Survival of the Fittest

Vader continued to scope through the crew manifest, inside the confines of his private quarters. He searched through the new shipment of officers and paused at the three names that came at the top of the list—the three figures that scored the highest in the Academy. Klivian, Derek; Darklighter, Biggs; Sky—

No…it can't be…

Vader looked around as the last name continued to eat at him. Skywalker, Luke. Luke, he thought. Luke Skywalker, how fitting, he mused. Could it be? Has Skywalker returned through the will of the Force? How could he have survived? Then it occurred to him.

The vision he had had earlier had warned him of this. Obi-Wan Kenobi must have hid him. But then, what about Padmé?

His mind was racing—and his world was reeling.

What else had those once closest to him kept hidden?

Vader shook the thoughts of his mind and looked about. No one had said anything about this Luke to the Emperor. Were he to find out about Skywalker, Vader's situation would become most dire—and he would risk losing his status as Dark Lord of the Sith, which also meant his life.

"Skywalker," he said softly—making no difference to the dark voice that came from his suit—"I shall keep you safe, for now. Let us see if you are as strong as I sense you are."

He rose and left, eager to see how strong the child was in the ways of the Force.

Luke donned his black flightsuit, knowing full well that he had to be in full gear on board this station. Lord Vader would not be pleased if one of his officers in the Imperial Death Squadron failed him in the slightest.

He entered the training simulation room, noticing that a pod had already been filled. He spotted an empty pod—between two simulation pods occupied with officers Darklighter and Klivian. He couldn't help but smile under the mask. His friends saved a spot for him.

He walked over and entered the pod and tapped a few keys. Suddenly a voice came over the open channel.

"You are the best the Academy has to offer. Let us hope the Academy has been doing well. This exercise is a special one—at the behest of a high-ranking officer. Do not fail us, gentlemen. Your objective is to eliminate a rogue pilot, who has stolen a TIE fighter. There are three of you, one of him. The simulation will commence immediately." After a moment, the voice added, "good luck, you will need it."

Oh Sith, Luke thought to himself. Now just relax, Skywalker—remember what old Ben told you: relax, breathe and trust your instincts. One hand went to his stomach. He still felt unwell, as a familiar feeling overcame him. He shook it off, however, as his pod began to light up and the simulation began.

He tapped a few keys and noticed his flight group's designation: Vader's Teeth. He smiled; let's make Lord Vader proud. He opened a channel to his wingmen. "All right guys, it's us three versus one. Whoever this guy is, we need to exercise caution—I don't trust what is in store for us. Form up on me and whatever you guys do, do not break formation until I give the go, is that clear?"

"10-4, Lead," said Hobbie.

"Roger that, Lead," Biggs replied.

"Let's go get him." Luke smiled as he gunned the engines and locked on to the target in front of him. He flipped several switches, boosting the output of the engines of his fighter, as they began to gain ground on the lone TIE.

"Luke!" Biggs came over the channel, "watch out! He's matching your speed."

"Copy that," he replied as he noticed that this pilot was gunning for him. "Break off and attack."

He earned the reply with the sound of two TIE fighters screaming and overtaking him. In a blur, he watched as Hobbie was taken out of commission and the fighter, designated as Hunter, formed up behind Biggs.

"I can't shake him! Lead, I need help!"

"On my way," Luke replied. Blast, who is this guy? He opened himself to his instincts, looping his fighter over and accelerating the fighter towards the chase, as Biggs was barely avoiding the green energy that happened to be lancing all around him.

Biggs rolled his fighter to port as he throttled back, hoping to let Hunter overshoot him. To his dismay, he realized that the pilot had paced him and that Luke had to hurry.

"I'm coming Biggs," Luke said, as he pulled himself into a trajectory towards Biggs. "Stand by to bank hard to port!"

"Roger!"

Luke continued to close the distance as he counted off the klicks off his head.

Almost there.

Almost there.

Luke brought his fingers close to the hairline trigger and felt Hunter was waiting—almost as if the name suited who he was. He angled the TIE closer towards Biggs, trying to lock on as Hunter continued to try and lock on to Biggs.

