Chapter 24
“The diminutive species called Ewoks by taxonomists - I'm sadly unfamiliar with the term they used to describe themselves - were a curiosity for me. In many ways, we are alike. We are small by human standards, we try to live in harmony with nature, and we tend to have our own family units that mean the world to us. But we area also quite different... aside from their obvious physiological differences, Ewoks also have something we don't: a standing military. The Wonderbolts are of course good fighters and the princesses have their royal guard. But the Ewoks were all capable warriors, and thanks to their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and determination, they were some of the best allies that we had during our fight for freedom.”
-Twilight Sparkle, On Extra-Galactic Voyages, pp. 797, 823
Tied to various lengths of log, the Rebels were all carried to the Ewok's village. They all knew better than to protest. Despite the creatures' short height, there were many more of them and they were all armed with sharp tools. Hanging by her bound-up hooves from a pole leaning up against the largest hut, Twilight looked around at their surroundings and tried to make out what the Ewoks intended to do to them. Judging by the large bonfire being built and what looked like the rests for a roasting spit being set up on either side of it, she had a feeling that they would soon become meals for the Ewoks. Swallowing hard, she looked to the right of her at Rarity’s flanks swaying side to side as the little aliens hauled her next to Twilight and stood her up beside her. To her left, Princess Celestia was also tied up, her wings strapped to her sides by ropes and her crown, breastplate and greaves put into a makeshift basket. Twilight’s jaw dropped as she craned her neck and suddenly saw that C-3PO had not only been allowed to remain free, but now sat upon a wood throne that three of the Ewoks carried using poles on either side.
R2-D2 emitted an annoyed warble as the makeshift frame he was tied to was set upright next to the large dias where 3PO was set down. Soon after, Pinkie Pie was set down next to him. Two Ewoks stood beside, holding the excitable pony still. She had been gagged soon after the Ewoks discovered her talkative nature. It did little to muffle her whining noises, however.
“Well,” said Rarity, “This is most unpleasant!”
“No kidding,” said Han Solo, who was being taken toward the fire pit. As the pole he was tied to was hoisted up and set upon the spit rests, he looked up and saw that a rather important-looking Ewok was now approaching the dias where C-3PO sat on his throne. He shook his head. “I have a really bad feeling about this,” he muttered.
Twilight looked up at 3PO, who was saying something important-sounding to the Ewok with the headdress. The chief responded, waving a silver object that she recognized as Luke’s lightsaber like he was emphasizing his point.
Han craned his neck to look directly at C-3PO. “What did he say?” The irritation at his predicament was heard clearly in his voice.
“I’m rather embarrassed, General Solo,” replied the golden droid. “But it appears you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honor. Furthermore, the ponies are to be domesticated as pack animals for the tribe.”
As soon as he concluded the statement, Rarity started to strain against the bindings on her legs. “I demand you ruffians unhoof me this instant! I will not be domesticated like some sort of horse! If you don’t let me go immediately, I’ll...” Her words trailed off as the point of a spear was thrust into her face. Having seen the kind of damage those spears were capable of inflicting on Stormtroopers, she knew better than to pursue the matter further. She merely swallowed hard, then chuckled as sweat glistened on her forehead. “I-I was merely suggesting that you all, erm, reconsider your position on using us as pack animals, heh-heh.”
Chewbacca howled in protest at the idea of the Ewoks eating his friend, but they did little good as the diminutive villagers began building the pile of logs under Captain Solo.
Rarity’s eyes were locked on the massive bonfire that was being assembled. She had no desire to see a human, even an uncouth brute like Han Solo, roasted alive in a fire. Her stomach turned at the thought of seeing him, screaming in agony as the flames licked him and seared his flesh. She squeezed her eyes, wishing she could banish that thought from her mind.
As the drums were beaten, a commotion was heard over by the main house. Craning her neck, Twilight strained to see what was causing the Ewoks to make such a fuss. Their chorus of “Oohs” seemed to suggest someone important was approaching. When the gathering of aliens parted, she could see that it was the human princess. Surprise and relief flooded her as Leia came out of the hut. She was now clad in a plain tan gown, and her hair had been taken out of the bun it had been arranged in and hung about her like a veil.
