The interior of the bunker was very dark. Jon's eyes took a moment to adjust after the brightness of the forest.
"Wow! It's so much bigger on the inside!" Jon marveled. "Does anyone know where we have to go? I mean, where is the actual shield generator?"
"Come on, Jon," said Han. "Did you really expect the shield generator to just be waiting for us as soon as we walked in the door? They keep these things in special control rooms."
"Well, how are we supposed to get to this control room, Dad?" asked Jon.
"I'm working on it," said Leia. She again looked at the scanner, which now displayed a map of the bunker's maze of corridors. "We've got a ways to go."
"Do you think we'll run into any guards, Scout Troopers or Stormtroopers?" asked Jon.
"I couldn't tell you, son," said Han. "But if we do, I'll be ready for them."
"Me, too," said Jon, patting his training blaster. "I may not be able to actually kill anyone with this thing, but it still packs a wallop."
"You've never killed anyone, Jon," said Han.
"Actually, he has," said Leia. "Last year on Bespin, as we were escaping after loosing you, Lando gave Jon a real blaster. And he used it to kill several Stormtroopers."
"Don't start that again, Mom," said Jon. "That's all they were-Stormtroopers. So, it doesn't really count. And I was only doing it to protect me, you, Chewie, Lando and the droids."
"And that's good, son," said Han "I've always taught you to protect and defend yourself."
"Yeah, Dad, I know," said Jon. "And I have another thought. Sure, I'm not in an X-wing, but I'm helping to take down the second Death Star. I guess that kinda makes me like Luke when he destroyed the first one."
"I hope Shara will be ok," said Kes. "As well as Norra, Wedge, Lando and all the other pilots."
"I'm sure they will be, Kes," said Jon.
The group advanced through corridor after corridor. Jon's heart beat fiercely in his chest from mounting anticipation. They didn't encounter any Imperials in the three corridors. Han blasted open the the door of the fourth one, where the shield generator was housed. That's when things started to change. Imperials sitting at the monitoring stations stood up as the group of Rebels entered.
"All right! Up!" Han commanded. "Move! Come on! Quickly! Quickly! Chewie." The Wookiee backed a trio of Imperials into a corner.
"This here Wookiee is usually pretty calm and friendly," said Jon. "But I'd advise staying clear of his bad side."
"Han, hurry!" Leia urged. "The fleet will be here any moment!"
"Charges!" Han ordered. "Come on! Come on!" Kes tossed the charges to Han, who began setting them. In Jon's mind, things were going exactly as they were supposed to. The Rebels had stormed the bunker. Han was setting the bombs. The Rebels would escape before they went off. The shield generator would come down, then the Falcon and various Rebel starfighters would move in on the Death Star. Of course, life is never that simple. The apparent ease with which Jon and the others had made this far actually put them right in the middle of the Emperor's trap. He, himself, had allowed the Alliance to learn the location of the shield generator. And a legion of his best troops awaited them.
"Freeze!" an Imperial officer ordered as he and a group of Stormtroopers barged in. Han threw a crate at the other man, who fell over the side of a railing.
"You Rebel scum," another Imperial officer sneered, pointing a blaster at Han, Leia and Jon.
*Don't talk about them like that!* Chewie barked.
"Scum?!" Jon repeated questioningly, putting his hands on his hips. "You can't expect to talk about my dad like that, then expect to get away with it."
"Leave it, Jon," said Leia. "There's nothing you can do."
"Are you telling me to give up, Mom?" asked Jon.
"Not at all," Leia replied. "But this is one of those times where you've got to learn to pick your battles."
The Imperials began disarming the Rebels. Chewie had to give up his bowcaster. The Jon, Han, Leia, Kes and other members of the strike team all had their blasters confiscated. After that, the group was brought all the way back through the corridors of the bunker, and out into the forest again. In the clearing, Jon saw many more Imperial officers, Scout Troopers and Stormtroopers. Two At-St walkers-one that was stationary, and another that was stalking through the forest-were also there. A group of Stormtroopers was hauling the members of the strike team who had stood watch for Jon and everyone else. They marched with their arms held above their heads.
"All right, move it!" the lead Stormtrooper hauling Jon, Han, Leia and Chewie ordered. They began walking forward. "Keep movie. Come on."
