Hello, hello everyone!

Chapter 25! Can you believe it? Feels strange, I've nearly surpassed the number of chapters of my first fanfic and I feel there's still so much to tell in this one… Oooooh, I'm excited!

Happy May the 4th, although a bit late, sorry about that. Hopefully, this chapter still gives you your fill of Star Wars goodness.

Let's just answer last chapter's comments straight away:

-Shurukkah: Thank you! Very happy to hear you say that. He's a very fun character to write dialogue for. I can just picture his voice from SW Rebels in my head, and all the words just seem to fall into place. Truly an iconic tactician and enemy of SW, and if they managed to make him work in a live-screen adaptation that could be sick!

-RKF22: Yeah we haven't seen much of good old Obi-Wan recently… But don't worry, as we reach the climax, his moment will come. May the Force be with you.

-Bountyhunter1977: Thank you for all your ideas! Just a quick thing, Mara and Obi-Wan are onboard the Executor, Vader's Super Star Destroyer, while the Millennium Falcon just latched on to a regular Star Destroyer. I have some ideas for the lightsaber situations, though not involving who you might be thinking… anyway, that will come in good time ;)

-DarthDrachonus: Thanks so much! I'm glad to still be able to surprise people even when retreading events they've already seen in the movies.

-Jeda31: It warms my heart to hear you say all of this, truly! These recent chapters, including this one, have been a real joy to write, and seeing that all the hard work paid off makes it all worth it. You've laid a finger on some interesting ideas for what's to come, but I'll let you discover them when they come up… you might be in for a surprise… ;)

-SpencerBrown: Very happy to hear you're enjoying the story and that those added lines don't distract too much from it. Of course, I couldn't resist and there are at least two lines/references peppered into the dialogue of this chapter (more or less).

-mundanebeast: I agree that Thrawn never did things conventionally or followed "what was right". He knows how to trust his instincts and can recognize talent when he sees it. I won't say anything about your predictions for future events, you'll get your answers in this chapter and the next ;)

-Yepyep: I also had a similar reaction when researching what the Jedi Code consisted of. The original one which Yoda uses is definitely quite strongly worded, while the one Obi-Wan uses is more balanced. Certainly, there was an issue amongst the Jedi where they applied certain rules and mantras too directly, which, it can be argued, is part of the reason Sidious was able to gain a foothold. The Jedi became blinded by their adherence to the strict Code and could not foresee the threat of Palpatine.

From here we can start talking about Grey Jedi, who were basically seen as the middle ground between Sith and Jedi, although that also poses its own problems. If I were to make a basic analogy, imagine a situation where many innocent lives were in danger (in a fire, or building collapsing, or whatever). The Sith would only care about getting himself to safety and obviously would not care about anyone else. The Jedi would do everything within his power to save everyone, as many people as he/she could even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. And the Grey Jedi would still try to save people but he would be pragmatic and logical, entirely willing to accept sacrificing a few innocent lives for the greater good… It's not at all a great analogy, but that's sort of how I rationalized the distinctions.

Alright! Thank you for all these awesome reviews, glad to see this story continues to hold your interest!

Without further ado, I'll leave you with chapter 25. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Please favorite, follow, and comment, it helps me out a lot!

Luke kept his mind focused on the Force. Since having those visions inside the cave, Luke's mind had had the tendency to wander. He knew it had all been inside his head but that did not reassure him much. Ultimately, he was more concerned about how he reacted to the visions rather than the visions themselves.

Several days had passed since then, and Luke had managed to keep himself from dwelling on it since the day started. Right now he was blindfolded and letting the Force heighten his other senses. He was able to sense Yoda moving around him, making the barest of noises as he dragged his feet along the dirt.

"Deceive you your eyes can," Yoda spoke softly. "One of Obi-Wan's first lessons to you this was. Imperfect all of our senses are. In a way, a perfect sense the Force is. A Jedi without sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, still a Jedi he is. However, a Jedi without the Force is a Jedi no longer."

Luke said nothing; he simply focused on deepening his connection to the Force as Yoda had asked him. The old master had yet to reveal what the purpose of this exercise was but Luke knew better than to ask. The answer was most likely to be a slap from Yoda's gimmer stick.

