CHAPTER FOUR

Six Months Later...

Luke ran around the abandoned hangar, Yoda's weight heavy yet familiar on his back. He flipped over the cannibalized fighter, and hopped up onto the catwalk.

"Done for today, we are," Yoda said, hopping down. Luke panted in relief. While the cool-down lap had not been very intense, the lightsaber training beforehand had. Ben hadn't held back, and Luke's body was still aching.

"Why did Vader fall to the Dark Side?" Luke asked. He had been given lessons on the Light versus the Dark Side of the Force, but he always had too many questions, Yoda ending the discussion before he could find out everything he wanted to know.

"Quicker, easier, more seductive it is, than the Light," Yoda said sadly. "Believed those he loved to be dead. Chaos and torment, all across the galaxy. Gave into his anger, he did."

"Is that why you didn't want to teach me in the beginning?" Luke asked timidly. Yoda hadn't bothered to hide his distrust of Ben's judgement, giving all the reasons in the world why he didn't want to train the young man. But Luke was as close to him as he was to Ben Kenobi. The other pilots had questioned why he spent so much time with the two, and he would give them vague excuses. He was progressing quickly, and Luke hoped he would be able to take on the Emperor soon, and bring and end to the Empire that had killed his father.

"Yes. Caused many to lose their way, anger has. Enough for today, this is," Yoda said sternly, gracefully jumping down from the catwalk. Luke followed, struggling to keep pace with the small Jedi Master.

"I see your training has gone well," Ben's voice rang out, startling Luke.

"Yes. Yoda just gave me a quick run around the hangar," Luke answered, falling into step with the older man. "What have you been doing?"

"Just chatting with our friend Han Solo. He still insists that you're wasting your time," Ben chuckled.

"Maybe I should levitate the Millennium Falcon," Luke joked.

"Sound unsure of yourself, young Skywalker," Yoda interrupted.

"I was joking, Master Yoda," Luke said apologetically. "There's no way I could lift something that large. It would be like moving the Death Star."

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you, hmm?" Yoda chided.

Luke shook his head.

"And well you should not. For my ally in the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we...," Yoda stopped to hit Luke with his gimer stick. "Not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... Obi-Wan... the ship... everywhere! Come, I show you!" With a chuckle the wizened Jedi Master took off, Ben and Luke breaking out into a jog to keep up.

Yoda led them into the hangar, weaving between pilots and droids alike, right to the Millennium Falcon, where Han was fixing yet another part of his ship.

"Hey kid," he said, stepping down from his ladder. Seeing the two Jedi, he furrowed his eyebrows. "What's going on?"

"He's just pulling my chain," Luke mouthed. Han nodded, wiping the grease off his hands with a towel.

"Much you have learned. Now use it," Yoda said firmly, his eyes boring into Luke.

"You want the impossible," Luke said. Ben was silent throughout the exchange, his eyes flickering between the two curiously.

Without saying another word, Yoda turned back to the Millennium Falcon, and closed his eyes, hands resting on his gimer stick. For a moment the four were silent, until the Millennium Falcon lifted off the ground. Tool boxes inside began to rattle from the sudden movement, and Han leaped back in shock.

"Hey! Cut that out!" he shouted, watching his ship climb higher and higher. Yoda paid him no attention, and Han froze, praying his ship wasn't going to come hurtling back down. Chewie moaned in protest, but Yoda ignored him as well. The comms dish got closer and closer to the ceiling, Han was certain he and Chewie were going to spend all day fixing the communication systems, when the Falcon floated back down effortlessly, Yoda opening his eyes when the clank of metal on duracrete signaled it was secure.

"I don't... I don't believe it," Luke said, completely in awe. He hadn't noticed the hangar had come to a standstill, falling silent at the sight of a floating ship.

"This is why you fail," Yoda said. As if he remembered he had water boiling on the stove, the Jedi Master tottered off, leaving a hangars worth of awestruck pilots in his wake.

"What was that?" Leia asked. Either she was seeing things, or the Millennium Falcon had just lifted off the floor of it's own volition.

"I don't know, ma'am," Lira the radar tech stuttered. Without wasting a moment, Leia rushed out of the control room. The entire hangar was frozen in shock, but she pushed past them, and right in the center was Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"What was that?" she asked, looking between the three of them for some sort of repulsor system. To her surprise, Han was completely speechless, leaning against the Millennium Falcon for support. Luke had a similar look of awe on his face, and Obi-Wan was suppressing a grin.

