Part 7 (2/2)

”Luke has great power,” Ferus said. ”If he succ.u.mbs, and the Empire gains control over him...”

”He won't,” Leia said firmly. ”They won't.”

”How can you be sure?” Ferus asked.

”Because I know Luke.” Leia glared at him for a long moment. It seemed like Ferus was wrestling with a response. But ultimately, he stayed silent, and looked away.

Div cleared his throat, hoping to cut through the tension. ”We have to warn the fleet,”

he pointed out. ”They're flying into a trap.”

”What do you think we've been trying to do?” Han said. But their weak distress signal had barely made it out of the atmosphere. And accessing the Millennium Falcon Millennium Falcon's communications system was out of the question. Once the prisoners had escaped, Soresh had tripled the guard on the s.h.i.+p.

Now they had the Firespray. Leia fired up the comm system and contacted Yavin 4.

The news wasn't good: The fleet was already on its way. There was no way of warning them while they were traveling at lightspeed.

”This is my fault,” Ferus murmured. ”I delayed too long. Again.”

Div wanted to rea.s.sure him, but didn't have the words. And really, Ferus was right.

They had both delayed too long-and now the entire fleet could suffer the consequences.

”So we do what we can from here,” Div said. ”I figure we're nearly a day ahead of the fleet. That gives us time to find out exactly what kind of trap Soresh is setting-”

”-and shut it down,” Han said, his fingers already itching for his blaster. Div suspected the s.p.a.cer was as eager for action as he was. The two of them understood each other-in another life, they might even have been friends. But Div had long ago vowed to have no more friends. You couldn't lose what you didn't have. Now he only had comrades in arms, and he was glad to count Han among them.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

I am nothing.

I am no one.

I belong to you.

The mantra ran through Luke's mind on a constant loop. It was the only way to keep his eyes blank, his voice flat, his face clear of anything that might give away the truth.

Even now, Soresh watched him carefully for any flicker of independence or disloyalty. But Luke had gotten good at walking through the motions of slavery. He didn't know how he'd found the strength to resist Soresh's brainwas.h.i.+ng, just as he didn't know where he'd found the strength to keep up the act for this long. But somehow, he had. Somewhere, deep in him, there was something that refused to bend. A voice that told him to hold on, no matter what. It was no voice he'd ever heard before-more than anything, it sounded like his own. Only deeper. Stronger. Sometimes Luke wondered if it was his father, helping him from beyond the grave.

”Welcome to my greatest masterpiece,” Soresh said, ushering Luke into a large room lined with computers. A giant viewscreen covered one entire wall. ”Today I reclaim my rightful place at the Emperor's side. All thanks to you.”

Soresh loved nothing more than boasting about his plans to the obedient guards who followed him everywhere. Ever since Luke's final ”proof” of loyalty, he had been Soresh's favored audience. And yet Luke still had no idea what he was planning for the Rebel fleet-or how to stop it.

The Commander activated the comm unit. Moments later, Darth Vader himself appeared on the screen. The image was larger than life, nearly three meters high. Luke suppressed a shudder. Even through a screen, the Dark Lord was a terrifying sight. And it wasn't just terror Luke needed to suppress. It was rage. Every time Luke saw that dark mask, every time he heard that deadly even breathing he saw the red blade of a lightsaber las.h.i.+ng down on Ben. And the rage overwhelmed him.

Hold on, urged the voice that might have belonged to his father. You can do this. You can do this.

He could. He stood motionless and empty before the Dark Lord, letting Soresh play out his mad game. And as soon as Soresh's attention was fixed on the viewscreen, he slipped his hand into his sleeve, where he'd hidden Han's comlink. He activated it, opening a channel to his friends, Now anything he heard, they would hear, too.

”I told you I had something you wanted,” Soresh said, smiling up at the screen. ”Here he is.”

Darth Vader said nothing. But his fury radiated in waves. Luke could almost feel the room growing warmer.

”Tell the Dark Lord how much you're looking forward to meeting him,” Soresh commanded Luke.

”If it pleases my Master, I look forward to meeting you,” Luke said obediently. He was surprised-playing along with Soresh wasn't hard at all. With every command, it became easier to comply.

”You will soon regret your impudence,” Darth Vader said. The screen went dark.

Soresh burst into laughter.

It was all Luke could do not to gape at him. Vader's rage had been known to drive men to panic, to madness, even to death, but never to...joy?

”You see?” Soresh cackled. ”Everything according to plan. He's tracing our coordinates as we speak. If I've calculated correctly-and I always always calculate correctly- calculate correctly- he'll arrive just in time to greet your Rebel fleet. I'm almost tempted to delay a bit, just for the joy of watching Vader blown up by a sky full of Rebel sc.u.m.” He shook his head, briskly. ”But that would be indulgent. No, I can't let personal feelings interfere with carefully set timing. Vader will burn along with the rest of them, that will have to be enough for me.”

”Vader will burn,” Luke repeated, hoping to help the monologue along. He needed more details- something something that would help him figure out what to do when it was finally time to act. that would help him figure out what to do when it was finally time to act.

”That tends to be what happens when the sun goes supernova,” Soresh said, nearly giggling.

He really was insane, Luke realized, if he thought he had control over the sun. Silexa was a blue giant star. It would go supernova someday, most likely-but not for several million years.

Luke waited for Soresh to continue, but the explanation never came. Instead, Soresh settled into a chair and kicked his feet up on one of the large, gray instrument panels.

”Now, we wait.”

They waited so long Luke began swaying on his legs, exhausted from standing for so long. But the guards still stood rigidly at attention, oblivious to their own exhaustion.

Luke did his best to match them.

I could attack him at any time, he thought-although with all the guards standing around, he and Soresh would likely die together. Luke wasn't afraid to die. But he was afraid to die for nothing. And that's what it would be, if he attacked before he knew exactly what Soresh had planned.

”There!” Soresh shouted, leaping to his feet.

The viewscreen was filled with stars-but as Luke watched, one of the stars grew brighter and divided into two, then five, then a hundred.

The fleet had arrived.

”Are you ready?” Soresh asked Luke.

”Ready for what?”

<script>