Star Wars: Remix version
Chapter Forty: Sky vs Luke
Luke and Sky were locked in combat on the platform overlooking the chamber. Their sabers clashed, and the platform swayed. Luke aggressively drove Sky back, forcing Sky to use defensive tactics.
"You have learned much, young one" Sky said. Luke scowled.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises" He replied. Sky made two quick moves, hooking Luke's sword out of his hand and sending it flying. Another lightning move at Luke's feet forced the youth to jump back to protect himself. Losing his balance, Luke rolled down the stairs to the circular carbon-freezing platform. There he sprawled on the floor, surprised and shaken. Just in time he lookedup to see Sky, like a giant black bird, flying right at him. Luke rolled away as Sky landed. Crouching, Luke kept his gaze steadily on his enemy.
"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker. Obi-Wan knew this to be true" Sky informed the youth.
"No!" Luke shouted. Behind Luke the hydraulic elevator cover opened noiselessly. All the while, Luke slowly, cautiously moved back, away from the Dark Lord. Suddenly, Sky attacked so forcefully that Luke lost his balance and fell back into the opening. There was a rumble, and in an instant freezing steam rose to obscure Sky's vision. Sky turned aside and deactivated his sword.
"All to easy. Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought" Sky muttered.
Through the steam behind Sky something blurred upward. Liquid metal began to pour into the pit.
Sky turned around - and then looked up. He saw Luke, who had leaped fifteen feet straight up and now hung from some hoses on the carbonite outlet.
"Impressive... most impressive" Sky said. Luke rolled his eyes and jumped down to the platform where he was separated from Sky by the steaming carbonite pit. He raised his hand. His saber, which had fallen on another part of the platform, swiftly jumped into his outstretched hand and was instantly ignited. Sky immediately lit his as well.
"Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear... now release your anger" Sky commanded, but Luke was cautious, controlling his anger.
He began to retreat as Sky goaded him on. As Luke took a defensive position, he realized he had been foolhardy. A quick saber exchange and Luke forced Sky back. Another exchange and Sky retreated. Luke pressed forward.
"Only your hatred can destroy me" Sky declared.
Breathing hard, Luke jumped in the air, turning a somersault over Sky. He landed on the floor and slashed at Sky as the room continued to fill up with steam. Sky retreated before Luke's skillful sword. Sky blocked the sword, but lot his balance and fell into the outer rim of pipes. The energy Luke used to stop Sky brought him to the point of collapse. Luke moved to the edge and looked down, but saw no sign of Sky. He then deactivated his sword, hooked it on his belt, and lowered himself into the pit.
Moving through a tunnellike entrance, Luke cautiously approached the reactor room. He ignited his sword and moved into the room and toward a large window as Sky entered. Luke raised his sword and moved forward to attack.
Behind Luke a large piece of machinery detached itself from the wall and came smashing forward toward his back. Luke turned and cut it in half just as another machine comes hurtling at him. Using the Force, Luke manages to deflect it and send it flying as if it had hit an invisible shield. A large pipe detached and came flying at Luke. He deflected it. Sparking wires pulled out of the wall and began to whip at the youth. Small tools and equipment came flying at him. Bombardment from all sides, Luke did his best to deflect everything, but soon he was bloodied and bruised. Finally, one machine glanced off him and went flying out the large window. A fierce wind blew into the room, unmoving, standing the dark, was the rocklike figure of Sky. A piece of machinery hit Luke and he was knocked out of the window.
Luke fell onto the gantry, rolled, and hung over the edge, holding his deactivated sword in hand. He put the sword on his belt and began to scramble up.
Leia, Padme, Anna, Lando, Chewie and the droids came round a corner and headed for the door to the landing platform. They glimpsed the Millennium Falcon for a moment before the door slammed shut. The group ducked into an alcove as stormtroopers arrived at the end of the corridor. The troopers sent a rain of laser bolts at the group. Chewie returned their fire as Lando punched desperately at the door's control panel.
"The security codes has been changed!" He shouted.
"Artoo, you can tell the computer to override the security system" Threepio said, pointing to a computer socket on the control panel. Artoo beeped and scooted toward it. Lando meanwhile connected up to the panel's intercom.
