Chapter 8: No Stranger to Fear
Luke sped through the hallways, careening off walls around each corner. He cursed himself for a fool that he had left his father alone to guard the Imperial assassin, especially after Anakin had announced that he—not Luke—had killed the Emperor.
Han had been so sure that she would be unconscious for hours, and Luke had bowed to his friend's superior knowledge when it came to getting shot with a blaster. Leia was meeting with a diplomatic delegation, and she had asked him to stand with her as moral support and a reminder that the Jedi had returned and now stood with the New Republic. He wasn't expected to say anything: only to look important and dignified. Well, that was shot all to pieces. As soon as he felt Mara Jade blast her cell door off its hinges, he took off running and didn't look back. Leia would have some choice words for him later regarding the impression he had made, but right now, he didn't care. He had to save his father. Again.
Mara Jade: the Emperor's Hand, Anakin had told him she was called. Trained in the Force, but not truly a Sith, she was an assassin, a spy, or whatever else the Emperor required her to be. Luke had sensed a hint of fear in his father as he spoke of her—not for himself, but for Luke, and for Leia. Yoda had said fear was dangerous, as it could lead to darker emotions, but was all fear the same? Jedi were supposed to protect others, and it was exceedingly difficult not to be afraid those you were protecting might be hurt.
Luke feared that Anakin wasn't recovered enough yet to face a formidable opponent like Mara Jade. Also, though he hated to admit it, he feared that all those years spent using anger and hatred to fuel his mastery of the Force would make it all too easy to slip back into that habit. He couldn't let that happen. He had only just gotten his father back, and he refused to lose him again.
His lungs burning, Luke drew on the Force to give strength to his legs and wings to his heels. He had only to get there, and he knew he could do something to stop Mara without anyone being hurt. Maybe he could even convince her of the error of her ways, save her as he had saved Anakin. Not right away, of course, but showing her mercy was the first step.
He had not yet felt his father attack; Anakin felt fear for his children, but he was controlling it well. Luke grinned as a swell of pride for his father surged through him. Minutes later, he rounded the last corner, skidding to a stop beside his father. The two of them faced Mara—who didn't look at all worried to be facing two Jedi while unarmed.
However, her outward appearance didn't reflect her true emotions. Luke felt her confidence waver when he appeared. For some reason he didn't understand, she feared him.
Anakin was no stranger to fear. Throughout his life, it had been a constant companion, even a friend and ally. As Darth Vader, he encouraged others to fear him, doling out harsh punishments for failure, and exuding an appearance of complete confidence and competence. However, though he never showed himself to be afraid, he also didn't try to eradicate his own fear, for fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate—these are the emotions that fuel the dark side of the Force, though hate is the most powerful and fear the weakest.
There wasn't much Darth Vader feared. He had lost everything that mattered to him when he fell to the dark side, and almost everyone in the galaxy was afraid of him. The one exception was, of course, his Master: Darth Sidious aka Emperor Palpatine. Of everyone and everything in the known universe, only Sidious was greater than Vader. And the old man was going insane. There is little more terrifying than a lunatic with nearly infinite power.
There had been a time when Anakin had feared for the sake of others: for Padmé and—to a lesser extent—for Obi-Wan. It had been a very long time since he had cared about someone, and he had almost forgotten what it was like to fear for their safety. But when Luke appeared at his side, facing the Emperor's Hand, fear for his son rose up and threatened to choke him.
It had been so long since he had wielded the Force in battle without drawing on the dark side. Could he even do it anymore? While part of him argued that he should do whatever was necessary to protect Luke, he knew without doubt that touching that darkness again would hurt Luke more than Mara ever could.
He pushed away fear and darkness, and embraced peace and light.