Chapter Twenty-Nine: Blood Bond
Luke was momentarily shocked, and he suspected the Emperor was at well, but while his shock faded into horror, the Emperor's shock transformed into glee. For the Emperor, all was happening to his plan; he had angered one of the twins into battle –Luke had seen it happen before– and they would drive themselves into the dark. It was, of all things, a trap. A horrible trap, one that Luke had barely managed to climb out of.
Leia and Vader were fighting close together, and their blades were moving so fast it alarmed Luke. It was quickly obvious that Leia was the aggressor in the fight, returning blows quickly and reacting passionately to the offense. And although Vader's expert and infallible defense skills made certain the outcome, Leia was still frightening to behold. Luke had not even known Leia was that advanced, but he knew that tapping into the Dark Side could unlock many abilities one did not know they had, making it all the more alluring. Leia was quickly falling into that snare.
Luke rushed towards the dueling pair. He needed to stop his sister before she would lose herself. "Leia!" he cried, desperately trying to stop her.
The blades were dancing violently, and Leia was quickly driving Vader down the stairs, although she could not break Vader's unfaltering defense. Luke suspected Vader was merely holding his own, refraining from being offensive or aggressive. Luke sensed waves of grief coming from Vader, suggesting that he did not have the strength to feel hate towards his daughter, even when Leia was feeling such hate towards him.
Luke looked for a way he could intercede, but the blows were falling so strong there was no way he could step in between them without getting hurt or killed. Also, with a growing dread, he suspected they would not stop for him.
Settling for physical intervention, Luke grabbed Leia's arm to stop her swing. "Leia, stop!" She ignored his tone of urgency, ripping her arm from his grasp with a ferocity he didn't know she had. Her concentration on her task ahead did not even break.
It was almost as if he was seeing her in a new light. She was so fiercely and determinedly fixed on revenge over their father that he saw no mercy, and no hesitation in her eyes. He just saw relentless anger.
His insides sank with dread, and he did the only thing he could. He ignited his green blade and thrust it between the two, stopping Leia's red one halfway down its path towards Vader. Leia would stop her fighting if he interrupted, and hopefully she would realize how dangerously close she was slipping to the Dark Side.
He was wrong. Instead, without pause or consideration, she turned on him with her lightsaber raised, as if suddenly he had become the object of her hate. Leia had seen Luke's interruption as a challenge, something that needed to be resolved. As her lightsaber came down upon his, Luke grew shocked and horrified at his sister's ferocity, but he stubbornly stood his ground, making sure to remain between her and Vader to prevent her from continuing her barrage towards their father.
Inside, his hope sunk, and he desperately tried to communicate with her through their bond, but she had sealed it off. She said nothing to him, but her golden eyes glinted dangerously at him through the clashes of their blades. Luke found that Leia's blows were easy to block, due to her inexperience, but each blow was still heavy on his heart. Each time their lightsabers clashed, it was increasingly painful, because each blow that landed on him felt like a betrayal.
After a long exchange, they finally paused, and Leia drew her lightsaber back to her side. She had apparently realized she could not break through Luke's defense. "Get out of the way, Luke," she said, her tone dangerous.
"Leia, you don't know what you're doing," Luke said in anguish, extinguishing his lightsaber to indicate he wanted to talk. "You're using the Dark Side." He started towards her, hoping that touching her would shake her back to reality, but she pointed her humming lightsaber towards his chest as a warning to back off.
"Get out of the way, Luke," she repeated, her eyes fixed over Luke's shoulder on their father. "I don't want to hurt you."
She didn't want to hurt him? "You already are," he replied in distress, and her eyes snapped down from Vader to Luke's face. Luke studied her, searching for signs of her previous self. He watched as her irises slowly darkened from their golden hue, as if Luke's pain was bringing her back. "Leia, let go of the anger," he whispered to her in horror. "You don't know what's happening to you."
Her eyes slowly darkened to their natural brown, but they retained their pain and anger. "He killed our mother!" she exclaimed, grief in her voice. "He's a monster!"
"Leia, your anger is driving you," Luke pleaded. "You'll end up like them, thoughtless, unfeeling, and angry."
Apparently, Leia suddenly understood, because something clicked in her, and she lowered her lightsaber. Her eyes softened, now filled with more dread than anger. She had seen herself, and was afraid of what she had the potential of becoming.
"Please, Leia, stop to think. You're better than this. You can overcome it." Luke watched his sister carefully.
"He's taken so much from us," Leia protested, her throat tight. "We've lost so much." Her voice began to shake with emotion. "We'll never know her because of him."
"I know," Luke said. "But we can't lose each other."
The lightsaber was extinguished, and the empty hilt dropped to the floor with a clatter. Leia came into Luke's arms, her mouth trembling, and Luke held her. He closed his eyes as he held her, pouring his love and support to her. At the same time, determination spread through him. The Emperor or Vader would not turn them against one another. Finding a sister had been miracle for him; he would not lose her like he had lost his family.
The beautiful moment did not last, however, because the sudden sneer of the Emperor interrupted their peace. "No!" the Emperor spat, his lip curling in disgust. Luke and Leia broke apart, staring with fear at the Emperor, both knowing that his wrath would soon be upon them. "Foolish boy," he snapped, his eyes narrowed furiously on Luke. "You will pay for this," he snarled.
Luke looked to Leia, and the glance they shared nearly broke his heart, but at the same time lifted him up. It was a glance full of resignation, but also of acceptance and support. They knew that they would likely die here, but they also knew that they would do it together, without giving in to the influence of the Emperor. It was the end.
Darth Vader drew up beside the Emperor, slow, pensively, and although Luke could not read his emotions, he could feel them through their bond. They were tormented, full of grief. Vader took a step closer, as if he was about to draw his children back, or intercede for them, but he did not step into action.
"We won't listen to your lies, Palpatine," Luke said, raising his chin. "We don't want to become like you."
The Emperor stared at him for a moment, perhaps realizing that Luke had addressed him directly and informally, or perhaps fuming at Luke's blatant defiance. "Do you want to die, Skywalker?" hissed the Emperor.
"I will not turn. You will have to kill me," he answered. He said it with pride. If he were to die, he would do so with his dignity.
The Emperor paused again, and then his lips curled in a sneer, baring his yellowing teeth. "So be it, Jedi."
Then, with a swipe of the Emperor's hand, Leia was thrown up into the air by an invisible force and tossed away from him, so suddenly that she did not have time to cry out. When she hit the ground, a few meters away, she was still.
"I will deal with you later," the Emperor growled. Then, as if he was a beast about to consume its prey, he slowly turned towards Luke, raised his two wrinkled hands, and released a torrent of lightning.