"My apologies, General Organa, we did not mean to worry you. Master Yoda was just here and wanted to teach Luke a lesson about the Force, we did not mean to trouble you or distract your troops," Obi-Wan said kindly.

"No trouble at all, Obi-Wan," she said, still looking around for some sort of explanation.

"How did he do that?" Han stammered, recovering from his stunned silence. His words seemed to have broken the spell of silence on the hangar, and murmured conversations began to break out, but they stopped as soon as Obi-Wan opened his mouth.

"The Force is a powerful thing, Han," Obi-Wan said sincerely.

"He did all that, with the Force?" one of the pilots echoed.

"Alright. Back to work everyone!" Carlist Rieekan said, clapping his hands together. Gradually the pilots dissipated, spreading rumors about how the Jedi was able to do it, their eyes still on the Falcon. Once they were alone Rieekan gestured for them to follow him. He led them to the briefing room, closing the door behind him.

"How many of you are there that can do things like that?" he asked.

"Yoda and I are able to, and Luke is advancing quickly in his training," Obi-Wan said.

Rieekan seemed impressed by the information, and Leia knew exactly why he had called them here.

"Since you killed Vader the Emperor has replaced his position as second-in-command with Admiral Thrawn. I will be frank, he is a brilliant tactician, and the few victories we have had against him are by the narrowest of margins. However, most of our engagements have been in space. We don't believe he is familiar with the tactics of the Jedi, and if the three of you were to lead a ground assault, especially at different locations-,"

"You want us to lead an assault against the Empire?" Luke interrupted. Obi-Wan gave him a sharp look, but said nothing.

"Yes, Skywalker. Your abilities are unlike anything the galaxy has seen in fifteen years. Thrawn's service record has him commissioning twelve years ago, meaning he wouldn't have fought against any Jedi. And Master Kenobi, you and Master Yoda's knowledge of the tactics used in the Clone Wars would be greatly appreciated," Rieekan said.

"Of course, we would like to wait until Luke's training is complete," Leia said. "If we can attack in three places instead of two, we can take control of even more systems."

"I will consult with Master Yoda on the matter," Obi-Wan said.

"Naturally," Rieekan said. "You know where to find General Organa and I." He gave the Jedi another small bow as he left, Leia flashed a comforting smile to Luke before departing.

"Interesting times we live in. Come Luke, we must meditate," Obi-Wan said warmly, gesturing to the young man. Luke followed, deep in thought. Once they entered the bunk room, Obi-Wan broke the silence.

"Is something troubling you?" he asked.

"If you can do something like that with the Light Side of the Force, why did Vader fall?" Luke said. "Yoda said the Dark Side is quicker and easier, but I still don't understand how he could become a Sith Lord because he thought the Light Side was too easy."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, thinking of the best way to tell the boy why his father had fallen.

"Vader allowed his emotions to control his actions. He believed the Light Side had betrayed him, that it had stopped him from saving someone he loved. He vowed to never let it happen again, and take revenge on those who had cost him his loved ones life. He turned to the Sith, and swore to destroy the Jedi," Obi-Wan said sadly. In his mind's eye, he could still see the fires of Mustafar, the screams of his friend...

"Could he have saved them?" Luke asked.

"No. What he wanted was a power no one has can ever control," Obi-Wan said ruefully. He should have seen the warning signs, should have done a better job of teaching him...

"Is that why he killed my father?" Luke asked softly.

"Yes," the old man replied. "He believed he was weak. But your father was one of the most powerful Jedi I have ever known. The most powerful Jedi I've ever known."

"Then how was he able to kill my father?"

He couldn't do this anymore. Lying to the boy wouldn't do any good. His father had died years ago, he deserved to know the truth. How he had failed his father, how he would fail him as well.

"Your father, Vader was," Yoda said, making his presence known to the two. Neither seemed surprised they had missed his entrance, each lost deep in their own thoughts.

The hollowness Obi-Wan felt hadn't dissipated after telling Luke the truth, and he knew it never would. He had caused so much pain, so much suffering for the Skywalker family. After what he had done to his friend, his brother, on Mustafar, he deserved no less.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Luke asked, his voice eerily calm.

"If Vader had discovered your connection on-board the Death Star, he would have captured you and used you to overthrow the Emperor so he could become the Sith Master," Obi-Wan explained. He could sense the rage simmering beneath the surface in the Force, and waited for it to boil over.

"Dead your father was, long before Vader's demise," Yoda said.

