Luke looked around. Not half a minute ago, he'd been lying on a bunk in the
Millennium Falcon, just after, after.
He looked down at his right hand. It was still there, but hadn't Vader (Your father) Vader cut it off!
'Yes,' he heard a voice say. He turned to see a young human female watching him from her seat at a small table, cup of hot liquid in her hands. 'But for the sake of your sanity, I thought it best to leave it on.'
'My sanity?' Luke asked, staring at her.
They were alone in a great whiteness that stretched in all directions, loosing all perspective in the blankness. The human female looked at him seriously, though not coldly.
'You were just told that Vader is Anakin Skywalker, who is your father.' She took a sip of the liquid, her eyes not leaving his. 'Forgive me for being concerned about your mental health.'
'My mental health is just fine,' Luke snapped.
'Good,' the female replied, not seeming to notice his brusqueness. 'Then you wont have a problem listening to what I have to say.'
'I'm not in the mood for more revelations.'
'Well that's nice cos neither am I,' the woman told him calmly. 'Just for a little clearing up of the facts.'
'The facts are clear enough.' Luke took a deep breath, the words still ringing in his ears. 'I am the son of Vader.'
'No.' Lukes eyes snapped to her as she stood and walked up to him. 'You're the son of Anakin Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker alone. Well,' she amended, smiling slightly. 'Not quite alone.' Luke stared at her.
'Who are you?' The human smiled sadly.
'I am but an echo of a shadow in dust trying to give you aid.'
'Then who were you?' The woman turned and walked back to the table, leaving the cup down. She seemed to not hear the question.
'Listen carefully Luke, for the time is dwindling fast. Anakin Skywalker still lives inside of Vader. Do you think that if your father were truly dead you would still be alive? Vader would have cut you down in an instant. Or caused your ship to be riddled with blaster bolts before you even began the lading cycle on Besbin. Or destroyed Echo Base One from orbit when the shields were down. Or put a thermal detonator on the Falcon. Or.'
'Stop it!' Luke hissed. The female nodded, cutting her list short.
'Anakin is the reason why you are lying on a bunk in the Falcon,' she pressed. 'He is the reason why the bounty on you and your, friends.' Luke noted the odd stumble on the word "friends" but paid it no mind. 'Is for capture and not death. He has convinced Palpatine that it would be better to turn you than kill you. Understand yet?' Luke nodded. 'Good. But Vader thinks it's all his idea. Vader is powerful indeed, but Anakin is the smarter. But he cant win without you Luke,' she told him softly. 'He is battling Vader and the Sith is finding it harder to keep him back, but if you don't help him Luke, then he will lose and Vader will be without restraint for the first time. Believe it or not, Anakin has been keeping the monster in check as best he could. But if Anakin is beaten, finally banished and the chains are gone, then all that has gone before will seem as naught.'
'But what can I do?' Luke asked, sobered by her words. The white surrounding them grew brighter until Luke had to squeeze his eyes shut against the glare.
'What you can Luke,' he heard her whisper and felt her hand touch his brow. 'Only what you can.'
Luke opened his eyes again to the familiar surroundings of the Falcon and the sound of Vaders voice in his head.
/Luke/
'Father?'
The female sighed and turned away from the image of the young rebel.
'Let us pray that it is enough.'
He looked down at his right hand. It was still there, but hadn't Vader (Your father) Vader cut it off!
'Yes,' he heard a voice say. He turned to see a young human female watching him from her seat at a small table, cup of hot liquid in her hands. 'But for the sake of your sanity, I thought it best to leave it on.'
'My sanity?' Luke asked, staring at her.
They were alone in a great whiteness that stretched in all directions, loosing all perspective in the blankness. The human female looked at him seriously, though not coldly.
'You were just told that Vader is Anakin Skywalker, who is your father.' She took a sip of the liquid, her eyes not leaving his. 'Forgive me for being concerned about your mental health.'
'My mental health is just fine,' Luke snapped.
'Good,' the female replied, not seeming to notice his brusqueness. 'Then you wont have a problem listening to what I have to say.'
'I'm not in the mood for more revelations.'
'Well that's nice cos neither am I,' the woman told him calmly. 'Just for a little clearing up of the facts.'
'The facts are clear enough.' Luke took a deep breath, the words still ringing in his ears. 'I am the son of Vader.'
'No.' Lukes eyes snapped to her as she stood and walked up to him. 'You're the son of Anakin Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker alone. Well,' she amended, smiling slightly. 'Not quite alone.' Luke stared at her.
'Who are you?' The human smiled sadly.
'I am but an echo of a shadow in dust trying to give you aid.'
'Then who were you?' The woman turned and walked back to the table, leaving the cup down. She seemed to not hear the question.
'Listen carefully Luke, for the time is dwindling fast. Anakin Skywalker still lives inside of Vader. Do you think that if your father were truly dead you would still be alive? Vader would have cut you down in an instant. Or caused your ship to be riddled with blaster bolts before you even began the lading cycle on Besbin. Or destroyed Echo Base One from orbit when the shields were down. Or put a thermal detonator on the Falcon. Or.'
'Stop it!' Luke hissed. The female nodded, cutting her list short.
'Anakin is the reason why you are lying on a bunk in the Falcon,' she pressed. 'He is the reason why the bounty on you and your, friends.' Luke noted the odd stumble on the word "friends" but paid it no mind. 'Is for capture and not death. He has convinced Palpatine that it would be better to turn you than kill you. Understand yet?' Luke nodded. 'Good. But Vader thinks it's all his idea. Vader is powerful indeed, but Anakin is the smarter. But he cant win without you Luke,' she told him softly. 'He is battling Vader and the Sith is finding it harder to keep him back, but if you don't help him Luke, then he will lose and Vader will be without restraint for the first time. Believe it or not, Anakin has been keeping the monster in check as best he could. But if Anakin is beaten, finally banished and the chains are gone, then all that has gone before will seem as naught.'
'But what can I do?' Luke asked, sobered by her words. The white surrounding them grew brighter until Luke had to squeeze his eyes shut against the glare.
'What you can Luke,' he heard her whisper and felt her hand touch his brow. 'Only what you can.'
Luke opened his eyes again to the familiar surroundings of the Falcon and the sound of Vaders voice in his head.
/Luke/
'Father?'
The female sighed and turned away from the image of the young rebel.
'Let us pray that it is enough.'