For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, everybody was frozen into shocked silence as Yoda's words sunk in. The stillness was so complete that one could've heard a pin drop. And then finally, the scene around the fire spontaneously erupted into commotion.
"His... Father...?" Leia breathed, as R2 let out a shrill series of whistles and beeps.
"Say what now?" was all Lando could say.
"B-b-but...!" C-3PO stuttered, "How can this be?!"
"That...! That's impossible!" yelled Han as Chewbacca thundered his own shocked disbelief, "Just what... Just what kind of sick joke are you playing at?!"
But Leia knew that it was the truth, and she suddenly recalled her second vision in the cave...
I am your father.
NO!
"It's the truth, Han." she said simply, her voice devoid of emotion.
"You... You can't seriously believe this, Leia!" Han protested, "You can't..."
"It's the truth, Han." repeated Leia more forcefully, "I saw it during my vision in the cave."
Han could only gape at her as she turned on Yoda.
"How could Obi-Wan keep this from Luke?" Leia demanded, "By what right did he..."
"Told Luke long ago Obi-Wan would have had I allowed it." Yoda replied, "But not ready for the burden was Luke."
Leia thought back to Luke's fight with Vader on Hoth, and how Luke had suddenly exploded into rage, viciously attacking the Dark Lord with renewed vigor and power.
"And instead he had to learn it the hard way." she mused bitterly.
"Unfortunate it is that Luke rushed to face him." Yoda said, "Incomplete was his training."
Leia gave her master an angry glare, "Luke knew the risk; he was trying to save his friends!"
"Mmm... Yes..." Yoda nodded somberly, "But what is done is done; no use there is to muse on roads taken not. Now on you, all depends, Leia. The only hope you are to overcome the tyranny of the Empire, and the evil of the Sith."
Leia's expression softened, "I understand, Master, and I'm prepared to whatever is required of me to save the galaxy. But I cannot give up on Luke. I won't."
Yoda sighed, "Stop you I know I can't. But careful you must be, my apprentice, for fear of loss is a path that lead you to the Dark Side can. As it did for Vader..."
Leia looked at her master for a long moment, the words having piqued her interest. Darth Vader was driven to the Dark Side by fear of loss?
"What... What do you mean, Master?"
"A tale that is for another time..." Yoda merely replied, "For now, time it is to finally complete your training. For your final test, find you must find your own kyber crystal."
As Darth Vader's shuttle soared through hyperspace, Luke could only sit alone in deep contemplation in the rear of the craft, reflecting on all that had transpired before he and Vader had departed from his father's castle on Mustafar.
After he'd told his father about the vision he'd received on Hoth of Obi-Wan Kenobi instructing him to go to the Dagobah system, and learn the ways of the Force from Master Yoda, Vader had promptly withdrawn to his personal quarters without even a word to his son. After what felt like an eternity, the Dark Lord finally emerged, and brought Luke into his throne room, having come to an important decision.
"Master Yoda, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, and the last of the Jedi Council." announced Vader as he showed his son Master Yoda's profile on holoprojector, "After the beginning of the Great Jedi Purge, he vanished, and there has been no trace of him since. Until now that is..."
For a moment, Luke had been confused as he gazed at the holographic image of the small green being. This was Yoda, the Jedi Master who had instructed Obi-Wan Kenobi? This was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order?
Sensing his son's thoughts, Vader quickly moved to dispel any skepticism.
"Do NOT be deceived by appearances, my son." he said sternly, "He is more powerful than any Jedi I have hunted down before, and he once fought my master to a stalemate. To underestimate him is to court death. But should we succeed in destroying him, you may well have proven yourself ready to face the emperor."
Luke could not help but feel a small sense of excitement at his father's words. Their ultimate goal seemed so near...
"Moreover..." Vader continued, "If my suspicions prove correct, Princess Leia will be with him, and there is good reason to believe that she is being trained as a Jedi."
Luke's excitement quickly turned to dread. He had long both desired and feared to see his friends again. And now, it seemed that it may be finally happening, but it didn't look like it would be on good terms.
"What... What is to be done about her, father?" he asked hesitantly.
"She must not be allowed to interfere, my son." the Dark Lord instructed, "Nor must she be allowed to escape, for if she really is training to be a Jedi, she could become a great threat. But if she could be turned... she would become a powerful ally."
At these words, Luke dared to feel a shred of hope. Would there be no need to fight against his friends? Could he possibly convince Leia of their cause? That what he and his father planned to accomplish was for the ultimate good of the galaxy?
