Chapter 4 - Surviving
Vader is the first to move, lashing out with the Force, trying to wrap it around the Sith's neck. Or something – Luke can't entirely tell – but the Sith obviously expects it this time because a Force wave explodes between them, throwing both of them back. Vader recollects himself quickly, igniting his lightsaber.
The not-Emperor reaches out a hand and the Twi'lek's lightsaber flies to it – why didn't Luke think of destroying that? He runs at Vader with a snarl, their blades clashing. Vader doesn't really move as he fights, holding his ground and fending the other Sith off. Luke attacks the Twi'lek from the side, forcing him to swing back and forth to keep from getting stabbed.
He's fast though and he's not tiring in the slightest. Not even with both of them here.
But Luke's fighting alongside his father and he doesn't know how to feel about that. It's the first thing he's actually done with him his entire life. Doesn't have more than a moment to consider that line of thought, though, before he's flung across the clearing into one of the trees.
Into almost literally.
Thinks it's one of the trees, anyway.
His head is pounding and his breath is knocked out entirely. He lands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath but his head is screaming in protest.
"Luke?" Camie's voice asks urgently.
He looks up, blinking past how much the word is spinning. Her hand is on his shoulder and he can see the concern shining in her eyes. Furry arms scoop him up a second later – Chewie – pulling him a few paces away into the trees and setting him down on the grass, in between Han and Leia. Camie is still crouched in front of him.
"I'm okay," he insists, blinking a few times as he tries to refocus on the lightsaber duel only meters away. He needs to get back up and help. Would help if his head wasn't pounding so hard.
"Why don't we go while we can?" she urges, eyes wide.
Luke hesitates.
It would be a good chance to run, to maybe even get off Endor before the Empire is after them again but he can't just leave Vader here. He doesn't know how powerful this Sith is. Nothing is enough to take him down – a fact quickly proved as the ground suddenly shakes beneath him. Luke looks up sharply to see cracks rapidly spreading along the ground right beneath where Vader is standing.
The Sith's outstretched hand is enough to show who's responsible for it.
He can do that?
Then why did he never do that with Luke? Or is it because with him he was playing, with Vader, he can't?
His father sidesteps the cracking rocks with more agility than should be possible in that kind of armor, and rocks start flying from... somewhere, hitting the Sith. He tries to fling them away or throw them at Vader but his armor does good to protect him from anything that gets past.
"You go," Luke says finally, eyes transfixed on the duel, "I have to make sure this Sith is dealt with here."
"We're not leaving you here," Leia retorts stubbornly.
Camie's face shadows a little, but she nods firmly. "I think we should stay together. You're right. If I keep running, he'll keep coming after me."
A piece of burning debris is ripped from the building, hitting the Sith. It throws him off-balance though he hurls it right back at Vader who barely dodges it in time.
A rock lifts from the ground behind the two Sith, nearly hitting the not-Emperor in the head. He throws it aside, lifting a hand. Luke hears the sound of metal crushing and Vader makes a strangled noise as his legs get crushed – he lands rather unceremoniously on the ground.
Luke's heart skips a beat at the – what –
If Vader's perturbed in the slightest, he doesn't show it, hand slamming on the ground, ripping the ground open beneath the Sith itself and he falls, into the now gaping crack in the ground. Vader throws the fallen rocks and debris down after him... all of which are promptly thrown back out and the Sith flips out of the crack in the rocks, a positively outraged look on his face.
He's getting angry and that means this isn't just a game anymore. He unleashes a blast of lightning on Vader who blocks it with his lightsaber.
Luke tries to force away the swimming in his head, forcing himself to his feet and stepping out of the trees. He can't just sit back here and do nothing. Even if he can't stand straight right now.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Leia objects, frowning. She's afraid for him which he appreciates but he can't do nothing. Even if Vader seems to be handling himself just fine right now.
"Don't have much other choice. Stay out of sight," Luke calls back, starting forward.
