Lee Brackett, Dark Lord of the Sith, paced slowly back and forth, his black cloak billowing behind him. His face was flushed with anger, and his eyes were dark and cruel. Governor Alex Barnes, his second-in-command, merely stood still, staring out into space through a large, panoramic window.

In further contrast to Lord Brackett, Governor Alex's face betrayed no hint of emotion at all as she studied the remnants of the recently destroyed planet, Australiaan.

Brackett turned quickly as a door slid open. The youthful Admiral Samantha, clad in grey uniform and black gloves, stepped into the room. "Yes?"

Admiral Samantha swallowed nervously. "Our scout ships have reached Washingtionn." she reported. "They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems."

"She lied." Alex said. "She lied to us!"

Lord Brackett spoke, his voice as dark as his expression. "I told you Princess Megan would never consciously betray the Rebellion."

"Terminate her." Alex snarled. "Immediately."

// Not far away... //

"Stand by everybody, here we go. I'm cutting in the sublight engines." said Jim Solo, and the Millenium Jaguar came out of hyperspace with a receding whine that rattled Blair Sandwalker's teeth. The young man wondered briefly if hyperspace was always so jarring, or if it was just Jim Solo's piloting skills. He didn't ask, though, for two reasons. First, he didn't want to offend the older man; Solo had already shown hints of a nasty temper. Second, he didn't want to look like an ignorant farmboy in front of the obviously more experienced pilot. Blair didn't really know why he cared what the abrupt and unfriendly man thought of him... but he kept his mouth just just the same.

Outside the cockpit window, the stars that had been streaking past so quickly shimmered, then regained their usual stationary appearance. Suddenly the Millenium Jaguar began to shudder and shake violently. Asteroids raced toward them, battering the sides of the ship.

"What the...?" Jim jabbed at the controls. "We've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. It's not on any of the charts... What the hell?"

Blair looked over his shoulder, but didn't see anything on the monitors. "What's going on?"

"Our position's correct, but... no Australiaan!"

"What do you mean? A planet can't just disappear." Blair said incredulously. "Where is it?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," said Jim. "It isn't there. It's been totally blown away."

"What?" Blair stared outside in growing shock at the thousands of asteroids that continued to jar the ship, for the first time realizing what they were. "How?"

Jim shrugged, concentrating on piloting his ship into a safe area of space, and Simon spoke up from behind Blair, startling them both. "Destroyed. By the Empire."

Jim glanced back at him quickly. "Are you kidding? The entire starfleet couldn't destroy a whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than--" He was interrupted by a flashing alarm signal on the control panel, and glanced down at it. "There's another ship coming in."

"Maybe they know what happened." Blair suggested.

Simon looked out into space. "It's an Imperial fighter."

Blair jerked back as a huge explosion burst outside the cockpit window, shaking the ship violently. A tiny, finned Imperial TIE fighter raced past the cockpit window. "It followed us!"

"No. It's a short range fighter." observed Simon.

"If they identify us, we're in big trouble, man." Blair said, grabbing the back of Jim's chair.

"Not if I can jam its transmissions," Jim said, leaning intently over the controls.

"Let it go," said Simon. "It's too far out of range."

"Not for long." Jim shook his head, and the Millenium Jaguar gained steadily on the tiny fighter.

"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own." Simon said.

In the distance, one speck of light became brighter and brighter, until it was obvious that the small TIE ship was heading for it.

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us."

As they pursued the TIE fighter, the speck of light grew, into a small, white sphere. "Look," Blair pointed. "He's headed for that small moon."

"I think I can get him before--" Jim muttered. Suddenly, all three men gaped as they stared at the small moon. Angular lines and geometric curves crossed its surface, revealing it to be a construction of unnatural origin.

"That's no moon! It's a space station." Simon said.

"No way!" Jim objected. "It's too big."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Blair muttered.

"Yeah," said Jim, still staring out at the station, "yeah, I think you're right< Chief. Putting engines on full reverse--" The pirateship rocked suddenly, and the TIE fighter accelerated away.

Blair leaned forward ugently. "Why are we still moving towards it?"

"We're caught in a tractor beam!" Jim said, frustrated. "It's pulling us in!"

"What!?" Blair yelped. "There's gotta be something you can do!"

"There's nothing I can do about it, Sandwalker." Jim growled. "I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!"

