Chapter 8: Visions

Luke's eyes shot open as he woke up in a cold sweat. He bolted upright in the bed and cried out "Han! Leia!"

Mara woke up at the sound of Luke's cries. She rose herself and pulled his panicked form into her arms. "Luke, calm down. It was just a dream."

Luke turned to face his worried fiancée. His voice was grave as he spoke. "That's just it. I don't think it was."

Mara looked at him with curiosity written on her face, now fully awake. "What do you mean? What did you see?"

Luke turned his gaze downward and spoke quietly, still troubled by his dream. "A series of images, like pieces in a puzzle. I saw Han and Leia. They were in trouble. What I saw was hazy, especially towards the end, but the emotion of what I was see was too real to ignore. It's almost like they were drawn together only to be ripped apart." Luke sat silent for a moment before raising his face once more to meet Mara's worried green eyes. "Mara, I want to try something. Open your mind. I want you to see what I saw." Mara bit her lip for a moment, always hesitant about opening up her mind. Finally she nodded. She let down her guard and felt Luke's presence intertwine with hers. More than ever before, she felt whole. Then, the images started.

The Millennium Falcon zipped between a pair of Star Destroyers, causing a near collision before itmade a steep dive, chased by four TIE fighters.

Leia looked at Han with wide eyes at the sight in the cockpit's viewport. "What are you doing? You're not actually going into an asteroid field?"

Han kept his focus forward on the approaching asteroids, deftly maneuvering the ship around an exceptionally large asteroid. "They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?"

Leia winced as she felt another of the smaller asteroids collide with the Falcon. "You don't have to do this to impress me."

In a panic, 3PO blurted out "Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately three thousand, seven hundred and twenty to one."

Han snapped at the panicked droid without breaking his eyes from the asteroid field. "Never tell me the odds!"

A Tie Fighter chasing the Millennium Falcon exploded as it collided into the wall of a canyon. The Falcon exited the canyon and looped around vertically. The ship dove into a deep crater on what appeared to be an asteroid and disappeared.

Han held Leia from behind in the pilot's seat of a shaking Falcon. The princess tried to release herself from the grasp of the ship's captain. Han continued holding her. "Don't get excited."

Leia became exasperated at his statement. "Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited,"

Han brought Leia back to her feet and got up as well. He gave her his trademark lopsided grin. "Sorry, sweetheart. We haven't got time for anything else." Han left the cockpit, leaving a confused Leia to sort out her feelings.

Leia rubbed her sore hand. "Occasionally, when you aren't acting like a scoundrel." She said with a small smile.

Han laughed at her characterization of him. "Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sounds of that." He took Leia's hand and began to massage it for her.

She took a small step back, but her hand remained in the smuggler's grip. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

Leia became flushed and confused by Han's behavior. "Stop that! My hands are dirty."

Han looked down at her. "My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?"

Leia looked up into his eyes. "Afraid?"

Han gave her a soul piercing look and brought her closer to him. "You're trembling."

"I'm not trembling."

"You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

Leia's voice became a whisper. "I happen to like nice men."

"I'm a nice man."

"No, you're not. You're..." Leia's words never left her mouth as the two came together in a kiss.

The deck of the Falcon shook violently. Leia braced herself as she spoke. "The Empire is still out there. I don't think it's wise to..."

Han brushed past her on his way to the cockpit. "No time to discuss this incommittee."

Leia followed him toward the cockpit, shouting indignantly "I am not a committee!"

The Millennium Falcon barreled down what seemed to be a cave. The cave's entrance began to close, revealing it to be the mouth a giant creature. The Falcon slipped through the space slug's jaws as its jaw closed. The creature snapped at its escaping meal as the Falcon soared back into the asteroid field.

A Star Destroyer entered hyperspace, leaving behind a trail of debris. Soon the Millennium Falcon's engines sprang to life and it exited the debris field, unaware of the ship following it.

The Millenium Falcon flew toward a city nestled in the clouds, majestically framed by the sky at sunset.

A pair of intricately carved white doors slid open, revealing a dark figure at the head of a long table. Darth Vader rose from his seat flanked by a dangerous looking man in armor. Chewie howled as Han drew his blaster and fired, but his shots are blocked by Vader's hand and his weapon pulled away. Vader placed the weapon on the table in front of him. "We would be honored if you would join us."

