Battle of Corellia Bay

Summary: Someone sent me a prompt for a war au, and decided to do a historical war au. Based on the Battle of Mobile Bay from the American Civil War. Newly appointed Rear Admiral Han Solo is on a personal mission to break the blockade of Corellia Bay so the Alliance can seize Coronet City. But getting through the heavily guarded channel, known as the Kessel Run, will be tough. Luke Skywalker has a bad feeling as he spies Darth Vader aboard one of the Imperial ships.

Han!" Luke shouted. "Come see this!"

The spyglass was pressed to Luke's face. He looked at the opposing Imperial fleet. It matched the Alliance fleet ship for ship. But Luke was drawn to the dark figure standing on the bow of the first ship. He was tall and dressed in all black. A cape billowed behind him in the wind. He wore a black helmet and mask.

There was no denying it. Luke had seen plenty of posters depicting Darth Vader. It had to be him.

"Let me look, kid," Han said as he approached.

He took the spyglass and looked out across the water. He stared for a few moments before lowering the glass.

"What am I supposed to be looking for?" he asked. "It all looks the same to me."

Luke snatched the glass away and brought it back up to his eye. There was no dark figure standing on the front ship. Had he just been imagining things?

"I . . . uh . . . must be seeing things," he mumbled.

Han clapped him on the back. "Just pre-battle nerves," he said.

Luke nodded. Plus why would Darth Vader be here? Shouldn't he with his own fleet? The dreaded Death Squadron? This was not the Death Squadron. It was a smaller Imperial fleet made of small boats made for the shallows of river warfare. Like the Alliance fleet, the ships were a combination of ironclads and wooden-hulled gunners.

Luke was on the Alliance fleet's flagship the Millennium Falcon. It was a wooden-hulled ship, but what it lacked in iron-plated armor it made up with in speed. It was the fastest ship in the fleet.

"How are you doing?" Luke asked. "How are your nerves?"

Han shifted and pulled at the collar of his new uniform reflecting his new rank, rear admiral. He looked stiff in the tan double-breasted coat that bore the shoulder markings of two stars with the stripes. The cuffs of his sleeves bore the three stripes and a star. The light blue collar of the undershirt was neatly folded over the jacket into two triangular points. Han had never strived to be part of the rebellion, much less an officer. But that didn't mean he was undeserving of his rank. He had earned this rank, and everyone in this fleet knew it.

This would be Han's first real battle as the highest ranking officer. It was a bit on the personal side for him, which was why he volunteered to do it. The Alliance fleet was going to break the Imperial blockade on Corellia Bay. They would then secure Coronet City, Han's hometown, and the shipyards there. This would weaken the Imperial war machine, but breaking the blockade was not going to be easy.

Attempts had been made to secure the bay earlier in the war, but all had failed. Natural geography helped the Empire. A long narrow peninsula of sand came out from the east side of the bay, while a line of barrier islands came in from the west. There was only one main thin channel going in and out of the bay called the Kessel Run.

The Empire had two forts on both sides of the Run. One on the island side and one on the peninsula side. Even though the two forts were within eyesight of each other, their gun range didn't reach into the middle of the Run. That was why there was a submerged minefield under the water. It stretched from the western islands almost all the way across the channel. It forced ships to come close to the eastern fort and its heavy guns.

Of course even if the fleet managed to make it through the Run, mines, guns and all, there was still an Imperial Fleet waiting in the bay.

"This plan seems a bit crazy," Han muttered.

"It's your plan," Luke said with a smile. He now held the rank of lieutenant commander, but unlike Han he wasn't wearing an officer's uniform. Instead he wore the simple sailor outfit of a light gray shirt, black vest, khaki pants, and black boots.

"The wind is working for us," Han noted. He gave Luke a nod, and then walked off. It was time to begin.

Han's plan had each of the sixteen ships in the fleet paired up. Each wooden-hull was paired with an ironclad, and the two ships were tethered together. The ironclad was on the eastern side, the fort side. As the boats made their way through the Run, the ironclad would act as a shield for its wooden sister. If one boat was damaged, then the other boat could tow it along. Once out of range of the fort's guns, then the fleet would untether themselves and focus on the Imperial ships.

It seemed like a good plan. But Luke had this sinking cold feeling in his stomach ever since he had seen that large dark figure on the Imperial ship. He had to remind himself it wasn't Darth Vader. It couldn't be. The Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces would not be bothered with such a battle. There were more important fronts to focus on. Right?

