Chapter 3 - Visions
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Two days. It's been two days since I arrived in the future. I wonder exactly how long I'll be here on Dagobah before I go anywhere else, assuming I actually will, that is. Right now, we're not far from Yoda's home. Luke is standing on his hands again, and Yoda is standing some distance away. He apparently learned from yesterday and didn't want to repeat the mistake. Two cases of equipment slowly rise into the air as Luke concentrates. Seconds later, Artoo rises off the ground too. I try not to laugh as the droid whistles frantically, not quite understanding what's happening.
"Concentrate… feel the Force flow. Yes. Good. Calm yes," Yoda speaks. "Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future… the past. Old friends long gone." Like all the Jedi… A stab of pain shoots through me but I hastily push memories of the Temple out of mind, reminding myself that this is the future. Yoda has always said that 'always in motion, the future is'. Things can change. The Jedi don't have to be destroyed. That's probably the reason I was sent to the future to begin with.
Part of the reason I really want to leave this planet is that when I'm here, there's nothing to occupy my mind with. Not that it's necessarily a good thing to do, since it won't solve anything, but thinking about my situation and what's happened here won't help right now. I need to be distracted, to stay busy with something. That's why I was so happy to help instruct Luke yesterday. Maybe we can continue today. He made good progress, but he has a long way to go. He's a fast learner though, which is a plus.
"Han! Leia!" Luke cries suddenly, falling over and losing his hold on the floating objects.
The names have me slightly confused, reminding me again that I know little about the boy. I've never talked to him much about his life or, really, anything. I find myself suddenly curious as to what he saw. Assumedly a vision of the future.
"Hmm," scolds Yoda, shaking his head disapprovingly, "Control, control. You must learn control."
"I saw… I saw a city in the clouds," Luke says.
"Mmm. Friends you have there," Yoda replies.
"They were in pain," Luke adds.
"It is the future you see," Yoda informs him.
"Future?" Luke scrambles to his feet, looking nearly panicked. "Will they die?"
Yoda closes his eyes for a moment. "Difficult to see. Always in motion the future is."
Luke shakes his head. "I've got to go to them." He starts walking away but stops and slowly turns around when Yoda begins speaking again.
"Decide you must how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could. But you would destroy all for which they have fought and suffered." He nods hesitantly, clearly struggling with himself. I stand up from where I've been sitting, watching the scene.
"If they're in danger, he – we must go save them," I decide firmly. I may not know them, but – in the end, it's an easy decision. I just ask myself what Anakin would do, and the answer is obvious. He would go to rescue his friends, so I'll do likewise.
"To leave now, dangerous it will be. Continue his training, Luke must," warns Yoda. Luke still looks uncertain, but the conversation is left at that for the time being. I'm not going to push the matter. After all, they are his friends. It's his decision to make, not mine. All I know for sure is that if he goes, he won't be alone. I'm coming with him.
**w**
Luke climbs a ladder to load a case into the X-wing. After spending the next several hours thinking on his options, he concluded there's no way he can stay here any longer. I don't blame him at all. I wouldn't even have waited this long in such a situation. And the good thing is that I already have Yoda's lightsaber with me, so I don't have to ask him for it. He practically told me that I could keep it after I finished helping Luke yesterday.
Yoda, however, is less than pleased with our decision. "Luke! You must complete your training," he warns, standing a short distance away from the X-wing fighter.
"I can't keep the vision out of my head," replies Luke as he climbs back down the ladder. "They're my friends. I've got to help them."
"You must not go."
"But Han and Leia will die if I don't," argues Luke.
"You don't know that," says a new voice. Obi-Wan. I turn to see his Force ghost appearing next to Yoda, regarding Luke with a concerned expression. Luke stops for a moment, watching him.
"Even Yoda cannot see their fate," Obi-Wan continues.
"But I can help them!" protests Luke, "I feel the Force!"
"And besides," I interject, "I can help him. He's won't be going there alone." Obi-Wan and Yoda exchange an unreadable glance. I frown, suspicion blooming inside me for a moment. Why do I get the feeling they're hiding something?
"But you cannot control it, Luke," Obi-Wan cautions him, "This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the Dark Side of the Force. And Ahsoka, it will be extremely dangerous for you there also. If Vader realizes who you are…" I don't get it. Yes, I'm a Jedi – or was anyway, but why would it be such a danger if Vader realizes who I am? What's special about me? My confusion must be evident, but neither of them answer my unspoken questions. If I'm going to learn enough about this future to help those in my past, I can't stay on this planet, especially when Obi-Wan and Yoda – who definitely know the answers – are not forthcoming with information.
"Yes, yes. To Obi-Wan you both listen," speaks up Yoda. Then his gaze turns to Luke again. "The cave. Remember your failure at the cave."
The statement has me slightly confused, but this time, I choose not to ask.
"But I've learned so much since then," argues Luke, "Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."
"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants. That is why your friends are made to suffer," warns Obi-Wan.
