The flight deck was deserted. No white suited ground crew tinkering 
 with the ships, no pilots standing around in gossipy groups. Obviously things were happening.

     I climbed out of my X-Wing, took off my helmet and looked around. 
 There had to be a Deck Officer on duty at least - somewhere. Right behind me as it turned out.

     "'Bout time you showed up." It was Denay. We'd met four years 
 ago on Yavin when I was a wet behind the ears pilot and she a very 
 junior ground officer. We'd both come up in the world since. 

    "I was begining to get worried." she continued. "Princess Leia 
 said you'd just be a few hours behind them."

     "I had to stop over on Panna." I explained. "And ran into Master Jinn."

     "Ahhhh." eyebrows arched. "And did he happen to have that pretty little lady Jedi with him?"

     I was *not* blushing. "No, he did not."

     "Too bad."

     I hastily changed the subject. "Where is everybody?"

     "Big briefing in the War Room. You better get a move on, you're supposed to be there."

     I started for the door - and was stopped in my tracks by a long, loud electronic protest.

    "Sorry, Artoo." I reached out with the Force lifting him from 
 his socket behind the cockpit and lowering him gently to the deck. 
 Complaining in bleeps and hoots the whole time. Artoo hates being 
 levitated but hates missing out on the action more.

     It wasn't until I turned back to Denay and saw the dropped jaw 
 that I realized what I'd done. Then I did blush. "There haven't 
 been any droid lifts where we've been." I explained awkwardly. "I 
 kind of got into the habit of doing it myself." I was begining to 
 take my Jedi powers for granted, was that good or bad?

     "Pretty handy." she managed, "I don't suppose you could teach me to do that?"

     "Probably not." Denay, like many Rebels, was a bit stronger 
 in the Force than most but nowhere near Jedi level.


     I arrived outside the War Room just in time to hear General 
 Madine say, "General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"

     Naw, couldn't be.

     But it was. "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."

     A roar from Chewy. "//What am I, Banta Poodoo?//"

     "It's going to be rough, pal." Han apologized. "I didn't want to speak for you."

     "//You think I'm going to let you go off and get yourself killed 
 without me? What are partners for?//"

     Han laughed. "That's one!"

     Leia's voice, pleased and proud. "Uh, General...count me in."

     A cue if ever I heard one. I stepped through the open door. "I'm with you too!" 

    And was greeted by a wave of excitement and relief. Even Mon 
 Mothma and the Admiral seemed reassured by the presence of a lone 
 Jedi. It was frightening, the responsibility.

     Leia - my sister - flung herself into my arms then pulled back, 
 smile fading into a little frown. "What is it?"

     I was tempted to tell her, but the middle of a crowd wasn't 
 the place to go into a lot of complicated - and painful - family 
 history. "Ask me again sometime."
        
     "Luke." Han was sensing things too, I could tell, and wasn't 
 sure what to make of them. Which made us even. I didn't quite know what to make of him either.

     "Hi Han....Chewy." Grinned at Lando. "*General* Calrissian, 
 somehow that doesn't surprise me. But *General* Solo sure did! what got into you, Han?"

      He shrugged, embarrassed. "I guess all this heroism is contagious."
   
      I smiled at the excuse. I'd known, and Ben had known, almost 
 from the begining that Han was a much better man than he gave himself 
 credit for. I wondered how long it was going to take him to admit it to himself.


     "I wish you'd pack a blaster as well as that antique of yours." 
 Han complained as we entered the flight deck together. It sure wasn't 
 deserted now, flight crews, pilots and droids were everywhere, the 
 noise and confusion were formidable. 

    "A blaster would just get in my way." I answered. "You know it 
 would." On the leg back from Panna I'd suddenly realized who - or rather what - Han had to be. 

     Hundreds of children had lived in the Old Temple, training to 
 become Jedi. Master had told me how the few surviving knights rescued 
 them from the Emperor and hid them in the Outer Rim Territories. 
 Han was just the right age to have been one of those children.

     "I don't know what you're talking about, kid." he blustered.

     "Yes you do." We'd both been hidden away by the Jedi to protect 
 us. The difference was Han'd known he was hiding and I hadn't, not until four years ago. 

    I stopped him, made him look at me. "You gave yourself away on 
 Tatooine." That shook him, I could see it - and feel it. "It's all 
 right, Han, you can trust me. I'm a Jedi too."

     "I - of course I trust you, Luke." he faltered. Took a deep 
 breath. "I don't want to get into this now."

     He was right. This wasn't the time. I nodded. "Later then." 
 thought of Leia. "We'll have a long talk once this is over." All three of us. 

     "Sure, whatever you say, kid." Han's relief was palpable, even 
 without the Force. "Look, I gotta have a word with Lando, see you at the shuttle."   


     The strike team was loading their equipment. And Wedge was waiting 
 for me at the foot of the ramp. 

