Hello, everyone! It's took forever, but I finally have a new chapter. I'd like to apologize in advance if this chapter is a bit too slow of scattered for people's tastes. A lot of this is setting up for a couple of major plot points happening in back-to-back over the next few chapters.

On that note, I know that a lot of people aren't getting shown as much or in the way that most people want (Blue Team, Admiral Thrawn, and the Arbiter just to name a few). Don't worry. Each person will have their moment in the spotlight. Each person will have their badass moment. However, just like any well build story, I have to keep the focus narrowed down to a smaller group of people who are actually advancing the story at this moment. If not, it'll become scattered and almost impossible to follow.

All of that said, I hope ya'll still enjoy the story and would love to know what you guys think. Reader feedback is the best tool I have for keeping this story awesome. So, don't hesitate to let me know what you liked, didn't like, or want to see.

So, without further ado, I give you chapter 5...

(Edge of Chiss space: 20 years ago)

Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo- later known as Thrawn- watched as the refitted Corellian bulk freighter raced out of the system. It was spitting fire from the half dozen gashes Mitth'raw'nuruodo had put in it. The lasers flying from its last remaining quad cannon weren't much more than an annoyance as Thrawn ran down his prey.

"Focus fire on the energy source toward the aft of the ship," he ordered.

"Yes sir," replied the Lieutenant in charge of the fire control center.

A thin, predatory grin formed as a particularly violent explosion racked the freighter. However, he was annoyed to realize that the cannon operators had been off on their aim by a couple of degrees. The fact that the ship was still moving was the main clue.

"Sir, the ship is preparing to jump to hyperspace," reported his second-in-command

"Follow him," Thrawn ordered, knowing that that was easier said than done.

"Sir?" asked the officer.

By this point, it was more of a confirmation than a surprise. He, like the rest of the crew, had long ago accepted the Captain's morally questionable tactics.

"You heard me," Thrawn answered coolly, "This is the last time we deal with these barbarians."

"Yes sir," he replied before relaying the proper orders for the jump.

Within seconds of their prey, they had made the jump to hyperspace. A week later it was obvious that they had not quite made the jump correctly and came out a couple of parsecs away, not that it mattered. The freighter's failing navigation system had failed to warn them of a small planet in their path. However, Thrawn and the rest of the crew had quickly forgotten the pirates in favor of the massive ring that was staring them down.

"What is that?" asked the Executive Officer as his mouth hung partially open.

The Chiss's question was met with silence as Thrawn and the rest of the bridge stared in awe. Whatever it was easily the size of a planet. The outside face was silver with evenly spaced blue orbs. From what Thrawn could tell, the interior face was made up of a semi-natural atmosphere and environment.

"Get me environmental scans and prepare a landing team. I will lead it personally," Thrawn finally ordered as he fought to contain his awe.

The next few hours were spent pouring over environmental scans as Thrawn determined where the teams would land. He had about a hundred men at his disposal and intended to use every one of them.

"We'll make landfall here and here," he stated as he pointed to a stone temple dominating the surrounding lake and a massive grey tower seven miles to the northwest. He followed this up with further orders detailing the equipment that they were to bring.

"Yes sir, but shouldn't we pull back and report the find to command?" asked the Executive Officer.

Captain Thrawn pursed his lips.

"We will when we have something to report," he answered coolly.

Have something to report they would. The four days spent exploring the tunnels and surrounding area. In this time, they were able to determine that the ring was, in fact, a massive weapon of some sort. However, the language barrier ensured that the exact scope and nature of the weapon remained obscure. It was in the process of trying to answer this question that things went to hell.

"This is Temple 1. We've got unknown contacts… Argh!... Definitely hostile… Blast it!... They-" the commander's voice faded into blaster fire as he focused on the unknown enemy.

"Commander, report. What's going on?" Thrawn pressed, "They what?"

The only response was the crackle of an open comm channel.

"Commander?" Thrawn demanded as he fought to keep the fear out of his voice.

