Chapter 7

Another chapter!

"Yes! Run!" Yoda encouraged, "Yes. A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware the Dark Side. Anger, fear, aggression, the Dark Side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you, it will! As it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

At the mentioning of Ob wan's mysterious apprentice, Yoda realised that they had probably failed him like Count Dooku.

"Vader." Luke said as he stopped to breathe. "Is the Dark Side stronger?"

"Don't get any thoughts Luke." Anakin muttered.

"No, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive."

"But how am I to know the good side from the bad?"

"You will know! When you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never attack."

Sadly, due to the war, those principles were thrown away.

"But tell me why I can't- "

"No, no. There is no why." Yoda sighed. "Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions." He hummed as Luke caught his breath and put down his pack.

"There's something not right here." he said. "I feel cold… death."

"That place," Yoda pointed at a cave."is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

"What's in there?"

Yoda looked down. "Only what you take with you." Luke put on his belt, planning on taking his blaster and lightsaber with him. "Your weapons. You will not need them." Luke did so anyway.

"You could learn something from son, Anakin. You always lose your lightsabre."

"Very funny, Obi wan."

Inside the cave, Luke fought Vader, his fear to become just like him.

Speaking of Vader:

On the bridge of the Star Destroyer, Captain Needa and his executive officer watched as theFalconturned their way.

"They're moving to attack position." Needa realized. "Shields up." The Falcon raced along the length of the Destroyer, but didn't fire it's weapons. Instead, it blazed past the bridge, making everyone near the front of it duck instinctually. "Track them." Needa ordered. "They may come around for another pass."

"Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on any of our scopes." One of the lieutenants reported.

"They can't have disappeared. No ship that size could have a cloaking device."

"Well, there's no trace of them sir."

"Captain, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit." One of the operators called out.

Captain Needa sighed, knowing what was to come of him. "Get a shuttle ready." He told his officer, "I shall assume full responsibility for losing them and apologize to Lord Vader. Meanwhile, continue to scan the area."

Rex saluted to the Captain, knowing they would not be seeing him again.

A new day on Dagobah:

"Use the Force." He whispered to him. "Now, the stone." He watched as a large stone lifted off the ground and hovered in the air. "Feel it." The stone lowered onto another.

Suddenly, Artoo began beeping in alarm as Luke's X-Wing began to sink further into the bog. Luke lost his control, tried to regain his balance but ultimately fell, taking Yoda with him. He stood and saw that all but the tip of a single wing was now submerged.

"Oh no," he waded up to his ankles, "We'll never get it out now."

"So certain are you." Yoda said, shaking his head. "Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing I say?"

"Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is totally different."

"No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

Luke shrugged. "Alright, I'll give it a try."

"No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Almost all of the Jedi had a problem of understanding when it comes to that phrase, but as long as it motivates the younglings, or in that case Luke, they are fine with it.

Luke tried to get his shuttle out of there. It started to move.

"He is doing it!" Ahsoka exclaimed.

"Not really, little Soka, I don't think he will make it."

"I can't do it." he panted. "It's too heavy."

"Don't give up Luke!" Anakin tried to motivate his son, who could of course not hear him.

"Size matters not." Yoda told him. "Look at me. Judge me by my size do you? Hmm?" Luke shook his head. "And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Even between the land and the ship."

Luke rose and looked down at his teacher. "You want the impossible."

Anakin sighed. Luke had not inherited his determination from him. If Anakin wanted to achieve something, he would stop at nothing until he succeeded. Of course, Obi wan always says that he is to impatient, but that doesn't mean that he will give up.

Master Yoda showed Luke just how impossible it was, by getting the ship out of there, using only the force, eyes closed.

He walked over to Yoda. "I don't… I don't believe it."

Yoda nodded solemnly. "That, is why you fail."

Back at the Vader's Star Destroyer:

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa." he sarcastically said, walking around his corpse.

The audience grimaced at the sight tyranny before them.

"Lord Vader," he said, coming to attention, "Our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the Millennium Falcon went into light speed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now."

"Alert all commands. Calculate every possible destination along their last know trajectory."

"Yes, my Lord. We'll find them."

"Don't fail me again, Admiral." The way he pointed at Piett told everyone present who would be the next to go if they did.

"Alert all commands. Deploy the fleet." he ordered.

While Han and Leia were being hunted down by Boba Fett, Luke was continuing his training.

"Concentrate." Yoda said, "Feel the Force flow. Yes…" Even Artoo began to levitate. "Good. Calm. Yes. Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future, the past. Old friends long gone."

The Jedi of course all agreed with Yoda, except Anakin. While Anakin was happy to have the power of foresight, it also scared him after having for seen his mother's torture due to it.

"Is it really possible to see the future, sirs?" Rex asked the Jedi.

"Yeah…" Anakin answered him weakly.

Luke's eyes suddenly snapped open. "Han? Leia!"

With Luke's concentration gone, all the levitated objects fell on the ground.

Yoda sighed in frustration. "Control, control. You must learn control!"

