Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 30.

Ron couldn't tell whether Harry had been with Luke. I hope he heard her, he thought. I hope he leaves and saves himself. That nearly made him laugh. Sure. And Malfoy will marry Hermione.

Suddenly, they were surrounded by blue-uniformed guards of the city. Lando confiscated the stormtroopers' weapons, and a guard broke the locks on Ron and Leia's handcuffs.

"Well done. Hold them in the security tower," Lando ordered. "And keep it quiet."

The stormtroopers were marched off under guard. Lando turned to Chewbacca and opened his bonds.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia demanded.

"Getting us out of here."

"You expect us to trust you?" The nerve of him, thought Ron.

"After what you did to Han?" Leia added.

Chewbacca tried to choke Lando. "I had no choice," he defended himself.

"What are you doing? Trust him, trust him!" Threepio urged the Wookiee.

"Oh we understand, don't we?" Leia sneered. "He had no choice."

"I'm just trying to help..." Lando tried again.

"You've 'helped' us already, thanks," Ron snapped.

"Han..." Lando groaned. "There's still a chance to save Han."

"Chewie," Leia ordered. The Wookiee let go. The man regained his breath.

"Boba Fett is on the East platform," Lando told them. "This way!"

As they ran through the corridors, Ron wished he had a broomstick... but the Firebolt was aboard the Falcon and he couldn't summon it without his wand. Suddenly, he heard a familiar beep.

"Artoo!" Threepio exclaimed. "Artoo! Where have you been? Hurry! We're trying to save Han from the bounty hunter."

The astromech droid whistled and followed them.

"Artoo," Ron asked, "did Harry come with Luke?"

The droid chirped. "Yes," Threepio translated. "Your friend came to look for Mistress Hermione. He said she was in danger."

"She's here?" Just perfect. Why does the Empire have to get so lucky? Then they entered the landing platform, and Ron put that out of his mind. Boba Fett's ship already lifted off. Chewbacca managed to fire one shot, which did no damage.

"We're too late," Ron said.

"Oh, no!" Threepio shouted. "Chewie, they're behind you!"

They turned around and saw a squad of stormtroopers. Leia fired and dropped one of them. Chewie and Ron joined in, firing in fury.

"There!" one of the Imperials pointed off to the side, where Ron couldn't see. But he did see bolts coming back from that corridor. Within seconds, all the stormtroopers were down, and a dark-clothed figure whom Ron recognized immediately ran out.

"Harry!" he yelled, running towards his friend.

"Ron!"

"Hi, Harry," Leia greeted him. "Where's Luke?"

"We got separated," Harry told her.

Another astromech droid rolled up, to receive an excited greeting from Artoo. Ron smiled. "Harry, this is Lando Calrissian," he introduced the other man. Ron was actually surprised how quickly his anger at him evaporated. Being in battle together tended to do that.

"Hello," Harry said before looking at Ron, who was holding a blaster. "Your wand..."

"Vader took it." Harry nodded. "Here." He tossed Ron his wand. "We've got to get Hermione."

"Whoa," Lando protested. "You don't know..."

"I KNOW!" Harry roared. Calming himself he went on. "Don't ask how, I just do. And I know she's in trouble."

"We're going with you," Leia declared. Ron turned to her. "No. Get to the Falcon.

You'll be able to help us better from there." Chewie barked in agreement.

Harry suddenly jerked his head. "They're coming."

"Good luck," Leia said as she, Lando, and Chewie ran to the lift. The two droids joined them.

"Looks like it's just us," Ron commented on the deserted corridor.

"Uh, not quite," his friend replied. And he was right. Five stormtroopers ran into the hall, rifles raised. Harry drew his lightsaber.

"Harry, that's a very short-ranged--" Ron shouted.

Harry ignited the blade. The Imperials opened fire.

Harry raised his weapon and sent the bolts flying back at the stormtroopers. He needed only a few swings of the blade to bring down all the enemies, managing to do that before Ron even began to think of a spell to cast.

Harry shut off the weapon. "Come on," he called. "We have to hurry."

"Wow," Ron said, an expression of awe on his face. "Can you teach me that?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Maybe later," he said. "After we get Hermione."

"Are you sure you're going the right way?"

"Yes. I can feel her presence... and something else... something I can't quite pinpoint. Be careful."

"Of course."

As they ran, Lando's voice boomed out of the loudspeakers. "Attention," the administrator announced, "this is Lando Calrissian. The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial troops arrive."

