Aboard the Falcon while Chewie sat in the cockpit Luke tried to compose himself in one of the spare sleeping compartments. Crossing his legs and taking a deep, slow breath as the Jedi Master on Dagoba had shown him, Luke tried to put himself in a meditative state. He wanted to attempt to reach out for Leia and/or Han and see if he could find them that way. Closing his eyes Luke stretched out with the Force and searched for his friends' familiar presences.
Pain! It hurt so much. Luke balked at the sensation almost disconnecting himself but he pushed on. Terror, incense and the want for revenge for the one she had ever truly and deeply loved before. Uncertainty of who she could trust forced well-guarded walls up. There was no one she could trust. Everyone was against her. She could only look out for herself and destroy those who have wronged her. Death to all…
Leia…Luke wanted sob for her. So his vision on Dagoba hadn't led him astray and she had fallen to the dark. He had to find her and bring her back. She wasn't all evil, not yet. Leia stood for justice and light. It hadn't burned out just yet at least he prayed and Luke would find a way to reignite it.
And what happened to Han? Luke hadn't felt him with Leia. Taking another deep breath, Luke searched further out for Han's presence. It was barely there. Leia…Han was trying to call out to her through whatever induced state he was in and couldn't reach her. She couldn't hear him. Someone or something was blocking them on purpose.
Luke tensed as he felt an intrusion enter his mind. "Come and get them young Skywalker. She will be waiting for you." Luke instantly disconnected himself from the Force and his eyes whipped open. It was a trap and he and Chewie were flying right into it.
"Yoda, Ben, what am I to do?" Luke whispered to himself.
"Use what you have learned, save you it can…" Yoda's voice echoed.
Luke had to go, he knew that. He had to face his destiny, had to face Leia and try and save them. He put his trust into the Force and let it guide him in the right direction.
Approximately an hour later Luke walked into the cockpit to meet Chewie's curious and eager blue eyes.
"Set course for Coruscant," Luke commanded softy. Chewie woofed an affirmative and the Falcon jumped to hyperspace.
Everything was set in motion. Young Skywalker was on his way to unsuccessfully save his friends. He would meet the same fate as the princess or face death.
The princess…Vader successfully held in his surprise at the surge of power he felt come from her. "Lord Vader, there is a transmission from the Emperor," an officer reported.
"Put it through," he commanded. The Sith kneeled at the presence of his master.
"Lord Vader, I have felt a great shift in the Force. You have been keeping this from me? The princess?"
"I had to make sure it was true my Master. She is very strong in the dark side. The princess will make a formable pawn and apprentice when trained."
"Were you going to keep this from me?" The Emperor demanded again.
Vader wanted to say yes, but the time to stand up to his old master was not right. "No my Lord. She has a strong will and had to be broken. I bring you a mind that is ready to be shaped and molded into something that can finally destroy all that we have been fighting against."
"She has been bonded Lord Vader. She will never truly commit herself to either light or dark, only to her soul mate."
Aw, so he is aware, Vader thought irritated. "It has been taken care of. I have used this to the fullest advantage."
"And the boy?"
"He has felt the shift in the Force. The boy will come and he will join us or die."
The Emperor did not say anything for a moment. Vader could feel the rifts of turmoil and evil through the Force. His master was not happy that he had not been informed about the girl, but was not completely disappointed either.
"Bring her to me. If she is as powerful as you say, then the Rebellion shall finally be crushed once and for all."
The image of the Emperor disappeared and Vader could breathe normally or as normally as a machine could. He didn't have much time to get his plan in action. The Emperor was a fool. Soon Vader would take his place with the princess and Skywalker at his side.
Her dark energy pulsed as she drew closer to him. Darth Vader watched as Leia and a stormtrooper entered the bridge, but stopped shortly from approaching him. She looked was evaluating her next move.
"I want retribution, Lord Vader. I want blood spilled and lives ruined just as they have ruined mine."
"It can be done Your Highness. Learn the ways of the dark side and become my apprentice," Vader bolstered.
She walked up with cat like grace toward the Sith, her stormtrooper following dutifully. "I will learn from you, but I am no one's apprentice." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are your intentions? I will do nothing until you tell me." They stared at each other, Vader's breathing coming out more as a growl than as a rhythmic breath giving the only sign that he was irritated.
"If you want your revenge Little Princess," Vader grabbed her by the throat. Though struggling for a breath, she did not resist his grip or fight back, "you will bow before me and call me master. Learn your place." He tossed her like a rag doll to the ground and turned away from her.
Dobbs helped Leia up and she pushed him away. Snarling, Leia launched herself at Vader giving him a Force push, but this time he was prepared. He swung around, ruby red lightsaber directed under her chin.
"Very good Princess," he commended. "First lesson, be prepared to kill your enemy."
"When I am prepared your head will be at my feet," Leia threatened as the blade started to burn her flesh. Leia slowly backed away from the saber and kneeled in front of him. Her glowing amber eyes never strayed away from his empty, hollowed masked ones.
"My services are at your command My Lord."
"You called me scoundrel don't you remember? You said you liked nice men…"
"And I said you weren't a nice man," she replied nervously. "But you are. And we…No! I won't let you do this to me!" She yelled.
