Description: When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.
A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.
A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.
A/N #3: Sorry it has taken so long to post this chapter. The holidays, bad weather, work, power outages, as well as a last minute urge to re-write the middle section and add more depth to the story caused a lengthier delay than intended. I hope that you will find this update worth the wait.
A/N #4: Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and bits of encouragement. Your continued interest has challenged me to bring my writing skills to a higher level. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy this story.
Chapter 4
Luke braced his arms on the top of the cave entrance and leaned forward as he gazed out at the untamed forest. Although it was clearly morning, it was difficult to tell the hour. An impenetrable fog had developed overnight. It concealed the location of the sun like a gray shroud. Rain still fell, although it had lessened significantly. The light drizzle combined with gossamer vapors to form swirling mists that danced hauntingly among the trees. The ambiguous weather well represented Luke's unsettled mood.
The rebel dropped his head as he stretched his protesting muscles. He wasn't sure if the stiffness plaguing his body was caused from the crash or from from sleeping on the hard damp ground. Either way, it was an annoyance he would have to endure.
Luke had more to worry about beyond his physical misery. He was exhausted. He had slept deeply, but not well. Though he could not remember them in detail, he knew his dreams had been both turbulent and dark. Now that he was awake, he could not dispel the anxiety that had begun to creep into his soul. It felt like a smothering cloak pressing in from all sides. The gnawing feeling of unrest settled uncomfortably in his gut.
Luke twisted slightly to view the reason for his mental distress. Vader's form was wrapped in the shadow as he remained motionless against the back of the cave. The rhythmic flashing from small lights on his armored suite and measured cycles of his respirator made the Sith's ominous presence impossible to ignore.
Luke turned back and sighed heavily. Beyond his current circumstances, his edgy conversation with the Dark Lord continued to trouble him. Luke had not been himself last night; that was clear. His disposition was disturbing, though he still could not understand its cause. He had been both angry and frustrated; this morning, he was just frustrated. Worst of all, there was little he could do to change his mood.
"Doesn't it do anything else around here but rain?" Luke's complaint echoed hollowly. He had expected no response and startled slightly when he received one.
"I would have thought that you'd appreciate the change from the arid waste of your home world," Vader rumbled quietly. Although his voice was mechanically replicated, Luke picked up a difference in tone; an unexpected calmness had infiltrated the Dark Lord's words, curbing their intensity.
"You know of Tatooine?" Luke twisted to look suspiciously at the Dark Lord. He remained unmoving against the back corner of the cave. His head rested against the wall.
Vader hesitated, and then responded slowly. "I have been there." His words seemed strained.
"Yeah," Luke retorted sarcastically. "Definitely not the bright center of the universe."
The young man turned back to the gray nothingness and leaned his head heavily on his upraised arms. Both men fell quiet. Luke listened to the eerie combination of the dripping water accentuated by the rasping of the Dark Lord's respirator.
"I never liked the sand," Vader finally broke the silence.
Luke was surprised that the Sith would willingly engage him in conversation. Vader was not acting like the menacing dark man he was just hours ago. The change was unexpected as well as disquieting, but Luke felt no threat from him, only curiosity.
"I know what you mean," Luke commented dryly. "It gets everywhere."
"Indeed."
Although cautious of the Vader's marked change in behavior, Luke had to admit he was also intrigued. How much did the Sith actually know about Tatooine? How much did he know about him? Luke's mind churned with a myriad of similar questions. Keeping his back to his bound captive, Luke decided to keep talking. If nothing else, it would pass the time and keep away boredom.
"At least it was warm," the rebel bemoaned. "And dry."
"If you call scorching heat warm, and parched wastes dry," Vader countered, a bit more strength apparent behind his words.
"Still," Luke's voice became distant. "I miss it sometimes." His memories began taking him back to a far more innocent time. "Not often," he added quietly.
The young rebel pulled both his mind and body away from the mouth of the cave. He picked up a log from the well depleted stack and walked over to the campfire he had re-lit earlier. After placing the wood carefully into the burning flames, he settled down next to the fire and began rooting through the stash of emergency rations. He was not really hungry, especially for the wan source of nourishment available. But he had been well instructed in survival skills, both by the Alliance as well as his upbringing in a hostile environment. He would need to keep up his strength. He chose another type of energy bar. Luke hoped it would taste better than the last one. After unwrapping it, he took a bite. He was wrong, it didn't.
"What could you possibly miss about Tatooine, young one?" Vader questioned as he watched the boy's efforts to choke down his breakfast. The rebel was again aware of the intense scrutiny by the Dark Lord. At least Vader was not infiltrating his mind this time.
