Easy...peace...calm...no anger...no fear...in...and out...
Luke lay quietly in his cot, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep even as his injuries brought him further pain.
He had never known the agony of torture until six days ago, when the Emperor began to do it to him.
Interrogation was only used an excuse for the first day. Palpatine inflicted short, painful bursts of Dark Side energy between questions, which mostly related to the Rebellion. Luke answered none of the questions, though he did cry out every time Palpatine shocked him. The Emperor seemed to know Luke wasn't going to say anything and took sadistic pleasure in inflicting further pain. He offered a reprieve only if Luke agreed to join the Empire. Luke consistently refused, and the torture continued. Sometimes it was physical, sometimes psychological.
Palpatine would tell lies which would cause him despair or hopelessness. The current favorite of the Dark Lord was telling Luke that Leia had already succumbed to the pull of the Dark Side. The only way he would be able to see her again was if he, too, joined the Dark Side. It was only through the Force that Luke knew Palaptine was lying.
He had only been allowed to see his sister once. Since then they communicated via thought. According to Leia she had not been mistreated in any way. Palpatine was taking the diplomatic approach with her, calmly explaining why the Empire was not evil, and why Leia was mistaken in thinking otherwise. He also told her his version of what had happened regarding Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. It made Palpatine out to be a benevolent figure.
Leia didn't believe any of it, especially since she sensed Luke's pain. Nothing could convince her that the Empire was anything but evil.
What worried Luke was Leia's growing anger. She hated Palpatine and his Empire more than anything and often had dark thoughts toward even the lowest stormtrooper. Most disturbing of all was her increasing anger whenever Luke brought up their father. She wouldn't even talk about Anakin and always changed the subject. Luke wasn't sure why, unless it was the constant influence of the Dark Side. He often begged her to let go of her anger.
Luke exhaled again, releasing his pain with it. The near-electrocutions left no visible marks, but recovering from them took all day. 'Recovery' did not mean the pain left. It only meant Luke could function without wanting to lie down or cry.
Luke? Leia was calling to him again. Luke, are you awake?
The young Jedi welcomed his sister's conversation. Yes. How are you doing?
I should be asking you that. I know you're still in pain.
Luke grimaced. I think I've almost gotten used to it.
Please don't say things like that. Leia's worry was obvious. How is your leg?
Luke's eyes automatically shifted to his left leg. It hurt, but was on the mend. Ironically Palpatine was aiding in that, as the torture left Luke too agonized or simply too tired to move. His leg was also being treated daily with bacta soaks. Luke wasn't sure why the Emperor wanted his leg to heal and still kept torturing him. Perhaps he was so overconfident that Luke would join him that he was planning ahead for a strong apprentice. The plan at this point was to make such things backfire. Luke was going to bide his time and allow his leg to heal before somehow reuniting with Leia so the two of them could take on the Emperor together. If only Leia would just hold on a little longer...
It's almost healed, answered Luke. How is your face?
It doesn't look pretty, but it's healing. At least it isn't infected. Leia flinched, as if she had either heard or felt something unusual. Luke...I don't know how much more of this I can take. I hate this place and everything in it...I can't stand knowing you're suffering. I just want to get out of here!
Luke sighed, wishing he could wrap his sister in a hug. So do I. Don't worry, everything is going to be all right.
I wish I had your optimism.
Don't give up.
I'm not giving up. I'm just...so...angry!
Luke frowned with concern. I know. But you must control it, Leia. Your anger is exactly what the Emperor wants.
Leia seemed to bristle at this observation. Don't think that I'm not trying. I am. And don't bring up what Yoda said about trying.
She was getting angry again. Luke sighed and shook his head. All right. Then keep trying...and be patient. I have an idea, but it can't be set into motion until I can walk.
What if he kills you first? Leia wanted to know.
He won't. I'm of more use to him as an ally than a corpse. Luke wished he had the confidence to back up this claim. His only security was in knowing how badly the Emperor wanted them...especially Leia. Leia would never join one who had killed her brother.
Fatigue hit Luke in a fresh wave. He almost nodded off but shook his head to clear it.
You're so tired, Luke. Please rest, begged Leia.
All right, Leia. May the Force be with you.
Leia didn't answer as the contact was broken.
Luke stifled a yawn and lay back down. He returned to his breathing exercises, letting his eyes drift shut. In minutes, he had fallen asleep.
Leia paced like a caged animal in her quarters as conflicting emotions bounced about in her body like too many bouncy balls that a small child might play with. Worry, impatience, and outright anger had given her a headache, and she rubbed her temples. Her stomach continued to lurch. It had never let up in all the time she had been there.
The six days since her and Luke's capture by the Emperor had been marked by a cacophony of confusion. Palpatine could, she discovered, be very convincing. He twisted facts and words around until there was little to nothing left of the original.
The man came by her quarters every day to 'talk sense', as he called it. He would point out every mistake that the Rebellion had made, every oversight. Leia's faith in the justice of the Rebellion was unshaken, and she confronted Palpatine with every atrocity that the Empire had committed, beginning with Alderaan. Of course Palpatine smoothly spoke his way around every confrontation and excused every one as 'a necessary evil' or blamed it on someone else. He denied ever approving the destruction of Alderaan and even expressed satisfaction that the Death Star had been destroyed.