"Remember Obi-Wan's training," Yoda continued. "When your eyes abandoned you, returned them the Force did. You must learn to let it guide you. Still holding back you are. Remember when you deflected the lasers, how the Force guided your movements."

Luke remembered that moment quite well. It had been the very first time he had experienced a connection to the Force. When Obi-Wan had put the blast shielded helmet over his eyes he had been unwilling to believe he would be able to deflect anything without seeing what he was hitting.

Then suddenly, like a switch, Luke had been able to sense the training remote's presence and where its shots were going to hit. His body had moved on its own and he had deflected the stun bolt perfectly. That connection had lasted for a few seconds before immediately disappearing, and now, thanks to Yoda, he was getting able to maintain that connection for much longer.

"When I held your lightsaber blade in my hand," Yoda's voice brought Luke's attention back to the present. "Know how I did it do you?"

"I'm not sure," Luke replied. "Did you shield your hand with the Force so it wouldn't hurt you?"

"The Force was my shield, but not in this sense," Yoda replied. "Tutaminis is this ability's name. Allow you to dissipate or absorb energy it can; even redirect it. Allow you to defend yourself it will, and in time, learn to unlock its full power you will."

Luke nodded. He had been completely taken off-guard when Yoda had held his blade like it were nothing. If he was able to stop a lightsaber, then blasters must be an easy feat for him. Luke could not help wondering if this ability would have been powerful enough to deflect the Death Star's super laser… If somehow Obi-Wan, Yoda, Rham Kota and Galen Marek had been on Alderaan, would they have somehow been able to stop it from being destroyed?

"Faith in the Force this ability requires," Yoda continued. "Trust you must, that it will protect you and not doubt when you call upon its power. That is exactly what you must learn. Do not trust your weapons, do not trust your senses, trust in the Force."

After saying this, Yoda's presence completely disappeared, Luke could no longer make out where he was around him. What he could make out was the distinct sound of a Marksman-H training remote being activated.

Before Luke could grasp why it had been activated, he was given his answer when a low power stun bolt hit him square in the stomach. It surprised him more than it hurt him; he was able to concentrate on the Force to keep the pain at the bay, but Luke was still confused about where the shot had come from and where the remote was now.

"Surrender yourself to the Force," Yoda's voice echoed around him. "Trust in its power and protect you it will. Hold back, and help you it will not."

Luke lowered his center of gravity to try to be more mobile. His first goal was to find the remote. The sudden jolt from the stun bolt had made him lose his bearings. He focused on the Force, trying to find the remote; only for it to shoot him in the shoulder, disrupting his concentration.

"Do not think, react," Yoda urged. "Use your instincts. The remote matters not, where it will hit does."

Luke wanted to tell him to be clearer about what he meant but he held his tongue. Reading between the lines was par for the course with Master Yoda. Luke needed to come up with the solution himself.

He stayed mobile on his feet to make it harder for the remote to hit him. Luke was trying to sense where it was but he realized since it wasn't a living thing, was it even possible? He could not sense the Force signature of a droid… Then maybe he needed to sense the air around it and deduce where it was flying…

His train of thought was again cut short by a bolt that grazed the side of his leg. This time Yoda did not say anything else to help him. Luke was on his own.

What could he be saying? Luke wondered. The remote doesn't matter, only where it will hit…

Another stun bolt hit his arm; the shots were getting much more frequent. If he was unable to find the answer he would be overwhelmed by a swarm of attacks. The pain from the stun lingered on his skin, leading Luke's mind to wonder…

Only where it will hit…

Luke drew a deep breath to center his emotions before ignoring the training remote completely. He stopped trying to sense the Force around him, and instead focused on the Force energy within himself.

It was a strange feeling to sense his own Force presence. It was like hearing his own breathing or the blood pumping through his veins; it pulsated along the same beat as his vital organs; it was essentially his life energy.

This time, when the remote fired a stun bolt, he sensed the shift in his body's Force energy, and, on instinct, twisted his body and dodged the shot which hit the stump of a tree behind him.