"I don't know," Luke mouthed an answer around his dry meal. "Friends, family," he dropped his head as the image of his Aunt and Uncle's destroyed moisture farm flashed into his mind. Fresh anguish blossomed in his belly and his throat began to close at the memory of his first direct encounter with the cruelty of the Empire. There had been so many instances that had touched his life since, but none so personal.
For a moment, Luke thought to lash out at the Dark Lord, accusing him of involvement in his guardians' death. The rebel closed his eyes tightly and pushed down his growing anger. He did not want his sentiments to take him back to the dark place where he dwelled last night. He swallowed hard to rid himself of both his stale breakfast as well as his unwanted emotions.
Luke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He decided to focus his mind on happier memories. Places where he had always enjoyed being. That would be a safer conversation. He started to list them: "Tosche Station, Anchorhead, Beggar's Canyon …"
"Why Beggar's Canyon?" Vader interrupted.
"I use to fly my T-16 there," a slight smile crossed the young man's face as he reminisced of a happier time.
"A Skyhopper," Vader seemed intrigued. "They are very agile craft, as well as fast. I assume you took advantage of the terrain to hone your piloting skills."
"If you're asking me if I used to race there, then yeah, I did," Luke grinned as he took another bite of the tasteless bar. After he managed to swallow it down, he cleared his throat and continued. "Actually, I would race just about anything I could get my hands on, swoop bikes, speeders. I used to drive my Uncle Owen crazy."
"I can well imagine," Vader's deep baritone echoed through the cave. The conversation lagged into silence.
Not able to force himself to consume any more of the stale energy bar, Luke folded the wrapper around it and set it down on the ground. He turned and began rooting through the case of rations again for a better option.
"You would have enjoyed the pod races in Mos Espa," The Dark Lord shifted slightly and turned his head to address the young rebel directly.
"I heard about the pod races," Luke's interest was now piqued; the young rebel sat up and focused on the Dark Lord. He stopped sorting through the container; the thought of food vanished from his mind. "I think they were banned right after I was born. I never saw one."
Luke felt drawn to gaze into the soulless lenses of Vader's mask. He could not dismiss a growing impression that their meaningless banter was about to lead to something more tangible.
An outburst of electronic whistles and beeps interrupted their exchange; Luke looked over to see that R2D2 had come to life. The young man had not paid attention to the little droid since they arrived at the cave yesterday. He noted that Artoo had unplugged himself from the portable generator and was now positioned across the cave from where he sat originally. Luke was a bit puzzled as to why he hadn't noticed before; he no doubt had too much on his mind. The young man pulled his focus back to his conversation.
"They were very fast," Vader mused. "And very dangerous."
Artoo rolled forward with a new rant of short whistles. He was being very persistent, but Luke wasn't sure why. The little droid's actions effectively ended the discussion. Vader seemed to slump back against the wall and slowly returned his helmet to rest on the cold stone behind him.
"You understand him don't you?" Luke questioned.
"More than you can possibly imagine," Vader replied cryptically.
"How did you get him in the cave yesterday?" The young man queried.
"The Force."
"I know that," Luke's quick response came sharper than he had intended. He softened his tone and continued, "What I meant was: how did you do it?"
Vader tipped his helmet slightly, as if contemplating an idea in his mind. He then slowly pulled his head away from the wall and focused on the young rebel. "Come," he offered invitingly. "Sit next to me and I will show you."
A sharp trill of whistles and frenzied beeps spurted from the little cylindrical droid. He rocked furiously from side to side trying to catch either man's attention. His harried efforts, however, were making no impact.
Luke sat dazed. He frantically wondered how he had managed to recklessly walk right into this mental minefield. Simultaneously, he was trying to think how he was going to escape from it. With a start, he realized that his jaw had dropped open. He clamped it tight quickly and swallowed hard to alleviate the sudden dryness of his throat and mouth.
"It is a Jedi skill." The emphasis the Dark Lord placed on the title made it seem like the very word had caused him pain. "An ability developed early in one's training."
Luke's head was now spinning. He blinked several times as he struggled to shake himself out of his continuing stupor. He never would have expected to receive such an offer, especially from the man assigned to exterminate the Jedi out of existence.
Artoo had now taken to making tight figure eights between the two men. His commentary continued even louder. Luke glanced over at the distraught droid. It seemed to give him the distraction he needed to regain his wits about him.
"Uh, no," the blond haired youth finally found his voice and declined the tempting offer. "I don't think that would be a good idea."
Apparently appeased at his young master's refusal, the astromech calmed his frantic movements and emitted a long relieved tone. He retracted his third leg and stood silent.
