The Last Mission

Summary: Luke is determined to defeat Vader as he lands at Cloud City.

Luke flipped the switch to turn off the engine of his X-Wing. He pulled his helmet off and looked at the landing pad and the city beyond. Somewhere in this floating city was Han and Leia as well as Darth Vader. There was a tightness in his chest at the thought of that man. The man who had killed his father and had hunted the Rebellion down ruthlessly since the destruction of the Death Star two years ago.

"Artoo," Luke said. The droid beeped. "Remember, you find Han and Leia and help them get out of here." An inquisitive beep. "I've got to face him. I've got to defeat him."

There was a sad whine from the droid. Luke ignored it. He had to.

He couldn't dwell too much on what could go wrong. He had to focus on what could go right.

On winning.

The halls and walkways of the city were empty and quiet. It seemed odd. There was tension in the air, as if a storm was rolling in and lightning would strike at any moment. The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stood on end. A lump formed in his throat. He became so acutely aware of the weight on his belt sitting on his hips. Of his lightsaber.

He kept moving through the city towards the eye of the storm where the cold and darkness grew thick and heavy.

Every now and then he'd stop. His hand would go to his belt and to the wall. Sometimes, he would have to pause and take a moment. He would close his eyes, gather his strength, and move on. It felt like hours later but it had only been about twenty minutes that he found himself in a room filled with steam. Darth Vader stood at the top of a set of stairs.

"The Force is with you, young Skywalker," Vader rumbled. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

He could do this. He could stop Vader here. And if he couldn't . . . He would. He would kill Vader. He pulled his lightsaber off his belt and ignited it. He walked cautiously up the steps with his blade always facing lit his red lightsaber in response, and they both paused to consider each other.

What was under that mask? In that cave on Dagobah, he had seen his own face under it. What did Vader look like? Was he once a bright-eyed youth hoping to be a Jedi? Like Luke was? Like his father had been?

His father . . . had been killed by Vader.

Regardless of whoever Vader had been, it didn't matter. Vader had chosen his side. He had betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker. He was a threat and a menace. He needed to be stopped, and Luke was going to be the one to do that.

The blades hummed and hissed as they struck each other. Luke pushed the offensive; Vader was forced to move backward on the defense.

"You have learned much, young one," Vader noted.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Luke said.

He smiled internally to himself. Maybe he could beat Vader in combat- Vader swooped in fast. Luke could barely track him. The Sith was nothing more than a blur. The saber hissed as it slipped under Luke's blue saber, knocked it up, and sent it flying out of Luke's hand. He barely had time to register the loss as Vader's saber slashed at his feet. Luke jumped back and lost his balance. He rolled down the small set of stairs and landed hard on the floor.

His heart drummed loud in his ears. He snapped his head up to see Vader in the air coming right at him. Luke rolled away just in time to avoid him as he landed.

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker," Vader said. "Obi-Wan knew this to be true."

"No!" Luke shouted.

He cautiously stepped away from Vader, never taking his eyes off of the dark Sith. Was it time? Had he lost? No. Not yet. He hadn't lost yet. He could still get out of this-

Vader dashed forward. His sword swung fast; Luke dodged but lost his balance unaware that he was at the edge of the walkway. He fell into a small dark hole. Machinery all around him started to hum. Freezing steam hissed out of tubes. This place wasn't safe, so he jumped straight out of the hole as liquid metal poured in. The Force helped him soar out of the hole and directly into the hoses in the ceiling. He clung tightly to one afraid to fall back into the pit.

Vader was looking directly at him.

"Impressive," the deep voice rumbled. Vader slashed out with saber and cut a hose. Steam poured out, and Luke scrambled away. "Most impressive." It almost sounded like he was impressed. Was Vader praising him?

No matter. Luke jumped down and grabbed the cut hose. He pushed it at Vader, who let out a grunt as the hot steam hit him. Luke raised his hand and his lightsaber hilt flew into his outstretched hand. He instantly ignited it.

Vader raised his own blade.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear. Now release your anger," Vader said.

