Part 12 (1/2)
”I have foreseen it. His compa.s.sion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me.”
”As you wish,” Vader said. As he strode out of the throne room, he thought, If the Emperor could not detect Luke's arrival, perhaps he has grown weak with age. If only I could take Luke far from here to persuade him to ally with me . . .
For a moment, Vader allowed himself to imagine a future with his son. He imagined Luke as his apprentice - I would teach him everything - and as his partner - he would keep me strong! There would be no rivalry or secrets between them. With their bond of blood and shared power, they would be the greatest of Sith Lords.
We would be invincible. I will take him to Bast Castle and - Vader remembered the vision that had come to him when he'd left Coruscant for Endor, the vision of his meeting with Luke at his fortress on Vjun. In that vision, Luke had joined him, and the Emperor had arrived with fire and death. Vader realized it didn't matter whether the vision had been a nightmare, premonition, psychic warning, or delusion, because it was a revelation of an event that could never transpire.
There is nowhere Luke and I could go. Nowhere we could hide.
Powerless to disobey his Master, Vader proceeded to his shuttle.
The largest Imperial structure on the Sanctuary Moon was the energy s.h.i.+eld generator, a four-sided pyramidal tower that supported a wide focus dish that projected a deflector s.h.i.+eld around the orbital Death Star. Near this generator stood an elevated landing platform, which was illuminated by brilliant floodlights. A large area of natural forest had been cleared to accommodate both the generator and the platform, something that had not gone over well with the indigenous Ewok population.
A four-legged All Terrain Armored Transport walked along the edge of the forest and lurched toward the landing platform as Vader's shuttle touched down. After Vader disembarked, he went to a gantry to greet the AT-AT. The AT-AT's hatch slid up to reveal an Imperial Commander, three stormtroopers, and Luke Skywalker, whose wrists were secured by binders.
Luke had surrendered to the soldiers. He was dressed in a form-fitting black uniform, and Vader wondered if this might in any way suggest that Luke had already surrendered to the dark side as well. No, he thought. Not yet.
The soldiers presented Luke's lightsaber to Vader, who glanced at Luke's gloved right hand. A new light-saber, he thought, and a new hand. Just as in my vision of Bast Castle.
After taking the proffered lightsaber, the Dark Lord said, ”The Emperor has been expecting you.”
”I know, Father.”
Vader realized he actually enjoyed hearing Luke refer to him as father. Vader said, ”So you have accepted the truth.”
”I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father.”
Foolish boy. Facing Luke, Vader gave his son a hard stare through dark lenses as he said, ”That name no longer has any meaning for me.”
Luke tried to convince Vader that there was still good in him. He pleaded with his father to come with him, away from the forest moon and the Emperor.
”You don't know the power of the dark side,” Vader said. ”I must obey my Master.”
”I will not turn,” Luke vowed, ”and you'll be forced to kill me.”
I've done worse things, Vader thought. He said, ”If that is your destiny - ”Search your feelings, Father,” Luke interrupted. ”You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate.”
If only I could, Vader thought. If only I could. He said, ”It is too late for me, Son.” Summoning two stormtroopers to lead Luke to the waiting shuttle, he added, ”The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your Master now.”
Wearing an expression of sad resolve, Luke said, ”Then my father is truly dead.”
As Luke was escorted to the shuttle, Vader thought, I must obey my Master. Even if it means the death of my son.
And even it if means the death of me.
CHAPTER 22.
Vader delivered Luke to the tower atop the Death Star, where the Emperor - without rising from his throne - used the Force to release Luke from his binders. After Palpatine ordered his red-armored Royal Guards to leave the throne room, Vader presented Luke's new lightsaber for inspection. The Emperor was confident that Luke would join him as his father had.
Unimpressed by the Emperor, Luke refused to be converted to the dark side. However, his confidence was badly shaken when the Emperor confessed that it was he who had allowed the Rebel Alliance to learn the location of the Death Star and its s.h.i.+eld generator, and that the Empire was completely prepared to deal with the imminent attack from the Rebel fleet.
