Disclaimer:

       This story is based on characters and situations created

by George Lucas and copyrighted by Lucasfilm Ltd. This short

work is purely for the enjoyment of myself and other Star Wars

fans, no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be

freely posted or linked on other web sites, as long as this

disclaimer is included, the story has not been modified in any

way, and the author has been notified in writing.

Author's Notes:

       I wrote this one evening when I was extremly bored. I'm

not sure why I chose this particular topic, I mean it's not like

it hasn't been covered a thousand and one times already...but I

definitly had a lot of fun with it; especially with Artoo and

Threepio's dialogue. ANY AND ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

*PLEASE* LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

       The last scene in this story was taken directly out of

The Empire Strikes Back radio drama. I did not write it (Well I

did add a few things, but no extra dialogue). If you haven't

heard the Radio Dramas be warned that their scripts are slightly

different from the movie scripts, containing much more

dialogue and plot details.

       Other than that, I think that's all I have to say!

____________________________

Facing Tomorrow

   by Jessi Melann<jessi-melann@usa.net>

Timeline:

	During ESB, immediately after the escape from Cloud City

      <I wish I were dead.>

       Leia Organa slumped down in her seat and buried her

head in her hands, yet her tears refused to flow. <Why couldn't

it have been me?> she screamed silently. Her heart felt as if it

had been shattered, broken into so many pieces that she could

never put it back together. <Han, oh Han...I love you!>

       "I know." Han's final words burned through her mind

like a streak of lightning, powerful and deadly. <Did you know?

I didn't even know.> All of Leia's carefully buried emotions had

exploded to the surface when she realized that he was about to be

taken away from her. "I love you!" she had burst out. She didn't

have time to sort through the whirlwind of emotions that flooded

through her brain. It had been a spur of the moment declaration

of love, yet it contained the deepest longings of her soul. "I

love you," she whispered aloud. Her voice was hoarse and her

breathing ragged.

       "I know."

       A loud bang resounded through the ship, followed by human

curses mixed with loud Wookiee bellows of anger and frustration.

Chewie and Lando. Leia sighed with exhaustion. It was like being

trapped in a bad dream, with no way out; no way to escape the

demons that terrorized your every moment. A low moan beside her

caused her to sit up.

       "Luke."  The young man twisted and turned on the bunk

beside her. His face was flushed and his eyes were gray and empty.

<Delirious,> Leia thought. "Shhh." Leia reached down and ran a

warm had across his forehead. "We're safe. It's all over. Nothing

is going to hurt you here. You're safe now." The lies choked her,

but slowly Luke seemed to calm down, his thrashing stilled, and

his cries quieted.

       Gently brushing the hair out of his face she glanced down

at the mutilated stump of his right arm. "Oh Luke, what happened

to you?" Her own sorrow seemed to fade a little as she saw the

hopeless look in his eyes. <Well, your trap worked Lord Vader.>

Leia thought bitterly. <He came for us, just like you planned.>

Anger rose up to take the place of the fear and sadness. <But you

didn't win.> The words did little to comfort her. It was a hollow

victory. Too much had been lost.

       Leia reached down and took Luke's good hand in her own.

She squeezed it tightly, needing the feeling of comfort, needing

to know that she wasn't alone. Slowly her head began to nod and

she slipped into the welcome haven of sleep.

**********

       Lando Calrissian sat glumly in front of an environmental

panel in one of the Falcon's aft storage compartments. He had a

hydro-spanner in one hand, but it lay useless in his lap. After a

heated argument over the settings on the nav-computer, Chewie had

banished him here to work on something "less vulnerable to sabotage."

Lando couldn't blame him. For the past hour he had been sitting in

here wallowing in guilt and self-pity. Now he was just tired. He

had cursed himself in every language he knew and some he didn't,

and when his vocabulary ran out he had spent the time creating new

epithets for himself.

       <You're a traitor, Calrissian,> he thought to himself.

<You betrayed your best friend to the most hideous villain in the

galaxy. You don't deserve one single solitary thing from them. They

should have left you on Cloud City to face Vader. That would have

been justice.> Lando shook his head in disgust. "At least if they'd

left me at Cloud City I wouldn't have to worry about what's going to

happen to me." Dying by asphyxiation would have been better than the

suspense of waiting to be put on trial with the Rebellion. Or maybe

not. The Rebels were notorious softies when it came to justice.