Luke had missed the signal. The fleet was moving. The fleet had formed a single column of paired ships, since the Run wasn't wide enough for anything bigger. The Falcon was in the middle. The tide was running in, so Han ordered the ships to cut back on steam pressure on their engines. If the ships' boilers were hit by enemy fire, it would minimize the damage. Luke sent a silent prayer to the Force that the current would give their ships speed.

The ARS Aspiration tied with the ARS Ghorman's Honor led the column. As soon as the Aspiration got close enough, the Imperial fort started to fire. The column pushed on. Everything was going smoothly. The ironclads were shielding their wooden sisters. They were going to make it through the Kessel Run.

But the Aspiration wasn't staying on course. It was veering westward. Han was shouting. Flags were flashing orders down the column. But the Aspiration kept on. Luke could swear he could hear the shouts coming from the Ghorman's Honor. Why was their sister ship leading them to the mines? The Honor desperately went to work to cut themselves free, but that was when the Aspiration hit a mine.

It took less than three minutes for the Aspiration to sink. The Honor was being pulled after it, but finally the ropes were cut. The ship tried to steer itself free of the mines, but met with the same fate as its sister.

Why had they lost those two ships? Why hadn't they followed orders? Luke couldn't see. Thick clouds of gun smoke filled the air. If only he could see! He glanced up. The air was clear higher up . . . It wasn't long before Luke was climbing up into the rigging. There was a slight shift in the wind as Luke got higher. It cleared the smoke enough for him to see out across the Run.

The rest of the column held true. They kept their pace down the Run.

"Luke!" came a shout. It was Han. "What do you see?"

"The column is holding!" Luke said. He glanced up again. The Imperial fleet had moved. A cold dread built up in him. They were preparing their rammers. The moment the column would come out of the minefield, the moment their ships would be rammed.

Something tugged on Luke's mind. A thought. He looked back westward across the minefield.

"Han!" he shouted down. "Adjust the heading! Order the whole column!" Luke gave the directions.

"That puts us too far west!" Han shouted back up.

"We'll get through the Run faster!"

"Yeah in pieces!"

"Just trust me! Damn the mines! Full speed ahead!"

Luke wasn't sure why he said that or even if he trusted those words himself. Han was right. This was foolish to run the whole fleet through the minefield. But it would put them out of range of the Imperial fleet's guns and rammers. The flags were raised. The signal ran down the column. The two new leaders, the Liberty Gambler and the Star Breeze II, started to turn and make their way into the mines.

Luke held his breath. Any moment now the hull of either ship would brush against a mine, but nothing came. The next two ships in line entered the field followed by the Falcon and her ironclad sister the Sundog. Then the two leaders were free of the mines. Then the next two and the next and the next. The whole column was out of the mines. The ship pairs started to untie themselves as they prepared to face the approaching Imperial fleet.

They had done it! They made it through the Kessel Run in record time! The Imperial ships were thrown off as they moved to confront the Alliance. No longer was this battle on the Empire's terms, but the Imperial ships came on anyways. A fierce battle started. The air filled with dark heavy gunsmoke. The Imperial ships moved to pincher the Alliance ships between them.

Luke was still up in the rigging as he watched the battle unfold. The Alliance had lost three ships, but the Empire had yet to lose any. Luke couldn't help but frown. Things were not going their way despite the good start. There was a sudden sharp change in the wind, which cleared away the smoke clouds. It gave him a clear view of the battlefield. He looked out assessing the two fleets, and that was when he saw it.

There standing in the middle of the deck of the Imperial flag ship was the tall dark figure. Luke didn't need the spyglass to know it was Darth Vader. He was here.

Luke swung down to the deck. "Han!" he shouted. The rear admiral was shouting orders to get the ships into a better formation. "We need to retreat!"

"What?" Han said. "That was the fastest time anyone has ever broken through the Kessel Run! It was luck we only lost two ships. Perhaps those mines have just been submerged too long to be effective."

"Han!" Luke said. "It's Vader! Lord Vader! He's on the lead ship!"

Han paused. "What?" he gaped. "Why . . . Would he . . . Why? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Luke said.

Han looked out at the battle. "He's just a man," he said. "None of those stories are true. He can't revert the tide or change the wind."

