Spectre: Final Chapter of the Empire Strikes Back. Hopefully I managed to nail their reactions of the you-know-what scene. As usual Interlude 2.0 awaits.

Now, to those who think that I would do a re-hash like the SC-38, I wouldn't be doing it due to some reasons:

-First of all, Luke didn't get any saber training from Yoda during his stay on Dagobah, heck he didn't even complete his training.

-Vader wasn't even trying to kill Luke, not like the one with Obi-Wan back at Chapter 11.

-And lastly, it is to display who really is a Master and Apprentice around these parts.

Chapter 26: A Fated Duel

Luke's eyes hardened as he put away his blaster and drew his lightsaber. The blue blade came to life as he reached the top of the stairs and was held at the ready. Vader drew his own crimson blade and crossed it with Luke's.

Anakin held his covered the lower half of his face with his hand, completely worried that Luke won't have a chance against Vader. While Luke may had lessons fron Yoda, facing Vader was not the best course as of now.

Padmé insintctively held Anakin's hand, equally worried as him, now that she is watching her son fighting against the man who killed his father and her husband.

Luke struck first with a pair of overhead strikes that Vader easily parried with his own blade. Luke went for the same move, but stronger, but Vader parried that too and threw Luke back. He allowed Luke to stand up, putting both hands on his saber and taking a defensive ready. Luke advanced, and Vader retreated to keep the distance. Luke struck again with a pair of blows to the head and a third to the legs. Vader countered with a strike at the chest, but Luke blocked, spun and blocked the follow-up. From there, the duel turned into a dance of clashing blades.

"What do you think, Master Windu?" Shaak Ti whispered.

"Vader has the upper hand." he replied. "He has size, strength and experience over young Skywalker, who only has energy and maybe dexterity on her size."

"But by the looks of it, he wasn't exerting much effort, unlike his duels with Master Kenobi and Padawan Tano", Kit Fisto observed.

"He wanted Luke alive", Obi-Wan chimed in, his right hand at his cheek as he observed the duel. "He wanted him to become his apprentice, as is Palpatine's"

As the duo fought below, Lando led Leia and Chewie's escort into an ambush by his own people. Before they even knew what happened, the officer and all the Stormtroopers were disarmed and at Lando's mercy.

"Well done." Lando told his lieutenant, "Hold them in the security tower, and keep in quiet."

The audience breathed out in relief, realizing that Lando isn't some sort of an agent of the Empire after all.

Left alone, Lando began to undo Chewie's restraints while Leia looked bewildered.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia asked, holding a pair of blasters Lando had given him.

"We're getting out of here."

Once even one hand was free, Chewie reached up and took hold of Lando's throat, pushing him up against a wall and squeezing, and roaring at him.

"Do you think after what you did to Han we're going to trust you?" Leia asked.

"I had no choice!" Lando croaked, grasping at Chewie's wrists.

"Oh, we understand, don't we Chewie?" Leia said snidely, "He had no choice."

Everyone looked at Anakin and there were similarities of his way of words to hers.

"Was just trying to help." Lando choked out, falling to his knees.

"We don't need any of your help."

"H- h- "

"Han!"

"What?"

Chewie loosened his hold slightly. "There's still a chance to save Han!" Lando said. "At the east… platform…"

"They can still make it!", Ahsoka called out loud.

"But given Boba's location, he should be near his ship by now", Mace pointed out.

"Chewie." Leia said, tapping the Wookie's arm. Immediately, he released Lando, took one of the blasters Leia offered him, and followed after the princess.

"I'm terribly sorry about this." Threepio said, "After all, he is a Wookie."

"That sounded inappropriate...", Luminara said regarding Threepio's description of Chewie.

"Please forgive Threepio for this...", Padmé pleaded.

Unfortunately for them, Boba and his prize had already reached his ship, Slave I.

"Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold." He ordered, watching the Imperial technicians load his meal ticket.

As Leia and company raced through the halls to the east platform, they inadvertently passed Artoo, who whistled we he saw them.

"Artoo, Artoo, where have you been?" Threepio asked. Chewie turned and saw the gold droid and growled at him.

"Turn around you wooly! I'll explain." Theeepio said. "Hurry, Artoo! We're trying to Han from the bounty hunter!" Artoo beeped a reply. "Well, at least you're still in one piece. Look what happened to me!"

"Because you went looking in places where you weren't supposed to" Anakin said snidely.

The trio arrived at the dock just as Boba was lifting off, but Chewie took shots at him anyway, while Leia looked on solemnly.

"Fett got away...", Shaak Ti uttered. "And to Jabba's"

"Who knows what Jabba had in store for him?", Kit Fisto asked aloud.