<You've always felt strongly about the Empire. Maybe now's your

chance to finally do something about it.>

       A grim smile crept to his lips. Why not? With the Rebellion

he would get a chance to pay back the people who were responsible

for this in the first place -- the Empire.

**********

       Luke came slowly back to consciousness to find the Princess

asleep in a chair beside his bunk, tightly holding his hand. For a

moment he was confused. <What happened? What am I doing...> As he

tried to lift his right arm a bolt of searing pain swept across his

wrist. He gasped and looked down, memories flooding over him in a

tidal wave of agony.

       Vader! Lightsabers flashing, "I am your..."

       No! Luke screamed in his mind. Desperately he pushed the

words away. They couldn't be true. They weren't true. But deep

inside he knew. Why had Ben lied? <Did he lie to protect me?> Luke

wondered bitterly. A secret like that could be devastating...*was*

devastating. It was true. It must be true.

       With his last hope shattered, Luke's head dropped back

down to the bunk. Leia had placed a soft pillow under Luke's head

but he didn't care. There was nothing worth caring about anymore.

Nothing worth living for.

       As the throbbing agony of his arm pulled him back into

unconsciousness, Luke welcomed the peace with joy. <Maybe I'll

never wake up,> he thought hopefully. Death would be preferable

to the pain and guilt that he would have to face tomorrow. His

thoughts swirled away with the winds of the Force as they dragged

him down into the darkness.

**********

       Chewie growled dangerously at the nav-display in front of

him. A squawk from the corner caused him to jerk his head upward,

hitting it on the door-frame of the access tunnel.  He yowled in

anger and barely managed to refrain from decapitating the little

blue droid that stood at the entrance.

       <What do you want?> he hissed between bared fangs.

       Artoo began to tweet an impertinent reply when he was

interrupted by a prissy voice out in the corridor.

       "Oh Artoo! I really don't think you should be disturbing

Master Chewbacca at this moment. He's bound to be very busy

and...Aaaaaahhhh!"

       Threepio was knocked sprawling as Chewie stormed out of

the tunnel. Artoo squealed as the Wookiee managed to kick his

treads while walking past.

       *"What do YOU want?"* Chewie made no move to help the

protocol droid up.

       "Oh Master Chewbacca! I'm ever so sorry! Oh, I think my

logic module is corroding...Artoo just wanted to know..."

       Artoo squeaked sarcastically at his counterpart.

       "Well that's fine for you to say...you overloaded trash

container..."

       "Eeeeeeek pffhht."

       "My goodness...You watch your language you metal-headed..."

       Chewie groaned in disgust and pushed his way past Threepio

toward the cockpit, Artoo following close behind him. Behind them

Threepio was wailing, "Oh Artoo, you just can't leave me here! Come

back here and help me..."

       Artoo twittered a reply as he rolled into the cockpit

behind Chewie.

       *"What is it now?"* The Wookiee glanced questioningly at

the small droid. Artoo whistled in reply and plugged himself in

to the computer socket. Chewie watched as the nav-readout scrolled

past.

       Great. He gave the droid a sour look. *"You could have told

me that earlier."*

       Artoo smugly twittered the droid equivalent of "I tried."

       Chewie sighed and pulled off the cover to another panel.

*"Why didn't Han tell me he rewired the nav-controls?"* Chewie

tried to manage an angry growl but he couldn't. He couldn't be

angry at Han. Not now.

       <Han is frozen in carbonite and on his way to Jabba the

Hutt's palace. You failed him Chewie. You had a life-debt to him,

and you didn't save him.> Chewie shook his head. He couldn't have

saved him. The odds were too great. A snarl swept across his

features. He would rescue Han no matter what the cost. And the

Empire would pay for their crimes.

**********

       Twelve hours later the Millennium Falcon docked on the

Rebel Alliance flagship Freedom. Luke was immediately transferred

to the Freedom's med-center while Leia and Chewie were brought

before Alliance command. Lando was confined to temporary quarters

until the Rebels decided what to do with him.

       After her debriefing Leia walked wearily toward the med-

center to check on Luke. Mon Mothma had put her request for a

leave of absence to search for Han on hold. Leia clenched her

fists in frustration. <Why can't they send a rescue team for

him?> she asked herself silently. <He's one of the best fighters

we have! We can't just...> Leia stopped herself mid-sentence.