"Can't alter the course of our two lead ships so they go into the minefield and sink?" Luke asked.

Han glared at him, but the thought clearly bothered him.

"If that was the case," Han said slowly, "Why didn't the rest of us get hit?"

Luke shrugged. That he didn't have the answer to.

"It's a bunch of nonsense," Han said.

"Han. We've also lost the Sundog, the Night Sail, and the Inspire, yet none of the Imperial ships have gone down." Han didn't reply. "Han," Luke said again. "We're going to lose."

"You don't know that," Han replied angrily. "We could still win!"

An explosion instantly stole both of their attentions. The Star Breeze II's steam engine had been hit by Imperial fire. The ship was lost. An Imperial ship was plowing through the waters straight at the Falcon. The tall dark figure stood at the bow.

"Darth Vader," Han said under his breath. Then he looked at Luke with wide eyes. "We retreat," he said. "We'll head to the Bespin."

"Bespin?" Luke asked.

"It's a river a bit to the west. A bunch of marshland and swamps. Always thick with fog. There's a smuggler's hideout there called Cloud City."

Luke nodded. He prayed to the Force again. They needed just a bit more luck to get away.

The Bespin River didn't look like much of a river, but Han said this was just the large basin at the mouth of the river. It branched and braided over several miles creating various wetlands, marshes, bayous, and swamps. The water was black and murky. Pond cypress trees grew out of the water. They had large bases that spread out into the dark water. Gray moss hung from the branches. Green algae and water plants floated in the dark water. Tall marsh grasses grew where the water was shallow.

Luke wasn't sure how Han knew the way. He just seemed to know which turns to take. Luke expected the fleet to run aground even though these ships were made for shallow rivers. But the boats moved smoothly on. The deeper they went, the more the fog grew. It started off as a white wispy clouds clinging to the water between the tree roots. But it got thicker and thicker. Luke shivered.

All the ships had become quiet. Out of the original sixteen they had started with, they were down to nine. Two had been lost at the beginning, five during the battle, and another two during the retreat. They came to another branch in the river. The small waterway twisted into the dark trees and fog. A wooden sign with dark letters and green moss hung from a tree. It read: Dagobah. Do Not Enter.

"Dagobah?" Luke asked.

"A swamp," Han said. "You don't want to go in there, kid. It's nothing but a maze. Plus there's nothing in there besides ghosts if you believe in that nonsense."

They continued on. The fog was now thick and heavy. They couldn't see that much in front of them. Luke started to notice signs of humans. Floating planks of wood. A chair. An old fishing pole. He saw paint on some of the trees. Then he heard the singing. Drunken singing.

"Looks like someone is having a good time," Han murmured.

Then the lights started to appear in the fog. Slowly a whole town made of shanty buildings on stilts or boats came into view. There was no large port, so the Falcon had to anchor amongst the trees. They took a boat to the town. They stumbled on to the pier and at once a dark skinned man was marching towards them.

"You know we don't want your type here," he said sternly. A group of men followed behind him. The man in front stopped as he took in Han's uniform. "An officer?" he said surprised. "You? You an officer? You slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler?"

Han shrugged and pointed at himself innocently. Then the dark skinned man broke into a huge smile and laughed as he walked up to Han and wrapped him into a hug.

"How you been doing, you old pirate? Can't believe the Rebellion made you an officer. They must be really desperate," the man said.

"Hey, they were the one to throw the promotion on me," Han said. He looked over at Luke and waved him over. "This is Lando Calrissian. A friend. We go way back."

"And who is this?" Lando asked as stepped forward and offered his hand. Luke shook it.

"This is Luke," Han said.

"What are you doing here?" Lando asked.

"We just had a brush in with the Imps over in the bay. Just need to lay low for a bit."

"Trying to break the blockade?"

"Hey we made it through the Kessel Run in sixteen minutes!"

"Sixteen minutes?" Lando laughed. "In what? Kicking on a plank of wood?"

"We went over the minefield," Luke explained. "Twice, actually." They had to cross back over to get out.

Lando looked from Luke to Han and back. "Now that sounds like a tale," he said clapping Han on the back. "Let's hear it over some drinks."

Laughter filled the air as the Alliance sailors were welcomed into Cloud City. Soon they joined the drunken singing and shouting and fighting. Luke joined Han and Lando for a while before he drifted away to the docks. He couldn't shake this feeling he had in him. It kept pulling his mind back to the Dagobah. He went back to the Falcon and curled up in his bunk. But still the word Dagobah repeated in his head.

