Thank you, reviewers, and also the various people who put this on their favorites or alert lists. Disclaimer I forgot before: Star Wars creations and all recognizable dialogue belongs to Mr. George Lucas and I make no monetary profit by them.

VII

He had never known his world was storm. Luke stood still, gaze riveted to the old man as waves of new experiences in the Force broke over him. It felt overwhelming; he closed his eyes, disregarding the two Sith behind him, but the old man's Force presence glowed behind his eyelids.

Darth Maul, unflustered, spoke from behind Luke. "You cannot take him." Maul strode onto the catwalk, placing himself between Luke and the frighteningly different newcomer. He advanced like a hunting dragon. The newcomer said something Luke could not hear over the lightsaber hums and--

Vader's breathing. The emperor's pet Sith had caught up. He started at the unbegun battle on the bridge. Luke was caught between Vader, the impossibly clean walls of the corridor, Maul and the newcomer, and the six-meter drop to the hallway below which ran parallel to the catwalk. He raised his saber, trying to drive away his fear and replace it with useful anger. Vader did not move at first, only staring, and laughed for a few beats of his breathing. Then he Force-pushed both himself and Luke off the sides of the catwalk.

They landed with no more impact than had they jumped one step down. Luke regained his footing swinging his saber; Vader stepped close and parried. With an flourish --or simply brute strength--from Vader Luke's lightsaber flew out of his suddenly stinging hands.

"You have potential, boy." Vader rumbled. "But not like this."

Luke pulled at the strings of the universe to retrieve his saber haft but Vader blocked the flying object with the back of his gloved hand. The hilt fell to the floor again. Luke crouched and turned parallel to Vader, flicking glances down the empty, featureless hall behind him, grimacing with short, wild bares of his teeth. He pleaded to the Force that Maul would hear his psychic distress calls, but only the sounds of clashing lightsabers came from above.

"Join me," said Darth Vader, "and I will show you the true power of the dark side."

"I'll never join you--"

Vader advanced, saber held at his side as if he knew he would not need it. Luke attempted Force pushes but they and his frenetic attempts at intrusion into Vader's mind washed off of the Sith like liquid off his metal armor. "You have been told many lies about me and the empire...and one truth."

The old man died. Luke knew it without question before Maul's lightsaber ceased slicing through him, so powerfully did the Force resonate with finality. At this undisciplined level he could not help looking up.

Then Vader did something; Luke would never know whether it was a physical or mental strike but he felt reality detach itself from his concerns. His body, collapsing, was of no consequence. His last thought was to wonder which statement about the Empire, and from who, had been a truth--and to powerfully hope that it was not the one which reminded him both of home--Tatooine--and of a terrifying, impossible future.