The Last Apprentice

by Sonfaro

There he was. The spitting image of his father. Yoda shivered with that eerie feeling of deja vu he had felt when the boy had come to him. Skywalker. Luke Skywalker.

The Last Apprentice

By Sonfaro

Anakin.

His pain filling the temple, his anger consuming all. It's everywhere, the deep smell of fear clinging to the stars like mildew off the bark. The dangers of the coming Darth Vader are too much for the man to stop. All that is left was suffering, hate, anger… and fear. At the root of it all, was always fear. Anakin is lost to it, drowning in it, and by the time anyone has realized what had happened it is too late. Yoda can only watch as he falls, head over heels into the darkness.

*o*

Yoda awoke from his dream with a violent start, gasping for air. It took the diminutive creature several moments to recollect himself enough to greet the muggy Dagobah morning. He sighed, shaking the night off his frail body. So real had it seemed. The pain he felt had been so intense. It was as if any semblance of peace had been destroyed: snuffed out by the dark. He remembered well, could still see Anakin's face in his minds' eye. He could still smell the fear within the boy. Yoda had sensed this, had known of the implication. Once, Yoda was Jedi Master, and he would have, should have been able to prevent that darkness.

But like a foolish Padawan he waved it off, with the motion of a claw. He wanted to believe, and the galaxy paid the price.

That life was gone. Anakin Skywalker was dead. In his place, a murderer was still on the loose. Yoda sighed and ached. He turned out of his small bed to look outside to see the ship, druid, and boy, all there. Yoda frowned.

The last Apprentice. Had the Jedi truly fallen so low?

He sighed, gripping his gimmer stick, and walked towards the door.

*o*

There he was. The spitting image of his father. Yoda shivered with that eerie feeling of deja vu he had felt when the boy had come to him. Skywalker. Luke Skywalker.

He sat before the astro-mech that had been with his family in one way or another for years. They seemed to be… talking. The boy held a small hand-held translator device hooked to the droid that helped Luke pick up on its tones. And if the lowered sounds of the boy were any indication, they were talking about Yoda himself.

"Yes Artoo, I am tired. I just got back, I've been running all morning." The droid made a series of whistles and notes. The boy frowned. "I don't know. Master Yoda…" He sighed and leaned against one of Dagobahs boundless trees. "He's not like I imagined him to be."

Yoda allowed himself to smile. "Rarely imagine the truth, do we."

The boy looked up to see Yoda moving slowly down the hill. At once Yoda felt a flush of emotion. Annoyance, shock, embarrassment. The boy was instantly red. He stood firm, tense and bowed. "Yes, master."

Yoda rolled his eyes and sighed. He didn't know why the young one did that. "Sit young Skywalker."

Without hesitation, Luke sat on the hard surface. Yoda took his time walking towards his apprentice. The last apprentice of the Jedi. The eagerness in the face of young Luke was evident. "Know you of the stories of the Jedi?"

Luke nodded with excitement. Too much excitement. Since its disbandment by the emperor many in the galaxy had romanticized the Jedi. Doubtless the boy had heard many stories of romance, daring, and extravagant battles. Yoda frowned. "Forget them you must." He said to a surprised Skywaler. "That way is no more. Lies before us, a new destiny does."

"Then what way is there master Yoda? If we cannot return the Jedi to order, what can we do?

"You can do well to learn young Skywalker," said Yoda, pointing the gimmer stick at the young man. Closing his eyes, Yoda reached through the force to examine just what kind of lesson Luke could be taught.

A slimmer of heat flushed through Yoda's veins.

"Tell me. In your dreams, what see you?

Luke sighed, begrudging himself to his masters question. His face was frozen for a moment, then it contorted with a look of disgust. "I see… I see Ben…

"Master Kenobi."

"He is being killed."

"A tradgedy you see, yes?"

Luke nodded. "Yes."

"Eliminate it."

Lukes' eyes snapped wide open. "What?"

"You cannot cling to the past, for it is the past." Yoda explained. "Ever moving the force is. Follow that path, a Jedi must."

Lukes' face scrunches up in confusion. "I don't understand…"

With a swing, Yoda's glimmer stick found its self attached to a growing lump on Luke's forehead. The diminutive little master's voice reeked with annoyance. "Ow!" cried the young boy. "What was that for!"

Are you injured?

No… but it hurt.

What does it matter?

Master?

Hit you in the past, I did. Pain healing, yes?"

…Yeah.

"The dream means nothing." Yoda finally answered. "No more think on it we will." He regarded Luke cooly, a breeze blowing through the muck of the Dagobah swamps. "What want you?" Yoda asked.