The next morning he took the boat on to the river. No one was on watch. Probably everyone had got drunk last night. Luke should reprimand them when got back, but having escaped the Empire, having escaped Darth Vader, was a good reason for a night of drinking. Plus it allowed Luke to get away unseen. He made his back down the foggy river until he came back to the sign. He rowed the boat into the dark trees.

Han was right. The swamp was a maze. There were no clear paths. Sometimes Luke had to stand up and use his feet to push off muddy islands. There were a few tight squeezes between trees. Luke saw alligators and snakes swimming through the water. Birds swooped over head. He was about to turn around as he was unsure why he had even ventured here in the first place when he saw lights.

He made his way toward them. There was an island, slightly bigger than the rest. On it was a hut. It looked like it was made from a large tree and mud. It was rounded and small, but had several small windows from which gold light escaped out of. Luke pulled his boat ashore and walked cautiously to the hut.

"Made it you finally have," an odd voice called out.

Luke froze and looked around wildly. That was when he noticed an odd old man sitting hunched over on a fallen log. The man stood up and leaned heavily on a cane. He was short and old. Really old. His skin was brown and wrinkly. It almost seemed to sag off of him in spots. He wore a turban on his head that had two pointed pieces of fabric hanging out the sides. It almost looked like large ears. He wore a dirty beige robe.

"I uh . . ." Luke said completely at a lost of what to say.

"Young Skywalker you are," the man said.

"How . . . How did you know that?"

"Yoda I am," the old man said. "Come. Come." He hobbled past Luke and made his way to the hut. He paused in the door and repeated, "Come. Come." Luke followed.

The hut was small and Luke couldn't stand up all the way. He sat down on a small wooden stool.

"Yoda was it?" Luke asked. "How did you know who I am?"

"Know your father I did," Yoda said. Luke's mouth hung open. "A Jedi I am."

Luke's mouth gaped open. "A . . . a jedi?" he almost shouted.

He had thought they were all dead, especially after the death of old Ben.

"Can you train me? In how to use the Force?" Luke asked.

"Why you wish become Jedi? Hmm?"

"Mostly because of my father, I guess."

"Ah, your father. Powerful Jedi was he. Powerful Jedi. Mmm."

Luke just watched as Yoda walked over to a fire where he had an iron pot hanging. He stirred the insides with a long spoon.

"I cannot teach him," Yoda said irritated. "Much anger in him. Like his father." Then there was silence. Luke looked around. "The boy has no patience." Again a stretch of silence. "Hah. He is not ready."

Was Yoda talking to someone?

"I am ready," Luke said jumping to his defense. "Yoda! I am!"

"He is too old. Yes, too old to begin the training."

"But I've learned so much!" Luke said.

Yoda turned and looked at Luke. Luke noticed the man's eyes were a piercing green. They seem to dig at Luke. Not just the outside, but into his mind as well. Luke feels like he is being weighed and tested. Finally Yoda sighed.

"Will he finished what he begins?"

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

"Oh, you will be. You will be."

An awkward silence stretched through the hut.

"Training we shall begin. Ahead of you long road is, young Skywalker."

"Wait," Luke said. "I need to go back to Cloud City. I need to tell Han and the others."

"No," Yoda said slamming down his walking stick. "Stay here you must. Said you would finished what you begin."

"We haven't even begun yet," Luke pointed out. "If I don't go back, they'll worry about me. I won't mention anything about you, but they need to know I'm safe. I'll come back, I promise. I just need to tell my friends."

"You must not go!" Yoda shouted.

Luke stood up and moved towards the door. "I will return. I promise." He opened the door and walked back into the swamp.

He made his way back to his boat. He found it far easier to make his way out of the Dagobah Swamp. Once back on the Bespin River, he made his way back upstream. As he passed the first anchored Alliance ship, Luke looked up. The fog was still heavy, but he could see up to the deck. No one was on board. Luke frowned. It was one thing to give the crew a night off, but there should be someone on watch now.

Then Luke passed the next ship and the next. No one stood on deck. The ships were quiet and still. He wondered where everyone was. Had they all gone into Cloud City? He would need to have a word with Han. He saw the lights of the city. He expected a loud ruckus, but it was just a soft murmur. Everything seemed subdued. A few smugglers and outlaws lingered about, but Luke didn't see any Alliance sailors.