"Ok, there, Bucket-Head," said Jon. "You don't have to get your armor all up in a twist."
"What have I told you about keeping quiet, boy?" asked the Stormtrooper.
"Well, can I at least say what might be my last words to my father, mother and hairy uncle?" asked Jon. The Stormtrooper only shrugged. Jon took that as permission.
"Dad, Mom, Chewie, I'm scared," Jon began. "Scared that this is the end. Scared that after all we've done so far, it could end like this. Scared that we failed the Galaxy. But I'm not scared to die. And if we're all about to die right now, I just want all of you to know that I love you."
"We love you, too, Jon," said Han. "Whatever happens now, I've always been so proud of you."
"So have I," said Leia.
*Me, too,* added Chewie.
"I just wish Luke was here, so we could say goodbye to him, too," said Jon.
"Hello!" Jon, Han, Leia and Chewie turned and looked up. 3-PO and R2 appeared out from behind a tree. The golden droid held his arms up in the air. "I say, over there! Were you looking for me!"
*That crazy droid!* moaned Chewie.
"I know, Chewie," said Jon. "3-PO, what are you doing?!"
"Bring those two down here!" ordered an Imperial officer. Stormtroopers ran to confront the droids.
"What's going on?" asked Jon.
"Your guess is as good as mine, son," replied Han.
"Well, they're on their way," said 3-PO. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Freeze!" exclaimed the lead Stormtrooper. "Don't move!"
"We surrender!" 3-PO pleaded.
That's when it happened. Hordes of Ewoks jumped over logs, hooting, hollering and whooping. They jumped on top of the Stormtroopers, attacking them. This allowed R2 and 3-PO to get away. Wicket and Chief Chirpa showed up. This attack had been their idea. Jon, Han, Leia and Chewie looked up as the sounds horns filled their ears. They'd been blown by a pair of Ewoks sitting in separate trees. A new group of Ewoks stood up, firing on the Imperials with bows and arrows. What had started off as a a surprise attack now turned into an all-out battle. Jon and his family joined the fray, too. Han and Chewie slammed Stormtroopers and Scout Troopers into themselves. Leia fired off several shots, taking down Imperials on both the ground, and from the top of one of the AT-ST's. Jon heard the sounds of speeder bikes taking off. After flinging a Scout Trooper over his shoulder, Han picked up what he thought was his blaster. But then he noticed the orange tip. This was Jon's training blaster. He looked over at Jon, who has mistakenly picked up Han's own real DL-44 blaster.
"Wait, Jon! No!" Han shouted in warning. But it was too late. Jon fired, hitting an unarmed and unarmored Imperial officer right in the chest. He fell down dead. Jon had killed him, and his father had seen him. Both of them looked at each other with shocked expressions.
"This is your blaster, Jon," Han said as he came up to his son.
"And I guess this is yours, huh?" asked Jon. He handed the DL-44 to Han, who gave Jon's training blaster back to him. "Dad, I'm sorry." But whether Jon was apologizing for the blaster mix-up or killing that man, Han couldn't tell.
"Do you hate me now?" asked Jon. "Are you afraid of me? Do you think I could become a monster? A senseless killing machine? Yeah, I've killed before. But this is different than Stormtropers. I actually watched life and light leave a man's eyes, because of me! And I hate myself for it!" He was this close to breaking down and crying.
"Jonathan Jacen Solo, you are my son," said Han. "Nothing you do could ever make me hate or fear you. You won't become a monster or a senseless killer. You know better than that. I taught you better than that! Remember what I said earlier about defending yourself? Well, that's what you did here. You killed someone before they had a chance to hurt you, me, Chewie or your mother. And I'm very proud of you for that."
"How old were you, Dad?" asked Jon.
"What do you mean?" asked Han. "How old was I when what?"
"How old were you when you first killed someone?" Jon questioned. "I mean, for real? Were you my age? Older?" Jon gulped. "Younger?"
"I had to be several years older than you," answered Han. "It happened so long ago, when you were still very little, after I'd deserted the Imperial Army. Because during my service days, I tried to avoid killing people. It changed and shocked me, yes. But I didn't let it turn into an all-consuming murderous rage. I was able to control it, and kill only when I felt it was necessary. And I know you can do the same."
