[Dagobah]
Luke's breathing was erratic. He was panicking and it showed easily. Yoda stood near the walls of his home seeing the way the boy reacted, hoping he would calm down.
"Master Yoda, I Just can't keep that vision out of my head. I must go." Luke rushed out of Yoda's home quickly. His thoughts were clouded. He could only thing about one thing at a time, and this was it. All of his other thoughts weren't clear.
During his extended training earlier in the day with Yoda, it seems a vision appeared. More like a premonition. Either way, it was not one that he wanted to see. In fact it frighted him to see such a thing.
It was his friends. Something was wrong. They were in danger, and he could see it clear as day. He had similar visions before but the last time Yoda told him to push them back. He just couldn't do that any more. Not when the visions were so intense. He had to go save those that he loved.
Even though this was true that something was happening, there was still no clear outcome. It was possible for Luke to leave, but to arrive to his friends being perfectly fine. The fates of his friends were not certain, nor set in stone.
Yoda tried to explain this to Luke, but he was not in the mood to listen to the anything the Master had to say. His mind was made up.
Even if nothing was set, Luke could only picture himself not going, and his friends dying at his expense. He wouldn't make that mistake. The fear of losing his friends was something so strong. While he knew it was wrong to have an attachment like that, he couldn't help it. The bond that had been created was unbreakable.
"You may feel the force Luke, but you cannot control it. This is a very dangerous time for you, you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force. More than before." Obi-Wan's voice appeared. Luke looked around before seeing Obi-Wan's force ghost looking back at him.
Luke stopped, staring at Obi-Wan, listening to what he said only for a moment. His mind was still made up.
"To Obi-Wan you listen. Remember your failure at the cave." Yoda try to explain. The way Luke handled what had happened in the cave showed just how unprepared he was. This was such a big risk he was taking.
"But I've learned so much since then. I promise I will return to finish what I have started but I must save my friends first." Luke tried attempting to make his way to his ship that was still near the water.
"If you end your training now. If you chose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil." Yoda tried once more.
But Luke made it clear. He would not risk sacrificing his friends. He had to deny his master's firmly noticing the two Jedi's faces fall as Luke continued to push back.
"I can't leave them...I am going." Luke sternly spoke seeing the Master's look at each other in disappointment. Wether they liked it or not, Luke was not going to stop.
Yoda soon realized and accepted that there was no changing the young man's mind. Allowing Luke to go did not put his mind at ease, but he hoped that on his journey he would see to it that his friends remained safe.
He also hoped that once this was over, Luke would safely return to finish his training as he said.
Luke began to walk off preparing to get ready to depart in his ship. While he was doing so, Yoda had turned around in his home, aiming to grab something. A object that was seemingly wrapped in a protective covering of cloth.
Grabbing it, Yoda made his way out towards where Luke and Obi-Wan we now stationed.
"Luke, if you are to go, then take this...For Amara it is. Tell her, sorry I am for everything that has happened." Yoda handed Luke the wrapped package, seeing the boy taking it carefully in his grasp.
"What is it?" Luke spoke clutching the item closely to him in hopes of not breaking it.
"I told you, I believe Amara does not represent a Sith in my eyes. But I do not believe her to be a Jedi either. This gift represents Amara's ways of the Force. See to it that she receives this." Was all Yoda could say watching Luke look at the wrapped gift once more before entering his X-Wing.
"I will Master. I also will return to finish my training. I promise." Luke finished after he got R2 settled in to the ship. The two looked to Yoda and Obi-Wan together seeing the masters wary eyes. Luke then slowly closed the hatch and secured his belts before lifting off into the galaxy above ready to find his friends on a distant planet.
-
"Mama do we have to leave today?" The small girl said while her mom combed the many curls that covered her child's head.
The two sat on the floor of their room silently. The feeling of the marble floor felt cold among their bodies.
It was their last day at the destination and the two were taking their time. Bonding was something they never got to do. So this moment was nice.
"Illa we have been here way longer than expected. I must go back now. My brother will be looking for me." The woman sadly said pulling her daughter close to hug her lovingly. To have her daughter in her arms almost made it feel like she wasn't the monster everyone made her out to be.
She was happy.
"So will I be with baba?" The young girl asked. The woman sighed at the reality that her daughter was living. The young girl never asked when she would be with both her parents as a family.
The only time that ever happened was in her dreams, and it pained the woman to believe such a reality.
"Yes, and this time no more sneaking out of the ship. You almost got yourself injured." The girls mother trying to hide her sadness. Her head rested among the young child's.
"I wanted to see him." She pouted making her mother giggle. The two then continued to rest in that one spot.
As the young girl was pressed against the mothers chest, she could sense that her heart was beating awfully fast. The girls mother was worried, or maybe she was just sad.