     "I sure wish you were the one leading this mission." 

     "Don't worry, I've seen Lando fly. He's well up to Rogue standards."

     "Yeah, but it was you who blew the first Death Star."

     "I couldn't have done it if you and Biggs hadn't bought me the 
 time." I reminded him. "You don't need me as a luck piece, Wedge."

      He sighed. "It's just....I've got a bad feeling about this mission."

      "So do I." I heard myself agree. Way to go, Skywalker, that'll really pick up morale.

      It sure wasn't what Wedge wanted to hear. "Damn. I hoped it was just me, nerves."

      "Maybe we both have nerves."  he looked at me astonished, I 
 smiled ruefully. "Jedi aren't made of stone you know."

      I watched him assimilate that. Realize maybe I hadn't changed 
 all that much after all. "You watch yourself down there, Boss."

      "I will. May the Force be with you." and us all.

   
      Han came into the cockpit just as Chewy and I finished bringing 
 up the flight systems. The strike team leader had given me a camouflage 
 poncho to go over my black suit. One of these days I'm going to 
 have to see about getting some proper Jedi robes. Problem is you're 
 supposed to make them yourself and I don't sew.

    "You got her warmed?" Han asked.

    "Yeah, she's coming up." She was a nice little ship - for all she was Imperial make.

    Chewy would have agreed only with the little. "//Everything's 
 too small!//" he complained to his partner. "//I bump my head on 
 that overhead display one more time it's coming out the hard way!"

     "I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed 
 her, Chewy." That was a safe bet. Han settled into the pilot's seat 
 and fell into a brown study looking out the port at the Falcon.

     Leia came in from the hold. Even camouflage looks good on my 
 little sister. She put a hand on Han's shoulder startling him. "Hey, are you awake?"

    "Yeah." he glanced up at her than back at the Falcon. "I just 
 got a funny feeling. Like I'm not going to see her again."

    "//What?//" Chewy barked, looking from his partner to their ship in alarm.

    I hoped Han's feeling was wrong. It would just about break both 
 their hearts to lose the Falcon.

    "Come on, General," Leia said softly, sympathetic but firmly 
 calling him back to the job at hand. "let's move."

    My sister has great focus.

    Once again I sensed Han changing focus, Jedilike, putting aside 
 fears and anxieties to concentrate on the moment. "Right. Chewy, 
 let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?"

    I took my seat behind Chewy. "All set."

    Behind me I heard Threepio tell Artoo, "Here we go again."


    We came out of hyper just light minutes away from Endor's Green 
 Moon. Space was swarming with TIEs, Destroyers, support ships and 
 a gigantic command ship. I guess I should have expected that. This 
 was after all a trap and here I was walking, or rather flying, right 
 into it. Like Raj says; 'You don't have to be crazy to be a Jedi, but it helps.'

    "If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get outta here 
 pretty quick, Chewy." Han warned.

    "//You can say that again!//"

    The radio acknowledged our presence and requested identification.

    "Shuttle Tydirium," Han responded, "requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."

    A pause, then; "Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage."

    Han: "Transmission commencing."

    "Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid." Leia said grimly.

    "It'll work." Han assured her, "It'll work." but there was no 
 conviction in his voice. He was uneasy too, I could feel it.

     And as the Super Star Destroyer got closer, something else. 
 A familiar dark presence with a buried spark of light, my father. "Vader's on that ship."

    "Now don't get gittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships." 
 he knew how unlikely it was to sense, much less identify, another's 
 Force presence at such long range - but he had to be picking up 
 some of what I was feeling. "Keep your distance though, Chewy, but 
 don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."

    "//And exactly how am I supposed to do that?//"

    "I don't know. Fly casual."

    "//Fly casual?//" 

    I'd known Father would be here but I sure hadn't expected to 
 sense him so strongly, or at such a distance. Our shared blood and 
 those moments in rapport off Bespin had created a much more powerful 
 bond than I'd expected. And if I could sense him, then he must be able to sense me...

    "Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"

    Questions, not a good sign. "Parts and technical crew for the 
 forest moon." Han replied, his official, slightly bored toned belied by the tension on his face.

    How could I have been so stupid? "I'm endangering the mission, I shouldn't have come."

    "It's your imagination, kid." Han said desperately, knowing it 
 wasn't. "Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here."

    I tried to think. Whatever happened Leia musn't fall into Father's hands, she was our last hope.

    "They're not going for it, Chewy." Han began, finally facing 
 facts - and the radio crackled to life.

    "Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."

    "Okay! I told you it was gonna work." Han beamed. "No problem."

    Big problem. What was Father up to? He knew I was on this ship 
 and would be on the Moon. He must intend to confront me there, away 
 from the Emperor. Good, if I could talk to him alone, away from 
 his Master's influence....but my presence was still a danger to 
 Han, Leia and the mission. I'd have to get well clear of them as soon as possible.