Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 46.

Ron and Harry met up with Jan, Wedge, Ginny and Hermione at the hangar entrance, where the stolen Imperial shuttle was waiting.

Han and Lando were standing on the ramp of the shuttle. "I'll take good care of her," Lando was saying. "She won't get a scratch."

Han nodded, then started up the ramp. He then turned back towards Lando.

"I have your promise now... not a scratch!"

Lando laughed. "Would you get going, you pirate!"

"What're you talking about?" Ron asked the general as they approached.

"Han gave me the Falcon to fly in the battle."

"Wow," Ron said. He knew, better than almost anyone, how much Han cared about his ship. "Uhm, Hermione?" he said. "Can I ask you a favor?"

Hermione looked at him. "Yes?"

"Well, I've been using Harry's wand for most of the past year, but now, Harry asked me to give it back. Could I borrow yours?"

Hermione thought about it.

"Well..."

"Harry said he'd ask Darth Vader to return mine."

Hermione laughed. "Can't count on that, can we? Here." She handed her wand to Ron. "It's not much use when you're flying an X-wing. You need it, and so does Harry. More than I do."

"All right. You're a lifesaver, Hermione."

She laughed. "If I find any damage..."

"Don't worry."

"Right. Harry, is there any specific reason you need your wand? You could have borrowed mine instead."

Harry thought about it. He never told his friends the reason, but he couldn't see why the secret should be kept anymore. "You know I have a phoenix feather as the core of my wand?"

"Yes."

"It came from Fawkes."

"Fawkes... Dumbledore's phoenix?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. As had one other feather that found its way into a wand. Mr. Ollivander said my wand had a brother."

Ron shook his head. "Okay, so what difference does that make?"

"Care to guess who has the other wand?"

Ginny gasped. "You can't mean..."

"It is. Voldemort."

"How long have you known?"

"Since I bought the wand."

"Wow," Ron said.

"I have a feeling it's going to be important," Harry said.

Silence broke out for a few seconds.

"Take care of yourselves," Hermione said finally.

"You too," Harry told her.

"And by the way, since I outrank you,"--she looked at Ron-- "that's an order." She smiled.

Ron gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

She laughed. "You're insufferable. I don't know how Jan is going to put up with you. Merlin knows I've tried."

"Hey!" Jan shouted.

"I could say the same for Wedge." Ron glanced at the pilot, who chuckled and put his arm around Hermione.

"Good luck," the Corellian said.

"To all of us," Lando added. "Just bring the shield down--we'll do fine."

"We will," Harry assured him. "May the Force be with you."

Lando and Wedge shook hands with Ron, Jan and Harry. Hermione rushed in to give each of her friends a hug. "Stay safe," she whispered into each one's ear.

Ron, Jan, and Harry entered the shuttle and headed up to the cockpit. "No," Han was saying, "I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie."

"Definitely not," Ron said as he took his seat. The viewport showed a hangar filled with rebel fighters and a battered, saucer-shaped freighter.

Han turned to Ron. "What, no comment on 'piece of junk', 'bucket of bolts', anything like that?"

"You should have seen the thing me and Jan flew in from Coruscant. Compared to that, the Falcon might have left the factory yesterday."

"Hey,"--Leia nudged Han-- "you awake?"

"Yeah, I just got a funny feeling... like I'm not gonna see her again."

"Come on, General. Let's move."

"Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready everybody?"

"All set," Luke said.

"Ready," Harry said.

"Affirmative," Jan acknowledged.

"Here we go again," Threepio muttered. Ron smiled. Some things didn't change.

The shuttle lifted off, gracefully flew out of the hangar, and separating from the fleet, set its course. The Wookiee pulled the hyperdrive lever, and the starfield ahead of them vanished.

Harry looked at his girlfriend. "Ginny," he said. "There is something you should know."

"What?"

"The trouble has started."

