Chapter 14 : The Hero
There was no better feeling in all the Galaxy. Power at his fingertips, the eternity of space in his viewscreen, speed so exhilarating it pasted a grin on his face. He pushed his TIE Advanced x1 even harder, the two pilots in their standard TIE fighters straining to keep up with him. They were skimming the surface of the Death Star, the threat of impacting any number of protruding structures ever present. He would do this any day of the week, even if the future of the Galactic Empire wasn't hanging in the balance.
But it was.With this direct attack on the Death Star, the Rebellion was launching its strongest offensive yet, choosing to take the Empire head-on, rather than escaping into hyperspace.He might not agree with the Galactic Civil War, but he felt at home in it. All of Palpatine's political manueverings, all the propaganda that was thrown at the citizens of the Empire, none of it made sense to him, but this, the straightforward pitting of pilot vs pilot in open combat, this was his arena.
He had grown up, really, in the Clone Wars, made the transition then from boy to man. It was in combat that he first discovered how different, how much stronger his own Force abilities were than his fellow Jedi. Away from the structure of the Jedi Temple, acting in the chaos of war, he had explored the limits of his capabilities, and been rewarded for that. "The Hero with No Fear", they called him, and he still liked the sound of it, even if it were not true. It was the most recognition for his efforts that he had ever received, one of the most satisfying times in his life.Now, even twenty years later, the opportunity to fly in combat again, to be the hero, was irresistable to him.
The Death Star was Tarkin's realm, though; onboard he submitted to Tarkin's command. As the Rebel fleet began their attack on the Death Star, however, the Grand Moff locked himself away in the isolation of its control room, distant from the frenzied actions of his men. It was Vader who was accessible to the line officers, who understood what to do in combat, and they came to him in the hallways, seeking his leadership.To him the strategy was obvious. If the small Rebel fighters were evading the large scale weapons of the Death Star, then send the TIEs after them and beat them at their own game.
He would have been content to let the TIE squadron battle the Rebels, but soon after the encounter began, General Bast reported to him that the Rebels' attack strategy was aimed at a particular design flaw in the Death Star. With that knowledge, he decided to go after them himself, and took two of the best TIE pilots with him.
They were flanking his x1 now, in tight formation as they plunged into the equatorial trench of the Death Star. He commed the gunnery crew on board the space station, ordered them to hold their fire as he went in pursuit of the Rebel Y-wings. The three Y-wings were older craft, and the TIEs had no trouble overtaking them. He targeted each one in succession, bringing off a successful hit in each case.
He led the TIEs back out of the trench to seek out the next group of attackers. It seemed ironic that here he was, one of the Death Star's louder critics, single-handedly saving it from destruction. But while he didn't care about the space station, he did care about the more than a million men stationed on it that would doubtless be lost if the Rebels succeeded in destroying the Death Star.
The next set of Rebel craft heading into an attack run were X-wings. Newer and faster, they could give the TIEs a run for the credits. He opened the throttle on his x1, finally coming close enough to pick off the first trailing wingman, and allowing one of the TIE pilots to take the other. The lead X-wing was far enough in front that he couldn't catch it. It got a shot off, aiming at the small thermal exhaust port that General Bast had identified as a weak spot. If it went in, it was over for all of them. There'd be no time to escape the blast wave of the explosion.
He pulled up out of the trench and was relieved to see that the proton torpedos had only impacted on the surface. He sighted the X-wing responsible for the attempt, and chased it down, his laser cannons sending the X-wing crashing into the surface of the Death Star.
There was no time to spare; the next trio of X-wings were already setting up in formation, already disappearing into the structural canyon. He whirled his x1 around, making sure the two standard TIEs were still with him, and plunged once again into the trench. To his surprise, the X-wings were too far ahead to be in visual range. He slammed the throttle wide open, wondering how long he could keep the engines in the red zone.
