Chapter Eighteen:

On The Threshold of Darkness


Now or never, there wouldn't be any turning back, not with so much at stake. After witnessing those visions on Dagobah, Luke was filled with more resolve than ever, and he knew that all roads led to him facing Vader once more. The spirit of Obi-Wan was right about one thing; he could not escape his destiny.

At that moment, Luke and Ahsoka were en-route to Coruscant. Even with the legions of Imperial forces there, the Jedi would not be deterred, regardless of how much more powerful Vader had become.

R2 beeped anxiously, trying to give the two Jedi a suggestion, likely about turning back and undertaking more Jedi training. However, Luke had trained enough, he had years to master the Force and lightsaber combat, and he'd trained with Ahsoka before leaving Dagobah. It was clear that the astromech was uneasy about going to the heart of Imperial territory itself.

"We'll be alright, old buddy." Luke told him, "Just stay with the ship and prepare to fly out of there when trouble arises."

The nav-computer beeped, letting Luke know that Coruscant was ahead. He cut the sub-light engines, and the X-Wing dropped out of hyperspace. In moments, the headstrong pilot was taking in the sight of the city planet, while Ahsoka observed with recognition in her eyes.

Luke steered the ship closer, and a couple Star Destroyers came into view. R2 let out a rapid fire series of beeps, warning his owner of the chances they would be dealing with enemy fire. The rebel pilot acknowledged his droid's concerns, and looked at Ahsoka, who nodded, and they maneuvered around a passing Imperial freighter, right before a TIE Fighter patrol came by.

"BWEEEP-BOOOOP!" R2 shrieked.

"Here comes the hard part." Luke agreed.

And that was when havoc broke loose. Turbo-laser fire erupted in the space around Luke and Ahsoka's ship, with Star Destroyers and TIE Fighters shooting at the X-Wing class rebel ship that was approaching the capital of the Empire. Luke steered madly, swerving hard to avoid the blasts of lasers, just as a TIE Fighter streaked above his nose.

He jerked the controls hard, putting the X-Wing into a barrel roll, then he hit the breaks and flipped around to face the pursuing TIE Fighters. Luke squeezed the trigger, and the Imperials went up in a ball of flame.

Luke dove down, and steered the ship back in Coruscant's direction, racing towards the Imperial capital at terminal velocity while more TIE Fighters swarmed the son of Anakin Skywalker and the former Jedi Padawan. Both Jedi veered left and right, shooting at ships, while Luke allowed the Force to guide him and Ahsoka through the forest of oncoming Imperials.

On board the ISD-1 Wrecker, Admiral Veight stepped onto the bridge and shouted, "What is going on here?!"

"A rebel ship emerged from hyperspace and is entering Coruscant's airspace, sir!" The captain reported.

"What? Who would be so foolhardy enough to attack our capital alone?!" Veight snapped.

"It's an X-Wing sir, and we just identified an R2-class droid." An officer told him.

"Get me Lord Vader at once! And deploy everything we have!" Veight ordered furiously, "Intercept that ship, and bring me the pilot alive! I want to speak with him, and see what kind of Rebel we're dealing with!"

At that moment, Luke and Ahsoka were streaking through the cloudy, and bright-blue sky over Coruscant, right as city towers were coming into view. The Jedi swerved, avoiding hover traffic on their way, and looked back to see a couple TIE Fighters crashing into the flood of cars in a fiery haze.

Loud honking prompted Luke to steer fast, maneuvering around a pair of passing cabs, and R2 shrieked with anxiety. Both Jedi and astromech soared over the city-covered surface, streaking past towers, and avoiding ships in the middle of take off from nearby landing zones.

Luke allowed the Force to guide him and Ahsoka, and closed his eyes for a moment, then he focused on the metallic terrain, and spotted a large hole from which speeders and cabs were emerging from. The Force spoke to the two Jedi, and R2 beeped in an uneasy manner as Luke steered the X-Wing through the hole, and down into the depths.

The path was here, The Force was pointing both Jedi to a lower level, where they would find a way into the Imperial Palace without having to deal with entire legions of Stormtroopers. And yet, Luke could sense Vader would have security waiting.

'Do not despair, Luke.' Yoda's voice spoke from beyond the grave, the wise words of the deceased Jedi Master echoed in the rebel pilot's mind, and he steered the X-Wing towards a large shaft protruding from the wall. Luke turned control of his fighter to R2, and opened the hatch, then he took the leap to the edge of the exposed pipe.

Ahsoka followed, and Luke helped her up. R2 beeped warily, then he flew off with the X-Wing, avoiding the traffic along the way, while a pair of TIE Fighters gave chase. In that moment, the two Jedi were on the move, making their way through the tunnel, while remaining alert.

Luke brought out his lightsaber, and ignited the green blade, prepared for a sign of trouble. Ahsoka readied her weapons, and the Torgruta surveyed the surrounding area in a warry manner.

Water dripped as both Jedi traveled their way through the dark tunnel, with the Force leading them along. A probe droid floated past, and Luke held out his hand, catching the Imperial unit with his mind, then he slammed it into a wall, smashing the probe to pieces within moments.

"We better get to safety..." Ahsoka told Luke, "The Imperials will send another probe. Or we may have attracted the attention of a Stormtrooper patrol."

Luke nodded, and followed the right tunnel where the droid had floated in from. Ahsoka watched their backs, listening for the sound of incoming probes or patrols. The Force sang in her and Luke's ears, telling the Jedi rebels where they had to go. A few rats scurried through the darkness, scavenging for food, and squeaking aggressively.

A cold sensation fell upon Luke's body, and his spine tingled for a brief moment. He could sense the aura of the Dark Side, even within the tunnels, and it felt like someone was reaching out to him. Vader knew Luke was here, and the farm boy could feel it.

Even though Coruscant wasn't strong in the Force, it's power still had a presence on the city planet in many ways. Luke and Ahsoka took a left turn, weaving their way along another path through the tunnel, moments before they heard the hum of more Imperial probes floating around.

The former Padawan and the younger Force user sensed the probes were close, and made their way through a nearby service hatch with a ladder. Luke climbed inside a duct, and crawled through with Ahsoka behind him. They heard thudding sounds, a strong indication of trash being tossed away somewhere, and the two Force users crawled into another tunnel.

Just using Coruscant's sewers to get into the Imperial Palace was hard enough, but danger lurked around many corners in this place. In that moment, the Force spoke to Luke, telling him he was on the right path.

Lightsabers were ignited once more, and both human and Torgruta followed the trail through the tunnels, ignoring the stench of discarded food along with other forms of waste that wound up in this sector. Luke hoped R2 had managed to evade being captured by the Imperials or, even worse, blown up in a skirmish with TIE Fighters.

He felt a tremor in the Force, a tingle in his skin, and the son of Vader could feel that Leia and the others were about to launch a major operation. Something was about to happen, and it wouldn't just be his and Ahsoka's battle with the former's father.

Within the halls of the Imperial Palace, Vader stood at the edge of the tower that was once Palpatine's office, staring at the cityscape of Coruscant as he meditated in the Force. He sensed his son's presence, and he knew Luke was coming.

Young Skywalker wasn't alone, Vader could sense Ahsoka's presence as well. The vision was becoming reality, and Vader would soon be facing her and Luke once more, an inevitable threshold which the players were about to pass: The last desperate stand of the Jedi against the might of the Dark Side.

Vader saw only one future, one where he and Luke took the throne together, and ruled as father and son. Ahsoka, as far as the fallen Jedi was concerned, had no future in the Empire, even if she could be converted to the Dark Side.

"Closer, Luke..."