The Sith looks to him sharply, flicking up a hand to unleash a blast of lightning on him instead. Luke tries to block it with his lightsaber the way Vader is doing but the intensity is so strong and it crackles up the hilt into his mechanical hand and his grip falters. The lightsaber deactivates a split second before it would have been thrown through him from the force of the lightning. The electricity crackles into him, flinging him back to the ground.
The world blacks out around him for a few moments but he can still distantly sense the sheer intensity of the Force whipping nearby. When he opens his eyes again, it's to see and feel the way the Dark Side is starting to whip up around Vader, like a wild storm. Clouds are coming out of nowhere overhead, lightning flashing in the sky overhead. Lightning hits the ground several times around them, some cutting straight through the trees.
The not-Emperor is trying to direct the storm right back at him, unleashing a blast of lightning that hits Vader.
He hears his father's strangled scream but he barely has the energy to open his eyes or to – to anything. Blaster shots are ringing out vaguely in the background Luke forces his eyes open at that, enough to see the others shooting at the not-Emperor. He unleashes a blast of lightning their direction and that's all the distraction that Vader needed. He lifts up his hand, nearly visible currents of the Force twisting around the Sith – whatever he's about to do. The Sith whips back around, trying to electrocute Vader again but the lightning slams into an unseen shield surrounding his father. The lightning deflects back, hitting the Sith. It flings him into the tree and the body crumples, motionless.
From the way Vader is concentrating the Force around an unseen – something – in the middle of the trees, it's enough to know that it's the spirit. He can't see it, though. He can just see where Vader is straining against it in the Force.
Vader flicks out a hand, and the Force wave explodes suddenly, the sheer power of the Force blast ripping through the trees around him. Several of them topple to the ground from the sheer force of it.
Everything goes eerily still.
The air suddenly feels cleaner somehow.
But he must be really gone. He's gone and that means it's... over.
Finally.
It's over. It's over and the relief that floods Luke is overwhelming.
Trying to force past the lingering pain, he forces himself up, scrambling down the hill to Vader's side. He hasn't moved to get up – his respirator is breathing unevenly and he's not moving from where he's lying on the ground.
Luke reaches down, taking Vader's hand with his flesh one. "Father?" he asks.
Vader's hand tighens a little on his hand. It's metal too.
At least he's still alive. That was so close and he doesn't want to think about how this very nearly ended.
"You'll be alright. We'll get help soon," Luke promises, heart still pounding. He could still die even if Luke doesn't think he will. He can't believe his father is right here next to him and – on their side. At least, hopefully he is. He saved them all, though.
Almost as though in an echo of his words, he suddenly senses a wild shift in the Force. People crying out in the Force before their voices are abruptly silenced. He looks up to the sky and even through the sunlight he can see the Death Star far above exploding.
The Rebellion won.
Against the Sith and against the Empire. They won. The Emperor is gone. It doesn't truly sink in until right now.
The pressure Luke's hand increases slightly.
"Are you – well?" Vader asks, voice about as weak as he thinks it could be through the vocodor.
Luke's gaze darts back to him, the question taking him by surprise. But – it shouldn't surprise him that his father is worried about him. "Yeah. Just... wait a bit longer. We'll get you help."
The sound of grass rustles behind him and he looks up to see Camie approaching. She crouches next to them, taking Luke's other hand.
"Thanks for helping us," she says, looking to Vader and it gives Luke a momentary brain freeze.
She just –
He never expected someone else to make a casual comment to Vader, least of all to thank him, but... Camie doesn't care much for the Rebellion or Empire.
"And I'm glad you two were able to find each other," she adds.
Luke nods, squeezing her hand back and offering her a small smile.
Vader does not reply. He seems as taken aback by the exchange as Luke himself, if not even more so.
Han, Leia, and Chewbacca are lingering back. He thinks they feel pretty awkward about the whole thing – understandably. He needs to talk to them, though, as soon as he's sure his father will be alright.
