Title: His Father's Son
Author: Jedipati
Rating: Uh. PG? I don't know, there isn't anything really bad in here.
Category: AU Oh, yeah, definitely AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own this, and never will. I'm just borrowing. I
don't make any money on this, so don't bother suing me.
Feedback: Send all feedback to Jedipati@aol.com. Constructive criticism
and praise only. Flames will not even be read.
Summary: What if Luke's X-wing had malfunctioned during the Battle of
Yavin?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ His Father's Son
"Use the Force Luke."
Luke Skywalker looked around his X-wing knowing he would see no one *I couldn't have heard that voice* he thought.
"Let Go Luke."
*I don't know. Is it possible? Could it really be Ben*
"Luke, trust me."
Luke did as he was told, turning off his targeting computer and concentrating. *Not yet. Not yet. NOW!* He fired and nothing happened. He looked up in confusion and saw that the torpedo launchers weren't working.
Luke pulled up and out of the trench, aware that he had failed. His wing clipped one side, sending him into a dizzying spiral. He got control of the fighter just in time to watch Yavin 4 be destroyed. He shuddered, realizing for the first time what Ben had to have felt when Alderaan was destroyed. He felt like a part of himself, a part he didn't know existed was torn from him.
He then realized that the fighter itself was shuddering, caught in a tractor beam. He realized he was in big trouble. He wondered if Wedge Antilles, the only other surviving rebel fighter had escaped. Luke saw no sign of him on the scanners, but hoped for the best. He did see a Correllian freighter just before it jumped to hyperspace and was relieved that Han and Chewbacca had escaped. He wouldn't. He was being drawn closer and closer to the hanger bay. He resloved to take as many imperials with him before he died
Darth Vader brought his crippled TIE fighter in after signaling to the Death Star to pick up the rebel fighter. The Dark Lord got out of his fighter and stood near it. He watched as the rebel X-wing was brought down and the pilot jumped down with his blaster in his hand. Five stormtroopers were hit before others managed to stun the rebel. Vader strode over to where the rebel lay, crumpled. Two stormtroopers grabbed the rebel and started checking him for weapons. They came up with only the blaster and- amazingly enough- a lightsaber. In the process the troopers took off the rebel's helmet and Vader got a shock. The rebel looked so much like Vader had, before he had been pushed into that lava pit by Kenobi.
"My Lord, should we take the rebel to the detention level?" One of the stormtroopers asked.
"Yes, put him in a maximum security cell."
The Dark Lord went to the observation deck of the Death Star, where he knew Grand Moff Tarkin would be. "Did any rebel survive, except for the one we captured?" He asked.
"A small Correllian freighter, the one that killed your wingmen, was seen jumping to lightspeed a few minutes ago. However, I believe that it was only a smuggler's ship and not a true rebel. The rebel in detention may be the last in existence."
"Very well. I will be interrogating him." As Vader left, he reflected on the fact that the rebel was strong in the Force. *He may become a powerful ally.* Luke groggily sat up and realized that he was in a detention cell, much like the one he had rescued the Princess from earlier. "Great, just what I needed." He muttered. He automatically checked to see if he had any weapons, but he wasn't surprised to come up empty-handed. He looked around his cell and tried to remember what happened once he was in the Death Star. *I remember shooting several troopers and then one must have stunned me. This is not good.*
Luke's thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and darkness walked in.
Luke gasped, not just because of the way the being looked, but also the way it felt. Luke knew this had to be Darth Vader, the man who had killed his father.
"Tell me, Rebel, what is your name?"
Luke could feel a subtle mental pressure to answer, but resisted it. "I don't think I want to tell you that."
"You understand that with the rebellion gone, you have nothing to hide. Any secrets you might know are useless. Rebel, you should not have tried to attack this station. Now, What is your name?"
Luke sighed. *This is going to be a very long day. Or maybe a very short one.* "Luke Skywalker" He said, reluctantly.
"What!"
Luke jumped at the outburst, but wisely, he said nothing.
Vader was startled. *I did not expect to ever here that name again. This boy may be related to me.* Vader looked at the rebel and saw that the boy was watching him curiously. Vader wanted to see just how closely related the boy was to him. "Who were your parents?" He asked.
Again the rebel resisted his mental pressure to respond. Skywalker just looked at him, puzzled.
