The confrontation with Palpatine from Luke's perspective
And other stuff
With a groan, Luke Skywalker collapsed onto the mattress in the combat hold of his father's ship.
The last 10 days had certainly been interesting. The first day had been a stressful dance between his father's obvious attachment to his Rebel son mixed with Vader's anxiety over any number of topics. Luke wasn't much of a diplomat, but thankfully his (secret) sister had rubbed off on him to the point that he had pirouetted through conversational mine fields with relative grace. So far, he had discovered that topics concerning 1.) Padme 2.) Bespin 3.)Tatooine 4.) slavery and 5.) Hutts were apt to provoke a negative emotional response from Vader. It was also clear that at times, Luke reminded his father of Padme, and Padme was the most sensitive subject of all.
To both their relief, they had found considerable common ground discussing ships and mechanics. Luke had been surprised, as a child and teenager, at how dense Uncle Owen was about mechanical things. Once he was in the Alliance, he had discovered that he was truly gifted, as gifted as Chewbacca the Wookie in taking things apart and putting them back together. He now knew he'd inherited those gifts honestly. Vader was amazing. They had spent a happy two hours tearing apart a malfunctioning atmospheric regulator on the Nabooian ship, and when they were done it was better than new.
Rather to Luke's surprise, by Day 4 of their meeting on Tatooine, he felt ready to spar with lightsabers. They had started outside in front of Ben's house, with the light of the first sun shining down to provide necessary visual input of the terrain, but before the temperatures soared high. The space behind him was open, so he knew he wouldn't feel trapped.
The reality turned out to be challenging. The first time they'd turned on their weapons, Luke had felt such a surge of terror that he had retreated a few steps without thinking. Vader had immediately turned off his saber, and projected such horrified guilt that Luke had rallied.
The ensuing conversation had been both cathartic and painful, as Vader had apologized and Luke had forgiven. His father's heartbroken regret made it clear that yes, his father was changing by the day. Where he was in the spectrum of Light Side and Dark Side wasn't clear, but it was obvious that Vader's soul was brightening. After their difficult conversation, and in the spirit of 'getting back on the dewback after it has thrown you', Luke and his father had sparred. The conclusion, discussed amiably afterwards, was that Luke had improved a great deal. His father was still the master, but Luke was closing ground fast. Furthermore, Vader had given Luke some valuable pointers about fighting style. For all that Bespin had been incredibly traumatic, Luke Skywalker was a natural fighter and he had learned much from Vader even as he was pummeled black and blue. That last fight on the catwalk had ended with Luke losing a limb, but he had gotten one strike on his father's right shoulder. With difficulty, they managed to discuss even that traumatic event, and Luke learned why he had been able to punch through his father's defenses.
Another important reality was that Vader's large body, powerful prosthetics, and limited flexibility meant that his fighting style was not necessarily best suited for his smaller, more pliable son.
It was during this, and subsequent, sparring sessions that Vader had introduced Luke to the intimidating reality of Force Lightening. Once Luke understood the issues surrounding Force Lightening in general, and its particular effects on his father's cybernetic body, he had thrown himself into the process of working out how to best help his father survive the anticipated confrontation with Palpatine. R2D2 had proven useful as well, as he had assisted them in mapping out Vader's prosthetics electronically so that they could reroute wires and install components to better resist Palpatine's debilitating attack.
R2 had even provided a reasonable facsimile of Force Lightening while they sparred, hurling random bolts at Vader while Luke, at R2's side, fought with one hand. Vader said the Emperor was actually capable of dueling with one hand and hurling Force Lightening with the other. Truly an intimidating prospect. Luke studied and meditated, determined to learn all he could in preparation for his own confrontation with the Emperor, if it every became necessary.
And so the days went by, filled with cautious conversations and tinkering and sparring and other forms of Force training. Vader clearly had no intention or desire to teach his son Dark Side techniques, which was fortunate as that was Luke's line in the sand.
On the 10th day, their sparring was particularly grueling. Luke and R2 also did some maintenance on the X-wing, and were out in the intense heat of midday.
So that night, he was exhausted. It was an incredible relief to collapse in his bed, with his father's (now) comforting presence in the nearby hyperbaric chamber.
His last thought, as he slipped into dreams, was to wonder what his father looked like behind the mask.
His first thought once he fell asleep was, "Oh no, not again!"
He was clearly in some kind of Force vision. He looked down at himself with trepidation, but he seemed to be his current age. At least he wasn't ridiculously cute.
He turned around. He was standing on hard ground, in a valley, surrounded by hilly, rocky terrain. He didn't see any vegetation. It might be Tatooine, but then again it might be somewhere else. The sun (or suns) had set, giving him a twilight image of the place with few details. And Force visions were weird. He might be somewhere entirely imaginary.
With a sigh, he turned some more and observed a large hole in the in the vertical rock face to his right. Inside was a glimmer of light, and he sensed a presence there.
He stepped through the hole, which was tall enough for him, and into a large chamber. The floor was uneven rock, the walls had strange dark blue and tan designs on it, and in the middle of the floor sat a young man, crosslegged, dressed in black robes, with a glowing power cell in front of him. The cell provided both light and minimal heat.
Luke stepped forward cautiously. The young man looked vaguely familiar for some reason – longish dark blond locks, a handsome face, a scar above his eye. But where had he seen him?
The man stood up at his entrance and bowed slightly, "Hello, Luke."
Luke had that horrified feeling he sometimes got when someone recognized him (he was rather famous) but he didn't recognize the other person. He caught himself. This was a Force Vision. No reason to be embarrassed.
"Do I know you?" he asked directly.
The man smiled sadly, "I'm your father, Luke. I'm Anakin."
Luke's mouth dropped open.
