force necessary to stop them. The traitor Skywalkers and all who support them will be destroyed once and for all."

"Yes, Leader!"

In a matter of moments, the bridge crew resumed their responsibilities. Chief Kuralla'lya and his security team exited the bridge and prepared to meet the enemy threat. Borsk Fey'lya walked back up the center port and sat down on the commander's chair, his hands firmly grasping the arm rests. His face bore a cool and confident expression.

So what if the Skywalkers had escaped? They were skilled and crafty individuals. They couldn't have gotten very far in the galaxy if they were not. This entire incident was too be expected and Fey'lya knew that there was nothing at all to worry about.

Yet despite this, he could not help his hands from trembling.

Luke leapt through the air and came down feet first upon two Bothan soldiers. They hit the ground with a thud. Another Bothan turned towards Luke, only to be slashed across the chest by the young Jedi's lightsaber. The remaining two Bothan soldiers raised their weapons and opened fire. Luke swung his lightsaber round and round. The green blade was a blur of motion as it blocked the deadly blaster fire and returned it back to the Bothans. The two soldiers' bodies crumbled lifeless to the floor.

With the deck cleared, Luke signaled for the rest to follow. Han, Leia, Amidala, and Chewie rushed forward with him as they prepared to ascend to another deck on the Best Destiny. They were about halfway towards their main target, the bridge. It was there that Borsk Fey'lya and his cronies were located. It was vital that they stop Fey'lya and take command once again of the fleet. Time was running out and if they didn't hurry, they knew that all hope would be lost.

As the terminal doors to Deck Six swung open, Han moved closer to Luke and whispered in his ear.

"You know you're getting pretty good with that saber, kid."

Luke looked at Han and shrugged.

"Ah, it's just a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."

Han laughed and the four of them exited the terminal and straight into a squad of Bothan soldiers. The Bothans opened fire as soon as they saw the five of them. Luke and Leia instantly raised their lightsabers to deflect the blasts. They saw two of the Bothans fall, but the rest of the blasts went wide. The Bothans had been anticipating them and had already taken cover in the various rooms and passageways of Deck Six.

Han, Amidala, and Chewie had quickly moved to take cover in the side passage next to the turbolift. They returned fire, their blasts having difficulty striking their targets. Luke and Leia stood their ground, continuing to deflect the blaster fire, which was increasing rapidly.

"Is there another way out?" Amidala asked between blasts.

"Only through those soldiers!" Leia shouted as she narrowly deflected two more blasts.

Just as the soldiers were beginning to overwhelm them, a new wave of blaster fire erupted. It wasn't aimed at them; as a matter of fact it wasn't even coming from their direction. The Bothan soldiers turned around only to be dropped by this new wave of fire. So much blaster power was erupting that the deck was filling with smoke. When the smoke had cleared, the Bothans were down and the smiling figures of Lando and Sylvn, along with Wedge and more than a dozen soldiers stepped forward.

"Why is it we always have to bail you people out?" Lando asked, unable to hold back a grin.

"We were just keeping things in order until you guys finally got here," Han answered.

"What's happening?" Leia asked.

"Our forces have managed to capture the top five decks," Sylvn said. "The only one that remains is the bridge."

"And the Alliance Council?"

"They are being kept inside the war room until further notice," Sylvn answered. "Needless to say, they're not to happy about it."

"Serves them right," Han said, recharging his blaster.

"Our strategy is simple now," Amidala said. "We capture the bridge and prevent Fey'lya from escaping."

"But how are we going to get him to admit his guilt?" Luke asked.

"I wouldn't worry, Luke," Sylvn said. "Threepio and Artoo are taking care of that."

Luke wasn't sure what the droids were planning but that would have to wait. Leia signaled for them to continue and they moved swiftly from deck to deck as they made their way to the bridge. Subduing Fey'lya's forces on the bridge deck proved to be little problem for the group. With that completed, they made their way to the bridge doors.

The bridge was sealed off by a thick piece of silver metal. Leia knew that there was no way to overcome the internal security measures of the bridge and open the door. Luke approached the doors and placed both of his hands on them. He closed his eyes and leaned his head backwards.

"This metal is very thick," Luke said. Even our lightsabers will have a difficult time cutting through it." "Then what are we suppose to do, Luke?" Han asked impatiently.

Luke turned to Leia and gave her a knowing look. Leia smiled.

"Use the Force."

"Leader, we've just lost contact with Deck Eleven."

"No response to our latest hail to security team four."

"Leader Fey'lya, we've lost contact with the Bothan flagship."

Fey'lya heard each and every one of these commands but refused to respond. Instead, he had spent the last few minutes pacing nervously around the bridge. His heartbeat increased; his sense of anxiety grew at an astounding rate.

He was beginning to come to terms with the terrible truth that he had learned. The Skywalkers had escaped and they were aboard the ship. Worst of all, they were after him. Fey'lya had always been able to outwit every single opponent. It was he who would strike with such velocity that his enemies were beaten before they knew what hit him. It had been a philosophy that he lived by nearly his entire life. It brought him great power and it had never failed. Until now.

The Skywalkers would not go away so easily. They weren't the spineless cowards that the Imperial bureaucrats were. They weren't the naïve fools that many in the Alliance leadership were. No, they were much stronger then he had given them credit for. You could catch them but you couldn't hold them. In the end, they would find a way through the treachery and the evil that was thrown against them and emerge victorious. Soon, they would make their way through the bridge and destroy him…

No!

Fey'lya vigorously shook his head, clearing his mind of these thoughts. He took a deep breath, and then another. The Skywalkers would not defeat him. He was Borsk Fey'lya, leader of the Rebel Alliance. Sure, the Skywalkers had managed to capture a few decks on his ship but they would never make it to the bridge. He had had the bridge sealed off and even if they could break through, he had more then enough armed security to deal with them.

Once this futile insurrection was destroyed, he would resume his speech. Then the Empire would come and destroy the Rebels once and for all. Once he was free of these foolish idealists, he would take his place as the galaxy's most powerful warlord. The thought brought a legitimate smile to his wicked face.

Yes, he was Borsk Fey'lya. No one would ever defeat…

Suddenly, a explosion erupted on the bridge. The fury of it rocked the bridge and caused Fey'lya to stumble backwards. He grabbed onto a handrail, preventing himself from falling. When he pulled himself to his feet, he looked in the direction where the explosion had come from.