At this speed the walls of the trench were a blur, and he found himself relying on the Force to keep the x1 on course.It didn't seem like he would catch up to the Rebels in time, but in his mind he saw it happening, as the Force revealed the future to him. Gradually he gained ground on the X-wings, and he registered a hit on the trailing ship. It was only lightly damaged, and the pilot raised it out of the trench."Let him go," he advised his wingman.
He pulled up closer to the second X-wing, making sure to actually destroy, rather than merely damage the ship.With that accomplished, only one X-wing remained, the leader, whose pilot was flying like a man possessed. This one appeared to have the determination to get the job done; he had to stop this Rebel quickly, or all would be lost. He struggled to keep the X-wing in his sights, the pilot's evasive manuevers surpassing his ability to follow. He couldn't remember the last time, if there had ever been a time, when he had been out-flown. It gave him some solace, then, when he recognized that the pilot's strong Force sensitivity; at least he wasn't being outdone by an ordinary Rebel.
Not the first good man he'd had to shoot down. Another loss for the Galaxy, he thought with chagrin, another waste of talent consumed by the illogic of the Civil War. He landed one shot, but it went high, only frying the X-wing's astromech droid. He pulled closer to improve his accuracy. It was all but done now. Take out this last pilot, let the Death Star destroy the Rebel base, and he would be free to go in search of Luke.
He fired at the X-wing without making contact, then saw a flash as one of his wingmen disintegrated against the trench wall. His remaining wingman was hit by laser fire as well, that TIE colliding with his x1. The impact spun his x1 out of the trench and away from the Death Star.What had just happened ? He was completely dumbfounded as he worked to regain control of the x1.When he finally stabilized the craft,the view was even more unbelievable. They had done it. The Rebels had blown up the Death Star.
Why had he not forseen the Rebel ship hitting his wingman ? The Force had never deserted him before; he never got blindsided like that when flying. Was this the start of getting old ? One's Force abilities started to become erratic ? Obi-Wan's performance had certainly seemed to indicate that could happen.
As he stared at the expanding ring of debris, another possibility came to his mind. Perhaps the Force had intervened to throw him clear of the explosion in order to ensure his survival. Maybe this was turbulence from the storm looming on the horizon of the Force, the future he could feel, but not yet see. Maybe this was the sign from the Force that he had been waiting for, the signal that announced his destiny.
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The party was over. The noise and celebration had ground to a halt, as the Alliance troops- and everyone in the Alliance was a soldier, really- had finally packed themselves off to bed. Luke couldn't sleep, though, despite being so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. It was just that when his head hit the pillow, his mind kept going, replaying the Death Star battle over and over.
He'd finally given up, and wandered outside the Massassi temple. Even at night the planet Yavin dominated the sky, not as the massive red globe it was in the daytime, but as an enormous span of darkness devoid of starlight. A light breeze stirred through the trees surrounding the temple, and he found at last the temperature could be considered comfortable.
A hero, they'd called him. A hero. He liked all the recognition, the wide smiles and pats on the back from total strangers, but he wasn't sure he was a hero. He was different than he'd been on Tatooine, though. There he'd been a follower, a tagalong among his friends. Maybe a show-off for his daredevil flying of his skyhopper, but not a leader.
In space, it had been different. Wedge had called him "Boss". Biggs flew behind him, covering him, not vice versa, as it would have been on Tatooine. Poor Biggs. Another friend lost to the Empire. Luke hadn't meant to take over, to jump ahead of Biggs when they made their run down the Death Star trench.It was just that they'd already lost too many men, and time was getting dangerously short. He knew he could do it, knew he could fly his X-wing full throttle down the trench, and hit that exhaust port. It had been beyond knowing he could do it; he had felt so certain that he almost saw things happening before they really did.
That's why he didn't think he was a hero. He'd simply done the job he knew he was capable of, not thrown himself into a situation beyond his ability. That would be a hero, someone who accomplished the impossible. He had become a leader among men, that much was true.He could feel himself changing, and he didn't think he'd be falling back into the tagalong role.
