The Ways of the Force

Heavy rain poured down on Dagobah. A small, primitive hut built of mud sat on a moss-covered knoll on the edge of a lagoon. This was the home of the the little green creature, who was currently cooking up a meal. Luke had somewhat begrudgingly taken shelter in the hut. "Look, I'm sure it's delicious, I just don't understand why we can't see Yoda now!" he whined.

"Patience." the creature told him. "For a Jedi it is time to eat as well, hmm? Eat, eat. Hot. Good food, good food."

Moving with some difficulty in the cramped quarters, Luke sat down near the fire and served himself some of the unfamiliar concoction from the pot. It wasn't the nicest tasting of food. "How far away is Yoda?" he asked. "Will it take us long to get there?"

"Not far, Yoda not far." the creature answered. "Patience. Soon you will be with him. Why wish you become Jedi?"

"Mostly 'cos of my father, I guess." Luke shrugged, trying to get comfortable.

"Ah, father. Powerful Jedi was he." the creature remarked. "Hehe, powerful Jedi."

"Oh, come on. How could you know my father?" Luke challenged, getting frustrated. "You don't even know who I am. I don't even know what I'm doing here. We're wasting our time!" he grumbled.

The creature turned away from Luke and gave a weary sigh. "I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience." he said to thin air, his voice suddenly going a few octaves lower and sounding older and wiser.

"He will LEARN patience." Obi-Wan Kenobi's voice said.

The creature turned back to face Luke. "Much anger in him... like his father."

"Was I any different when you taught me?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He is not ready." the creature persisted.

Luke stared as realisation dawned on him. "Yoda?" he breathed as he realised that this creature was actually Yoda, "I am ready! Ben, I-I can be a Jedi!" he blustered. "Ben, tell him I'm red..." He forgot where he was and stood up, smacking his head on the hut's low ceiling.

"Ready are you? What knows you ready?" Yoda challenged. "For 800 years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel I will keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind." He then addressed Obi-wan, "This one a long time have I watched. All his life as he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was... what he was doing." He punctuated both points by prodding Luke with his gimmer stick. Adventure? Heh! Excitement? Hmph! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!" he told Luke pointedly

"So was I, if you remember." Obi-Wan countered.

But Yoda still had his doubts. "He is too old." he said. "Yes, too old to begin the training."

"But I've learned so much." Luke begged.

Yoda was silent for a moment as he thought about this. "Will he finish what he begins?" he asked Obi-Wan.

"I won't fail you." Luke said determinedly. "I'm not afraid."

"You will be." Yoda said gravely. "You will be."

~8~

The Empire's search for the Millennium Falcon was now into it's second day. TIE Bombers were currently combing the asteroid field, dropping bombs into craters in an attempt to flush the Rebel ship out of hiding. The Falcon was still taking refuge inside it's cave. Leia sat in the cockpit by herself, thinking about Han and the confusion he had created within her. Suddenly, something outside the cockpit window caught her eye. Puzzled, she leaned forward for a closer look. Suddenly, some sort of hideous creature latched itself to the window, causing Leia to jump back with a yelp.

~8~

"Sir, if I may venture an opinion..." 3PO began as he and Juno worked at the engineering station.

"I'm not really interested in ya opinion, 3PO." Han waved him off as he and Chewbacca finished soldering some wiring, while Kali finished up working under the floor.

Just then, Leia came hurrying in. "There's something out there." she said breathlessly

As one, everyone turned to face her. "Where?" Han asked

"Outside in the cave." Leia replied, and a clanging sounded on the hull to prove her point.

"There it is. Listen! Listen!" 3PO said anxiously.

"I'm going out there." Han determined, going over to an equipment rack.

"Are you crazy?!" Leia stared.

"I think he is." Kali commented as she climbed out from under the floor.

"We just got this bucket back together. I'm not gonna let something out there tear it apart." Han told them, both he and Chewbacca grabbing respirators from the rack and heading for the airlock.

"Ohhh. Then I'm going with you." Leia said, grabbing another respirator and following him, Juno following suit.