The door was completely gone. A dark cloud of smoke replaced it. Suddenly, two blades of light ignited, breaking through the smoke. Fey'lya's eyes went wide as he saw the sight of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, along with more then a dozen allies charging onto the bridge, lightsabers and blasters blazing away. The Bothan had no time to give an order as he dove behind a communication console, narrowly missing a blaster shot intended for his head.

In mere seconds, the bridge descended into a full-scale war zone. Blaster fire erupted from every side as the two parties fought for control of the Rebel Alliance. The war had finally come, and it threatened to cause the destruction of all they fought and died for.

Luke and Leia took the initiative. Working almost as one, they leapt toward Fey'lya's security force. Almost effortlessly, they deflected the blaster fire that came their way. The blasts were sent back to the Bothan force, many of them dropping instantly. The two young Jedi made certain that the blaster fire they deflected did not strike any equipment or consoles on the bridge. They either returned to their attended targets or smashed harmlessly into a barren space on the wall.

The Bothan team could no longer take the barrage of blaster fire that the Jedi were sending back into their direction. The team quickly broke, scattering across the bridge. They attempted to find cover behind the various tactical consoles. From there, it would make it much more difficult to be fired upon.

Han and Amidala quickly seized on this, gunning down several of the Bothans before they could find cover. Still, many of the Bothans were able to take a defensive position behind the main operations console. If any damage would befall on it, the effects would likely destroy the Best Destiny.

This did little to discourage Chewbacca. Unable to open fire, he threw down his bowcaster and let out a mighty, room-shaking roar. As his comrades battled a new wave of Bothan soldiers that had entered the bridge, he charged the hidden Bothans like a stampeding bantha. The Bothans, members of Fey'lya's personal security force tried in vain to cut him down but Chewie crashed into them with a furious force.

Unleashing his warrior instinct, Chewbacca pounded away on the Bothan officers. Mighty blows from each hand downed one Bothan after another. Several of them found themselves flying high through the air and crashing painfully to the ground. Chewie took the heads of two of the officers and slammed them together. One Bothan foolishly sought to charge the Wookie and run him down. A powerful kick from Chewie dropped him straight to the ground.

The last remaining security officer withdrew his blaster and pointed it in the Wookie's direction. Chewie slapped it out of his hand, sending it sailing across the room. Undeterred, the Bothan then pulled out a vibro-blade and swung it at him. Chewbacca sidestepped the deadly blade and grabbed the Bothan by the neck and by the waist. He lifted him up in the air and proceeded to slam him down across his knee. The crack of the Bothans spine could be heard throughout the entire bridge. With his enemies defeated, Chewbacca turned to the last remaining Bothan in his sight.

Borsk Fey'lya's jaw dropped as he saw the awesome sight of an angry Wookie staring at him from across the bridge. A chill went up his spine as the Wookie charged him, determined to tear him limb from limb. Fey'lya managed to pull his blaster out of his uniform jacket but before he could do anything, Chewbacca tackled him to the ground. Fey'lya felt the wind knocked out of him as his body slammed to the ground.

Fey'lya tried to get to his feet but one of Chewbacca's massive hands grabbed him by the throat and held him down. The Bothan struggled frantically as Chewie bared his fangs. Fey'lya knew from his studies of the Wookie species that showing one's fangs was an ominous sign. Sure enough, Chewbacca raised his other hand and prepared to deliver the deathblow upon Borsk Fey'lya.

Just before Chewie's hand could strike Fey'lya, four Bothans tackled him. Chewbacca was knocked off of Fey'lya and sent to the ground. The Bothan officers swarmed around the Wookie, attempting to find some way to subdue the furious Wookie. Freed from certain death, Borsk Fey'lya quickly rose to his feet. Grabbing a nearby blaster, he ran towards the emergency turbolift.

Several meters away, Han saw the Bothan attempting to flee the bridge. Blasting the guard in front of him, he ran towards the fleeing Bothan. He watched as Fey'lya dove into the turbolift and slapped the control panel.

"Fey'lya!" Han screamed as he pointed his blaster at the Bothan. Before he could fire, the turbolift doors closed. Han cursed under his breath, furious at himself for losing a clear shot at the Bothan. He quickly surveyed the situation on the bridge. Leia and company had everything well in hand as they began to finish off the last of Fey'lya's conspirators. With that knowledge secured, Han ran towards the nearest turbolift and slapped the control panel.

A hand reached out and prevented the doors from closing. Han aimed his blaster at the person responsible, expecting him to be one of the Bothan's allies. Instead, he saw Lando raise his arms in the air.

"Hey, hey!" he said. Han cursed again and lowered his weapon. Lando quickly ran inside, the doors closing behind him. The turbolift shifted and they were on its way.

"Don't ever do that again," Han said.

"Sorry, old buddy," Lando said. "But I saw Fey'lya escape. There's no way I'm letting that creep get away so easily." Lando stopped and looked at Han. "Where are we heading anyway?"

"To the only place that Fey'lya could go now," Han said. "The hanger deck."

Lando nodded, saying nothing. Both men knew that even though Fey'lya's army had been defeated, so long as he remained free the danger wasn't over yet. The Bothan likely had something left up his sleeve and Han would stop him before he could expose it.

No matter what.

As soon as the doors opened, Fey'lya ran out of the turbolift. Dodging blaster fire and pieces of debris, he frantically made his way to the hanger deck. Despite the fury going on around him, it paled in comparison to the fury within his very being.

The Skywalkers had driven him from power. They had fought their way to the bridge had managed to regain control of the Alliance. Organa and her brother had defeated his forces with ease. Solo's Wookie companion had nearly mauled him to death and he had been fortunate to escape with his life.

Fey'lya gritted his teeth as he made his way down a long corridor. He rarely had ever lost before in his life but he was doing so now. He hated to lose. The thought of the Skywalkers getting the better of him filled the Bothan with an intense rage. He was so close to completing his plan. He had held the Rebel Alliance in the palm of his hand, ready to deliver them straight into the hands of the Empire. Ultimate power was within his reach. Despite his current situation, he would not allow the Skywalkers to stop him now.

