Chapter 9: The Calm

Far away, Luke Skywalker had stood beneath the dripping canopy of trees on Dagobah, and slitted yellow-green eyes peered into his blue ones.

"Returned?" Yoda's voice was rough and quizzical. "Know you I do not. Who are you?"

Luke thought back, and of course Yoda would not know him. In this world the young Jedi he had been had not survived the battle of Yavin-therefore never encountering Yoda a few years later.

"I'm Luke Skywalker," He said. "Jedi Knight. You knew me, once...in another time. Another world."

"Hmm." Yoda moved out into the clearing, leaning on his gnarled stick."Yes...seen this I have. There is a disturbance with you, young Luke, and change things must we. Come with me; much speaking we have to do."

Now Luke was back to Yoda's home in the swamps and crouched there like he had before, his head brushing the ceiling. Yoda moved about slowly, carefully, then came to stand before the human, their eyes level.

"Seen this alternate world I have. "Yoda said after a time. "May be our true path it is. But what do you wish of me?"

"I need to get back!" Luke said, and the frustration that came out in his voice surprised himself. In the last few days his Jedi peace had been tried-but he let the Force flow around him, and the demeanor he employed at the academy returned. "There was a machine, a device..I must need one. I thought you might have an answer. And this is the only safe place for a Jedi.

"Hmm." Yoda nodded. "Return you to your world I can not. Help you here, I can. Protected we are."

"Here. But I don't want to be here! I want to go home!"

"Restless you are."

"Oh..." Luke knelt beside Yoda. "No, no I just...don't know what's going on." He sighed.and absently scanned the cavelike house, but there was no answer found there."I'm sorry, Master."

Yoda shook his head and moved away from Luke, seeming distracted with the surroundings. "Your Master I am not! Far past calling me Master you are." The fierce mein changed, Yoda again evenly spoke, calm. "Stay here you will, until outside you are forgotten. Wait we will."

"But what about the Force?" Luke asked. "Can you feel there's something wrong with, the whole galaxy? Did I bring that?"

"Have your answers I do not. In such a state the Force has been for many years. Maybe we will discover these things soon. But not now."

"Thank you." Luke said. So there were no answers here. It was easier to trust in the Force and the future here than in hostile territory. He left the house and took to the swamp and wild land, a smile occasionally hovering around his features.