Chapter 2

Luke Skywalker felt one with the Force. The hum of his father's lightsaber, the cool flame his hand wielded, was nothing more than an extension of himself. Luke had been introduced to the basic Form I technique by his first mentor, Ben Kenobi. During that brief time aboard the Millennium Falcon, Kenobi had asked Luke to exercise with a remote so he could not only learn how to trust the Force, but learn the basics of ancient sword wielding techniques. Before coming to Dagobah, Luke practiced those techniques, refining them until he was somewhat competent with the blade.

But as the alien Jedi Master stood before him, a small green energy blade blazing in the humid swamp air, Luke knew Form I wasn't enough. During Luke's first drills with Yoda, the Jedi Master wanted to see how far he had progressed with Form I before introducing him to higher methods of lightsaber combat. So far, Yoda had suggested Luke study Form V, a technique that focused on strength and attack, and Form III, the art of defense against blasters.

Yoda charged at Luke, but the young apprentice was no longer surprised at the old alien's ability to move swiftly. Luke brought his sword low towards his legs to parry Yoda's initial thrust. He adjusted his weight so he could stand his ground in the tree-covered area. Luke's return strike was blunted by Yoda's impossibly fast Form IV technique, the alien becoming a green cyclonic blur as he dodged and parried Luke's blue sword.

Then, without warning, Yoda leapt up onto a low tree branch. "Anticipate you must," Yoda lectured as Luke approached warily, his blade once again held high.

Yoda's second leap brought his green blade almost chest level with Luke's weapon. Instead of a downward stroke like Luke initially thought his master would make, Yoda retracted and thrust upwards to the right, forcing Luke to parry downward swiftly to prevent being disarmed.

After over two months of training, Luke was getting better.

Landing on the ground near Luke, Yoda raised his lightsaber over his head to block Luke's downward slash. Yoda forced Luke to take a few steps back with ease. He may have been a master of Form IV, but at nine hundred years of age, Yoda was familiar with all seven lightsaber techniques. He could easily see through the power of Luke's Form V and meet him with the swiftness of Form IV.

On the defensive, Luke had to keep his lightsaber near his legs as Yoda twirled, their blades colliding furiously as Luke sidestepped, parried and blocked for every attack made by Yoda.

"Fought well you have," Yoda commented as he drew away from Luke and closed down his blade. Even he didn't possess the same strength he did during the Clone Wars, and it showed. Training Luke was exhausting him.

Luke saluted his teacher with his father's lightsaber and deactivated the blue energy sword. After clipping the weapon to his belt, Luke asked, "Master, are you feeling well?"

Yoda called his gimer stick back to his hand with the Force after clipping his lightsaber to his own belt. "Grown in the Force you have, Luke," the Jedi Master said. "Grown much you have since you learned to trust the Force."

Luke still felt guilty for not going to the rescue of his friends. He had ceased having nightmares only a few days ago. Even meditation in the Force couldn't tell him if his friends were dead or not. Yoda's counsel had proved to be soothing, allowing him to focus on expanding his knowledge of the Force, even going as far as learning how to heal himself by going into a trance.

"Perhaps it is finally time for his next test," the ghostly voice of Ben Kenobi said as his form materialized next to Master Yoda.

Yoda looked up to Ben, blinking his large green-gold eyes. "Go to Ossus, he must," the Jedi Master agreed.

"What's on Ossus?"

"Long ago, the Jedi Order was based on the planet Ossus in the Adegan System," Ben explained. "Other than Ilum itself, Ossus is one of the few remaining places where you will find the crystals for your lightsaber."

"But I already have a lightsaber," Luke argued.

Yoda turned to Luke and said, "A test of a Jedi it is to build one's own lightsaber. Guide you to this, Obi-Wan must."

"You're not coming?" Luke asked, knowing the question was absurd as soon as it left his mouth.

"Meditate, I must," Yoda said, sighing deeply. "When complete your lightsaber is, return to me you will."

Luke nodded thoughtfully before turning to glance at his loyal astromech. Artoo gave off a sound that was incredibly reminiscent of a moan, as if he knew more than he should.

It had stopped raining. The few visitors that came to Vjun noted that the world's acid rain almost never ceased to pour. But because there were few visitors to Vjun, most stories were simply urban legends. It suited Vader that Bast Castle, his private retreat, would be located on such a world.

The Lord of the Sith had brushed past his servants quickly, something he didn't normally do. Vader always tried to show some form of detached courtesy to his loyal followers, but his Emperor would want to know why the plan to capture Luke Skywalker had failed. Contact with Coruscant was imperative.

Vader walked into the pristine holonet chamber and knelt before the beacon as the door closed behind him. A massive projection of Palpatine's visage appeared before him.

"You failed, Lord Vader," Palpatine said dryly, as if he were repeating an age-old line. "Your scheme to capture the son of Skywalker did not yield your promised results."

"I apologize, my Master," Vader responded. "But my venture did yield unforeseen results. One of Skywalker's friends is Force sensitive."

Palpatine's face twisted from one of displeasure to mild amusement. "Ah, so you have the desire to train this one?"

"Leia Organa has much potential, Master," Vader said, using his powerful mental shields to block her heritage from the Emperor. The Sith Lord could feel Palpatine probing, apparently trying to sense any semblance of betrayal. Vader's walls were strained, but held.

"The Princess of Alderaan," Palpatine said plainly. "A former senator, yes? With much potential."

Vader paused before asking, "Perhaps a full executive pardon be granted to the Senator of Alderaan?"

"It shall be done," Palpatine told his apprentice. "But if she becomes treasonous once again, crush her."

"As you wish," Vader said, lowering his head in reverence. Palpatine ended his transmission from the Imperial Palace, leaving Vader alone in silence. He knew breaking Leia would require effort, but he had her friends imprisoned in his castle and Han Solo with Boba Fett in parts unknown. He would not fail.

+

Palpatine, Emperor of the Galaxy, stared out from his throne room at the busy city world of Coruscant. Though he had renamed it Imperial Center years ago, Palpatine knew Coruscant's heart beat vibrantly in the Force. It was the massive amount of sentient life that allowed him to feed, drawing in their fears and anxiety to increase his power over the Force's Dark Side.

Only a few knew of his true identity, knew that he was Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith. But none could dare oppose him except the upstart Luke Skywalker. He needed to be found.

The turbolift to his throne room opened and the red robed Imperial guards parted as a woman dressed in a black cloak entered. Her green eyes were so hard that they could have sliced durasteel, making her a potent tool of the Dark Side of the Force.

"Mara Jade," Palpatine said, not bothering to glance at his Hand. She had always had her uses, but she did not have Vader's potential. She would never be a worthy apprentice in the ways of the Sith.

"Master, Lord Vader has failed again, hasn't he?" Mara quizzed, pulling the hood of her cloak back to reveal a tightly bound red braid hanging down her back.

Palpatine turned his body slightly, allowing him to rotate his neck so he could face Mara. "That is of no concern to you," the Emperor said harshly. "But the assignment I give you is."

"What is it that you ask of me?" inquired Mara. If anything, she was eager to prove herself to pick up the pieces of Vader's few failures.

"Go to Mos Eisley," Palpatine ordered. "There you will stay and wait for Luke Skywalker."

Mara bowed her head in acquiescence.

"He is strong in the Force," Palpatine warned. "Be mindful. You must capture him and bring him before me."

Mara lifted her head and said, "Yes, Master."