Author's Note: Bespin coming up. Thanks to anyone who takes the time to stop in and I hope you enjoy the next.
Free Fall
His body was bruised from the heavy objects that had buffeted his body. The shards of glass from the window he had just fallen through were stinging across his fingers, arms and chest. His fingers grasped the ledge firmly and he was thankful his eyes had remained unscathed from the flying glass. He blinked the tears away from the strong winds that had buffeted him. Luke heaved and pulled himself up on onto the gantry landing.
Vader was nearby, and getting closer. He could sense that unmistakable dark presence. Clenching his eyes shut, he remembered the fateful words of Master Yoda before his departure. "Notice everything. Everything! Save you it can..." His foe was more powerful than he had possibly imagined. His heart beating wildly, he opened his eyes and looked downward at the endless abyss below. He could still see remnants of glass and machinery from above soaring silently downward.
A wave of terror rushed over him. Would he survive this? Vader had killed his father, and had extinguished the life of Obi-Wan before his eyes. Would he be next? He buried these thoughts, and focused on the moment. He had come to rescue his friends. He hoped that he had at least bought them some time to escape.
He would fight until his last breath. "Calm..." he told himself. The feelings of revenge and hatred he acknowledged, then buried them deep down inside. He would not feed that part of the Force.
Coming onto his feet, Luke was relieved to still feel his lightsaber in the folds of his tunic. He had managed to pocket it just before the fall. He grasped it in his hands. Luke still had his weapon and this was not over yet. The heavy weight of the shaft felt reassuring and he could almost see his father, holding the same weapon, fighting the same enemy. It gave him strength and he took his first full breath into his lungs since the fall.
But the gantry was quiet. Deathly quiet. He glanced back down over the railing. The falling glass and machinery did not even make a sound as they continued to float downward, not even now reaching an end.. Soft winds blew at him from inner core of Bespin and he could smell the industrial chemicals waft up from the drafts.
"Notice everything," he told himself. His nerves were on edge and his heart felt like it would jump out of his chest.. He clutched his father's light saber. It was his only lifeline now and his fingers had gone white from the tight grasp. Ducking into a tunnel, he jumped as the motion sensor lights clicked on. A hum penetrated the silence and seemed like a scream to his opponent betraying the JedI's location. He stopped and held himself in check, almost expecting Vader to come rushing at him. But a moment, several heartbeats passed and Vader was no where to be seen. The tunnel ahead had blind spots, and shadows and for a moment he considered backing out. He knew the sense of his foe, felt him near. But how near? He took several strides forward, and nearly fell over as Vader rushed out at him. His enemy had hidden to the side of the tunnel patiently waiting for his prey.
A brilliant red glow erupted into the tunnel, coming at the young Jedi with breathtaking speed.
A moment later, Luke ignited his own, reflexively bringing it up to block the sudden blow. But Vader did not hesitate for a moment, and the blows came quicker, pounding, and it was all the young Jedi could do to deflect them. He was being forced back, and he could do nothing to stop the momentum.
Luke rushed backward out of the tunnel trying to gain some footing. Still Vader stayed with him, slashing all sides of the young Jedi, blocking all exits except backward. Luke parried trying to keep on his feet. It was only the Force that allowed him to block those strikes. He could not even see his foe anymore but only knew the lightening speed behind those blows.
They had fallen into a dangerous rhythm. Luke had not been able to do anything but defend himself, and with each blow he stepped backward, knowing at some point he would hit an end. He was sweating hard, just keeping himself alive, when the direction of his opponents blade switched in mid strike. It caught him hard and he lost his balance. He fell unceremoniously onto his back, the heat of the red blade placed directly on his neck.
"You are beaten," a low voice rumbled with finality. Luke could hear the deep breaths of his foe, tried to only concentrate on keeping his saber in his grasp. "It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."
And in that moment, time froze. His muscles seized and his mind went numb. He tried to focus on his surroundings, but it was too late. His blade had been swept from his hand and it rolled across the gantry almost going over the edge.
What had he done? Luke could only watch the red blade move downward to his chest. Vader was no longer concentrating upon him. Heavy footsteps approached and white armed storm troopers swarmed the gantry. Not knowing which way was up, Luke's arms were grabbed, and his hands manacled in front of him.
"Take him to my shuttle..." the dark Lord commanded.
Luke was almost carried across the gantry, his feet barely able to reach the ground. He did not see Vader, didn't care to look at him. He only regretted that they had taken him alive. Why had he frozen? His mind played it back, and he could not even fathom his mistake.
Yoda was right, he had not been ready. Shame flooded his senses and he tried to hold it at bay. He would not give his enemy the satisfaction of seeing this emotion. He had failed, and now he would be taken into custody. He could only hope that he would have a chance to escape before the shuttle. But the amount of storm troopers were oceanic in their presence. White uniforms as far as he could see in all directions. Their white masks hiding any hint of humanity.
He was shoved into a lift and it moved swiftly to the upper levels He was brought, no whisked with what felt like panic, directly to an Imperial class shuttle. He didn't need to look, but he could sense that Vader was already present in that small shuttle. He would not look up, would not give the victor the satisfaction of seeing his fear. He could hear his enemy's breathing and as he was buckled into a seat, the shuttle door hissed shut with finality.
Wishing for death, Luke sat with his eyes closed. His body felt exhausted, and his mind wanted desperately to slip into unconsciousness. Luke's thoughts flickered briefly to Leia and he hoped with all his remaining strength that she had escaped. The thought of her brought a peace that washed over him in a sudden wave. Leia, he thought and clung desperately to her. Leia was his strength and in that moment he knew that whatever was thrown at him, he would get through it.
His let his mind go quiet and as the shuttle took off, Luke prepared himself for whatever awaited him upon landing.
