Chapter Four
Luke still couldn't believe it. He had sat up, and realised they were surrounded by short, furry creatures that would have looked almost cute, but for their spears and other weapons. They were obviously the ones who had set the trap the Rebels had stumbled into, and this made Han mad. The fact that one of the short and fuzzy little creatures had ambled up and stuck a spear in Han's face didn't help matters any.
However, the mood of the entire encounter was changed when C-3PO, protocol droid extraordinaire boasting over six million forms of communication and ways to be annoying, sat up and announced that his head hurt. The creatures had gasped in awe and started chanting, bowing their heads in obvious reverence.
C-3PO hadn't been sure, but to Luke it was pretty obvious, that these aliens thought he was a god. Of course, Han had thought it was completely ridiculous, but Luke could understand how they felt to a degree. He doubted they had ever got close enough to the Imperial base to see a droid, so to them C-3PO was a golden-coloured metal god. After all, he was shaped like a human, but humans weren't gold, so therefore he had to be a god.
Luke, Han, Chewie and R2-D2 had been carried through the trees at dizzying heights on horizontal wooden poles. C-3PO had been set on a chair, carried on a litter and treated much more carefully than the others, who were continually grunting as they were accidentally swung into tree trunks and the like. But finally they had reached the main village square, where C-3PO was set on a small, raised platform and the others were stood up against a wall, still tied to their poles.
Except for Han, that is. The Ewoks must have taken a disliking to him, because he was placed on a spit over what looked suspiciously like a fire pit. "Hey! What are you doing?" Han protested, looking over his shoulder to try and see what was happening. "What-- wait, no, don't! Hey!" Han saw the Ewok reaching toward him with what looked like primitive fire-starting equipment.
Suddenly, there was a clamour from the doorway of a nearby hut. The Ewoks were all turning around to look, and Luke noticed that some of them were trying to prevent something from leaving it. To his surprise, Princess Leia stepped out and looked around.
"Leia!" he and Han both exclaimed when they saw her.
"Princess Leia! Thank the gods!" C-3PO added.
The Ewoks weren't giving in to Leia's demands to set her friends free. They were insistent that Han was to be the main course in a banquet in C-3PO's honour. Luke watched for a short while, then a plan started to form. "C-3PO," he called. "Tell them that if they don't set us free you'll become angry and use your powers."
"But Master Luke, what powers? I couldn't possibly--" C-3PO protested nervously.
"Just tell them," Luke insisted.
C-3PO spoke to them in their language, causing a short silence, followed by an obvious refusal. "You see, I told you it wouldn't work..." C-3PO's voice faded as Luke concentrated on the Force, eyes closed. Specifically, the presence of the Force around the litter C-3PO sat on. He gently eased it off the platform, spinning it in the air above the Ewoks' heads. Peripherally he was aware of a panic, Ewoks running anywhere and everywhere, trying to take cover from the "Angry God". That same "Angry God" was in just as much panic as the Ewoks.
When Luke slowly opened his eyes, still concentrating, he saw that a few things had changed. He was free. He ran over and embraced Leia.
After a while, Luke released her and slipped his arm around her waist, leading her over to where Han and Chewie were talking in soft tones to each other. They swapped partners, Luke embracing Chewie, and Han hugging Leia.
"Are you all right?" Luke asked his sister. She didn't know that particular fact yet, though. Another thing he would have to tell her.
"I'm fine," Leia told him, smiling. "The Ewoks have been so hospitable and friendly to me since Wicket found me in that clearing."
"That's good to hear," Luke replied.
"Not necessarily," came Han's sarcastic voice from next to him. "They have this obsession with hugging you whenever they see you, for no apparent reason."
Luke grinned. "Like you and Chewie, for example."
"Well, yeah... but that's different. It's like having four extraordinarily large leeches hanging off you at once. Leia doesn't seem to mind, however," Han commented.
Leia blushed a bit. "Well, they're so cute and cuddly. It's hard not to hug them and squeeze them like teddy bears."