Maybe the change had begun when he first felt the Force on board the Millennium Falcon. Sensing the training remote had been a small thing, but because of that he was able to recognize the feeling of the Force when he was in his X-wing, to use the Force to guide the proton torpedos into the exhaust port. Even though destroying the Death Star was a monumental accomplishment, he could tell that he had just barely touched the surface of the Force , had just begun to comprehend its power.When it spoke to him, it was like it was in his blood, like it was a part of him.He could feel his own awakening potential separating him from his friends. It gave him a sense of connection to the universe, and that, more than anything, would stop him from returning to the Luke of old.
A sentry making his rounds of the Alliance complex diverted from his path to approach Luke. He shined his light at Luke, then quickly turned the beam to the ground. A broad grin filled the guard's face."Ah, Skywalker, the hero."
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If he had accomplished the feat, he would have been a hero to the Empire once again. A hero, for fending off the Rebel attack, saving the Death Star, and thus enabling the destruction of the Rebel base on Yavin 4. If he'd accomplished the feat, he would have killed his own son.
He hadn't found out right away; there'd first been the extended process of returning to Imperial space from the vicinity of Yavin. Although his TIE x1 was equipped with a hyperdrive, the ship had been more damaged than he had first appreciated, and he had crashed on the planet Vaal. The journey back was of little consequence now, although he couldn't remember being more glad to get out of the suit then when he finally landed his comandeered shuttle back on Imperial Center.
Palpatine had shown neither surprise nor enthusiasm when he had reappeared from the dark reaches of space, but then the Emperor always acted as though every twist of fate had already been anticipated by him. Of course, it helped that Palpatine had received news of the disaster shortly after its occurrence. The three senior Imperial Army officers on board the Death Star, Generals Tagge and Bast and Colonel Veers had not shared Tarkin's unshakable faith in its design, and had at the last moment evacuated from the space station, allowing them to return to Imperial City to inform the Emperor.
Vader had resisted the impulse to ask Palpatine if he had forseen the destruction of the Death Star, because the urgency that the Emperor was now injecting into the pursuit of the Rebels told him the pendulum had swung farther in their favor than Palpatine had expected. The Emperor redeployed him immediately on the next Star Destroyer leaving Imperial Center.He'd rather been back aboard his own ship,Devastator, but any ship that took him out of Palpatine's reach was satisfactory.
After the Death Star explosion he had faced the reality of being alone in deep space in a craft less than ten meters long. No Star Destroyer hangar in which to land. No Imperial base nearby.The tiny cockpit had been his home for quite awhile.Plenty of time to think over the events that had just transpired. Luke, absent from the Lars homestead. Obi-Wan showing up after a 20 year absence on a freighter that, after escaping the Death Star, headed straight to the Rebel base.A Force strong pilot leading the charge to destroy the Death Star.
Being sent by the Emperor to find the new location of the Rebel leaders gave excellent cover for his own agenda. While he worked hard on his official assignment, he reserved the best spies for a separate mission, telling them that it was the Emperor who demanded to know the identity of the Rebel pilot who had blown up the Death Star.
That was a lie. Palpatine knew only the details General Bast had given him, that the Rebel fleet had attempted to shoot a proton torpedo down the thermal exhaust port, and had apparently succeeded.Palpatine had not been in the trench of the Death Star flying after the X-wings. Palpatine didn't know that the final pilot, the successful pilot, had glowed white hot with the Force. Only he had been there; only he knew the truth.
The spies had returned today with a name, and he already knew what they were going to say.Still, when the name actually rolled off the spies' tongues, he felt like he'd been kicked in the head. It was the first time he punished those who had performed well for him. He hated to do it, but he couldn't let the name of the pilot leave the room. He killed them where they stood.
