Mark raised the lightsabre. Its green blade hummed in the silence between him and Vader.
"Being able to use the Force does not make you a Jedi, young one." The Emperor shook his head, almost sadly. "Your talent will mean nothing against the dark side."
"You have no power over me." Mark declared, not certain that he could trust his voice.
"Not yet."
I can't do this! Mark panicked.
Be calm. There was Luke's voice again, in his head. Let the Force guide you.
Mark thought it sounded crazy. But he focused on the energy all around him and gradually became aware of certain things- The Emperor and Vader's dark presence, Luke, shining with the light side. He even felt Carrie and Harrison, far away on Endor. And… Leia? That made no sense. The Force ran through him, giving him a sudden clarity. Leia, Luke's sister? He didn't have time to be distracted like this. The Force was filling him with physical energy too. Mark's blood boiled for a fight.
"Your move." He looked at Vader.
The Sith swung his sabre. Let's dance.
"Keep running!" Harrison yelled to the Ewoks. I bet they don't even understand me.
The AT-ST had hit the ground in the perfect place. It had scattered the Imperials, and killed or injured many more. No Rebels had been near the impact zone, thanks to Leia's quick thinking.
Now, Harrison and Carrie lead their small band of Ewoks to the bunker. Darting through the crossfire, the group arrived at the entrance.
"Stay here." Harrison pointed to the ground, then to himself and Carrie. "We're going in there."
"Do you have charges?" Carrie asked.
"The strike team are what we're here for. We'll leave the explosion- for now."
"But the longer we spend, the more Rebel ships-"
Harrison sighed. "I know. But we need to find them."
Carrie didn't argue. She followed him into the bunker. Sirens flared and lights flashed various warnings, but the Americans ignored them all. They came to a junction. One fork went right, the other left.
"Take left." Harrison whispered. "Contact me if you see anything."
"Got it."
He un-holstered his gun. What was that Han had called them? Blasters. No conventional bullets, either. They gave out bursts of light and heat, and left a strange smell of ozone in the air. Harrison was fairly sure Earth guns didn't work like that. He checked several doors, but they all seemed either empty or being used as storage. Just as he came to a dead end, Harrison heard Carrie's voice.
Found something. Come now! She sounded terrified.
Wasting no time, Harrison ran back down the corridor and took the left fork. He found Carrie looking into a dark room, hand over her mouth.
"What-" Harrison saw the contents of the room, and sank to his knees.
The strike team hung suspended in a force field, necks slit clearly by a blade of some kind of knife. Their eyes were wide open in horror, some even holding their hands out in pointless protest. Harrison took one look and dispelled the contents of his stomach. He'd just learnt why war was so dirty. And he wished deeply for home.
The blades hissed and crackled as they met time after time. Mark, as to Luke's telepathic instruction, stayed constantly on the offensive. He only struck when either Luke or the Force willed him to.
"So, I see you are strong in the Force. However, your style is uncontrolled, messy. You could see so much if you joined the dark side."
Just give it up already, will you? Mark thought, but didn't say. "You're wasting time, Vader. I'll never become a Sith."
"So you say."
The lightsabres crashed together again, and Mark suddenly became aware of how easy the fight was. His opposition wasn't even trying, or at least not very hard. Just enough to keep Mark on his toes. What was his plan? Did he not think Mark could take him? This angered the teenager no end. He was strong- everyone kept saying so, and it was Luke's fault for not letting him go…
Mark felt red-hot anger course through him, and he forgot about defending himself for a moment. Instead he brought the blade down on Vader's armoured head. It was blocked, though, and then the hilt of the red sabre caught Mark on the cheek. He fell, realising his mistake. Sorry, Luke.
As he hit the ground, cold fear ran through him. Not his, but Carrie's and Harrison's. If I lose this battle, we're all going to die. Just as this thought stuck him, a black boot kicked him in the face. Hard. And then the universe faded into blackness.