Luke rubbed his forehead in pain. "I want..." He paused, his mind searching for thoughts. Finally, he turned to Yoda. "I want to learn how to control. I want to learn all you can teach me."

And there it was. That pang of heat again. And Yoda began to remember a similar sensation, all those years ago. Then it had been from a ten-year-old child. Not this twenty-some year old boy. And yet the reaction was the same. It was the feeling of fear and sorrow and waning innocence. Luke was his father's son. Yoda bowed his head and sighed. "Teach you to let go, I can. No more.

"Let go?"

Yoda Nodded. "Of anger. Let go of Hate. Let go of your feelings for Vader, you must."

"Let go? We're talking about a creature who has killed hundreds! Thousands! Even I knew there was somebody powerful working for Palpatine. They said he was a ghost or something! Poodo - "

"Watch your language young one…"

"You're asking me to not be angry at the guy?" Lukes eyes stared deep into Yoda's, pleadingly. "Master, he killed Ben. And I'm supposed to let him go? I'm sorry. I can't do that."

Yoda sighed. Always in motion was the force. "Then a Jedi you shall never be."

"You're wrong!"

Yoda looked up at Luke's sudden, and unexpected outburst. The boy was on his feet, standing proudly above his master, as if he were ready to take on anything. "I will defeat Vader, and avenge my master!" He boldly declared.

There was a long awkward silence. The only noise was that of the droid, politely watching the boys star fighter and desperately trying to look as if it wasn't eavesdropping. What had the boy said? Oh yes. "Avenge?" Yoda laughed. It was a reprimanding laugh but it caught Lukes' attention. "Much have you to learn young one. Vengeance is anger. Anger is hate. Hate brings suffering. Yes." Yoda nodded, looking over Luke with a wizened eye. "Much must be done."

With that Yoda set down his gimmer stick. The boy wasn't quite ready for this yet, but they were pressed for time. Always in motion was the future. This lesson will be the first of many for this Jedi apprentice. Yoda reached deep into his cloak.

And removed a small Light saber.

Luke's eyes shot to the weapon immediately. The blue orbs grew wide as saucers, and he stood dumbfounded on the Dagobah earth. Yoda twirled the light saber's hilt in the air. He caught it, and held the hilt firm in his hand. And then, with careful ease, he ignited it. A field of green hue shot forth, forming into the trademark humming sword of the Jedi Knight. Yoda fought back a smile. Still have it, I do, thought Yoda as he pointed the blade directly towards Luke.

"Arm yourself."

Luke blinked, incredulous. "What?"

"Draw your weapon young Skywalker"

Luke frowned, unsure of himself. "Why?"

"Vengeance you seek. Yet if you cannot stop a crippled old Jedi, no hope of defeating Vader, have you."

Luke hesitates. Behind him, the astro-mech makes a series of concerned whistles. Luke turns to Yoda. "Master I don't know about…"

"What? Frightened are you?" Yoda assumed a fighting stance and let the smile he'd been fighting dance across his tired face. "Come at Master Yoda, and I shall show you fear."

Luke blinked, amazed. And then, when there is nothing else he can do, he sighed. "Okay." He said. "You asked for it."

With that Luke ignited his own light saber, bringing the light blue blade to a low hum along his side. Yoda tensed. He was using Anakins blade alright. And for all intents and purposes seemed to have no idea how to do so. He would need a lesson in the forms, but had no time to be taught. This was the only way Yoda could think of to lead Luke down the right path.

They circled. Two combatants ready in the force. A few meters away, the astro-mech, R2-D2, hummed a forlorn tone but remained otherwise silent. In fact, it seemed the whole planet had gone quiet. All was still for a long time.

Luke brought the blade down, and was surprised to find that it was repulsed; shifted to the side by Yoda's own. Luke took a step back to examine his master. The strange creature held the light saber close to him, right leg extended eyes focused not on Luke's light saber, but on his face. He's reading my expressions, thought Luke. He shifted his body and copied the form of his master.

Learning is he. He was using Form I to block and evade Luke's attacks lightly. Luke was picking up and adapting, performing rough Form I attacks. Yes, the son of Skywalker was a fast learner. Yoda couldn't help but smile at this turn of events. Skywalker however read the expression as a sign of Yoda's guard being lowered. He slashed again, this time at an angle, towards Yoda's small body. Yoda parried the thrust, curved the blade, then moved it back to a ready position. Luke charged. Yoda blocked, then switched tactics. He moved to an offensive form of Form II.