"And that is why I have to go," responds Luke, turning back to his fighter.
"Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader," says Obi-Wan finally. Wait, lost Vader? What am I missing here? So, he knew Vader before he became a Sith Lord? I suppose he certainly could have, but Obi-Wan was never very close with many people that I can think of. Who in the world was Vader? There are a million questions I want to ask, but I get the feeling I won't be getting any answers right now.
"You won't," Luke assures them.
"I'll make sure of it," I add. I'd never let Anakin's son fall to the Dark Side.
"Stopped they must be. On this, all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his 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," Yoda continues.
"Patience," adds Obi-Wan, trying to sound convincing.
"And sacrifice Han and Leia?" demands Luke.
"If you honor what they fight for, yes!" responds Yoda. I can sense how much turmoil Luke is in. They're asking him to sacrifice his friends, just because he might Fall in the process. I understand why they're concerned, but it's far more likely that we'd be killed than captured, right? No. Something's not adding up. They're not saying something; I'm missing a large piece of the puzzle which, if I knew, would answer everything. The longer I'm in the future, the more questions I seem to get. Hopefully, I can get a few answers soon.
Still, with both Jedi Masters against our departure, I'm beginning to have a few second thoughts about going, but I'm not letting Luke, who is so undertrained, go all alone. Besides, I need to get off this planet.
"If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone," warns Obi-Wan, "I cannot interfere."
"We understand," I reply. He's trying to dissuade us, but I'm certain the risks will be worth it in the end. The Force is whispering of danger, the tension prickling at me, keeping me on edge. I don't need to worry. I've taken worse risks during the Clone Wars.
Luke steps back to the X-wing and prepares to climb the ladder again. "Artoo, fire up the converters," he orders. Artoo whistles a response.
It's only then that I realize we have a tiny problem. Actually no, a big one. There's only room for one person in the fighter. "Wait," I say, unable to keep the sudden note of worry out of my voice, "Isn't there only room for one person in there?"
"Er… yes." I can feel a hint of Luke's embarrassment at the realization. Giving the fighter a closer glance, I realize that it's also rather small for a one-man fighter, neither Luke nor I are that small, relatively speaking. Oh. Oh no. We both exchange glances, trying to find a solution to the newest predicament.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask finally. Not my favorite solution, but there's no other choice right now. Otherwise, I'd just have to stay here, which is not happening. The Force wouldn't be so cruel as to bring me here and leave me trapped on this planet.
"What?"
"I'm going to have to… sit in your lap." I cringe at the thought. He's literally like my nephew. That's just… strange on so many levels.
"Alright…" he sighs, sounding rather uncomfortable.
"Luke don't give in to hate. That leads to the Dark Side," warns Obi-Wan. Amazing. He's going to let us get away with this without teasing me. Well, that was always more of an Anakin thing to do.
Luke nods and begins climbing the ladder to the ship.
"Strong is Vader. Stronger than both of you," cautions Yoda, "Mind what you have learned. Save you it can."
"I will. And I'll return. I promise," Luke assures them before disappearing into the fighter. With a final glance back at Obi-Wan and Yoda, and ignoring their disapproving glances, I climb up the ladder and slide into my "seat" in Luke's lap. This is the weirdest thing I've ever had to do… The fact that he's technically nearly two decades younger than me isn't making it any better. I try not to squirm, and for the first time since I came here, I find myself momentarily glad that Anakin's not here to see. I would never live it down. The fighter is cramped, and it'll be a very uncomfortable ride. Please let us get there soon.
With both of us finally seated, Artoo closes the cockpit. I decide to take control of the ship and with a last backward glance, push the buttons. The engines roar to life as we blast off into the air.
"Where are we going?" I inquire, feeling incredibly uncomfortable, and trying to speak so I can have something else to occupy my mind with.
"To Bespin," answers Luke.
"Artoo, program the hyperdrive," I command because I have no idea where that is. Shortly after we've left the green ball of Dagobah behind, the X-wing enters hyperspace, the stars streaking by in the familiar bluish white blur. Now, it's time to spend the next several hours in the weirdest position I've ever been in. Ugh!
"So, Obi-Wan used to know this Vader?" I question.
"Yes," replies Luke, "He was his apprentice." Wait, what?
"But that – " Doesn't make any sense at all. The only person he trained was Anakin. And Anakin would never become a Sith. Unless Obi-Wan trained someone else afterwards…? But that doesn't make sense either. The Empire formed too soon. Unless he had only begun training Vader, or perhaps he turned after the formation of the Empire. Something about that doesn't feel right for some reason. Nothing is making sense. I shake my head with a sigh, hoping it's not going to explode from all the questions I have.
"What?" queries Luke.
"Nothing," I mutter, shaking my head. I don't know what to say. A heavy silence falls as we both become lost in our thoughts. I struggle to sort out all of the information I've learned, none of which is adding up. What am I missing?