"Han, Jon, get over here!" yelled Leia. "This might be our best chance to retake the bunker." Jon and Han rushed over to Leia's side. Han, blaster held high, crouched in front of Leia to protect her while she worked the control panel. Jon kept as low as he could to avoid blaster fire.
The battle raged on all around them. A pair of Ewoks swung in on vines to knock down two Stormtroopers, and then proceeded to beat them. An At-St stomped through the forest, shooting at a group of fleeing Ewoks. Then one Ewok, using a hang-glider-like contraption to to fly through the trees dropped a rock on a Stormtrooper before he was shot out of the sky. Another bunch of Ewoks used vines to try and bring down an AT-ST, but the just ended up being dragged along the ground. Yet another group, which included Wicket, lobbed crude boleros at more Stormtroopers. The Ewoks were putting up a good fight. Their involvement was making a difference. Jon had to admit he found all of that to be pretty impressive. But by the time the battle was over, the Ewoks would suffer many losses of their own.
Back at the bunker, Han shot as many people as he could. Leia tried to re-input the same code from before, but there was a problem.
"The code's changed!" she announced. "We need R2!"
"Oh, that sucks!"Jon exclaimed. "And, yeah, R2 can help. But we don't even know where he and 3-PO are, Mom."
"Here's the terminal," Han said, standing up and opening the hatch of the terminal.
"R2, where are you?" Leia asked into her comlink. Over the noise of the battle, Jon could just barely hear R2 beep his reply. "We need you at the bunker right away!" Han shot another Stormtrooper.
"R2 should be here shortly," said Leia. "And maybe he'll bring 3-PO along, too."
"Hey, Mom, you saw how I killed that guy earlier, didn't you?" asked Jon.
"Yes, I did, Jon," Leia replied.
"And well, what did you think?" asked Jon. "Yes, I've killed Stormtroopers before. And you've seen me do that. But this felt so different."
"I've never liked seeing you use violence against people," said Leia.
"It's weird," said Jon. "From the time I was ten, all I've wanted to do was fight against the Empire. And now I'm doing it. But I'm also discovering that I'm capable of killing other people, which is something I don't like...even if they are Imperials, who I hate."
"But in this case, just as with the Stormtroopers back on Bespin, you were acting defensively," said Leia. "And that's nothing be ashamed of. There will be may more times in your life where you'll have to things or make choices you don't like or aren't proud of. But I know you. And I think you know this about yourself. You are a good person. Always have been, always will be. And nothing can ever change that."
"Thanks, Mom," said Jon.
"Hey, have you two forgotten about the battle?" asked Han.
"Oh, sorry, Dad," said Jon. Han pointed his blaster at some Stormtroopers, preparing to shoot, but the Ewoks were making short work of them with sticks, spears and rocks. Plus, Han didn't want to risk accidentally hitting one of the furry creatures.
Jon suddenly heard a familiar beep, as well as a shout of "We're coming!" He turned to see R2 and 3-PO approaching the bunker.
"Hey, guys," said Jon. "It's about time you two showed up." Han did fire a shot at a Stormtrooper just then, and 3-PO cried out in fright at the hail of blaster fire.
"Come on! Come on!" Han barked at R2. The astro droid rolled up to Han, plugging himself into the bunker's control terminal.
"Come on, R2," Jon encouraged. "Open the door for us. I know you can do it, little buddy."
"Oh, R2! Hurry!" 3-PO urged. Then the unexpected happened. A Stormtrooper fired a shot, which hit R2. The droid was flung backwards with a whine.
"Oh, my goodness!" 3-PO exclaimed. Han retaliated by killing the Stormtrooper. R2 beeped and screeched some more as sparks flew out if him, before going stock still and silent.
"R2, why did you have to be so brave?" 3-PO asked mournfully.
"Well, I suppose I could hot-wire this thing," said Han. He set to work on the door.
"I'll cover you," said Leia as she crouched down in front of Han. "Jon, stay over there with R2 and 3-PO."
"Ok, Mom," Jon said, moving over to the droids. "How's R2 doing, 3-PO? And do you think he'll ever be the same again?"
"I couldn't tell you, young master Jon," said 3-PO. R2 remained quiet, indicating to Jon that he had gone into sleep mode. The boy hopped that would help him reboot.
