Star Wars: Fighting Fear

Chapter I: One Last Mission

For a long time, the Millennium Falcon was home for two. Then an old hermit hired them for transportation to Alderaan and changed everything.

Now, the Falcon proudly housed a Wookiee, her hotshot pilot named Solo, two droids, a princess, and the last of the Jedi. They all had different backgrounds and different destinies, but they all were bound together by friendship and a shared cause they believed in.

The pilot of the Millennium Falcon was given the name Solo because he had no family. Even with his hairy co-pilot and friend, he still felt solo. When that crazy old man from Tatooine hired them to transport himself, two droids and a farmer boy to Alderaan, Han never dreamed he would find family and purpose because of it. He and Luke rescued a princess from the Empire's clutches, the woman he fell in love with. Luke Skywalker turned out to be her lost twin brother, but he was Han's brother long before they knew Luke could be his potential brother-in-law. Together, they fought the Empire and restored peace to the galaxy.

Han and Chewie sat in their respective seats in the cockpit, the blue and purple bruise of hyperspace spiraling past them as it has done countless times before. In the middle of the ship, R2-D2 was attempting to teach his protocol droid friend how to play dejarik.

  "Is it my turn now? How do I move? Oh dear, that was not very smart, now was it? What do you mean I can move this piece only two squares? Well, you should have told me so before! If I didn't know any better, R2, I would think you are using my ignorance of this game to sabotage me!"

To be brief, R2-D2 was very annoyed.

One of the leaders of the Rebellion, Leia Organa, smiled in amusement at the bickering duo over her datapad. Details and reports flooded the screen, and Leia read every single one with extreme focus and seriousness. With the second Death Star destroyed and the Emperor and Darth Vader along with it, the New Republic could finally rise from the ashes and unite the galaxy with fairness and diplomacy in place of the oppression and control that terrorized the universe for decades. Leaders of the Rebellion were called on to stand up more than ever to bring peace and order to the leaderless chaos.

Even with the death of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the war was not yet finished although it was won. The Empire was still at large. With no leader to give them orders, the remaining Imperials were sitting womp rats practically begging to be captured by Rebels. Although Leia wanted this long conflict to finally be over, she had to admit she would miss fighting Stormtroopers with Luke, Han, and Chewbacca. She was glad that with the Rebellion stretched thin rounding up the stragglers they were given one last mission together.

In the quarters he shared with Han, Luke Skywalker sat on his bunk crosslegged and eyes closed. He let his mind drift in the endless sea known as the Force. He could sense the organic lifeforms on the ship, their presences warm and bright like candles chasing away the shadow. Leia's was the strongest. The Force resinated in her with the potential to be as strong as his own. And as she was his twin sister, the Force strengthened their connection with each passing day.

Finding out Leia was his sister was a welcome surprise, but also a heavy burden. On Cloud City, Luke and Vader dueled with the more experienced man as the victor. Luke lost his hand that day, but what's worst was that the Sith Lord told him the terrible truth: Darth Vader was his father.

Luke's dream to follow his father's footsteps in his honor was crushed, replaced by the nightmare of becoming a monster like Vader; a Sith, a slave to the Dark Side and to the Emperor. Although Vader was redeemed in the end, that nightmare still haunted him. Not in sleep or wakefulness could he escape his fear.

In his state of meditation, Luke's still, peaceful form flinched. Vader's loud, artificial breathing filled his ears. His own measured breaths fell into sync with it. He could imagine himself on the second Death Star, picking up his dead father's helmet and placing it over his own head. The next Darth Vader.

A soft knocking broke him out of his trance. His eye's fluttered open to find Leia standing in the doorway.

  "Sorry to interrupt," she apologized with a smile, "but we're here."

Like they had done countless times before, Luke and Leia stood behind their pilots in the cockpit of the Falcon.

  "There it is," Han announced almost grimly. "Teth."

The purple planet stood out starkly against the blackness of space. A small tingle of excitement sparked inside Luke. Captain Rex had told him that he had fought alongside Anakin Skywalker on Teth during the Clone Wars. To visit a place where his father was a hero before turning into Darth Vader was something he desperately wanted.

As the passed through the planet's atmosphere, the purple swirls shaped into a thick jungle canopy. The ship's windshield fogged up momentarily from the sudden humidity.

It was challenging to find a clearing large enough to land the Millennium Falcon, but Han Solo and Chewbacca did. The ship barely fit, breaking off branches as she descended. The thick jungle obscured the ship from view as Han lowered the boarding ramp.

Leia draped the camouflage poncho she wore on Endor over her shoulders. It blended surprisingly well with the more purple environment. Her brown hair was still braided in the Alderaan mourning crown. Luke strapped his lightsaber to his belt, clad in his familiar black Jedi robes. As usual, Han dressed for the mission in the good ol' blue vest and white shirt with his blaster strapped to his thigh.

  "This planet is inhabited. There is only a small Imperial occupation here because Palaptine wanted to explore the Wild Space," Leia reminded them. "We should only find a few of the Imperial Survey Corps and less than a handful of troopers, according to Kidi Aleri."

  "We can take 'em," announced Han cockily. "Especially with a Jedi on our team."

He nudged the younger man playfully and was rewarded with a smile. Chewbacca roared something they all understood, gazing down fondly at his humans. Now, no one couldn't smile. One last mission together.