Orbital scans had indicated that there was no sentient life on this ring. It was immediately clear that something had gone horribly wrong. Thrawn was about to try again when a slithering noise echoed through the control room. Everyone, including Thrawn, visibly paled. That noise was definitely not natural, nor was it far away.

"First squad and second squad," Thrawn ordered as he pointed to the men in question, "You're with me, we're going back to Temple 1's position. Captain get that info on a datapad and get some landing ships down here. It appears that the nature of this mission has changed yet again."

"Yes sir," the Captain acknowledged.

Thrawn didn't wait for an answer as he immediately ran for the door. His men were good, and the Captain had nerves of steel. He will accomplish his orders or die trying. What happened over the next twenty-four hours was a nightmare that would always haunt the young ship captain.

(UNSC Infinity: Present Time)

Admiral Hood was looking out the main viewport of the Infinity's bridge, watching as fighters and shuttles picked up scrapped and disabled fighters and debris from destroyed ships. Admiral Thrawn's face danced in his head. The glowing red eyes and the larger than normal forehead were the key features that gave him pause. Yet beyond that and the blue skin, he looked human, from his stance to his facial structure. Thrawn, after giving even the Sangheili ships trouble, managed to escape with three Star Destroyers. The rest were either disabled and in the process of being cleared or in pieces. At least the Rebels and Vader had material to use to repair their ships.

He shook his head, focusing on the fleet around the planetary station that was close to being taken. The rest of the allied fleet had arrived after Piett had reported Thrawn's withdrawal. They had to be careful from this point on, seeing as the Emperor would be aware of their victory in a matter of days. At that point, a retaliatory force would be sent, and if this Grand Admiral Thrawn was to command it, Admiral Hood was not convinced they could hold the station. The only advantage that the UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios had was their total fleet number was hidden from the Grand Admiral, and thus the Emperor.

The station being taken was now only a triviality seeing as the entire force of Vader's soldiers, the UNSC, Swords of Sanghelios, and the Rebel Alliance were breaking down the hastily crafted defenses the Imperials had managed to cobble together.

Hood sighed as he turned to the holo table that was filled with reports on the station and the fleet. Thankfully, the Grand Admiral had targeted the cruisers, Rebel ships, and Death Squadron, leaving the frigates to harass the much larger star destroyers and unload troops onto the now captured Venators and the station itself. That focus, however, had come at a cost. Out of the 30+ ships the Rebels came with, nine were destroyed, and the rest were damaged to varying degrees. Vader had also nearly lost one of his star destroyers, the Stormhawk, in a desperate final attack Thrawn had used to break free and escape.

The blast doors hissed opened to deposit Agent Dare. Admiral Hood pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at her.

"Well, how is he?" he began.

"Commander Skywalker is one lucky son of a bitch. He's got a concussion, and some bruises but that's it. After examining the flight recorder, everyone has decided that Luke shouldn't be alive," Agent Dare explained before providing the technical details.

Admiral Hood nodded. The kid was lucky alright. He had hit the deck way too fast and slammed into the back wall with enough force to alter the Hellbred's course. Though, this luck seemed to come with a reckless streak, not unlike the one his father seemed to possess.

"Alright, let's get his fighter collected for examination. Given a few more hours, this battle should be over," Admiral Hood ordered.

"That's already been started," the agent declared as she passed over a datapad, "Admiral Piett sent over all of the information they have on Grand Admiral Thrawn."

Admiral Hood accepted the pad and began skimming through the information.

As he read, Agent Dare gave him the highlights, "He's something of an enigma for Naval Command, and holds a near god-like status among the navy's enlisted personnel. Exact details are spotty, but he just appeared in the Imperial Naval Academy several years ago. He rocketed up through the ranks until he hit Commander. There his career momentarily stalled as the xenophobic officer corps refused to give him his own ship. After the Emperor personally intervened, he got his command and continued to rise through the ranks mostly on merit alone. From that point on, his exploits are well documented on that pad and culminated with his ascendance to the rank of Grand Admiral with command over the entire Seventh Expeditionary Fleet."

