*****
Glaring lights snapped in front of Luke's eyes, and he jolted groggily awake, his arm automatically flying up to shield the bright illumination from his sensitive vision. He buried his face in the cool pillows. *Aunt Beru, please just let me sleep… *
He hated the daily ritual of waking at dawn in the chilly Tatooine mornings. Of course the nippy air would soon give way to searing desert heat, the climate spitefully assuring that no one could be comfortable on this planet.
Perhaps if he told his aunt he was sick, she might let him sleep a little longer. His whole body felt weighted with a strange dull ache in all his limbs, and he did not feel rested.
"Get up," commanded a deep, impatient voice. A thick hand grasped his arm in an iron fist, and Luke's eyes snapped open, seeing the dark, ominous mask fill his vision; the harsh gasps of the rhythmic breathing echoing in his ears. The vivid dreams and images of his simple childhood home evaporated like water under the harsh Tatooine suns at noon as he stared back into the blank, polished gaze of Darth Vader. With a stomach like lead, he remembered where he was, what had happened.
Impatiently, the Dark Lord's grip tightened on Luke's arm and the Jedi winced. "The Emperor wishes to see you right away. Do not make him wait."
Luke nodded, grimacing, as the grip on his arm slackened and he slid his feet silently over the side of the big bed. He had no way of telling what time it was, but his quick glance out the large window showed that it was still very dark outside. He wasn't sure how many hours it might be until dawn, but had the feeling that this was going to be a very long day.
Vader stepped back, momentarily regarding his son as Luke paused to slip his boots back on. The Jedi straightened, leveling his steady gaze at the black mask. He almost thought he saw the Dark Lord flinch, before turning to the door, gesturing sharply for Luke to follow. "It would be wise to hurry," he rumbled. "For your sake."
Luke aimed a tired glare at the back of the dark helmet and trailed after Vader.
He was escorted through a new route of carpeted hallways, the silent, columned presence of his father at his side. Luke pushed aside his want for the sleep that had been so rudely denied him and instead focused on where they were going—the winding, twisting turns of the corridors. Being raised on a desert planet had given him a superb sense of direction, and he memorized their route through the palace. He hoped it would come in useful in the future.
They rounded a corner and Luke saw, heart freezing in his chest, the sweeping black robes and fearsome aura of evil; Emperor Palpatine striding swiftly toward him across the crimson floor, flanked by two Imperial guards.
"Ah, my young apprentice," he hailed Luke, clasping white, papery hands together and smiling thinly. "Welcome. Lord Vader," he addressed the Dark Lord. "I shall not be needing your services. You are dismissed."
Vader seemed to hesitate a fraction of a moment before, with a small bow, he turned on his heel, his cape billowing out behind him.
"And how is our young Jedi faring today?" The Emperor asked, stepping closer to Luke and drawing the young man's attention away from the Dark Lord's departing figure.
Luke locked his unwavering gaze with the putrid yellow eyes and kept silent. Palpatine's grating chuckle seemed to rise from deep in his throat and he turned back to his guards. Without a spoken word, they took their positions on both sides of Luke and they followed the Emperor.
He was led to a large room with durasteel walls and ceilings that reflected the glare of the harsh lighting. At the far end of the room stood a formidable-looking line of deactivated sentinel droids. Luke was tossed inside and the door slid shut behind him. His wary stare shifted from Palpatine's wicked smile to the line of dead droids, his danger sense tingling.
"Yes," the Emperor noted Luke's reaction, his hand outstretched to the Jedi, offering the young man his lightsaber. "Your training begins."
The evil ruler gestured casually to the droids, and with a hum of electronics in the deathly silence of the room, one of the sentinels seemed to shake as if waking up from a deep sleep. Lights blinked confusedly, and then several weapons snapped up into a ready position. The droid began to roll forward towards the Jedi.
Luke's blue eyes darted back to his lightsaber, resting in the Emperor's offering hand. "Take it," Palpatine murmured. "The droid is programmed to shoot at you regardless of whether you're fighting back."