Turning to see her mothers face of beauty, the child then reached up to touch her face. The mother smiled at the warmth that radiated from her child's touch when feeling the young girls hand, instantly soothe her.
"Mama...what's wrong?" The girl wondered with her eyes full of worry.
"Why does something have to be wrong? I just love the feeling of being here with you." The mother tried to smile reaching over to grab one of the ombré colored flowers Lando always left for them.
Taking the flower she then slowly sat it in the girls hand watching as her fragile hands grasped the flower comfortably.
"I don't often receive times where I get to be with you like this...for this moment I am grateful, and simply don't want it to end. But I know it will soon." The mother spoke out sadly glancing towards a window.
The mother stood up soon after lifted the young girl up with her holding on closely. The two began to walk towards the nearby window right after.
The window allowed sunlight to shine inside so brightly, blinding them easily. The young girl decided to try to fix this issue by hiding her, and her mothers eyes with her hands creating a small bit of shade. She giggled when she noticed her mother smile.
"We can just come back with baba. Together. Hm?" The girl spoke out. She didn't realize how complicated such things were, but it still nice that she thought things to be so simple. To not know the reality of the world she lived in.
"You're right we can, and I promise we will. One day." The mother responded meeting her daughters gentle eyes then leaning in to give the girl a kiss on the nose.
-
[Bespin; Suite]
Morning had struck Bespin. The skies were a bright blue and the sun was coming up across the planet.
In one of the large suite like rooms, resided the newly arrived crew from the millennium Falcon. The room was offered to them by Lando and it was immediately taken.
There was a bright living room area where most of the crew was currently stationed. Leia was amount the crowd and she was not the happiest at the moment.
"Is Amara even here?" Leia spoke out after finally being fully awoken by the hustle and bustle of Bespin's busy city.
"Leia it's still morning, and I'm pretty sure she's still sleeping. She seemed exhausted. Just let her rest." Han scratched his eyes walking to a nearby window looking outside hoping that Amara was okay inside her room...
-
All that was seen was darkness. There was no way to discover where she was or even what time it was. All Amara knew is that wherever she was, she was comfortable. Warm. Calm.
"Amara open your eyes..." The familiar voice spoke to her but she couldn't do as she was told. All she could do was suddenly begin to remember the feelings of loss.
"If I open them, will she be back in my arms...alive?" Amara whispered. She could feel someone holding her close, but she still couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.
"No. I can't tell you that she will."
"Then why should I? I can not face the truth. You don't understand. I felt heart slowing down. I heard her cries stop. My heart shattered and I couldn't stop it. It's all my fault." She held tightly on to the body of the person holding her.
"It's not your fault. Every time you lose someone, you blame yourself. How can you blame yourself for something that is out of your control?" A hand combed through her hair instantly calming her down again.
"I carried her. I birthed her. She was my responsibility and I failed her as well as her father." She whispered her voice breaking with each word she said.
"You didn't fail me."
"Boba?"
"Amara. Open your eyes and look at me." He spoke to her once more not allowing for her to have another option.
Amara braced herself before finally opening her eyes only seeing a bright white light that was waiting for her.
-
[The bedroom]
When Amara woke up, she was introduced to the all white room with shiny floors that she had fallen asleep in, the only exception being the bed she slept in that seemed to be a grayish type color.
Getting up she walked over to a nearly vanity seeing that she had fallen asleep in the base outfit of her Sith attire which consisted of black pants and a black shirt.
Her hair was also still up in its design but it was now extremely messy. Reaching her hands up to her hair she then began to free her hair from its design seeing her freed hair fall past her shoulders.
Combing her hands through her hair was well as wiping the tiredness from her eyes, she looked towards an open door that seemed to be a bathroom beginning to walk towards it.
-
"No one has seen or knows anything about 3PO! He's been gone too long to have simply gotten lost. How can you just sit around and let this happen?" Leia yelled angrily walking around the living room. Han had been sitting in the couch for a while but Leia's pacing back and forth was now giving him a headache.
"Leia."
"I mean really! We should be out there looking for him and I..." she trailed off not even listening to fact that he was trying to get her attention.
"Leia?" Han sighed out readying himself.
Standing up to block her movements, he stopped her in her tracks feeling her run into him. His hands were placed on her shoulders with his lips against her forehead calming her down instantly.
"Will you calm down?" He wondered hearing her quiet breaths. Leia nodded towards him but still didn't say anything else. He then pushed her shoulders down gently, finally allowing her to sit down, noticing her calm down.
"We will find him Leia." Amara's voice was soon heard gaining the others attention. Han and Leia looked up to see Amara walk out of her room but there was something about her that looked different to them.