This was his father? He was young, and handsome, and strong. And tall.
After a moment, Luke chuckled slightly.
Anakin smiled as well, "What's funny?"
"You're tall," his son responded, "I wondered if you were naturally tall or if it was the prosthetics. But yeah, you're tall. Was Mother short? I presume I got my height from somewhere."
"Yes," Anakin nodded, and a shadow crossed his expressive face, "Yes, she was. A firebrand, though. I saw Hutts and Trade Federation representatives and corrupt Senators quail before her, when she was in the right mood."
Anakin sighed, "She was absolutely wonderful – kind, sympathetic, brave, a champion of the oppressed – she was my Angel. I never deserved her love, but she gave it freely to me."
Luke paused in sympathetic silence, then asked, carefully, "So what are we doing here? Are we sharing a vision?"
Anakin tilted his head to one side thoughtfully, "I'm not sure. I mean, yes, we are sharing a vision but I don't know why. I'm not sure I'm even consciously participating. I mean, Darth Vader isn't consciously participating. He's in a meditation trance."
Luke groaned audibly, "This is very confusing. Are you Darth Vader, or not? I mean, Ben said that when you became Vader, the 'good man that was your father was destroyed.' I don't believe that, but what is it like? I'm seeing you as Anakin. Are you buried in there somewhere? In Vader? Are you sort of a duel personality?"
Anakin walked closer to Luke, frowning thoughtfully. Up close, the commonality in their features was even more apparent. It was an amazing feeling, to see the face of the father from whom he came. Leia probably looked like…but no, he mustn't think about Leia.
"No," his father said finally, "It is not like that. I know that what I have done as Vader has horrified you, and rightly so, my son. The truth is, that in my case anyway, I have perpetrated horrors based on what seemed good reasons at the time. I turned to the Dark Side in a vain attempt to save your mother from dying in childbirth."
"What?" Luke demanded.
Anakin put up a hand, "That's a long story, and I think it better to discuss it in the real world, not here. My point is this, Vader and Anakin were always there together. I have the capability to do great good, and great harm. For the last 20 years it has been harm, but until recently I, Vader, really believed that the galaxy would be a better place if under the control of a strong, centralized leader."
Luke grimaced, "Well, we've had that in Palpatine."
"Yes, but I thought that Palpatine was the problem, not the system itself."
Anakin now turned around and walked slowly around the edge of the chamber, contemplating the geometric designs mysteriously covering the walls.
"I thought I could make it better, I really did," he said soberly, "Especially with you at my side.
"I think I was wrong. I still wonder at times. The last days of the Old Republic were a mess of conflicting factions and immoral compromises and war…though Palpatine instigated many of the problems."
He took a deep breath and turned back to Luke, "But don't imagine Darth Vader as some avenging spirit that 'took over' Anakin Skywalker. I'm afraid the darkness was always within me, and perhaps always will be. I can only hope that through your love and my own determination, I can change enough to do what is right for you, and for the galaxy."
Luke stared intently at Anakin Skywalker, seeking to memorize his face.
"Well," he said in a lighter tone, "You should do meditation trances more often. I'm enjoying getting to talk to you without the mask."
Anakin's brow wrinkled again, "The odd thing is that I often sink into meditation trances, nearly every night actually. So I don't know why tonight…?"
In that instant, both of them sensed a new presence, a malevolent spirit approaching the cave rapidly. They spun towards the door.
"What is that?" Luke asked tensely.
Anakin paled slightly (odd that he could, in a Force Vision, Luke thought abstractedly.)
"It is my Master, the Emperor. He is trying to find me."
Luke shot a quick glance at his father, "Can he do that?"
"I do not know, my son," Anakin replied, "I cut the Force Bond between us but he is powerful, he may be able to find the tattered remains of the Bond and follow it to Tatooine. Luke, if he does find me, promise you will leave. He will unleash an army to destroy me, and you must not be caught in the crossfire."
"I won't let him find you," Luke said with determination.
"Luke, you don't know his power. Please, wake up from the Vision, don't expose yourself to him. It is too soon."
Luke shook his head hard, "Don't you see, Father, this is why we are meeting tonight in this vision! So I can stop him. You stay here and if I need you, I'll call for help. Otherwise, stay back. Maybe if he 'sees' you in the vision, he'll be able to identify where you are."
Quickly, before his father could protest, Luke stepped to the cave entrance and halted in the middle, effectively barring the beast as it appeared.
And 'beast' it was. In some ways, it looked like a greater krayt dragon, but with additional spines on the legs and what looked like leathery wings. Rather a confused looking beast, Luke thought.
"I will not let you pass," he said resolutely.
The beast hissed and spat what looked like fire, though it didn't even come close to Luke's body. Nor did he feel heat.
"You have no chance of stopping me, boy," the creature hissed in outrage.
Luke drew his Force power around himself. He was determined that Palpatine, this Sith Lord, who had kept his father enslaved for so many years, would not get past him. On the other hand, was he truly strong enough to ward off the power of the Emperor himself?
There was a sudden warm, loving presence to his right, and he turned his head in surprise and delight. A small cloaked figure was standing with him now, holding out a gloved left hand. Luke clasped the hand with his own prosthetic, suddenly filled with the surging Force power of the Skywalker Twin Bond.
"Be gone from here," he said firmly.
The dragon hissed and sputtered, even as it shrank, twitching and writhing in dismay and surprise, until it vanished completely.
The hood fell from the figure's head, revealing the lovely face of his sister.
"Le…" he exclaimed.
"…ia!" he finished as he woke up in the shuttle. He sat up suddenly. His sister was on Tatooine.
Author Notes: Thank you again for all those kind enough to follow and review. I'm enjoying writing it and it is a true pleasure to know people enjoy reading it.