Simon reached over, putting a hand on his shoulder, and Jim looked up, startled. "You can't win." said the older man. "But there are alternatives to fighting."

// Inside the Death Star... //

The Millenium Jaguar was towed closer and closer to the awesome space station. Finally the battered pirate starship came to rest in a huge hangar. Thirty stormtroopers were at attention not far away, some ready to board the Millenium Jaguar, while other troopers stood with weapons ready to fire.

Inside, Jim took a slow, quiet breath. He and Sandwalker were hidden under the deckplates in the Millenium Jaguar's custom-built smuggling compartments. Simon had insisted on staying with the two droids, in another compartment towards the front of the ship. Though for what reason, Jim couldn't imagine. Certainly if he had to be stuck in cramped quarters, in the dark, he'd rather be with the farmboy than those annoying droids. Especially in their current position.

It was rather tempting. Jim was half-crouching, one leg bent, with Sandwalker's knees tucked inside his. Both were crouched slightly to avoid banging their heads, and the farmboy's face, steeled with determination, was close enough for Jim to hear each shallow, nervous breath. Footsteps clomped overhead suddenly, startlingly loud, and Sandwalker flinched, hands curled into fists.

Caught suddenly in the grip of an impulse he could do little to explain and less to deny, Jim lifted a hand and slid it along Sandwalker's cheek, enjoying the prickly texture of unshaven skin. The rasp of stubble was loud in the unnatural quiet, and Sandwalker's eyes, already wide in the near-dark, went even wider. Bracing his elbow on the side of the compartment, Jim leaned forward, laying a quick, chaste kiss on the farmboy's slightly gaping mouth.

"For luck," he said softly, and Sandwalker stared for a moment before sucking in a startled breath, then glancing away. Jim grinned.

// Outside... //

Dark Lord Brackett and Admiral Samantha entered the hangar as an officer and several heavily armed troops exit the spacecraft. The officer approached Brackett, saluted, and made his report. "There's no one on board, sir. According to the log, the crew abandoned ship right after takeoff."

"A decoy," Sam bared her teeth in a grimace of disgust.

Brackett nodded calmly. "Send a scanning crew on board. I want every part of this ship checked."

"Yes, sir." said the officer, saluted again, and turned away.

Sam was about stalk away angrily, but as she turned to go, she caught a glimpse of a strange expression on Dark Lord Brackett's face. She paused, studying him.

"I sense something," Bracket murmured. "A presence I haven't felt since..." He broke off, turned quickly and exited the hangar. Sam paused for a moment, gazing curiously after him.

// In the Millenium Jaguar... //

Finding nothing, the stormtroopers finally gave up and left. When he felt it was safe, Jim popped the lid off his compartment, and climbed out, followed by Sandwalker. Simon Kenobi stuck his head out of a third locker.

"Lucky you had these smuggling compartments," said Blair, hoisting himself out.

Jim shook his head. "I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them. This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."

Simon nodded. "Leave that to me."

"Damn fool-- I knew that you were going to say that." Jim muttered.

"Who's the more foolish," Simon asked, "the fool or the fool who follows him?"

// Outside the Comm Room... //

The three men skulked towards the comm room, trailed by the two droids. The door slid open, with a whoosh, revealing a grey-suited gantry officer. "Hey--"

"Oh no you don't!" Stepping forward, Jim caught him with a powerful right to the jaw, dropping him with one blow. His aide immediately reached for his pistol, but was blasted by Blair, who had recently acquired the armor of an Imperial stormtrooper, pulling it on over his white desert apparel. Following Jim and Blair, Simon and the droids entered the room quickly.

"What with all the noise," Blair grumbled, "it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here."

"Bring 'em on!" Jim shot back. "I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around."

"We found the computer outlet, sir." Threepio reported.

"Plug in." Simon told him, then glanced at Jim and Blair. "He should be able to access the entire Imperial computer network from here."

Artoo punched his claw arm into the computer socket and the network came to life, feeding information to the little robot. After a few moments, he beeped something. "He says he's found the main computer of the tractor beam." Threepio translated. "It is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals should allow the ship to leave."

"I don't think you boys can help." Simon said, studying the data on the monitor readout. "I have to do this alone."

Jim held up his hands. "Whatever you say. I've done more that I bargained for on this trip already."