"His list of failed operations is quite short," Admiral Hood observed.

"And he always cleans up his own mess," she added, "I would expect him to be back shortly with a better plan and way more ships."

"Then this base won't be as permanent as Vader had hoped," Hood sighed, "Search through the classified files we obtained from both Death Squadron and the Rebels. Find another base of operations for us specifically. I'll deal with Vader and Alliance Command regarding repairs and moving to another base of operations,"

Dare nodded and left the bridge. The door swishing shut behind her.

(ISD Executor)

Darth Vader took a deep breath as he reached out further in the force. In response, icy cold tentacles reached for his mind. His eyes fluttered open ever so slightly as he pushed them away. Darkness returned and he called out for another time.

"Obi-Wan… We must talk. There is much to discuss," he muttered.

While barely audible in the physical world, his words rang out through the force. He continued to reach out. However, this time, he lowered his mental shields a bit. His goal was to prove to Obi-Wan that he did not have hostile intent. Then, suddenly he heard it. The voice that had haunted him for years echoed out through the room.

"What is there to talk about? You wish to train the boy, and it appears that my attempts to prevent that are about to fail," observed Obi-Wan cynically.

Vader resisted the urge to open his eyes. Obi-Wan had not manifested physically, at least not yet. Though he was willing to listen. Under the jaded edge, Vader's experienced ears heard the curiosity and concern. The next thirty seconds would make or break this conversation. He chose his words carefully but never broke form as he answered.

"This is bigger than any of us," Vader responded sharply, "The darkness, have you felt it?"

There was a moment of silence, and it didn't take much effort for Vader to imagine Obi-Wan stroking his beard in thought. The thought elicited a rare smirk of fondness from the aging Lord.

"Oh, yes. I've felt the darkness in the Force for years. Though, there has been a distinct and disturbing change in it lately," Obi-Wan tiredly confirmed.

Vader ignored the barb in his first sentence and elaborated, "At the beginning of this campaign, an entity reached out to me in the force. I know not who it is or where it is, just that it is more powerful than anything previously encountered. It also seems to have an invested interest in my campaign into the core worlds."

There was silence as Obi-Wan considered the statement. Vader knew from experience, what questions would come next. Regardless of the relationship, or lack thereof, Obi-Wan approached every issue in a measured and calculated manner. In his youth, Anakin had hated the slowness of this approach. However, Vader had come to appreciate that manner of problem-solving over the years.

"Do you have a name for this entity?" the Jedi asked.

"No. In our first encounter, he simply called himself a 'monument to all of your sins'." Vader answered with a trace of annoyance, "He has revealed nothing else since then."

"'A monument to all of your sins'... sounds like you have a secret admirer," Obi-Wan quipped before turning serious, "What did he know about you?"

"Everything," the Sith answered bitterly, "It seems to be trying to stir up my hatred for most of the powers that I am facing and surrounded by. The sole intent of this being appears to be widespread conflict. I do not understand why this is, but the fact that this being has singled me out as the one to focus on has me concerned about the consequences."

Obi-Wan seemed to think about that for a moment before speaking.

"If this is so dark that even you fear it, what is there to do about it?" he asked.

The bitterness was still there but being overcome by curiosity and worry. As Darth Vader had suspected, Obi-Wan had felt the change in the Force. However, he had chalked it up to Vader's one-fleet war. The exact details stirred a fear in Obi-Wan that he had not felt since the Clone Wars.

"First, I need either a new suit or cloned limbs, allowing me to be able to challenge the Emperor fairly," Vader revealed, "Secondly, Luke must be trained in the Gray arts. It is possible. I have seen it done before. In many ways, the boy reminds me of Tano when she started."

Obi-Wan finally manifested, his interest piqued after the mention of his former padawan. Vader opened his eyes, allowing him to take in the form of his old master-turned-brother.