"Knowing him, it's far from good", Mundi said.

"Oh no! Chewie, they're behind you!" Threepio yelled as a squad of stormtroopers appeared in the hall they had come from. Taking cover behind the door frame, Chewie laid down cover fire while Lando led Leia down a hall to the left.

Back in the freezing chamber, Luke and Vader broke apart with another shove from Vader.

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

"But not enough, truthfully", Yoda said in a low tone.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises." Luke grunted as he launched another series of attacks at Vader's head and feet. He stumbled when Vader pressed briefly and his saber was lost with a spin and a flick of Vader's wrist, falling to the ground at the base of the stairs. Vader slashed at Luke, but Luke dodged by tumbling down the stairs. Vader leapt down the stairs after him, forcing Luke to dodge again, putting her on one knee with the Dark Lord blade pointed at him.

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

"I would never lead him to you, Vader...", Obi-Wan growled, hoping for the best for Luke. He couldn't bare to see his brother's legacy turn into the very being he had sworn to destroy.

"No." Luke replied defiantly, ignorant to the trap that laid open just behind him.

Vader slashed at him again. Luke tried to backpedal, but his foot found only air and he fell backward into the freezing pit.

"All too easy." Vader said, using the Force to flip the activation switch. "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."

The audiece glared at him for thar mocking remark that he gave to Anakin's son.

What he hadn't seen was Luke Force-jumping out of the pit just before the sequence could begin. A loud banging above him revealed Luke climbing the cables on the ceiling.

"Impressive." Vader admitted, a grin audible in his voice. He slashed at Luke, catching a few power cables, but not his opponent. "Most impressive."

Luke landed on his feet on the other side of the pit from Vader. The Dark Lord moved to strike at him, but Luke grabbed a hose and blasted Vader with freezing gases. He instantly called his lightsaber to his hand, and activated the blade as he swung it around to block Vader's next strike.

"Obi-Wan has taught you well." Vader mused. "You have controlled your fear." Vader went for three more strikes, all of which Luke blocked. "Now, release your anger. Only your hatred can destroy me."

"Don't fall for it, Luke!", Anakin called out. "He's luring you to him!"

Another flurry of blows forced Luke to flip over Vader's head, quickly taking the offensive with blow after blow, forcing Vader to give ground. Reaching the edge of the platform, Luke kicked his opponent, causing him to fall into blackness.

"That was anti-climactic", Rex commented though the rest were unconvinced.

"No.", Yoda firmly said. "Over, this is not"

Luke deactivated his weapon and jumped down after Vader. A door opened to his right, leading into a round metal tunnel. Cautiously, he stepped in and the tunnel lit up. Passing through, the door closed behind him as he entered a new room. Some kind of control room if the consoles and window were any indication. All else was considered secondary when he heard the familiar rhythmic breathing of Darth Vader, but was unable to find the source.

He activated his blade again when he saw the Dark Lord walking up to him calmly, weapon at the ready.

Anakin frowned. Something was wrong. 'Why would Vader be that relaxed after what Luke was able to do just now?'

Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi knew that Vader barely put up any effort against Luke. After all, he wanted Luke to become his apprentice.

Luke inched closer, when suddenly a piece of machinery detached from the wall and flew at him from behind. Quickly, he turned and sliced it in half before finishing the pirouette and blocking Vader's attack. A short exchange found them in yet another deadlock, only for Luke to be struck by a metal box, knocking him over. Vader backed off as Luke recovered, and another box glanced off Luke shoulder. He pointed his lightsaber at Luke and another wall mounting flew at him.

It missed Luke but hit the window instead. Air rushed out as the air pressure tried to equalize. Vader grabbed a nearby handle, while Luke was flung out the window. Vader let go as the wind stopped and tried to see where Luke fell. Looking down, he saw Luke hanging from a bridge, grasping. Luke managed to pull himself up and took the time he had to recover from the experience.

"He's holding back against Luke.", Luminara observed with a frown. "His connection to the force, adding to his experience made him a powerful pawn of the Sith.

Yoda and the rest thought over. This was the man who destroyed the Jedi Order and the one who bested Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano. Luke, being the son of the Chosen One, was seen by Vader as a prime candidate in becoming his apprentice.

Back up top, Leia shot another Stormtrooper, forcing the ones following them to take cover before she took off again after Chewie and Lando. The trio and Artoo crammed into an elevator, losing their pursuers for a moment. Getting out, they ran for the landing pad that housed the Falcon. Lando cursed when he couldn't get the door open.

"The security code's been changed." he growled.