C-3PO's voice spoke from the front of the warm, softly lit Ewok hut, telling the story of the Rebellion from when Luke first met the droids, to Han's rescue from carbonite. R2-D2 added a few sound effects where appropriate and 3PO even mimicked a few things with his metal body, like the first Death Star's explosion and the Imperial walkers.
Luke Skywalker was amused by 3PO's story, but something deep down inside was bothering him.
After a brief exchange between the Ewok chief, Chirpa, and 3PO, the protocol droid turned to the Rebels and announced,
"Wonderful. We are now a part of the tribe."
"Great," Han exclaimed wryly. "Just what I always wanted."
Leia smiled then frowned slightly. Luke's sense had become very tense all of a sudden. She looked around but couldn't see him. She decided he must have gone outside. She patted Han's arm, explained where she was going, then got up and went outside.
"Luke, what's wrong?" came Leia's voice from behind Luke. He turned to face his sister. He had a lot of things to tell her.
"Leia," he started. "Do you remember your mother, your real mother?"
She seemed surprised by this question. "Just a little bit. She died when I was very young."
"What do you remember?" he persisted.
"Just images, really... feelings." Leia was concerned now.
"Tell me," he directed.
"She was very beautiful, kind, but sad." She paused. "Why are you asking me this?"
Luke looked away. "I have no memory of my mother. I never knew her."
"Luke, tell me. What's troubling you?"
"Vader is here, now, on this moon."
"How do you know?"
"I felt his presence. He's come for me. He can feel when I'm near -that's why I have to go. As long as I stay I'm endangering the group and our mission here. I have to face him."
"Why?"
There was a silence that seemed to last a lifetime. The words were so much more difficult to get out when they were directed at someone. Finally, Luke admitted, "He's my father."
"Your father..." Leia revealed with disgust and shock she didn't bother to conceal. How could it be true? How could the most evil man in the galaxy, next to the Emperor, be the father of the man she considered to be the most just and caring?
"There's more. It won't be easy for you to hear it, but you must," Luke continued. "If I don't make it back, you're the only hope for the Alliance."
"Luke, don't talk that way. You have a power I don't understand, and could never have."
"You're wrong, Leia. You have that power too. In time, you'll learn to use it as I have." He paused. Now came the most difficult part. "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And…My sister has it." Recognition dawned on the Rebel princess' face. "Yes. It's you, Leia."
"I know. Somehow... I've always known," Leia told him, and he felt she was just as astonished about that as he was.
"Then you know why I have to face him."
"No!" she protested, jumping to her feet. "Luke, run away! Far away. If he can feel your presence then leave this place. I wish I could go with you."
"No you don't. You've always been strong."
"But why must you confront him?" She was valiantly trying to hold back the tears. Luke hated doing this to her, but she had to be told, and if he didn't make it back, well... it would be better if she knew.
"Because there is good in him, I've felt it. He won't turn me over to the Emperor, I can save him, I can turn him back... to the good side. I have to try." Now Luke was fighting the tears as well. He had to leave; he couldn't let her see him upset. She had to have at least one strong person to lean on.
He kissed her cheek, and headed away over the walkways. Of course,
Luke didn't really believe he wouldn't meet the Emperor. He knew it was part of his destiny, could feel it in his bones. But maybe there was a chance he could turn his father before meeting the Emperor. It would be comforting to know his father was there by his side as he confronted the evil master of the dark side.
Luke walked quickly through the forest, his ears and Force senses open for any sign of an Imperial craft, be it a speeder bike or an AT-AT. He had decided to stick to his plan of just finding an Imperial and surrendering to them. He reasoned he would be taken straight to Darth Vader, which is where he wanted to be.
Suddenly, the nose of an AT-AT crashed its way into view past the dense trees.