Luke bit the inside of his lip as he watched the sentinel's dogged approach. Hadn't he vowed a few short hours ago that he would not fight?
* You are defending yourself,* a small voice objected in the back of his mind. It's all right. He snorted briefly in self-contempt. Some Jedi he was—he seemed to have absolutely no conviction or resolve in his decisions.
* It's all right,* the voice in his mind insisted again.
* Take it. *
Slowly, reluctantly, Luke called the lifeless saber to his hand, and stood guardedly as he watched the droid's advance.
With little warning and the cold, precise skill of a machine, the sentinel's heavy blaster came up, snapping off two shots at Luke, which the Jedi easily deflected.
The laser beams came with rhythmic quickness and Luke had little trouble repelling the shots back along their course to bury steaming holes in the durasteel wall. But when he heard the whirring gyros of another robot coming to life, he began to worry. A couple droids he was fairly certain he could take. But the line of ten or so on the other side of the room all alive and shooting at him would most likely overwhelm his defenses. He had to act now while he had the chance.
Locking the saber on, Luke deflected one more shot and then cocked his arm back, throwing the weapon in a Force-controlled spin aiming to cut down the droid. He waited for sputtering machinery, watched for the robot to sag, broken and dead, to the floor. But he was not expecting the saber blade to fizzle and disappear upon contact with the droid, like a candle flame doused in water.
The machine, oblivious to its near destruction, fired again. Luke barely managed to reel away from the shot as Palpatine's taunting laughter echoed throughout the room. Luke's hand shot out, calling his lightsaber to him again, just in time to deflect the simultaneous fire from both droids.
"That, my young friend, is called cortosis ore," the Emperor explained conversationally, still chuckling. "A simple but effective way to control lightsabers. You are not allowed to destroy the sentinels."
Luke was too preoccupied to bother to answer. Repelling the shots from the two blasters, he carefully divided his attention between the fight and his search for a weakness in his 'enemy'. If they couldn't be destroyed, at least he might be able to render their weapons unusable. This time, the saber throw was quicker, more agile, as it sliced through the blaster of the first sentinel. Luke was peripherally aware of two more of the droids in the corner coming to life and rolling mechanically forward, weapons ready. The broken blaster clattered, in pieces, to the floor, and the lightsaber was sailing through the air to destroy the next weapon, whose laser bolts Luke was barely dodging, when, with a sudden bright flash before his eyes, a bolt of agony ripped through his shoulder.
Luke reeled in shock and pain, the glaring durasteel floor rushing up to him, his broken concentration causing the lightsaber to fall prone to the floor next to its intended target, which was still blazing bullets.
The lasers ripped gouges out of the metal floor next to Luke, spraying him with splintered shards of flooring, but barely missing the wounded Jedi as he tried, painfully, to regain his feet.
"Get up," Palpatine's gravelly voice ordered over the noise and smoke of the fire all around him. "Your enemy does not wait for you to rearm yourself."
Luke staggered upright amid the searing blaster bolts all around him, shakily calling his weapon to his hand, and planting his feet in a classic fighting stance. There were four droids, and now he was struggling against the constant fire, trying not to let the burning pain in his shoulder sever his concentration and connection with the Force. How long was he supposed to keep this up? Was it Palpatine's purpose to have him riddled with holes simply to show him his weakness?
The Emperor's laugh echoed throughout the chamber and Luke set his teeth in concentration, once again searching out a way to get rid of the droids.
Then he found it: His mind reached out to each sentinel, deactivating them one by one with the Force. Each one slumped, flashing lights flickering dead, and the silence rang in Luke's ears.
He turned to face Palpatine, his lightsaber still grasped loosely in his hand, beads of perspiration running down the side of his face, his shoulder feeling like it was on fire. "What do you want from me?"
The Emperor's expression was grave, and he ignored the question. "Hopefully in the battles to come, you will exhibit more skills as a fighter and a proper student of the Dark Side. I am disappointed in you, young Skywalker."
Behind Luke, the droids whirred to life again. He slowly turned to face them, heart sinking.
"This is your first lesson," Palpatine's gravelly voice said behind him. "I will show you how it is done."