**w**
The rebels land on Endor's surface not long later. Vader's taken on board one of the shuttles to treat what they can immediately – Luke stays long enough to ensure they're actually going to be treating him and not... hurting him. Not that he believes they would because that's not how the Alliance treats prisoners – if that's really what Vader is when he helped them – but he stays long enough to make sure, first.
His friends are all standing outside, waiting for him.
"Since when was he your dad?" Han inquires, the moment Luke's back outside.
"I... found out on Bespin," Luke admits, "I didn't know how to tell you." He wasn't sure he was ready to, not until the news started to feel real to him, too.
Chewbacaa growls. "He told me. I didn't realize who it was."
"He cares about you," Leia observes quietly.
"Yeah," Luke agrees. He's still flooded with an overflowing warmth, thinking about it. Still wants to have a moment to actually talk to him.
And he badly needs to tell her who she is even if he doesn't know how she'll take it.
"He is his dad," Camie points out, as though it's just that simple, "I don't see how he couldn't."
Might as well tell her now before it starts to seem strange. And it's something she is going to need time to process, especially if Vader is going to be around them. He's suddenly almost nervous but he needs to get it over with.
"Can I talk to you privately?" Luke asks, approaching Leia.
He can feel Camie's eyes on him but it's not for anyone else to know unless Leia wants them too.
His twin nods, and they move a short distance away into the trees together. "What is it?" she queries, studying his face.
He hesitates. "This isn't going to be easy for you to hear but you have to know. The Force has always been strong in my family. My strength in it I... inherited from my father and... my sister has it too."
Leia stills, eyes widening the slightest bit. "You mean..."
"Yes, it's you Leia."
She shifts back a little, expression flickering. He can't tell what it means but she's obviously overwhelmed.
"I understand if it's not easy for you to accept. Vader... doesn't know. I haven't told him. I..." He feels like he should because his father deserves to know but he doesn't even know how to approach that out of nowhere. And Ben warned him specifically about the dangers but the Emperor is gone now. It can't still be dangerous. He just doesn't know if he should tell him right off or wait until Leia's ready for that.
"Just... let me have a few moments here," she requests finally.
He nods uncertainly, heading back to the others.
"Where's Leia?" Han asks right off, stepping out from between the trees.
"She wanted to be alone for a bit."
He frowns. "Is she alright?"
"She will be." Leia is strong. He doesn't quite know how she feels about it this but she'll deal with the news, some way or other.
Han glances between him and the trees before he disappears in the direction Leia went. Chewbacca is a short distance off, playing with a couple Ewoks who have come out of the trees.
That leaves Luke alone with Camie again.
"That was an impressive display you put on against that... Sith, whatever he was," Camie comments.
"My father did a lot better," he replies, slightly abashed at the praise.
"Can't disagree with that," she replies with a laugh and Luke can't help joining in. He does rather appreciate that she doesn't just blindly hero-worship him, though.
He's still aching all over from the fight and it just occurs to him now that he doesn't know if the others are injured or not. They never got checked over by the Rebellion medics.
"Are you alright?" Luke asks her, "He nearly got you."
"It was so close and I was so scared you wouldn't get there in time but you did. I wasn't hurt. Are you fine? You were electrocuted. How are you even still walking?" she demands.
He's still hurting everywhere and he doesn't know how long it'll take for the aching to go away. "Most of the damage is internal. They already checked me over and cleared me," he assures. With specifications of how he's supposed to be resting and such but nothing major.
"Internal?" Camie repeats, eyes widening, "How is that reassuring?"
"I suppose it isn't," he has to agree dryly, "But it's not serious."
"I'll take your word for it," she replies though she sounds very dubious about it "And the Death Star is... gone. What does that mean now?"
"It means that we won. The Emperor is dead and with Father's help... the Empire is finished." It's still starting to feel real. They've been fighting for this moment for years now and it's finally here. They won.
