Chapter Eight—Part 3

Eyes I dare not meet in dreams

In death's dream kingdom

These do not appear:

There, the eyes are

Sunlight on a broken column

There, is a tree swinging

And voices are In the wind's singing

More distant and more solemn

Than a fading star.

Let me be no nearer

In death's dream kingdom

Let me also wear

Such deliberate disguises

Rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves

In a field

Behaving as the wind behaves

No nearer-

Not that final meeting

In the twilight kingdom

The Hollow Men (second stanza) by T.S Elliot

Luke wakes with his head throbbing in time with his heartbeat. Groaning, he opens his eyes and immediately regrets this as this makes his head hurt even worse. He is in a small, dimly lit room lying on the floor that smells like stale urine. He puts a hand to head, feeling a lump that is crusted with dried blood. He wonders vaguely why his mind seems so fuzzy, as if someone has stuffed it with nerf wool.

Luke tries to stand up but a wave of dizziness overtakes him and he falls back down.

"Kriff," he curses, grateful that his dad is not around to hear him swear.

This thought puzzles him. Where is his dad? And where is he? How did he get here? He struggles to remember for a moment but his memories are unclear. Frustrated, Luke reaches out over the bond tentatively because his head still hurts and he does not want to make it any worse. He is surprises by the flood of relief that answers him.

Are you alright? his dad asks. Are you hurt? Do you know where you are?

My head hurts, Luke replies. I don't know where I am. What happen? Where are you?

I am coming to get you, came the firm reply. Do not move. I can sense where you are now and will be there shortly.

Alright. Luke says, closing the link. He closes his eyes, talking to his dad had been more draining than usual. He almost drifts back to sleep when an emerald lightsaber slices a rectangle out of the door to the room. His dad stands in the doorway, his face hard. His expression softens as soon as he looks at Luke and he comes over to him, kneeling of the floor.

"Are you alright?" he asks, placing a hand on Luke's head. He winces at the touch.

"Head hurts," he says.

"I know, youngling, I know," his dad says softly. "You have a concussion and I think your skull is cracked."

"Is that bad?"

"It is nothing that cannot be mended. But we need to get out of here. Can you stand?"

Luke tries to push himself to his feet but this make he feel sick and he throws up on his dad's boots.

"Sorry," he says, wiping his mouth while his dad rubs soothing circles on his back.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I will carry you, young one." With that, his dad hoists Luke over his shoulder. For a terrible moment Luke fears he will be sick again but the nausea passes a moment later. His father ignites his lightsaber and walks out into what appears to be a corridor. Next to the door of the room he'd been in was the body of a Rodian a burnt hole in his chest where his heart should be.

"Did you do that?" he asks, staring at the Rodian's lifeless eyes.

"Yes," his father says shortly. "Close your eyes and keep still."

Luke does as he is told. He feels his dad walking and wonders where they were going.

"Home young one. We are going home."