CHAPTER 19
Luke watched the lightsaber duel between Ahsoka and the Inquisitor with fascinated awe. It was like a deadly dance, an artform even. Both of the duelists were highly skilled, their movements fluid, and graceful–Unlike the duel between Ahsoka and Vader earlier.
The boy sensed that even though Vader fought Ahsoka with his own rageful ferocity…there was a part of him that might have been holding back. Why? For Luke's benefit? Upon first glance, the child would have assumed that Vader fought Ahsoka with intent to kill. Yet, Luke had the feeling that his father was going easy on her. His motions had been more robotic and cumbersome. Maybe that suit his father wore made it hard for him to move in? If so…maybe Vader wasn't really holding back but was just at a disadvantage?
The child abandoned thoughts of his father, when Ahsoka cried out in pain.
"Ahsoka!" The boy screamed shrilly, despite the fact the Togruta could not hear him through the transparisteel. Ice cold fear began to flow freely throughout his veins. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
Ahsoka was clutching a hand over a gash on her left shoulder. When she removed her hand, the boy could see where the Inquisitor had clipped her with his lightsaber. Even from this distance, the wound looked nasty. At least for now it was cauterized so she was not bleeding out.
"Quick Jordy, get the medkit!" Luke ordered. He wanted to run and get it himself but his eyes were glued to the escalating scene down below, his fear keeping him rooted to the spot.
The Inquisitor was grinning maliciously as Ahsoka once again moved into a ready stance.
Their duel resumed although Ahsoka looked to be tiring. The wound she sustained hindered some of her movements. Luke pumped a fist in the air with a joyful shout when Ahsoka landed a blow on the Inquisitor's leg. Now he had a gash on his thigh and was slightly limping. Now that both opponents were evenly matched, it was anyone's game, though Luke was of course betting his imaginary credits on his mentor.
"Come on Ahsoka! You can get him!"
Luke heard a clatter followed by a loud 'thump' sound in the back of the shuttle.
"Jordy! Ahsoka is winning!" Luke shouted over his shoulder, too distracted to pay the noises any mind.
Suddenly a warning screamed at him through the Force. Luke ducked down, narrowly avoiding a red laser blast that would have hit him right in the head. The boy quickly turned around to see that one of the stormtroopers that had accompanied the Inquisitor had somehow snuck past Ahsoka and Jordy and made it on board!
Wait…this stormtrooper wasn't using stun rounds! He was trying to kill him!
The boy fumbled for his training saber and barely managed to block the next bolt that flew his way. He ran forward with an enraged scream and barreled into the trooper, tackling him to the ground. Both boy and man fell down together but Luke recovered much quicker, leaping back to his feet. He kicked the gun out of the stormtrooper's hand and snarled at him.
"What do you want? Why are you trying to kill me?!"
"Jedi scum," The trooper spat as he sat up but froze when the boy brought a yellow lightsaber blade to his throat.
"I thought Vader wanted me alive!" Luke growled with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, he does. But I'm here to bring you back to Red Sun, dead or alive." The greedy stormtrooper shamelessly admitted.
Luke suddenly grinned when his eyes caught sight of Jordy, now standing with an activated comlink in hand.
"Why not collect the 1,500,000 credit bounty that Vader posted?"
"I work for him, stupid boy. Bounties posted by the Empire cannot be collected by any Imperial."
"Yeah well, think of the recognition you'd get for turning me in to him."
"Red Sun is offering 250,000 credits for you, dead or alive. That's one bounty I know I can collect on."
"Why not collect the 500,000 bounty Red Sun offered for me ALIVE?!" Luke snarled in angered disgust.
"You are too dangerous to be kept alive. JEDI."
"What would Lord Vader think if he knew about this, hmm?" The boy asked with a dark glare.
"Ha! Vader will never know!"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Luke fought back a laugh.
Jordy was clever…he called Vader on his personal frequency and had it on speakerphone! He'd been silently recording and transmitting the entire conversation that Luke had with the traitorous stormtrooper. He was a little surprised that Vader hadn't spoken yet.
