"I'm sure Luke's all right," Han tried to comfort the sobbing princess.
"I can't feel him, and it's been almost a week, Han!" Leia snapped, instantly regretting doing so. "I'm sorry..."
Han took her into his arms, not quite sure what to say, so he settled with muttering meaningless reassurances.
After the Ewok celebration, Leia had holed up inside herself, and the only person she spoke to was Han. She hadn't said much, but she hoped he understood how much better his presence made her feel.
"I never knew how much Luke meant to you..." the smuggler trailed off.
Clinging to his chest, she whispered, "I love him..."
Han's eyes instantly widened, and he backed away from her slightly, holding his arms up. "Well, hey, listen...I—I understand...I'll just step out of the way—"
Leia blinked curiously at him, suddenly realizing the implications of what he was saying. "No," she quickly spoke. "It's not like that..."
"Then what is it like?" Han made sure his voice wasn't as harsh as the raging emotions deep within his heart.
"He's my brother."
Oh. That explained just about everything, but the rogue was sincerely stunned nonetheless.
After a few moments, Han pulled Leia back so that he could look into her eyes. "Look, I didn't want to say anything before because I thought it might upset you, but there have been some rumors that the Emperor and Vader didn't board the Death Star..."
"So that means Luke's alive!" Leia's joy was short-lived. "But that means he's still in the Emperor's claws..."
"Now, hold on. They're just rumors." Han didn't want her to be disappointed if they never saw her brother again. Right now, he was helping Leia cope with Luke's possible death. It hadn't quite sunk in for himself yet.
"Han, please ask your smuggler friends to be on the look-out for anything concerning Luke's possible whereabouts!" Leia pleaded.
"I'm already on that. The rest is in...the Force's hands." Han still wasn't quite sure if he believed in the hocus pocus about some all-power energy field controlling destinies, but he added that last bit in hopes that Leia would gain some slight consolation from it.
"I just hope he's all right..."
Well, Luke was all right in the physical sense, as he had just had an extensive bacta dip, but his emotions were still swirling around in confusion.
He was shaking incessantly after Vader had him taken out of the blue liquid-filled tank, and his father gave him a curious look.
Feeling like he'd betrayed his friends—even though he was doing this to save them—Luke furrowed his brow sadly and lowered his gaze to the floor.
Giving a mental shrug, Vader led the young apprentice through a few winding halls to his new master.
They entered the Emperor's throne-room, where the tyrant was confidently seated. Palpatine was pleased that Luke had been brought to their side by blackmail rather than seduction. It made matters a lot more interesting.
The Dark Lord of the Sith bowed to Palpatine and remained in the same position, having not been told to rise.
When Luke did nothing, Darth Vader sent out a Force tendril to cause his son to bend his knee. "When admitted to the Emperor's presence, you must always bow."
Luke scowled, shifting his angry blue eyes to the Emperor's flecked eyes, and he spoke sarcastically, "How low would you like me to go for you, Your Highness?"
"Luke—" Vader started warningly, but Palpatine cut him off.
"Leave him be for now. He shall learn soon enough that the absence of courtesy can have dire consequences," the evil tyrant's mouth curved upwards in a malevolent smile that sent chills down Luke's spine.
The young man swallowed, and his eyes flickered around nervously. Being in the malicious Palpatine's presence made him regret his decision. If only he could get rid of the Emperor...
"Rise, Lord Vader." After the armored man did so, and after a perfectly timed pause that caused Luke's apprehension to build, Palpatine spoke, "You say that you will join us, and yet you show no desire in doing so. If you do not control that short temper of yours, then you will find yourself a victim of my unchained rage."
Luke's chin jutted out, and his eyes flashed, but he held his tongue.
The Emperor grinned sinisterly, "Good...Your hatred is growing...You can use it during your lesson of the finer points of saber dueling with your father."
Luke barely managed to suppress a groan. He didn't want to see another lightsaber ever again. What did the weapons have to do with being a Dark Jedi? He knew enough about sabers to write a novel about them.
Palpatine could sense Luke's unspoken question, but he didn't answer it.
Palpatine's reason for such lessons was that, like most reckless youths, the fair-headed young man's aggressive feelings were most easily brought out in battle. Luke was meant for the Dark Side, as he would find out soon enough.