He didn't know, and not knowing troubled him.
After Vader's briefing, Luke was so lost in his thoughts that he had barely even registered boarding his father's shuttle, and departing from Mustafar. And even now, as he and his father drew nearer to the Dagobah system, Luke was still no closer to finding answers to any of the questions swirling throughout his head.
In the end, he knew that all he could do was hope for the best.
Suddenly, Luke looked up as the door leading to the shuttle's cockpit opened, and Darth Vader stepped into the hold to approach his son.
"We shall be arriving soon." the Dark Lord said, "After 23 years, Grandmaster Yoda is finally within my grasp. Prepare yourself, my son, for this shall be your greatest test. You must not falter. There is no room for feelings of sentiment now."
Luke nodded slowly, "I understand."
But did he really? Deep down, Luke had always known that a day like this would come. But now that it was here, he wasn't so sure that he was ready for it. Suddenly, he found his thoughts returning to the memory of the vision he'd received beneath his father's castle, and with that memory came the lingering question that had refused to leave his mind since.
"Father..." he asked before even realizing what he was saying, "Who... Who was my mother?"
His father froze; time seemed to stand still as the question seemed to pierce right through the Dark Lord's black armor. Luke had never before asked Vader about his mother, not even after he'd received the vision, but he just couldn't hold it back any longer. For a very long moment, Vader stood as still as a statue, his mechanical breathing the only thing breaking the stillness, and Luke just KNEW that he had struck a nerve with his father.
At last, Vader spoke, his voice low and cold as ice...
"Do not ask me of that now, Luke. When we return... Perhaps then I will explain. But not now. Not now..."
Luke stared at him intently, but before either of them could say another word, there suddenly came the beeping of an alarm, informing them that they were coming up on Dagobah.
The time had come.
Han, Chewbacca, Lando, C-3PO, and R2-D2 all watched in awe as Leia sat in deep meditation, hovering several feet off the ground. As she focused with all her concentration, she soon began to hear something calling to her like a beacon from somewhere off in the distance.
"Master..." Leia said at last, "I can see it."
Yoda looked at her intently, "Hm?"
"The crystal. For my lightsaber..." she added, "It's somewhere deep in the forest."
"Yes." Yoda nodded, "The crystals. Seeded them I did when I first came to Dagobah. The heart of a Jedi's weapon, it is. Retrieve the crystal you must. Normally, construct their own hilt a Jedi would. Yet short time is, and scarce are supplies here in the swamp. Replace the crystal in your lightsaber with your own."
Getting back to her feet, Leia dutifully walked over to Yoda, and knelt before him.
"And once I've completed this task, I will be Jedi?" she asked.
"One last task, you will face, and then a Jedi you will be." replied Yoda, "Now go with a clear mind, and find the crystal, you will."
Leia nodded, and stood. As she began to make her way towards the forest behind Yoda's home, Han ran up to stop her for a moment.
"Leia, should I accompany you?" he asked.
"Thank you, Han. But no." replied Leia, "This is something I need to do myself. I must EARN it for myself."
Han nodded, "I understand."
After taking a moment to lay a reassuring hand on Han's shoulder, Leia headed off into the mist-shrouded trees, following the call of the kyber crystal.
"So what now?" Lando asked as Han returned to the group.
"We wait." Han said simply.
It was the only thing they could do. The truth was that Han was still trying to wrap his head around all that he'd been told about Luke and Darth Vader since arriving back on the planet. A part of him still couldn't believe it. And try as he might, he just couldn't shake a strange sense of foreboding. A feeling like something was going to happen very soon.
All that Han knew was that he didn't like it...
And Han was absolutely right to have a bad feeling, because it was right at that moment when Darth Vader's shuttle suddenly emerged from hyperspace and began its descent into Dagobah's atmosphere. At last, the Imperial craft touched down in a clearing several miles away from Yoda's home, taking great care to avoid detection. Slowly, the ramp lowered, and two dark figures stepped down from the shuttle with dark purpose.
Taking a moment to survey the surrounding area, Vader and Luke both reached out with the Force, probing...feeling...searching for their quarry.
And before long, they found it, for they could both feel a powerful presence in the Force somewhere in the distance, and even though Vader had not felt it in over two decades, he recognized it immediately.
"Master Yoda is here. But I do not sense Princess Leia with him." Vader finally said.
"I can feel another presence out there in the forest, father." replied Luke, "That may be her."
"Investigate, my son." Vader instructed, "And remember, if it is her, then you know what you must do."