Luke could not keep the grin off his face. He was able to sense the attacks that were coming, now he just needed to somehow deflect them. He cleared his mind of any distractions, only focusing on his own Force presence.

Luke could only sense his body, everything else on Dagobah seemed to disappear. This brought him great serenity as all the sounds around him disappeared; even the smell of the air and the goosebumps on his skin were completely absent. It was just Luke and the Force.

This time when the stun bolt fired, his body acted on its own. Luke raised his palm out in front of him and felt a surge of power flow into it, deflecting the bolt before immediately disappearing.

That one deflection was all Luke could manage. His legs suddenly gave out from under him as his senses reemerged. He took off the blindfold and squinted his eyes, slowly adjusting to the sudden change.

Looking behind him, Luke saw a smoking hole in the ground where the stun bolt had hit. He had deflected it; Luke could not believe it. He looked towards Yoda who nodded approvingly.

"Aware of the Force around him a Jedi is," the old master said. "But never forget the Force within him he must."

"I understand, master," Luke said with a small bow.

The young man felt like he had just been handed another key towards finally becoming a Jedi.

Thrawn was impressed with the progress that had been made on the Death Star II. The shield generator on the nearby moon of Endor had just finished being constructed, so the battle station was now safely protected from any incoming attacks.

The super laser was still not operational however since the giant kyber crystal required to power it had been much harder to obtain than was initially expected. The Emperor's spies had found a suitable crystal on a primitive planet, far away from the Deep Core, which was worshiped by a tribe of semi-sentient humanoid lifeforms.

They had resisted the Empire's invasion surprisingly well, meaning the crystal had yet to be delivered to the Death Star II, thereby delaying other construction plans. Thrawn had no doubt the kyber crystal would eventually be obtained, it was just a matter of how soon.

He suspected that the Emperor was going to put him in charge of bringing the crystal back as quickly as possible, but if that were the case, he would have simply communicated with him via hologram. The fact he had been asked to come to the Death Star II in person meant something big was afoot.

Thrawn kept his curiosity in check as he rode the elevator up to the Emperor's throne room. The doors swished open to reveal the familiar space, which was now fully furnished and decorated since the last time he had visited it. He imagined that the entirely black design of the room made his immaculate white uniform stand out like a sore thumb, but Thrawn could not care less.

As he walked up to the Emperor's throne and bowed to him respectfully, he noticed Grand Admiral Tarkin standing off to the side, conferring with Mas Amedda as the pair looked over some datapads.

"I've heard that the Millennium Falcon and its crew will soon be under our control," the Emperor said approvingly. "Well done, Grand Moff Thrawn. All the pieces are coming together; just as I have foreseen it."

"I am sure Lord Vader will have no trouble capturing Captain Solo, Princess Leia, and their other crewmates on Cloud City," Thrawn replied. "And if your instincts are correct, capturing Skywalker will be easy enough when he comes to rescue them."

"It is more than mere instincts, my friend," Palpatine spoke sardonically. " With Kenobi removed, destroying the Rebellion and turning Skywalker will be an easy feat."

Thrawn was aware of all of this, and while the Emperor enjoyed reveling in a well-executed plan, he would not bring his best military leader away from the front lines for such trivial boasting. Thrawn patiently waited for Palpatine to reveal the true reason for their meeting.

"I have decided to alter our plan concerning Kenobi," the Emperor revealed. "We will transfer him here until the date of his execution."

"Was he not supposed to be key in bringing the Skywalker boy under your influence?"

"Unfortunately… it appears I underestimated him. His will is strong, and it is possible that his presence will embolden Skywalker rather than push him towards the edge. Better to keep Kenobi away from those who rely on him for strength, especially his newest student."

Thrawn was having trouble following the Emperor's line of thinking so he stayed silent to let him elaborate on what he was talking about:

"I sense that Mara Jade has moved away from the path I set her on… I believe she has fallen under Kenobi's influence: she has betrayed me."