"How does he remind you of Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes piercing straight through Vader's helmet and into his eyes.

"He's powerful in the Force and entirely too quick to act. However, he has a strict sense of morality and compassion that keep his judgment sound," Vader answered quickly.

Ahsoka was not a topic he wished to discuss before, and it wasn't one he wanted to discuss now. His tongue had slipped earlier, and the memories associated with her weren't pleasant for him to dwell on.

"How do you intend to train him?" Obi-Wan quizzed.

"In a few days, I intend to take a trip to the Sith homeworld of Korriban, known to the Jedi as Moraband. If some entity of the Darkside has awoken, then the ancient Sith likely hold the secrets to what it is. Through addressing this matter, I will test him on his resistance to the Dark Side, allowing him to practice the techniques required to face the Emperor," Vader explained.

Obi Wan's pale blue eyes widened at the proposition.

"Luke is not ready. He failed his first test with a dark side nexus. Now you want to drop him on a planet flooded with it," the Jedi protested.

There was a moment of silence. Given the fearful way Luke entered their engagement on Bespin, he suspected something of that nature. However, knowledge of what exactly he failed on threatened to derail Vader's entire plan. The only upside was that Luke had not fallen under its sway. In that sense, he had accomplished more than most. Vader's face hardened within his helmet. They did not have time to take the traditional route. Luke would either succeed or die.

"Without those techniques, Luke will be corrupted and turned into the Emperor's pawn." Vader ground out, "I understand the dangers, but time is not a luxury we have. This alliance is a fragile one and our enemies are only growing stronger."

"What happens after this is over, and Luke has no constructive use for his Darkside powers? Would you have your own son walk down the same path as you… or worse, that of the Emperor?" Obi-Wan pursued.

The man's voice took a mournful quality. The audible pain was enough to give Vader pause. He had spent years willfully ignoring the collateral damage of his actions. It was the only way to execute his plan and the Emperor's will without having a complete crisis of conscience.

"No," Vader answered sharply, "I am not interested in repeating the mistakes of the past. You will help me teach him self-control and sound judgment. Together we will teach him to control and use his powers, not the other way around."

Obi-Wan leaned against the wall and stroked his beard in thought. The worry in his face made it clear that he didn't like the plan, but that was to be expected. He had far too many examples to pull from of a Jedi dealing with the Dark Side and being consumed by it.

"The only reason I believe this plan will work at all is that he was not raised as a Jedi, but started training as one when he was nineteen," Obi-Wan warned.

"That will do him credit. Life on Tatooine laid the foundation for what you and Yoda started. Now we will finish his training, both physically and spiritually," Vader declared.

Obi-Wan hesitantly nodded. He wasn't nearly as confident as his old student. There was too much that could go wrong.

"Before I agree to anything, I want to know one thing," he announced.

As he spoke, the Jedi's face hardened, as though bracing himself for what was about to happen next.

"What?"

"Is this campaign worth it?" Obi-Wan quizzed, "When the galaxy finishes burning, and no civilization is left standing, will you be able to face yourself and say that you accomplished all that you hoped for?"

"All that matters will be accomplished. History may judge me as it sees fit, but there will be no Sith left alive when this campaign ends," Vader declared.

Obi-Wan slumped his shoulders as he concluded, "If this is the path you wish to take, I can't stop you."

With that, the ghostly apparition vanished from Vader's quarters. Darth Vader's eyes held on the spot where Obi-Wan had once been. To see him again stirred the emotions within him. However, it was the content of the discussion that Vader found himself considering. The Jedi had changed in the years since Mustafar. The man spoke like a Jedi and carried the same values. However, there was a jagged edge and a preference towards pragmatism that wasn't there before. To see him so worn and tired gave Vader the first real glimpse at the consequences of his actions, and it stung. Shaking mind free of those thoughts, Vader arose and marched out of his quarters. As he had told Obi-Wan, there was much to do and so little time.

