A/N: I have always wondered why Luke used Force choke in the Return of the Jedi. (While many thinks that Luke used mind trick or Force push to the Gamorrean guards, I still think he used the Force choke.) And I concluded that Luke must have been really anxious and emotional to do so. Anyway, this is my version of the scene. Critical comments welcomed. Please enjoy and review!
His Dark Side
The comlink blinked. And blinked, again.
Luke Skywalker glanced it and pressed his lips together.
He knew this would happen; Jabba the Hutt wouldn't be tricked that easily. He'd rather be surprised if Leia, alone, successfully rescued Han, but still…
…It would have been better for him not to go and fight.
Was Luke afraid?
To say the truth, yes he was.
Since he left the Lars Homestead, many things had happened. He got his piloting and battle experiences and Jedi trainings. He even fought facing Darth Vader quite a few times. All of them had a great possibility of dying.
And so, he wasn't afraid of dying. He didn't worry about himself much. He was afraid of another thing.
Luke put the hood on. He pictured the plan for one last time and murmured,
"I'm ready."
Ironically, that was what Luke was afraid of.
What if he is not ready?
What if he doesn't have enough power of Jedi to save his friends?
What if he fails again, like Bespin…
And, most importantly, can he fight against the luring of the Dark Side of the Force?
Luke shook his head and fixed his gaze to the path made of sand, to the castle of Jabba. He decided not to think of those things. It was too late to return anyway.
Luke took a deep breath, steadied himself, and launched his first step to the longed friend.
For about twenty minutes, Luke just walked.
There were winds mixed with sand swirling around him. The two suns of Tatooine were striking Luke with tremendous heat. Every one step forward, the sand got everywhere.
For he had spent his childhood on Tatooine, Luke was accustomed to the sand. Normally he wouldn't care much. He wouldn't mind even a bit if it were a day ago.
Now he could feel all particles of sand that went into his boots.
All because he was anxious.
What's wrong, Leia? He thought to himself, almost shouting the words. According to the plan, Leia should have sent him the second message. It ought to have been received some minutes ago, yet it hadn't been sent.
Luke closed his eyes in an attempt to calm down, to ignore the vibrant, dark emotions surging inside him.
"Jedi are the peacekeepers of the galaxy…only the peace…"
He said out loud, letting the reassuring feeling of the Force guide him freely—
—and opened his eyes with a start.
Han!...Help!...Luke…
The voice full of suffering filled his mind.
Luke hurried his footsteps. He now could see the castle of Jabba, and it was the only thing his mind allowed him to see.
Luke hadn't visited there before; a moisture farmer wouldn't have the chance. As a kid, he would wonder what it would be like. Probably enormously huge. Ironically, now to see, Luke wished he could remove the castle from his view. Jabba's castle was nothing but a monstrosity. It had no vivid color, just reddish brown mixed with gray dust and dark yellow of sand. It evoked him of blood, the blood of so many people who died by Jabba.
And Leia might be one of them, the voice inside him whispered.
Luke shook his head. Leia wasn't dead. He would have sensed it if she were. But he indeed sensed her suffering…and he was aware of what Jabba could do.
The anger he was suppressing seemed to spring again. He would never forgive Jabba for this. For having frozen Han as his trophy, for suffering Leia, and for the horrible things he had done to others.
You can finish him simply. You can make him beg for his life, on your feet. The voice said again. If only you accept the Dark Side…
Luke tried to control his feelings. Reminded himself of the teachings of Master Yoda. Yet the nearer he got to the castle, the more he couldn't.
By the time Luke arrived to the gate of the castle of Jabba, he had being gritting his teeth so hard that words didn't came out from his mouth. Nevertheless, he put aside the dark emotions—at least, tried to—and focused the Force to the Gamorrean gatekeeper.
"You will open the door."
Although he wasn't in a peaceful mood, Luke could feel the Force cloud the gatekeeper's thoughts. The Gamorrean obeyed, and he pushed the opening button.
Luke thanked the Force, for not letting him fall to the temptation to use the Force in a vicious way—
—and promptly darkened as the opened gate revealed two Gamorrean guards, spears in their hands, ready to strike him—
The peace that had been flickering in him died, leaving behind only fear and anger, for a moment. Luke should have been surprised, to actually experience the dark emotions fill the Force completely, but he didn't.
Instead he was calm, his blood chilling in coldness that burst from himself whilst he concentrated the Force to the Gamorreans, to their necks, choking them.
The Gamorrean guards clenched their throats. They struggled to fight off the invisible force slowly knocking them off. They hadn't experienced anything like this, and they didn't know what to do, panicked…
Luke could sense their feelings, their sufferings through the Force. He, too, had experienced sufferings numerous times. But the most painful one was when Vader cut his right hand off, telling him the terrible truth…
I am your father.
Luke released the guards with a jolt, the realization came to him. He looked around and saw the Gamorreans unconscious, sprawled on the ground. They were alive, though if he had continued some more seconds, they would have died.
What have I done?
Watching his hands trembling, Luke just stood there. He almost killed them using the Force. He choked them. And he had been unusually calm while choking them. He'd been aware of his doing, and he hadn't even had any guilt. What he had felt was only the anger. The fear. The Dark Side.
Did Vader feel that way? When he tortured Han, when he choked his officers?
Luke shivered at the thought.
Is he…getting like Vader? Like his father?
It wasn't the first time he feared that, becoming like his father. However, it was the very first he actually did something that Vader does. He had used…the Dark Side.
He was afraid of himself. He was angry to Ben and Yoda, for not telling him the truth. He hated the emperor for turning his father to the dark side, ruining his family forever.
All the factors of the Dark Side. So strong in him.
Much anger he has, like his father, Yoda had said.
Maybe he was right. Luke hated to admit, but there were some parts of him that resembled his father. The piloting skills, the Force ability, and more.
Nevertheless, one thing would be different. He would never pledge himself to the Dark Side, even if it costed his life. He never could, not again. He wouldn't let himself fall to the temptation again. For his friends, his family.
He will fight till the end. He will turn his father back to the light side. He will rescue Han, Leia, and the galaxy.
Because he loved them all.
So Luke Skywalker filled his mind with the Light Side of the Force once more, let the Force be his ally, and swore his film will.
I assure you, father, I won't fall to the Dark Side. I will save you.
The End.