He could hear the name now, echoing in his helmet,as he paced the length of what would have been Palpatine's private office, had the Emperor been on board.The sound of it was as clear in his memory as it had been a few hours ago when he first heard it pronounced. Those three syllables that bound them together. The name that had gone unspoken for so long.Luke, he thought of him only as Luke, but of course, this would be his name.Luke Skywalker.
He wanted the air to suck back into their mouths, to rewind time so that the name remained unsaid, but that was not possible. Even after their bodies lay silenced on the floor, he worried who else on board the Star Destroyer might have heard that name.He was proud of the fact that not once in the fifteen years since he first saw Luke on Tatooine had he ever let slip thought or emotion to reveal the boy's existence to Palpatine. Now the boy was drawing attention to himself, putting himself in the Emperor's sights. It was only a matter of time.
He gazed out the expansive window characteristic of all of Palpatine's private rooms. So many stars, so many planets, so many places Luke could be. So much to tell him.
My son, my son, you do not know. You do not know the serpent that awaits you. I will not let him have you.
Why did I think that you would be content to stay in the nothingness that is Tatooine ? Of course, you wouldn't. We are alike, you and I.The stars call to us, and we are destined for greatness. Already the Rebels count on you, even though you are just a boy. Did you feel like I did when we were flying down the canyon of the Death Star ? Did you feel your ship moving as one with you ? You fly as though you do. Can you feel the Force flowing through you, answering your call ? We are special, you and I,because the Force speaks to us more than it does the others.
Do you know this yet ? Do you know that you can move things with your mind ? Does the future come to you in dreams ? What do you know, my son ? What have they taught you ? Have they told you of me ? Did Obi-Wan try to poison your mind against me ? Do not believe him, my son.
I should have come for you earlier, I should have taught you myself.I know what it is like to grow up without a father, and I did not mean for you to endure the same pain. I only wanted to protect you, to keep you safe from the monster who is my Master. I am sorry I was not strong enough to kill him, but I tried, believe me, I tried. Together, though, we can accomplish the act, set the Galaxy free. It does not matter that you are a Rebel and I am of the Empire. These are the constructs of men, not of the Force, and we are one in the eyes of the Force.
When I was young they said I was the Chosen One, the one of prophecy. But maybe it is you instead.You are young and strong and whole, and I am none of those things anymore. At least, not strong enough.But for you, all of the ways of the Force,and all of its power is still available to you. With your strength and my knowledge we will kill the serpent.
I will teach you everything I know. How to build a lightsaber, and how to fight with it so that you are invincible. How to use the Force within your body so that you can move farther and faster than you ever thought possible. How to sense the thoughts and feelings of those around you. How to use your mind to move things you thought were immovable. The power of the Force is your birthright, my son.You can become everything that I could not.
But you must let me find you. Before I can teach you, I must find you. Do not fear me, Luke. I am your father. Come with me, and together we will free the Galaxy.
The insistant beeping of the room com interrupted his thoughts.
"I told you I was not to be disturbed," he growled into the com.
The voice on the other end wavered with the tension that came of being in a no-win situation. "I'm sorry, Lord Vader, but the Emperor demands to speak with you."
Ah, the serpent himself. He thought about moving to another room, as the higher resolution of this holotransmitter would instantly give away the fact that he was using Palpatine's office. Then he decided he didn't care, and flicked it on anyways.
"Yes, Master," he said, remembering to kneel down.
"Have our spies returned with more information on the Rebels' location ?"
"I gave you an update less than two standard days ago, Master. I have nothing new to report," he said.
"Things change quickly sometimes, Lord Vader. Wouldn't you agree ?" Palpatine said, ignoring both his insolence and the source of his holotransmission.
Something was fueling Palpatine's inquiry. Had Luke already become visible to him ? "Yes, Master, sometimes they do."
"I expect you to apprise me immediately of any new information in your search."
No, not yet. If Palpatine knew anything for certain, his questions would be more pointed."Of course, Master. Our hunt for the Rebels is my highest priority."
So much to tell Luke. So little time.