"Was that a good idea?" Ron asked.

"I think it was," Harry said. "It's too late to do anything now, anyway." They stepped into a lift and began their descent. "Hermione's close."

"I hope you're right," Ron said. "Wonder how she ended up here."

"Ron,"--Harry took out his invisibility cloak-- "put this on."

"What about you?"

"I'll be the distraction. Stand back!" he shouted, pushing Ron to the side as the lift doors opened.

Harry leaped forward, igniting his lightsaber and deflecting a stream of bolts from a combat droid positioned in front of the elevator. Landing next to it, he sliced it in half and shut off the blade.

"Impressive," they heard a woman's voice that somehow seemed familiar to Harry.

This was the very edge of Cloud City--a series of walkways extending from the structure with nothing below. The red-haired woman stood on the platform above them, and further out, chained to a lamppost, was... Hermione.

"Harry!" she shouted. "It's a trap!"

As if that wasn't obvious already. Reaching into the Force, Harry felt Ron cautiously exit the lift and approach him. "Get her," he whispered, and before Ron could protest, leaped twenty feet up to the higher platform, igniting his lightsaber.

He faced the woman... and nearly fell back down. No way, he thought. No way. It's impossible. But there was no way, either, that he would make a mistake with something like this. Here was the reason her voice sounded familiar... but it still couldn't be. The hair was a few shades brighter, but otherwise, the woman looked just like...

Mum?" he gasped.

XXX

"What did you say, Potter?" the woman demanded.

Harry was confused. Was the woman his mother? And if she wasn't, how come she looked like her? "You look like my mother," he finally said. Huge understatement, Harry.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You will come with me."

"I think not," Harry said. No, this woman couldn't be his mother... or...

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, Yoda's words came to him. Could his mother have...

"Let her go," Harry demanded. "Or else--"

"Or else what? You think I'm afraid of you and your Jedi tricks?"

Harry didn't know what to do. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Is she? The question rang in his mind, unanswered. He stepped forward with determination.

He was stopped by a lightsaber appearing in the woman's hand. A dark blue blade shimmered in front of Harry. She swung at him.

Harry brought his own lightsaber up just in time. He stepped back, and parried another blow. And then the woman launched a full attack, forcing Harry into retreat. He did so, blocking her blows. Then, he leaped over her and swung, but she managed to spin around and parry him.

"How is this possible?" he asked her. "You can't be my mother."

The woman didn't reply, pressing her attack instead. "This is too easy," she mocked Harry.

Is she? The question plagued Harry. But he realized she wouldn't answer him. He had to keep retreating under her lightning-fast strikes. He raised his hand and pushed back with the Force. Not expecting this, the woman momentarily stopped. Harry immediately went on the offensive, swinging at her from the side.

The woman, instead of blocking, stepped back with incredible speed, let Harry's blade move past, stepped forward, and struck with all her strength. The blow pushed the lightsaber out of Harry's hand. It fell to the lower level, clunking.

Harry stepped back, retreating from the woman's weapon aimed at his heart. She pressed forward. Harry knew there was only a short distance before the end of the walkway...

Harry leaped up landing on top of a lamppost. He stood up, keeping balance with the Force, and looked down...

The woman wore numerous weapons on her belt, as well as... a magic wand. Harry was more confused than ever. Reaching into the Force, he pulled the wand toward him. The woman, not expecting this, didn't stop him.

Harry glanced at the wand. It was Hermione's.

"You..." he started, but he suddenly felt danger coming. His support fell out as the woman cut through the lamppost. Harry dropped the wand, sending it flying. The metal tower crashed across the walkway. Harry regained control, jumped off, and landed on the lower level, immediately rolling away from the crashing column. The woman, who jumped with him, stood up and raised her arm. She fired two darts, but Harry already summoned his lightsaber back, and incinerated both of them.

"You'll have to do better than that," he said.

The woman's new attack was faster than the previous ones. Harry barely had the reflexes to block it. He had to keep retreating. The woman would soon pin him against the wall... She can't be my mother, he decided. No parent would do something like this. And yet... how do I explain this? He looked at the woman. No answers. Just a fierce determination and deadly blade.

Harry did a backwards somersault to give himself pause from the woman's relentless advance, and then... he threw all caution to the wind and charged. Now the woman was in retreat, desperately fighting off his blows. He was pushing her towards the edge, towards the abyss. Maybe if I pin her, I can extract an answer, he thought.