If he could just get to the hanger deck, his plan could still come to fruition. He could get a hold of a shuttle or a fighter and get to another ship in the fleet. He still had his loyal supporters. Once he was on a friendly vessel, he could order an attack on the Best Destiny. It would plunge the Alliance fleet into chaos and distract them from the approaching Imperial attack. His vessel would be ordered out of the fleet at the last moment while the Empire disposed of the remnants of the Rebel fleet. It would be as if none of this had ever occurred.

Yes. That is exactly what will happen. I still will emerge from this victorious and even greater than I already am.

Fey'lya rounded the corridor that led straight to the hanger deck. Before him were the doors, carefully being guarded by a Rebel soldier. The soldier saw Fey'lya and raised his rifle. Before he could fire a single shot, the Bothan fired his own blaster and killed the Rebel. His body slammed against the doors and slumped to the ground.

With the soldier taken care of, Fey'lya walked calmly over to the hanger deck doors. The doors were sealed off, blocking his entry to the deck. The Bothan laughed at the display. Getting through these doors would be no problem whatsoever.

"Computer. This is Borsk Fey'lya, Leader of the Rebel Alliance," Fey'lya said confidently. The computer in front of the hanger deck roared to life, anticipating his next command.

Fey'lya smiled. "Override the hanger deck security seal. Authorization Fey'lya Omicron one, one, three, eight."

"Command denied," the computer said, utterly emotionless.

Fey'lya glared sharply at the computer. "Computer, override the hanger deck security seal. This is Borsk Fey'lya speaking!"

"Command denied," the computer repeated once again.

Fey'lya didn't need to ask again. He quickly realized that the Skywalkers and their allies had already managed to revoke his security access. The ships droids had much more authority then he did at the moment.

This is of no concern. There are still ways to gain access to the ship.

Struggling to contain his anger, Fey'lya took his blaster out and slammed the butt of it into the control panel. The plating on the controls popped off, revealing its wiry insides. Fey'lya quickly got to work on the circuitry. He knew enough about mechanics that he could jerry-rig the door open.

Fey'lya took the red wire that controlled the opening of the door and the yellow wire that controlled the back-up power distributed on the deck. He merely had to connect the two together and the doors would swing open. It was only a matter of time now.

Fey'lya connected the two wires together, expecting the doors to open. Instead, it caused a large spark to jump out. Fey'lya jerked back, dropping the two wires. Seconds later, the klaxons blared out all over the deck, showering him with an incriminating red light. It was followed by alarms, the noise bouncing off of the decks.

Fey'lya looked around, his entire body trembling in rage. They had already managed to restore the ships anti-intruder mechanisms. They were in complete control of the ship now and as the warning klaxons and alarms rang out, a terrible realization dawned on Fey'lya. He was beaten. There was no way he could escape now. He had truly failed for the first time in his life. His long-awaited plan…his dreams to obtain ultimate power were now gone. Fey'lya had thought he had out-smarted and the mighty Skywalkers but he was wrong. They were much stronger then he had ever been. He could see that now so clearly. Soon, they would take command of the fleet and turn their fury on him. He would be destroyed!

His rage boiled over as Fey'lya let out a loud, furious scream. His hands curled up in fists and he slammed them against the hanger deck. He continued to scream as his fists slammed against the door again and again. He began kicking the doors, much like a child throwing a temper tantrum. With all his might, he slammed his head into the doors. His body slumped to the ground; his head buried in the door. He was on the verge of hyperventilating; his mind lost in his own private world of despair. He could not accept it was all over.

A lethal volley of blaster fire struck the hanger doors, narrowly missing Fey'lya's head. The Bothan's mind snapped alert as he turned around and saw another Rebel soldier, a Sullustian, charging him. The soldier had murderous intent in his eyes as he fired away, attempting to strike the Bothan down.

Moving quickly, Fey'lya dove away from the blaster fire. As he did so, he pulled his blaster out of his jacket and fired. The first shot went wide. The second and third blasts hit their mark, striking the Sullustian in the chest and the face. The soldier's body immediately fell to the ground as Fey'lya made his way to his feet.

Dusting himself off, Fey'lya walked over to the body of the dead soldier. As he looked at the lifeless form, a devious smile crossed his face.

It wasn't over yet.

He had been such a fool not to realize this earlier. Even with the hanger deck closed off, there was still one section left on this deck that he could go. At this moment, it would not be so heavily crowded. He could easily make his way in there and carry out his duty to the Empire.

Yes, yes of course!

Picking up the dead soldier's blaster rifle, he sprinted out of the area of the hanger deck. As he did so, his mind was focused on his new plan.

If it was successful…when it was successful, all would be right. He would turn defeat into victory once again in his illustrious career. He would not live to see the outcome of his success.

But then again…neither would the Skywalkers.

Han and Lando stormed down the halls of Deck One, following the loud, deafening sound of the alarms. The two men blasted their way through the last remnants enemy resistance and wreckage to reach the last corridor on the deck. They turned it, hoping to find Borsk Fey'lya in the hands of their allies.

Instead, all they found were the bodies of two dead soldiers lying near the sealed off hanger deck doors. The Bothan was nowhere in sight.

"Where are the rest of the soldiers?" Lando asked, turning to Han.

"I don't know," Han answered. "Probably too busy talking care of Fey'lya's cronies."

"Then what about…" Lando began.

Han placed a hand in front of him, silencing Lando. Wasting little time, he walked over to the nearest computer terminal towards the end of the hall. He punched in several commands and waited for it to respond. It did, flashing a large, red beacon.

"Computer, this is General Solo. Request security access."

The computer took a moment to confirm the command. When it was finished, it beeped its response as affirmative.

Han grinned. It would appear that Leia's officers had already gained access to the main computer on the Best Destiny. He now had his security access returned to him.

"Computer," Han said. "Find the current location of Borsk Fey'lya. Limit search to this deck only."

The computer beeped affirmative and began its search. Lando walked up to Han and stood beside him, watching as the computer displayed various images on the deck.

"Shouldn't you expand your search?" Lando asked.

Han shook his head. "This is the only deck that allows a person to get off a ship. Fey'lya may be blocked from the hanger deck right now but he's still here. I know it."

