Where Am I Going To?

Part Two

Chapter Thirteen

How had it come to this?

Beaten, bleeding, he was barely hanging onto the antenna, dangling from Cloud City. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. The powerful Sith to the courageous Jedi, to the beaten little whelp, hanging, hanging, hanging….

Master Obi-Wan, God, please, help me!

No response. An annoying voice inside laughed at him, cried out, "They warned you, they warned you, they warned you…." Maybe he wasn't a Jedi. Not if he was too proud to listen to his mentors.

You can't let me die like a dog here!

It struck him very suddenly that….he did not want to die. There were so many things he had to do first. All the times he'd cut at his wrists, or pressed his off lightsaber to his chest, certain that this time, he would do it….And all those times the Force had reached out and healed the bleeding flesh, and calmed and soothed, and in the end, made him clip the lightsaber back to his belt…

He didn't want to die.

But if he was going to, there was still one person he wanted to know that he loved them, and maybe, just maybe, she could hear him.

Leia….

A reaction. A glittering awakening, and he was briefly blinded with some strange light that had too long slumbered. Was Leia Force sensitive? No…no, the light had passed. But she was still there, and he had her attention.

Hear me….

Was it hours or years he hung there, hoping the message would be understood? Either way, he still could not feel relief when the Millennium Falcon passed under him, the top hatch slowly opening. Wait a second, who the hell was that guy? Where was Han? Leia! He panicked, but something – the Force, desperation – calmed him, and he finally dropped into the waiting arms and was pulled back into the ship. Somehow a blanket was tossed around his shoulders, and he was lead hobbling towards the cockpit.

"Luke!"

He winced in pain as Leia rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. Her shoulders shook slightly, as though she had been crying, and she gently pulled away, stroking back his matted hair, whispering words of comfort over his wounds. She paused in brief horror at his hand, but quickly lead him back to a bunk, finding a brace for the arm and slathering his wounds with bacta. She convinced him to take some sleeping pills, if only to briefly put him out of his misery. He merely lay there in agony, wincing as she worked, occasionally muttering deliriously.

"Obi-Wan….no, he couldn't have…."

"Hush," Leia whispered, watching him carefully, asking no question.

"It can't be true….Father…."

She blinked, surprised. "You…you fought your father."

He didn't answer, but instead asked, "Where's Han?"

Pain filled her features. "L-Later….I'll tell you later."

"Leia, where is he? What happened? Are you safe?"

She gave a forced laugh. "You're missing your hand, and you're worrying over me."

"I…." He was stopped by a sudden jolt of the ship as it was attacked, and winced in agony.

He'd wanted to tell her he loved her. Because he felt like he was dying, still. Just incase….

She brushed his hair back, kissing his forehead, and he sighed. "I'll be back." She rushed off to the cockpit, leaving Luke to sink into the thin mattress, wallowing in pain and self-pity.

Luke….

Gasping, he pushed himself up onto one arm, eyes wide. He hadn't heard his father inside his mind since the Death Star….when he'd murdered Obi-Wan….But if Obi-Wan really had kidnapped him….

"Father…." His voice broke, in some ways almost ready and waiting for whatever he would ask of him. to me….

Luke sank slightly, suddenly remembering all the questions he'd asked, now wondering if he really wanted them answered….

It is your destiny.

He sank all the way back, the medication taking hold. "Obi-Wan….tell me it's not true….."

So tired….so much pain…..His father's voice could no longer reach him, he was left by himself. He hated himself.

Where am I going to?

…

It was dark, all dark. And then, suddenly, a bright flash, and then just a tiny little flicker of light. Darkness, everywhere, but that light… He ran desperately to reach it, feeling as though he were moving through thick mud. He had to reach it…he must…For his sanity, for his safety….

"I want to be a Jedi, Master Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan….

Was his savior still his savior, and was he still the one bearing the light?

Finally, the light grew close enough to touch, which he did, and it flickered slightly, blinding him for a moment. And when he could see again, in the darkness he saw…..

Himself.

A bruised and battered young man – the very mirror image of Luke – was staring at him with so much pain in his eyes.

Waking, he would have understood nothing. Asleep, it all dawned on him instantaneously.

"You…." He whispered to his clone. "You're where I was getting those emotions from, the day that the Storm Troopers killed….those people…on Tatooine."

The young man straightened slightly, blinked. "Yes, they were our aunt and uncle. Owen and Beru Lars."