"I could sure use your help, Luke!"

"Now!" Luke screamed as he squeezed the trigger, watching as emerald energy lanced towards Biggs.

Biggs pulled his fighter to port as he rolled the fighter, allowing the bolts to fly through the narrow gap between the cockpit and his solar panel. He let out a gasp as he watched Luke fly through where he had once been.

"Loop! Biggs, loop!" Luke called as he realized his bolts somehow missed.

Hunter was right on top of Biggs and had locked on.

"I can't shake him!"

And just like that, Biggs erupted in a ball of fire as Hunter passed through it.

Luke felt his rage at the hotshot pilot who eliminated his best friend from the simulation. All right, hotshot, it's just you and me.

He closed off everything around him as he cleared his mind—feeling a disturbance prodding his left arm.

Luke banked his fighter around and rolled to starboard, as a torrent of energy flew past where he had been but moments earlier.

He sighed. I guess Ben's right about something after all, he thought as he pulled his fighter around, spotting Hunter visually.

"You're mine now," Luke said to no one in particular.

Hunter brought his fighter about, realizing that Luke was behind him.

"Oh no you don't," Luke said as he accelerated his fighter and pursued Hunter towards an asteroid field. Great, this simulation thinks of everything. Luke cleared his mind, not realizing his hands were making minor adjustments to his course as he followed Hunter through the asteroid field.

Hunter flew between two large asteroids that collided with one another, forcing Luke to fly around it and through another asteroid that threatened to crush him.

Luke continued through whatever course Hunter set up for him with relative ease, as only Hunter's demise seemed to sate Luke's growing rage. He found himself pushing his anger and impatience into his piloting, forcing him to make faster adjustments.

Luke was catching up to Hunter, who continued to evade the asteroids almost as if they were nothing to him.

The growing tempest within Luke's stomach subsided as Luke continued to channel his rage into his piloting, decelerating as he raced around an asteroid that seemed the size of a large continent.

He had lost sight of Hunter, as the ace pilot flew through the trench of the continental asteroid.

Somewhere, Hunter lay waiting.

Luke was eager to bait the pilot as he cut all power to his weapon systems and the sensor jammer. He would need all the power for his engines, as Luke would use the shots for when the time was right.

Luke pulled around towards an asteroid and cut all power, using only the thrusters to match the fighter-sized asteroid's orbit.

Hunter had now become the hunted.

Luke felt himself loving the thrill of the fight—somewhere an equally skilled pilot was waiting to line Luke up in his sights.

He continued to look for any traces of fighter emissions—only to be rewarded with a fast moving meteorite. Hunter, Luke thought as he waited.

Hunter continued to evade the asteroids and seemed to be on a direct course for Luke.

Has he spotted me? He thought as he slowly brought a gloved hand to hover on his power gauge.

Hunter continued to tread towards Luke, as he passed through asteroids.

He's spotted me, Luke determined as he tapped the key and punched the engines to meet the ace pilot dead on.

Luke continued undaunted, as Hunter sent a salvo of green energy lancing at Luke, who casually rolled through the fire.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Now!

Luke slammed the brakes of his fighter, guiding it down into the asteroid Hunter aimed at, as Luke fired three shots, clipping Hunter's port solar panel.

Luke could only grin.

He got him.

The grin was wiped off his face, when Hunter suddenly banked towards Luke, sending a hail of green energy his way.

Oh Sith.

Luke returned fire, as the computer indicated both pilots' energy slammed into their cockpits.

The simulation was over.

Luke and Hunter had come to a draw.

Author's Notes: All right, now I will take this time to tell you all that "yes, the big moment is coming up soon enough." I am sorry for the long delays and I am glad that you have all been patient with me up to this point. Currently, I have to work on my final exams, so this will be on a hiatus for at least two more weeks. Rest assured that I will continue to update as fast as I can. I apologize for any inconvenience, if any. Thank you all for reading this, thus far, and I hope you look forward to reading more of what I have.

Sincerely,

Dante-Raven