“Leia!” said Luke as he saw the Rebel princess.
Han Solo echoed his happiness at seeing Leia. Shortly after she appeared, Applejack trotted up behind her. When they tried to approach their friends, the Ewoks all held up spears and knives. Try as they might, neither of them could get through the small group of tribal warriors. “Hey!” shouted Applejack. “Y’all were all hospitable-like before! How come you’re actin’ like this?”
“Yes,” said Leia, “these are our friends!” Their protests fell on deaf ears. The small beings remained steadfast despite Leia and Applejack’s pleas. “Threepio! Tell them they must be set free!”
The golden droid tried to convey Leia’s words, but as he spoke, the leader of the tribe debated him and ordered more logs for the bonfire.
Han Solo watched the Ewoks pile more wood, then looked up at C-3PO with a scowl. “Somehow I got the feeling that didn’t help us very much!”
“Threepio,” said Twilight, “can you tell them that if they don’t let us go that you’ll use your magic and rain death and destruction on them?” Luke and Rarity glanced at her in confusion, both wondering what she had planned, but then realization dawned on them.
“Magic?” repeated C-3PO. “What magic? I couldn’t possibly do anything like─”
“Just tell them, Threepio,” said Luke. He looked intently at the droid, then glanced at Twilight and gave her a subtle wink. She smiled back at him, hoping that what she had planned would work.
C-3PO thought for a moment about what he would say, then suddenly he exclaimed a rather dangerous-sounding phrase in Ewokese. Every Ewok in the village turned and stared in silence as the droid made many gestures to accompany the dire warning he was giving them, ending it with the sound of an explosion. All of the Ewoks let out a shriek.
For many moments the crowd was consumed in muted conversation as the tiny aliens considered what he said. Twilight swallowed, hoping that that would be enough to get them to release them. She watched as the village elders talked amongst themselves, and it seemed like they were going to decide to let them go.
Then the chief gestured out and commanded them to continue. The drums and the music swelled again and the Ewoks resumed building the bonfire. “You see, Mistress Twilight? They didn’t believe me! Just as I said they wouldn’t!”
Twilight just closed her eyes and concentrated, then suddenly several colorful explosions lit up the night sky. Spirals of light, blooms of color, and rays of sunshine turned the drab browns and greens of the forest into a sea of colors. They were all harmless, but the sight of the magic caused the village to panic. Luke smiled and then closed his own eyes and levitated C-3PO.
“Help!” shouted the droid as he began to spin around and waved his hands. “Somebody help! Master Luke! Mistress Twilight! Ah, ah!” His shouts of panic only served to make the Ewoks even more afraid, and as Twilight and Luke opened their eyes to observe the chaos, they both smiled simultaneously. Celestia beamed at her student, pleased that she had been so clever.
While the show of magic was going on, Twilight watched the chief shout orders to his villagers, and quickly they came out from where they were hiding. They went about the village, cutting the Rebels’ bindings. Rarity rubbed her ankles as she was slowly helped down. “Alright!” she said, marching toward the chief with a dangerous scowl on her face. “I have had just about enough torment from you, and if you ever, ever tie me up like that again I will personally hunt you down and make you wear the most hideous shade of neon your primitive little eyes have ever seen!” The tan colored Ewok did nothing as he was lectured, his eyes glued to the white pony in front of him.
Twilight giggled, then trotted up next to Rarity and smiled at her. “Um, Rarity? I think he gets the message.”
As Rarity nodded in acknowledgment, they both heard a shout from across the village square. When they glanced over, they both saw R2-D2 chasing after a black-and-gray striped Ewok shooting bolts of electricity into him and making him hop and shriek. They both shared a laugh at the small alien’s expense.
After Han’s bindings were cut, Leia ran up and embraced him with a passionate kiss, causing the Ewoks to “Ooh” and “Aah”.