"We kissed Leia. We shared our first kiss and you and I both know that's when we realized we loved each other," he continued tenderly.
"No! I don't love you!" She screeched. Rejecting his words, she pointed an accusing finger at him. "You died, I killed you! I don't love you anymore! I can't love you anymore!"
"You didn't kill me, I'm right here and I still love you and I know you still love me. You can feel it. Don't deny it."
"NO!" She bellowed, raising her saffron colored blade to his chest and she struck.
Luke awoke with a start and sat up quickly in bed, causing his surroundings to spin around him. A vision of Leia being confronted not by him…but by Han? Wait, was it supposed to be Han that was going to turn her back to the light side? The vision was so brief he couldn't tell and he tried to recall it back but nothing came. Digging his palms into his tired eyes, Luke gave out a sigh.
He had to find and rescue Han first. Han was the key to all of this. Leia did still love him; that he knew was true and would always be true. Now that he was awake, Luke decided to get ready for the rest of the day and join Chewie in the cockpit. They would be arriving at Coruscant in a couple of days. He hoped that they would intercept Vader's flag ship before then, but the chances of that were slim since Vader had a full day's head start on them.
Chewie growled a welcome as Luke entered the cockpit. "We have to find Han first Chewie." At the wookie's questioning but agreeable look, Luke continued. "I think," Luke took a short breath in, "I believe the Force is trying to tell me that he'll play the pivotal part in returning Leia to the light." Chewie mumbled off a few more growls. Luke wasn't as adapt as Han was in Shyriiwook but he understood most of it.
"She still loves him," Luke said with certainty. It was the only thing he was sure of. Though, the vivid image of her raising her saber to Han's chest contradicted his statement, Luke remained confident that this was true. "She has always loved him and he'll always love her. Though, I assume even love can waver when told enough lies anything can start to look like the truth."
Dobbs had never seen a lightsaber fight before, training or in real life and it was quite a sight to be seen. Even watching someone untrained as his new mistress battling against the Sith Lord. He watched as the princess pressed her attack with wild uncontrolled wrath and Darth Vader easily parried her slashes. His dark mechanical voice would fill the large training room with commands; teachings of how to let the dark side of this mystical Force guide her movements.
With a thud and a curse Leia landed on her back, her lightsaber thrown from her hand and landing at Dobbs feet. The stormtrooper hesitated whether to pick the weapon up and looked from the princess who was glaring daggers at the Sith. He decided to pick it up and was surprised to find it lighter and flimsier than he expected it to be.
"You are uncontrolled. While your anger and the darkness runs strong and gives you the strength, you are unfocused which leaves you vulnerable," Vader scolded while having his saber pointed at her heaving chest.
"Does it really matter? If I already am as dark as you say I am and kill the other guy, who cares?" Leia challenged while trying to regain her breath.
"Foolish girl," Vader kicked her in the side and an audible whoosh of air left her. Dobbs winced from under his helmet but dared not to intervene. "Get up!"
Wincing, Leia rolled onto her side that was not throbbing and snarled, "Damn you."
"Get up! Take your lightsaber and do as I say. I fought you in that cave those years ago and could have cut you down many a time."
Continuing to keep a scathing gaze on her target, Leia growled, "Why didn't you?" The lightsaber flew from Dobbs hands and into her grasp and she immediately ignited it.
"Because I felt the potential in you already princess and if you had the focus and ability that I am going to train into you, you would have been unstoppable. Much like your friend…"
"Luke," she whispered, once again her concentration broken. Dobbs was about to shout to her as Vader made a swipe for her midsection but Leia quickly parried.
"Pay attention! Those names do not have any meaning to you anymore. They have abandoned you, left you for dead. Much like that Solo…"
"Don't you dare mention his name to me!" Leia thundered and struck with all her might at the Sith Lord. With every stroke the parries and thrusts became more fluid, stronger and Vader soon became on the defensive side of her onslaught.
Beads of sweat dripped down her face, her breath coming in shallow as she hit faster and harder. Her focus on killing her prey drove her forward. It was becoming clearer now. Rage wasn't the only thing that would rid her of her enemies. Vader was right, she needed focus and her focus was extermination.
Suddenly and without warning, a fleeting thought of Han and Luke entered her mind causing her to pause. This isn't what they fought so hard for. This isn't why they risked their lives to rescue a princess in need and continue to fight for a cause she believed in. She felt ashamed and confused.
Once again the air left her body as she was Force pushed into the opposite side of the training room. Black spots danced in front of her as she tried to blink them away. She felt strong hands taking a hold of her arm and helping her up and look to see her storm trooper helping her. This time she didn't refuse.
"You are dead to them. They will not hesitate to kill you Princess. You should not hesitate to kill them," Vader gave her one last look before exiting the room.
Once she was able to stand without seeing the spots, Leia shrugged off Dobbs support. "Leave me Dobbs." Without as a single question, the trooper left but stayed outside the training room. Leia sighed a frustrated breath and picked up her saber and was about to clip it onto her belt when an alarm within the training room sounded off. Blaster remotes popped out of the wall and aimed themselves at her, fully charged and ready to wipe out their target.
"Oh holy hells…" Leia cursed as training had just begun.