Where Am I Going To?
Part One
Chapter Fourteen
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, then I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
The humming clash of lightsabers was distinctively heard as the opponents pressed relentlessly against the other's blade. Swish, slash, flash, crash! Attack after attack fell like acid rain, relentless and swift, and entirely focused. However, they both gasped and stopped as a glittering presence in the Force suddenly burst into the hanger adjacent to their battleground.
"Master Obi Wan?
Force, Luke, no….He'd wanted his beloved apprentice to be as far away as possible when the final day of judgment came. Please…go…please, just go!
Lord Vader had stopped breathing. He'd stopped moving. Terrible and frightening delight had suddenly flooded his senses as he saw the young man. It couldn't be! It wasn't possible! But he was so glad that it was obviously possible! The pained look on Obi Wan's face made it clear that he saw the beautiful and ghostly vision of his only boy too.
"Luke! What are you doing?" senator Organa had screamed, but Luke seemed not to hear her. Instead, suddenly terrified for the one person he cared more about than anyone in the entire universe, he'd drawn his lightsaber and was charging foreword.
Two voices suddenly screamed at the top of their lungs "Luke, no!" It was both Leia and Kenobi. The former was too petrified to move, whilst the later had enough sense to act. Raising his hand, he focused, and Luke suddenly found himself tossed painfully far back. Sliding on the smooth, glossy floor, he winced as his bruises and soars were knocked roughly.
Shakily, he got to his feet, confused, heart aching. What was he doing? Why was he fighting his father? What if he lost? What if he died? Had he even thought about what would happen to Luke then?
Master Obi Wan, please!
Get out of here! was the stern reprimand, and the old man shook his head, a pained expression on his lined and wearied face. There was a pause as master and apprentice shared a deep and secret look of pain and love. Please. For everything I ever taught you. Go.
Vader was so angered by the emotions he sensed radiating off his opponent – how dare he express such love for his son? His son was his enemy! – that, without a thought, he swiped his lightsaber, and the Jedi disappeared completely.
"No!"
Leia had grabbed the frozen Padawan Skywalker's arm, and was tugging furiously. "Luke, he's gone, there's nothing you can do!"
"Blast the door, kid!" Han was screaming from the ship.
Vader shared a look with his son, expecting him to rush to him in joy for finally being freed from his captor. Instead, he was met with something which startled and frightened him entirely….hate. He wasn't given words of ever lasting love, or apology for hurting his father so terrible. Instead, all he got was…
How could you do this to me?
Vader began taking a few steps in his son's direction, when the boy suddenly ripped the blaster from his belt, firing with slightly clumsy shots; his eyes were full of tears. He forced the hate, the Darkness, down and focused on the Light. Using the Light Side of the Force, the blasts hit their target, and the door began to slam shut. Senator Organa had to drag the distraught boy up the gangplank and onto the ship.
…
"There she is."
"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought."
Solo wheeled in order to reply sarcastically, but Luke stepped in between the warring factions. "Will you stop fighting?"
It worked. Leia was temporarily distracted. "Luke, what happened to your eye?" She reached up and her fingers gingerly brushed it. Luke winced, and quickly snatched her hand away.
"Don't touch it."
He was holding her hand again. Oh, wow….Ah, um….
"Jeeze, Chewie, I think I'm going to be sick," Captain Solo grumbled to his companion. "Okay, lovebirds, let's break it up and get going."
"We're not lovebirds!" Leia furiously contradicted with a stamp of her foot.
"Sure we are…" Luke said, a rather stupid and happy smile on his face.
Leia just glared at him. "Seriously. Knock it off, Luke."
"Knocking it off."
"Here's our chance. C'mon, let's go."
Without a thought, the trio rushed into the hanger. Until the sound of clashing sabers distracted Luke. Leia hung back and looked behind her shoulder to see what he was staring at.
"Master Obi Wan?"