Jordy signed to him as he must have read Luke's rather confused expression.
/One way transmission. Outgoing only./
Luke kept his training saber pointed at the trooper as he bent down to pull the binders from the stormtrooper's belt.
"Put those on!" Luke demanded with narrowed eyes. Luckily for them, the stormtrooper didn't know that the saber couldn't really harm him, as it was for training younglings. Luke kept up the bluff as he watched with dark satisfaction as the trooper cuffed his own wrists together.
The boy deactivated the yellow blade and clipped it to his belt now that the stormtrooper had been subdued. Jordy signed another message to Luke and the child nodded.
"Father, if you can hear me…we just left you a little present out in the Dune Sea. Don't bother looking for me, cause I won't be here!" Luke growled into the comlink before flipping it closed.
Jordy herded the stormtrooper out into the hot desert with the business end of his vibrosword. They activated a homing frequency on the comlink and slipped it into the stormtrooper's back belt pouch, out of his reach. The boys looked up to see that Ahsoka had won the lightsaber duel.
The Inquisitor was either unconscious or dead. Billowing sand was already starting to cover his body and those of the fallen stormtroopers.
"Ahsoka!" Luke cried out with relief.
"Luke!" she shouted as she jogged up to them. "What is this?"
"A present for Darth Vader…" Luke answered with a small giggle.
Ahsoka merely raised an eyebrow with a hand on her hip. In the distance they could see a billowing sandstorm slowly approaching.
"I'll explain later, right now we need to go!" Luke quipped eagerly.
The boys ran up the boarding ramp, quickly followed by the Togruta.
"Wait! You can't just leave me here!" The stormtrooper cried out after them.
Ahsoka paused and partially turned to look at him.
"If I were you, I'd seek shelter. You've got less than 10 minutes before that sandstorm hits."
The stormtrooper grumbled something to himself as the ramp closed behind the former Jedi.
As Luke fired up the engines, he saw the bound stormtrooper making a run for the other transport in the near distance. From the looks of things, he was the only survivor… but once Vader found him, probably not for long.
The boy almost pitied him. Almost.
Luke surrendered the controls to his mentor and sat in the copilot's seat, strapping himself in. Ahsoka used the gun mount the Bad Batch had installed on the shuttle and pressed the fire trigger. The hyperdrive and the engine on the enemy ship was now disabled. The stormtrooper wasn't going anywhere…
"That stormtrooper tried to kill me. He said he was going to collect a Red Sun bounty on me, for dead or alive."
Ahsoka gripped the steering yoke and lifted off into the Tatooine sky.
"How did a stormtrooper know you were once a slave?" Ahsoka questioned aloud to herself.
"I dunno...I used to live with Lord Vader," Luke shrugged.
The trio contemplated in silence for a few minutes as Ahsoka plotted their next hyperspace jump. A couple of minutes passed and once their course was laid into the navi-computer, Ahsoka prepared to make the jump to lightspeed, but Luke stopped her.
"Here Ahsoka, Jordy found this medkit in the back. You might want to take care of that…" the boy's eyes darted from her face to the nasty lightsaber-inflicted wound on her arm.
"Thanks Luke. I'll be okay." She took the medkit from him gratefully. She applied a bacta salve and placed a bacta patch over it and then wrapped some soft gauze over the patch and around her arm to hold it in place. When she was done she released a soft sigh and then reached for the hyperspace lever.
In mere seconds, they were at lightspeed, leaving Tatooine and a despairing stormtrooper far behind.
–8 Hours Later–
Vader released his Force hold, watching as the lifeless body of the traitorous stormtrooper fell dead at his booted feet. He relished in the man's stark terror once he'd arrived and drank in his fear like a fine wine. The stormtrooper tried pleading but only ended up stuttering out weak lies and pitifully, feeble apologies.
The Sith grinned darkly beneath his mask as he gave the corpse a soft kick. He enjoyed Luke's 'present'. The scum even ratted out three of his fellow troopers who were also looking to make fast credits on the side. They too would be dealt with.
That wasn't the sole reason for his trip to this wretched dust ball.