How many other good fighters had died during this war? How many

people had lost friends or family in this ongoing struggle with

the Empire? More than she could count. The Alliance couldn't

afford to risk valuable lives in tentative attempts to rescue

lost allies. Each person who joined the Alliance knew that he

would be facing torture, and even death, if he was captured by

the Empire. Yet they willingly offered up their lives for a

chance to fight for what they believed in.

       <And what about Han? Is this what he believes in?> Leia

didn't know. All she new was that he had willingly risked his own

life for the Alliance, for Luke, and for her, many times over. Why

he did, she didn't understand. But beneath his cocky personality

she was beginning to see that there was more to him than just a

smuggler's pride. But perhaps she would never know, perhaps she

would never see him again...

       <Stop it!> Leia forced her mind away from the hopelessness

that threatened to overwhelm her. <I will not give in to this. I

WILL find Han, and I will bring him back to us...to me.> Leia's

back straightened with a new determination. <As soon as Luke is

healed we'll go find him. And this time the Empire will NOT win.>

Her steps lightened and her pale face lit up with a grim anticipation.

Soon they would all be reunited once again.

**********

       Lando was brought into General Rieekan's office to recount

his view of the events at Could City. He told the General about the

Falcon's arrival, his deal with Vader, and about his ambush of the

stormtroopers guarding Princess Leia and Chewie. Rieekan listened

intently with an expressionless gaze on his face. When Lando was

finished he sat down and waited expectantly. Finally the General

spoke.

       "Well, Baron Calrissian you seem to have made quite an

enemy for yourself." Rieekan gave him a wry smile. "Although

that's not very unusual around here."

       Lando smirked. "Yeah, I'd heard. I'd also heard that you

were in need of men and supplies."

       Rieekan's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

       Lando leaned forward conspiratorially. "I occasionally

work in what you might call...free-enterprising."

       "Smuggling."

       Lando cringed. "Well that's putting it rather bluntly

but...anyway. I happen to have quite a few contacts who would

be more than willing to offer reasonable prices for Imperial...

um...goods."

       The General raised his eyebrows. "Indeed?" He gave

Lando a searching look. "Such as...?"

       Lando lowered his voice. "I've heard that there's a

dealer on...Atzerri who happened to come by quite a large stash

of used Imperial equipment such as hyperspace scanners, space-

mine technology, ground combat artillery...you get the idea."

       Rieekan sat back in his chair and frowned sternly.

"Don't play games with me Calrissian. I know who you are and

what you are. Do you expect me to believe that you would just

hand these...goods...over to us without making a profit out

of it?"

       "I was thinking more along the lines of a trade."

       "What's your deal?" Rieekan asked cautiously.

       Lando gave him a roguish grin. "I want to join the

Alliance."

**********

       Luke awoke to the bright lights of the Freedom's med-

center. Disoriented, he shook his head and moaned in confusion.

Instantly a familiar presence was at his side.

       "Take it easy friend. You've had quite a day. He looked

up to find a pair of dark brown eyes staring into his own.

       "Leia..." his voice cracked with weakness.

       "We're in the Freedom's med-center. We made it to the

rendezvous."

       Luke's eyes suddenly filled with fear. "But I'm...How..."

His gaze wandered desperately around the room searching for

something. "I can't remember..."

       "We found you hanging from a weather vane underneath

Cloud City. Lando pulled you in..."

       Luke's face suddenly went ashen and terror exploded into

his eyes. Leia grasped his hand tightly in hers. "No Luke! It's

all over. Vader's not here. You're safe." Leia saw him struggling

to control the wave of fear that passed over him at the mention

of Vader's name. <Oh Luke, what did he do to you?> She could tell

that Luke's fear was  caused by more than his physical injuries.

"Luke..."

       But Luke pulled away from her. "You don't understand.

He's still here," Luke pointed shakily toward his head. "I'll

never be able to escape." He struggled to choke down sobs of

anguish. "I wish I was dead!"

       Leia desperately leaned down and put her arms around

him. "Luke please, I need you." He didn't reply. "I need you to

help me rescue Han. I can't do this my myself Luke," she pleaded.

"I need you. You're my very best friend, and I couldn't live if

I lost you too!"

       Leia suddenly began to sob violently. She buried her head

on Luke's shoulder, clenching the soft folds of his tunic in her

fists. A few moments later she felt a strong arm encircle her and

hug her close. Finally soft voice asked quietly, "The Empire got

Han?"