The computer continued flashing various images before him. The security cameras located all over the deck had taken each shot. Again and again, the images turned up nothing. Finally, after several minutes one of the images remained frozen on the screen. The blurry image of a man dressed in regal clothing caught Han and Lando's eyes immediately.

"Computer, maximize image in the center of the screen," Han ordered.

The computer did as it was told. The size of the image doubled and while it remained blurry, the image was clear enough to confirm the two men's suspicions.

"Fey'lya" Han mumbled under his breath. "Computer, where was this image taken?"

"Main engineering," the computer answered, its voice lacking any emotion.

Han and Lando exchanged looks of concern. They knew that the staff during the invasion likely abandoned engineering. If Fey'lya was in there all by himself…

Wasting no time, Han and Lando sprinted desperately towards main engineering. They closed the gap between the halls quickly, running faster than they had ever run before. As they approached the hall that lead to engineering, blaster fire erupted. A pair of Bothan soldiers was guarding the door. Seeing Han and Lando, they immediately opened fire.

Han and Lando fired back. Lando's initial shot hit the first Bothan, killing him instantly. The second Bothan dropped to a knee and took aim at Lando. Before he could fire Han's blast hit him between the eyes.

Lando looked over to Han and smiled. "Just like old times, huh?

Han grinned back. Good old Lando…he had never truly changed.

The two men moved past the dead soldiers and made their ways to the engineering doors. Han slapped the controls, attempting to open them. Nothing happened.

"Stand back," Lando said, drawing his blaster. "When I get this open, we'll charge into the room and get Fey'lya."

Han nodded. "Watch it, Lando. We have to be careful where we fire. We don't want to end up blowing up the ship across the sector."

Lando nodded. Han took position on the opposite side of the doors. Lando took a deep breath and fired at the control panel. It exploded, opening the doors.

Han instantly charged into the room, quickly followed by Lando. The large room was eerily quiet. Han's suspicion that the room was empty seemed to be true. There was no sign of Fey'lya whatsoever. The only thing out of the ordinary was a large amount of steam that was flooding the room and casting a white vale over the main engines.

That's odd, Han thought. The only time that amount of steam was present was when…was when a system was overloading. Han looked over at Lando, who he could tell was thinking the same exact thing. It appeared as if Fey'lya was playing his final hand. They could waste no more time now.

As Han and Lando prepared to move out, the silence was broken by a loud crash. Han and Lando turned to face it, blasters drawn. What they saw were the dead bodies of two of the engineering officers. They had been killed by blaster fire. From a quick examination of the bodies, it appeared as if it had happened recently. It took no time to figure out who was responsible for it.

"I can see you, General Solo!" Borsk Fey'lya's voice called out.

Han and Lando snapped to attention, searching around frantically for the Bothan. They could not see him anywhere as the large vale of steam continued to engulf engineering. This caused Fey'lya to laugh.

"Don't waste your time, humans. You will not find me."

"I'd expect a coward like you to stay hiding, Fey'lya!" Han called out. "Just like you did when the Empire attacked the Alliance on Sullust. It was you who betrayed us!"

The Bothan laughed once more. Han and Lando attempted to find out where his voice was coming from but the steam was making it impossible now.

"I did what I had to do, Solo!" Fey'lya said, his voice turning deadly. "I would rather rule the dark side than serve in the light."

"You're not going to rule anything now," Han said. "It's over. Leia's has taken command of the Best Destiny. Your plan is finished."

"I beg to differ," Fey'lya said. "As you have probably guessed from all the steam, an overload is in progress. I have opened the anti-matter containment unit and flooded it into your main engines. The end result will cause the Best Destiny to be destroyed!"

"So will you!" Lando said. "Then you will never be able to obtain the power you seek."

"True," Fey'lya answer. "I will die but so will the accursed Skywalkers…and so will the Rebellion. You see the Empire will be arriving very shortly. Without any of you alive to warn them, they will be wiped out. The only evidence of my betrayal is aboard this ship. When it is destroyed, so to will be the last hope to warn the Rebels of there appending doom."

Fey'lya laughed once again. "While I won't be alive to see it, my greatness will continue to go on. I will be remembered as the man who brought an end to the Galactic Civil War. The Empire will honor me as a martyr and a patriot. They will celebrate my life and my sacrifice. Statues bearing my person will be erected throughout the galaxy. Great institutions will be named after me. Children will grow up learning the life of the man who did what the Emperor and Darth Vader…or Anakin Skywalker, could not do. Bring order to the galaxy. Even in death, I will have the final victory over all who opposed me!"

Silence reigned for several moments before Han and Lando burst out laughing.

"Fey'lya, you stupid bastard!" Han said between laughs. "If you actually believe that, you're even more pathetic then I ever thought. You're not going win anything…I'm going to make sure of that personally.

"I knew that you would say that, Solo," Fey'lya said. "I must admit…I underestimated you. I thought you little more than an oafish fool incapable of leadership. But I was wrong. It is because of you and the Skywalkers that I will not be taking my place as a galactic ruler. But I will take great comfort in knowing that all the people you care about will be destroyed in a matter of minutes. And I will take great pleasure in killing you myself."

Fey'lya's voice finally fell silent. Han and Lando continued to push on, desperately trying to get to the primary console. They had to stop the overload before it destroyed the ship and they would have to stop Fey'lya.

The steam continued to pour into the room. The fury of it all was beginning to overwhelm Han and Lando, making it nearly impossible to see what was around them.

This provided the perfect opportunity for Borsk Fey'lya to emerge from the white veil unnoticed. Bothan eyes were much stronger then humans and could see through the thick steam with little difficulty. It took Fey'lya only a few moments to find Han Solo. The Corellian was fighting his way through the steam, virtually blind to what was around him.

Fey'lya drew his blaster and pointed it at Han. Once the Corellian was in his firing range, Fey'lya smiled and squeezed the trigger…

Lando looked around the engineering room anxiously. The thick veil of steam furiously lashed out at him, making it difficult to see. He could still make out Han's image, standing only a few feet away from him. However, the main engineering console was nowhere in site and that is where Lando knew that it what they needed to find.