Luke began to hyperventilate slightly. "Those visions….all from you….I…." Tears began to spring to his eyes, his knees buckled slightly. "I was supposed to be you….I was supposed to be you!" He now collapsed, shaking. He never should have been born, and never should have lived like this. All this pain….One small mistake in the timeline, and the Force was trying desperately to put him on the right track.

"Is…Is Darth Vader really my father?"

Luke paused, swallowed. "Yes, he really is."

The young man collapsed slightly, shaking his head. "Ben, why didn't you tell me…." Ben. They'd called Obi-Wan that on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan….

"I'm worthless…." Luke whispered, as the young man slowly reached down in pity, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I was never supposed to be like this…..I am hopeless….. I am destined to be the emperor….Oh, Force, I was only fooling myself all along."

"No," the other boy – the person he was supposed to have been – denied. "No, the Force guides us, but we choose our own destiny. We choose where we are going to."

Luke blinked, but shook his head. "No, I'm doomed, I can't do it. Not if Obi-Wan lied to me, not if he really….I am forever marooned in the Dark…."

The boy straightened, seemed to glow suddenly from some inexplicable light from within, some utter purity that Luke had never had, and he watched him, transfixed. "The power of darkness is a fragile one. A single candle in the night destroys it."

Luke slowly crawled to his feet, still watching the glowing figure. Hope was not lost. He would right this wrong, if it took him his entire life. And maybe strangest of all were two things….One was that he didn't care if Obi-Wan had stolen him from his mother, he found he loved him, in spite of himself. And his father….he didn't hate him, anymore, either.

Obi-Wan was not lost to him. His savior still lived.

I will follow you anyplace.

"Unrevealed until its season…."

Soft music, wrapped around him, lead him away from the shinning light. But, no….The light was inside of himself….And the voice, he knew. It was not his mother, and neither was it Obi-Wan. It was coming to take him home.

Leia….

"Something fate alone can see…."

…

Luke opened his eyes, blinking with new clarity. Startled for a moment, Leia – who was hovering over him – did not move, stopping her singing.

"Where did you hear that song?" he croaked.

Leia paused. "Um….my mother used to sing it to me when I was little…."

Luke smiled weakly. "Mine did, too." Leia smiled back, stroking back his hair. It was a very popular, very old lullaby.

"Are you feeling better now?" He nodded. "Good. Artoo fixed the hyper drive, and we commed The Redemption, told them about your….about your hand…." No pain. He felt no pain. How extraordinary. "We're going to rendezvous with them and some more of the fleet. From there, Lando and Chewie are going to take the Falcon and start looking for Han."

"Where is Han?"

Leia winced. "It's a long story, I'll explain it when you're feeling better."

"I'm feeling fine. I am….at peace…." To himself, he muttered, "So this is what the Light Side feels like." It was wonderful. "Stay with me for a while?" he asked her, placing his only remaining hand over hers. "Talk with me?"

"Of course I will," she smiled patiently. "Of course."

"I….I don't suppose you could….sing for me, could you? I love that lullaby."

She sighed, but agreed. "In the bulb there is a flower/ in the seed an apple tree….."

To Be Continued….

Okay, so, hopefully that explained Tatooine. It always made perfect sense to me that Dark!Luke was getting his visions from Real!Luke, but nobody else caught on. If you'rse still confused, then e-mail me.

Well, I got a job. Yup, I am now a sales associate person thing at "Silk Cocoon," so there's another chunk of time gone once school starts. But never fear. I will never let this fic flop, I love you all too much. I only have one more piece of ESB to get through, and then I'm going through my reasonably different version of events for Shadows of the Empire. Hope you all enjoy!

East Coast Ryder: Thanks! I thought it would really work well

Snowgurl54: Thank you, will do

denique: -laugh- Well, I'm glad you're my fan, despite my evilness.

Stephanie C: What happened with Padmè gets explained during Return of the Jedi, and a slightly altered version of Revenge of the Sith will be featured very, very soon. As for if Vader's lying or not…..you'll have to wait and see.

Katey of Maychoria: Well, thank you very much!

Myotismon13: - bows –

Stefanie2: Thanks, I really tried with that one.

jamy skywalker: That's like the fifth person who's said Luke should go with his father. Poor guy, he gets no sympathy XD!

darth mojo the spork: ooohhh…Thank you! I love it when people do that!

Asato-Chan: And that's the sixth person

xInuyashaxangelx: Well, you're awesome yourself!

PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: I needed a bit of a humor break. Next chapter's somewhat depressing, too. At least for Lukie it is.