Luke's mind was blank. His choice was made and he knew in his heart there was no going back.
"What is your choice, my son?" Rumbled Vader, staring down at him. Above, Leia and Han watched on in horror.
Luke's chest was still heaving from the battle, making his voice sound deep and breathless.
"I… choose…"
He wouldn't, thought Leia. Luke is a Jedi, he won't fall for Vader's tricks.
Luke looked up and into the blank eyes of his father's coal coloured mask.
"Darkness."
Leia couldn't breathe and it wasn't because of the grip on her neck. He wouldn't, he wouldn't, he wouldn't. Leia repeated the phrase in her head like a mantra as she watched Luke rise to stand before Vader.
If his face hadn't been restricted by his accursed mask, Vader would have smiled, maybe even laughed. He looked down at his son and Luke stared right back at him, his eyes dark and stormy.
"A wise decision." Said Vader. "But your loyalty must be proved."
With a sudden rushing sensation, Leia, Han and Chewie found themselves crumpled on the floor. They gasped, glad to have air flowing freely into their lungs.
"Kill them." Said Vader, simply.
Leia heard footsteps moving towards her and she managed to raise her head, fighting the exhaustion the partial strangling had caused, just enough to see Luke walking towards them very slowly.
"Luke." She whispered, her throat still not quite working. "Stop."
"I'm sorry, Leia." Said Luke very calmly, too calmly. "But the dark side is my new home and because of that, I must destroy my old one."
"Traitor!" Shouted Han. "Why you traitorous little-" Han was cut off by a suddenly extreme pressure around his throat.
"Luke!" Screamed Leia, seeing the life being choked out of the smuggler. "Luke, please! Sto-" Leia didn't get the chance to finish as the same pressure closed around her neck, cutting off all air completely. Chewie roared wildly but Luke soon silenced him too.
Leia tried in vain to force air into her lungs, but to no avail. She stared into Luke's dark eyes, sending a silent plea. However, Luke didn't move, nor did he release his grip on their necks.
Suddenly, the cavern around them began to shake violently. Rocks and debris fell from the ceiling, landing on the cave floor with thuds and crashes that only made the cavern shake more.
Inside Luke's head, the last part of him that was still good, still Luke, fought with all its might against the will of the dark side and the monster that dominated most of his mind. Last chance, thought Luke desperately. To save them.
The cave was breaking apart, piece by piece. Stone tumbled and cracked, missing the caverns current occupants by sheer luck.
Leia, Han and Chewie felt the grip around their neck loosen, then disappear entirely. Leia stood as quickly as she could, however the shaking floor seemed determined to keep her from doing so.
"Han?!" She screamed over the thunderous noise. "Chewie?!"
"Leia?!" Shouted back Han, stumbling towards her. "I don't know what's going on but we ain't sticking around to find out! Come on!" He grabbed Leia's wrist, pulling her towards the rapidly closing cavern entrance.
"Wait!" Leia shouted back. "What about Luke." She turned, tugging against Han to see Luke. He was standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed and hands balled up into fists. "Luke…" Whispered Leia.
"Are you kidding, he just tried to kill us!" Yelled Han.
"And now he is trying to save us!" Leia replied with equal volume. "He may have chosen Vader over us but a part of him is still… him. Part of him is still Luke and that part is collapsing the cave so we can escape."
"Yeah, well believe what you want, Princess. We're getting outta here right now. Chewie? Chewie! Leave Luke, we're going!"
Chewie roared back in protest but had no choice but to follow Han as he dragged Leia along with him. Once they made it out into open air, they still didn't stop running. They ran for about half a mile before they finally came to a halt, chests heaving and breath hitching, and looked back. The spot where the cavern had been was now obscured by a huge cloud of red dust.
"Luke…" Whispered Leia again.
"Leia, I don't know what you aren't getting but he just tried to kill us. He's not Luke anymore."
"He just saved us, Han! You think that cave collapsed by itself? Luke may say he's with Vader, part of him may even believe that he is, but some part of him is still Luke. Vader tricked him and we have to save him! He's the Rebellion's only hope and he is our friend. We have to save him from Vader."
"Leia, he doesn't need saving from Vader! He chose to join him and I am not walking into the middle of the Empire again, especially not for someone who just tried to kill me. Besides, we don't even know if he's alive. With any luck, he and Vader got trapped in there and that will be the last we hear of them."
"How can you say that?! Luke is your friend, one of your best friends."
"And then he joined Vader and tried to kill me! I don't think you are understanding that very well!"
Leia stared at Han in disbelief then she turned her back on him and looked over the sand to the dust rising up into the air. After a while she said,
"You're wrong."
Han rolled his eyes.
"Wrong about what?"
"Luke and Vader. They are alive."
"Oh yeah, and how did you figure that one out, huh?"
Honestly, Leia didn't know herself.
"I just know they're alive." She said. For a moment, she was silent, then she said quietly, "Please, Han. There is still good in Luke, I can feel it. The one who tried to kill us was not Luke and I don't pretend to understand all these things about the Force and the dark side but I know that the dark side warps your mind. Luke isn't thinking straight and for the sake of the Alliance and Luke, we have to save him." She stared at Han with pleading eyes.
"I don't know, Leia…"
"Don't pretend to me that some part of you doesn't hope that Luke will come back with us." Said Leia. "Luke has saved our lives countless times and now it is time for us to save him."
Han stared at Leia, however, his contemplation didn't take long. To him, the answer was obvious.
"Fine. But if I end up as a piece of modern art again, I'm blaming you."
Leia smiled gratefully and in a moment of sheer emotion, she pulled the smuggler into a tight hug. For a moment, Han froze, however after a moment, he hugged her back.
"Thank you." She whispered into his vest.
"Hey, what are smugglers with a ship and a death wish for, huh?" He replied with a crooked smile.
Suddenly releasing how exhausted they were, the remaining crew of the Millennium Falcon slowly made their way back though the desert, following the footsteps they had left only a few hours earlier. Leia looked down at the foot prints that walked next to her own. Luke. She thought. She then looked up to the sky, almost as if she expected to see a ship rising from the surface of the planet and shooting up into space, Luke on board. We're coming for you.
Hey guys, it's your friendly neighborhood author! I thought I might just give you a heads up on this chapter because this story could easily of ended in the next chapter with all loose ends tied up with Luke leaving with his friends when the cave collapsed and only pretending to turn to the dark side he him and the crew could escape, buutttttt, when I when I was writing for dark Luke, I realized his character was awesome and I just couldn't get rid of him so soon so the story has been extended! Sorry if you were getting bored and wanting this thing to end but I am also having too much of a good time writing for you guys so you get to enjoy this story a little while longer ;) by the way, none of this is in canon so all you faithful nerds can just relax ;)
Leave me your reviews if you please and enjoy what I have in store,
from Ink