The battle had gone horribly wrong and fast. The Alliance ships were thankfully escaping – most of them anyway. Luke Skywalker watched as Han Solo, Leia Organa, C-3PO and R2-D2 ran up the ramp of the Millennium Falcon. Suddenly, a dark presence entered the service area behind the hanger. Luke cursed and looked desperately at the Falcon. It wasn't able to take off yet. It was still going through pre-flight. Taking a deep breath, Luke unclipped the lightsaber from his belt and ran to the hanger doors, using the force to close them behind him. Down the hall strode a figure in silver and black armor. Luke had seen him before. His name was Darth Starkiller, the Dark Lord of the Sith and right hand to the emperor. This man had killed Obi-Wan Kenobi and would have killed Luke if the old Jedi master hadn't sacrificed himself for the young man on Tatooine.

Luke ignited his lightsaber and a blue-white beam of energy sprang into existence with a snap-hiss. Obi-Wan's spirit had been instructing him and Luke was sure he could at least hold off the Sith Lord. When the dark man in dark armor chuckled, a low, automated sound, Luke felt his confidence slip. He had to hold until the Falcon escaped. The dark lord ignited his weapon, a red blade emitting from a spiked hilt and Darth Starkiller flipped it, holding it in a reverse fashion behind his back. Luke didn't give him a chance to make the first move, attacking with heavy blows. Lord Starkiller had to back pedal as Luke's powerful blows rained down upon him but soon, the Sith Lord had the young Jedi's measure and he pushed back. This should be interesting. Let's see how strong the son of Darth Vader really is.

For some time, Starkiller toyed with Luke, going fast enough to make him work but not too fast. With a contemptuous flick of his wrist, Starkiller blasted young Skywalker with a telekinetic push, sending the young man skidding across the icy floor. He then shot bolts of force lightning, which the young Jedi barely managed to catch on his lightsaber. Very good, young Skywalker. You are a formidable opponent already, even if you were only taught by a DEAD MAN.

Suddenly, a squad of rebel soldiers ran in and opened fire. "Go, Commander Skywalker! We'll hold him off;" called the squad leader. Starkiller laughed and growled, "No, you won't."

Luke didn't stay to find out, running down a side passage, he took the long way to the hanger where the Falcon was still berthed. Luke cursed again. That heap of space junk was having troubles at the worst possible time – again! Look ran over to a control panel and opened the hanger door and also put up a force field that closed off the berth from the rest of the hanger. Darth Starkiller wouldn't be able to get through that before the Falcon took off – or so Luke thought. The Dark Lord strode through the door and Luke cursed and sent a blast of telekinetic energy towards the Sith Lord. Starkiller didn't expect such an attack and it took all his finely honed force skills to redirect most of the attack. He was still sent flying back several meters but managed to land on his feet. With a burst of force-enhanced speed, he attacked the young man, not seeking to over power him, just to exhaust and scare him. The Dark Lord had plans for young Skywalker. When he had finally decided he was done playing with the young man, Starkiller lifted him and slammed him on the ground with the force before blasting him with force lightning and flinging him against a landed snow speeder. Laughing, Starkiller ran down a corridor and found the generator room that powered the shield. With a single throw, he slashed through it and called his lightsaber back to him. With another burst of force powered speed, he made it back to the hanger just in time to hear the old YT-1300 freighter's engines fire up. Oh no you don't, Organa. The Rebellion dies here with you.

Before he could reach out and stop the ship, Starkiller had to defend himself against a vicious onslaught of blows and telekinetic attacks from Skywalker, he didn't appear to have been effected at all by the pounding he took. Finally, the Sith Lord spoke allowed. "I'm quite impressed, young Skywalker. To still be able to fight after taking so much punishment, you must either have been able to protect yourself from damage or healed yourself quickly. Either way, I sense that you are quite powerful; but resistance is an utter waste, Skywalker. You will not be able to save your friends – unless you give in to your hate."

As if to demonstrate, Starkiller blasted the younger man back again before turning and gripping the Millennium Falcon with the force just as it took off. Without difficulty, he pulled it back, even as the engines strained to get free. "NO!" snarled a voice behind him and Starkiller turned just in time to lift his lightsaber and catch a bolt of force lightning on his scarlet blade. Skywalker was up and attacking again, his rage and passion driving him against the Sith Lord, combining lightsaber, telekinetic and lightning attacks as the Falcon streaked out of the hanger. Smiling behind his mask, Starkiller redoubled his attack, overwhelming the young Jedi with a half a dozen strokes and severing his right hand. With a scream, Skywalker fell to the ground, holding the stump of his right hand. Starkiller laughed and called the young Jedi's lightsaber to him. "Very good. Very good – my apprentice."

Luke looked up at him, still cradling his arm. "Why would I EVER join you? You killed Ben Kenobi. You killed dozens of my comrades and tried to kill my friends."