"You will find it an easy talent to master," the Sith continued undaunted. "It was for me."
"It wouldn't be right," Luke protested. Old Ben's warnings about the dangers of the Dark Side as well as the treachery of the Sith rushed to the front of his mind.
"Only the energy of Light Side of the Force is required," Vader continued to press on. It was as if he understood the rebel's hesitancy.
Luke swallowed again. He slowly began to feel his resistance wavering. The thought of learning a new Force skill was very appealing. He had not had a formal lesson for nearly a year; he craved for the knowledge, but he also feared the price of it. Would he be tricked into using the Dark Side of the Force? Would he even be able to recognize it if he did?
"You will not be harmed," the Dark Lord averred. "You have my word."
Luke bit his lip pensively as he silently debated the wisdom of what he should do against the desire of what he wanted to do. Vader had already promised not to try to escape, and to this point, he had offered no resistance. Luke knew enough not to totally trust him, but he did not feel any deception from the ebony armored man now. His most compelling internal argument was that he really did want to know how Vader had levitated Artoo into the cave.
Again, relying on a deep seated hunch, Luke rose and tentatively walked over to the Sith Lord. The little astromech droid rolled forward toward his young master and twittered nervously. Luke placed a reassuring hand on his chrome top as he passed.
The rebel would be trusting, but not stupid. Keeping himself a reasonable distance from the Dark Lord, he sat down with a grimace and crossed his legs in a comfortable meditative pose.
Vader's black mask had tracked the young man's movement across the cave. After Luke had settled, he nodded to the rebel and then turned away to lean his helm back against the stone wall.
"To achieve your desires," Vader began quietly. "To manipulate the Force to your will; you must first clear your mind."
Luke was still hesitant, but he did as instructed. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pushed away his thoughts as well as his still turbulent anxieties. He began to feel a heavy presence pressing at the edge of his consciousness. Luke tensed slightly when he recognized the similar sensation from the previous night. He realized it was the essence of Vader's mind, though it seemed distinctly different from the overwhelming intensity he had felt previously. Intrigued, Luke reached out to discover the reason for the change. When the cause struck him, the young man's eyes fluttered as he pulled himself back to full consciousness. His brows furrowed as he frowned and looked over at his captive.
"You're in a lot of pain," Luke observed.
Vader's mask jerked slightly before he turned to face the young man next to him. It appeared that Luke's acknowledgment of the man's physical state had surprised the Dark Lord.
"Do not concern yourself with my…condition."
"If you're hurting," Luke continued. "We don't have to do this."
"I have acquired a great tolerance for discomfort, young one," Vader rumbled. He was obviously not comfortable with the young man's empathy. "You should continue."
Luke nodded in compliance and hesitantly began the exercise again. He closed his eyes and drew in a centering breath. He could feel the Sith relax back against the wall as well. The young man could soon sense the presence of Vader's mind next to his. He made no attempt to intrude into the rebel's thoughts, which allowed Luke to settle himself even more.
"Good," Vader soothed. "Now, stretch out with your feelings."
It took Luke a moment to discern that Vader's voice had changed markedly. It was no longer the harsh, artificially produced utterances from the mechanical enunciator, but softer human tones. Luke realized that the Dark Lord was speaking to him from within his own mind. For some reason, it fascinated Luke to hear Vader's real voice. He smiled slightly in recognition of that fact as he continued to follow instructions.
"We will begin with something small," Vader intoned softly. "Focus on the energy bar that you left by the fire."
"I thought you said I could use the Force to achieve my desires," Luke pushed his thought over the tentative connection that had been established between them. The young man felt an amused brush against his mind. He was stunned at the reaction his comment had stirred from the Dark Lord. He had never thought it possible for a Sith to have a sense of humor.
"So I did, young one," Vader responded lightly. "Nevertheless, it will be a start."
Luke felt himself adrift in a balmy sea of peaceful calm. His mind was distant, yet alert. Even with his eyes closed, he slowly became aware of the location as well as the mental feel of every item that lay within the cave. Luke could also feel Vader's powerful presence hovering closer than ever, but not threateningly so. Oddly, it seemed somewhat familiar to the young rebel; it reminded him of being around Leia.
Lulled by Vader's knowledgeable teachings, Luke allowed his mind to follow the man's guidance. The peace that Luke felt within confirmed that his instructor currently harbored no sinister intent. Luke easily recognized the Light Side of the Force as it flowed through him. The energies that Luke was able to tap into gave him the same euphoric feelings he had experienced when working with Ben.
