Chapter 27: Caged
Another small groan escaped Luke's mouth as he was once more kicked in the ribs by the stormtrooper standing over him. Between the interrogation drugs and the physical abuse, maintaining concentration and even consciousness was becoming increasingly difficult for Luke. He refused to give in, however. Luke would not allow himself to break down in front of his interrogator, even if it was simply losing consciousness.
Luke rolled onto his back to find himself once again facing a pair of cold, mismatched eyes. "I'm getting tired of asking this. What is the Rebellion's plan?"
Using the Force to regain his focus and push some of the drugs out of his system, Luke simply narrowed his eyes at the woman hovering above him. He could sense that Isard was approaching the end of her patience. All Luke had to do was last a little longer and push her over the edge. Then, he would finally have a reprieve from the abuse. Finally deciding on a response to the question he had been asked, Luke spit up into the face of his jailer.
His action was met by a fist in the jaw and repeated kicks to the stomach. Drawing on the Force as best he could to push back the pain, Luke was able to take the assault without a sound, obviously displeasing his captors. When the kicks finally ceased, Luke tilted his head slightly to look at the frustrated face of his inquisitor.
Isard simply glared at the defiant look on the Jedi's face. She knew it wouldn't be easy to break Skywalker, but things were turning out harder than she expected. Drugs didn't affect him like a normal human and increasing the dosage hadn't done much good either. Violence did little to persuade him and she hadn't even gotten the satisfaction of hearing the Jedi do any more than let out a small groan. But she wasn't through yet. Skywalker would be broken before he was destroyed. Isard would make sure of it.
"Okay, Jedi. Let's see how well you do without food, water or light for a couple days. We'll find out what your limits are soon enough." Luke simply watched through narrowed eyes as Isard left the cell with the interrogation droid and her stormtrooper guard in tow. As the glowpanels in the ceiling shut off, sending the room into total darkness, Luke curled himself into a ball, continuing to push back the pain. Just before unconsciousness finally overtook him, Luke was able to call on the Force for one last push and place himself in a healing trance.
Luke simply drifted in the Force, numb to his surroundings and even his own senses. It was better this way. If he could not feel, Luke could not be broken. However, Luke did not know if he could keep doing this. Repeatedly being drugged and beaten would surely weaken his spirit at some point. Held in the middle of enemy territory without the ability to maintain control over his senses, Luke wasn't sure if he would be able to hold out for help. If help even arrived. Perhaps, he would serve everyone best by insuring that he couldn't be used against them.
Luke was unable to complete these thoughts, however. Instead, his mind was inundated with the Force and an image coalesced before him. A vision of his father. Anakin Skywalker's visage could be seen his mind's eye, without the blue haze Luke was used to seeing. Luke was beginning to wonder if perhaps he had joined his father, but that idea was soon dispelled. "Luke! Luke, you have to hold on!"
In his vision, Luke shook his head. His father didn't understand. Luke wouldn't allow himself to falter and he would if he continued to be faced with this pain. He could only handle so much before breaking and Luke had already suffered too much in his life. What did he have to live for? He would serve his friends just as well by dying and not betraying everything they had worked so hard for. "I can't let them down."
"You won't let them down. Luke, you still have much to live for." Anakin's image flickered slightly as Luke's connection to the Force was weakening. The turbulent emotions in his son's mind and the physical abuse Luke had suffered had stifled his connection to the Force. Anakin didn't have much time, but he had to make Luke understand. There was still hope for him. "Luke, just hold on. She's coming."
Anakin faded away as his mouth opened to say more and Luke found himself in the pitch black of his cell, sluggishly reaching for the figure in his vision. Luke attempted to cry out, but his voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "Father!"
Unable to see anything, Luke closed his eyes once more and wrapped his arms around himself. He was alone once again. Always alone. Luke was meant for a life apart, but at least he was meant for a life. His father's appearance was enough to assure Luke that he would be freed. He didn't know how long he would sit in this cell, but he knew that he would escape. She was coming.
Rocking back and forth slightly in the chill of the dark room, Luke wished that his father would have been able to tell him more. Luke could only assume the she Anakin was referring to was Leia. Surely, his sister would do everything in her power to make sure Luke got out safely. But Luke didn't know if she would try a diplomatic solution which would mean he could remain here for months or if Leia had listened to Han and would arrive in a matter of days. He wouldn't put it past them, but Luke feared even their chances of breaking him out of this mess.
But there was hope and that would be enough to keep Luke going. He would survive and then he would put his life in order. Luke's time as a soldier had come to an end. It was time for him to truly dedicate his life to the Jedi. Hopefully, the next student he found wouldn't run away from him. At this thought, Luke was unable to keep back the tears he had been hiding since taking this mission. He had lost her and as much as he wished it, Mara wouldn't be the one coming for him. Luke just had to go on anyway.