Luke stepped into view of the cabin in the AT-AT. The figures in the cabin started moving around, and one figure raise his arm and point at Luke, who stood there with both arms raised, palms open, in the universal gesture of surrender. The figure that had pointed at him gestured at something else; he was ordering the AT-AT's Stormtroopers to exit the vehicle and capture their new prisoner. These Stormtroopers wouldn't be in the vehicle during a battle, of course, since the AT-AT would be more concerned with shooting things rather than capturing prisoners. A hatch on the side of the AT-AT swung open from top to bottom, forming a platform wide enough for eight people. The Stormtroopers marched onto it and it began to lower on invisible repulsor lifts.
Two of the Stormtroopers immediately snapped their blaster rifles at Luke.
"Take it easy, I'm surrendering," Luke told the Stormtroopers.
Luke Skywalker felt numb all over. He was nervous and worried for himself. They chilled him to the bone.
"Stand up," one of the Stormtroopers ordered, unbuckling his restraints and training his blaster on Luke. The Lieutenant in command of the AT-AT stood there, hands clasped behind his back, which was ramrod straight. His cap had been securely pushed into position, hair combed neatly, uniform jacket and insignia in perfect place and perfect alignment with his shoulders. Luke could sense a major change in attitude as well - the Lieutenant's perceptions seemed more fine-tuned, his determination was stronger, and above all, there was a slight sense of fear lurking underneath all his other emotions. Luke had only sensed these kinds of emotions in one particular circumstance before.
When an Imperial officer was about to come face to face with the
Dark Lord of the Sith. Darth Vader.
Luke's father.
Luke tensed as he felt the vibrations of the AT-AT cease. The walker stood dormant while the Stormtroopers formed up around himself. Then one Stormtrooper reached a hand out to flick the comm unit on and exchanged words with an unseen controller. He acknowledged whatever the controller said and palmed a sensor, which allowed the door to slide open. Luke was prodded into a small holding area similar to an airlock in size, enclosed within ranks of Stormtroopers. The Lieutenant took the lead, and once the door to the AT-AT was closed, he reached out and pressed a simple button which caused the next door to glide open.
Before the door was fully open, Luke heard the ominous heavy breathing that was the most striking characteristic of Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith. Heavy boots clanked on the metal deck of the walkway as Vader turned to face the Lieutenant.
"This is a Rebel that surrendered to us. Although he denies it, I believe there may be more of them, and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area." He gives Luke's lightsaber to Vader. "He was armed only with this."
The Dark Lord nodded. "Good work, Lieutenant. Leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me," he ordered.
"Yes, my Lord." The Lieutenant clicked his heels together smartly, saluted, and spun around to return to his walker.
Vader turned around and walked toward the middle of the walkway, fingering Luke's lightsaber. "The Emperor has been expecting you."
"I know, father," Luke replied, drawing on the calm presence of the Force. It lent him strength, allowing him to maintain his facade of the unafraid, self-assured Jedi.
"So, you have accepted the truth," Vader said.
"I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father," Luke corrected.
"That name no longer has any meaning for me."
"It is the name of your true self, you've only forgotten! I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully." Taking a breath, Luke walked to the railing and laid his manacled hands on it, staring out at the forest unseeing. "That was why you couldn't destroy me. That is why you won't bring me to your Emperor now."
Vader ignited Luke's lightsaber. "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber." He inspected it carefully, waving it around. "Your skills are complete," Vader said, shutting the lightsaber off and turning toward his son. "Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen."
Luke turned as well, an intense look in his eyes. "Come with me."
"Obi-Wan once thought as you do. You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master," he told his son.
"I will not turn," Luke warned. "And you'll be forced to kill me."
"If that is your destiny," Vader said dispassionately.
"Search your feelings, father," Luke insisted. "You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate."
"It is too late for me, son." While Vader stood there studying him, he must have called for Stormtroopers with his helmet comm because the door at the other end of the corridor slid open, admitting a squad with an officer in the lead. "The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now."
Luke looked saddened as he nodded his head slowly. "Then my father is truly dead," he said.
Luke followed the Stormtroopers through the door.