Once he tied up his ship, he made his way across the various boardwalks to the hut Han was staying in. The lights were dark. Was Han even in? Luke pushed open the door.

"Han!" he shouted as ran across the floor.

Han was tied up to a support pole. His hands were stretched back around the pole. His face was bruised and bloodied. There was a gag in his mouth. His head rolled from side to side as he looked up at Luke. Luke knelt down and pulled down the gag.

"Han," he said. "What happened?"

"Luke, it's a trap," Han muttered.

Before Luke could say another word, strong hands grabbed at his arms. At once Luke was screaming and kicking, but more hands grabbed him. Then a cloth was placed against his nose and mouth. Luke squirmed and continued to try and break free, but then his body started to feel heavy. His movements started to slow down. His head spun. He felt sluggish. He fought to keep his eyes open.

The hands lowered him to the ground. He couldn't move at all. Not even a finger. But he fought to keep his eyes open. Heavy footsteps were heard. They echoed loudly in Luke's dazed mind. They came to a stop right in front of him. Luke could only see black. He could just make out that some of the black was different from the other. Black boats and a black . . . cape?

Then the blackness stirred. It was a figure. A person in all black. He even wore a black metal helmet and mask. A black gloved hand rested on Luke's forehead. It laid there softly. The black glove slowly slid down his face. As it covered his eyes, they closed. He could no longer keep them open. There was a heavy pull inside of him calling him to sleep. He tried to fight off, but eventually he could no longer fight it.

Luke woke up to the gentle rocking of the sea. As his eyes came into focus he found himself staring at an unfamiliar wooden roof. He turned his head and found he was in a bunk that was placed against the wall. High slats prevented him from rolling out of the bed, even if the water got rough.

He blinked as he took in the rest of the room. The bunk was in a corner. In the opposite corner sat a large desk under a large window. Pinned up on the wall next to the desk were maps and notes. Luke could see a bit of clutter on the desk itself. There was a globe, an inkwell, stacks of papers under a paper weight, and a clock.

Luke glanced around. This room was big for a ship. It had to be the captain's quarters. But it wasn't Han's. This wasn't the Falcon. So where was he?

He tried to push himself up, but found his body was still weak and not responding. He flopped down back on to the bed. His head spun, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He sighed and reopened his eyes. That was when he noticed the bright red flag on the wall by his bed. A horrible sense of dread started to claw its way up inside of him. That was the red flag of the Empire. This was an Imperial ship.

What was he doing on an Imperial ship? In the captain's quarters? Why wasn't he in the brig? He tried to push himself up again. He managed to sit up, but at once nausea overwhelmed him. Spots swam in his eyes, and he fell back down into the bed. He groaned as he tried not to throw up. At some point he must have drifted off to sleep, because he awoke to the sound of heavy steps, the click of a key, and a door opening.

Yet he didn't open his eyes. He laid still. He heard the door close and the key click again. Luke cursed to himself. So he was locked in here. The heavy steps came closer and closer until they stopped right at edge of the bunk. Luke could feel there was someone next to him. Someone watching.

"Do not pretend to sleep," came a deep dark voice.

Luke opened his eyes. A man stood towering over him. His arms crossed across his chest. He wore all black. His long wavy blond hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. A scar slashed next to his right eye. His eyes were a bright blue, but they were cold. They made Luke shiver.

"Who are you?" Luke asked. His voice was weak. It felt unused and dry. "Where am I?"

The man stared at Luke for a long while, before he sharply turned. He marched over to the desk and picked something up. He returned to Luke holding a flask. He held it out to Luke, who only eyed it suspiciously.

"It is water," the man said.

Luke slowly sat up and took the flask. The water though it had a metallic taste was still cold and good. He emptied the whole flask and handed it back to the man.

"Thank you," Luke said.

The man took the flask. As he walked back over to the desk, he asked, "What do you know of your father?"

"My father?"

Than man placed the flask on the desk and turned back to Luke. "Anakin Skywalker," he said.

"I . . . uh . . ." Luke stumbled. "He was a sailor."

The man walked back over to Luke. "Is that all?" he asked slowly. "They never said what happened to him?"

"He died," Luke whispered.

"How?"

What was with all these questions? Why did this man want to know so much about his father?