Luke dashed forward and their fight continued. He had to end this. The alternative . . .

He didn't let his mind go there. He instead focused on the fight. He could do this! Vader stepped away from Luke's most recent onslaught. Feeling more confident, Luke charged forward and managed to knock Vader off the platform. Energy buzzed through Luke's veins, but it was starting to burn out. He was tired and sweaty, but it wasn't over yet.

He stood at the edge of the platform and looked down into the darkness, but there was no sign of Vader. Deactivating his sword, he jumped into the shadows.

Had R2 found Leia and Han? Had they escaped? Would he see them soon? He hoped so, but he still had unfinished business. His hand slipped into his pocket, grabbed a small device, and placed it against a wall. There was a soft beep as it activated. He continued on and entered a tunnel-like hallway. There was a growing coldness - it was sharp and seemed to snap at him hungrily. He pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it as he stepped into the next room, moving toward a large window that looked out at a large shaft. Possibly the main reactor shaft of the floating city.

He wasn't able to look long. He could feel the sharp cold at his back. He turned around and ignited his lightsaber. He stood ready as Vader approached, lightsaber lit. He slowly positioned his hands on the hilt.

They both stood ready to fight.

Luke shifted. He was ready to move at the first moment Vader moved. But he hadn't expected a large piece of machinery to come off the wall and fly at him from behind. He slashed it in half while Vader used the opportunity to approach from behind. Luke spun.

They were back to trading blows. The lightsabers hummed and hissed as they clashed. Luke stared into Vader's mask. Was he even a man? Who was he? Had he known Anakin Skywalker well before he betrayed him? How had it happened? Luke had been too focused. A new piece of machinery slammed into his shoulder and the back of his head. He grunted as one of his hands let go of the saber and came up to his head.

He took only a second to collect himself. He gripped his saber in both hands and brought it up. He was hunched over. His body was soaked with sweat, sore and bruised, but he gripped his saber tightly.

Vader didn't approach. Instead another piece of machinery broke off the wall and flew at Luke. He swung at it, but the move went wild. The blade never touched it; instead the machinery hit his arm. He staggered back a few steps and before he could get his sword back up another chuck hit him. He swung, trying to stop the barrage, but he couldn't even tell which direction they were coming from. Another piece hit his back. He rose his saber up hoping to catch the next piece. It zoomed by him and crashed into the window.

Instantly the air was sucked from the room. The wind was too strong. Luke tried to keep his footing, he leaned over and grabbed a nearby console, but his hold was weak with his other hand still holding his lit saber. His hand slipped and suddenly his feet left the ground.

He was yanked backward out the window and into the large shaft.

For a moment, his heart was nothing but ice. He was going to die. But somehow he was able to grab onto a walkway jutting out into the large reactor shaft.

He barely managed to grab it and hung there freely for a second before he started to pull himself up. Once safely on the walkway, he rolled over to look down at the endless shaft.

Was it time? Had he lost? His hand slipped into his pocket and pulled out another small device. He placed it on the walkway before he stood up. He limped forward. He was sore and battered. Could he still win? Or . . .

The walkway looped around a large control room that hung in the middle of the reactor shaft. It was windy in the shaft. It snapped and bit at Luke and only made his many small cuts sting. He leaned against the side, his eyes always on the railing, and the long fall beyond it. He stopped twice, again to pull something out of his pocket and attach it to the wall, then rounded the corner and slipped into the open doorway.

His eyes darted around the room looking for strategic spots to stick a small round device to. His lightsaber was in his hand as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He barely managed to duck as Vader stepped out and slashed at Luke with his red saber. Luke's saber was up instantly to block the oncoming blows, which are hard and heavy. Something had changed. Luke realized Vader had been only toying with him earlier. Now these blows spoke of desperation and conclusion. Of ending this.

No!

Luke has been pushed back out of the control room and onto the thin walkway that extended out into the shaft. The sabers continue to pound against each other, occasionally one would slip and slash into a wall or railing causing sparks to spray around them. Luke tried to stop the onslaught. He stepped forward, their blades locked, but Vader was simply too big. Too powerful. He pushed and Luke fell backward. Vader's blade pointed at Luke and hovered right above him.