"Hard to believe," she says, smiling faintly as she shakes her head. The wind rustles through her waist-length hair. Honestly, how'd she fight with it that long without tit getting in the way, even if it's pulled back in a ponytail right now? "It cost... a lot of people to get to this point." Some of the levity fades from her gaze.
"We lost many," Luke agrees. And they aren't deaths that will ever be forgotten even if he's a little too focused on the victory to want to get lost in remembering that right now.
"Even on the Empire side," she replies, gaze shifting back up the sky. They can't see the remains of the Death Star from here but he can imagine the sky is littered.
"It wasn't ideal but we didn't have another choice."
He still feels ridiculously giddy about the whole thing. They won and he has his father back and – "I suppose with this over, I can take you to Eden now if you still want to go," Luke adds, changing the topic. What will happen after that, he doesn't know. The danger is probably over so they probably don't have to but... He's admittedly very curious about this planet.
"I do," Camie replies, "I want to know what this place is, if it's my birthplace. And if I have... other parents, I want to meet them."
It sends a pang through him. He'll never get back the years he lost with his father – and he never knew his mother at all who is long gone. Maybe he should ask Vader about her sometime – so he completely understands her desire to go see her biological parents immediately. He knows this feeling, even if she had actual parents who she thought were hers, unlike him. "Then we'll go as soon as I can get away from here."
Camie nods, looking up to meet his gaze.
Luke holds it, resisting the urge to glance away. "I don't suppose you'll be sticking around after this," he remarks. Disappointment is flooding him suddenly. He never thought about what the after would mean until now. It hadn't really mattered. He didn't expect to realize how much he missed his former friendship with her. "Or considering joining up with the Rebellion?"
"Not much to join up for if it's over, right?" she points out.
"There'll still be cleaning up to do."
Camie's momentarily quiet. "I – I want us to stay in contact when I leave, if that's possible."
His heart flares just a little. "Sure it will be," he assures, "Can't promise how often I'd be able to answer comm calls but... I think the fight should be wrapping up soon." It sounds surreal to even say that but it might be reality soon.
She nods. "I think I should stay out of the fight anyway, just to remind you that that doesn't have to be all you do." She flashes him a half smile.
He understands her point though he still has never really thought of much beyond his duty. It didn't really matter but now... "Still being stubborn about that?" he asks.
"Hey, you should at least think about it." Camie takes a step closer to him. "There is something I... need to tell you."
He blinks. "What?"
"I – "
The sound of branches snapping behind him draws his gaze away from her and he turns, ignoring the flicker of annoyance at having their conversation interrupted.
It's Han, back from wherever he went to find Leia. He looks totally mind-blown and baffled about – something.
"You were saying?" Luke prods.
Camie's gaze darts between him and Han, setting to something more nervous than anything else. "I... We can talk about it later."
Fine.
He tries to ignore how desperately curious he is as Camie starts to move off.
"Since when is Leia your sister?" Han demands, incredulously.
So she told him. That probably means she's handling it better than he thought she would. "I... just found out myself."
"Oh, 'cuz it didn't seem like you could've known that before."
Yes, okay, he doesn't much care to think about that moment on Hoth. He was genuinely too out of it to follow why in the world or what in the world Han and Leia were squabbling about in the first place at that point. He'd just wanted to sleep.
"We didn't," Luke assures him, mildly amused.
They leave it at that.
**w**
It's not until they're off Endor and back at their in-space rebel base that Luke goes to see Vader again. He wants to see him once last time before he leaves for Eden.
Vader is awake when he enters, sitting up in the medbay bed though he's not in his armor.
Luke stills at the sight of him. He doesn't know what he expected, just not this. His skin is deathly pale. He has an implant of some sort on his neck and there's an awful scar running across his head and another along his cheek but his... eyes are blue. Like Luke's.
"Father," he murmurs, trying to conceal the horror swelling inside of him as he looks at him.