Luke was very confused. *Why would a Dark Lord want to know who my parents were? I just won't say anything, but I have a feeling that this will not be fun.*
Vader was getting angry. He wondered why someone with so little training was able to resist his mental commands. He decided to have a genetic analysis preformed on the boy.
After a stormtrooper got a blood sample, Luke was left alone with his thoughts. Luke wondered if he could escape using the Force, but decided against it, not wanting Vader to know he could use the Force. He wondered why they had taken a blood sample, as he knew that it wasn't standard Imperial procedure. His encounter with Vader had left nothing but questions
When the medics were done, Vader went to his quarters to view their discovery. The data was clearly stated and just as clearly unbelievable. It revealed something Vader never expected. *I had thought the boy might be closely related to me, but not this closely.* The medics hadn't made any mistakes however.
Name: Luke Skywalker
Father: Anakin Skywalker, Tatooine
Mother: Queen Amidala, Naboo
There was more information but Vader didn't bother to read it. His hand slammed down on the desk and rage filled him. *She had no right to do this. She had no right to hide my child from me.* He didn't try to control his rage.
In his cell, Luke suddenly felt a flicker of surprise, which was then obliterated by a strong, overpowering anger. *What...* He tried to figure out where it was coming from, and realized that Vader was outraged over something. He hurriedly shut down his Force sense, not wanting to attract the Dark Lord's attention. He did wonder what had made Vader so angry.
After his rage was spent, Vader knew he had to report this to the Emperor. He turned to his communications and activated the holoimaging device. The Emperor soon responded.
"Yes, Lord Vader."
"The rebel base is destroyed, my master."
"Yes, I know."
"We have also captured a rebel, one strong in the Force."
"Are you sure, Lord Vader."
"Yes, My master. I have also found out that his name is Luke Skywalker."
"Skywalker?"
"Yes. He is apparently my son."
"Has he had any Jedi training?"
"A very small amount."
"Bring him to me and I will decide if he is worth training."
"Yes, my master."
With that the Emperor shut off the transmission, leaving Vader to his thoughts. Vader wondered if he should tell the boy of his heritage or allow the Emperor to do so. He decided to wait, to see what the boy thought of his situation. He ordered his shuttle to stand by to take him to the Executor, a Super Star Destroyer and the ship under Vader's direct command
Luke Skywalker was still confused. *I hope that this means that I won't have to undergo interrogation, not that they would learn anything useful. After all, I was only a part of the alliance for one day. I wonder what got Vader so angry, too*
Again the door opened, again interrupting his thoughts. This time a group of stormtroopers came in and without threat or comment bound his hands in front of him. Luke didn't like this. *I guess this means I'm moving. I think I have a bad feeling about this.*
The troopers took him to the hanger bay. *Uh-oh* Luke thought when he saw who was waiting. *Of course it's him.* Darth Vader stood by a shuttle, waiting.
Vader watched as the troopers escorted his son aboard the shuttle and then got on. He signaled for the pilot to take off and take them to the waiting Executor. Vader could see how nervous Skywalker was and nearly smiled. *Of course he has every right to be nervous. I wonder what he would do if he knew where we were going.* "So Skywalker what do you expect will happen to you once we reach Imperial Center?"
"I will be killed most likely."
"Perhaps not."
Luke tried to keep the shock and dismay off his face. So he knows I can use the Force. Again, he thought *I have a very bad feeling about this.*
The ship flew to the Executor and docked without any further conversation between its occupants. Luke was soon placed in another cell and remained
there for the journey to Imperial Center.
"I don't like this, Chewie" Han Solo said.
The Wookie sitting in the copilot's chair indicated his agreement.
"Look, three days after we blast out of Mos Eisley and nobody even twitched when we landed. I wish we had never taken that job."
Chewbacca the Wookie made the sounds that Han could interpret as "Why?"
"Well look what it got us. Yes, we can pay off our debt, but we watched Luke get captured by that Death Star, the moon of Yavin was destroyed, and it wouldn't surprise me if we found ourselves on some sort of wanted list. For now, let's just pay off our debt to Jabba and find another job.
Chewbacca suggested that they try to find out what happened to Luke.
"How would we ever know? Wait, remember what that old man, Kenobi, was saying about the Force?"
Chewbacca said that he did.