As C-3PO was gently lowered to the dias again, he slowly dropped his arms and stared out blankly. “My goodness...” he said to himself, his voice carrying the relief he felt at being alive.
Luke, Han, Chewie and Leia all embraced each other, thankful to be free again. Applejack ambled over to her own friends, a grin on her face and her hat cocked to the side. “Golly, that was some fancy magic you did there, Twilight,” she said as she walked up to her purple friend. “Ah didn’t know ya could levitate that droid and do them fireworks at the same time!”
“That wasn’t me,” replied Twilight humbly. “I mean, I did the fireworks, but Luke levitated C-3PO. I’m just glad it worked.”
“As am I,” said Celestia as she wrapped a wing around her student. “Your cleverness has helped save the day, my young student. I’m glad my lessons have taught you so well.”
The praise from her teacher caused Twilight Sparkle to grin from ear to ear, and soon Celestia’s words of esteem were joined by her friends’s own cheers.
As Luke and his companions finally released each other, the young Jedi turned and looked at his droid, who was still sitting dazed on the litter. “Thanks Threepio,” he said with a smile.
“I...” said the droid as he shook his head, “never knew I had it in me.
-----
Later that evening saw the start of a celebration. Not the one the Ewoks had intended to start, but a small party nonetheless. Rather than cooking the Rebels for dinner, they had decided to give them a chance to tell their harrowing story. The humans talked with each other for some time about who would regale the Ewoks with their tale, and while Han was quite experienced with spinning tall tales about his own exploits, he was still upset at the aliens for nearly roasting him alive. “Besides,” he said, “I don’t want to have to go through a droid to tell the story. It looses something in the translation.”
So it was decided that C-3PO would deliver the tale of how the Rebel Alliance had arisen to defeat the evil Galactic Empire. The Ewoks were not unfamiliar with the Imperials, having had many encounters with their walkers and troopers, and the story Threepio told about the civil war confirmed to the Ewoks that the Rebels were indeed good.
He began by telling them about a battle that happened years ago above the desert world of Tatooine. He talked about how Princess Leia hid the plans to the Death Star in R2-D2, who along with C-3PO stowed away in an escape pod to land on Tatooine and find Obi-Wan Kenobi, an old Jedi Master who had served in the Clone Wars with Leia’s father. Instead, they found Luke Skywalker, and together they joined Obi-Wan on a journey with Han Solo and Chewbacca aboard their freighter, the Millennium Falcon. Threepio told them about being captured on the Death Star and rescuing Princess Leia, but then escaping at the cost of Obi-Wan, who battled Darth Vader and gave his life for them to get away. He talked about the battle of the Death Star and the station’s subsequent demise, and then about the assault on Echo Base by Imperial walkers. He told them of how Luke Skywalker flew a snowspeeder to defeat them, and how Threepio, Han, Leia and Chewie all flew to Cloud City, where they again encountered Darth Vader. The story continued as C-3PO told them how Han was frozen in carbonite, and then later rescued by his friends from Jabba the Hutt around the maw of the Sarlaac. He concluded his story and bowed to the village elders.
No sooner had C-3PO concluded than did Pinkie Pie jump up and shout, “My turn!”
“Pinkie!” shouted Twilight. “Sit down!”
Celestia leaned toward her student. “I think that the village elders would love to hear our story as well,” she said, then looked at Threepio, who translated her unspoken request.
After a moment of debate between the senior Ewoks, he turned back and looked at Celestia. “Yes, Your Highness. The chief and his ruling council would be most pleased to hear your story, and I will provide the translation, of course.”
Upon hearing this, Pinkie squealed, then said, “Okay! So there we were, in Twilight’s library, when boom! Rarity’s spell made us all go woo-woo-woo! Around and around in a big, swirly thing! And then we somehow ended up here, on this very planet! I dropped in next to Twilight and gave her a great big scare! Ah-ha-ha-ha, she was so scared!”