"I think it might be better if Miss Kali and I stay behind to guard the ship." 3PO said uneasily. "Oh, no." he whimpered as more clanging sounded from outside.

"Don't worry, 3PO. I'll take care of you." Kali reassured the nervous droid. "Come on, we'd better keep communications open."

~8~

The Falcon's boarding ramp lowered and Han, Leia, Juno and Chewbacca stepped out into the murky cavern. "This ground sure feels strange." Leia remarked, stamping her foot on the floor. "Doesn't feel like rock."

"There's an awful lot of moisture here." Han observed, looking at the mist wafting around the cavern.

"I don't know... I have a bad feeling about this." Leia murmured uneasily.

"Yeah." Han agreed.

Suddenly, Juno saw movement in the corner of her eye. "Watch out!" she warned, igniting her lightsabre and slashing at a winged creature that had flown off the ship's hill. The severed remains of the creature fell to the floor.

"What was that?" Kali asked over the comlink.

"It's alright." Han answered as he, Juno and Chewbacca examined the creature's remains. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Mynock. Chewie, check the rest of the ship, make sure there're no more attached." Chewbacca growled in acknowledgement and went off to do so. "Chewin' on the power cables." Han told Leia.

"Mynocks?" Leia furrowed a brow.

"Go on inside." Han told her. "We'll clean 'em off if there're any more."

Suddenly, a swarm of Mynocks swooped through the air. Leia put her arms over her head to protect herself as she ran for the ramp, while Juno used her lightsabre to cut several of the creatures up. Chewbacca shot another Mynock away with his bowcaster. The shot hit one of the cavern walls and the whole place shook as an ominous growl sounded from somewhere.

"Wait a minute..." Han muttered as a sudden thought struck him. He fired his blaster at the floor and the cavern shook again, confirming Han's suspicions as he, Leia, Juno and Chewbacca all staggered back aboard the ship.

~8~

The shaking could be felt inside the cockpit too. "What's going on?" Kali said into the radio, but received no answer. "Leia? Juno? Han? Chewie? Will someone answer, dammit?!" Just then, Juno and Chewbacca entered the cockpit. "What the hell is going on out here?!" Kali asked them.

"I wish I knew." Juno replied as she sat down, while Chewbacca took his usual place and prepared the ship for take-off.

Just then, Han and Leia came hurrying in. "You can't make the jump to lightspeed in this asteroid field." Leia pointed out.

"Sit down, sweetheart. We're takin' off." Han waved her off as he and Chewbacca lifted the ship up off the ground and they flew back up the tunnel they'd come.

As they approached the entrance, a row of jagged white stalagmites and stalactites could be seen surrounding it, and as the Falcon drew nearer, the entrance seemed to be closing in on itself. "What the hell?!" Kali stared.

"I see it, I see it." Han acknowledged.

"We're doomed!" 3PO wailed.

"The cave is collapsing!" Leia exclaimed.

"This is no cave." Han told her grimly

"What?!" Leia stared.

Juno meanwhile looked at the rocks carefully. "He's right. Those aren't rocks; they're teeth!" she said grimly as Han expertly piloted the ship into a barrel roll between the rows of teeth.

The Falcon zoomed out of the asteroid just ahead of the giant Exogorth that it just been inside the stomach of. The Exogorth tried to take a bite out of the ship, but was too slow and so had to slunk back inside it's cave in a sulk.

~8~

Luke's Jedi training on Dagobah was now underway. Currently, he was climbing up a vine with Yoda on his backpack coaching him. Once he was high enough, Luke swung the vine across to a ledge nearby and ran through the brush, doing a backflip over a tree branch. "Yes, run." Yoda coached. "Yes. A Jedi's strength flows through the Force. But beware of the Dark Side. Fear, anger, aggression... the Dark Side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice."

"Vader." Luke panted as he reached the end of Yoda's assault course. "Is the Dark Side stronger?"

"No. Quicker, easier, more seductive." Yoda answered.

"But how am I to know the good side from the bad?" Luke asked.

"You will know when you are calm... at peace... passive." Yoda told him patiently. "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence. Never for attack."