"Well he said Luke was strong in the Force and that he had to be careful not to let Vader know. Maybe Vader found out and is going to try and... uh... do something to Luke that has to do with this Force. Not that I believe in the Force"
Chewie asked what they could do.
"I don't know, but think about it. Now let's pay Jabba."
Luke looked up as the door to his cell opened. It had been a three day trip from Yavin to Imperial Center, but he had practiced what he could of the Force the entire way. Luke knew that Vader would sense that but he had needed something to do and if he was right Vader already knew he could use the Force. Luke also suspected he would need all of his wits and Force skills when they got to Imperial Center. As Vader walked in Luke noticed something, Vader had his lightsaber, the one Ben had said belonged to his father.
Vader walked in and noticed that Skywalker was apparently waiting for him. "Skywalker, are you ready to face the Emperor?"
"Does that really matter?"
"No. Guard bind him."
Luke was in fact terrified. He had heard stories of the Emperor, stories that had made him wish he was back on his Uncle's farm. Then out of the air he heard a voice.
"Luke, fear is of the dark side."
Vader also heard this and watched as his son started. Luke whispered "that's impossible."
Vader was also startled, but all the more so when Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared before them. "Obi-Wan, how can you be here?"
At the same time Luke said "Ben, how is this possible?"
Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared to ignore both questions and addressed Luke. "Luke, you are in grave danger. Whatever you do, act only when you are calm. Luke, never use your anger or hate. Luke, I won't be able to help you, but remember the Force will be with you, always." With that he faded away leaving both of them staring at where he had been standing.
At that moment the stormtrooper came in and bound Luke. At that, both Luke and Vader looked away and tried to regain their composure.
The ride to the palace was quiet as the two of them tried to figure out what that entire scene meant. Luke was really confused. *I have never heard of that before. I will take Ben's advice and try to stay calm, however I don't know if I will be able to.* Suddenly Luke felt a Force sense, someone cold and evil. Luke felt someone try to invade his mind and tried to block whoever it was out
For his part, Vader was trying to puzzle through what had just happened. *I remember Obi-Wan telling me about that, but I never witnessed it before. I suspect that Obi-Wan was trying to keep my son from turning to the dark side. I may have to push him harder than I thought.*
Both of them were disturbed by what had just happened and hoped they could figure out what it meant before it was to late.
Emperor Palpatine eagerly waited as Lord Vader brought Luke Skywalker to the palace. As he waited, he used the Force to brush up against young Skywalker's mind Skywalker obviously had a lot of talent and he was mostly untrained. Skywalker was trained enough that he noticed the intrusion and tried to shield his mind. Skywalker succeeded, but not before the Emperor felt the young man's fear at coming before the Emperor. Palpatine smiled at this. *This young man is strong in the Force. He will make a powerful servant once he is turned. If he cannot be turned, he must be destroyed for I sense that he would be a powerful enemy as well. *
The Emperor rotated his chair as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker exited from the lift. "Welcome, young Skywalker, I have been expecting you."
Luke nearly stopped walking. When he exited the lift, he finally realized what, or rather who, the sensation of coldness was coming from. The Emperor spoke again. "Your father tells me you are quite strong in the Force."
"My father? My father is dead, he died before I was born."
"You didn't know? Your father is Lord Vader."
"That's impossible." Luke said incredulously. *Ben told me Vader killed my father, could Ben have lied to me?* Luke felt his surprise turn to anger. *No! Ben told me to remain calm.* Luke tried to bring his anger under control.
"No, it is possible, my young apprentice."
"I'm not your apprentice."
"You will be."
Luke shook his head. "I will never bow to you." Even though he was outwardly calm, Luke's mind was racing. *I have to get out of this, somehow. I don't care if Vader is my father or not. He can't be my father.*
The Emperor smiled, listening to the young man's thoughts. "You no longer need those binders." As he said this he used the Force to unlatch the binders, which fell from Luke's hands.
Luke was unsure of what to do next. He could try and escape *I doubt I would get far* or he could stay here but if *I did I might turn.* Luke did nothing.
The Emperor smiled as he saw what Luke had decided. He also saw that Luke was on the edge of a precipice, one that could carry him to the dark side or to the light side.