Vader – or is Anakin now? He feels so light in the Force suddenly. Not the black hole in the Force he did before. It's shifting to something brilliant and light and soft and burning at once and Luke can't deny liking what it feels like.
Anakin looks at him, the slightest smile twisting his lips, something full of affection. "Luke," he says. His voice sounds different. Far softer than through the vocodor. "I waited a long time to be able to look at you with my own eyes."
Without the helmet, he means.
Luke returns the smile, warmth flaring up inside of him. He may not be happy with many of the things he knows his father has done but he still helped him in the end. And his friends. They'd be dead if not for that.
"I'm glad you're here," Luke tells him, at a sudden ridiculous loss for words. He wanted a father for so long. Now that he has him here, he feels almost completely overwhelmed.
"What do you want of me now, Luke?" Anakin asks.
The question strikes him a little weird but – "I want to get to know you," Luke says, "I always... I heard how you were a hero and I... wanted to be like you when I was younger." Wanted to be like what he thought he was like, anyway. But there's obviously much of Anakin Skywalker in what his father became when he was still with the Empire. He can see it even more clearly now.
"I have desired to know you for years," Anakin replies softly, something like longing his gaze.
Luke offers him a small smile, still a loss of what he should say. There's so much he wants to ask him, to say to him, and he doesn't even know where to start.
"Where did you cross paths with that Sith Lord?" Anakin queries.
"Camie was a friend of mine. He was after her. I didn't know it was possible for Sith to transfer spirits." He's still uneasy about that. Yes, he knows the spirit is gone now but it's still unsettling.
"It is an ability of the ancient Sith, thought to be lost through the ages."
Ancient. Just how ancient?
"When I asked Threepio about the symbol on the Sith's allies' clothes, he said it was used in an Empire from the – some war around five thousand years ago." The terms went totally over Luke's head.
Anakin nods, thoughtfully. This is something he knows about. It's weird to realize that. Of course Jedi and Sith history is something he learned in the past. "I suspect that he may have been the spirit of Naga Sadow."
"...Who?"
"He was of a species called pure blood Sith – "
"I thought Sith were a – a religion. Or you know..."
"The Sith way began amongst a species who called themselves the Sith. Those who came after took up that name. it has more than one meaning."
Hmm. Good to know.
"Sadow transferred his spirit to another body," Anakin goes on, "He led a Sith Empire millennia ago. His death was never confirmed. There were rumors I heard, when I was younger. And Sidious spoke to me of him sometimes. He... desired to learn the knowledge that Sadow had but most of it was already lost. Or believed to be, seeing as he has been alive this time."
That is... beyond unsettling. They were fighting a Sith who lived five thousand years ago?
"But he's gone now, right?" Luke inquires, just to make sure.
"Yes. I made certain of it."
And that he trusts, even if he's still on edge.
"I need to take my friend back home. I'll be back soon," Luke promises. He wants to be with his father now that he finally can be but he won't be gone long.
Even if he really doesn't want to say goodbye to Camie yet. It's inevitable that he has to say goodbye to most of the random friends he picks over time so he doesn't know why it feels so difficult this time.
**w**
The trip to Eden was relaxing enough. Luke spent most of the time trying to research what's known about the planet and the answer seems to be basically nothing. It's closed off from the main part of the galaxy almost entirely.
They're going to Wild Space and he doesn't know what to expect.
Camie is in the copilot's seat, eyes glued to the window as Luke flies the small shuttle down for the surface of the planet, once they finally reach the planet.
From up here, he can see the endless green, mixed with swirls of brown that cover the surface, and the blue seas beyond.
It looks like a beautiful place to live. But even from here, he can already feel the lingering traces of the Dark Side. Of the Sith who is thankfully now gone but that doesn't mean the effects of what he's done are that fast to fade. The planet also feels bright in the Force, brighter than many he's been to in the past. Every planet has it's own unique energy signature in the Force but this one is especially bright. Maybe that's why Sadow picked this place to hide on? Maybe it made the bodies he possessed last longer.