"No!" Luke yelled, shoving his chair away from the table. "My father was killed by you, a Jedi! On the Death Star!" His glare pierced through Obi-Wan, and the old man felt the anger reverberate in the Force. It only reminded him of Anakin, of all the times he had lost control and Obi-Wan had been unable to help.

"I've trained with you, prepared to fight against the man who I thought killed my father, when all along it was you! My father was alive! If this 'Light Side' was as powerful as you say it is, you would have saved him!" In a rage, Luke hurled his lightsaber against the wall, looking on in satisfaction as it put a hole in the wall.

"I tried to save him, but he was too far gone," Obi-Wan said faintly, his eyes staring off at something only he could see.

"Well look what good that did," Luke said frostily. Grabbing his bag, he stormed out of the bunk room, slamming the door behind him.

"I have failed them," Obi-Wan said.

"Pity yourself, you do. The Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker chose. Tried to save him, you did. His decision it was, not yours," Yoda said. The man from Stewjon knew the Grand Master was right, but why did he feel so empty? He had tried to do right by his friend, and make sure his son did not fall the way he did. But by doing so he had only delivered Luke to the Dark Side.

"That boy is our last hope, and I have driven him away," Obi-Wan moaned. The Empire may be crippled, but the Emperor was a force of nature, too powerful for either of the wizened Jedi Masters.

"No," Yoda said. "Another, there is."

Luke ran past his friends and colleagues, ignoring the worried looks and questions they asked. He couldn't be here, nowhere near Ben. Nowhere near the Jedi, nowhere near the Rebellion. All this time he had trusted Ben, believed him when he told him stories about his father, yet the man had only lied to him. What else did he believe that was nothing but a lie? Were Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru only strangers who had agreed to take him in after Ben told them a sob story about his parents? Had Ben even tried to save his father?

"Come on Artoo, we're leaving," Luke barked, slinging his bag into the cockpit. Artoo chirped in confusion. "I don't care that the gates are closing in ten minutes, we're going!" he snapped. Artoo let out a long beep, but dutifully got into the port, prepping all the systems.

Within minutes they were flying away from the ice planet, Luke unleashing all his rage into the Force, trying to calm himself by focusing on his flying. Only instead of calming him as it normally did, it only fueled his anger. Ben had always remarked how skilled a pilot he was, like his father. All the things Ben had told him to reinforce his connection with his father came racing back, causing him to tighten his grip on the joystick.

It would take several sectors and a jump to hyperspace before Luke's heart-rate returned to normal, and his breathing wasn't so rapid.

I can sense your anger, young one, a disembodied voice said. Luke jumped, his heart-rate hiking back up. He took a moment to calm down again, trying to figure out what was happening. As far as he knew, Yoda and Ben were the only Force-users he could telepathically connect with in the entire galaxy.

"Who know's if that's true," he muttered darkly. Opening himself up to the Force, Luke responded.

Who are you? he asked.

I am a Force-user, much like yourself. The voice sounded warm, and inviting. Like the voice of a grandfather.

There's others like us?

Of course, Mr...?

Just call me Luke, Luke Skywalker.

I can sense your distress across the galaxy, Luke. Has something happened?

Luke took a deep breath, the thought of Ben's betrayal causing his heart to race again.

I'd rather not talk about it just yet.

Of course, of course. I am guessing you are out of a place to train?

How did you know I'm training?

I have sensed your powers growing, but have only been able to communicate with you now because of your openness in the Force.

You could sense me?

Someone of your magnitude is hard to miss. I do not mean to disrespect those who instructed you, but the two of us are very powerful individuals, and it is easier for us to communicate than those with weaker connections to the Force.

No offense taken. I didn't know there were other Force-users in the galaxy.

There are few of us left, but you and I are by far the most powerful. Could your teachers not sense us as well.

No. What do you mean us?

I have a handful of select students that I train.

You have your own students?

Why yes. None with your own impressive capabilities I must say. You must not have detected them since they are so much weaker than you. I must say you are as powerful as someone I once knew, I believe his last name was Skywalker as well.

You knew my father?

I suppose so. I must say this connection is difficult to maintain, I don't know much longer I can keep it open.

Where are you? I can fly to you.

I'm on Imperial Center.

I'm too far out. What district are you in?

No need to worry. I have a friend on Eriadu. Meet him at the capitol building tomorrow at sundown. He will take you to me.

I'll be there! What's your name?

Sheev Palpatine.