Chapter Ten



An imperial shuttle landed on the command center. Out stepped the Dark Lord, Darth Vader. Once he made his way out of the elevator another elevator door hissed open. Three Stormtroopers and a imperial officer delivered Luke to Vader.


"This is the Rebel who surrendered to us. Although he denied it, I believe there may be more of them and I request permission to conduct a further search of the area. He was only armed with this." The imperial officer said as he handed over Luke's lightsaber to Vader.


"Good work, commander. Leave us. Conduct your search and bring his companions to me." Vader ordered the officer and troops.


"Yes, my lord." replied the officer before walking away.


"The emperor has been expecting you." Vader said as he turned walking away, Luke followed behind him.


"I know, father." Luke replied.


"So, you have accepted the truth." Vader spoke sounding quite surprised.


"I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father." Luke said turning to face the Dark Lord.


Vader instantly turned to his son. "That name no longer has any meaning for me."


"It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The emperor hasn't driven it from you fully." Luke turned away from his father. He felt an uneasy pain within his left arm. It felt as if he had just been shot. "That is why you couldn't destroy me. That's why you won't bring me to your emperor now." Luke finished still feeling the burning sensation in his arm.


Vader looked down at Luke's lightsaber to avoid the truth. He ignited the Jedi's weapon.


"I see you have constructed a new lightsaber." Vader said studying the weapon. "Your skills are complete." he said some what impressed. He deactivated the lightsaber then turned his back on his son. "Indeed you are powerful as the emperor has foreseen."


"Come with me." Luke said turning to his father.


"Obi-Wan once thought as you do. You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master."
Vader replied.


"I will not turn and you'll be forced to kill me." Luke said.


"If that is your destiny." Vader spoke.


"Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate." Luke said stepping towards Vader.


"It is too late for me, son. The emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now." Vader said as Stormtroopers came to take Luke away.


"Then my father is truly dead." Luke said walking away with the troopers. Vader turned away once Luke vanished. The opposite elevator door opened and once more the imperial officer and Stormtroopers came in with another hostage. The presented Emily to Vader.


"My lord, we have another hostage. This one we found while scouting the forest for the Rebels. She is wounded, and she had this." The officer said handing her lightsaber over to Vader.


"Good.Take her away! " Vader ordered as the troopers tugged at Emily's arm. They escorted her to the same elevator that Luke had previously left in. Emily looked around the elevator room. She figure she could take on all the troops, but decided it wasn't the best idea since she had no weapons. Not to mention that Vader had also boarded the elevator with them. The Dark Lord turned to face the young Jedi.


She turned to face him. "You cannot win. The Dark side is weak, and so are you. I can feel your doubts. You're not the monster they make you out to be. You just hide behind that mask to hide them." Emily said, Vader turned to look at her but didn't speak to her. Once they arrived onto the hanger they shoved Emily onto a shuttle. She took a glance at the rising sun, hoping the others would succeed at their mission. A Stormtrooper gave one more shove as Emily willing boarded the ship. She caught a glimpse of Luke's face as she took a seat next to him. Emily could tell Luke was upset, she could read his thoughts.


"I didn't turn myself in, they found me, they wounded me, and they captured me." she said not looking at him.


Luke sighed. "If you only listened to me the first time I told you to run."


"I don't like taking orders much." She said cracking a smile.


"Obviously." Luke whispered as the ship took off.


As the ship landed Emily finally looked at Luke. "Skyguy, don't worry. I promise you everything will be okay. I have foreseen it." she gently kissed his cheek.


Luke turned to look at her. "I have a bad feeling about this, Emily." Before she could reply two troopers came and escorted the Jedi to an elevator. Inside it was Vader, the two didn't speak at all. When the door hissed open they were inside the emperor's throne room. Luke, Emily and Vader slowly walked up the steps to the emperor himself. The emperor's chair turned to face them. Emily looked at the old man's face, it was hideous.


"Welcome, young Skywalker. I have been expecting you.---and who is this?" He said looking at Emily.


"Emily Bendal, your highness." Emily replied nearly gagging as she said highness.


"You'll no longer need those." He said motioning his hand causing the handcuffs to fall off of Luke and Emily's wrists. "Guards, leave us." the emperor ordered.


"I'm looking forward to completing your training.--both of you. In time you will call me master." his raspy voice said.


"You're gravely mistaken. You won't convert me as you did my father." Luke said.


"Oh, no, my young, Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken about a great many things." The emperor said standing up and walking to Luke.


"You're wrong your highness. You can't win. And you will die today." Emily said. The emperor let out a crackling laugh.


"And who do you know that?" He questioned Emily.


"I have foreseen it." Emily said quietly. The emperor now looked at her quite seriously.


"Come to me my child. Show me what it is you have foreseen." The emperor said holding out his hand.


"I'm afraid I can't. You see I cannot show others." Emily said lying. He looked at her suspiciously then turned back to Luke.


"Their lightsabers." Vader said handing over their weapons.


"Ah, yes. A Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's. By now you must know your father can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you." he said.


"You're wrong. Soon I'll be dead, and you with me." Luke said. Emily shook her head while the emperor laughed.


"Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your rebel fleet. Yes. I assure you we are quite safe from your friends here." The emperor said with a look of complete disgust as he spoke of the Rebellion.

“Your overconfidence is your weakness.” Luke said shaking his head at him.

“Your faith in your friends is yours.” The emperor snapped back. He then sat back down upon his throne. Emily looked over to Luke, she attepted her best to fill his mind with hope instead of dread.