"I saw… I saw a city in the clouds." Luke said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Hmm… friends you have there."

"They were in pain."

Anakin slightly flinched, hoping that Luke won't share his pain.

"It is the future you see."

"Future?" Yoda nodded and Luke stood up. "Will they die?"

Yoda closed his eyes tightly. "Difficult to see." He looked back up at Luke. "Always in motion the future is."

"I've got to go to them." Luke said, making to ready his ship.

"And that is why Attachments are forbidden." Windu said looking at Skywalker.

"Decide you must how to serve them best." Yoda said, stopping him, "If you leave now, help them you could, but you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."

"Luke, you must complete the training." He insisted.

"If he goes now, he might have to face Vader, were he will not only loose the battle, but maybe even his soul." Ki Adi Mundi explained.

"You mean he might turn to the Dark Side?" Padme asked worriedly.

"For an untrained force user it easier to turn to the Dark Side, as they cannot control themselves like a full trained Jedi." Master Windu answered her.

"Guh, I can't keep the vision out of my head." he argued, "They're my friends. I gotta help them."

"You must not go!"

"But Leia and Han will die if I don't."

"You don't know that." The ethereal voice of Obi-Wan said, the same apparition Luke had seen on Hoth appearing behind and to the side of Yoda. "Even Yoda cannot see their fate."

"But if I go and help them, I can make sure they don't."

While Anakin knew it was a trap for Luke, he could totally understand him. Better be sure than take the risk.

"But at what cost? If this plays out the way I think, there is no way you come out of it unscathed."

"But I can help them!" Luke fought, "I feel the Force."

"But you cannot control it. This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force."

"Yes! Yes! To Obi-Wan you listen." Yoda said, "The cave! Remember your failure at the cave."

"But I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, I promise to return and to finish what I've begun, you have my word."

"But not learn enough, truthfully." Yoda's ears dropped a little.

"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants." Obi-Wan said, "That is why your friends are made to suffer."

Luke looked up from his work. "That's why I have to go."

"Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader."

You won't."

"Stopped they must be." Yoda said firmly. "On this, all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as their ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil."

"Skywalker should stay for the greater good of the Galaxy." Kit Fisto commended.

"Patience!" Obi-Wan urged.

"And sacrifice Leia and Han?" Luke snapped at them.

"If you honor what they fight for? Yes."

"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere."

"I understand." "Artoo, fire up the converters."

"Luke! Don't give in to hate." Obi-Wan yelled in warning. "That leads to the Dark Side."

"Strong is Vader! Mind what you have learned! Save you it can!" Yoda told him.

"Luke has got that from his father. You too Anakin always rush into things when it comes to save your friends." Obi wan knew that would never change within Anakin.

"But I at least have years of training. Luke has only months."

"I will!" he told him as the ship began to lift off and the canopy descended. "And I'll come back! I promise!"

Yoda sighed as the ship began to turn and fly away. "Told you, I did. Reckless is he. Now, matters are worse."

"That boy is our last hope." Obi-Wan agreed.

"No. There is another."

"What does he mean "there is another? Another powerful force user to destroy Vader and the Emperor?" Ahsoka asked no one in particular.

"That would be most likely. I don't think the Galaxy is wiped out force sensitive." Plo Koon answered her.

Han& Co. were no with Lando, walking through Cloud city.

"Well, aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation of yours? Shut you down?" Han asked.

"It's always been a danger, and it looms like a shadow over everything we've built. But things have developed that'll ensure security. I've recently made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever." He opened up a door in front of them, revealing a dining room with a long white wood table set for multiple people. And at the head of that table sat Vader, who stood when the door opened.

"No…" Padme said quietly.

"That traitor!" Anakin shouted.

"Now our suspicions have been realised. If Luke searches Han and Leia, he will walk directly into Vader." Windu exclaimed.

Everyone, but especially Anakin and Padme, were now worried about Luke, not wanting their "second" last hope to fall under Vader, be it to the Dark Side or to death.

"We would be honoured if you would join us."

Han looked at Lando. "I had no choice, they arrived just before you did." he explained. "I'm sorry."

"I actually believe him. We have all seen how imitating and evil Vader can be. Lando is responsible for an entire city, so he had to choose." Shaak Ti defended the man.

Leia took Han's hand to calm him. "I'm sorry too." The smuggler said.

Han, Leia and Chewie were being separated, with Han being terrible tortured, probably only to make Luke feel the pain so that he would come.

"Lord Vader." Lando said as Vader exited the room, his height forcing him to duck, and pushing past him to speak to Boba.

"You may take Captain Solo to Jabba the Hutt after I have Skywalker." he told him.

"He's no good to me dead." Boba reminded him.

Even though they had seen and heard Boba Fett before, it was for Rex as if he would be seeing himself commit all those terrible things.

"He will not be permanently damaged." Vader assured.

No one liked the sound of that.

"Lord Vader, what about Leia and the Wookie?" Lando asked over Han's continued screaming.

"They must never again leave this city." he said.

"That was never a condition of our agreement, nor was handing Han over to this bounty hunter!"