His dark grin fell into a frown. Emperor Palpatine was growing vastly impatient with his inability to capture Skywalker. So he decided to use the boy's weakness against him. Luke's compassion for those he cared for, would be his undoing…
Vader boarded his shuttle and gave the pilot explicit orders that were to be obeyed without question.
–1 Hour Later–
"Let us go!"
"What do you want from us?"
A squadron of stormtroopers had Beru and Owen Lars face-down on the ground, their arms wrenched behind their backs as Vader came to stand before them. He allowed his intimidating presence and the soft breathing of his mask to cycle a few times before speaking.
"You know what I want."
Owen glared at the black clad figure while Beru's eyes widened.
"No…please, not Luke. He's innocent! You will turn that child into a heartless monster if you take him!"
"He belongs with his father! My son will serve the Emperor loyally by my side." Vader snarled heatedly as he pointed a warning finger at the duo.
The couple snapped their mouths shut when they realized that arguing was futile. So…Vader was going to use them as bait to trap Luke. If only there was a way to get a message out! To warn the boy to stay far away…
The two moisture farmers felt the cold metal of binders digging into their wrists as they were properly restrained and hauled back up to their feet.
"Your orders, Lord Vader?"
"Now…we wait." He replied with a dark grin beneath his mask.
Luke Skywalker would come.
The Emperor…had foreseen it.
Captain Rex and clone force 99 rendezvoused with Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker at an abandoned research outpost on the planet Agamar. The clone captain pulled Ahsoka aside to discuss a recent discovery while Luke and Jordy conversed with the rest of the team.
"I just received word from an underworld contact, that Owen and Beru Lars have been captured by Darth Vader."
"This is no doubt a plot to lure Luke out of hiding," Ahsoka responded thoughtfully.
"For his own safety, the boy must not know about this."
"Keeping this a secret might cause more harm than good, Rex."
"So what are you proposing?"
Ahsoka glanced over her shoulder to see Luke laughing at something Omega had either said or done and looked back at the clone Captain.
"We tell him."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"He trusts us. To break that trust now would be foolish."
"I really hope that kid doesn't do something reckless."
"I have a plan. We take Luke to Dagobah to have Yoda teach him how to construct his first lightsaber. While Luke is safe with Yoda, the rest of us attempt a rescue mission."
"Us against Vader?! You can't be serious!"
"We are more equipped to handle this rescue mission. Luke is not ready. He needs more training before he can even THINK about confronting Vader again."
Rex rubbed a hand against his forehead as though he had a headache. He reluctantly relented.
"Fine. I guess we should go tell the others then."
"NO! I'm coming too!" Luke shouted in his distress.
"Luke, you need to construct your lightsaber. Please, trust in the Force, and in your friends!"
"They are my family!"
"You are not trained enough to face Darth Vader in lightsaber combat. You don't even have a real lightsaber, Luke! Please…try to see things from our perspective!"
"Okay. But I don't have to like it…" the boy mumbled dejectedly. The child huffed as he crossed his arms, staring stonily at the ground in clear defeat.
"Thank you, Luke. I know that this is hard, but I swear, we will rescue your aunt and uncle," Ahsoka reassured the distraught boy.
Luke kept his mouth shut despite his first impulse to continue arguing. Ahsoka was right, he just didn't want to admit it…it made him angry and not being able to help his team made him feel powerless. He looked up when he felt a comforting hand come to rest on his left shoulder. Jordy gave him a silent nod with determination in his eyes.
Luke got the silent message loud and clear.
If things turned for the worst, nothing would stop him from going too. He was rather tempted to stowaway, but he immediately shot that idea down knowing that Ahsoka would sense his Force presence.
He had no choice then. He had to be patient and wait…and like Ahsoka said, trust in the Force and in his friends' abilities to save Owen and Beru.
Luke watched the retreating thrusters disappear above the dense treetop canopy with a feeling of dread weighing in the pit of his stomach. He still felt that Ahsoka was making a mistake in leaving him behind. Jordy got to go on this mission, why couldn't he?!
"Upset, you are."