"But tell me why I can't..."

"No, no, there is no why." Yoda said firmly. "Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions."

Luke took several breaths and set his backpack down. R2, who had been following Luke's progress, beeped, commenting on how it looked like Luke's training was going to be an interesting thing to witness.

Luke slipped his jacket back on and looked at the entrance to a cavern nearby. "There's something not right here." he murmured. "I feel cold... death."

"That place..." Yoda pointed with his gimmer stick towards the cave, "... is strong with the Dark Side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go."

"What's in there?" Luke asked.

"Only what you take with you." Yoda answered cryptically. Luke grabbed his weapons belt, ready to put it on. "Your weapons... you will not need them." Yoda told him. Luke paid no heed and fastened his belt around his waist, then he disappeared into the cavern. Yoda could only sigh wearily at the young man's refusal to listen, while R2 twittered worriedly.

~8~

Luke moved into the almost total darkness of the wet and slimy cave. Suddenly, he heard a familiar mechanical breathing sound and the ominous figure of Darth Vader appeared out of the darkness. Luke immediately ignited his lightsabre and raised it ready to fight. Vader ignited his own lightsabre and swung at Luke, who parried the blow and made a few swings of his own. One strike from Luke got through Vader's defence and decapitated the Sith Lord. Luke watched as Vader's helmet-encased head rolled across the ground and came to rest at his feet. The helmet's face plate exploded open to reveal Luke's face inside. Luke stared at the sight, realising that this Vader was in fact just a figment of his own anger and fears. Both the decapitated head and the body faded away into nothingness, leaving Luke alone in the cave.

~8~

Outside the cave, Yoda shook his head as he senses Luke's failure. It seemed that he had a lot of work to do.

~8~

The real Darth Vader had grown weary of his staff's inability to find the Millennium Falcon and had brought in outside help, which was why the Executor's bridge was now playing host to a motley assortment of bounty hunters. There was Bossk; an imposing Trandoshian, Zuckass; a Gand findsman, Dengar; a Corellian Human, 4-LOM; a rusty droid with insectile features, IG-88; a battered, tarnished class-4 Assassin droid, and last but certainly not least, Boba Fett; a man in Mandalorian battle armour.

Admiral Piett was not at all pleased with the newcomers. "Bounty hunters. We don't need their scum." he grumbled to his crew. "Those Rebels won't escape us." He looked up to find himself looking at Bossk, who had overheard Piett's remark and snarled something at him, telling the Imperial what he thought of him.

Just then, an officer came over to Piett with important news. "Sir, we have a priority signal from the Star Destroyer Avenger."

"Right." Piett acknowledged.

On the walkway above, Vader was briefing the bounty hunters of their assignment. "There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon." he told them. "You are free to use any methods necessary... but I want them alive." He paused in front of Boba Fett. "No disintegrations!" he told the Mandalorian pointedly.

"As you wish." Fett conceded.

Just then, Piett came hurrying over. "My Lord, we have them!" he reported excitedly.

~8~

The Millennium Falcon speed through deep space, closely pursued by the Star Destroyer Avenger, which was loosening off it's turbolasers at the Rebel ship. "Oh, thank goodness we're coming out of the asteroid field." 3PO said to no one in particular as flak exploded outside the cockpit window.

"Asteroids ain't the problem any more, 3PO." Kali told him.

Sure enough, a laser blast caught the Falcon in a direct hit to the aft section. "Let's get outta here. Ready for lightspeed?" Han asked Chewbacca, who growled in acknowledgment. "One... two... three!" He pulled the lever to engage the hyperdrive. Once again, there was a spluttering sound and the hyperdrive failed to engage.

Leia and Juno could both only facepalm. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Kali grumbled.

"It's not fair." Han sulked.

A very annoyed Chewbacca roared at Han, asking him what he'd done now.

"Transfer circuits aren't working. It's not my fault!" Han protested as the ship was buffeted by more laser fire.

"No lightspeed?" Leia asked dryly.

"It's not my fault." Han said meekly.

"So much for getting this bucket back together." Juno muttered.