(Yaga Minor Shipyards: Central Command)

Blue Team held their weapons low but ready. The Chief found himself increasingly annoyed as various team members tried to convince the officers to issue a stand-down order for the base. However, with stiff pockets of resistance holding out, they refused to do so. Kelly stopped mid-sentence as the blast doors to the command room opened. In marched Commander Appo flanked by two squads of his own men, plus two droids and four men in black uniforms.

"Have they issued a stand-down order, yet?" Appo demanded.

"No," the Chief replied bluntly.

Appo nodded as he visually appraised the group. The Commander's gaze seemed to cut through his helmet and into the soul of each prisoner. This was confirmed by the uncomfortable shifting of each person.

"General, you never struck me as one of the idiots in this army," he commented.

"And you never struck me as a traitor," the General sneered back.

Commander Appo ignored the shot and turned to the Chief.

"We'll take it from here. I'm sure you have your own orders to follow," he declared with a wave.

In response, the troopers broke rank to take each Spartan's position. The Chief nodded and motioned for his team to follow. The Commander was right, they did have orders not related to this station. With Roland having pulled the information they needed; Blue Team was to report back to Infinity for debriefing upon Commander Appo's arrival.

"General, with me," Appo's voice rang out as the doors hissed open.

The team exited as Appo issued his next command.

"Tear this place apart. I want every piece of information we can find," he barked.

"And the prisoners?" quizzed a soldier.

There was a moment of silence, and the Chief paused. He was hoping to catch any information or quietly issued orders that Admiral Hood needed to know.

"We have the one we need. Scrub the deck," Appo ordered.

The Chief knew what was coming next and saw no reason for his team to stick around. The doors hissed shut to the sound of blaster fire.

(Deep Core Region)

The metallic ring of a Captain's boots hung in the air as he marched across the catwalk. Marker lights, spaced every two feet, gave the structure a soft red glow. He stopped at the end and stifled a yawn. On the far side of the landing pad, two stormtroopers turned to face him. The captain saluted both men and turned his eyes to the sky. With a shrug, the men turned back to their previously assigned duties.

In any other situation, this night would've been perfect. A full moon lit up the sixty-five-degree night, while an ocean breeze kept the air from growing stale. However, this was no ordinary situation on any ordinary planet. This artificial ring had the atmosphere and biomes of a natural planet. Yet it had the distinct features of an artificial object. His ship had discovered it two days ago during a routine surveying mission. Since then, no one had been able to figure out what the object was or where it came from. The Captain was broken from his thoughts by the sound of another person coming up behind him.

"Sir, the shuttle just checked in with the Conquest. They're on final approach," the officer reported.

The Captain nodded.

"Thank you."

The officer saluted and marched back down the ramp. As his footsteps faded, the Captain could hear the sound of an approaching shuttle. At first, it was a soft whine carried on the wind. Less experienced ears might have mistaken it for the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. However, the sound of the ship's twin engines increased in volume as the seconds ticked by. By the time the shuttle folded its wings for landing, it had increased to a roar that hung in the air long after the ship had powered down.

The Captain smoothed his uniform as two Imperials in black uniforms marched down the ramp of the shuttle. One was an older man with cold eyes and a weathered face. His partner was a young woman about the age of the ship captain with red hair and warm expression. The shifting nature of her eyes told the Captain that she was likely as good as the other man. Both people were dressed in the black uniforms and polished boots normal for Imperial Intelligence officers.

"Welcome to site 5-B. There's much to discuss," the Captain immediately began.

Previous experience told him that there was no point in introductions unless prompted. Intelligence officers tended to ignore them. There was a period of silence as the two took in the area.

"I trust that this was worth the flight," the Captain finally added.

"If it wasn't, we would not be out here," the woman answered sharply.

"Of course," the Captain acknowledged with forced politeness.

He led them off the Imperial landing pad and past the defense stations. From there, he stepped through the main entry door and down a series of interconnected passages and rooms. As they walked, the Captain caught glimpses of the two officers behind him. Their faces were expressionless, but their wandering eyes and less than straight steps revealed their interest.