Time was of the essence now. If enough anti-matter was poured into the main engines, it would overload the engines and destroy the ship. There was also the matter of Fey'lya, who was present somewhere in this room. Fey'lya may have lost everything but Lando knew that the Bothan was a gambler. No matter how much he lost, he would keep coming back. He was willing to lose the last thing he had, his life, in order to come out a winner in this situation. In Fey'lya's sick mind, he still had something to gain in the long run and he would do anything it took to make it possible.

The sweat pouring down Lando's face was beginning to run into his eyes, virtually blinding him. The heat generated by the steam was beginning to take his toll on him. He was tiring and felt like his out on his feet. He began to stagger backwards, uncertain of where he was going. He looked around him once again. He could still see Han and the thick cloud around him. It was long and endless. However, he could also see movement, as if the steam itself was changing direction and making its way closer to him.

The steam was changing direction…impossible!

Lando shook his head vigorously, attempting to shake his head clear. This was ridiculous. The intense heat was probably causing him to see things that weren't there. With his free hand he wiped the sweat from his eyes, clearing them. His vision returning to him, he once again looked out into the steam. It was still there, hanging over the engineering room like the stars in the sky. But now, he could clearly see a person moving rapidly through it.

Lando squinted, attempting to get a better look. But the person was gone. Lando looked around frantically. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blaster materialize from out of nowhere. Lando was prepared to dodge for cover but he quickly realized that the blaster wasn't aimed at him. It was instead aimed at…

"Han!"

Lando sprinted towards his friend. The sound of a blaster erupted a second later. Moving faster than he had ever moved before he shoved Han out of the way. The blaster bolt then struck Lando with lethal force, sending him crashing to the ground. His body remained there, completely motionless.

Han had barely reacted to hearing his name when he found himself shoved to the ground. He crashed to the floor, hitting it with a thud. Han quickly pulled himself to his feet, shaking off the pain the fall had caused him. He suddenly realized that he was missing something. His blaster was gone.

Han turned from side to side, looking for his blaster. The steam was still forming a thick cloud around him, making it difficult to see what was in front of him. He remembered now that he had dropped the blaster when Lando had…

Lando!

Lando had pushed him out of the way after he had heard an explosion.

No, not an explosion. A blaster was fired.

Han now intensified his search, frantically looking for Lando. He couldn't risk calling out to his friend. Fey'lya was likely still in engineering. The Bothan would want to make sure that he had finished his job. He crawled on the floor, searching his arms out as far as he could. He found that the further he went down, the easier it was for him to see.

As Han crawled up beside a computer console, he could vaguely make out across from him. He squinted and could see that the outline was that of a person. It was Lando. He was lying motionless on the floor. Han could make out a spatter of blood upon his person. He couldn't make out whether or not he was breathing but if he was, it was probably very faint.

Han felt his stomach sink. He knew his friend was in trouble yet there was nothing he could do. If he didn't reverse the flow of the anti-matter, the Best Destiny would be destroyed. So to would be the Rebel Alliance. He had to move on…even if it meant Lando's life.

Before Han could act, the steam around him began to dissipate. He took his eyes off of Lando and searched the area around him. Right in front of his very eyes was the form of Borsk Fey'lya. The Bothan's back was to him as he too was exploring his surroundings. But Han could clearly see the blaster rifle in his hand…the same blaster he had shot Lando with.

The sight of Fey'lya filled the Corellian with rage. In that moment, he remembered all the Bothan's treachery. He remembered all of the lives that were lost when Fey'lya conspired with the Empire. In a short amount of time, Borsk Fey'lya had nearly destroyed all that the Alliance had worked and suffered to achieve. But the one thing that stuck in Han's mind the most was how Fey'lya tried to hurt the people that Han cared about the most. Leia, Luke and now Lando, who Fey'lya might have just killed.

You Bothan, son of a bitch! You not going to get away with it this time.

Seething in anger, Han slowly rose from the floor. He launched himself at Fey'lya, determined to destroy him once and for all. The Bothan turned around just in time for Han to tackle him straight to the ground. They slammed to the ground and the struggle was on.

Fey'lya tried to fire his weapon but Han grabbed his hand. He slammed it down to the ground repeatedly, causing him to drop it. Neutralizing Fey'lya's advantage, Han pulled the two of them to their feet and punched the Bothan across the face.

Fey'lya staggered backwards, as Han quickly took the advantage. He charged Fey'lya and connected with another right to the jaw. A left hook, further staggering the Bothan, followed this.

Fey'lya fired back. He threw a sloppy right hand that Han easily ducked. The Corellian buried a fist into his stomach, doubling him over. He followed it up with three more punches to the face, dropping Fey'lya to the ground. Han grabbed him, lifting him off his feet and flung him into a nearby wall. Fey'lya recovered and tried to get away. He threw a left hook at Han, which he easily managed to sidestep. He grabbed the Bothan's arm, pulled him forward, and then swung him back against the wall. The momentum carried the Bothan off his feet and his body slammed against the floor with a loud thud.

He cried out in pain as Han landed an elbow to his face. A cut formed above Fey'lya's left eyebrow and the blood began to trickle out. Seeing the cut, Han landed two more punches, drawing more blood out of the Bothan. He then pounded away at his body, doubling him over once again. He scored with another left, this one to Fey'lya's head. Fey'lya staggered away from Han and tried to escape. Instead, he was met with a kick to the chest that sent him spiraling over a computer console. He landed on his stomach and remained lying there.

Han looked to press his advantage on the fallen Fey'lya. He jumped over the computer console and grabbed the Bothan by the shoulder. In an act of desperation the Bothan suddenly spun around. He kicked a surprised Han in the groin. The Corellian screamed out in pain and staggered backwards. He slumped against a wall, trying to shake off the effects of the kick.

Now it was Fey'lya's time to attack. Moving with surprising quickness, he grabbed Han off of wall and flung him into a nearby engineering console. The compartments exploded as Han's body slammed into it.

Fey'lya grabbed him by his shirt and slammed a fist across his jaw. Han managed to stand his ground. Fey'lya responded by unloading a series of punches on the Corellian, finally managing to rock him. A palm shot sent Han crashing into the wall. Before the Bothan could press his advantage, Han suddenly charged. But this time, Fey'lya was ready. He caught Han in a headlock, stopping him in his tracks. He landed three knees to his stomach, taking the wind out from under him.