Starkiller crossed his arms over his chest and said, "We all serve a master, Skywalker. Do you think I care enough about a smuggler and a pitiful collection of rag-tag fringers lead by a naïve young girl to WANT to be here? No Skywalker. I have other things I would rather be doing; but my master's commands must be followed – so long as I have a master."

Luke stood and glared at Darth Starkiller. After a moment, he said, "Why should I believe a word you say, Starkiller?"

The dark armored man shrugged. "You don't have to, Skywalker. In fact, just say the word and I will end your suffering and your life. I will simply find another and together, we will overthrow Emperor Palpatine and watch the Empire burn and collapse into utter disarray."

Skywalker, even through the agony, felt confusion. "Why would you want that?"

Suddenly, Starkiller's voice became cold. "Because I want the man who killed my friends and killed the woman I loved to die and I want everything he worked hard for and built to crumble and fall. I don't want to rule an Empire. I don't wish to rule at all. I. Want. Revenge."

Luke considered this silently for several long minutes. "You can rule some of the fragments if you want, young Skywalker and you can save your friends from being hunted if you join me. I will train you as Darth Vader trained me and we can destroy the emperor and the Empire and let the Alliance build whatever government they want."

Luke was torn. He knew that Ben Kenobi would not want him to do this, had DIED so that he wouldn't but this Sith Lord had come too close too many times. Unfortunately, Luke didn't see another option. Looking into the mask of the Dark Lord he said, "I will accept your training, Lord Starkiller."

Though Luke didn't see it, the Dark Lord smiled. "Good. Come we must go. My flagship awaits. We will re-attach your hand or replace it and then your training will begin. I will also need to devise a plan to either hide you from the Emperor until your training is complete or deceive him to make it clear that you are not a threat to him."

Luke followed the Dark Lord out of the main hanger and into the snowy waste land. Imperial troops were everywhere, securing the area and escorting prisoners away. Out of the sky came a strange ship which Luke recognized from seeing on Tatooine. "My personal ship, the Rogue Shadow. It's one of a kind. On bored, we will be able to see if we can save your hand or have to attach an artificial one."

Luke nodded but payed little attention. He was counting the lightsaber hilts on the Dark Lord's belt. "How did you get those lightsabers?" he asked. Starkiller smiled and said, "They were from all my enemies or the enemies of my master. I killed three Jedi. I killed Darth Vader. I killed the one-time Sith Lord Maul. I killed Obi-Wan Kenobi. The last lightsaber belonged to my father before Darth Vader killed him. I carry them all as a reminder to myself and my enemies. No one can stand against me. Had you not joined me, that lightsaber would have found a place on my belt as well."

Luke nodded. He found himself reveling in new levels of fear and respect for this dark lord. From what Luke understood, Darth Vader had destroyed the Jedi and killed his father. This man had killed Darth Vader. Together, Luke and Starkiller would destroy the emperor and the Empire would disintegrate into civil war from which the Alliance could form a new government. Luke didn't want to rule. He simply wanted his friends to be safe and the galaxy to be set to right. These were his only motivations. They stepped up the ramp and Darth Starkiller called, "Captain Steele, take us to the Executer."

A huge, bald, muscle-bound man nodded and replied, "Yes, my Lord."

Starkiller guided Luke back to a medbay where a medical droid began to work on him. "Captain Marek Steele is my pilot. I have also come to realize that he is a spy for the emperor – one of the Emperor's Hands unless I'm mistaken. Do not discuss it with him or else the emperor will have us both killed."

Luke gritted his teeth as the droid scanned and probed as his stump. From between clenched teeth, he said, "How many Emperor's Hands are there?"

"Only the Emperor knows. He uses one of them to deliver instructions and messages to me. All I know, and what you MUST understand, is that none of them realize they are not the only one. It has to remain that way. Do you understand?"

Luke nodded. The medical droid said, "Do to the cauterization, I will have to attach a prosthetic hand."

Lord Starkiller crossed his arms. "Is there nothing you can do? I'm sure Skywalker would prefer flesh and blood to circuits and wires."

The droid searched its data banks before saying, "I would need a clean cut that wasn't cauterized and an arm that was an exact DNA match. I'm sorry my Lord. He will have to deal with a prosthetic."

"Make sure that it will be able to handle channeling extremely powerful bolts of electricity without shorting out then." With that, Lord Starkiller swept from the room and headed towards a room in the rear, leaving Luke in the hands of the droid.

Luke awoke from the sedative inside a much larger med bay. I beautiful young woman in a military doctor's uniform was checking his vitals. He groaned and rubbed his face with his left hand. The nurse, not realizing he was awake, squeaked. "Oh, my Lord! I didn't know you had woken up! You startled me a little!"

Luke smiled shyly and said, "I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you."

She smiled sweetly and waved it away. "Think nothing of it, my Lord. I would like to test out your new hand if I may?"