"You are beaten," Vader said. "It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did."

That . . . was . . . true . . . But he wasn't going down quite yet! He knocked Vader's blade aside with his own and rolled away. He jumped back up, and his sword swung and crashed against Vader's. He just needed an opening. He needed just a small bit of time. He swung viciously and finally managed to get a blow on Vader's shoulder. Vader grunted in pain, and Luke stepped away. His free hand slipping into his pocket and pressing a button.

Vader quickly recovered. By now Luke has been pushed to the end of the walkway. He ducked under a railing as Vader's blade swung down. It sliced through some weather towers, which barely slowed the blade down as it came for Luke again. The blades crashed together. Then again. Then-

Luke screamed as Vader's blade slid right through his arm cutting off his hand. His other hand instantly grabbed at his stump. Pain tore through him and fell down to his knees. His free hand grabbing what was left of one of the weather towers while he stuck his injured arm under his armpit.

He looked up at Vader, defiance still burning in him.

"There is no escape," Vader said. "Don't make me destroy you." Vader slowly approached and deactivated his saber. Luke slowly, on his hands and knees, backed away.

"You do not yet realize your importance," Vader continued. "You have only begun to discover your power." Luke had reached the very end of the gantry. He grabbed at the instruments. He just needed some time. He just needed to keep him talking. "Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."

"I'll never join you!" Luke barked.

"If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"

"No. I am your father."

Everything stopped.

The wind. Vader's breathing. The pain in his arm. There was nothing. There wasn't even a heartbeat in him. A breath.

Then the galaxy came crashing back into him.

"No!" he cried. "No! That's not true! That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings," Vader said. "You know it to be true." There was weight to those words. They were heavy. With what? With a plea. With a truth.

It was true . . . It was true! It spun around him like the wind of the shaft. It snapped at his wounds all while saying 'truth, truth.'

"No!" he cried. "No! No!"

"Luke," Vader said. "You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me. It is the only way."

Vader held his hand out. To Luke . . . to his son . . . This was . . . his father . . . The father he thought had died. And now . . . The small device in his pocket felt so heavy. Luke moved very cautiously along the gantry back towards Vader. The moment he was close enough, Vader grabbed him and pulled him back onto the walkway.

There was a smugness radiating off of the Sith. A sense of victory. But Luke could only look up at him with large eyes, filling with tears. The arrogance was quickly replaced with alarm and caution. Vader's helmet tilted to the side.

He knew.

Somehow, he knew. He could sense them. The small thermal detonators Luke had placed all along the city and the reactor shaft. The ones he had armed merely moments ago. The ones that would be blowing up any minute now.

Luke had decided if he couldn't defeat Vader, then he would end this even at the cost of his own life. He'd failed to do so over Vrogas Vas. He wouldn't fail again. Vader was too important. He was a cornerstone of the Empire. His loss would hit the Empire hard and would be a big boon to the Rebellion. And Luke was fine with sacrificing himself for that.

But . . . but . . . he hadn't known. Why hadn't he known? Why hadn't he been told? This . . . this was his father!

He took a step forward, a step closer, and looked up at the mask. Again, he couldn't help but wonder who was behind that mask. It was his father. What did he look like? Why did he wear it? There were so many questions that he wanted to ask, but there wasn't time. He would never have the answers.

Vader put a hand on Luke's shoulder, and a sob bubbled out of Luke.

"I . . . didn't know," he said softly.

"I know," Vader said.

Please, Luke prayed to himself as tears ran down his cheeks. Let this all be worth it. Please let Leia and Han be safe. Let them get away.

He stepped forward, closing the gap between them. His arms slowly wrapping around Vader, whose large arms wrapped around Luke. They embraced. Luke rested his head against Vader's armor and closed his eyes right as the blinding light erupted and the detonators went off. The last thing he knew was his father hugging him tighter as light and fire consumed them both.