"Attention! This is Lando Calrissian. The Empire has takes control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial troops arrive" He said through the comlink.
Artoo took off a computer cover and stuck his computer arm into the socket. Suddenly, a short beep turned into a wild scream. Artoo's circuits lit up, his head spun wildly, and smoke began to seep out underneath him. Quickly, Chewie pulled him away.
"This way" Lando said. He led them down a corridor. Along them way, Artoo angrily beeped at Threepio,
"Don't blame me. I'm an interpreter. I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a computer terminal" Threepio retorted.
In a panic, Cloud City residents were trying to get out of the city. Some carried boxes, others packages. They ran, then change direction. Some were shooting at stormtroopers, others simply tried to hide.
Other stormtroopers pursued the group who was firing back at them. Artoo worked on another door to the landing platform while Threepio berated him for his seeming ineptitude.
"What are you talking about? We're not interested in the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon. It's fixed! Just open the door, you stupid lump" Threepio snapped.
The group retreated along the corridor. A triumphant beep from Artoo - and the door snapped open.
"I never doubted you for a second" Threepio said quickly. If Artoo could have rolled his eyes, he would have. Artoo laid a cloud fog, obscuring everything, as the group dashed outside.
They raced for the Millennium Falcon as a battalion of stormtroopers reached the main door. Lando and Leia held off the troops as the
droids get on board with Chewie, Padme and Anna. As Chewie bounded to the ship the Threepio on his back, Threepio hit his head on the top of the ramp.
"Ouch! Oh! Ah! That hurt. Bend down, you thoughtless... Ow!" Threepio complained.
Chewie started up the ship. The giant engines began to whine as Lando and Leia raced up the ramp under a hail of laser fire.
"Leia! Go!" Lando shouted.
Artoo dragged the partially assembled Threepio down the corridor of the Falcon.
"I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me. Of course, I've looked better" Threepio said. Artoo beeped his understanding.
Chewie worked the controls as Leia sat in Han's seat and Lando watcheed over their shoulders. Padme and Anna were in the back with the droids. As Chewie pulled back on the throttle, the ship began to move.
The Millennium Falcon lifted gracefully into the twilight sky and roared away from the city. Troops fired after it and TIE fighters took off in pursuit.
Luke moved along the railing and up to the control room. Sky lunged at him and Luke immediately raised his lit sword to meet Sky's. Sparks flew as they dueled, Sky gradually forcing Luke backward toward the gantry.
"You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did" Sky urged.
Luke answered this by rolling sideways and thrusting his sword at Sky so viciously that he nicked Sky on the shoulder. The black armor sparked and smoked and Sky seemed to be hurt, but immediately recovered.
Luke backed off along the narrow end of the gantry as Sky came at him, slashing at the young Jedi with his sword. Luke made a quick move around the instrument complex attached to the end of the gantry.
Sky's sword came slashing down, cutting the complex loose; it began to fall, then was caught by the rising wind and blown upward. Luke glanced at the instrument complex floating away. At that instant, Sky's sword came down across Luke's right forearm, cutting off his hand and sending his sword flying. In great pain, Luke squeezed his forearm under his left armpit and moved back along the gantry to its extreme end. Sky followed. The wind subsided. Luke holds on. There was nowhere else to go.
"There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. You do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy" Sky said.
"I'll never join you!" Luke cried.
"If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father, did he?" Sky asked.
"He told me enough" Luke snapped. "It was you who killed him"
"Your father was weak" Sky replied. "He had Padme, He had everything, but he betrayed the Emperor. We trusted him, The Emperor trusted him, but he went against us and had to be eliminated"
"He did what was right!" Luke shouted. "He tried to protect people" Sky laughed harshly.
"I was the one who protected your mother" He said.
"You tried to kill my mother" Luke said. "I will never join you, ever" Sky tried a different tactic.
"Luke. You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy. It is the only way"
Sky put his hand out to Luke.
A calm camee over Luke, and he made a decision. In the next instant he stepped off the gantry platform into space. The Dark Lord looked over the platform and saw Luke falling far below. The wind began to blow at Sky's cape and the torrent finally forced him back, away from the edge. The wind soon faded and the wounded Jedi began to drop fast, unable to grab onto anything to break his fall.