"Artoo! You can tell the computer to override the security systems." Threepio said.

As Artoo set to work, Lando walked over to an intercom and activated an all channels broadcast.

"Attention, this is Lando Calrissian." he said, his voice echoing all over the city, "Attention. The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial troops arrive."

"So he has a conscience and cares about his associates." Shaak Ti said,

Electricity ran up the plug Artoo was using to talk to the city computer. He made several strange noises as he shook with what appeared to be pain.

"Come on, alternate route." Lando said, taking the lead.

"Well, don't blame me." Threepio told Aetoo, "I'm only an interpreter. I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a computer terminal." Artoo responded with several rude-sounding noises.

The halls of Cloud City were filled with people running about in panic, making for perfect cover as the trio made their way the long way around to the ship. This time, there was a proper computer terminal for Artoo to work his magic on. Meanwhile, Leia, Chewie and Lando held off the increasing number to Imperial troops gathering at their position.

Still smoking from earlier, Artoo bleeped something while she worked.

"AH!" Threepio yelled in alarm, "We're not interested in the Millennium Falcon's hyperdive. It's fixed! Just open the door! There's more of them!"

"Can't things get any better." Caleb groaned.

Artoo whistled loudly as the door began to rise.

"Oh! I never doubted you for a second. Wonderful!"

"I am done with him." Plo Koon said, "Please tell me we won't have to deal with him for the rest of the holovid."

Lando had to physically pull Leia away as Artoo created a smokescreen to cover their escape. They ran across the landing platform without cover, dodging blaster bolts that impacted upon the Falcon. Chewie went in first, placing Threepio on the ground outside the cockpit before she began the start-up cycle, while Lando and Leia found some cover behind the landing gear.

"Leia!" Lando yelled out, "Go! I'll cover you!"

"I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me." Threepio said as Artoo pulled him across the floor into the common room. Artoo beeped a comment. "Of course I've looked better."

The Millennium Falcon took off just as the rest of the stormtroopers made their way onto the platform, still firing on the ship.

"But what about Luke?!", Ahsoka exclaimed.

"They'll get to him, Snips.", Anakin assured her. "I'm sure of it..."

Within the bowels of Cloud City, Luke had returned to his feet and took in his surroundings. He didn't know what he was walking on, but he knew it was not a safe place to fight like he had been. He found a doorway around a corner ahead of him and went through, lightsaber ready to go. He felt Vader's attack coming, the Dark Lord slashing down at where he was going. Luke jumped back and activated his blade, holding it defensively.

As he blocked a fresh series of attacks by Vader, he realized that his opponent had changed to a far more aggressive fighting style. He was pushed back out onto the catwalk, dodging Vader's hammerblows to save his strength and letting them impact on the walls around him with a shower of sparks.

"Vader's changed his style." Plo Koon noticed. "He's has become more aggressive with his Form."

"That could be a good for Luke." Obi-Wan pointed out. "Aggression usually means a reliance on power over technique, which can lead to fatal mistakes."

"It only becomes an advantage if you last long enough to find gaps to exploit." Kit Fisto said.

He managed some offense once or twice, but Vader blocked and countered each time, pushing Luke back constantly. They locked blades, only to Vader to push him onto her back, blade at his throat.

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

Luke responded by batting the red blade aside and getting to his feet as Vader slashed down at where he had been. He blocked one strike, dodged another, struck at Vader's shoulder, was blocked, dodged another strike and struck Vader in the shoulder with a shower of sparks.

"Unh!" Vader grunted in pain before snarling back. He slashed back at Luke in a rage, but the young man had gone over the ledge. They locked blades again, but Vader spun his lightsaber, cutting off Luke's hand just above the wrist. With a yell, Luke fell to his knees, hand still gripping the railing for balance.

"LUKE!", Anakin shouted, now furious against the Dark Lord. Obi-Wan and the rest grimaced at the sight, seeing that Luke had shared his father's pain.

"Luke is on the ropes...", Kit Fisto grimly commented. "This cannot be good for him..."

"There is no escape." Vader told him. "Don't make me destroy you."

At every turn, Anakin's rage began to rise at seeing his being harmed in a cruel manner. Obi-Wan and Padmé did what they could to calm him, with no effect.

Carefully, Luke began to back up along the thin beam he was crouched on. "Luke, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."

The Jedi frowned and despised that idea. They didn't want their last hope to fall under the rule of the Sith, an enemy they had failed disperse.

"I'll never join you!" Luke defiantly declared as he reached a pylon at the end on the metal beam.

Vader stretched his hand out to Luke. "If only you knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."