For his own part, Vader was pleased. *My son is smart, he knows he cannot escape his destiny.* The Emperor spoke, "There is no escaping your destiny, my young apprentice." The Emperor was very pleased with the way the confrontation was going. Young Skywalker was being driven closer and closer to the Dark Side. "My young apprentice, I understand that your father killed Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"He's not my father."
Luke was not sure where this was going to end. He knew he needed to remain in control, but he was finding it so difficult. The Emperor continued to speak. "He is your father. I am sure that you will follow in his path." Luke closed his eyes, determined to keep from getting angry. "You will be a powerful servant. I look forward to the time when you will call me Master."
Luke was struggling to keep his emotions in check. The Emperor smiled maliciously and spoke. "My apprentice, the Death Star has destroyed Yavin 4. Your friends are dead and the freighter that escaped will be captured and you will destroy its crew."
That was the final provocation. Luke lifted his hand and used the Force to call his lightsaber, still on Vader's belt, to himself. In one smooth motion he had it ignited and heading to the Emperor's head. In an instant, Vader's lightsaber was out, intersecting Luke's just inches from the Emperor's head. Luke jumped back and then charged at Vader. Vader easily blocked his charge and then brought his saber down at Luke. Luke barely deflected it in time. It was obvious to all of them that Luke couldn't hope to win. Luke was beaten back and then cornered by his father. "You could be powerful, my son, if you will only accept your power." Vader said. On the edge of the galaxy, Grand Moff Tarkin sat looking at the planet of Mon Calamari. This planet was a heavy supporter of the now defunct rebellion and was to be destroyed. He stood and then ordered, "You may fire when ready." He watched in satisfaction as the watery planet was destroyed.
On Imperial Center, Luke knew exactly when the Death Star hit the planet. He, however, felt no satisfaction, only pain as it was destroyed. Somehow, the sensation increased his power through his anger.
Vader noticed his expression. "Yes, my son, use the pain of others to help you grow strong." Luke shook his head, trying to clear it. Vader decided that he had to give his son a reason to stop fighting. As Luke had felt the deaths, he had left an opening.
Vader could have cut off Luke's hand but didn't, instead he hit the lightsaber hilt, ruining it. Luke dropped it and backed up, fear clearly visible on his face. My son, open yourself up to the Force, to the Dark Side, you could be so powerful. Luke bowed his head for an instant and closed his eyes. In that instant, Luke truly became his father's son. When he lifted his head, Vader and the Emperor both could feel it, Luke Skywalker now belonged to the Dark Side of the Force.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ His Father's Son
"Use the Force Luke."
Luke Skywalker looked around his X-wing knowing he would see no one *I couldn't have heard that voice* he thought.
"Let Go Luke."
*I don't know. Is it possible? Could it really be Ben*
"Luke, trust me."
Luke did as he was told, turning off his targeting computer and concentrating. *Not yet. Not yet. NOW!* He fired and nothing happened. He looked up in confusion and saw that the torpedo launchers weren't working.
Luke pulled up and out of the trench, aware that he had failed. His wing clipped one side, sending him into a dizzying spiral. He got control of the fighter just in time to watch Yavin 4 be destroyed. He shuddered, realizing for the first time what Ben had to have felt when Alderaan was destroyed. He felt like a part of himself, a part he didn't know existed was torn from him.
He then realized that the fighter itself was shuddering, caught in a tractor beam. He realized he was in big trouble. He wondered if Wedge Antilles, the only other surviving rebel fighter had escaped. Luke saw no sign of him on the scanners, but hoped for the best. He did see a Correllian freighter just before it jumped to hyperspace and was relieved that Han and Chewbacca had escaped. He wouldn't. He was being drawn closer and closer to the hanger bay. He resloved to take as many imperials with him before he died
Darth Vader brought his crippled TIE fighter in after signaling to the Death Star to pick up the rebel fighter. The Dark Lord got out of his fighter and stood near it. He watched as the rebel X-wing was brought down and the pilot jumped down with his blaster in his hand. Five stormtroopers were hit before others managed to stun the rebel. Vader strode over to where the rebel lay, crumpled. Two stormtroopers grabbed the rebel and started checking him for weapons. They came up with only the blaster and- amazingly enough- a lightsaber. In the process the troopers took off the rebel's helmet and Vader got a shock. The rebel looked so much like Vader had, before he had been pushed into that lava pit by Kenobi.
"My Lord, should we take the rebel to the detention level?" One of the stormtroopers asked.