Luke tendered a silly grin when he opened his eyes to see the partially wrapped energy bar resting in the palm of his outstretched hand. It had taken so little effort to accomplish the task once he knew how to direct his thoughts. He was truly amazed.
Time passed unnoticed as Luke continued to build on the complexity of his lessons. He was soon moving larger and heavier items around the cave. As the young man's confidence grew, he began to levitate multiple objects. Eventually even R2D2 rose slowly to float several centimeters above the ground. Luke distantly heard the shrill commentary of sharp whistles from the little droid.
"Your droid is not pleased to be the focus of your attention," Vader whispered in Luke's mind. "I would suggest we end your lesson for today."
At his comment, Vader gently withdrew his presence from their tenuous connection. The resulting vacuum caused a break in Luke's concentration. The harder the young man struggled to keep the multitude of objects suspended, the less control he maintained. Finally, everything including the astromech dropped to the ground with one great thump. The little droid squealed with displeasure at his abrupt landing.
"Sorry, Artoo," Luke exhaled heavily as he apologized to the droid.
The blue and white astromech issued a scathing electronic rant as he tottered off to the cave wall where he previously resided. Luke could not suppress a smile at his mechanical friend's tirade.
"I think I upset him."
"Give him time," Vader advised. "He will calm down, eventually."
The young man winced at the mechanical tones vocalized through the Dark Lord's enunciator. They once again carried the familiar ominous harshness that was not present in the inner voice of the mysterious man within the ebony suit.
Luke rubbed his hands over his face and then raked his fingers through his blond hair. He was slightly dizzy and felt a twinge of fatigue after his long lesson. He blinked several times as his eyes began to refocus on his surroundings. He looked out the cave opening and noticed that the rain had stopped and the fog had dissipated. Shadows from the ridge above them had crept into the tree line indicating that the sun was declining. The clouds that remained in the deepening azure sky were taking on golden and pink hues as the day edged its way to dusk. Had they actually been meditating the entire day?
"You have great potential, young one," Vader observed. Luke began to feel a tingling at the back of his neck and instantly became wary.
"Thanks," the young man uneasily acknowledged the Sith's praise. The rebel stood up and apprehensively moved away from the Dark Lord.
"I am sure that Obi Wan would have told you this," Vader voiced evenly. "You have only begun to discover your abilities. But you still have much to learn."
Luke's foreboding grew. The cave walls seemed to constrict as tendrils of darkness caused by more than the waning sun descended around him. For the first time this day, Luke thought of his friends and hoped beyond reason that they would arrive soon.
He tried to ignore the direction in which their conversation was leading. Looking for a distraction, he realized that the fire had burned down; he silently grabbed the last few logs that remained from the dismantled stretcher and placed them on the glowing embers in an attempt to revitalize it.
"How will you learn, young one?" The Sith continued to push the issue. "Who will teach you?"
"I'll teach myself if I have to," Luke kept his eyes averted from the menacing presence of the Dark Lord. His anxiety level was growing exponentially. It now exceeded the near feral intensity it was when he first discovered the injured man trapped in his wrecked fighter. He thought when he rescued Vader that he would eventually regret the decision to do so. Now he did.
"That is not possible."
"Then I'll find someone else to help me," Luke countered. Although he had not mentioned the Jedi, Luke knew that Vader was well aware of who the young man had been referring. The rebel could feel the Sith's hatred flare at the unspoken reference to the once vibrant order.
"There is no one left, boy," threatening darkness dripped heavily from Vader's terse reply. "I have seen to that, personally."
A shiver of ice ran down Luke's spine at the Dark Lord's deadly tone. The air around him seemed to thicken, stifling his thoughts. Swallowing hard, the young man moved to the front of the cave for relief and peered toward the darkening forest. He desperately looked for an excuse to escape the growing sense of dread filling him.
"I need to get some more wood for the fire," Luke distractedly mumbled.
"Come with me," Vader ordered menacingly. "I will complete your training."
"Come with you?" The rebel spun to face his captive in shock. "Aren't you forgetting that you're my prisoner?" Luke narrowed his eyes and balled his fists as his indignation flashed.
"I am well aware of the current situation." Vader snapped. The Dark Lord pulled his gaze from the blond haired youth and slowly turned his helm away to face the cave wall across from where he sat.
"Luke," Vader began slowly. Although strained tension could still be discerned through the mechanical enunciator, the Sith was obviously attempting to regain control of his fervent emotions. "Join me, and I can help you become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
"At what price?" The rebel spat. "I want nothing to do with your sinister ways." Luke turned away and leaned his head heavily on his raised forearm as he braced himself against the side of the cave entrance in disgust.
"We are much alike, young one," Vader's coerced.