"He told me enough." Luke said angrily, running mostly on adrenaline. "He told me you kill him."

"No...", Vader replied. "...I am your father!"

The audience gasped very loudly, as they felt like a tidal wave coming down to them as all were shocked, horrified, dismayed, and angered at the revelation. Anakin widened his eyes, his body trembling at every second that pass...

"SKYWALKER?!", Mace exclaimed in complete outrage and disbelief.

"Skyguy...", Ahsoka began, her heart beating faster, remembering her future encounter with him. "...is a Sith Lord?"

"Anakin...", Obi-Wan tried to accept the revelation before them but his conscience and his bond with him continued to deny this, remembering the very memory where he was slain by Vader. "It...can't be..."

"General?", Rex uttered, horrified that the friend he so admired came to this. "...how?"

"No...No...", Anakin fell to his knees, his mental stability deteriorating as the words of the Dark Lord echoed in his head. "That can't be me...that can't be me..."

"No." Luke said, clinging to the pylon as though it were his sanity made manifest, "That's not true. That's impossible!"

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true." Vader insisted.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Luke wailed.

"NO!", Anakin held his head as he screamed in despair at the ceiling, with tears flowing from his eyes. He can't be this monster in front of them. He would never harm Luke or any of his friends.

But his feelings toward truth said otherwise and he began to sob uncontrollably.

"I- it's not true." Padmé said, with tears threatening to from from her eyes. "Vader had to be lying! That's what the Sith do right?"

"No...I do not think he is...", Shaak Ti uttered reluctantly..

The screen then shifted within a control room of a fiery planet, with bodies scattered around. The robed figure held a blue lightsaber before he turned around, revealing it to be the face of Anakin Skywalker. But his eyes no longer held the clear blue color of the Jedi Knight. Instead replaced by yellow-crimson color of a Sith Lord.

Yoda closed his eyes, accepting the worst out of the truth of all this. "Gone the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker was", Yoda somberly admitted. "Consumed he is, by Darth Vader."

Padmé felt her world shatter as the revelation of the future of the man she loved, who was responsible for the galaxy's sufferings. She began to sob uncontrollably as Ahsoka tried what she could to comfort her.

The rest of the Jedi were mortified to say at least. The Chosen One who was destined to destroy the Sith, turned out to be the opposite that Qui Gon envisioned.

"There has to be a reason why...", Kit Fisto said, he just couldn't see Skywalker falling at all, not after all that he did for the Order.

Luminara realized as she placed her memory in action. "Palpatine..."

"Luke. We can destroy the Emperor." Vader told him, seeing him weakness. "He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son." Luke looked around him, trying to find a way out, but found none. He looked back to Vader, his hand outstretched. "Come with me. It is the only way.

Instead, Luke let go, falling down the abyss. Vader did not see it, but Luke fell into a series of tubes that wound their way under the city. His momentum carried him through them like a slide until he came to a stop.

He tried to stand, but the floor opened beneath him, causing him to fall into the open air and land roughly on an antenna under the city. He tried to climb back into the hole, but with only a single hand he wasn't fast enough, and sunk back onto the thin metal bar under his feet. He called out for Obi-Wan to help him, but remembered what he had said on Dagobah. Instead, he thought of the only other person she could.

"Leia." he called out with the Force.

In the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon , Leia's eyes widened.

"Luke." She whispered. "We've got to go back."

"What?" Lando asked, bewildered.

"I know where Luke is." Leia told Chewie.

"What about those fighters?" Lando protested while Chewie growled.

"Chewie, just do it."

"What about Vader- " Lando tried to point out before Chewie growled at him. "Alright, alright!"

Back at the city, Vader walked through the halls with some of his troops and an officer.

"Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival." he ordered, hismood obvious in his tone.

At the same time, the Falcon came up on the city.

"Look," Lando pointed to one of the antenna under the city, "Someone's up there."

"It's Luke." Leia said with certainty. "Chewie, slow down and try to get under him. Lando, open the top hatch."

Carefully, Chewie and Leia maneuvered the Falcon so that it sat directly under Luke, giving him plenty of room to land if he fell. As Lando rose up to the hatch, he clipped one end of a nine foot length of rope to a belt he had put on, and the other to a railing just under the hatch itself. Luke allowed himself to fall when he saw the unfamiliar form coming out of the familiar ship, feeling that it was someone he could trust.

"Lando?" Leia asked, noticing a trio of TIE fighters approaching them.

"Go, we're in." she heard Lando say and Chewie immediately turned away from the Imperial fighters as Leia hurried back to Luke, letting Lando take her place. Leia got Luke to a medical station near the common room and hooked him in as best she could. The ship rocked as it dodged and took laser fire from the fighters still on their tail.

