Han and Leia were talking happily on the couch. Luke didn't know what they were discussing, for nothing but ringing filled his ears from his thoughtful state of mind, but he could see their lips moving. He could also see Chewie standing in the corner, smiling as he watched the couple. Luke sat on the opposite end of the couch. He would be smiling as well, but he was far too deep in thought to do so.

Ever since the first nightmare quite a few weeks ago, the young Jedi had been facing spells of severe anger or hatred. Even though he had only snapped once when Han and Leia had continued to ask what was wrong, Luke was still worried. Every day caused the episodes to be stronger whenever they happened, and that scared him. If they kept on getting worse, then eventually they may be uncontrollable. Then, who knows what he might do...

Luke's vision slowly faded as he slipped into an empty state of mind. It was a nice place the Jedi had started entering whenever things became too much. There, he could release his emotions into the Force and feel... Nothing. No fear, no anger, no sadness, no hatred... Just beautiful calm. It was lovely there, but the second he returned to his normal mind, the emotions all came rushing back. They wouldn't be as strong as before, but they were still there. Then, they'd continue to build up stronger and stronger, until Luke would be forced to hurry back into that calm world before it all became too much.

So Luke returned there as his friends talked and had a good time, leaving him to suffer alone. He should tell them. They could help. They could, but Luke refused to say anything. Just as calm began to flow into the blond, a sharp pain filled the back of his head again, and suddenly, he wasn't in that peaceful place anymore.

Luke could see something, though. Was this... A vision? It felt like one. He could tell the difference between a dream and an actual vision. The nightmares he had been having were mere dreams. They weren't real. Visions, on the other hand, were real. Most of the time, anyway. A vision like the one Luke had had of Han and Leia on Bespin. That must be what this was.

Though he could not make out much, Luke could almost sense what was occurring. He could, however, make out a few images. The Jedi watched as what appeared to be a flash of something brown entered his line of sight. It almost looked like... Hair! Brunet hair. Was it Han? Or was it Leia? It could have been anyone, really. Hell, it could have been Chewie! But no. This was human hair. Short, messy brown hair.

After a second, a loud crack echoed around Luke. He winced, somehow knowing that it came from whomever had the brunet hair. Then he could see crimson splattering all around. Someone was gasping, saying something under their breath in fear. Footsteps ran and died away... Only to be replaced by another pair, then muffled stomping beside those. A scream pierced the air around Luke, and the last thing he saw before being shaken awake was a pair of eyes. Red and yellow in color, and purely evil.

Luke could hear screaming once again, but this time it was a different voice. He then recognized it as his own. His eyes snapped open, and Leia was shaking him with fear-filled eyes. Luke gasped in surprise when he saw her face, and proceeded to topple off the side of the couch. He felt his elbow come into contact with the hard floor, and his scream was cut short as he gritted his teeth in pain. His head was throbbing, and the blond felt himself collapse on his stomach.

"Luke!"

"Kid!" Han and Leia had both shouted in unison, and Chewie was roaring worriedly. Leia fell to her knees beside Luke, helping to stand him up. Her brown eyes were filled with concern for her brother, and Han looked just as anxious. Luke shakily steadied himself as he was lifted back to his feet by the three of his friends. "What happened?" Han asked, looking the young Jedi up and down.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked. Luke shook his head, a dazed expression in his eyes. His mind was in a frenzy; torn between the horrible vision he had just had and the doom this scenario had caused him. How could he make up for screaming out of nowhere like that in front of Han and Leia? He had no excuse! There was nothing Luke could say or do to make up for any of this.

He stood there a moment, opening and closing his mouth as no words escaped. After a few seconds of that, he finally managed to mumble, "I'm fine." Leia stared at him, and Han and Chewie looked at each other then back to Luke. The blond looked at all of them, then clenched his fists. "I am fine." he spoke more certainly this time, even though he was certainly not fine.

After a moment, Han gave a humorless laugh. "Like hell you are." the smuggler scowled, his concern and knowledge that Luke was lying making him angry. Luke winced and looked up shamefully at Han. Leia didn't say anything, but she clearly agreed with Han. "What do you take us for, Luke? You haven't been fine for weeks!" Leia nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Luke, something is definitely wrong." she confirmed, crossing her arms. Luke looked down, rubbing his hands together. What can I do? What can I do? The question ran through his head several times, but no answer came with it. Luke was about to mumble that he was one hundred percent fine once again when Chewie spoke up, causing his blood to freeze.

Han and Leia looked at Chewie as he roared. Han's eyes widened. "What?" he stumbled, shaking his head. "Why are you telling us about this now, furball?!" the Corellian then turned to Luke, Leia following in his actions. Both looked shocked.

"Why didn't you tell us you were having nightmares?" the Princess of Alderaan asked, her eyes wide. "Is that why you've been acting so strange?" Luke stared at the three of them, his eyes wide. He felt sweat trickle down his forehead. They knew. They knew about his nightmares. Chewie had known all along something was up, and now he had went and ruined everything.

Rage boiled in Luke's veins. Hot anger was bubbling to life within the Jedi. He had kept it quiet because he cared about Han, Leia, and Chewie, but now they knew. They knew and he couldn't protect them from the darkness... From himself. His fingers twitched next to the hilt of the lightsaber fastened to his belt. It would feel so good to pull it out and press the switch that would activate the weapon.

Luke almost did it. He touched the hilt, ready to pull it out, but something snapped him back to his senses. Maybe it was his friend's worried faces. Maybe that was what made him realize his actions. The blond stumbled back slightly, slowly backing away. He needed to talk to Obi-Wan and his father. He needed to see them now. "I-I..." he started, looking from the wookie, to his sister, then to his brother-in-law. "I'm going to bed." and he rushed down the hall.

Luke expected the three to follow him, but surprisingly, they did not. Perhaps they knew he needed a moment. Maybe they thought that if they left Luke alone for a bit, he would come back and tell them everything. However, Luke knew he wouldn't. The Jedi shut himself in his room, falling to his knees on the bunk nearby. He took a shaky breath, holding out his hands and reaching into the Force.

His breathing slowed, but Luke's heart continued to race as two figures began to materialize before him.


A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to update! I had MAJOR writers block for a bit, but I am back now! Luckily, I know how the next few chapters are going to play out, so I should be able to write them easily. I hope you liked this chapter!