"Yes, put him in a maximum security cell."
The Dark Lord went to the observation deck of the Death Star, where he knew Grand Moff Tarkin would be. "Did any rebel survive, except for the one we captured?" He asked.
"A small Correllian freighter, the one that killed your wingmen, was seen jumping to lightspeed a few minutes ago. However, I believe that it was only a smuggler's ship and not a true rebel. The rebel in detention may be the last in existence."
"Very well. I will be interrogating him." As Vader left, he reflected on the fact that the rebel was strong in the Force. *He may become a powerful ally.* Luke groggily sat up and realized that he was in a detention cell, much like the one he had rescued the Princess from earlier. "Great, just what I needed." He muttered. He automatically checked to see if he had any weapons, but he wasn't surprised to come up empty-handed. He looked around his cell and tried to remember what happened once he was in the Death Star. *I remember shooting several troopers and then one must have stunned me. This is not good.*
Luke's thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and darkness walked in.
Luke gasped, not just because of the way the being looked, but also the way it felt. Luke knew this had to be Darth Vader, the man who had killed his father.
"Tell me, Rebel, what is your name?"
Luke could feel a subtle mental pressure to answer, but resisted it. "I don't think I want to tell you that."
"You understand that with the rebellion gone, you have nothing to hide. Any secrets you might know are useless. Rebel, you should not have tried to attack this station. Now, What is your name?"
Luke sighed. *This is going to be a very long day. Or maybe a very short one.* "Luke Skywalker" He said, reluctantly.
"What!"
Luke jumped at the outburst, but wisely, he said nothing.
Vader was startled. *I did not expect to ever here that name again. This boy may be related to me.* Vader looked at the rebel and saw that the boy was watching him curiously. Vader wanted to see just how closely related the boy was to him. "Who were your parents?" He asked.
Again the rebel resisted his mental pressure to respond. Skywalker just looked at him, puzzled.
Luke was very confused. *Why would a Dark Lord want to know who my parents were? I just won't say anything, but I have a feeling that this will not be fun.*
Vader was getting angry. He wondered why someone with so little training was able to resist his mental commands. He decided to have a genetic analysis preformed on the boy.
After a stormtrooper got a blood sample, Luke was left alone with his thoughts. Luke wondered if he could escape using the Force, but decided against it, not wanting Vader to know he could use the Force. He wondered why they had taken a blood sample, as he knew that it wasn't standard Imperial procedure. His encounter with Vader had left nothing but questions
When the medics were done, Vader went to his quarters to view their discovery. The data was clearly stated and just as clearly unbelievable. It revealed something Vader never expected. *I had thought the boy might be closely related to me, but not this closely.* The medics hadn't made any mistakes however.
Name: Luke Skywalker
Father: Anakin Skywalker, Tatooine
Mother: Queen Amidala, Naboo
There was more information but Vader didn't bother to read it. His hand slammed down on the desk and rage filled him. *She had no right to do this. She had no right to hide my child from me.* He didn't try to control his rage.
In his cell, Luke suddenly felt a flicker of surprise, which was then obliterated by a strong, overpowering anger. *What...* He tried to figure out where it was coming from, and realized that Vader was outraged over something. He hurriedly shut down his Force sense, not wanting to attract the Dark Lord's attention. He did wonder what had made Vader so angry.
After his rage was spent, Vader knew he had to report this to the Emperor. He turned to his communications and activated the holoimaging device. The Emperor soon responded.
"Yes, Lord Vader."
"The rebel base is destroyed, my master."
"Yes, I know."
"We have also captured a rebel, one strong in the Force."
"Are you sure, Lord Vader."
"Yes, My master. I have also found out that his name is Luke Skywalker."
"Skywalker?"
"Yes. He is apparently my son."
"Has he had any Jedi training?"
"A very small amount."
"Bring him to me and I will decide if he is worth training."
"Yes, my master."