Her clothing attire and hair were very different. For one her hair was spread out and almost a little poofy from it being brushed out. Then there was her outfit, a dark brown floor length dress. The dress highlighted her curves and included cutouts on the sides of her midriff. Her outfit was completed with a scarf that rested around her neck in order to become a covering for her head when need be.
"I'm discovering that a formal look is the normal here on Cloud City. I don't really think it would do me justice to dress as the Empire during our stay." Amara spoke calmly looking over the outfit.
Leia stared in awe at the outfit knowing that Amara truly was beautiful. It was different seeing her dressed like this instead of her regular fighting attire.
"Don't you look different?" Han walked over staring at her. Leia watched him go over to Amara. Amara watched him as well. He continued to come over standing inches away from her.
What the women didn't realize is that he wasn't staring at her outfit. He was staring at her eyes. She wasn't happy and even if her face showed a smile, her eyes showed sadness.
"What?"
"Your eyes. They're blood shot, and under them it's puffy. You were crying, and I know why...you can talk to me Amara." Han tried to reason with her pulling her close, but she stopped him.
"It does hurt me that I'm here and she's not, this was the last place we- it doesn't matter, we have bigger things to worry about right. I don't need you to pity me Han." Amara whispered placing her hands on his chest putting distance between the two.
Leia could only watch, her jealousy noticeably rising, yet she pretended that she was completely fine still glancing over at the two.
"I'm not pitying you. I just care about is all." Han was still watching her backup from him. She smiled understanding where he was coming from, but it didn't change their current situation.
"What you need to care about right now is finding 3PO. Hopefully he should show up and if so ask him what happened. If he shows up with Lando then question how Lando found him." Amara slid up her brown fingerless gloves that went with the dress, preparing to leave.
"I don't trust Lando or anything he says." Leia finally spoke standing up beginning to walk forward towards the others.
"Neither do I, and Lando is a close friend. No matter hearing what he has to say will give insight, and if we discover that he is lying about any of it, we will force the truth out of him. I can get information out of people in more ways than one. Don't forget who I am. See you soon." Amara winked to Leia leaving the room behind her with the hatch door closing behind her.
-
Once Leia was sure Amara was gone and out of the way, a visible sigh left her mouth as she tried to piece together what was happening. She then looked over to Han with a look of anger.
Han noticed the way she looked towards him slightly nervous. But Leia didn't give him anytime to prepare himself as she came and slapped him in the shoulder roughly. He groaned at the sudden attack looking at Leia in shock.
"Enlighten me, honey...What was that for!" He tried to hide his anger before yelling out.
"What was that about?" Leia pointed towards the now closed doors. Han's eyes widened not understanding still.
"You'll have to be more specific!" Han's arms flew up waiting for her to continue.
"The way you acted around her. The way you held her, and spoke to her...what was it about. Why did you-" Leia lost her words becoming saddened.
"Don't tell me your jealous. Look me in my
eyes and tell me truthfully...are you jealous?" Han leaned in now inches away from Leia's face.
"I know what I saw." Leia stood her ground trying to walk away.
"Clearly not. I was just checking on Amara to make sure she was okay." Han grabbed Leia's hand instantly pulling her back. Leia refused to look up at him but could still feel he eyes peering down at her.
"That's not what it looked like." Her voice became quieter, and she knew Han was trying not to laugh at her accusations.
"That is exactly what it looked like. Leia Amara is already taken, and besides...I want you." His hand lowered down to her chin. Lifting her face up soon touching her nose gently. Leia's face heated up immediately now trying to continue the conversation.
"I- She's already taken? By whom?" Leia stared at Han's eyes trying not to glance at his lips.
"I don't know, she won't tell me, but I do know that whoever it is the two of them had a child together. Apparently Amara took her to this place, and after little time passed Amara's daughter was killed. This is the last place the two were together. A place where her child didn't have to hide from the terrors of Empire. Being here, It hurts her I can see it." Han explained everything and Leia didn't even know what to say to everything.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that." Leia apologized.
"Amara is not the monster you think she is. She's hurting and no matter what she does people still turn against her, and so she thinks she can't be herself and show that she's in pain so I try to show her that I am someone that will always care about her." Han finished, touching Leia's heart.
"You're a good man Han. She's lucky to have a friend like you." Leia opened her arms to grab his body allowing for him to hold her. She felt bad, she didn't know much about Amara's backstory, yet she always judged her.
She was wrong about Amara.
When Leia was growing up, all the stories people use to tell about the Sith Lord, frighted her greatly. A woman who slaughtered even those who just glanced at her. A woman who laughed as her victim's died. It was never about a woman who was forced to be someone she wasn't, and who mourned her lost child.
She knew she needed to talk to Amara when the two had time.
Leia's thoughts were soon put on hold at the sight of Chewbacca quickly running into the room with a box of junk, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be 3PO's metal parts inside.