"You're wrong!" Though he tried to block him, Luke was drawn in by Vader's dark words. He shut his eyes tightly and fought to drive away the invisible spell that seemed to be seeping into his soul. "I'm nothing like you," he bemoaned.
"Our destinies have chosen us to follow a warrior's path," Vader continued undeterred. "We may desire peace and security, but we are only tools to be used by others in their attempts to control the galaxy."
"No!" The rebel's rage exploded as he spun around to face his accuser. "That's not true," Luke shouted. "We're nothing alike. You're a monster, a murder of hundreds of thousands."
"As are you," Vader snarled.
Stunned at the accusation, the young man stared vacantly at the Dark Lord for what seemed an eternity.
"What do you mean?" he finally breathed. His voice breaking with repressed emotion.
"Just because you do not see the damage your fighter inflicts makes it no less real," Vader contended. "There were over three hundred men manning the communications station you destroyed yesterday. Over five times that many on the supply ship your squadron attacked last month."
"Casualties of war," the rebel mouthed the empty words he had heard far too often over the past year. He dropped his eyes to the ground as a chill that had no external cause ran through him.
"And how many do you believe were stationed on the Death Star, Luke?" Vader goaded. "Do you even know?"
"That was different," Luke's head snapped up. He glared at the Sith and defended his past action with great passion. "I was protecting our base from annihilation. That abomination had to be destroyed."
"Disguise the truth as you wish, boy," Vader chided. "But your righteous justifications do little to ease the suffering of your victim's loved ones."
Luke physically paled. It felt as if he had been punched in gut by the Sith's evil allegations. Ever since that life changing event, Luke had struggled with the aftermath of his actions. His friends in the Alliance had honored him as a hero. But after the initial euphoria of victory had past, he had felt undeserving of their accolades. Leia had tried to convince him that the deaths he caused were justified. The destruction of the battle station no doubt saved countless planets from the same fate that had befallen Alderaan. But her strong convictions never truly eased his pain.
Luke began to tremble with emotion. How could he know? Had the Sith been able to invade the deep recesses of his mind without his knowledge? Was Vader aware of the haunting nightmares that plagued him and would no doubt continue to do so for the rest of his life? Was he now simply exploiting the young man's concealed anguish for his own dark purpose?
Luke shuddered as he tightly closed his eyes and struggled to regain his composure. He inhaled deeply, but his lungs refused to accept the oxygen his breath offered. His temples throbbed as a stab of panic began to radiate from his core. He had to leave. He had to escape the gruesome images of carnage that now flashed in his mind.
"I-I need to get more wood," he mumbled dully. The stricken rebel numbly turned and stumbled out of the cave. "I won't be long."
The constant rasping of Vader's respirator echoing off the cold stone walls remained the only sound that lingered in the cave. The Dark Lord sat deathly still in the growing shadows as he glared intensely at the cave opening long after the young man disappeared from view. Vader's anger continued to grow to a dangerous level. It filled him completely and blocked his barely tolerable pain. Unable to keep his fury within, it soon spewed outward and flooded the cavern with a near physical presence. Without warning, the emergency generator flew across the cave and smashed against the stone wall.
Showered with broken shards of metal and plastic that rained down upon him, the little astromech droid's sensors immediately blinked back to awareness. Apparently startled by his rude awakening, Artoo rolled forward and beeped angrily at the Dark Lord.
"Enough!" Vader roared at the droid. "I grow tired of your meddling."
Undeterred, the blue and white astromech continued with his electronic admonishments.
"I am being patient," Vader hissed. "I am still trussed up like a fatted Nerf, am I not?"
Artoo gave another short burst of beeps directed at the Dark Lord.
"No!" The Sith fumed at the astromech. "I do not find this situation amusing."
Silence fell over both man and droid. Vader dropped his helmet to his chest. With much determination, he released the overwhelming rage that had consumed him. The stifling atmosphere that filled the cave slowly began to dissipate.
"The boy does not perceive his peril, Artoo," Vader rumbled darkly. "I cannot protect him if he chooses to fight me."
Satisfied that there would be no additional projectiles hurled toward him, the little droid issued a short reply as he wheeled himself back to the cave wall.
"I fear Luke's stubborn nature will prevent him from listening to reason," the Dark Lord grumbled morosely.
Artoo turned his chrome head in the direction of the Sith and beeped sharply.
"And what do you mean by that?"
A long whistle issued from little droid as he turned his photo sensor away and shut down his systems.
Vader shook his head to dismiss Artoo's final comment. Left alone in the growing darkness, he turned his helmet to once again stare out the cave opening and reformulated a new plan. There was little time remaining to do so.