Soon it was obvious to the Emperor that Leia would not be swayed if her ideals were twisted around. So, he had begun going after others. Namely, Anakin and Luke. He spoke of how lost and disturbed Anakin had been as a youngster and how he, Palpatine, had tried to offer guidance. He spoke of how heartless the Jedi had been in taking Anakin away from his mother and forcing him into the mold of 'The Chosen One'. He elaborated on the plot by the Jedi to destroy the Republic and the 'necessary' measures taken to 'secure peace'.
Then came the most disturbing revelation of all. Three days ago, Palpatine had come in to discuss the fall of Anakin Skywalker. He described in detail how desperate Anakin had become after losing those he cared about. The act of saving Palpatine's life by killing a Jedi disturbed him so much that not long after the war with the Separatists was ended, Anakin's anger got out of control.
"When Padme came to him, he grew angry," Palpatine had said, eyes narrowing. "Unfortunately, his emotions were never controlled, and in his anger, he used the Force to strangle his own pregnant wife," frowned Palpatine. "The violence proved to be her death."
This news had been a shock to Leia, but he spoke with such a convincing tone that Leia ended up believing him. Her hatred for the Emperor did not wane, but her hatred for Anakin was rekindled. What sort of monster would murder his pregnant wife? Did Luke know of this? Palpatine said he had told Luke, who had shrugged it off. Leia was too angry to confirm this with Luke.
Her anger and hatred had only grown and festered since then. By the time the transport had arrived on what appeared to be Korriban the day before, Leia had nothing but bitterness toward Anakin and murderous hatred toward Palpatine. She resolved to kill the Emperor when next she saw him. Her only problem was finding the means.
Leia stopped pacing just long enough to close her eyes and reach for the Force. The only good thing to come out of all this was the sudden increase of her Jedi talents. Anger, Leia noted, was a much faster way to gain skills. She was now able to levitate multiple objects of a larger size without much trouble, and sense Luke's presence much more easily than before. There did seem to be something blocking her most of the time. That had to be Palpatine.
The side effect of gaining skills through anger was a lack of control. Leia could mentally hurl objects across a room, but her aim was off. Experience told her that accuracy in swordplay increased whether Light or Dark was accessed, so Leia wished she had a lightsaber. She knew Luke didn't have his. Palpatine had taken it.
Palpatine...Leia scowled viciously just thinking about him. She wanted to kill him...she was going to kill him for everything he had done. He deserved death.
So did Anakin. No matter that an aged Jedi Master had said Vader was gone. Whether by her hand or the hand of justice, Leia knew the former Sith was going to die. A dark desire to be there and see it happen danced around the corners of her mind. Poor Luke would not understand at first, but in time he would come around. The safety of the galaxy was more important...Luke was more important.
A sudden explosion rocked the building, throwing Leia off of her feet. She landed on her hands and knees and looked around in alarm. What was that? The overhead lights flickered, then went out with a sizzle and a spark. It was a long minute in total darkness before the emergency lighting came on to bathe the room in an eerie red glow.
What's going on? Leia's heart pounded as she rose on wobbly legs. Her brown eyes darted every which way and her first thought was for Luke. Immediately she closed her eyes to call to him. Luke! Luke, are you all right? What's happening?
Luke didn't answer. His presence was strangely absent. Leia's level of alarm rose as she continued to call to Luke without an answer. Luke? Luke! Tears of anger and worry sprang to Leia's eyes. If she couldn't sense him, did that mean he was-
No...no! He's not dead! He can't be! "LUKE!" She shrieked. When there was no answer, she ran to the door and pounded on it with her fists. To her surprise, it opened...and a chill enveloped the room as Palpatine stood in the doorway.
"Where's Luke? What have you done to him?" Demanded Leia angrily.
"I assure you, my dear, it was not by my hand your brother's presence has been masked," said Palpatine earnestly. He took a step back and showed his palms in defense. "Did you not feel the explosion? This base has been compromised. That ungrateful, ill-tempered traitor, Darth Vader, has returned to collect his son." He sneered with anger.
Leia reeled, stumbling backward at the news. She shook her head viciously. "No...you're lying. Vader is gone!" The harsh chill entering her heart told her otherwise.
Palpatine lifted an eyebrow. "Is he? Use your feelings, young Leia...you know what I say is true."
Leia grabbed at her temples and shook her head again. The pressure in her cranium was almost unbearable. It would be so easy to agree, to believe Palpatine. A sudden memory returned to her.
The nightmare...Vader had Luke...was choking him to death, laughing at how he had been fooled. Perhaps it was not the nightmare of Palpatine that was the vision, but this. Pressure seized her heart, making her fists clench so hard her nails dug into her palms. "NO!" She pushed past Palpatine and broke into a run, heading for Luke's quarters.
"Yes...run, Leia! You are the only one who can save your brother," called the Emperor.
Shut up, thought Leia with a scowl. You're next.
As expected, Luke's quarters were empty. The entry appeared to have been forced. The only trace of him left was his lightsaber, which sat on the bedside table. It had not been taken after all. So why had he not used it before then?
Leia choked back tears and replaced her fear with anger. With trembling hands, she picked up the lightsaber and ran down the hall, letting the Force guide her. Luke, hold on. I'm coming...just hold on! It was as though her thoughts hit a brick wall. She could only hope and pray that Luke was hearing her. If Vader had done anything to hurt him, then he would pay dearly for it.