"His ship- ship sunk," Luke replied.

The man's eyes narrowed. A lump formed in Luke's throat and a shiver ran through him. He suddenly wished for another blanket covering him.

"Is that all they said?"

"Yes," Luke whispered.

The room grew colder still. The man stared unblinking at Luke. His sharp blue eyes felt like ice digging into him. A sharp knock on the door finally caused those eyes to look elsewhere. The man let out a soft growl as he walked over to the door. Luke could not see it from the bunk, but he heard the door unlock and open.

"Yes captain?" the man asked.

"Lord Vader," a new voice said.

Instantly goosebumps ran up Luke's arms. He grabbed at the blanket covering him.

The new voice continued, "A new com just arrived via messenger bird."

No one else talked. There was just the sound of the door closing and locking. Then Vader's boots as he walked back into the room. He walked over to his desk as he unrolled the message. He took a minute reading it and then looked up at the map pinned up on the wall. He scowled and threw the message on to his desk. Then he turned and faced Luke again.

"You're Darth Vader?" Luke had to ask.

"I am," Vader replied as he walked back over.

"You were at Corellia Bay. Why?"

"Because you were there."

That didn't make any sense. Why did it matter if Luke was there or not? Was this still about Luke sinking the Empire's horrid dreadnaught the Death Star? It was a ship with such huge cannons it could destroy a whole seaside town single handedly.

"You are strong in the force, young Skywalker. You were able to get you fleet over the minefield without loosing a single ship. You were able to manipulate the tides and winds in your favor. Impressive, most impressive."

"I did no such thing," Luke squawked. Vader raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you, young one, you did. You are strong, but untrained. But I will complete your training."

"No," Luke said horrified. "No," he repeated louder this time. "I won't become like you!"

Vader glared down at Luke. The room seemed to grow cold again.

"I was not always like this," Vader said. "I once had a different life. I had a wife, and we were expecting a baby. But she grew ill. If I did nothing I would lose her and our baby. So I went to the Jedi for surely in their infinite wisdom and powers they knew of a way to save her. Do you know what they said to me?"

Luke said nothing. Only stared wide eyed up at Vader.

"They told me to let her die. To rejoice in her passing and rejoining the Force," Vader spat angrily. "If the Jedi would not help me I would find someone else. And I did. Chancellor Palpatine. He promised me power. Power to save my wife and child. All at the price of becoming his right hand man. His enforcer. His attack dog. And I did so willingly. I burned down the Jedi Temple. I slaughtered the Separatist Council to end the Trade War."

He stopped and just stared. His hands were balled into tight fists. Luke wondered if it was a trick of the light, but did his eyes looked yellow?

"Did . . . did you save her?" Luke asked. He had to ask. There was something inside of him that needed to know. "Your-your wife? And your baby?"

"No," Vader growled. "A Jedi, a friend my wife had known since since she was a girl, a person who was like a brother to me, came to her. He told her lies about me. Worried for my safety she boarded a ship and sailed to my location. The Jedi stole aboard. Once she arrived at the island, the Jedi revealed himself. We dueled. I lost. I was left to die there. The Jedi took my wife. When I recovered from my injuries the first thing I asked was what had happened to my wife. She had died. The baby with her."

Why was Vader telling him this? Why was Luke in his room? In his bed? What did this have to do with him?

"Was the Jedi my father?" Luke asked. Was this what this was all about? Was Vader out for revenge.

But suddenly Vader's expression softened. "No," he said softly. He took a deep breath and the hardness and cold returned. "No, it was not your father. I was to learn this Jedi's crimes did not end with my wife's death. I was to learn later, much much later that my child lived. That the Jedi had stolen my child and hid him away from me."

Luke shivered. It felt like the room was shaking. The wood creaked. It sound like a piece of wood splintered open. There was the sound of cracking glass.

"The Jedi who dared such a thing was none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader growled.

"Ben- Ben?" Luke asked. He couldn't believe old Ben would do such a thing.

"Yes, Luke. Now tell me, what lies did that Jedi tell you about your father?"

Luke's breath caught in his throat. Everything stopped. Even Vader was frozen. The only thing that seemed to move was Luke's thoughts.

"No," Luke whimpered. His voice broke the spell. Time moved again. "No," he said again. "It can't be. You can't be . . . my father."

Vader's face softened. He walked over and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"It is true, my son," he said. "I am your father."