Blair spoke up. "I want to go with you."

"Be patient, Blair," said Simon, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stay and watch over the droids. They must be delivered, or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Australiaan. Your destiny lies along a different path than mine-- but the Force will be with you always."

Adjusting the lightsaber on his belt, Simon slipped silently out of the command office. Jim stared after him. "Where'd you dig up that old fossil, anyway?"

Blair shot him a reproving glance. "Simon Kenobi is a great man."

"Yeah. Great at getting us into trouble." Jim muttered.

"Hey, man, I didn't hear you giving out any ideas."

"Well, anything would be better than just hanging around waiting," Jim complained.

Suddenly, Artoo began to whistle and beep loudly. Blair went over to him. "What is it? Threepio, what's he saying?"

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir." said Threepio. "He says 'I found her,' and keeps repeating, 'She's here.'"

"Who?" Blair asked. "Who's here?"

Artoo whistled a frantic reply.

"Princess Megan Connora." Threepio responded.

Blair gaped. "The princess? She's here?"

"Princess?" Jim looked at Threepio, then Blair. "What's going on?"

"Level five. Detention block A-twenty-three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated." Threepio said regretfully.

"Oh, no!" Blair groaned. "We gotta do something!"

"Now wait just a minute, Chief," Jim objected, "Simon wanted us to wait here, remember?"

"But he didn't know she was here." Blair said. "All right. We have to find a way down into the detention block--"

Jim shook his head. "I don't think so, Sandwalker! I'm not going anywhere."

"Jim, come on, man, they're going to execute her." Blair said urgently. "Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here. Now all you want to do is stay?"

"Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind!" Jim argued.

"But they're going to kill her!"

Jim shrugged, and looked away. "Better her than me."

Blair stared at him intently, then spoke. "Look," he said, voice low. "Help me with this, and--"

"And what?" Jim asked sarcastically, crossing his arms. A moment later, startled, he flung his arms to either side for balance-- Sandwalker had curled a hand in his belt and tugged him forward roughly, then made up the rest of the distance between them, pressing his body against the smuggler's. Before Jim knew what was happening, Sandwalker's hand had abandoned his belt and slipped down, stroking the crotch of his tight black pants.

Simultaneously, the farmboy reached up and slid a hand between Jim's collar and his neck. Strong fingers kneaded the muscles there, a firm counterpoint to the light, short strokes Sandwalker was teasing him with below the waist. Smiling wickedly, Sandwalker turned his face up, lips parted for a kiss, and Jim dove into his mouth like a leaf falling from a tree-- spiralling down dizzyingly--

Until Sandwalker pulled away, gasping for breath, but with a triumphant look on his flushed features.

"You help me with this," he said breathlessly, "and we'll see where things go."

"Oh, my," said the tall gold protocol droid. "I--" Jim turned and glared at it, and it shut up.

"Why, you little--" Jim turned his furious gaze back to Sandwalker, then stopped. Honestly, he didn't know whether to be grieviously insulted, or... intrigued. Quite obviously he'd been led astray by first impressions; those damned big blue eyes, he growled inwardly, clenching his jaw. For the first time, the smuggler thought seriously of the farmboy, naked and wanton in Jim's bunk, back on the Millenium Jaguar-- and the thoughts shocked him where he stood, stunning him with their urgency, their irresistibility. But did Sandwalker really believe Jim would take him up on an offer like that?

"I may be a mercenary," he growled suddenly, "but I've never needed to pay for it-- and damned if I'm starting with you."

"That's right, you are a mercenary," Blair realized, eyes wide-- missing Jim's point entirely. "Look, man, the Princess is rich, and I mean rich, powerful-- think about it, she probably stands to inherit most of Australiaan's offworld holdings!" he gestured emphatically, and Jim found himself listening despite his best intentions. "If you were to rescue her," Sandwalker continued persuasively, "the reward would be... well, more than you can imagine."

"I don't know," Jim said crankily, visions of the tanned farmboy still shimmying in his head. "I can imagine quite a bit."

"You'll get it!" Sandwalker promised him.

Damn right, I will, Jim vowed silently, and I won't have to trade a damn thing. "Well, I better!"

"You will." Sandwalker assured him, patting his shoulder.