Luke frowned. His master was much better than he had expected. He would have to change a little. Modifying his stance a bit, he moved so that his blade extended to match and parry that of Yoda's. It suddenly became much easier to parry the attacks, and Luke believed he had gotten the swing of it. What had begun as a slow moving tactical battle became a dance of color and light as the light sabers danced and flashed about each other.

Yoda knew he was only toying with the boy, but he had to understand just how much Luke could learn from these techniques. He wanted to prove that he would need more than courage. He would need defense. He moved into Form III and watched as Luke tried to follow and keep the offensive. No, Form III was primarily defensive. Yoda stifled a small laugh…

And barely avoided a blue saber through his skull.

Luke had switched styles. Or rather, advanced them. Yoda parried another and moved into Form IV, hoping Luke would follow the speed and grace of this form. He didn't. It seemed Luke had found his style. Form V, the way of the Kryaat Dragon. Yoda had only experienced this once when battling Anakin in a training session one day. There was only one person still in the galaxy that practiced such a dangerous and powerful form.

Darth Vader.

How alike the two were now.

Yoda moved to form Zero.

And suddenly he was at a distinct advantage. He had turned off the light saber and simply dodged. Moved for dear life. Luke was much more like his father than even Obi-wan realized. Yoda cringed as he felt that wave of heat. He felt the frustration. He felt the anger. And he knew it was overwhelming the boy. With a grunt and a twist Yoda leapt from the battle into the dense trees of Dagohbah, effectively ending tensing and causing Luke to wonder; How did the little guy jump like that?

Luke held the blue blade forward, and tried to seek his master with the force. But the diminutive little imp had seemingly disappeared. How did he do that?

Far above him, Yoda was vaguely aware that the boy was calling him. But by now he let the force fill him. The boy was much better than he'd expected. Obi-wan had taught him well. Yoda could no longer afford to toy with him. He must end this, before the boy inadvertently fell to the dark side.

With a screech Yoda dropped from the tree. Luke had only enough time to look up in complete shock. Both of Yoda's feet landed with a thud upon Luke's chest. The wind was knocked away, and Luke tumbled backwards onto the ground. Yoda's feet never left the boys chest. Luke looked up, and Yoda's blade hovered carefully above Luke's head. The battle was over.

"Defeated are you."

"Yes master Yoda. I don't know what happened."

"Beaten, you were." Yoda clarified. "By an old man, no less."

"Yeah but…" Lukes face was the image of confusion. "How did you do it."

"All things are possible, through the force."

"…even Forgivness?"

Yoda smiled at his padawan. "Reach deep you must young Skywalker. The path you seek has many roads. Difficult to follow are they. Always remember the balance of the force. Both the living and the unifying force. They will guide you to your destiny."

Luke made a face but bowed his head. His anger was only annoyance now, and a thrill to learn. "Yes master." He said. And that was all Yoda needed to hear.

A silence cascaded over the swamps then. R2-D2 was whistling ecstatically, no doubt his circuitry was amazed at the spectacle he had just seen. Yoda felt old age creeping upon him again. He hopped off Skywalkers chest and began walking away. Then he turned back to Luke and smiled.

"Restless am I. A run we will take."

Luke was incredulous. "But master, I just got my rear handed to me! I'm tired!"

Yoda grinned. "There is no tired. Only the force."

Luke moaned and got up. "Yes Master."

*o*

He sat with the old man, Yoda did. The day's activities still etched in his mind. Luke was asleep in Yoda's living room, the human barely fitting into the mud brick home. His R2 unit stood "sentry" outside- it had shut off nearly an hour ago. That left Master Yoda alone with only the ghosts of the past.

"He grows with each day. Faster than any Padawan ever taught, is he. The son of Skywalker, he is."

The glowing body of Obi-Wan Kenobi shifted uncomfortably on the log. They stared off into the Dagobah night, glancing at the stars that shown beautifully, even on this cursed world. The dead Jedi sighed. "But?"

"But he is impatient. Headstrong. Fearful."

"He is the son of Skywalker."

Yoda sighed, his head pointed towards the stars. "Much trust put on the young, to end the demons of the old, we do."

"Is there another way?"

"No."

"Is he the chosen one?"

Yoda frowned. "He is Skywalker's son. Not Skywalker. Much training does he require. Much focus. In that respect, less like his father he is. More like… You."

"Then we have failed. I have lost the chosen one forever."

Yoda turned with a half smile in Kenobi's direction. "Never set is the future. Many changes are still to come." He turned back to the sky, visions of peace throughout the galaxy, and a smiling Anakin Skywalker, filled his thoughts. Always in motion, the future was. "We must wait."

Above them, somewhere in the lonely Galaxy, A comet flew towards its final destination. Peace.

Fin

(EDIT: 2/25/2011)