Thrawn nodded slowly, assimilating this new information to pick his next words wisely. The same way he had chastised Needa for trying to capture the Millennium Falcon as soon as he knew where it was, unmasking Mara Jade as a traitor right now would not be wise…

"We will have her accompany Lord Vader to capture the Rebels," Palpatine continued. "She will be unable to help Kenobi, and without his presence, she will easily return to me. Perhaps… we should see whether it is her or Skywalker who is most worthy to serve me."

Thrawn shared none of the Emperor's enthusiasm for manipulating new disciples but he respectfully bowed his head to show his compliance. Tarkin, who was no longer staring at a datapad, had moved up beside Thrawn and spoke in a clipped, businesslike tone:

"All of your specifications for Kenobi's cell have been put into place, my Emperor. Construction will begin immediately and should be finished within two days, ready for the prisoner's arrival."

"Excellent," Palpatine crooned maniacally. "Grand Moff Thrawn, you will oversee the efforts to obtain the kyber crystal for the superweapon. I will no longer tolerate any delays in construction. For too long, we have let petty nuisances stifle the growth of my Empire, but no more. Starting today, we will strike back without mercy."

"Yes, my Lord," both Tarkin and Thrawn said in unison. The latter turned around to head towards the exit, while the former returned his attention to his datapad.

As Thrawn rode the elevator back towards the hangar, he pushed away all information regarding the Millennium Falcon, Mara Jade, and everything associated with them. He had a new mission, and from now on, it was his only priority.

Thrawn would bring back the kyber crystal without fail, and with it, the most powerful weapon in the galaxy would finally be complete.

Leia could still not believe they had managed to successfully escape both an asteroid field and an Imperial Star Destroyer. Once again, Han had demonstrated why he was one of the most talented pilots in the Rebellion. To come up with the idea of attaching the Falcon to the bridge of a Star Destroyer was one thing, actually going through with it was another.

After losing the Empire, the trip all the way to Bespin had managed to remain uneventful. Although, as they entered the planet's atmosphere and approached Cloud City, the two security fighters that flew up on either side of the Falcon seemed to suggest things were going to get eventful again.

"No. I don't have a landing permit," Han explained patiently over the comms. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian."

Han barely had time to finish his sentence that the security vehicles fired warning shots in front of the Millennium Falcon.

"Wow wow! Wait a minute let me explain!"

"You will not deviate from your present course," the voice over the comms ordered.

"Rather touchy aren't they," C3-PO noted drily.

"I thought you knew this person?" Leia asked Han skeptically.

"The guy's a gambling mecanophile," Chewie growled loudly in frustration. "He's insane!"

"That was a long time ago," Han shrugged. "I'm sure he's forgotten about that."

Leia was not reassured by this exchange in the slightest. She had the feeling the helping hand they were hoping to find was more likely to be a balled fist. Or perhaps a robot fist by the sound of things…

They followed the security crafts towards Cloud City, not saying a word until a voice over the comms said:

"Permission granted. Land on platform 3-2-7."

"Thank you," Han muttered, trying to remain polite. "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back Lando and me."

"Who's worried," Leia commented distractedly.

As Han brought the ship closer to Cloud City, the true scale and grandeur of the mining colony became apparent. Leia could not fathom how it was possible to even win such a thing in a gambling game? What did you wager to match something like this? This Lando was either insanely clever or just plain insane to make such a gamble in the first place. Leia did not know if she was eager to find out which was true.

As the Millennium Falcon reached its designated landing platform, the two security fighters that had been shadowing them peeled off to continue their patrol. Han extended the landing claws and set the ship down smoothly onto solid ground.

"Alright, no problem at all."

Leia could not help but smile at the way Han's voice communicated one thing, while his expression and body language seemed to say the exact opposite. She was also dubious about this place, although it did not concern whether or not Lando was truly their ally.

Leia had felt a strange tension in her gut since approaching Bespin. The feeling was very similar to when she sensed that Luke was in trouble on Hoth. She did not know if it had something to do with the Force or if it was just her intuition, but Leia felt it would be better if they prepared adequately before going out to meet Lando.

"Han, we should try to send out a message to the Alliance to let them know we're here."

The smuggler gave her a lopsided glance as if he had completely forgotten that the Rebel Alliance existed.