Twilight blushed, her crimson cheeks nearly matching the redness on Rarity’s face. C-3PO spoke as fast as his translation circuits could give him words, but he was clearly struggling to convey Pinkie Pie’s story.
“Anyway,” said Pinkie as her laughter died down, “then we came across this robot who led us to an Imperial base, and we tried to fight them so we could rescue Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but they caught us and made us do all these awful things! Dumb, meanie-mean-pants bad guys! Then we got rescued by you cute little furry guys, and met up with this human named Junas Turner, who took us away in a starship! We had to go to a space station, an asteroid, a super-hot place, and then we went to this planet with a cool building with all these awesome games in it, and I won a lot of money there, but the robot guy told me that it wasn’t mine because he said I cheated, and then Rainbow Dash said ‘No way!’ and got us the money. Then the big mean Imperials stole our ship, and we had to find this pirate guy to give us a ride, but then he betrayed us and tried to sell us to these guys who wanted to take us to the Empire! We ran and ran and finally got away in a ship, then we got captured by this guy called Boba Fett, and I thought he was a bad guy, but then he turned out to be a good guy. And then we went to this planet with a great big ocean, and we lost Rarity for a second, but then we found her again when we went to this big underwater Rebel base thingy, and then the Empire came and tried to get the Rebels to hand us over, but they took us into space, and then Twilight and Celestia took out one of those big Imperial ships with their magic, and then we met these weird fishy aliens and then had to do a lot of missions for the Rebels. Those were super fun! But then we had to come back here to take out the Death Star, and here we are!”
As she finished her story, Threepio staggered a bit and held a hand to his golden head, relieved that she had finally stopped. I might need a tune-up for my central auditory processor and vocabulator after dealing with that pony’s motormouth!
As the droid walked to the edge of the room and sat down so his circuits could cool, the tribal leaders began talking amongst themselves. Many gestures and shakes of the head came from the small aliens and their voices, while quiet, were insistent. One Ewok would appear to be arguing against something, and then two others would argue back at him.
Han and Leia watched as they debated. “What’s going on?” asked Han.
“I don’t know,” replied Leia.
“Maybe they’re trying to decide if they should just shoo us away,” said Rarity.
Twilight said, “I don’t think so.” Then she looked at Luke to ask his opinion, but upon seeing him she stopped. The Jedi seemed to be a thousand miles away, not paying any attention to his surroundings. This was curious, but maybe he was just thinking about the mission that had brought them here.
Soon the chief quieted the others and stopped the debate. He raised his hands and shook his staff as he said something to the other members of the council. When he finished speaking, a drummer banged on his drum, apparently as a way of sealing what the elder Ewok had said. As soon as he did, the rest of the gathering of diminutive creatures began to talk amongst themselves, apparently happy with their decision.
“Wonderful!” said C-3PO. “We are now a part of the tribe!”
As soon as he said this, an Ewok walked up to Applejack and Rarity and hugged them both in a warm embrace. “Um, thank you,” said Rarity, wishing that the creature had bathed properly before he got that close to her.
“Yer too kind,” said Applejack as she tried to get away, experiencing the same nasal discomfort that Rarity was.
After a hug had been given to Twilight as well, she looked back at Luke, only to see that he had disappeared into the forest. She frowned. Why would he walk off like that? Was something bothering him? Had he sensed something in the Force? She hadn’t felt anything, but maybe he was more sensitive than she was to the disturbances in the current. In any case, something had sufficiently bothered him that he decided to leave, maybe to find a quiet spot. Apparently Leia had noticed the same thing, for Twilight saw her walk out and follow the man. She wanted to leave them alone, but something told her to follow him. She considered ignoring her intuition, but considering how disastrous that had been in the past, she decided to go with her gut and see what was up.
Making sure no one saw her, she quietly backed out of the crowd and followed the Jedi Master wherever he was going.
Han Solo walked up to Chewbacca, trying to get away from all the small celebratory creatures who tried to welcome him to the tribe. The Wookie growled out a low complaint, to which Han replied, “Well, short help’s better’n no help at all, Chewie.” His attempt to escape his newfound friends proved futile as one of the little aliens grasped his hands and started to dance with him to the music.