"I understand, father." Luke nodded slowly, "And Master Yoda?"
"He is mine." the Dark Lord said with finality.
"As you wish." conceded Luke.
Vader turned to look him in the face, "Do not allow your personally feelings to get in the way, Luke. Your actions today may decide the very fate of the galaxy."
"I will not fail you, father." Luke said.
"Then go, my son." Vader instructed, "And do what is to be done."
With that, Luke took a deep breath, and slipped off into the shadows of the forest without another word. For a long moment, Darth Vader just stood there, staring after his son in deep contemplation.
Vader knew that it may have seemed wiser for the both of them to go and eliminate Yoda together, especially since this mission was also meant to prepare his son for their inevitable confrontation with the emperor. But Vader had also wished to truly test his son's loyalty before then. By sending him to deal with Princess Leia, and keep her from interfering, the Dark Lord intended to remove all doubts of his son's allegiance once and for all.
But the Dark Lord also wished to test himself.
Vader had long known that he couldn't destroy the emperor by himself, not with his power in the Force diminished due to the ravages his body had suffered long ago on Mustafar. But as he had told his son, Master Yoda had once matched the emperor blow for blow. And the Dark Lord could only wonder, if he could destroy Yoda on his own, then could that mean that it was also possible for him to destroy his master on his own?
Vader had to know, and this was the only way he would.
And so, at last, the Dark Lord began to make his way towards his own objective.
R2-D2 suddenly let out a series of shrill beeps and whistles.
"Captain Solo!" C-3PO alerted, "R2 has just detected a ship landing nearby! He says that it's an Imperial signature!"
Han felt his stomach drop, "Oh, blast it! Not now!"
"Here the Dark Lord is." Yoda said bluntly.
"You mean Vader?! Oh, hell!" the smuggler exclaimed, as Chewbacca let out a howl of alarm.
"Wh-wh-what do we do?" asked Lando, his face a mask of horror.
"Lando, take Chewie and the droids, and get the Falcon ready for takeoff!" Han instructed, scrambling to come up with a plan on the fly, "I'm gonna go find Leia!"
Lando needed no more prodding, "Right!"
As Lando, Chewie, C-3PO, and R2-D2 all hurried off in the direction of the Millennium Falcon, Han started to run towards the forest that Leia had entered. But then, he stopped for a moment, and looked back at Yoda, who remained seated as though nothing at all were happening.
"Wait; what about you?" Han asked the Jedi Master.
"Worry not about me." replied Yoda calmly, "Faced the darkness before I have, and face it again I shall."
Han couldn't help but give a slight grin, "Right, you're a Jedi..."
"Go." Yoda urged.
With a final brisk nod, Han promptly took off into the woods, desperately hoping to pick up Leia's trail before the enemy could.
For a moment, Yoda watch him go. Once the smuggler had disappeared into the forest, the Jedi Master closed his eyes, and sat silently in deep meditation.
Waiting.
He sat there for what felt like a long time, until at last, he heard it. From somewhere off in the distance, there came the sound of heavy mechanical breathing gradually coming closer...
The forest was dark and filled with mist, making it very difficult to see where one was going, but Leia knew that she was on the right track, for the call of the crystal was growing louder. In spite of this however, an increasing sense of urgency began to overtake her, for she could also feel a dark presence coming from somewhere behind her.
Something was wrong; she could feel it.
But even so, she resisted the urge to go back, for she felt compelled to complete this final task Master Yoda had given her to complete her training. To finally become a Jedi. Instead, she increased her pace, and prayed that she was making the right choice.
Then, at last, she saw it.
Up ahead, there was a clearing in the forest, and in the center of that clearing, Leia could see something emitting a bright, illuminating glow piercing through the darkness...
Before long the sound of the mechanical breathing would be accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps. At last, Yoda opened his eyes, and looked up to see Darth Vader emerging from the shadows of the trees. The Dark Lord finally came to stop a few meters away from where the Jedi Master sat, and for a long moment, the two of them only stared at one another, the stretched out silence broken only by the sound of Vader's breathing.
At last, Yoda spoke, "Lord Vader, expecting you I have been."
"And I you, Master Yoda." replied Vader, "We meet again at last. I must say, after all these years, I had truly begun to believe that you were dead."
A slight smirk spread across Yoda's face, "Surprised? Many more surprises will there be this day."
"Do not toy with me, Jedi." Vader warned, "Where is your new apprentice?"
"Where is your son?" challenged Yoda, slightly taking the Dark Lord aback.