The boy startled and looked down on the small green form of Jedi Master Yoda with a small frown.
"I can help them!"
Yoda hummed in thought.
"Help them, how would you?"
"I don't know!" Luke admitted with a huff of frustration.
"Help them, you would not. Hinder them, you would."
Luke stopped to think, on the grand master's words of wisdom. He supposed if everyone was focused on protecting him, then they couldn't put all of their efforts into the actual rescue mission.
Yoda was right.
The boy sighed, his shoulders sagging. He walked over to a felled log and sat down after first inspecting it for any hidden surprises from the swamp they were in, like snakes. He was mildly surprised when Yoda climbed up after him with a soft grunt of effort. They sat together in companionable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts.
"So…you will show me how to build my first lightsaber?"
"A crystal you have. See it, may I?"
The 10-year-old fished it out of his pocket and handed it to Master Yoda.
The small green being, hummed thoughtfully as he examined it.
"Found this, did you?"
"Not exactly…I think, it found me."
Yoda chuckled in good humor.
"A Jedi, you wish to become?"
Luke nodded his head with determination in his eyes.
"Yes. I want to be a Jedi, like my father before me."
"Hmm…much anger I sense in you. And fear. Not the path of the Jedi, this is."
"Ahsoka's been trying to train me but I'm afraid that Vader trained me too." the boy admitted softly.
"Unclear, is your path. The Dark Side of the Force, your friend it is not."
Yoda handed the Kyber crystal back to Luke. With a soft grunt, the small green Jedi slid off of the log and began to slowly walk in the direction of his hut which was only a few yards from where they were sitting.
"Come, eat, we must."
Luke obediently followed and was pleased to see he could easily fit inside the small Jedi's humble abode. Maybe being a kid wasn't so bad sometimes…
After they ate supper, Yoda taught Luke the code of the Jedi. Then they moved on to constructing Luke's lightsaber.
"Remember, a toy, this is not. Your weapon it is. Respected it must be."
The boy was a natural and within the next four hours, he finished his masterpiece with guidance from Yoda of course.
Luke really hoped this worked after all the time and effort he put into it. His finger hesitated over the switch that would ignite his blade. He inhaled slowly and then exhaled, a doubtful thought nagging at his mind. What if he did it wrong? What if he made himself look like a total fool in front of the old but wise Jedi Master? Never one to dwell on doubts, the boy eagerly thumbed the switch and gasped.
A bright blue blade sprung forth, the light from the energy saber, chased away the shadows around them. Luke smiled.
His father would be proud...
–1 week Later–
It had been an elaborate trap.
They easily found Beru and Owen Lars.
Too easily.
They were surrounded by dozens of stormtroopers and managed to kill them all.
The only one that managed to slip away amidst the chaos was the mute boy Jordy. There was no telling where he had gone but Ahsoka knew she couldn't count on the child to rescue the rest of them in their current predicament.
Ahsoka and the Bad Batch even got a bound Owen and Beru Lars aboard their ship and blasted away into Tatooine's atmosphere, thinking they were home free. Then the Star Destroyers appeared, releasing hundreds of fighter ships from their hangar bays. In trying to escape destruction, they were caught in a tractor beam.
They were currently being detained within the detention block of Vader's flagship. Ahsoka was bound in force-inhibiting restraints, preventing her from using the Force on her enemies. That wasn't the worst of it though.
"You–come with us." A stormtrooper growled threateningly as he gestured towards Ahsoka with the business end of an E-11 blaster rifle.
The former Jedi kept a level head as they escorted her from the cell and into a torture room further down the hall. She was not surprised when she was greeted by Lord Vader himself, along with an Imperial torture droid. Ahsoka remained calm despite her situation as her escorts strapped her down to a slab, two mechanical arms hung from the ceiling directly above her.
"Leave us," The black clad being ordered of the troopers that acted as escort to the helplessly subdued prisoner. Once they were gone, he turned his masked gaze on her. "Tell me where my son is and perhaps, I will give you a swift death."
Ahsoka glared defiantly at her former master and sneered out one word.
"NEVER."