XXX

Chewbacca nudged the hyperdrive lever, and the shuttle reverted to realspace.

"Whoa..." Ron said.

It certainly looked impressive. A small green planet, the incomplete Death Star orbiting it, and in between it and them, a fleet of Star Destroyers. If only they knew...

If they knew, this place would be swarming with TIE fighters...

"It's beautiful," Ginny said.

"Apart from the fact that they can blow us into smoke with one shot, yes," Harry told her.

"I meant the planet."

"Oh."

"If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get out of here pretty quick," Han said.

"We have you on our screen now," they received a transmission. "Please identify."

Han leaned in. "Shuttle Tyderium, requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."

"Shuttle Tyderium, transmit your clearance code for shield passage," the reply came.

Chewie growled.

"Transmission commencing," Han answered.

Ron gave Harry a worried look.

"Now we'll find out if that code's worth the price we paid," Leia said absentmindedly.

"It'll work," Han assured her. "It'll work." Ron knew the smuggler well enough to realize he didn't feel the confidence he was projecting.

Harry suddenly reached to his forehead and touched his scar. Ron stared at his friend.

"Vader is on that ship," Luke whispered.

Han turned. "Now don't get jittery, Luke. There are a lot of command ships."

"No," Harry said. "I felt something too."

"Keep your distance, though, Chewie," Han told the Wookiee. "But don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."

Chewie bellowed for an explanation.

"I don't know. Fly causal," Han replied.

"Harry," Ginny whispered, "is it--"

She didn't finish, since then, another transmission came in. But Ron knew what she must have been thinking. Is it Voldemort?

"Shuttle Tyderium, what is your cargo and destination?" the Imperial asked.

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon," Han said.

There were a few silent seconds.

"I'm endangering the mission, I shouldn't have come," Luke murmured. Ron glanced from Luke to Harry, trying to decide who looked more worried.

"It's your imagination, kid," Han said. "Come on, let's keep a little optimism here." But his tone changed and was no longer flippant.

The shuttle approached the enormous bridge tower of the Star Destroyer.

Ron took Jan's hand and squeezed it. She lifted her eyebrows at him. He looked at Harry, who had his arm around Ginny.

They were flying very close to the Imperial ship, and they still haven't received a reply. "They're not going for it, Chewie," Han said.

The Wookiee replied with a moan.

"Shuttle Tyderium," the answer finally came, "deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."

Everyone in the cockpit except Luke and Harry smiled and allowed themselves a sigh of relief. "Okay," Han chuckled, "I told you it's gonna work. No problem."

The shuttle continued past the Star Destroyer, and headed towards the planet. As they descended, continents, oceans, and forests became visible.

They don't call it the forest moon for nothing, Ron thought. The dark green cover obscured the actual planetary surface below them. When they were low enough, Ron could see that the trees looked like very large pines. At least it's not a huge city, he thought. No matter how much gold they had, no one would be able to make him live on Coruscant. EVER.

Han found a clearing, landed the shuttle, and shut down the engines. "All right," he said. "We've gotta get to the shield generator early tomorrow morning at the latest, and it's quite a hike."

All of them were wearing camouflage cloaks over dark jumpsuits. Ginny, who was used to wizarding robes, looked rather uncomfortable. Ron smiled as Harry helped her out of the shuttle, and whispered something in her ear.

"Hey," Jan said. "What are you thinking?"

"I was trying to remember what was the last time I was in a forest. More than three months, that's for sure."

"Coruscant does that to you," she said. "Thinking about nature..."

"I guess..."

Jan leaned in and kissed him. Ron was so surprised he didn't respond.

"What was that for? Not that I minded, but--"

"Just that we might not have time for any more for a while." She nudged him towards the rest of the group, which was almost ready to move. She gave him another kiss. "For luck," she said, beaming at him.

He chuckled. As he headed up the trail with the rest of the team, he looked at her and smiled. "Thanks. That was the best good-luck wish I've ever received."