“He says the scouts are going to show us the quickest way to the shield generator,” said C-3PO, who was translating what the chief was saying to Han.
The smuggler quickly peeled the exuberant Ewok off his leg and then said, “Good. How far is it?”
The droid just stared blankly.
“Ask him,” said Han, pointing impatiently at the chief. As Threepio began to translate Han’s request, the man spun him back around. “We need some fresh supplies, too.” Again Threepio started to translate, but Han spun him around once again. “Try and get our weapons back.” With a third attempt to translate, Threepio again found himself whirled around to face Han. “Hurry up, will ya? I haven’t got all day.”
The droid did a double-take, hoping that this was the last time he would be interrupted, and after biting off a comeback regarding his job and how Han was interfering with it, he turned back around to continue the translation.
“Well,” said Applejack, “Ah sure am glad we got outta that mess.”
“And these little guys are so cute!” Pinkie Pie was looking at a small Ewok infant sitting in a basket. She tickled it under the chin. “Who’s a cutie patootie? You are! Yes you are!” The little creature appeared to be enjoying her treatment, giggling and gurgling at her antics.
“I have to admit,” said Rarity as she watched Pinkie Pie, “they are rather adorable.” She d’awwed at the infant as it played with Pinkie’s hoof. “Aww, he’s quite cute, isn’t he, Twilight?” As she looked in the direction her friend had been in moments before, she was surprised to discover the seat empty. “Twilight? Where did that mare go?” Then she noticed something else. “Princess Celestia? My goodness, where are those two?”
“Who cares?” said Applejack as she smiled down at the baby. “They’re probably just enjoying the night air and having one o’ their talks. I say let ‘em have a minute to themselves.”
Rarity began to protest, but she thought better of it and then put on a smile as she looked at the adorable infant in the basket.
-----
Luke stood for a long time on the bridge outside the main plaza, far away from the music and merriment, the dark, misty forest a mirror of his own black thoughts. His mind was a soup of emotion and tortured feelings. Vader had been telling the truth about their relationship when he had claimed to be his father. Yoda said as much, and Ben confirmed it. The thought however was weighing on him, filling his soul with a black inkiness that wouldn’t go away. He pushed it out, tried to think about the mission and how the Empire’s day was at an end. But it persisted. And now it threatened to turn from a shapeless dread to real danger. He knew that Vader knew they were there. There was no secret to their plans anymore. And he could see into the future far enough to know that soon the dark lord would be visiting the moon in order to confront him.
And if the man encountered Luke while he was near his friends, they would be caught in his blazing wake and be killed or captured. There would be no mercy. Vader would use his love for his friends to force him to join the dark side.
As he contemplated the danger he had put everyone in, he felt a presence in the Force coming up behind him. A soothing, familiar presence.
“Luke, what’s wrong?” said Leia as she walked up to the intersection where Luke stood.
He turned to face her, unsure of what words to use to explain what he was thinking. “Leia,” he began, trying to find a way to talk to her about what was on his mind. He sat down on a nearby bench and looked her in the eyes. “Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?”
“Just a little bit,” she replied, sitting beside him and shrugging. “She died while I was very young.”
“What do you remember?”
“Just... images, really. Feelings,” she said, thinking back to a time long ago.
“Tell me.”
The look on his face told her that nothing would stop him from dredging up these memories of a time when she was but a toddler. She thought about the old holograms that her parents used to show her. About the descriptions and stories her father told about the young senator he had known who gave birth to her. “She was... very beautiful. Kind. But... sad.” She frowned at him. “Why are you asking me this?”
He stared off, his voice as though he were deep in thought. “I have no memory of my mother. I never knew her.”
She waited for him to go on, but something was clearly wrong and Leia didn’t know what it was. “Luke, tell me. What’s troubling you.”
Suddenly he seemed to return to the here and now. He locked eyes with her. “Vader’s here. Now. On this moon.”
