Where Am I Going To?

Part Three

Chapter Ten

He had his eyes closed tightly, trembling slightly as he tried very, very hard to keep from hyperventilating. He was afraid, there was no shame in it. But it would be his undoing if he didn't get it under control.

Luke was afraid, yes. Because the elevator was going up. Because he was standing next to his father who was offering him like a sacrificial lamb to his master.

Because Luke had always been afraid of Palpatine – four years changed nothing.

And Vader had to remember countless times of the boy's begging and pleading when he was small, beseeching his father to not make him visit the emperor's throne room and the unbridled terrors that awaited him there.

And so he rather instinctually reached out in the Force to comfort his son, and Luke's eyes shot open, and almost glared in his direction. No, he didn't hate him, he wasn't even angry. But comfort was far from useful at this point.

"Don't even try," the young Jedi whispered harshly. "I've accepted what you're doing. Now let me try and change it." Vader drew his presence back, and they were silent once more. The elevator jerked to a halt, throwing young Skywalker slightly off balance, making his eyes go wide for a moment as he fought desperately to retain any composure at all.

There was no turning back, there was nothing to be done. He had to face his nightmares, and that was that.

God, help me, Obi-Wan. I need strength.

Vader pushed his son slightly to get him walking up to the foot of the stairs to the emperor's dais, where Vader paused and bowed. Luke stood pole straight, nostrils flared as he breathed heavily, trying to stay calm – staring down the emperor.

Vader stood again, and with a slight cackle of amusement, Palpatine lazily drawled, "Welcome, Lord Skywalker." He sounded as if he would have been bored if the situation weren't so amusing. "I have been expecting you." Luke stiffened, opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted. "You no longer need those," he said, motioning to the binders which now slid off his wrists, and Luke did nothing; he just stood there. He said something to the Red Guard Luke did not hear, and they slowly filed out, leaving two Sith and one Jedi completely alone.

And whether he was a Jedi or not was subject to debate.

"Now," Palpatine said in a mockingly pleasant way, almost business like. "I'm glad to see your senseless little adventure is at an end. You will kneel, young Skywalker, I am your master."

"You're not," Luke quickly responded softly, firmly. "You haven't been for four years and I will not bend the knee."

There was a dangerous flash in Palpatine's yellow eyes, a vicious sneer on his face. "How four years has corrupted you! No matter, my Imperial Prince, it shall be righted."

"I'm not-"

Luke, don't talk, just listen.

Luke shot his father a glance, swallowing, almost glaring. How could Vader not see?

Vader held the glance for an excruciating moment before carefully ascending the steps to Palpatine. "His lightsaber," he offered, the same way he'd offered Kenobi's four years ago.

Palpatine greedily snatched it up, grinning maliciously. He stroked the weapon for a moment before putting it down on the arm rest of his throne. "A new weapon, my apprentice? I wonder what color the blade is." He now was grinning at Luke, who was amazed when his knees did not buckle. "By now you must know your father can never be turned from the Dark Side. Equally true, you have not left it. Let me show you its true power…."

Luke's eyes widened as he felt the oily, black presence work its way towards him as he stood frozen. No, he couldn't give in like this! With a mighty shove with the Force, Light radiated around him once more, and he cried out, "No!" He paused a moment, trying to breath, clinging to the Light. "I will not be a Sith again." Palpatine laughed, and Luke balked, failing to find the situation funny. "Soon I'll be dead. We'll all be dead."

"You think that, if you like." Palpatine leaned foreword now, eyes glinting in the darkness of the makeshift throne room. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet?" and Luke's eyes widened. "No need to worry," the emperor continued. "We are quite safe here."

"The Rebels will succeed!" he cried with a passion. "The Empire will fall."

"And so will a young Jedi by the name of Luke Skywalker."

Luke tried to protest again, but his father cut him off once more. "It is pointless to resist, my son." And this time Luke didn't look at him, had his eyes glued to Palpatine. Palpatine was talking again, but Luke only barely heard him, eyes wide, breathing slightly erratic.

No…Oh, Force, no, they couldn't have failed! The goal so close, so attainable, and of course then the Empire would close its grimy fist and strangle them. Oh, God, no, not like this!

"Come, boy," Palpatine was saying, starting to sound rather bored. "See for yourself." Mechanically, the young man moved up the stairs, seeing nothing but the small window and the stars and the battle raging outside. He couldn't breath, his hands reached out and clutched the pane, in utter torment. But Lando, the Rebels….Mon Mothma, General Rieekan, Han, Leia! They couldn't fail! They couldn't die!

But there the evidence was, right before his eyes. They'd laid out a nice little trap and the Alliance had walked right into it, blindly at willingly.

And Luke for a split second turned and saw his lightsaber. And nothing else could be absorbed into his mind. It was with extreme effort he didn't call it to him; now he was walking into the trap, and he knew it. Painfully he knew it but could not stop it.

"You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you!"

No…

"…With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant."

"No!"

Vader watched the scene from the sidelines, willing his boy to simply give in – it was the only way to stop the pain, and as soon as he embraced the Dark again, he would find it all tolerable, bearable.