The Avenger scored another hit on the Falcon. "Sir, we just lost the main rear deflector shield." 3PO said anxiously. "One more hit on the quarter and we're done for!"

"Got any bright ideas, Han?" Kali asked rhetorically.

Han thought for a moment, made a decision and pulled back on the throttle. "Turn her around." he ordered Chewbacca, who barked in disbelief at what he'd just heard. "I said turn her around!" Han repeated. "I'm gonna put all power to the front shield."

"You're gonna attack them?!" Leia spluttered.

"You're insane!" Kali exclaimed.

"Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer..." 3PO began.

"Shut up!" Leia snapped.

~8~

The Falcon banked, made a sharp, twisting turn, then charged straight towards the Avenger. "They're moving to attack position." Captain Needa said in disbelief, wandering if the Rebel pilot was insane. "Shields up!" The Falcon roared straight pass the Avenger's bridge, both Needa and his first officer instinctively ducking. "Track them." Needa ordered as they picked themselves up. "They may come round for another pass."

"Captain Needa, the ship no longer appears on our scopes." a scanning officer said.

"They can't have disappeared." Needa frowned. "No ship that small has a cloaking device."

"Well, there's no trace of them, sir." the scanning officer answered.

"Captain, Lord Vader demands an update on the pursuit." a communications officer chimed in.

Needa swallowed hard, knowing what would happen when Vader found out that they'd lost their quarry. "Get a shuttle ready. I shall assume full responsibility for losing them and apologise to Lord Vader. Meanwhile, continue to scan the area." he ordered his crew, knowing that there was a 100% certainty that these would be the last orders he would ever give.

~8~

On Dagobah, Luke's Jedi training was continuing apace. Currently, Luke was standing on his head, practicing levitating rocks with the Force. "Use the Force." Yoda coached. "Yes. Feel the stone." One of the rocks lifted off the ground and hovered in mid air. "Feel it." The rock moved left and lowered down on top of another one. R2 suddenly beeped frantically and Luke opened his eyes to see what was wrong. His X-wing was sinking into the swamp it had nose-dived into and now only the tip of the starboard S-foil was visible. "Concentrate." Yoda warned, but it was too late.

Luke lost his concentration and scrambled to his feet to survey the sunken fighter. "Oh, no. We'll never get it out now!" Luke groaned

"So certain are you?" an irritated Yoda said. "Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?"

Luke realised what Yoda was implying. "Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different." he protested.

"No! No different!" Yoda told him. "Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

"Alright, I'll give it a try." Luke sighed.

"No! Try not. Do or do not." Yoda ordered. "There is no try."

Still pessimistic at his chances, Luke raised his hand and closed his eyes, reaching out through the Force. The S-foil of the sunken X-wing began to rise out of the water, hovered for a moment, then sunk back down again. Yoda sighed, knowing exactly where his student was going wrong. . Luke gave up and went over to Yoda. "I can't." he panted. "It's too big."

"Size matters not." Yoda told him wisely. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it... makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us... and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." He poked Luke's shoulder. "You must feel the Force around you." He gestured to their surroundings. "Here, between you... me... the tree... the rock, everywhere. Yes... even between the land and the ship."

But Luke was too discouraged to take heed. "You want the impossible." he scoffed, and walked away in a sulk.

Yoda sighed wearily, deciding that the only way to get through to Luke was to give him a demonstration. Turning to the swamp, he raised his arms and closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force. The water in the spot where the X-wing had sunk began to bubble, then the starboard S-foil emerged. R2 twittered and beeped, calling Luke to come and see. Luke came over just in time to see the entire X-wing emerge from the water, covered in reeds but physically undamaged, and glide majestically through the air towards the bank they were standing on. Yoda set the fighter down gently on firm ground and opened his eyes to see a surprised Luke walk over to him

"I don't believe it." the young man said in amazement.

"That is why you fail." Yoda told Luke grimly.

Author's notes: And here's the halfway point. Once again, we're somewhat OC-lite in this chapter, but Juno got to hack up Mynocks! Luke's Jedi training is now fully underway and we meet Boba Fett, so a fair bit has happened. So, until next time...