GrS 38:6:17: A Luke-warm greeting from dad

Well, colour me surprised, that did work. Vader tortured Luke's friends and next thing you know, he comes running... but oddly, from the direction of the Sluis sector. I mean, what was he doing out there?

But while we were waiting for Luke to arrive, Vader starts thinking about safe ways to transport force-capable people, and decides carbon-freezing might be the way to go. And of course, having some now-extraneous prisoners around, he decides he's going to test it on this Han Solo character. Surprisingly, he survived the process and word is Vader's going to give him to Boba Fett to collect some ransom or something. He's a wanted man!

So after that, apparently, Vader and Luke had a nice father-son chat, which ended when Vader cut off his kid's hand (you know, like you do), and then Luke flung himself into a gigantic air shaft when Vader offered him a spot at ruling the galaxy with him. Wow, over-dramatic at all, kid? Ever hear of a counter-offer? This family is not one for small, insignificant gestures, are they? Oh, you abandoned me before I was born and force-choked my mother? Well, I'll destroy your space station... Oh, you destroyed my space station, I'll cut your damn hand off! Oh, you cut my hand off and offered me a chance to rule the galaxy? (in that order, too!)... Well, I'll fling myself down this gigantic air shaft!

So Vader went away pretty annoyed with the whole thing... plus he had to give up his carbon-encased frozen Han Solo treat to Boba Fett. Not sure where Fett's going with him, but I'm sure wherever it is, he's laughing all the way to the bank. That Fett family have pocketed a lot of Republic and Imperial currency over the years.

Apparently Vader (and by extension all of us on the Executor) are heading out to take up residence on the new and improved Death Star II. This time, they're not even pretending to call it anything other than DEATH STAR. What a bunch of literalists.

Oh and get this--in spite of poor Bevel Lemelisk being executed for following Vader's instructions about that stupid thermal exhaust port, and essentially taking all the blame, clearly the Emperor knows it wasn't all Bevel's fault because he had him cloned to work on this new Death Star! But it hasn't all been sunshine and roses--Bevel has been executed and resurrected as a clone six more times during this construction. I sure hope he's sealed that thermal exhaust port this time.

[this marks the end of new material contemporaneous with The Empire Strikes Back... the next entry is the previously written Death Star II shield codes entry].

GrS 38:6:10 Mutiny and a bounty

So, lots to update here. We went chasing off after that Millennium Falcon, in the Executor this time, Vader having shifted his command there now, along with the best from all divisions, which somehow mistakenly included me.

We were apparently so desperate to capture the Falcon that we followed them into an asteroid field... in the Executor. At first, I thought it was another stupid move from an Admiral with a death-wish, and that there was going to be another force-choking. But no, apparently it was on Vader's orders. Who flies a Super Star Destroyer into an asteroid field? Ah yes, asteroids... the icebergs of the sky. I suppose that's comets, but who's keeping track?

Fortunately, Vader eventually gave the order to retreat from the asteroid field... but not because it was unsafe, but because he had a call coming in from the Emperor. So we abandoned the chase of this super-important Falcon for cell reception?

So I don't know what the Emperor said, but Vader hired a bunch of bounty hunters to find this insignificant little freighter and among them, some bounty hunter named Boba Fett. Oh boy, do we have every member of that family on the payroll?

I don't know where he got them all from so quickly, but guess who had to process all these new access card requests in a rush for six new bounty hunters?

So just as I'm finishing that, and Vader has welcomed the bounty hunters aboard, Captain Needa aboard the Avenger reports that they've spotted the Falcon, so all these bounty hunters are not going to be needed, so I'm ordered to start decommissioning all their access badges.

And just as I'm finishing that, Captain Needa reports that they've lost the Falcon and he's coming over in a shuttle to personally apologize to Vader.

Okay, first of all, who does that? Secondly, why bother? If Vader wants to kill you, he can do it through the viewscreen... or is that only if he's on-board the same vessel? What's the range on that screen-based force choke? Does it only work on a closed circuit?

So after the obvious happened to Needa, because my office is near the main hangar, I got tasked with going to tell the poor shuttle pilot from the Avenger that his boss wouldn't be joining him for the return journey. I'm not sure who got put in charge aboard the Avenger.

Then we get all rigged for hyperspace because I guess Vader has given up on the Falcon? Seems out of character. But we make the jump and right as it ends, this Boba Fett character contacts Vader and says he's spotted the Falcon heading for Cloud City. I mean, did he wait until we'd made the jump to hyperspace? Is he just trying to irritate Vader? Hint: don't do that, even if you're a bounty hunter.

So next thing you know, we rush over to Cloud City, and Vader soon finds out that Luke is not on board. Now the plan, I hear, is to torture all the Falcon crewmembers... but not so that they can reveal where Luke is. Vader thinks Luke will "sense" this and come rushing to their rescue. Well, okay. He knows more about the Force than I do, but really? So now we're just twiddling our thumbs at Cloud City. At least I got some shore leave though. I just wish there was some shore around here.