"What, and run the risk of having the Empire track us here?" Hand spoke incredulously. "No chance. Lando's entire goal with this place it to keep the Empire far away from his affairs. If one of our communications draws them here, I guarantee our old friendship won't get us very far."

"Han, between our safety and the economic prosperity of this Lando person, I think you know which one I'll choose."

Without waiting for Han's opinion, Leia shifted over to the communications array to try to get a transmission out. Han gave her a dismissive wave, leading Chewie and 3PO towards the ship's exit.

Leia's plan did not get very far. For some reason, she was unable to send any communications off of Bespin; she could only send them on the planet itself. It was entirely possible the Falcon's transmission dish was damaged, or, far more likely, someone was blocking them.

Deciding not to insist so as to not draw suspicion, Leia left an encrypted message on a coded Rebel frequency. If by some miracle an Alliance ship were to fly over Bespin they would hopefully receive her message.

Outside, the landing pad was completely empty, which C3-PO was sure to point out in a mock-hurt tone:

"Oh. No one to meet us."

As Leia stepped off the Falcon, the first thing that hit her was the omnipresent smell of Tibana gas. It wasn't overpowering or unpleasant; it just wafted through the air from the distant gas pockets below the colony.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Han turned back towards her with an impatient glare. This time when he spoke, his nervousness was audible:

"Look, princess, stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Han. It's everyone else on this colony that worries me."

Han's features softened slightly. He placed a reassuring hand on Leia's shoulder, his voice now much calmer:

"I'll protect us. Everything will be just fine."

Han paused for a few seconds before adding quickly:

"I love you."

"I know," Leia replied with a loving smile before sharing a brief kiss with the smuggler. It was quickly interrupted when the doors at the end of the landing platform opened with a hiss.

A group of men began to walk towards the Falcon, leading Han to crack a knowing smile towards Leia.

"See? My friend."

Leia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Han took a couple steps towards the approaching group, but stopped by Chewbacca to whisper:

"Keep your eyes open, huh."

"And you be careful with him," the Wookie growled back.

Han walked up to Lando and his entourage, keeping his posture relaxed and his expression friendly.

"Hey!" he greeted with a wave.

As Lando got closer, Leia was able to make out his features. It turned out her impression of him was not too far away from how he actually looked. His pencil mustache and finely woven clothes made him look like a dandy; as did the expensive-looking cape that billowed behind him.

Leia was relieved, at least until Lando spoke, his tone aggressive and accusing:

"Why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."

Han froze in place, gesturing towards himself in disbelief. He searched his old friend's eyes, trying to determine if he was being serious, and how fast he could get his blaster out if he was.

Lando closed the gap between him and Han with slow, measured steps. The two men were a foot apart, eyes locked; each second of silence was like a lead weight being added on Han's shoulders.

Suddenly, Lando aimed a punch towards the smuggler's stomach, which the latter instinctively braced himself for. However, instead of hitting him, Lando quickly wrapped Han in a tight hug, letting out an energetic laugh.

"How you doing you old pirate! So good to see you," he exclaimed, brimming with childish excitement.

Leia heaved a small sigh of relief as the bald man behind Lando dismissed his security guards. Lando continued hammering Han with questions, like childhood friends who had not seen each other in years; which was not far from the truth.

"Looks like we're on good terms," Chewbacca growled towards Leia and C3-PO. "For now."

"Well, he seems very friendly," the protocol droid said happily.

Leia chose not to voice her opinions on Lando; charismatic and enthusiastic were not synonyms for honorable and trustworthy. She followed 3PO and Chewie as they approached the two friends.

"What are you doing here?" Lando asked in disbelief.

"Oh, repairs," Han said, gesturing towards the Millennium Falcon. "I thought you could help me out."

"What have you done to my ship?" Lando said with a suspicious glare.

"Your ship?" Han said in disbelief. "Hey, remember you lost her to me, fair and square."

Lando smirked, seemingly ignoring the comment, and looked over to Chewbacca.

"And how're you doing, Chewie?"

"Still staying out of trouble."

"You still hanging around with this loser?"

"He has his good sides."

As Leia approached the group, she could have bet money on how Lando would react to seeing her; she was not wrong.