"It is unavoidable. It is your destiny."

Luke turned now, back to the window, in obvious agony. "You're all very good about predicting my future, aren't you? Well you don't know yet, do you? I refuse all your lofty ideas, I…." his voice broke, dulled, his temporary strength fading.

Palpatine just grinned at him. "Refuse all you like. It will all still happen." Luke forced himself to look out the window again, trying so hard…. "You are as you have always been – mine."

The Super Star Destroyers had closed them in….why weren't they firing, what were they waiting for? And Luke's eyes widened as comprehension slowly dawned, and Palpatine just laughed again. He said something Luke tried to block from his mind, but the last words took hold. Took hold and would not leave again:

"Fire at will, Commander."

Oh dear God…

"Your fleet has lost, and your friends on the Endor moon will not survive." No! "There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die….as will your friends." His knees were buckling now, hands desperately clutching the window. He turned – no! No, not like this….He tried to turn back to the window, but all he had to do was spin, grab his lightsaber, strike the emperor down, and… No, not like this, not like…

Well, why not like this? Didn't he want to be a hero? Didn't he want, didn't he vow to destroy the Empire? What better way then right here, right now? And all he had to do was turn, and…

It was too much.

Luke flew to action, spinning around. His saber flew into his hands, there was a quick snap, hiss! as it ignited, and he swung with every power he had. But, hold! His father's red blade countered his, cracking and snapping in the silent throne room as the emperor smiled. Luke was sweating slightly, anger and hatred and every feeling he'd worked four years to over come swelling in him as he glared at his father. No turning back, he'd past the point of no return.

Nothing was held back, everything was employed and the year he'd spent training after Bespin showed as a very surprised Vader was forced back, back, back. He lost his balance – tumbling down the stairs, where Luke stood momentarily victorious, and –

Emperor Palpatine was saying something and a piece of it registered within the young Jedi. He gasped in pain, eyes widening; he turned off the weapon in a panic, taking a few frantic steps back, shaking his head.

Not like this….

"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Vader snarled, but the son shook his head.

"I will not fight you, father."

Painfully slowly, Vader walked back up the ramp, and Luke watched him warily, taking a few more steps back.

"You are unwise to lower your defenses!" And Luke was forced to turn the weapon back on, dodging, shifting, blocking every chance he could, until he finally took a reverse flip, landing on the catwalk above. And there he stood – his father could not reach him here, he was left to gasp for breath, reach out desperately for the Light Side. "What is it you want?" the young Jedi begged. "A civil war? I will not fight you, and that is the end of it!" Vader paused, stricken, and a soft smile slowly crept onto Luke's face as he stood. "Your thoughts betray you, father. I feel the good in you-"

"There is no-"

"The conflict."

"There is no conflict!" he cried, taking a stance, hands tightening on his weapon. "Fool yourself there is, I don't care! You will bend or you will fall."

Luke shook his head – he was winning, he knew that now. "You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before and I don't believe you'll destroy me now." He was upright now, tossing away his lightsaber boldly – oh, he was a Jedi, there could be no denying it!

"This is at an end."

To Be Continued…

So, the reason there hasn't been many updates recently isn't because I haven't wanted to update, isn't because I want to end this thing in March, isn't because of a lot of reasons. It's because I'm so insanely busy. I haven't even had time to do homework. The musical ends the 11th, and while it'll be festival season after that, my schedule should be clear enough that regular updates should come forthwith. Thanks again for your support!

Shi Feng Huang: Oh, thank you! I'm glad you liked it! She'll show up at the Epilogue.

Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi: Thank you!

Schnickledooger: So help me God, I will never, ever do the dancing girl Palpatine idea. Ew.

As for whether Vader survives or not, I'm not telling. I mean, it would be rather awfully clichéd to have him live and play happy families with Luke, and I'm adverse to the idea. But that doesn't necessarily mean Vader's gonna die. I'm just not telling.

Madame Naberrie: (You spelled natural right, by the by) Oh, wow thank you oh so much! That is extremely kind, it means a lot. I actually write these as I go, and only rarely do an actual plot outline – I haven't with this fic, which is a good thing. The original idea was strictly Luke and Vader and Leia esque. Mara and Xizor did not make an entrance, which would have been really sad. I think they added an amazing range to the fic that wouldn't have been there otherwise. I love seeing where the story takes me. However, for uber complicated things I do do some form of an outline. Anyway, I'm really glad you liked it, and I'm sorry it took so long to update!

Jessica -Angel- Skywalker: Well, if Luke can help it, Vader's never gonna know. He's got to keep Leia safe.

Stephanie C: A prequel? Wow, I never thought of that… Lol, thanks for the advice. I don't think it'll happen but it's an interesting challenge

Princess-Aiel: Oh, thanks so much.

denique: Thank you very much!

Ledagirl321: Ew, I hope he gets a better job as I'm sure he deserves one.

Amylion: …You now have my permission to ignore everything previously written here. Big misunderstanding. Sorry person Thought you were Nathan. –shifty glance-