"I think I got it!" Han exclaimed. The bunker's door slid up. "I got it!" Jon smiled, but he frowned a moment later as the door slammed shut again.
"Whoops! Looks like you don't got it, Dad!" Jon deadpanned with a sigh.
"Aah!" Leia cried out in pain as a Stormtrooper lurking in the bushes shot her in the left arm. With a gasp and a grimace, Han abandoned his work with the door to rush to Leia's side. He propped her up against a corner.
"Princess Leia, are you all right?" asked 3-PO.
"Mom, no!"" shouted Jon. He hated to see her get hurt.
"Let's see," Han said gently.
"It's not bad," Leia insisted, shaking her head.
"Freeze!" demanded one of two Stormtroopers who had come up behind them.
"Oh, dear, exclaimed 3-PO. This really felt like the end to Jon. Leia was injured. And a pair of Stormtroopers were pointing blasters at all of them.
"Don't move!" one of the Stormtroopers ordered further. Han was blocking Leia from their view. They couldn't see how she pulled out her blaster with her right hand. But Han and Jon saw this, and they grinned.
"I love you," said Han.
"I know," Leia replied. This was a reversal of their exchange in the Carbon-Freezing chamber on Bespin last year. That day had scared Jon, because he felt as if he was loosing his father forever. But he was happy now. For the the first time that he could ever remember, he'd heard his father profess love for a woman. Of course, Leia wasn't just any woman. She had met Han and Jon at just the right time, changing their lives forever, and all for the better. Jon had sensed the sincerity from Leia telling Han she loved him last year. He now knew Han was being sincere, too. He and Leia really, truly loved each other.
"Hands up!" one of the Stormtroopers demanded. Leave it to the Empire to ruin such a beautiful moment. "Stand up!" Han raised his arms, turned and stood up to face the Stormtroopers. Jon copied his father. Leia remained seated, and as soon as she had a clear view, she shot and killed both of the Stormtroopers. Even injured, Leia was still a formidable fighter.
"That was awesome, Mom!" Jon praised in awe.
"Thank you, Jon," said Leia. She, Jon and Han turned as an AT-ST lumbered into the clearing before coming to a halt right in front of them.
"Really?!" Jon asked in exasperation. "The Empire just won't let us catch a break, will they?"
"Be quiet, Jon," Han warned. "And I want you and Leia to stay back." He approached the walker, still holding his arms up. The hatch of the At-St opened at that moment. But instead of more Imperials, out popped...
"Chewie!" Han breathed in relief.
"There you are!" Jon said as he stepped closer to the AT-ST. "Where have you been, Uncle Chewie?"
*Hi, Han, hi, Jon!" Chewie greeted happily.
"Get down here!" Han ordered. "She's wounded!"
"Yeah, Mom got shot by a Stormtrooper," Jon elaborated.
*I'll be right there!* called Chewie.
"No, wait!" Han added at that moment.
*Huh?* asked Chewie.
"Yeah, what's going on, Dad?" asked Jon.
"Come over here, Jon," said Han. Father and son returned to Leia's side. Han turned to face her. "I got an idea."
End of Chapter 21.
Author's Notes:
1.) When I did The Empire Strikes Back, you might remember how I wrote the scene at the dinner where Jon defended Han's shadier aspects from Vader and Boba Fett. Later in that same book, he, himself, killed Stormtroopers while escaping from Cloud City. In this chapter, Han found out about that, and saw Jon kill someone. For Jon, himself, killing that Imperial officer, was the darkest thing he's done so far in this series. And it's a turning point in his life, to realize he had that in him. Of course, he, like his father, will develop a code, by killing or harming someone only when it's really necessary, like for self-defense and similar reasons. Speaking of Han, I won't out-right spoil Solo: A Star Wars Story, but when he thinks back to the first time he ever really killed someone, I meant to imply something he did in that movie. If you've seen it, you might know what I'm talking about. And I'll actually write about this particular event when I do the prequel, which will incorporate certain elements of Solo's plot.
2.) In ESB, Jon was there for the first "I love you/I know" scene. So, of course he had to be there for the second one.
3.) The way Jon incredulously repeats "Scum?!" after that one Imperial goes "You Rebel scum" is a nod to what Han said in the alternate version of the scene in the bunker, which was deleted from the final cut.