"You were given the specs for the ring in my initial report," the Captain finally prodded.

"Yes, I trust that you can elaborate on those initial observations," the man confirmed.

The Captain nodded and explained, "We are still working on mapping the ring. The dense nature of the planet has made orbital scans useless for anything below surface level. Probes and atmospheric flights have been able to get seismic scans of the first kilometer below ground. However, the deepest levels are requiring infantry teams to effectively survey."

"Then there was truth to the suspicions of a tunnel system," the woman picked up.

"Yes. From what we can tell, it spans most of the ring," the Captain confirmed.

As he spoke, the doors in front of him hissed open. The three people were deposited into a surprisingly small room. It had an opaque floor that seemed to glow blue, grey walls, and a large console dominating the middle of the structure.

"What is this structure?" demanded the female agent.

"It's a map room. We've been able to access a tentative map of the ring using that readout," the Captain explained as he gestured to the console.

The grey uniformed engineer took his queue and pressed a couple of buttons. In response, a 3-D map of the ring appeared.

"Your report made it clear that your men were mapping the ring themselves," the other agent reminded him.

"Yes. The ring has endured extensive abuse and wear, owing to its location close to the galactic core. Many of the tunnels have collapsed or otherwise been altered beyond recognition," the Captain readily explained, "Engineers were clearing them out and mapping as they go."

"But you had them stop," the woman inferred.

"Yes, I felt that it was unwise to use all of our heavy munitions until further orders were issued," the Captain confirmed.

There was a moment of silence as the two agents stepped back to discuss the matter. While the Captain could hear their hushed whispering, he could not decipher what exactly was being said.

Finally, the woman ordered, "Continue your operations below the surface. We will present our findings to Command. A more permanent solution will be developed within the next few rotations."

"Yes, ma'am," the Captain answered crisply.

(ISD Executor)

Darth Vader listened as the meeting was ended. It had been a long discussion, but everyone had come to accept the fact that they would have to take what they could from Yaga Minor and leave. There would-be no longer-term salvage operations like many had hoped. One by one the figures disappeared from the holo table. Vader allowed himself the thinnest smile as they disconnected. The alliance had survived another meeting. Soon Admiral Hood was the only one left, and Vader refocused himself.
"Clear the room," he barked.

The response was instantaneous as officers exited their stations and made their way out of the war room. There was a loud hiss as the last officer exited. Behind Vader, a set of large blast doors sealed him off from the command deck.

"Admiral Piett said you had a request for my ears only," Admiral Hood began.

"Your people are capable of cloning, are they not?" Vader quizzed.

Admiral Hood's eyes narrowed.

"We are to an extent. Limbs and organs mostly. A living being, however, is out of the question," the Admiral answered carefully.

Vader nodded slowly, as his eyes turned to his suit. Words were added, deleted, and rearranged in his head. He would get one shot at this request.

"I am more machine than man now- a crude construct of metal, nerves, and skin twisted together in a sick parody of my former self. Against the Emperor, I am also vulnerable. This suit does not react well to the powers of the Dark Side of the Force, Force Lightning in particular. I must have limbs of flesh and bone if I am to face him," Vader explained.

Hood mulled that over, masking his curiosity with a statement.

"These new limbs would be required to be able to use the Force for you to face the Emperor as you plan," he noted.

"Yes."

"They would turn you back into a living weapon, as you once were?" Admiral Hood pursued.

Vader didn't immediately answer as he eyed the man. His face was hard, and his eyes narrowed. It was clear that Admiral Hood preferred him in a limiting suit. However, the Force told him that the Admiral also wanted something.

"What is it that you want, Admiral?" Vader demanded.

"What I want is to work with someone who isn't a mass murder and proven liar," Admiral Hood answered firmly, "What I'll get is operational autonomy."