With that the Emperor shut off the transmission, leaving Vader to his thoughts. Vader wondered if he should tell the boy of his heritage or allow the Emperor to do so. He decided to wait, to see what the boy thought of his situation. He ordered his shuttle to stand by to take him to the Executor, a Super Star Destroyer and the ship under Vader's direct command
Luke Skywalker was still confused. *I hope that this means that I won't have to undergo interrogation, not that they would learn anything useful. After all, I was only a part of the alliance for one day. I wonder what got Vader so angry, too*
Again the door opened, again interrupting his thoughts. This time a group of stormtroopers came in and without threat or comment bound his hands in front of him. Luke didn't like this. *I guess this means I'm moving. I think I have a bad feeling about this.*
The troopers took him to the hanger bay. *Uh-oh* Luke thought when he saw who was waiting. *Of course it's him.* Darth Vader stood by a shuttle, waiting.
Vader watched as the troopers escorted his son aboard the shuttle and then got on. He signaled for the pilot to take off and take them to the waiting Executor. Vader could see how nervous Skywalker was and nearly smiled. *Of course he has every right to be nervous. I wonder what he would do if he knew where we were going.* "So Skywalker what do you expect will happen to you once we reach Imperial Center?"
"I will be killed most likely."
"Perhaps not."
Luke tried to keep the shock and dismay off his face. So he knows I can use the Force. Again, he thought *I have a very bad feeling about this.*
The ship flew to the Executor and docked without any further conversation between its occupants. Luke was soon placed in another cell and remained
there for the journey to Imperial Center.
"I don't like this, Chewie" Han Solo said.
The Wookie sitting in the copilot's chair indicated his agreement.
"Look, three days after we blast out of Mos Eisley and nobody even twitched when we landed. I wish we had never taken that job."
Chewbacca the Wookie made the sounds that Han could interpret as "Why?"
"Well look what it got us. Yes, we can pay off our debt, but we watched Luke get captured by that Death Star, the moon of Yavin was destroyed, and it wouldn't surprise me if we found ourselves on some sort of wanted list. For now, let's just pay off our debt to Jabba and find another job.
Chewbacca suggested that they try to find out what happened to Luke.
"How would we ever know? Wait, remember what that old man, Kenobi, was saying about the Force?"
Chewbacca said that he did.
"Well he said Luke was strong in the Force and that he had to be careful not to let Vader know. Maybe Vader found out and is going to try and... uh... do something to Luke that has to do with this Force. Not that I believe in the Force"
Chewie asked what they could do.
"I don't know, but think about it. Now let's pay Jabba."
Luke looked up as the door to his cell opened. It had been a three day trip from Yavin to Imperial Center, but he had practiced what he could of the Force the entire way. Luke knew that Vader would sense that but he had needed something to do and if he was right Vader already knew he could use the Force. Luke also suspected he would need all of his wits and Force skills when they got to Imperial Center. As Vader walked in Luke noticed something, Vader had his lightsaber, the one Ben had said belonged to his father.
Vader walked in and noticed that Skywalker was apparently waiting for him. "Skywalker, are you ready to face the Emperor?"
"Does that really matter?"
"No. Guard bind him."
Luke was in fact terrified. He had heard stories of the Emperor, stories that had made him wish he was back on his Uncle's farm. Then out of the air he heard a voice.
"Luke, fear is of the dark side."
Vader also heard this and watched as his son started. Luke whispered "that's impossible."
Vader was also startled, but all the more so when Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared before them. "Obi-Wan, how can you be here?"
At the same time Luke said "Ben, how is this possible?"
Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared to ignore both questions and addressed Luke. "Luke, you are in grave danger. Whatever you do, act only when you are calm. Luke, never use your anger or hate. Luke, I won't be able to help you, but remember the Force will be with you, always." With that he faded away leaving both of them staring at where he had been standing.
At that moment the stormtrooper came in and bound Luke. At that, both Luke and Vader looked away and tried to regain their composure.
The ride to the palace was quiet as the two of them tried to figure out what that entire scene meant. Luke was really confused. *I have never heard of that before. I will take Ben's advice and try to stay calm, however I don't know if I will be able to.* Suddenly Luke felt a Force sense, someone cold and evil. Luke felt someone try to invade his mind and tried to block whoever it was out
For his part, Vader was trying to puzzle through what had just happened. *I remember Obi-Wan telling me about that, but I never witnessed it before. I suspect that Obi-Wan was trying to keep my son from turning to the dark side. I may have to push him harder than I thought.*
Both of them were disturbed by what had just happened and hoped they could figure out what it meant before it was to late.
