Chapter 5
DISCLAIMER: this is just getting mean.
"I'll meet you back at the fleet." Luke spoke into the commlink of his X-Wing/
"Hurry. The Alliance should be assembled by now." Leia replied.
"I will."
"Hey, Luke, thanks." Han Solo uncharacteristically said. "Thanks for comin' after me. Now I owe you one."
Luke chuckled lightly.
"Oh, and Luke," Kat's voice came over the commlink. "just basically what Leia said. Get your butt back here soon and I won't kick it."
"I can only do or do not." Luke comically answered as the communications knocked out.
A message from Artoo appeared on the small monitor screen in front of Luke. He smiled at the monitor and spoke to Artoo, as he pulled a black glove on his right hand to cover his mechanical wound.
"That's right, Artoo. We're going to the Dagobah system. I have a promise to keep... to an old friend."
"Silver Girl, how is she?" Yoda asked his student.
Luke smiled at the thought of her. "She's good. She's become a fine Jedi Knight."
Yoda turned away from his small fire to see Luke's face become woeful again. "Hmm. That face you make. Look I so old to young eyes?"
Luke, sitting in a corner of the cramped space, looked back up at the old Jedi Master and tried to hide his expression.
"No... of course not."
Yoda chuckled like a little kid. "I do, yes, I do! Sick have I become. Old and weak." He pointed a crooked finger at his student. "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hm?"
Luke hadn't actually planned on reaching nine hundred years old. Whatever sails this mans boat…
Yoda chuckled again, but ended up in a coughing fit as he hobbled over towards his bed.
"Soon will I rest. Yes, forever sleep." Yoda climbed into his little bed with great effort. "Earned it, I have."
Luke frowned. "Master Yoda, you can't die."
"Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong." Yoda breathed out. "Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall. That is the way of things; the way of the Force."
"But I need your help." Luke wasn't sure what to do without the little man. "I've come back to complete the training!"
"No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need."
Yoda sighed, and lay back on his bed.
"Then I am a Jedi?"
"Ohhh. Not yet." Yoda shook his little head. "One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will."
Luke began to feel the agony weigh down his heart. He screwed up his face as he fought the emotional conflicts.
"Master Yoda... is Darth Vader my father?"
Yoda's eyes became full of weariness and compassion. An odd, sad smile creased his face. He turned painfully on his side, away from Luke.
"Mmm... rest I need. Yes... rest." He said, avoiding the conversation like a teenager.
"Yoda, I must know."
The old master was reluctant to answer. "Your father he is."
Luke felt as if a vibroblade had cut through his stomach again.
"Told you, did he?"
Luke nodded. "Yes."
A new look of concern crossed Yoda's face. He closed his eyes. "Unexpected this is, and unfortunate..."
"Unfortunate that I know the truth?!" Luke's voice slightly raised.
Yoda opened his eyes again and turned around to study the youth. "No. Unfortunate that you rushed to face him... that incomplete was your training. Not ready for the burden were you."
Luke swallowed down the lump that emerged in his throat.
"Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate yourdestiny." Yoda reminded him.
He beckoned for Luke to lean closer to him.
"Luke... Luke... Do not... Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you will. Luke, when gone am I-" He coughed mid-sentence. "the last of the Jedi will you be-"
"But what about Kat?!"
Yoda sighed. "A Jedi Knight, she is, but at the same time, terrible, are her powers. Complicated it is."
Luke could tell there was something… off… about the way Kat used the Force. The Dark Side was indeed very strong with her…
Luke decided not to think down that path.
"Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned, Luke..." he leaned up to the young Jedi Knight with his last almighty effort. "There is...another...Sky...Sky...walker."
He caught his breath. Luke watched as the old Jedi Master sink into the bed and go limp, before his flesh completely disappeared from sight.
Luke wandered back to where his ship is sitting. Artoo beeped a greeting, but was ignored by his depressed master. Luke kneeled down, beginning to help Artoo with the ship, then stopped and shook his head dejectedly.
"I can't do it, Artoo." He stood back up. "I can't go on alone."
"Yoda will always be with you." His voice rung out clear as daylight.
Luke turned around to see the shimmering ghost of his old master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"Obi-Wan." He breathed out. "Why didn't you tell me?"Luke approached the dead Jedi. "You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."
"You father was seduced by the dark side of the Force." Obi-Wan sat down on a log next to the boy. "He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true... from a certain point of view."
"A certain point of view?!" Luke felt like doing a Kat and swatting him across the head.
"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Luke remained unresponsive.
Old Obi-Wan started reminiscing.
"Anakin was a good friend." He sadly spoke.
Luke decided to listen.
"When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong."
"There's still good in him." Luke wasn't going to give up on his own father.