********
Glaring lights snapped in front of Luke's eyes, and he jolted groggily awake, his arm automatically flying up to shield the bright illumination from his sensitive vision. He buried his face in the cool pillows. *Aunt Beru, please just let me sleep… *
He hated the daily ritual of waking at dawn in the chilly Tatooine mornings. Of course the nippy air would soon give way to searing desert heat, the climate spitefully assuring that no one could be comfortable on this planet.
Perhaps if he told his aunt he was sick, she might let him sleep a little longer. His whole body felt weighted with a strange dull ache in all his limbs, and he did not feel rested.
"Get up," commanded a deep, impatient voice. A thick hand grasped his arm in an iron fist, and Luke's eyes snapped open, seeing the dark, ominous mask fill his vision; the harsh gasps of the rhythmic breathing echoing in his ears. The vivid dreams and images of his simple childhood home evaporated like water under the harsh Tatooine suns at noon as he stared back into the blank, polished gaze of Darth Vader. With a stomach like lead, he remembered where he was, what had happened.
Impatiently, the Dark Lord's grip tightened on Luke's arm and the Jedi winced. "The Emperor wishes to see you right away. Do not make him wait."
Luke nodded, grimacing, as the grip on his arm slackened and he slid his feet silently over the side of the big bed. He had no way of telling what time it was, but his quick glance out the large window showed that it was still very dark outside. He wasn't sure how many hours it might be until dawn, but had the feeling that this was going to be a very long day.
Vader stepped back, momentarily regarding his son as Luke paused to slip his boots back on. The Jedi straightened, leveling his steady gaze at the black mask. He almost thought he saw the Dark Lord flinch, before turning to the door, gesturing sharply for Luke to follow. "It would be wise to hurry," he rumbled. "For your sake."
Luke aimed a tired glare at the back of the dark helmet and trailed after Vader.
He was escorted through a new route of carpeted hallways, the silent, columned presence of his father at his side. Luke pushed aside his want for the sleep that had been so rudely denied him and instead focused on where they were going—the winding, twisting turns of the corridors. Being raised on a desert planet had given him a superb sense of direction, and he memorized their route through the palace. He hoped it would come in useful in the future.
They rounded a corner and Luke saw, heart freezing in his chest, the sweeping black robes and fearsome aura of evil; Emperor Palpatine striding swiftly toward him across the crimson floor, flanked by two Imperial guards.
"Ah, my young apprentice," he hailed Luke, clasping white, papery hands together and smiling thinly. "Welcome. Lord Vader," he addressed the Dark Lord. "I shall not be needing your services. You are dismissed."
Vader seemed to hesitate a fraction of a moment before, with a small bow, he turned on his heel, his cape billowing out behind him.
"And how is our young Jedi faring today?" The Emperor asked, stepping closer to Luke and drawing the young man's attention away from the Dark Lord's departing figure.
Luke locked his unwavering gaze with the putrid yellow eyes and kept silent. Palpatine's grating chuckle seemed to rise from deep in his throat and he turned back to his guards. Without a spoken word, they took their positions on both sides of Luke and they followed the Emperor.
He was led to a large room with durasteel walls and ceilings that reflected the glare of the harsh lighting. At the far end of the room stood a formidable-looking line of deactivated sentinel droids. Luke was tossed inside and the door slid shut behind him. His wary stare shifted from Palpatine's wicked smile to the line of dead droids, his danger sense tingling.
"Yes," the Emperor noted Luke's reaction, his hand outstretched to the Jedi, offering the young man his lightsaber. "Your training begins."
The evil ruler gestured casually to the droids, and with a hum of electronics in the deathly silence of the room, one of the sentinels seemed to shake as if waking up from a deep sleep. Lights blinked confusedly, and then several weapons snapped up into a ready position. The droid began to roll forward towards the Jedi.
Luke's blue eyes darted back to his lightsaber, resting in the Emperor's offering hand. "Take it," Palpatine murmured. "The droid is programmed to shoot at you regardless of whether you're fighting back."
Luke bit the inside of his lip as he watched the sentinel's dogged approach. Hadn't he vowed a few short hours ago that he would not fight?