Releasing the headlock, Fey'lya slammed a left cross across Han's jaw. It proceeded to split the Corellian's lip open. He gave the Bothan a bloody smile and he absorbed another fist to the jaw.

Looking to change his attack, Fey'lya stepped back and delivered a spin kick. Han managed to duck it but Fey'lya legs quickly shot back and connected with Han's eye. This nearly dropped him, as he fell back and grabbed at his eye. Fey'lya took advantage of this and kicked him in his exposed stomach. Han dropped to his knees with the wind knocked out of him.

Fey'lya got behind him and wrapped his arm around the man's throat. Han's hands instantly grabbed at the Bothan's arm, trying to prevent him from locking in the hold. Fey'lya delivered a sharp knee to Han's ribs, causing him to drop his hands and allowing the Bothan to lock in the chokehold. Fey'lya squeezed with all of his might as Han desperately attempted to break free. He struck Fey'lya in the stomach with an elbow, weakening his grasp.

Fey'lya sensed that he would not be able to hold it much longer. He began to drag Han across the room. Still trying to break free, Han could see where Fey'lya was leading him. He was only a few feet from the deadly electrocables. They were responsible for charging the massive engineering room with the electricity it needed to carry out it's various duties. One touch of those cables would cause a person to be brutally electrocuted. Han's eyes went wide. That was what Fey'lya had in store for him.

Fey'lya inched closer to the cables, his lock on Han still firm. As they came within ten feet, Han reached out with his foot and locked in on a console. Fey'lya pulled at him furiously but Han refused to budge. As the Bothan continued to struggle, Han finally managed to free his neck of Fey'lya's arm. Moving quickly, he sunk his teeth into Fey'lya's arm.

Fey'lya screamed in pain as Han's teeth buried themselves deeper into his flesh. Furiously, he landed a backhand blow to Solo's neck, extracting the Corellian from his arm. Fey'lya grabbed his injured arm and surveyed it. He could see the marks on his fur and the blood that began to pour out. He then glared at Han furiously and kicked at him.

But Han was ready. He caught Fey'lya's leg and threw him backwards. The Bothan landed on the back of his head. Han sprung to his feet and once again charged the fallen Bothan. Fey'lya sidestepped him and kicked Han in the back, sending him crashing into another console. Han sprang up once more with a stream of blood coming down the side of his face. He was wobbling from side to side, barely able to keep his balance. It appeared as if he was out on his feet.

This provided the perfect opportunity for Fey'lya. Han's back was turned to him and he waited patiently for him to turn around. When he did so, Fey'lya delivered a powerful blow to his head. Han fell to the ground and remained lying there.

Fey'lya shook his head and took a long, labored breath. It took him a while but he managed to regain his bearings. He looked around him and found that the steam was beginning to flood into the massive room once more. He smiled. In only a matter of minutes, the engines would overload and the Best Destiny would be destroyed. His great victory was almost here.

Still, there was only one thing left for him to accomplish. He looked at the fallen body of Han Solo and snorted in disgust. The man still lived. Fey'lya knew he couldn't die peacefully unless he personally killed Solo. He wanted the man to die in pain. He wanted him to be able to realize that Borsk Fey defeated him and that he had been unable to save the ones that he loved. Only that stood in the way of a satisfying victory for him.

Looking around him, Fey'lya saw a series of bars near the main engineering console. Fey'lya walked over and surveyed the bars. He selected the biggest one he could find. The bar was pure metal and was nearly two meters in length.

This one will do quite nicely.

Swinging the bar from side to side, he walked over to where Han was. The Corellian was conscious and struggling to get to feet. Fey'lya grabbed him with his free hand and flung him against a nearby engineering station. Han lay against it, barely moving. Fey'lya took his time as he measured him with the steel bar. When he was satisfied with where he could get the best shot, he raised the bar over his shoulder and smiled. He swung the bar at Han's head.

At the last possible moment, Han ducked out of the way and the bar smashed through a computer console. Fey'lya was livid and began to look around for Han. He found him on the floor attempting to crawl away. Moving quickly, he again swung the bar at Han. The Corellian managed to roll out of the way and the bar hit nothing but floor.

Unable to control himself, Fey'lya began swinging the bar wildly. He smashed various pieces of machinery and still could not hit his intended target. Han attempted to regain his footing but Fey'lya managed to jab him in the ribs with the bar, sending him crashing into the wall. With Solo finally in his sights, Fey'lya raised the steel bar once more and prepared to slam it down on Han.

Han once again moved out of the way at the last possible second. As Fey'lya pulled the bar back up, Han grabbed it. The momentum managed to pull Han up as well and he delivered a crushing forearm to Fey'lya's nose. The crack of it could be heard throughout engineering.

Fey'lya cried out in pain as blood began to pour out of his nose. He dropped the steel bar and grabbed his nose with both hands. He tried to breathe through his injured nose but that only caused him more pain. Solo had managed to completely break it.

Looking around, he saw Han just across from him. The Corellian had finally managed to get to his feet but was still disoriented. Trembling in anger, Fey'lya ignored his pain and charged Han furiously. Han saw him coming and in one move caught Fey'lya by his arms and tossed him over his body. The Bothan landed straight on his back.

Both of the men now struggled to their feet. Fey'lya got up first and came at Han with a right hand. Before he could unleash it Han connected with a right of his own, striking the Bothan in the mouth. He threw another, landing in the same area. Fey'lya was reared backwards but he managed to land a powerful punch that nearly knocked Han out. He peppered Han with three stiff left jabs and threw everything he had left into a right cross. Han took the punch and fired back with a furious left hook. He then spun around and delivered a kick to Fey'lya stomach.

Han could see that Fey'lya was hurt and beginning to fade. Summoning up all of his strength, Han unleashed a brutal attack. He landed a right cross to Fey'lya face, and then a left, and a right. Again and again, his fists smashed Fey'lya face. Before long, the fur on Fey'lya's face was stained with blood. His left eye was swollen shut and his lips were shredded as he absorbed punch after punch from Han. When the flurry of punches Han stopped, Fey'lya was literally teetering.

Before Fey'lya could fall, Han grabbed the Bothan by his uniform and looked him right in his bloody, beaten face. Han gave him one of his lopsided smiles and raised his fist backwards.