But Vader quickly recovered, "He will lead me to the Princess if you will not."
"Faith in your son misplaced may be. For much conflict I sense in him." Yoda mused aloud.
"There is no conflict." Vader hissed, "Like all Jedi, you underestimate the power of the Dark Side."
"Heard that before I have." Yoda said as he set his walking stick down, and got to his feet, "And face your darkness I will, as once your master's I did."
In response, the Dark Lord ignited his lightsaber, "So be it."
Vader swung his saber downward, but to the Dark Lord's shock, Yoda caught the crimson blade with his bare hand, using the Force to absorb the energy.
Tutaminis, the Dark Lord recognized the advanced ability.
And then, raising his other hand, the Jedi Master shot a blast of white energy directly from his palm into the Dark Lord's masked face, causing Vader to stumble backwards as his surroundings seemed to simply disappear in a blinding brightness.
When Vader's vision finally cleared, he found to his disbelief that he had somehow been transported to the inside of a huge mist-filled temple. Master Yoda was nowhere to be seen.
"What? What have you done?!" exclaimed Vader.
"Entered your mind I have." Yoda's voice seemed to come from all around him, "Even more twisted you are here than in the physical realm."
"Your tricks won't save you, Jedi. Show yourself." Vader demanded.
"Soon enough, Sith Lord." replied Yoda's voice, "But first..."
It was then that multiple figures made of pure light begin to materialize out of the swirling mists. Faces of those Vader had known in days past. There was his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, exactly as Vader remembered him during their final duel on the Death Star. There was Qui-Gon Jinn, who'd first discovered him on Tatooine. There was Ahsoka Tano, his former padawan. Mace Windu. Shaak Ti. Plo Koon. Kit Fisto. Luminara Unduli. Ki-Adi-Mundi. Aayla Secura...
"Find out we shall how long in a room full of Light the Darkness can endure." Yoda's voice challenged.
At Yoda's words, the Jedi apparitions all ignited their "lightsabers". In response, Vader held up his own lightsaber, accepting the challenge. Obi-Wan made the first move, lunging towards Vader with an almost liquid fluidity. Parrying the blow of his former master, Vader was then forced to dodge to side to evade a strike from Luminara Unduli. Bringing his blade down across her torso, the Dark Lord watched as the shade of the Mirialan Jedi dissolved back in the mists from whence she had come.
"It will take more than specters to stop me, Master Yoda." Vader declared, parrying another strike from Obi-Wan.
But then, he was surprised by an attack from Mace Windu, whose amethyst blade sliced directly into Vader's shoulder armor, causing the Dark Lord to let out a grunt of pain.
"Specters they may be..." came Yoda's voice, "But your specters they are, and hurt you they can."
As Yoda's word echoed throughout the chamber, the Jedi apparitions all began to converge on Vader at once...
As Leia stepped into the small clearing, she could see that the area was littered with jagged rock formations jutting out from the ground. Growing among them, and emitting a bright glow, were small, green crystals.
Kneeling next to one of them, Leia tried to pry the crystal from the rock, but much to her frustration, she found that it would not budge. Unable to remove the crystal with just her hands, Leia remembered Yoda's teachings, and a calm sense of serenity began to wash over her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and held out her palm parallel to the rock formation.
The crystal flew free from rock and directly into Leia's hand.
With great care, she removed the old blue crystal from her lightsaber, and placed the new green crystal inside. Igniting the weapon, Leia held up the new green blade, and stared into it for a long moment in deep contemplation. Everything that had happened since the Battle of Hoth had been leading to this moment.
Her training was at last complete. She was now a Jedi Knight.
She didn't know what to think; it was almost unreal.
But then suddenly, she felt the presence of someone behind her. Spinning around, Leia held her new lightsaber out before her, and scanned her surroundings. At first, she couldn't see anyone, but she knew that somebody was there, for she could feel them. Had Han or one of the others followed her even though she'd told them that she had to do this alone?
No, this feeling was different... But at the same time, there was something oddly familiar about it...
And that was when Leia saw a hooded black-clad figure emerging from the shadows of the trees. The figure came to a stop at the edge of the clearing and stared at her.
Leia stood frozen to the spot in panic.
An Imperial Inquisitor?! Here?! How did they find us?!
"Leia..." the dark figure said.
Leia's breath caught in her throat, for she recognized the figure's voice. It was a voice that she hadn't heard since Hoth.
With that, the figure lowered its hood to reveal to her the face of Luke Skywalker. A dark expression clouded his eyes, and his face had grown stubble, but it was definitely, and indisputably Luke.