Chewie is restrained by stormtroopers with C-3PO in pieces on his back. Han looked him in the eye. "Save your strength. There'll be another time. The princess - you have to take care of her. You hear me?" Leia came to Chewie's side to help calm him. Chewie growled a mournful farewell. Han leaned down and gave Leia a final kiss.

Leia called out to Han as he was pulled away. "I love you!"

Han simply responded "I know."

Han was lowered into a pit as Chewie continued to howl in regret. Gases rose from the pit and Han vanished from sight.

The visions cleared. Mara remained speechless, unable to comprehend how a simple image could convey such power. She knew why. This was no simple image. "Luke, you have to talk to Yoda."

Luke approached Yoda's hut alone in the middle of the night. He was surprised to find the Jedi Master awake at his door, seemingly prepared for his arrival. "Felt your confusion, I did. A vision it was. Felt that which you shared. Come with me."

Luke followed Yoda deep into the swamp. "Master Yoda, what was it I saw?"

"Through the Force, may things you will see. The future. The past. Old friends long gone."

Luke became distraught at this idea. "Future? Han, Leia, will they die?"

Yoda closed his eyes and reached out into the Force. "Difficult to see. Always in motion the future is."

Luke contemplated this, reaching out into the Force to try to find an answer himself. His attention is instead drawn to a huge, black, dead tree nearby. "There's something not right here." Luke moved slowly toward the tree. "I feel cold, death."

Yoda looked up at Luke. "That place…is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

Luke looked upon his master warily. "What's in there?"

"Only what you take with you." Luke turned away from Yoda and took his lightsaber from his belt and turned it in his hand. "Your weapons…you will not need them." Luke looked down at his lightsaber for a moment. Finally, he gripped it firmly and brushed aside some hanging vines as he moved toward the tree.

Luke dropped down into the cave. He was barely able to see in its dark interior. He moved through the tangle vines, hearing only the sounds of a few lizards as he moved forward. Luke reached a bend in the cave and heard a sound which made him stop dead in his tracks. The telltale sound of the respirator was followed by Darth Vader stepping into view. Luke ignited his lightsaber and held it high. Vader ignited his own saber and attacked. Luke was able to parry the attacks of Vader's crimson lightsaber with his own blue blade. He saw an opening and swung his saber upwards, decapitating Vader. Vader's helmet encased head rolled on the ground stopping in front of Luke. The mask exploded revealing Luke's own face underneath. Luke stared at the sight before him, confused and terrified.

Mara followed her feeling of dread in the Force to a black, mangled tree deep in the swamp. She quickly whipped around when she heard a twig snap behind her to find Yoda standing behind her. "Master Yoda, What are you doing here? Weren't you with Luke?"

Yoda stood silent for a moment, leaning on his gimer stick. "Into the cave, Luke went. Time for him to face the dark side of the Force, it was."

Mara's eyes went wide, outraged he would have sent Luke into a place that felt like that. "You let him go in there alone!" Yoda just began pushing dirt with his gimer stick, ignoring his pupil's accusation. "Fine, sit out her and do nothing. I'm going in there."

Mara moved quickly through the cave, spurred on by her concern for Luke's well-being. "Luke! Luke where are you?" Mara stopped when she noticed her foot kick something on the ground. She looked down and was forced to take a few steps back because of what she saw. 'That's Vader's helmet, but why is Luke's face under the mask?' Mara had no time to contemplate the answer to her question before her attention was taken elsewhere by the sound of cackling. Mara turned around to see a hooded figure in black. All see could see was the Emperor's cold, yellow eyes. Mara quickly switched on her lightsaber and drove her violent blade into the tyrant's heart with a single thrust. The figure fell to the ground and the hood fell from its head. Mara looked on in horror at the sight of her face with the cold, yellow eyes of the Emperor looking back at her.

Luke stood at the exit of the cave, trying to comprehend what he just saw. He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of someone or something crashing through the brush of the cave, coming in his direction. Mara tripped at the exit of the cave, but was caught before falling face first into the dirt. She looked up to see herself in Luke's arms. Mara did the only thing she could do. She broke down in his arms weeping. Luke stood there holding Mara up, barely able to remain upright himself as he tried in vain to comfort her and himself.