Darth Vader allowed his breathing to cycle a couple of times as he regarded his former padawan.
"So be it. Know that you bring this pain upon yourself."
"I'm not afraid," Ahsoka hissed, while testing the integrity of her restraints. To her disappointment, they held strong.
"You will be, once I'm finished with you," Vader hissed back as he hooked his thumbs in his belt. "Droid, commence torture sequences Alpha 52 through Gamma 37."
Ahsoka eyed the droid with dread as it approached her left shoulder with a syringe extended. She gritted her teeth at the pain of the injection, but it was nothing compared to the torture she endured soon after. After the first two minutes, the Togruta was screaming in agonizing pain as the two mechanical arms from the ceiling lowered and began to mercilessly send bolt after bolt of raw electricity coursing through her sensitive nerve endings, much like force lightning. It felt like a million knives were stabbing at her flesh.
Ahsoka screamed until her throat gave out, her body still spasming as the first of many torture techniques were introduced to her.
Still. She refused to break. She knew what Vader was doing. She really hoped that Luke didn't come…
"Concentrate, you must. Feel the Force flowing through you!" Yoda instructed.
Luke was performing a handstand, using the Force to lift rocks on top of each other.
"Yes, yes…good." Yoda praised as the boy stacked a third stone on his small tower.
Luke was sweating and his arms began to shake as he focused on concentrating.
"Images you may see, yes. Of past and future," Yoda commented as he sensed the boy's grip on the Force wavering.
Suddenly a vision so real struck Luke that he cried out.
He saw a star destroyer orbiting his home planet of Tatooine. And oh Force…members of the Bad Batch and even Ahsoka herself were screaming in agony, crying out in fear and despair. The vision ended as quickly as it began, leaving the reeling boy rattled.
"Hunter! Ahsoka!"
Luke collapsed in a heap, the rocks that he'd been levitating falling back down to the ground along with him. One barely missed his head as the stunned child tried to collect himself. He scrambled onto his hands and knees and looked at Yoda with worry.
"Control, control…you must learn control!" Yoda chastised him.
"My friends…I saw them."
"Mmm...vision of the future that is."
"They were in pain…" Luke whispered in abject horror. "I have to go to them."
"Get there how will you, hmm?"
Luke remembered that he did not currently have a ship on hand. Then again…how had Master Yoda come to be on this very planet. The boy doubted the little green Jedi sprouted wings and flew here.
"A ship, I need a ship." The boy demanded as he began pacing.
Yoda frowned. For a moment he had a flashback to a young Anakin Skywalker…brave but far too rash.
"I can't get the vision out of my head, my friends, I have to help them!" The boy cried out in exasperation as he grew more restless.
"You must complete your training!"
"I have to help them…" the boy repeated stubbornly, defiantly as though daring Yoda to stop him.
"You must not go. A trap this is, yes."
"But Hunter and Ahsoka will die if I don't go!"
"Always in motion, the future is," the wise Jedi pointed out.
"I promise I will come back and finish what I started, you have my word!" The boy compromised instead as his pacing stopped. "I feel the Force,' the boy insisted.
"Control it, you cannot," Yoda frowned.
"Which is why I will return!"
Their argument was abruptly cut off as the roaring sound of thrusters thundered in the sky above their heads. Luke was pleased when he sensed Jordy piloting the vessel. Checking to make sure his newly constructed lightsaber was clipped to his belt; he watched the ship land.
At last, he had a ride.
The foolish boy threw a hasty apology over his shoulder as he ran for the landing ramp. He had to splash through some murky water to get on board, but Luke didn't care. His friends were in trouble. Luke joined Jordy in the cockpit and looked down to see the little green Jedi Master looking absolutely crestfallen. Luke couldn't understand why he suddenly felt so guilty as they lifted off and blasted away.
"Hold on Ahsoka, I'm coming," the boy vowed with a look of pure determination.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Author's Note: Wow things are starting to get intense. There may be father-son fluff yet to come, of that I can promise I'm just not sure when lol. Thanks for reading! :D Happy Thanksgiving in advance. If I don't post another chapter soon it's due to the coming holidays.