"All right... But you'd better be right about this." Jim warned him. "What's your plan?"

"Uh..." The farmboy looked around the small room. "Threepio, hand me those binders there will you?" Blair moved toward Jim, holding out a pair of electronic cuffs. "Okay, now I'm going to put these on you." he said, and stopped as Jim's eyes narrowed. "Okay, uh, you put these on." Blair sheepishly handed the binders to Jim.

Jim sighed, but took them. "All right... I think I know what you have in mind."

// Later... //

Blair put his stormtrooper helmet back on and tried to look inconspicuous as he and Jim waited for a vacuum elevator to arrive. Troops, bureaucrats, and robots bustled about, ignoring them completely. Finally a small elevator arrived, and Jim and Blair got on. The door to the pod-like vehicle slid closed and the elevator car took off through a vacuum tube, soon reaching its destination. Blair and Jim stepped forward to exit the elevator. Jim's eyes narrowed as he spotted guards and laser gates all over the room.

"This is not going to work." he said under his breath.

"Why didn't you say so before?" Blair hissed back.

"I did say so before!"

They both shut up as a tall, grim-looking officer approached. "Where are you headed?"

"Prisoner transfer from Block one-one-three-eight." Blair lied glibly.

"I wasn't notified. I'll have to clear it." The officer went back to his console and began to punch in the information. There were only three other troopers in the area, and then Jim unfastened one of the electronic cuffs. Shrugging to Blair, he suddenly threw up his hands, grabbing Blair's laser rifle.

"Look out! He's loose!" Blair yelled, pulling out his laser pistol and blasting away. His barrage of laserfire missed Jim, but managed to hit most of the camera eyes, laser gate controls, and the Imperial guards. Taking care of whatever targets Blair missed, Jim rushed to the comlink system, which was screeching questions about what is going on.

"We've got to find out which cell this princess of yours is in," he said, quickly checking the computer readout. "Here-- cell twenty-one-eight-seven. You go get her. I'll hold them here."

Nodding, Blair raced down one of the cell corridors. Jim coughed, and spoke into the buzzing comlink. "Everything is under control. Situation normal."

"What happened?" barked a voice over the intercom intercom.

"Uh, had a slight weapons malfunction." Jim said nervously. "But, uh, everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you..." He paused. "How are you?"

"We're sending a squad up."

"Uh, uh, negative." Jim backpedaled. "We had a reactor leak here now. Give us a few minutes to lock it down. Large leak... very dangerous."

"Who is this?" buzzed the intercom. "What's your operating number?"

Hoisting the laser rifle, Jim blasted the comlink. "Stupid conversation anyway." he muttered, then shouted down the hall. "Sandwalker! We're gonna have company!"

// In the Cell Area... //

Blair didn't hear Jim, quickly running down the row of cells. When he found the right one, he blasted the door away with his laser pistol. When the smoke clears, Blair stared in awe at the stunning Princess and senator, Megan Connora. She had apparently been sleeping, and was now sitting up, her long pink coat slipping away from long, shapely legs.

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?"

"What... oh." Blair shook off his befuddlement and removed his helmet of his uniform. "I'm Blair Sandwalker. I'm here to rescue you."

Megan blinked. "Sorry, you're who?"

"I'm here to rescue you." Blair said urgently. "I've got your R2 unit. I'm here with Simon Kenobi."

Megan sat up straight. "Simon Kenobi is here! Where?"

Blair stretched out a hand. "Come with me!"

// In Lord Brackett's conference room... //

Governor Alex sat at the far end of the conference table, her eyes wide as she stared at Lord Brackett. "Simon Kenobi! Here? What makes you think so?"

"A tremor in the Force." Brackett said distantly. "The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master."

"Surely he must be dead by now." Alex said dismissively. "The Jedi are extinct. Their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their ancient religion."

There was a quiet buzz on the comlink, and Alex answered it. "Yes?"

"Governor Alex, we have an emergency alert in detention block A-twenty-three."

"The princess." Alex growled. "Put all sections on alert!"

"Simon is here." Brackett warned her. "And the Force is with him."

Alex stood. "If you're right, he must not be allowed to escape."

Brackett shook his head. "Escape is not his plan. I will face him... alone."

Hand on his lightsaber, the Dark Lord pulled his black cape tightly around his shoulders, and stalked out of the room.