"Oh my! What happened?" Leia huffed seeing the dismantled droid, walking over to see Chewbacca set the box of parts down on the table.
Chewbacca explained that he found the droid in a junk pile down below in another room, about to be burned into liquid metal.
Why was this droid treated so badly?
"What a mess. Do you think you could repair him Chewie?" The Princess asked receiving a shrug to the shoulders from Chewbacca, which only caused her to become frustrated at the situation. She still couldn't even process how 3PO ended up in that position.
"Sorry, am I interrupting anything?" A voice said from the opened door that was behind them. It was revealed to be Lando walking inside excitedly, coming by to check in on his newest arrivals.
The minute his eyes landed on Leia a big grin appeared on his face, followed by a sly grin and an eye roll that appeared on Han's face.
"You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds." Lando complimented Leia, his eyes never straying from her as she stood up.
She then thanked him moving and staying close to Han as Lando began to look around the room in confusion. Everyone seemed so somber, and on top of that someone was missing.
"Where's Amara?" He asked the crew waiting for their responses.
"She went out. We don't exactly know where though. She just wanted to get away for a little." Han answered waiting to see if Lando would be able to fill them in on anything of use.
"She must be going to the gardens then. In that case would you all join me for a little refreshment while she is out? Everyone's invited of course, and I could lead her towards the destination when she's done." Lando wondered taking Leia's hand, not waiting for an answer.
Han noticed Lando coming over to Leia quickly, so the smuggler decided to go after her as well locking his arm with hers.
Leia sighed at the display as the men were walks towards the door. Once Lando was outside he was now prepared to lead the way.
As the rest began to leave is when Han saw that the protocol droid was destroyed in the background.
"You having trouble with your droid?" He asked in pure confusion. The way he asked led Leia to believe that he truly didn't know anything. Because of this she just denied his question ready to continue forward with the other.
-
[Administrators Palace]
Lando continue to lead the others throughout the Administrators Palace calmly conversing with them throughout the journey. Leia seemed very interested in his political conversation while Han move more interested in taking und the sights for now.
"You see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire. It's been that way since the beginning." Lando explained taking the crew that he had gathered, to go get refreshments.
As Lando led the way, the crew were able to see the many people that lived in Cloud City. But they also took noticed of how beautiful the place was, it was no wonder there were so many residents that resided for so long.
"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia wondered. She kept her arm locked tightly with Han's as Lando lead them through the area. But something didn't seem right in the back of her head. For once she just actually hoped Amara would show up. At least Amara would be verbal about wether something felt off.
Lando was acting strange. There was no denying it. He couldn't even tell them where they were going. He had been trying to avoid it and Leia had caught on.
"No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed. Which is advantageous for everyone." Lando smiled continuing on, answering any questions that were thrown at him. The only question he wouldn't answer is where they were going.
"Aren't you afraid that the empire will find out about this, and shut you down?" Han wondered, trying to keep up, firstly making sure Leia was by his side still. He was now starting to feel uneasy, straightening his posture, looking forward at the the way Lando was leading them.
"No. Actually I've just made a deal that will keep the empire out of here forever." Lando finished slowly. His footsteps had finally slowed as he finally made it to the destination he had been leading them to.
Lando then pressed the button on the control panel that was available to him in order to open the door to the room they would soon all enter. As the door opened, they saw a table of delicious foods waiting to be eaten.
They had also noticed that Darth Vader's figure was sitting at the table silently waiting for them to arrive.
Leia's eyes widened as she nervously stepped over to Han. He acted the same as her, grabbing her body to push her towards him.
Vader could feel their trembling fear as the looked at him, he then acted first at standing up ready to greet them.
Han ripped out his blaster as he saw Vader stand. Shooting without hesitation, he saw his bolts aim towards Vader, but every shot was deflected by the Sith Lord.
Han's blaster was stripped and ripped out of his hand by Vader as well soon landing in the man's hand away from the smuggler.
While all of this happened, Vader was calm, not shifting in the slightest as everything had transpired.
"We would be honored if you would join us." Vader spoke. Boba Fett then arrived staring at the guests, looking directly at Han through his helmet. He raised his weapon aiming it at them, then waiting for further instructions from the Sith Lord.
Vader and Boba were also accompanied by many Storm troopers, who blocked the way, as a precaution to keep anyone from escaping the room.
"I had no choice. They arrived here right before you did. I'm sorry." Lando spoke as his head lowered. He knew he couldn't look his friend on the eyes after what he had done.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too." Han ignored Lando's glance as well, knowing that the traitor now had to walk in. The crew were lead towards the corner of the room right after with the rest of their weapons stripped.
"We can not begin until she is here. Bring me Amara." Vader spoke to Lando seeing as the man nod before quickly leaving as the door closed behind him.
-