“How do you know?”
“I felt his presence.” He leaned in a bit. “He’s come for me. He can feel when I’m near. That’s why I have to go. As long as I stay, I’m endangering the group and our mission here.” He paused. “I have to face him.”
“Why?”
Luke took several seconds to answer, and looked down as he did. He didn’t want to look her in the eye when he told her, and as he stared at the ground he heard himself say, “He’s my father.” When he looked up, her face was a mixture of confusion and horror.
“Your father,” she whispered.
“There’s more,” he said. “It won’t be easy for you to hear it, but you must. If I don’t make it back, you’re the only hope for the Alliance.”
“Luke, don’t talk that way,” she said. “You have a power I don’t understand, and could never have.”
He shook his head slowly. “You’re wrong, Leia. You have that power, too. In time, you’ll learn to use it as I have.” Again he looked away as he thought about the words he was about to say. “The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And m...” He trailed off, but then looked at Leia intently and said, “My sister has it.” Moments passed as Leia slowly realized the implication of what he was saying and the look he gave her. “Yes,” he said. “It’s you Leia.”
“I know,” she said to herself. Then she looked at him and said, “Somehow... I’ve always known.”
“Then you know why I have to face him.”
“No!” she exclaimed, then stood up and looked at him angrily. “Luke, run away! Far away! If he can feel your presence, then leave this place! I wish I could go with you.”
He stood up and smiled at her. “No you don’t. You’ve always been strong.”
Her voice cracked. “But why must you confront him?”
“Because there is good in him, I’ve felt it,” said Luke, holding her hand. “He won’t turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him, I can turn him back... to the good side.” He shook his head insistently. “I have to try.”
With that, he gave her a small kiss on the cheek, then slowly turned around and began to walk off. Leia held onto his hand as long as she could, then suddenly he let go. She just watched him walk, the weight of what he’d said about Vader and herself finally hitting home as he walked down one of the bridges into the night. As she stared into the darkness, she heard someone walk up behind her.
“Hey,” said Han as he glanced from looking at Luke to Leia. “What’s going on?”
She turned to look at him, and wanted to tell him everything, but she knew if she did she would likely break down in front of him. “Nothing,” she said, then she turned away. “I-I just want to be alone for a little while.”
“Nothing?” said Han, not believing her for a second. He walked up and sat down on the bench next to her. “C’mon, tell me. What’s going on?”
She looked at him for a long moment, her face seeming to have aged a thousand years. She tried to work up the courage to say what was on her mind. “I... I can’t tell you,” was all she could say without her voice cracking again.
He pointed off in the direction Luke was walking. “Could you tell Luke? Is that who you could tell?!” he said.
She turned away, choking on the snappy comeback she tried to say. She couldn’t let him see her break down. She was Leia Organa, leader of the free peoples of the Rebellion. She wasn’t about to cry like some little girl.
Han threw up his hand at her and began to walk off. She gazed at him for a moment, hoping he’d come back, but then dropped her gaze as she realized her emotions were starting to get the better of her.
As he got to the center of the bridge, Han stopped and turned around, then he walked back to her side and looked at her with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
She turned slowly to meet his gaze, not knowing what to say. Then suddenly she reached out and enveloped herself around him. “Hold me.”
Without saying a word and feeling awkward, Han reached around and returned her embrace.
-----
A few meters away, Twilight Sparkle was watching the whole affair, her face contorted in horror. She’d heard Luke talk about Vader, and then she’d heard him say the awful truth about himself: that Darth Vader, dark lord of the Sith... was Luke’s father.
The news of Luke’s heritage hit Twilight hard. Her knees buckled and her jaw dropped. How? How could that evil corruption of humanity possibly be related to Luke? How could that Jedi keep something like that to himself?
She began to breath hard, edging close to hyperventilation. Her eyes darted as she tried to make sense of it all.
Could Luke Skywalker, the most kind man she knew, really be related to Darth Vader?
And if he was...
Could she ever trust him again?