"He is more machine now than man;" Obi-Wan said pessimistically. "twisted and evil."
Luke shook his head. "I can't do it. I can't kill my own father."
Ben sighed. "Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope."
Luke pondered for a moment. "Yoda spoke of another."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened with a gleam. "The other he spoke of is your twin sister."
Luke's heart raced at the thought. "But I have no sister."
"To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born." Obi-Wan explained. "The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. When Little Bird explains to you, you'll understand. She was a victim. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous."
Luke felt it. Right then and there. His mouth gaped for a moment as he came to sudden realistation. "Leia! Leia's my sister."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Your insight serves you well-"
"Excuuuuuuuuuuuse me! One minute and thirteen seconds!"
Luke turned around to see the ghost of a woman trudging through the grasses and logs towards them, and Obi-Wan's hand went to his forehead. "Oh dear,"
So that's where she gets it from…
Luke went into slight shock as it was the same voice that had been speaking to him since the Death Star run…
"Luke, you're the older twin. By one minute and thirteen seconds."
Luke gaped at her. The black Jedi robes with yellow edges. She looked almost like her holograms, except her hood was lowered and her makeup had been washed off. She had straight white hair, slightly dishevelled, and big green eyes. Much like Kat. Unlike her cheery voice, she looked… sad… like she hadn't slept in days. She didn't even look much older than thirty.
She sat down next to Luke on the log, waiting for his reaction.
"You know who I am, don't you?"
Luke had to slap himself back into reality so he could finally talk, but all that came out of his mouth was…
"Nadae Dravvaadas." He finally managed to say.
She sat up straight with a little gleam in her smile. "Surprised?"
Luke shook his head and swallowed the lump back down in his throat again. "I'm trying not to be."
"Little Bird," Obi-Wan sighed and just stared at the other dead Jedi. "Why are you here?"
"Because, I came to tell Luke about the other thing and to see your pretty face." She held up a finger.
"Which other thing?" Obi-Wan asked.
Nadae looked between Luke and Obi-Wan. "Uh, both of them."
Obi-Wan frowned. "There's three things you could warn him about."
It was Luke's turn to frown. "Tell me about what?"
Nadae looked at Luke. "I need you to listen carefully to me," then she turned to Obi-Wan. "and you only have the right to remain silent during this."
Obi-Wan rolled his ghostly eyes.
"Ok, Luke," she turned back to the young Jedi. "this is about my daughter."
"Kat?"
"I would give a sarcastic comment, but that's Obi-Wan's job and he isn't available to speak right now. So, yes. Kat. There's a bit of a thing between you two. You know, she has a worst fear? And no, it's not spiders."
Luke continued to listen intently.
"It's you."
Luke looked almost offended. "Me?!"
"Well, not you, but what you could become. And she will stop at nothing to stop you from becoming what she believes she is. I just want you to remember that. Her feelings for you are very deep…"
Luke had to take in a few deep breaths. He couldn't do that to Kat. Never ever.
"… It's almost like she can feel your pain. But that's enough of that matter. Next things, and this may not be easy for you to hear."
Even Obi-Wan felt sick in the stomach about this next part.
"Luke, Kat's chrono is ticking. And faster than we all expected. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You're gonna have to be the one to push the alarm. The Rain won't last forever, but after this one a Storm will pass over. The White Shadow is coming, and you have to hold their hand. Teach them to talk."
Luke didn't know what to say or what to think. He just sat there with his fingers pressed together.
"Sometimes I wish I were still alive," Ben admitted. "Just to help her."
Nadae looked at her friend with great sympathy. "You kept running back to her."
Obi-Wan nodded sadly. "I couldn't help it." he confessed. "She doesn't even know my real name… she doesn't even know the rest of her name. I couldn't tell her with the dangers lurking around. I couldn't even tell her uncle…"
"Ben…" Nadae whispered. "Kat isn't your Little Bird anymore. She's a woman." Nadae pointed a thumb at Luke. "Ask him."
Luke's eyes widened as he then blushed a deep red, glancing between the Jedi ghosts a few times in panic.
Obi-Wan nodded sadly.
"Tell her. Soon." Nadae suggested. "And Luke, when you confront Vader, when you speak with him… I just want to see you be brave. Don't let silence take over." Nadae gave her final piece of advice.
"Bury your feelings deep down, Luke." Ben warned. "They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."
And with that, the two ghosts disappeared into the night, leaving Luke alone with Artoo and a lot to ponder on about the future.
DID I JUST WRITE NEARLY HALF OF THIS IN ONE DAY? I'M GONNA FINISH THIS AND WONDER WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE AFTERWARDS. I NEED TO GO OUTSIDE.
Anyway I was just screaming to write this chapter and now the anticipation is over. Slightly anti-climatic for me.
- yoda-is-cool.