"Well hello. Who do we have here?" Lando spoke suavely, loosening his posture, and pushing past Han to shake Leia's hand. "Welcome, I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

"Leia," she replied curtly, remembering her diplomatic training when Lando kissed her hand without any sort of subtlety.

He barely had time to finish his advances that he was quickly separated from Leia by Han who firmly pushed him aside with a polite smile.

"Look, Lando, I—"

His sentence was cut short when Leia captured his lips in a quick, passionate kiss, before separating away from him as if nothing had happened.

"You old smoothie," Lando said with a knowing smile.

Han and Lando continued to banter and give news about each other as they moved away from the platform. Leia was alarmed to find the tension in her gut was only getting worse.

Luke used the Force to keep himself balanced as he did a handstand with only one arm, with Yoda perched on top of his feet. It was like focusing on three different tasks at once, but Luke was able to use the Force to help his movements.

"Yes," Yoda muttered. "Use the Force… Now: the stone."

Luke concentrated on one of the large flat rocks laying around him and used the Force to move it through the air to pile it onto another.

"Feel it…"

As Luke performed the task meticulously, he could hear the faint chattering of R2 in the distance. Since he was concentrated on his task he barely heard the little droid, but his incessant sounds eventually forced Luke to glance in his direction.

When he saw that his X-Wing, still sitting in the swamp, was sinking into the water, panic seized his body; his connection to the Force wavered: the stone toppled over, Luke's arms weakened, he lost his balance…

"Concentraaaate!" Yoda shrieked out as Luke let him fall off his perch.

The old master landed gracefully, using the Force to slow his fall, while Luke crumbled to the ground in a heap. He quickly jumped back to his feet and ran up to the edge of the swamp. Only the tip of one his X-Wings S-foils was peeking out from below the surface.

"No…," Luke cursed, trying to stay calm. "We'll never get it out now!"

"So certain are you?"

Luke looked back incredulously towards the old Jedi who simply stared back at him with disarming seriousness.

"Always with you what cannot be done," Yoda sighed disappointedly. "Hear you nothing that I say?"

"Master," Luke tried to take the edge out of his voice when he addressed Yoda. If he lost his ship on Dagobah, it would bring a whole host of new problems, but he did his best to set them aside. "Moving stones around is one thing, this is totally different."

"No! No different," Yoda snapped back, stabbing the ground with his gimmer stick for emphasis. "Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."

Luke was growing tired of Yoda's riddles and half-answers. He had tolerated it when Yoda had taught him how to redirect energy, but now, the stakes were real. If Luke was unable to get his X-Wing out of the water, who knew when he would be able to leave Dagobah.

He kept staring at Yoda, excepting his master to add something else, though he was not very much surprised when he didn't. Then what? Luke was supposed to just throw away the weeks of training he had come here for in order to lift his starfighter out of the swamp? It was ludicrous!

He did not want to ask Yoda to do it for him. Considering the old master's age, that much effort would likely not do him any good. Luke turned back towards his X-Wing, his voice sounding barely convinced:

"Alright, I'll give it a try—"

"No!" Yoda cut him off sharply. "Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Luke nodded slowly, not particularly interested in semantics at the moment. He did his best to clear his mind, focused on the Force, and reached out towards his X-Wing.

Closing his eyes, Luke felt the power of the Force coursing through him. As he extended his arm, he could sense the starfighter moving slightly beneath the surface of the water. Luke deepened his connection to the Force, finding more power to draw upon.

At some point, Luke felt like he was hitting the wall; it was as if the Force was holding back from him, he could not find the necessary strength to keep lifting the ship. Luke tried to push through it but that only seemed to make the Force recede further away.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar pull in his stomach; another power was coming to his aid. Luke quickly recognized it as the Dark Side; its presence had become familiar to him at this point. However, Luke knew to stay away from it. The Dark Side was not the path of a Jedi, Obi-Wan and Yoda had taught him that… but…

But then why was the Light Side not helping him?!

Luke could no longer hold on to the X-Wing. As he lost his connection to the Force, the X-Wing sunk back into the water, disappearing below the surface, leaving Luke even worse off than before.