"This one's for Leia."

He punched Fey'lya across the face with such fury that it knocked the Bothan backwards and across the room. He landed just a few feet away from the electrocables and remained there, completely unconscious.

Han dropped to his knees, exhausted and battered from what he had just gone through. Fey'lya had given him everything he had but Han had survived and defeated him. All this trouble just for a damn fool idealistic crusade and the woman he loved. Was it really all worth it?

Han smiled to himself.

Damn right it was.

Suddenly, steam began pouring out from every ventilation shaft all over engineering. Han looked up and quickly remembered why he was here.

The engines!

Getting his beaten body off of the floor, he staggered over to the main engineering console. A quick survey of the readings showed that the main engines were almost completely flooded with the anti-matter particles. In less than sixty seconds, the engines would become completely flooded and that would cause them to explode.

Moving swiftly, he began to work for the controls and reverse the flood of anti-matter particles back into its containment field. The warning klaxons rang louder and the steam began to pour down on him, casting a thick cloud around him and blocking his vision. Undeterred, he continued to work the controls. His hands were sweating, making it difficult for him to work the controls. Still he did so and flipped the last lever, causing the particles to reverse.

He watched the readings anxiously. He realized that despite what he did, it might have been too little too late. The anti-matter was already in much of the engines. The warning light on the console continued to flash bright red, indicating that the overload was in progress. It was going to be too late.

Han lowered his head and let out a deep sigh. He had failed. This would be the end of the Rebel Alliance. He had failed Leia again. All because of…

Suddenly, the steam began to evaporate. Han looked around, unsure of what had just happened. He looked back down at the console and saw that the amount of anti-matter particles was beginning to decrease in the engines. It was reversing its course!

In a matter of moments, the warning klaxons died down and were finally silent. The steam was gone and engineering was completely clear. The console's signs returned to normal and the ships intercom came to life as the voice of the computer spoke.

"Emergency reverse has been successful. Main engines have been cleared of anti-matter particles. Ships status, normal."

Han laughed in triumph, overjoyed at what he had just learned. The ship was safe and Fey'lya's had finally been defeated. For now at least, all seemed to be…

"Solo!"

Han turned and saw the sight of the beaten and bloody Borsk Fey'lya struggling to get to his feet. He had a blaster in his hand and began to fire wildly. Han began to duck wildly, attempting to avoid the barrage. One of Fey'lya's blast narrowly missed striking his head. Han dove behind a console. Fey'lya peppered it with blaster fire but it was enough to Han cover for a few seconds.

Han began to look around for anything that might help him. He had come this far and he wasn't about to get himself killed now. Still, he didn't know how he was going to get out of this.

"Han," Lando called out weakly for him. Han turned and saw his friend lying on the floor, a small puddle of blood beside him. Lando threw Han his blaster. Once it landed in his hand, Han dove out from behind the console. Fey'lya continued firing but each of his shots missed its mark.

Han rolled on his shoulder and came up kneeling across from Fey'lya. For a fraction of a second both he and Fey'lya stood before each other, blasters pointed. Han fired.

His blast rang true and struck Fey'lya in the midsection. It lifted the Bothan off his feet and sent him crashing backwards into the volatile electrocables.

Fey'lya cried out in intense, horrible agony as his body was consumed by electricity. He was tangled in the wires, unable to free himself. His body jerked again and again as huge amounts of electricity poured into him. It was so great that his skeleton could be seen several times.

His skin, fur, and hair all burst into flames. They burned away and ravaged his body as he continued his screams of agony. The jerking of his body caused several of his bones to snap to rather loud cracks. Fey'lya's eyes exploded and blood began to gush out. In a short amount of time his body had been rendered unrecognizable.

The wires finally became untangled and the burnt and blackened husk of what had once been Borsk Fey'lya crashed to the floor. It was truly over.

Han had watched the entire incident before him. What a horrible way it was to die. Still, he could think of no more fitting a punishment for Borsk Fey'lya.

Turning away from the gruesome display, Han ran over to where the fallen form of Lando was. His friend was trying to sit up, his hand clutching his wound. Han went over and gently helped him to sit up against the wall. Lando turned a weary face towards him.

"It's over for me, Han," Lando said. "I've played my last hand."

Han took a look at Lando's blaster wound. It had struck him on the shoulder, clearly away from any vital organs. He ripped a piece of his shirt and placed it on Lando's wound. He pressed it on him with considerable force, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Quit the drama, Lando," Han said. "It's only a minor wound. You'll be fine."

"Fine?" Lando said incredulously. "My life hasn't been 'fine' since you came back into it. First, I lose Cloud City and then I take a blaster shot intended for you. Nothing but bad things happen to me when you're involved."

Han glared at his friend. "Maybe if you made better decisions, you wouldn't get yourself into a situation like this. Or are you forgetting the deal with Vader?"

"Hey, I had no choice," Lando shot back angrily. "Besides, you're free from Jabba now and I just saved your ass again."

"You still owe me for those six months in carbonite, Lando," Han said.

"How do you figure that?" Lando asked. "If I was to count up every time you owed me something, I'd be a very rich…" his voice trailed off and fell silent. He then burst out in laughter. Han looked at him incredulously and then he too, burst out laughing. They laughed loudly for a long time, barely able to control themselves. This arguing was ridiculous. The fact of the matter was that they had both made mistakes in the past but in the end, they had always managed to make amends for it and bail each other out.

More so, Han realized that both of them were truly changed men. They had gone from loners who cared about nothing but themselves to honorable men who fought for a cause greater than themselves. He didn't know what it was about this alliance of rebels that could make scoundrels change their colors but whatever it was, he was grateful.

"Thanks, Lando," Han said, holding out his hand.

"Any time, old buddy," Lando said, grasping his hand firmly. "Any time."

Leia sensed her mother come up behind her, and turned to her just as she said, "We have the bridge under control Leia – Fey'lya's men have been subdued. Reports are coming in from the rest of the fleet, telling us that we've either regained control, or that people are confused, and waiting for orders from somebody."

"They'll get them soon enough," Leia replied. She surveyed the bridge of the Best Destiny, which was still a mess from the fight. Though the firing and struggling had stopped, there was damage to several of the computers that would need to be repaired, and Fey'lya's supporters would have to be moved to the brig. "Mother, we have to get the fleet under way quickly…Father needs us, and we have to get to Coruscant right away."