"Perhaps you think you're being treated unfairly?" Vader said, towering over Lando.

"No." he growled.

"Good." Vader said, backing off, "It would be unfortunate if I had to leave a garrison here."

The doors of Vader's elevator closed. Boba turned on his heel and walked off, while Lando fumed in place before turning and growling at himself. "This deal is getting worse all the time."

"I agree." Anakin said.

"What about Han?" Leia asked.

"Vader's giving him to the bounty hunter."

"Vader wants us all dead."

"He doesn't want you at all! He's after someone called Skywalker."

"As we said." Windu couldn't help but say again.

Anakin widened his eyes in horror, he didn't want Luke to be near Vader, not with incomplete training.

"Luke?" Han sat up a bit straighter.

"Vader's set a trap for him."

"And we're the bait!" Leia concluded, her mind racing.

Anakin held his head in his hands, hoping desperately that nothing happens to his son.

"He's on his way."

"Perfect," Han growled, standing up weakly, "You fixed us all real good, didn't you? My friend." he swung out and caught Lando on the chin, but fell forward with him in the attempt.

"Stop!" Lando ordered when the Imperial guards pulled their blaster pistols and leveled them at the prisoners. He got back up and dusted himself off. "I've done all I can. I'm sorry I couldn't do better, but I got my own problems to deal with."

"Yeah, you're a real hero." Han said sarcastically.

"You have a way with people." Leia said, as she and Chewie helped Han back to his feet.

Deep within Cloud City, Vader was overseeing the final preparations for his trap for Luke, with Lando accompanying him.

"This facility is crude," Vader commented, "but it should be adequate to freeze Skywalker for his journey to the Emperor."

"He wants to freeze Luke? In what?" Padme asked.

"Probably in carbonite. It is the only material I can think off. Besides, this facility does look like a carbonite freezer."

"Lord Vader!" one of his officers called out as he approached, "Ship approaching, X-Wing class."

"Good. Monitor Skywalker and allow him to land."

"Luke, turn back now." Anakin pleaded, knowing Luke couldn't hear him, but said it anyways.

Seeing nobody watching, Padme took Anakins hand from behind, giving it a fine squeeze before letting go again.

"Lord Vader," Lando said when the officer left, "We only use this facility for carbon freezing. You put him in there, it might kill him."

"I do not want the Emperor's prize damaged. We will test it on Captain Solo."

"What's going on, buddy?" Han asked Lando angrily as Vader descended into the facility.

"You're being put into carbon freeze." he replied.

"What if he doesn't survive?" Boba asked of Vader, "He's worth a lot to me."

"The Empire will compensate you if he dies." Vader assured him. "Put him in."

Chewie roared at this. "Chewie, stop! Stop!" Han shouted at him. "Chewie, listen to me!"

"Chewie, this won't help me. Save your strength. There'll be another time." A Stormtrooper clapped a pair of binders on Chewie's wrists for safety. "The princess; you have to take care of her. You hear me?"

Many smiled sadly at this. Sometimes, fate can be cruel.

Han sighed and looked down at Leia before smashing their lips together passionately. But that couldn't last long, as the Srormtroopers separated them, putting Han on the Platform.

"I love you." Leia proclaimed to him.

"I know." Han replied.

Anakin couldn't help but role his eyes.

"They've encased him in carbonite." Theepio said as he finally got a good look at what had happened behind him. "He should be very well protected, if he survived the freezing process, of course."

"Well, Calrissian," Vader asked, "Did he survive?"

"Yes, he's alive," Lando answered grimly, "And in perfect hibernation."

Sighs of relieve could be heard.

"He's all yours, bounty hunter." Vader said to Boba, before turning to his men. "Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

"Please, Luke. It's not too late! Turn back:" Anakin pleaded for his son.

"Skywalker has just landed, my Lord."

They all knew that there was no turning back.

Anakin hadn't realised that his breathing had quickened. Obi wan and Ahsoka both squeezed one of his shoulders, but that only reminded him that they had both fought the Sith Lord, and while they weren't sure about Ahsokas fate, they were sure about Obi wans: he had lost.

"Good. See to it that he finds his way in here. Calrissian," "Take the princess and the Wookie to my ship."

"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision." Lando argued.

"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." Vader threatened.

The audience was glaring at the Sith Lord swearing that they would end his reign before it began.

Luke walked carefully and quietly through the halls of Cloud City, Artoo on his heels. He had tried to be as stealthy as possible since he landed. He had not seen anyone.

Luke ran down the hall Boba went and ran into Leia's escort. The officer in charge ordered the Stormtroopers to suppress him while he pushed Leia and Chewie forward.

"Luke!" Leia yelled out as the officer pushed her through a doorway. "Luke, don't! It's a trap!"

Luke didn't listen, followed after them, his path leading right into the freezing chamber. His exit locked behind him and the lights in the room came on fully.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker." Vader's breathing was suddenly heard. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

Next up: The truth will come to light. Let us be honest, we have all just been waiting for that!