* You are defending yourself,* a small voice objected in the back of his mind. It's all right. He snorted briefly in self-contempt. Some Jedi he was—he seemed to have absolutely no conviction or resolve in his decisions.
* It's all right,* the voice in his mind insisted again.
* Take it. *
Slowly, reluctantly, Luke called the lifeless saber to his hand, and stood guardedly as he watched the droid's advance.
With little warning and the cold, precise skill of a machine, the sentinel's heavy blaster came up, snapping off two shots at Luke, which the Jedi easily deflected.
The laser beams came with rhythmic quickness and Luke had little trouble repelling the shots back along their course to bury steaming holes in the durasteel wall. But when he heard the whirring gyros of another robot coming to life, he began to worry. A couple droids he was fairly certain he could take. But the line of ten or so on the other side of the room all alive and shooting at him would most likely overwhelm his defenses. He had to act now while he had the chance.
Locking the saber on, Luke deflected one more shot and then cocked his arm back, throwing the weapon in a Force-controlled spin aiming to cut down the droid. He waited for sputtering machinery, watched for the robot to sag, broken and dead, to the floor. But he was not expecting the saber blade to fizzle and disappear upon contact with the droid, like a candle flame doused in water.
The machine, oblivious to its near destruction, fired again. Luke barely managed to reel away from the shot as Palpatine's taunting laughter echoed throughout the room. Luke's hand shot out, calling his lightsaber to him again, just in time to deflect the simultaneous fire from both droids.
"That, my young friend, is called cortosis ore," the Emperor explained conversationally, still chuckling. "A simple but effective way to control lightsabers. You are not allowed to destroy the sentinels."
Luke was too preoccupied to bother to answer. Repelling the shots from the two blasters, he carefully divided his attention between the fight and his search for a weakness in his 'enemy'. If they couldn't be destroyed, at least he might be able to render their weapons unusable. This time, the saber throw was quicker, more agile, as it sliced through the blaster of the first sentinel. Luke was peripherally aware of two more of the droids in the corner coming to life and rolling mechanically forward, weapons ready. The broken blaster clattered, in pieces, to the floor, and the lightsaber was sailing through the air to destroy the next weapon, whose laser bolts Luke was barely dodging, when, with a sudden bright flash before his eyes, a bolt of agony ripped through his shoulder.
Luke reeled in shock and pain, the glaring durasteel floor rushing up to him, his broken concentration causing the lightsaber to fall prone to the floor next to its intended target, which was still blazing bullets.
The lasers ripped gouges out of the metal floor next to Luke, spraying him with splintered shards of flooring, but barely missing the wounded Jedi as he tried, painfully, to regain his feet.
"Get up," Palpatine's gravelly voice ordered over the noise and smoke of the fire all around him. "Your enemy does not wait for you to rearm yourself."
Luke staggered upright amid the searing blaster bolts all around him, shakily calling his weapon to his hand, and planting his feet in a classic fighting stance. There were four droids, and now he was struggling against the constant fire, trying not to let the burning pain in his shoulder sever his concentration and connection with the Force. How long was he supposed to keep this up? Was it Palpatine's purpose to have him riddled with holes simply to show him his weakness?
The Emperor's laugh echoed throughout the chamber and Luke set his teeth in concentration, once again searching out a way to get rid of the droids.
Then he found it: His mind reached out to each sentinel, deactivating them one by one with the Force. Each one slumped, flashing lights flickering dead, and the silence rang in Luke's ears.
He turned to face Palpatine, his lightsaber still grasped loosely in his hand, beads of perspiration running down the side of his face, his shoulder feeling like it was on fire. "What do you want from me?"
The Emperor's expression was grave, and he ignored the question. "Hopefully in the battles to come, you will exhibit more skills as a fighter and a proper student of the Dark Side. I am disappointed in you, young Skywalker."
Behind Luke, the droids whirred to life again. He slowly turned to face them, heart sinking.
"This is your first lesson," Palpatine's gravelly voice said behind him. "I will show you how it is done."
********
