Part 12 (1/2)

”You don't know that,” replied the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan's spirit If Yoda can't convince Luke to stay, perhaps I can

Turning in response to Obi-Wan's voice, Luke watched as a slightly shi+low in the air behind Yoda Then the light ravely, ”Even Yoda can-not see their fate”

”But I can help them!” Luke said ”I feel the Force!”

”But you cannot control it,” Obi-Wan said ”This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force”

Yoda said, ”Yes, yes To Obi-Wan you listen The cave Remember your failure at the cave!”

”But I've learned so much since then, Master Yoda,” Luke said as he returned his attention to his X-wing ”I proun You have my word”

Obi-Wan said, ”It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants That is why your friends are o, ” Luke said

”Luke,” Obi-Wan said, ”I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader” To himself, Obi-Wan added, The way I lost Anakin

”You won't, ” Luke said

Yoda said, ”Stopped they ht with the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and his E, Yoda continued, ”If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will becoent of evil”

”Patience,” Obi-Wan said with e Luke would carry the ith him

”And sacrifice Han and Leia?” Luke snapped He was anything but patient

Yoda answered, ”If you honor what they fight foryes!”

Luke reached for the lower rung of the X-wing's retractable ladder and looked away from Obi-Wan and Yoda Obi-Wan said, ”If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone I cannot interfere”

”I understand,” Luke hter's open cockpit and said, ”Artoo, fire up the converters”

As the X-Wing's engines fired up, Obi-Wan said, ”Luke, don't give in to hate - that leads to the dark side”

”Strong is Vader,” Yoda added ”Mind what you have learned Save you it can”

”I will,” Luke said as he pulled on his helmet ”And I'll return I pro lifted off froht sky

As Yoda raised his gaze to watch the departing X-Wing, Obi-Wan's luhed, looked down at the ground, and shook his head sadly ”Told you, I did,” he said ”Reckless is he Now matters are worse”

Obi-Wan's disembodied voice said, ”That boy is our last hope”

Yoda returned his gaze to the sky and said, ”NoThere is another”

Obi-Wan knew Yoda was speaking of Luke's sister, Leia Although Leia shared Luke's bloodline and was certainly strong-willed, and although Obi-Wan had always respected Yoda's beliefs, he somehow remained convinced that only one person could defeat the Sith Lords, and that person was Luke

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Luke Skywalker htsaber He was sitting at the table in the living area of Ben Kenobi's hut on Tatooine Ben's journal rested on the table, its pages opened to the section on lightsabers R2-D2 stood across the roo Luke

I wish Ben were here, Luke thought absently, and not just because he had questions about Darth Vader Sometimes, he just missed Ben

Ben's spirit had not coobah, which did not surprise Luke After all, Luke had ignored Ben and Yoda's cautions, and had gone directly to the Bespin systeood to his word When Luke chose to face Darth Vader, Ben's spirit had done nothing to inter-fere In hindsight, Luke realized that Ben and Yoda were right, that he should have stayed on Dagobah, for he acco to Cloud City

I didn't stop Boba Fett froered Leia and the others when they circled back to Cloud City to get me I didn't rescue any of my friends They rescued me !

And what did I accomplish? All he could think of was his confrontation with Vader, not just that he had survived the duel but that he had gained so inforain, Luke felt the phanto blankly at nothing in par-ticular, and the droid chirped in concern

Luke looked up at R2-D2 and said, ”Don't worry, I'htsaber, he added, ”Well, I guess I'd better test it” He got up, car-rying the lightsaber as he headed for the door The astro, with only a few stars visible in the sky Luke held the lightsaber in his right hand He was nervous Even though he had followed Ben's instructions to the letter, and had checked and re-checked every part of the lightsaber during its con-struction, he still allowed the possibility that the weapon ht explode It was this uncertainty that had prompted him to test the weapon outside If it did explode, he didn't want to destroy Ben's house along with it

Watching Luke, R2-D2 beeped anxiously, and then extended ato test htsaber?”

R2-D2 whistled affirmatively

”Thanks, Artoo, but I wouldn't be much of a Jedi if I let you or anyone else do that”

R2-D2 retracted hisup dirt

”Go back inside,” Luke ordered

R2-D2 protested with a loud, blurting noise

”Go on,” Luke said ”If soht, Yeah Tell her Luke, the galaxy's biggest idiot, flash-flamed himself into a black crisp because he couldn't follow an elera all the way

Luke relaxed and let his breath out He waited until R2 had entered the house, then took another deep breath, held it, and pressed the lightsaber's activation plate

VMMMMM -!

The lightsaber's gleath, just under ato it hum

Luke released his held breath He hadn't really expected the lightsaber to explode, but was still relieved that it hadn'tThe weapon felt comfortable in his hand, even better balanced than his previous lightsaber

But will it cut? Luke walked over to a thin spire of rock that jutted up froh the top of the rock He felt no resistance as the blade traveled through the rock, but there was a loud crack as the rock separated and the top piece slid down the sled cut