Luke nodded, looking at his right hand. It looked perfect and seamless – until the doctor put pressure on one area and a small panel opened up. Inside, electrical wires and receptors were hooked up to his very real arm. It was unnerving, especially since the nurse poked his hand with a needle and it actually hurt a little. Luke had seen prosthetics before but never thought he would get one himself. Experimentally, he wiggled and shook his artificial hand and fingers. It felt natural in every way and yet he could sense that it wasn't real. Shrugging, Luke looked at the doctor who was checking things off on a data pad. "It looks like everything is checking out. You're body has completely accepted the prosthetic."

Luke nodded and sat up in the bed. "When am I allowed to leave?" He asked. The doctor opened a drawer and handed him clothes and his lightsaber as she answered, "You can leave whenever you wish, my Lord. Lord Starkiller simply commanded that you either stay here or stay in a suite prepared for you. If you would like, my Lord, I can show you the way."

Luke was about to stand when he realized he was absolutely naked under the very thin bed sheet. Turning bright red, he looked at the doctor, who acted as though nothing was wrong or awkward. "Um... do you think you could turn around or check on another patient while I get dressed?"

The doctor giggled and said, "My Lord, with all do respect, I've already seen you – you and a thousand other men. It comes with being a military doctor. However I can leave if you wish."

Luke turned even redder and said, "Please."

The doctor went out the door, still giggling to herself and Luke stood up, stretching his muscles before putting on a tight silky jump suit. Over it, he put a dark gray and silver armormesh suit along with a durasteel pauldrons, chest plate and gauntlets. The boots were a thick leather with a duraplast soul and covering. The gloves were thick. Over it all went a sleeveless mantel which he buckled his belt around and over everything he threw a hooded cloak. Looking in a mirror on the wall, Luke thought he looked very imposing. Experimentally, he struck a pose, crossing his arms over his armored chest and glaring at himself. Another fit of giggles came from behind him and he whirled around. "Have you been there this whole time?"

The doctor shook her head, still giggling. "No, my Lord. I just came in time to see you strike that pose. I must say, you are both intimidating and handsome in that dark armor, my Lord. Are you ready to go to your suite?"

Luke nodded, once again blushing as red as a Sith Lord's lightsaber. He followed her out of the med center and to a bank of turbolifts. All the while, the doctor was chatting away. "It certainly is good to have you up and about my lord. Usually, the only person I have to work on is Lord Starkiller and he isn't much for conversation. You at least have a much better temperament than he does. There might even be a sense of humor in there too."

Luke chuckled at that as they entered the turbo lift. The doctor smiled brighter. "Oh joy – there IS! I'm sorry, my Lord, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Commander, and Doctor, Salene Dumare of the Imperial Navy."

Luke proffered his right hand and said, "It's a pleasure - I'm sorry, would you prefer Doctor or Commander?"

Salene waved away the titles. "I'd prefer 'Salene' if you don't mind, my Lord."

Luke nodded and replied, "And I would prefer 'Luke', Salene. Out of curiosity, how did you come to work with Darth Starkiller?"

Salene frowned slightly. "After Lord Starkiller hunted down and killed the escaped Sith Stalker and traitor Maul, he returned here on death's door. I was able to save him – barely. The emperor made me his personal physician after that. How about you my lo – Luke?"

Luke thought back to Hoth. he still felt guilty about joining Lord Starkiller but he thought that it was the best and only way for the Empire to be brought down. "I was a Rebel pilot. Lord Starkiller found me on Hoth and convinced me to join him."

Salene nodded. "I see. I take it by the lightsaber that you are – or rather were – a Jedi."

Luke nodded. The doctor smiled and said, "I see. Well here is your suite, Luke. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Luke replied, "No. Thank you very much, Salene."

She waved the thanks away again. "Think nothing of it, Luke. I'm gad I could help. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

With a pretty smile and a wink, she left him. Luke opened the door and went into the chamber. It was a typical Imperial suite, probably meant for very high ranking officers. Curious, he looked around the suite. There was a bedroom, a main room, a large refresher, a kitchen unit and an office. In the bedroom were drawers and closets filled with clothes of different kinds. In the kitchen there was no food with which to make a meal so Luke pulled a ration bar and began to munch on that as he looked into the office and refresher. After exploring, he laid down on the bed and took a deep breath. His mind was in turmoil. He had apprenticed himself to a Sith Lord to overthrow the Empire and it was galling him. Luke was never one to believe that the ends justified the means and he wondered why in the galaxy he had done this. After an hour of thinking about it, he came to the only conclusion he could: he was a coward who was looking for the easy way out. This saved him from death and gave him an easier, though still time consuming, way to defeat the Empire. But Luke knew that things weren't supposed to be easy. Life wasn't supposed to be easy and he had taken the easy way. Luke knew that when the time came, he was going to pay for this somehow.

Updated May 24, 2015