"We don't know what we're walking into," Luke remarks, realizing for the first time just how true that is. They don't know anything about the place. Do the people here even speak Basic?
"Yeah," Camie agrees, though she looks almost dreamy-eyed as she stares at out the planet's surface. "It's... beautiful here."
"It is."
"I can't believe I was born here. Sometimes when I thought about where I wanted to live, I pictured a place a bit like this. Maybe this is why." She leans forward to get a better look as Luke brings the shuttle down.
The largest city is definitely the capital, just from flying overhead. And the largest building in the capital... That must be the palace.
The building looks ancient, half carved out of the rock of a mountain side but made more intricate over the years, with additional structures attached to it over the years. Designs are carved into the walls that don't make sense to him but for some reason, his first thought is that those symbols look Sithly.
"We don't know what state the government is in here. We will have to see what we can gather from the populace without attracting attention." Luke pointedly slides his lightsaber out of sight. He wouldn't want to be displaying that just in case people are hostile to the Jedi. Or to Force users, period.
"You think my... other parents are there?" Camie asks, her dreamy expression shifting to something a bit more nervous as she eyes the palace.
Luke glances sideways at her. "I don't know. I would assume they are still the monarchy but we should probably take it slowly. We don't know what their loyalties are at this point."
She deflates a bit. "Yeah. But they did send me away to be safe. I think they would want to see me again."
"I don't know how they couldn't." Luke lowers the shuttle down in a more concealed spot, though still in the capital city, and the two of them head for the ramp.
They step off the ship together, into the cool afternoon air. Camie shifts a little closer to Luke instinctively and he starts slightly as her hand slides into his. He throws a glance at her but doesn't pull away.
Keeping her this close is probably for the best, anyway. He doesn't know how this is going to go. He doesn't even know what they're doing.
They move away from the group of trees he landed the ship in, heading for a nearby street, trying to just walk casually.
The technology here looks a bit older than what Luke's used to seeing even if he can't say it's that outdated either.
He doesn't really know what they're looking for as they keep moving. He just tries to listen to his surroundings, tries to pick up on any gossip. The people are speaking Basic, some of them at least. There are many different species here.
He starts to pick up on random conversations as they keep moving.
Most is unimportant but he hears fleeting whispers of conversation. Something about the Emperor having gone missing and his first thought is that they're talking about Palpatine but it... doesn't exactly sound like it. And for the first time, Luke doesn't see any traces of the Empire period on this planet. The currency isn't the standard Imperial credits. There are no... stormtroopers or signs supporting the Empire.
Did it never reach here?
That is what the Marstraps implied.
It's relieving in a way he can't even explain to realize that there might still be planets where the galactic Empire didn't reach.
People on the street part suddenly and Luke looks up sharply, as a group of what look like guards push their way through the crowd. They have the same insignia on their shoulder that the ones after Camie did before, except that these ones aren't masked. It's obviously just a uniform of some kind.
The sound of boots moving sharply against the duracrete makes him throw a swift glance over his shoulder to see that there's a group of security approaching from behind them too.
So much for trying to run. What's happening? Why is this happening? Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe they should've confirmed with the Marstraps first about whether they should risk coming here at all, at least so soon.
"Stop," orders one of them sharply, stepping forward.
"Excuse me?" Luke asks, trying to play off as perfectly innocent.
"You're coming with us."
"What for?" Camie speaks up and he can feel her fear but she's doing an impressive job trying to look calm. "We were just passing through."
"I know who you both are," the one in front replies. The others are all raising their blasters. Maybe he could win this fight alone, but he couldn't guarantee that Camie would be able to get out of this unhurt. And he doesn't understand. He thought this would be over once the Sith is dead. But it's not. So what's happening?
Luke very grudgingly raises his hands in surrender and Camie does the same.
There's nothing ese he can do except let the guards lead them away.
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