Luke felt exhausted. Looking back towards Yoda, he saw the old master cast a saddened look at the ground, heaving a low sigh. The young man knew what he was thinking, right now, Luke shared those same thoughts about himself: he was not good enough.

Out of breath and glistening with sweat, Luke dropped himself to the ground next to Yoda who looked at him with a patient and diligent eye.

"I can't…," Luke panted in frustration. "It's too big."

"Size matters not," Yoda replied resolutely. "Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmmm?"

Luke cast a wary glance towards his master before shaking his head emphatically. One of the first lessons he had learned from Yoda was to never judge a book by its cover; or its size.

"And well you should not," Yoda spoke, leaning closer to Luke. "For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it; makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter!"

As Yoda spoke, he pinched Luke's shoulder with his small claw. The young man continued to listen, though his eyes showed little understanding.

"You must feel the Force around you," Yoda said, gesturing to their surroundings. "Here, between you… me… the tree… the rock… everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship."

Luke could not disagree with anything he said; how could he? Master Yoda had centuries of experience with the Force, obviously, he knew what he was talking about. But was that truly how long it would take him to fully master the Force? Centuries? It would be impressive for him to live past one century, ignoring the fact he was fighting a war and might die in combat.

Was this even making any difference? What good would a few weeks of training do? The best he could do was lift a few rocks and barely deflect a single stun bolt. Going from that to lifting an X-Wing and stopping a lightsaber with his bare hands was something he could not even envision…

Luke felt he had hit a wall; one which no amount of effort or training would help him to surmount. He could not do it… It was…

"You want the impossible," Luke said to Yoda dejectedly, eyes cast to the ground in defeat.

He walked away from Yoda, his mind completely blank; unsure of what to do next. Luke threw on his vest before slumping down on the ground; lost and confused.

A few seconds of silence passed; even R2 had fallen silent. Everything was still, life on Dagobah followed its course…

A light breeze flicked up the leaves at Luke's feet, carrying them away. As Luke watched this, a strange warmth seemed to emanate from his core. It traveled through his entire body, suffusing it with this soothing heat. It was like the exact opposite of the coldness he had sensed in the cave.

When Luke looked up around him, he realized this warmth was also coming from around him. Every single leave that had been picked up by the breeze, even the ones that were still on the ground, the rocks, the branches, the wildlife, all seemed to exude this strange power.

It was calling to him… Luke could feel his instincts were pulling him back towards the swamp. He got up and returned to where master Yoda was sitting. What he saw shook him to his very core.

If the heat he had felt was like a small fire, Yoda was the sun itself. All the energy around him was converging towards him, constantly evolving his Force presence, granting him more and more power. Luke followed the old master's outstretched arm, and his jaw dropped when he saw what was levitating over the swamp.

He watched as his X-Wing, covered in weeds and branches, flew over the water, slowly making its way back towards the shore. Luke stepped out of the way as the ship lowered to the ground, completely intact.

As R2 beeped happily, Luke laid his hand against the side of the starfighter, as if expecting it to be some sort of hallucination. When he felt the cold, damp metal under his palm the full realization of what had happened sunk into him.

Luke paced around the ship in complete disbelief, eyes wide. R2 said something to him but he could only stare back and shrug incredulously.

When he arrived in front of Yoda, the old master observed him blankly; his eyes were a complete enigma. His Force presence was once again completely invisible as if all of this had somehow just been a dream. But it wasn't.

"I don't… I don't believe it," Luke said.

"That is why you fail," Yoda replied with a sad gaze.

DONE! FINALLY! I can head to bed now…

What did everyone think? This last part was definitely strange to manage since Luke is supposed to be blown away by the power of the Force while already having seen Obi-Wan do some pretty crazy stuff before. Still, I think it worked pretty well.

We finally have our boy, Lando! For those of you who saw the Solo: A Star Wars Story film, you may have caught the subtle jab towards some of what was implied about Lando's character and his… infatuation for robots. Anyway, I won't say anything more, this is not that Lando anyway.

Please favorite and follow if you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts or comments please write me a review. I read them all and they give me the inspiration to keep writing.

Thank you all for reading and see you next chapter!