Her mother's eyes flickered with concern, and Leia quickly added, "He's not in serious trouble yet. But it's coming, and he'll need our help." Amidala nodded. "Tell Luke to start rounding people up, and we need to find Han and Lando."

"I haven't seen them since they went after Fey'lya," her mother said. "I'll try to find out what happened."

Leia grabbed the officer nearest to her, and turned him around to face her. "I need you to give me a damage analysis on the ship's systems. I need to know how soon we can get under way."

"Your Highness –"

"Use any people you need, and get started on repairs right away."

The man answered her with a suspicious look.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"Yes," said a loud voice. Leia turned to see several members of the Alliance Council standing on the far side of the bridge. Han and Lando were behind them, both looking worse for the wear, but she could tell that they were all right. Elegos A'Kla stepped forward, a dark look on his face.

"Your Highness, we demand an explanation for what has happened," he declared. "How do you expect us to allow your actions to stand?"

Luke came to stand beside his sister. "We couldn't let Fey'lya lead the Rebellion to ruin. We had to –"

"Commander Skywalker, many of us shared your suspicions about Borsk Fey'lya, and many of us supported Princess Leia to become leader," A'kla said, "but all of us were willing to act according to Alliance guidelines. Fey'lya was legally elected, and this coup you've orchestrated cannot be justified as a means to an end."

Leia felt a flash of temper blast through her, and was barely able to keep from throttling the man for his shortsightedness. She had neither the inclination nor the time to explain once again why all this was necessary. "I understand your concerns," she managed to say through clenched teeth. "But I'm afraid that I will not relinquish control back to Fey'lya voluntarily. And we can't afford another fight."

"Fey'lya isn't around to accept any offers anyway, sweetheart," Han said.

A short gasp came from all corners of the bridge. "You killed him," a second council member stated flatly.

"We fought," Han replied. "He got the worst of it."

"Which makes all of this a moot point, then," Leia said. "We must leave for Coruscant. Arguing over the rights of a dead traitor isn't doing any of us much good."

"We have no proof that Fey'lya was the traitor, Your Highness. And in case you've forgotten, your family has given us plenty of reason to hold you in suspicion as well." A'kla sighed and shook his head. "You expect us to blindly trust that by taking us to Coruscant, you're not just leading us into your father's trap? That your willingness to control the Alliance without legitimacy doesn't raise serious questions we need to consider before doing anything that you say?"

"There's no time –"

"You can't just panic us into action," he snapped.

Leia felt a tap on her shoulder, and found 3PO and R2D2 waiting behind her. She hadn't noticed them come in, and found herself surprised that 3PO had recognized the gravity of the situation to the point that he hadn't interrupted yet. She returned her attention to the Council Members.

"I'm not trying to panic anyone. This is the reality of our situation. The Death Star is at Coruscant, and who knows what Fey'lya might have told the Empire about our current whereabouts. I'd love to discuss the philosophical underpinnings of my actions, but it will have to wait." Another tap on her shoulder, and she shrugged the droid off. Another tap. "Not now, 3PO," she hissed under her breath.

"But, Your Highness," he insisted, in an equally quiet tone, "I have news that might prove quite useful to you." R2 beeped in agreement.

"3PO, please," she beseeched him. He stepped back in a huff. R2 rolled away, still beeping and buzzing.

"Princess Leia, we demand an explanation," another Council Member said. "We are owed that."

"Fey'lya was a traitor who nearly destroyed us. Now he's gone. I've retaken command of the fleet, and I'm ordering them to depart as soon as possible." Leia folded her arms over her chest in defiance. "That's your explanation. Anything further will have to wait until –"

A loud crackling sound interrupted her. The sounds of people talking tried to break through the static, but nothing could be made out. Leia immediately turned to R2D2, who was plugged into a nearby console and attempting to access several encrypted files.

"What is he doing?" A'kla asked, raising his voice above the noise.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Leia offered. She already knew the answer to his question, but felt it was best that the Council to come to the realization on their own.

Frowning, A'kla stood behind R2 and peered at the console readouts. "These are Alliance files, but they're blocked to outside access…the droid is trying to decode them…"

Finally, the voices became a little clearer. "…plan has been a complete success…" said one voice. "…your current position?" asked another.

A'kla glanced at Leia significantly. "One of the origin points for the transmission is Coruscant."

"And the other?" she asked.

No answer was needed. R2 cleared part of the transmission, and Fey'lya's voice came through clearly, "The volatility of the star will make it impossible for them to detect the Imperial fleet." There was little surprise when the voice of the Emperor responded, "Excellent. You've done well, Fey'lya."

The static returned, though bits and pieces of the message could still be made out. Leia sighed. "Is the message authentic?"

"Yes, it appears to be. Some of the codes are Fey'lya's, and this definitely went through our systems…after you and your family were taken prisoner."

R2 whistled happily, and shut down the communications port.

Leia took a deep breath, and said quietly. "I understand your concerns. But I hope you see now that I've done what I had to do." She raised her voice to address everyone on the bridge. "I know we're all tired of this – it seems we can't get more than a moment's rest before some new problem or tragedy confronts us. And unfortunately, that's not going to change for the immediate future. We have at least one more task ahead of us. We have to hang on until it's completed. Too much is riding on this for us to continue to fight each other. The traitor has been found out, and his supporters are no longer in power. That leaves the rest of us to pick ourselves up, and do what they tried so hard to stop us from achieving – we will go to Coruscant, and defeat Palpatine once and for all."

She turned back to the officer she had spoken to earlier. "Please, assess the damage, and begin repairs. The fleet will leave as soon as possible."

The nodded in salute, and set to work. Others on the bridge quickly followed his example, and soon the Best Destiny was bustling with activity.

A'kla walked over to Leia. "Your Highness –"

"It's alright," Leia said, before he could apologize. "Let's stay focused."

"What's your plan for Coruscant?"

"My family and I will leave now…we have matters that we need to attend to," she replied. "The fleet will find us there, and together, we'll take on the Death Star."

"Sounds simple," he said.

"It won't be," she asserted. "But," she added, "I believe the Force will be with us. And that will carry us through."

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