Emperor Palpatine eagerly waited as Lord Vader brought Luke Skywalker to the palace. As he waited, he used the Force to brush up against young Skywalker's mind Skywalker obviously had a lot of talent and he was mostly untrained. Skywalker was trained enough that he noticed the intrusion and tried to shield his mind. Skywalker succeeded, but not before the Emperor felt the young man's fear at coming before the Emperor. Palpatine smiled at this. *This young man is strong in the Force. He will make a powerful servant once he is turned. If he cannot be turned, he must be destroyed for I sense that he would be a powerful enemy as well. *
The Emperor rotated his chair as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker exited from the lift. "Welcome, young Skywalker, I have been expecting you."
Luke nearly stopped walking. When he exited the lift, he finally realized what, or rather who, the sensation of coldness was coming from. The Emperor spoke again. "Your father tells me you are quite strong in the Force."
"My father? My father is dead, he died before I was born."
"You didn't know? Your father is Lord Vader."
"That's impossible." Luke said incredulously. *Ben told me Vader killed my father, could Ben have lied to me?* Luke felt his surprise turn to anger. *No! Ben told me to remain calm.* Luke tried to bring his anger under control.
"No, it is possible, my young apprentice."
"I'm not your apprentice."
"You will be."
Luke shook his head. "I will never bow to you." Even though he was outwardly calm, Luke's mind was racing. *I have to get out of this, somehow. I don't care if Vader is my father or not. He can't be my father.*
The Emperor smiled, listening to the young man's thoughts. "You no longer need those binders." As he said this he used the Force to unlatch the binders, which fell from Luke's hands.
Luke was unsure of what to do next. He could try and escape *I doubt I would get far* or he could stay here but if *I did I might turn.* Luke did nothing.
The Emperor smiled as he saw what Luke had decided. He also saw that Luke was on the edge of a precipice, one that could carry him to the dark side or to the light side.
For his own part, Vader was pleased. *My son is smart, he knows he cannot escape his destiny.* The Emperor spoke, "There is no escaping your destiny, my young apprentice." The Emperor was very pleased with the way the confrontation was going. Young Skywalker was being driven closer and closer to the Dark Side. "My young apprentice, I understand that your father killed Obi-Wan Kenobi."
"He's not my father."
Luke was not sure where this was going to end. He knew he needed to remain in control, but he was finding it so difficult. The Emperor continued to speak. "He is your father. I am sure that you will follow in his path." Luke closed his eyes, determined to keep from getting angry. "You will be a powerful servant. I look forward to the time when you will call me Master."
Luke was struggling to keep his emotions in check. The Emperor smiled maliciously and spoke. "My apprentice, the Death Star has destroyed Yavin 4. Your friends are dead and the freighter that escaped will be captured and you will destroy its crew."
That was the final provocation. Luke lifted his hand and used the Force to call his lightsaber, still on Vader's belt, to himself. In one smooth motion he had it ignited and heading to the Emperor's head. In an instant, Vader's lightsaber was out, intersecting Luke's just inches from the Emperor's head. Luke jumped back and then charged at Vader. Vader easily blocked his charge and then brought his saber down at Luke. Luke barely deflected it in time. It was obvious to all of them that Luke couldn't hope to win. Luke was beaten back and then cornered by his father. "You could be powerful, my son, if you will only accept your power." Vader said. On the edge of the galaxy, Grand Moff Tarkin sat looking at the planet of Mon Calamari. This planet was a heavy supporter of the now defunct rebellion and was to be destroyed. He stood and then ordered, "You may fire when ready." He watched in satisfaction as the watery planet was destroyed.
On Imperial Center, Luke knew exactly when the Death Star hit the planet. He, however, felt no satisfaction, only pain as it was destroyed. Somehow, the sensation increased his power through his anger.
Vader noticed his expression. "Yes, my son, use the pain of others to help you grow strong." Luke shook his head, trying to clear it. Vader decided that he had to give his son a reason to stop fighting. As Luke had felt the deaths, he had left an opening.
Vader could have cut off Luke's hand but didn't, instead he hit the lightsaber hilt, ruining it. Luke dropped it and backed up, fear clearly visible on his face. My son, open yourself up to the Force, to the Dark Side, you could be so powerful. Luke bowed his head for an instant and closed his eyes. In that instant, Luke truly became his father's son. When he lifted his head, Vader and the Emperor both could feel it, Luke Skywalker now belonged to the Dark Side of the Force.