"Luke..." Leia breathed.
"Put the lightsaber down, Leia." Luke warned, "There's no need for violence. I don't want to hurt you."
Ultimately, Leia deactivated the lightsaber.
"Even though I knew, I still hoped it wasn't so..." she said in utter dismay.
"Leia, you don't understand..." Luke insisted.
"You're right, Luke. I don't." she retorted, "Why? How could you join Vader? You know what he is."
Luke bristled, "Vader is my father, Leia! Obi-Wan lied to me; he told me that Vader betrayed and murdered my father. Why? Was he hoping that I would kill my only remaining family?!"
"Obi-Wan wanted to tell you, Luke." Leia tried to explain, "But Master Yoda said that you weren't ready to know the truth."
"And just what gave either of them the right to decide that for me?" Luke demanded, "What gave them the right to try and control my destiny? Well, destiny has guided me to follow the same path as my father. It's the only way. Together, we will destroy the emperor, and restore peace to the galaxy. Is that not what we've all been trying to accomplish all along?"
"Not like this, Luke!" Leia reasoned, "You can't save the galaxy by joining the Dark Side! You'll only destroy yourself and us along with you!"
Luke sighed, "You've let those Jedi lectures get to you, Leia. If you could only see and feel the things I have."
From behind Luke, there suddenly came a harsh laugh completely devoid of any humor.
"You must rate pretty high to get a seat on Darth Vader's personal shuttle, old buddy!"
Turning to look, Luke saw Han Solo standing a short distance behind him. Leia could only wonder how long he'd standing there.
"Han..." Luke said.
Han's lip curled, "I can see you've really gone off the deep end this time, kid. Looks like trying to be a Jedi was too much for you."
"You shouldn't have come here, Han." retorted Luke, "There are things far beyond the mind and powers of a space pirate. Things you'll never understand."
"Hey, wait a minute..." Han barked, "I can read a face, farm boy, and you've come a long way from the idealistic kid who couldn't wait to get off Tatooine and join the Rebellion. A long way down."
"Han, take it easy. You don't... You don't understand what he's been through..." Leia tried to ease the rising tension.
"Leia's right, Han. You don't, and you can't..." insisted Luke, "For her sake, I advise you to walk away from this."
"Not on your life! We're leaving this planet now, and this time you're coming with us!" Han declared, drawing his blaster.
In response, Luke immediately reached out, and pulled Han's blaster into his hand with the Force, much to the smuggler's shock.
"Don't." Luke warned, "If you force me to take extreme measures, then no matter who wins, we all lose."
"Luke, stop this! We're your friends!" Leia implored.
Luke looked at her intently, "And that's exactly why it doesn't have to be that way. Join us, Leia. Just think of what we can do with this power. We can destroy the emperor, end this war, and restore order to galaxy together!"
Leia couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Do you even realize what you're saying, Luke?! I will never forsake all that I have honored and fought for to stand with the monster responsible for so much of the galaxy's suffering!"
Disappointed, Luke shook his head, "I guess I'm not surprised. But for the sake of everything we've been through, I really hoped that you would see..."
But before he could finish the sentence, Han suddenly sprinted forward, and slammed his fist into Luke's face, causing him to drop the smuggler's blaster.
"Traitor!" Han yelled, "She's not going anywhere with you or your..."
But before he could finish, Luke's artificial hand suddenly thrust out, and seized Han by the throat. Gasping for air, Han struggled against Luke's mechanical grip to no avail.
"Han!" Leia cried out in horror.
"I warned you to walk away, Han." Luke reminded his old friend as he began to lift him off the ground by the neck.
"It's all true, isn't it...?" Han gasped, blacking out, "You're becoming...just like him...aren't you... Just like Vader-or worse..."
"Let him GO!" shouted Leia, as she reignited her lightsaber and charged towards Luke, her new emerald blade raised high.
Tossing Han to the forest floor, Luke quickly ignited his own lightsaber, and brought his own crimson blade up to block Leia's strike. For a moment, the two of them just stared at one another down through the blade lock.
"I didn't want it to come to this, Leia." Luke declared, "But I have no choice. I must obey my father. I must follow my destiny."
"And I must follow mine, Luke: to save you from the Dark Side!" Leia shot back.
Breaking the blade lock, the two friends turned adversaries began to engage one another in their own emotionally charged duel of the light against the dark.
It was Princess Leia Organa VS Luke Skywalker; the pupil of Master Yoda against the pupil of Darth Vader...
END OF PART 6