As Luke looked through the throne room's tall windows to see the arrival of the Rebel s.h.i.+ps, Vader sensed his son's increased anxiety. The s.p.a.ce battle progressed, and it was obvious that the Rebel s.h.i.+ps were greatly outnumbered by Imperial fighters. While the Emperor remained seated upon his throne, he taunted Luke, urging him to take back his lightsaber and give in to his anger. Again, Luke refused.
But then the Emperor revealed that the Death Star's superlaser was operational, and issued a command for the gunners to fire at will. An intense beam shot out from the Death Star toward a large Rebel cruiser, which exploded in a blinding flash.
The Emperor continued to goad Luke into retrieving his lightsaber. ”Strike me down with all of your hatred” the Emperor spat, ”and your journey to the dark side will be complete.”
Using the Force, Luke s.n.a.t.c.hed up his weapon, activated its blade, and swung fast at the Emperor's head. But Vader moved faster, activating his own lightsaber to deftly block Luke's attack. The sight of Vader and Luke crossing lightsabers excited and amused the Emperor, and he cackled with perverse glee. Vader recalled that Palpatine had laughed the same way over two decades ago, when he had ordered Anakin Skywalker to kill Count Dooku.
I was the victor then, Vader thought as he used his lightsaber to drive Luke away from the Emperor. And the Force is with me now!
As their duel carried on throughout the throne room, the Dark Lord sensed that Luke was drawing from his own anger to fuel his attack. From his throne, the Emperor said, ”Good. Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you.”
My Master wants Luke to win, Vader realized with some resentment. I will not give him that satisfaction. I will not be - Unexpectedly, Luke deactivated his lightsaber and said, ”I will not fight you, Father.”
”You are unwise to lower your defenses,” Vader said, as he brought his lightsaber up fast. With incredible speed, Luke reactivated his weapon to parry Vader's attack. Vader swung again and again, but Luke blocked each blow. Soon, Vader was breathing hard through his respirator. I can't let Luke defeat me, Vader thought. I won't let the Emperor have him!
A precise kick from Luke sent Vader over the edge of the elevated platform. Cras.h.i.+ng upon the metal floor below, Vader roared as he felt a cybernetic cable snap in his right leg. Luke tried to distance himself from Vader by leaping to a catwalk that stretched across the throne room's ceiling. ”Your thoughts betray you, Father,” Luke said. ”I feel the good in you ... the conflict.”
Rising from the floor below with obvious discomfort, Vader said, ”There is no conflict.”
”You couldn't bring yourself to kill me before,” Luke said as he moved across the catwalk, ”and I don't believe you'll destroy me now.”
s.h.i.+fting his focus to the metal supports that secured the catwalk to the ceiling, Vader said, ”If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.”
The Dark Lord flung his still-activated lightsaber upward. Luke ducked the red blade, but was unable to stop it from cutting through the catwalk's supports, which tore from the ceiling and sent Luke tumbling to the floor below. Vader watched Luke roll out of view under the Emperor's elevated platform.
Vader's lightsaber had deactivated and landed on the floor several meters away from him. He extended his hand as the lightsaber flew up from the floor to return to his grip. He activated the weapon's blade and walked down a flight of steps to the area below the platform, where metal girders offered numerous hiding places. Outside the Death Star and on the Sanctuary Moon, the Empire's battle with the Rebels raged on, but Vader could not care less. As far as he was concerned, his duel with Luke was the only battle that mattered.
Searching the shadows below the platform for the slightest movement, the father said, ”You cannot hide forever, Luke.”
From the darkness, the son said, ”I will not fight you.”
”Give yourself to the dark side,” Vader urged. ”It is the only way you can save your friends.” Vader was suddenly aware that Luke was now thinking of his friends, his concern for them almost palpable. ”Yes,” Vader said, ”your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for ...”
Luke was unable to stop Vader from accessing his mind.
”Sister!” Vader exclaimed. ”So ... you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete.” Moving deeper into the recesses below the platform, he said, ”If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will.”