A/N: The next few chapters are going to be more focused on Luke and Leia – All you really need to know about Vader is that he's looking for Padmé, and all you need to know about Padmé is that she's at Naboo. This particular chapter is Luke-centred, and very (VERY!) similar to the movie, but bear with me! More new action coming in a few chapters, and since I'm on holidays, I'll post a little more often (and because these chapters aren't particularly spectacular, lol).

Chou hime: Lol, your enthusiasm is infectious. Thanks for the review! More Luke and Leia in the next few chapters.
Laura-chan: Well, you'll have to wait a bit for another Vader/Padmé confrontation!
akidura: There will be some Leia/Han developments :)
Hopeless4life: Surely will :)
TriGemini: Thank you so much for your review! Don't think Leia will be quite so enthusiastic as Luke and Padmé about turning Vader, but you'll have to wait and see :)
pokey: Glad you like the changes! Here's the next chapter - hope you like!
Stephanie C: No, sorry, she won't :( I didn't think of that until after I'd finished writing the whole story! Hope you like it anyway :)
lala: Thanks for the review! No, Anakin isn't scarred - well, not his face. He only wears the helmet because he doesn't want to see his face (which is still as gorgeous as ever! lol).
Snow Lepord: Yes, I think Leia is the master of denial! New chapter coming your way now :)
doreenthatshot: Thanks! I shall.

Chapter Ten

Luke gazed gloomily at his X-wing fighter, which was now half-submerged in the swamp of Dagobah. Artoo whistled at him, and snapping out of his reverie, he grabbed an equipment box from the shore and pulled it to a nearby clearing. He lit a small fusion furnace, and plugged a power cable into Artoo's socket.

"Ready for some power?" he asked the droid. "Okay. Let's see now. Put that in there. There you go."

Artoo whistled in appreciation as Luke opened a container of food and sat down to eat.

He sighed. "Now all I have to do is find this Yoda." He glanced around at the jungle, which seemed foreboding in the darkness. He could sense something…

"There's something familiar about this place. I feel like…I don't know…"

"Feel like what?"

Luke grabbed his lightsaber and whirled around. The strange creature who had spoken was a short, greenish thing, not even a metre tall. It was dressed in ragged clothing, and seemed to be quite old.

"Like we're being watched!" Luke finished, eyeing the creature cautiously.

"Away with your weapon! I mean you no harm!" the creature cried, holding its arms up in defence.

The young man hesitated for a few seconds, but put his lightsaber away.

"I am wondering, why are you here?" the creature asked.

"I'm looking for someone," Luke said, trying not to volunteer much information.

"Looking? Found someone, you have, I would say, hmmm?" It gave a funny little laugh.

Luke tried to keep from smiling. "Right."

"Help you I can. Yes, mmm."

"I don't think so," Luke replied. "I'm looking for a great warrior."

"Ahhh! A great warrior." The creature laughed and shook his head. "Wars not make one great."

Luke furrowed his brow as it moved over to the cases of supplies with the aid of a walking stick. What an oddly wise thing to say, coming from this little old thing, he thought. The creature began rummaging through the cases – and then Luke's container of food caught its eye. It hobbled over, picked the container up and took a bite of food.

"Put that down. Hey! That's my dinner!" Luke protested.

The creature spat out its mouthful and made a face. "How get you so big, eating food of this kind?" it asked, flipping the food container in Luke's direction. It began rummaging through another of the cases.

Luke was beginning to lose his patience. "Listen, friend, we didn't mean to land in that puddle, and if we could get our ship out, we would, but we can't, so why don't you just…"

"Aww, cannot get your ship out?" the creature said almost teasingly. He spotted something in Luke's case, and Luke tried to grab the case away.

"Hey, you could have broken this," Luke said, getting exasperated. The creature kept rummaging, tossing things aside. "Don't do that. You're making a mess." The creature suddenly grabbed a power lamp and examined it in delight. "Hey, give me that!"

The creature retreated with its prize. "Mine!" it exclaimed. "Or I will help you not."

Slowly, it backed away from Luke, moving towards Artoo. The droid's arm slowly began to move unnoticed towards the power lamp.

"I don't want your help. I want my lamp back," Luke responded impatiently. "I'll need it to get out of this slimy mudhole."

"Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is."

Artoo suddenly grabbed hold of the lamp, and the two diminutive figures immediately engaged in a tug-of-war.

"Mine! Mine!" the creature cried.

"Oh, Artoo, let him have it," Luke sighed.

The creature continued to shout "Mine!" over and over again. Suddenly, it grabbed its walking stick and began to beat Artoo with it, the clunking noise echoing slightly in the swamp.

"Artoo!" Luke said.

The droid finally let go with a little squeal.

Luke was quite fed up now. "Now will you move along, little fella? We've got a lot of work to do."

"No, no, no! Stay and help you, I will," the creature insisted. "Find your friend, hmm?"

"I'm not looking for a friend. I'm looking for a Jedi Master."

The creature's eyes opened wider. "Ohhh. Jedi Master. Yoda. You seek Yoda!"

"You know him?" Luke asked in surprise.

"Mmm," the visitor nodded. "Take you to him, I will. Yes, yes. But now, we must eat. Come. Good food. Come."

The creature scurried off, laughing merrily. Luke stared after him, hesitating…but something told him to follow the little visitor. And Obi-Wan had been telling him to trust his feelings…

"Come, come," the creature's voice called.

Artoo whistled his protest.

"Stay here and watch after the camp, Artoo," Luke told him. Ignoring the droid's beeping, Luke ventured into the jungle after the little creature.

Obi-Wan stepped down out of his small, one-man fighter and began to walk into the depths of the swampy jungle. He reached a clearing and there was Artoo, sitting quietly with many supply cases. Obi-Wan glanced across the swamp and raised his eyebrows in faint amusement when he saw Luke's X-wing half-submerged in the water.

He moved on silently to a tiny dwelling and paused in the doorway.

"How far away is Yoda?" he heard Luke say. "Will it take us long to get there?"

"Not far. Yoda not far. Patience. Soon you will be with him," came the reply. Obi-Wan saw the little creature taste some food from a small pot. "Rootleaf, I cook. Why wish you become a Jedi? Hm?"

"Mostly because of my father, I guess," Luke answered.

"Ah, your father. Powerful Jedi was he, powerful Jedi, mmm."

Luke was visibly getting fed up. "Oh, come on. How could you know my father?" Well, I guess everyone knows my father…but how would you know that he was my father? Nobody knows. "You don't even know who I am. Oh, I don't even know what I'm doing here. We're wasting our time."

The creature sighed and turned away, facing the door. "I cannot teach him," he said to Obi-Wan. "The boy has no patience."

"He will learn patience," Obi-Wan responded as he entered the little hut. He glanced in some amusement at Luke, who was wide-eyed and shocked as it dawned on him that the short creature was none other than Jedi Master Yoda himself.

"Hmmm. Much anger in him, like his father," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan's mouth quirked in a half-smile. "Was I any different when you taught me?" he asked.

"Ha. He is not ready," Yoda muttered, still reluctant.

"Yoda! I am ready," Luke put in eagerly. "I…Obi-Wan! I can be a Jedi. Obi-Wan, tell him I'm ready!"

Yoda spun around and turned to Luke. "Ready, are you? What know you of ready?" He shook his head slightly. "For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel I will keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind." To Obi-Wan he said, indicating Luke, "This one long time have I watched. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Adventure! Heh! Excitement! Heh! A Jedi craves not these things." He turned back to the young man. "You are reckless!"

Luke looked down at his feet. He knew that what Yoda was saying was true.

"So was I, if you'll remember," Obi-Wan said gently.

"He is far too old. Yes, too old to begin the training," Yoda replied, but Luke thought he could detect a subtle softening in the Jedi Master's voice.

"But I've learned so much," Luke entreated.

Yoda turned his gaze on the young man and considered him carefully. After a long moment, the Jedi Master turned back to Obi-Wan with a small sigh. "Will he finish what he begins?"

"I won't fail you," Luke promised eagerly.

Obi-Wan turned his own unflinching gaze on Luke, and touched the Force.

"I won't fail you."

His heart was true, and his resolve was steady. He held no fear. No, Luke would not fail them, as Obi-Wan had failed his Padawan. This young man would grow up to be a true Jedi.