Chapter 1 - Visions
DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P
Plot: On Endor, Luke Skywalker shares a vision with Darth Vader of what the future could hold. That sets him off on another path as he struggles to do something, anything, to save his father's life. Luke doesn't want to let him go, but he may not even have a choice.
Author's Note: This fanfic was inspired one day when I wondered how Luke would have reacted if he saw a vision of how his father would die. It's not very long, but I hope you enjoy it! :D This is a collab between me and my sisters and our youngest sister/bestest friend who goes by the name kit-kat-on-midgard here on . :P
~ Amina Gila
Exhaustion threatens to pull Luke Skywalker under until he finally gives up, succumbing to the darkness and letting his eyes fall closed. It's late at night, and they have so much to do in the morning, not least of which includes handing himself over to Darth Vader who also happens to be his father. Part of Luke can't even believe that his father - the Jedi hero the entire galaxy seems to worship - could have become someone the galaxy universally loathes.
Despite the common beliefs to the contrary, Luke is certain that Vader isn't completely lost. He refuses to give up the hope that his true father is still in there somewhere. What happened to him - he wonders - what caused a good man, someone who old Ben Kenobi called a friend, to turn into something like that? Maybe it doesn't matter anyways. The end result will hopefully be the same. He'll surrender himself to the Empire and trust in the Force that he'll succeed in saving Vader along with himself.
Luke suddenly finds himself standing in a dimly lit room, clouded by fog. Just beyond him is another presence. Dark. Menacing. Familiar. Vader. He somehow instinctively knows that while his body is resting, the Force has guided him here to show him something.
The rasp of the respirator greets his ears next as he peers anxiously, searching for the first sight of his father. It's been so long since they've last met, and Luke would be lying if he said he wasn't anxious. And excited.
"My son." Vader steps through the fog, standing in front of Luke and looking down at him. Unlike for so many others, the mask does not inspire unaltered fear. Rather, it ignites something else: a burning yearning to know the man behind the mask, to know something - anything - about the man Vader used to be, the man he'll always be, though he'll likely deny it.
"Father." The word slips free before Luke can censure it, and he finds that he doesn't really care. "Where are we? What's going on?" Under normal circumstances, he'd probably never direct those questions to the Sith Lord, but this is different. In matters of the Force, Vader is definitely superior. Besides, Luke trusts that his father won't willfully hurt him.
"We are in the Force, young one," Vader rumbles, vocoder concealing any emotions which could be gleaned from his normal voice. What does he sound like for real anyways? "I believe it is trying to show us something,"
"What?" Luke wonders, turning to glance around them.
"Watch." The single word reply is as much a command as it is a suggestion. Luke obediently falls silent, directing his full attention away from the man at his side to the unknown in front of them. Slowly, the landscape changes, giving rise to something entirely different. Though it's not completely vivid, Luke can still make out the most important features.
In the center of a dark room, sitting atop a fancy-looking chair perched at the top of sturdy-looking stairs, a decrepit elderly man, his yellow eyes glowing menacingly, gazes steadily in Luke's general direction — though something tells him it's not him or Vader the man is looking at.
Turning, Luke can see himself standing next to a towering window near the throne. Vader is standing on the other side of the Emperor. "Good," the old man encourages with a cackle. "I can feel your anger. I am unarmed. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete."
The vision Luke clearly can resist no longer. With a flash of darkness, the lightsaber flies into his hand. The vision Luke ignites it in an instant and swings it towards the Emperor, but vision Vader's own red lightsaber intersects it midway, the two clashing blades gleaming a dangerous red-blue only inches away from the Emperor, who never flinches.
The scene shifts again. Vision Vader is thrown to the ground by the sheer force of vision Luke's fury, and as he raises his lightsaber to defend himself against vision Luke's attacking blade, it cuts through his hand instead. Metal and sparks of the electric wires fly out of the severed wrist, the lightsaber tumbling out of his hand and falling deep into the shaft.
Vision Luke stands over vision Vader, holding his green blade over him. He looks up to see the Emperor descending the steps, looking gleefully smug. "Good!" he gloats, "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father's place at my side!"
Vision Luke hesitates, his gaze straying to vision Vader, lying helplessly on the ground, his face hidden by the helmet. He finally takes a step back, throwing his lightsaber aside.
"Never!" vision Luke snarls, "I'll never turn to the Dark Side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
The Emperor's face twists in rage. "So be it, Jedi," he hisses, raising his hands. Bright blue electricity flies from his fingers, and the scene shifts once more.
Vision Luke lies on the floor, writhing in pain as the Emperor continues to manipulate the Dark Side to allow his hands to shoot lightning.
"Now, young Skywalker, you will die," the Emperor declares, the intensity of the electricity beginning to increase. Vision Vader, who's been standing beside him the entire time suddenly moves forwards, grabbing him from behind. The Emperor raises his hands with a screech, lightning arcing backwards and crackling onto vision Vader.
The cyborg steps over to the edge of the shaft, hurling the Emperor down. Electricity continues pouring from his fingers as he disappears into the flash of an explosion.
The scene flickers again, showing vision Luke kneeling next to vision Vader, who has his helmet off.
"Go, my son. Leave me," he urges. Luke can barely hold back a gasp of surprise when he sees his father's face. He looks so old, so defeated even. The one thing which stands out are his bright blue eyes; they're exactly the same shade as Luke's.