       Leia swallowed the lump in her throat. "Vader had him

frozen in carbonite and then gave him to Boba Fett. Boba Fett's

taking him to Jabba."

       Luke made a shaky sigh. "Some rescue."

       Leia looked up in surprise. Luke's eyes were unclouded,

still tinged with fear and guilt, but also sparkling with a strong

determination. <Or stubbornness,> Leia thought.

       "I guess I really messed things up this time."

       Leia sat up quickly. "No. It wasn't your fault. It was a

trap. Vader knew you were coming."

       "I know." Luke's eyes were haunted. A long silence passed.

Finally Luke spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

       Leia didn't answer. She was gazing at Luke's right arm.

"What did he do to you?"

       Luke hesitated. "I challenged him...and I lost." His voice

was bitter and his face twisted into a frown. "I thought I was

ready to face him, but I was wrong."

       Leia knew he was hiding something, but she just silently

squeezed his hand. "Luke, whenever you need me I'll be here, no

matter what. Don't be afraid to tell me anything."

       He looked up and managed to give her trusting smile. "I

love you," <My dearest friend>.

       She froze, and then smiled in return. "I know."

**********

A couple weeks later...

       "Skywalker to Millennium Falcon." Leia was sitting in the

med-center with Luke while his prosthetic hand was being fitted.

Luke held the comlink in his left hand, while Two-Onebee tested the

nerve endings in the stump of Luke's right arm. "Skywalker to Falcon."

       Chewie and Lando were on their way to Tatooine to search for

Boba Fett. Once they had found him, Luke and Leia would join them for

the rescue mission. <We're going to need all the help we can get.>

Luke thought grimly.

       "Lando here. We'll see you on Tatooine Luke. With Han."

Lando paused for a moment, then said to the Princess: "We'll bring

him back to you Leia. I swear it." His voice was strained with

tension.

       Threepio and Artoo had been standing quietly in the corner

listening to the conversation. "Artoo, the viewport. We'll be able

to watch them blast off from there." Threepio stepped toward the

vast viewport on the far wall of the center, Artoo tweeting noisily

behind him. From there they could see the Alliance fleet assembled

in space.

       Luke and Leia smiled at one another. "Take care Lando.

Chewbacca." Leia couldn't keep a small sigh from escaping her

lips.

       "And may the force be with you both." Luke added.

       Luke imagined he could see Lando's knowing grin. "May

it be with us all," the gambler replied. 

       Luke looked down to where Two-Onebee had just finished

attaching the prosthetic hand. "Come on Leia," He hopped down

off the bunk. "Let's go watch them take off."

       Luke and Leia moved hand in hand toward the window.

Behind them Artoo began twittering at Threepio. The golden

turned, looked, and excitedly motioned his counterpart to

his side. "Yes Artoo. There's plenty of room. Right here by

me." Threepio placed a stiff hand on Artoo's domed top.

       Luke put his arm around Leia's trembling shoulders. He

could feel her anxiety and anticipation. "They must succeed,"

she whispered. "We can't lose after all we've been through."

Her face held a mixture fear and hope.

       Luke tried to cheer her up. "Look," he said. "The Empire

threw everything it had at us and we're still here."

       "And thank goodness we're out of danger!" Threepio

commented heartily.

       "Beeeeeeeeeeeeep pffhhht." Artoo made a doleful

sounding whistle.

       Luke turned to look at the two droids. "What'd he say 

Threepio?"

       Threepio seemed slightly embarrassed. "He says: 'for the

time being.'"

       Luke chuckled inwardly.<Trust Artoo to be the pessimist.>

He looked up as Leia pointed out the window.

       "There they go." The Millennium Falcon pulled gracefully

away from the Freedom and looped away from the cruiser in the

direction of Tatooine. As it disappeared into the stars Luke felt

his confidence rising.

       "The Empire can't stop us now." Luke remembered all the

battles the Rebels had lost. But their defeats had only made them

stronger. <It's the same way with us,> he thought. <With all we've

been through you'd think we'd just give up and go home. But we can't.

The Empire has taken away everything we've ever had. So now we not

only fight for the present, but also for the future. For our future,

and the future of all the generations that come after us.> he smiled

at the thought. Now was the time.

       "Now it's our turn."

       THE END

____________________________

       Please send all comments to <jessi-melann@usa.net>.

Any praises and criticisms are welcome. I look forward to

hearing from you!