Leia kissed Luke on the forehead. "I'll be right back."

"Alright, Chewie. Ready for light speed." Lando said once they had left the planet behind them, altering their course to avoid the Super Star Destroyer in their path.

"If your people fixed the hyperdrive." Leia commented. "All the coordinates are set. It's now or never."

"Punch it." Lanso ordered. Chewie pulled the switch, but they only heard a powering-down noise in return. Leia and Chewie looked at each other, before looking to Lando. Chewie roared in rage.

"They told me they fixed it." Lando said, "I trusted them!" Chewie growled back at him. "It's not my fault!" Chewie pushed Lando aside as he left to fix what he could

Piett walked up to Vader as the Dark Lord walked onto the bridge. "They'll be in range of the tractor beam in moments, my Lord."

"Did your men deactivate the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon?" Vader asked.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good. Prepare the boarding party, and set your weapons for 'stun.'"

Chewie cursed loudly as she lifted more plates off the floor.

"Noisy brute." Theepio commented, almost fully fixed, with only one leg left to attach, "Why don't we just go to light speed?" Artoo beeped at him while he worked on his foot. "We can't?" more beeping. "How would you know the hyperdrive is deactivated?" beeping and whistling. "The city's central computer told you? R2-D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer. Ouch! Pay attention to what you're doing."

As the Falcon made a pass in front of the Super Star Destroyer, Vader reached out through the Force.

"Luke."

"Father."

"Lule, come with me."

Luke did not answer him. "Ben, why didn't you tell me?" he whispered to himself before he climbed out of bed and made his way to the cockpit. He sat down behind Leia, his eyes haunted.

Obi-Wan looked down somberly. He realized that the reason why he kept the truth about Luke's father, was to protect him from Anakin, who had fallen to the Dark Path.

Luke, it is your destiny." Vader told him through the Force.

As the fighters harried the Falcon,the Destroyer began to gain on them.

"Alert all commands and ready the tractor beam." Piett ordered.

Back on the ship, Chewie was having no luck with the ship's hardware, while Artoo rolled over to a computer terminal on the wall behind Chewie.

"Artoo, come back this instance. You haven't finished with me yet. You don't know how to fix the hyperdrive. Let Chewie do it. I'm standing here in pieces, and you're having delusions of grandeur!"

Despite the rantings of his counterpart, Artoo jacked in to the terminal and worked his magic. Immediately, the entire ship lurched as it jumped forward into light speed.

"He did it...", Ahsoka lowly called out, relieved that Artoo saved the day once more.

Vader turned away afterward, looking back almost with longing before he left for his meditation pod, leaving the bridge unnerved by the lack of anger and carnage the Dark Lord was famous for.

Days later, the Millennium Falcon sat underneath a ship amongst a sea of vessels massing together for safety. Luke was in the larger ship's medical bay, being fitted with a prosthetic hand covered with synthetic skin. He was laying in his bed as the medical droid did its work, Leia, Artoo and Threepio nearby, while he spoke to Lando over a communicator.

"Luke, we're ready for take off." Lando reported. The two had grown close since they had met officially.

"Good luck, Lando." Luke replied.

"When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you."

"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tattooine."

"Princess, we'll find Han. I promise."

"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal. Take care, you two. May the Force be with you."

The line cut off as Lando and Chewie, now on much better terms since the former had volunteered to rescue Han as penance, detached from the ship, left the fleet and made the jump to hyperspace. Leia watched them leave, while Luke's medical droid made sure everything in the new hand worked by pricking two of Luke's fingers, his palm. Satisfied the work was done, Luke closed everything up and walked over to stand next to Leia, who now admired the swirling mass of light that was a galaxy in the distance.

The holovid ended there. The audience were struck silent, the sobs of Anakin being heard around them. The memories of him murdering Obi-Wan and Ahsoka as well as slaughtering helpless rebels at Scariff in addition to torturing Leia and Han coming back to him.

All of a sudden, he felt the Force pinning him to a wall. Initially pained, but he didn't seem to care at all, he continued weeping at what he had done.

The audience then saw Mace Windu outstretched his hand as pinned Skywalker. His eyes were furious and full of anger towards the Jedi Knight. Those around him stood shocked to what just transpired.

Mace ignited his lightsaber, an amethyst blade coming to life as Ki-Adi Mundi and Saesee Tiin draw their lightsabers, but haven't activated yet, they are just conflicted as the rest.

"What... have I done?", Anakin wailed as everyone looked horrified at the situation. "What have I done?"