"No," vision Luke protests, "You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you."
"You already have, Luke," he murmurs, voice growing steadily weaker, "You were right about me. Tell your sister… you were right."
"Father, I won't leave you," vision Luke insists. Vision Vader smiles one last time, his saddened eyes searching his son's before they close for the final time.
With that, the vision slowly dissipates, leaving Luke in a stunned silence. He can barely even formulate a thought, much less a word, as his surroundings shift back to a misty gray. That's not right. His father can't just die like that! Not after they just found each other. No. He won't let that happen. The future isn't predetermined, right? He can still change things. He can still make a difference, and he must do it to save his father.
"Father," Luke whispers, turning his gaze towards where he knows Vader is standing. The cyborg remains motionless, though he tilts his helmet slightly in acknowledgement of the title. "Father, I can't let you die. We have to do something," he tells him pleadingly.
"There is nothing which can be done, my son," Vader rumbles ominously. "The vision will transpire, and any attempts to alter the future we have witnessed will only serve to bring about another which is far worse."
"But —" Luke begins, falling silent when his father holds up a hand to forestall any complaints.
"It is a sacrifice which is worth it," Vader decides firmly. "It will not be easy to defeat the Emperor, and as you saw, it was solely a stroke of luck."
"It was his overconfidence," Luke counters, crossing his arms. "If we know what we're facing, then we can defeat him together and survive."
"He is much too powerful for us to face him and live," his father replies, a hint of something — regret perhaps? — in his tone. "I am not willing to risk your life. Stay with your friends. It will be far safer for you."
"And leave you to… do what? Try to confront him alone and get killed?" demands Luke, raising his chin defiantly. "Absolutely not. I'm coming there, and we can destroy him together. And if we fail, we'll still be together."
He senses an emotion which he can't quite name from the Sith, and for a long moment, he doesn't speak. "I am willing to die if it means you will not."
Vader's words leave Luke completely speechless for at least a minute, maybe more. What can he say to that? How can he convince his father that they can create a different future, a better one, if they only try? "The Force gave us a warning," he says at last. "It showed us what could have happened. With the knowledge we now have, there's no way that it will still be the same."
"Even together, we are not strong enough to destroy the Emperor. He may have foreseen this moment," Vader argues. "He may already have prepared for the possibility that I join you and attempt to end his reign."
"But either way, we're still in danger," points out Luke stubbornly. If he gives up now, he'll be agreeing to sacrifice his father's life, something he is completely unwilling to do. "And if we don't use this opportunity which we now have, if we wait until later, he'll have even more time. The longer we wait the more dangerous it is for both of us!"
"You do not understand the Emperor as I do," Vader objects. "You do not have the luxury of time to learn more about him. He will seek to manipulate you with his words. He'll influence your mind to coax you to behave as he desires. It is impossible to resist him."
"It would be if I understand what he's doing," Luke mumbles, turning his gaze towards their surroundings. He doesn't think they'll have much more time to talk or plan, but this is probably the safest place they can discuss anything.
"You do not have the emotional control which would be necessary," his father informs him, a bit coldly. "If you come, the Emperor will win, either by killing me or you. One of us will remain as his right hand."
"No," Luke denies vehemently. "I won't give in to him. I'll never turn to the Dark Side, Father. You saw. I wouldn't turn, and he tried to kill me." His eyes search the mask, hoping desperately for some sign that his father is receptive to his words.
He's not. The temperature around them seems to plunge, and all Luke can feel from Vader now, is anger. "He will not harm you," hisses Vader stepping closer until he's towering over Luke. It takes all his willpower not to flinch away from the menacing figure before him. If he moves even one foot forward, he'll literally be touching the Sith.
"I order you not to come," Vader continues, tone brooking no refusal. "You will not come, my son, and we can discuss this later at length." Luke is almost tempted to agree, but something in his father's tone indicates that there may not be a later. Could Vader really do something as rash as attacking the Emperor on his own? Luke doesn't know. It's not impossible.
"I don't want to lose you," Luke whispers, so quietly he isn't sure that his father even heard him. Vader clasps his shoulder firmly, yet with far more gentleness than Luke thought him capable of.
"I must protect you," his father returns before moving back.
Luke opens his mouth to say something, anything to stop the future from spiraling out of his control, but his increasing desperation ripples the Force around him, and everything slips away. He tries in vain to grasp onto Vader's disappearing presence, but it's already gone. He opens his eyes to see himself on Endor, in the small secluded corner where he'd gone to try and meditate on what he should do.
Well, he got the answers he wanted. He has no choice but to go to Vader, if only to prevent his father from doing anything rash and getting killed. He decides to ignore that he'll be blatantly going against his father's wishes. It's not as though he has a choice anyways. Shaking his head, he moves to rise from his place and go in search of Leia. It's hard to believe that she's really his twin, but it's as though he's always known it.
Suddenly, he feels a gentle brush against his mind which feels unmistakably like Vader. "I'm still here." The voice sounds much like Vader's but not exactly. It's almost as if he's letting his natural voice filter through their bond. Luke doesn't reply, though he allows the love he feels for his father to slip through his shields in response. It's time to find and talk to Leia.