"You were not given autonomy because we need to move as one unit. This was spelled out in the previous-"

"I am well aware of what was said. The Rebels don't want us striking out on our own for fear that we'll find the ring, destroy it, and leave before this operation is over," Admiral Hood cut in, "I made a promise and I intend to keep it. However, if I am going to give you back your powers, I would rather not be around longer than required after this mission."

Silence reigned as Darth Vader considered the man's words.

"You wish to divert resources for a blind search." Vader surmised.

"The core is a large place. Either we tear it apart now or tear it apart later," Admiral Hood added.

The Sith Lord nodded. Fear was the man's primary motivation. He had come to destroy the ring and would not allow that objective to be put on hold.

"Very well. Allow me two rotations to make preparations. Then you may conduct your operations," Vader agreed.

(ISD Executor: 24 hours later)

The two blades danced around each other in a deadly light show. Blades clashed and bodies twisted as father and son probed each other's defenses. Luke brought his blade down in a relatively standard attack. Vader raised his blade to meet the attack. However, the blue blade suddenly changed trajectories and went straight in. The Sith leaped back as he used the force to redirect the blade away from his heart.

"Impressive. You aren't the boy I met in Cloud City," Vader observed.

Under his flat tone, one could detect the smallest hint of pride in his voice. Luke didn't respond as he pressed his attack. He came from every angle. However, they were all centered around the weakness he had just exploited. Vader sighed internally. Luke's defenses were weak.

In one fluid motion, he parried one attack and pushed out with his off-hand. Luke went stumbling. Vader swung his blade across at neck height. The kid was smart enough to duck out of the way. With the momentum shifted Vader continued his attacks. In these, there was no trickery or off timing. They were the same brute force attacks that had served Vader well since his days fighting in the Clone Wars.

Luke found himself struggling to keep up under the accelerating onslaught. The crimson red blade seemed to be everywhere at once. Sweat poured out as his body struggled to keep up the pace.

"I have already taken one hand. Do not think I am afraid to take the other," Vader warned.

Luke only gasped as he narrowly dodged the thick red blade of his father's saber. He tried to mount an offensive, but his father's decades of dueling experience won out, leaving him on the floor after Vader kicked him while trying to dodge out of the way of a slash.

Vader turned off his lightsaber and stepped back to where he was when they started the duel.
"How did I win?" Vader quizzed.

Luke, still panting, wiped the sweat off his forehead as he stood up. He thought about the question for a moment before answering.

"You had the experience and the skills," Luke guessed, "When you went on the offensive, all I could do was dodge."

"You limit your use of the force," Vader corrected, "All it took was a weak Force attack to put you off balance."

Luke shook his head.

"There's only so much I can do in the heat of the moment," Luke protested.

"Use the Force," Vader snapped, "It will give you speed and power. Most importantly, it will give you the necessary reflexes."

"The Force is for knowledge and limited defense. It wasn't designed to be used for-"

Luke's words died in his throat as an invisible fist slammed into his chest. He flew across the empty hanger. His feet hit the ground and he crashed hard into a durasteel support beam.

Snap-hiss

Vader's lightsaber came back to life as he marched toward Luke. He reached out with his off-hand and gave his wrist an upward flick. In response, the Force wrapped Luke in a steel grip and sent him streaking up towards the second level catwalk. He stopped his son a mere centimeter from the steel cross beams.

"The Force is a tool," the Sith bellowed.

He closed the Force hold around Luke's throat. The younger man gasped for air as he clawed at the invisible grip around his throat.

"Like any tool, it can be used, and it can be abused. Your refusal to use the Force will not prevent your opponent from abusing it," Darth Vader continued.

As he spoke Luke, again, went flying across the hanger. This time he crashed headfirst into a pile of crates. There was a muted groan as Luke tried to unbury himself. His father marched forward and found him half untangled with his lightsaber in hand. His blade snapped off, and he looked down at Luke.

"You will accompany me to Korriban. There we will refine your use of the Force," Darth Vader announced.