Chapter Five—Part 2

After such knowledge, what forgiveness? Think now

History has many cunning passages, contrived corridors

And issues, deceives with whispering ambitions,

Guides us by vanities. Think now

She gives when our attention is distracted

And what she gives, gives with such supple confusions

That the giving famishes the craving. Gives too late

What's not believed in, or if still believed, In memory only, reconsidered passion. Gives too soon

Into weak hands, what's thought can be dispensed with

Till the refusal propagates a fear. Think

Neither fear nor courage saves us. Unnatural vices

Are fathered by our heroism. Virtues Are forced upon us by our impudent crimes.

These tears are shaken from the wrath-bearing tree

Gerontion by T. S. Eliot

"We have to go faster!" Luke yells at Mrs. Marstrap.

He and Windy are riding in the back of the Marstrap's landspeeder. Mrs. Marstrap had picked them up from school and is going to drop him off at home. But something is horrible wrong, he can feel it. He tries again to reach his dad through their bond but, for the first time in his life, the bond is silent. Even if his dad did not respond with words he always feels some emotion at least. Now there is nothing.

"Calm down, Luke," Windy says, looking at him strangely.

"No! Something bad has happened. I have to get home right now!"

"I'm sure everything is fine, dear," Mrs. Marstrap says but she makes the speeder go faster to Luke's relief.

It takes forever for them to reach the farm. Mrs. Marstrap steers the speeder toward the front entrance and Luke notices the smoke rising from the north, right where one of the smaller hydroponic stations is located. He unbuckles his seatbelt and jumps out of the speeder, ignoring Windy and Mrs. Marstrap's cries for him to stay, running as fast as he can toward the smoke.

He stops when he reaches the entrance to the hydroponic station. It is half blocked by debris and black smoke is drifting from it. Luke is small enough that he can squeeze himself through. Once inside he finds he can stand up, coughing from the acrid smoke, he squints into the darkness. It looks as if half the ceiling has fallen down. He pauses not knowing what to do but certain that his dad is in here somewhere.

Some of the wiring sparks, illuminating the darkness and he sees an arm protruding from under a metal strut that has fallen from the ceiling. He makes his way toward it carefully, trying to avoid anything that looks sharp or might be hot. He grasps the hand and pulls. To his horror, it falls into his lap severed just above the elbow. He screams, and backs away, franticly wiping the blood from the arm off of his hands and onto his tunic.

He trips on something large and soft, landing hard on his bottom. It is his dad. Half of his face is covered in blood and his clothes look burned onto his skin. Luke puts his head on his dad's chest and is relieved to hear a strong heart beating. There is a groan overhead and he looks up nervously wondering if more of the ceiling is going to fall on his head.

They are not too far from the entrance; if he can just move his dad there maybe he can get him out. He grabs his dad's wrist and pulls with all his strength but his dad doesn't move. He tries several more times; even attempting to roll him to the door but his dad is too heavy. Tears of frustration and fear run down his face and he sits down coughing from the smoke.

"Do not give up yet, youngling," a voice says.

He jumps up, startled. Sitting cross legged next to him is a man with long hair and a beard dressed in what he recognizes as what the Jedi Knights used to wear. The man is transparent like a hologram but Luke can clearly sense his presence in the Force. The man's expression is serious and when he speaks his voice is soft.

"You need to get him out of here, it isn't safe."

"I know that! Who are you? What are you?"

"A friend," the man says simply. "You must levitate Obi-Wan. It is obvious you cannot drag him."

"My dad's name is Ben, not Obi-Wan," he retorts not sure if he can trust this strange man.

"Is it?" he asks, smiling and Luke is so reminded of his dad that it hurts.

"I can't lift something that big!"

"Size matters not."

Luke scowls. His dad has often said the same thing.

"I'll try," he says doubtfully.

"Do or not do, there is no try," the man says and fades, leaving no trace that he had ever been there.

Luke closes his eyes, willing himself to forget about the strange man, the bitter smoke choking him and the ominous creaking of the ceiling above him. When he feels the peace inside he reaches out as with his hand and the Force as if this was one of his dad's lessons in manipulation. He opens his eyes and to his surprise, his dad is hovering at waist level, still silent and unmoving.

Carefully, very carefully, Luke guides the floating form of his dad to the entrance of the station. Just as carefully he lowers him to the floor just before the door, knowing that he cannot fit him through the collapsed entrance. He can hear Mrs. Marstrap calling for him outside. The door is blocked by a large metal support strut. It is three times as long as his father and twice as wide. He takes a deep breath of fresh air that is blowing through the entrance.

"Size matters not," he mutters to himself.

And reaching with the Force he lifts the support strut out of the way.