Luke's heart was being ripped out of his chest as the moment passed in brief chaos. He raised his saber, he rushed his father, intent on defending his beloved mentor, when he was suddenly pushed back. In the blink of an eye, he realized what the old Jedi was really saying in the meaningless words he was telling the boy; he was really saying goodbye.
Luke wasn't to be stopped. He began to rush foreword again, when his father – he despised him! He would never call him by the title "father," ever again! Never! Master Obi Wan was his father! – suddenly and swiftly murdered the one thing Luke cared about more than anything in the entire world.
In a haze, he angrily looked his father in the eye, didn't even feel Leia's insistent tugging on his arm.
Luke? His father asked in all joy.
How could you do this to me? Was the only reply he could muster, his soul breaking into a million pieces. He fired at the door, and allowed himself to be led up the ramp.
…
It was extremely lucky for Luke and Leia that the pirate had enough of a head on his shoulders to take charge of the situation. "Chewie," she shouted, rushing to the cockpit, "let's get out of here!" As soon as the door to the Falcon was closed, Luke had slid to the floor, sobbing his eyes out. In terrible heart ache and compassion, Leia collapsed next to him, embracing him tightly and soothingly.
"I'll kill him!" he vowed, turning to claw at the door, as though it could do some good. "I'll murder him, I'll butcher him!"
"Luke, stop, it won't do any good now!"
"How could he do this to me? How did he ever call himself my father? I hate him!"
"Don't say that! You know that hate will destroy you!"
"Don't rob my of my hate," he turned, his eyes puffy and red, begging her. "Please, don't rob me of my hate, it's all I have!"
"Let it go, Luke. You've got to let it go!"
"I can't! I tried…I tried so hard, but I can't do it! Not with my master gone! Oh, Force, Leia what am I going to do? I'm all alone, I've got no where to go and no one to run to….He promised me he'd never leave me! He promised me he wouldn't let the Dark Side take me back. How can he keep his promise? He's gone…I'll never get him back."
"No," she shook her head, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look her in her own tear filled eyes. "You don't loose someone just because they died. They live in your heart…He's in your heart, Luke."
"How? How can you expect me to believe that? I can't! No one ever tells me the truth, everyone always lies to me. Why do people have to tell lies?"
"Usually it's because they want something and they're afraid the truth won't get it for them."
"Do you tell lies to me?"
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "No," she said, very softly. And before she could do anything to stop him, Luke had pulled her against him and was passionately kissing her. At first too surprised to do much of anything, she was soon struggling, and the boy reluctantly released her. "Don't. Please, don't. We're not going to like where this will go."
"No, I think I'll like it very much." He leaned in to kiss her again, but she backed away from him, shaking her head.
"Please, Luke. These things you want me to feel for you….Maybe someday. Not yet. I know you're scared, I know you're lonely, but that isn't enough of a reason for me to do something like this."
"I am in love with you, Leia Organa," he stated firmly, having stopped his tears. "Wildly, passionately. You don't know how long I've been thinking about you. I love you so much. Just being around you is intoxicating."
She was slightly stunned by the small speech, and helped him stand up. "You don't mean that."
"I do. I always will."
"No," she denied again, leading him toward the cabins. "You don't. You're not thinking clearly right now. You need some sleep. Here, I'll get some ice for your eye, you lie down. Just take a break, take a nap. Okay?"
He sat down on one of the bunks, but continued to watch her. "Please," she begged. "Don't do that."
"Why?"
"It makes me uncomfortable. Now lie down and get some rest."
"Whatever you say, Leia."
He lied down, a few tears occasionally sliding from his tired eyes. And he thought about his master, and he thought about her.
To Be Continued…
Myotismon13: Sad, sad chapter, idn't? By the way, I was looking at your user look up thingy, and I saw the summary for that AU Phantom of the Opera. All I can say is "Wow!" and that it is something I am definitely going to have to read whenever my schedule clears up. So, you know, expect a review of it in a couple decades.
