Thank you to the lovely beta, SpellCleaver! I sold her my soul for more angst abilities, and I have zero regrets!

"I can't believe you shooed Darth Vader."

Leia's shoulders slumped, all of her righteous fury evaporating. She sat down on the forest floor...or the dream forest floor. She hadn't actually stopped to get a good look at the scenery before she'd launched her tirade.

Every time she'd envisioned this moment, it hadn't quite looked like this. She'd pictured tears and hugging him, forbidding him from leaving her sight again. And she'd hoped Luke would actually be there, not in a dream and still stuck on some distant planet. But she'd entered the dream, taken one look at him, and just...lost it.

"It's not hard."

"I wouldn't dare."

"You'd probably get away with it too."

"No. I'm certain I wouldn't."

Their eyes met, and despite the fact that he looked terrible with dark circles under his eyes and the lost weight, she couldn't help but smile. A smile he returned, though it didn't quite touch his eyes.

Now that he was here, now that she could see him….

Could she touch him?

Carefully, she reached out with trembling hands, and found his.

Warm, calloused skin on the left; cool, unnatural smoothness on the right. And the moment they touched, his hands gripped hers, firmly.

She let out a shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Luke…" She breathed his name like a reverent prayer, and tears swam in her vision. "Luke…"

Luke frowned. "I'm sorry."

Yes, she'd been angry with him for foolishly throwing his life away despite her orders. Yes, she hated the situation he was in. But mostly, she was terrified for him.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ever suggested you fake your death." The tears spilled onto her cheeks, and she was surprised at how potently she felt Luke's alarm before he reached up with his mechanical hand and brushed them away.

He hadn't ever been that good with tears. At least, not hers. If he ever found her crying, he always attempted to find the root cause so he could fix it. She'd assumed it was because he was her best friend, and maybe that was still the case, but now? Now she wondered if he could feel her emotions just as potently as she did his.

"You...we thought we were doing the right thing," he reminded her gently.

"But I was still wrong." She grabbed the hand that was still wiping her tears away. She needed him to understand. She needed him to listen.

And she didn't have to ask. He fell silent, and waited.

He knew her. More so than anyone. It was...strange, and yet...right.

Twins, indeed.

She took a few deep breaths before she continued. "I wanted to protect you from him. I didn't want to see you like this anymore. I just wanted to help."

And she could feel his guilt echoing hers…

"Instead you're injured and lost, and everything's gone wrong, and now I have these powers I know nothing about-"

"Nothing? Really?" Luke motioned around them. "Leia, if you haven't noticed, this isn't nothing. It took me forever to figure out how to meditate, and even then, Master Yoda said I was doing it wrong. I didn't even know dreams like this could happen until I ran into Vader."

"And you kept pretending to be dead."

"Well yeah, wasn't that the whole point of all this?"

It was, but...she let it go. She was the one who'd put the idea in his head.

She could still feel his guilt, just as strongly as her own. As if they shared a mind. Twins...Vader had said there was a bond between family, but...this didn't feel like what she felt around Vader.

"Can you feel what I'm feeling?"

Luke hesitated, as if he were afraid she'd be upset by his invasion of her privacy. "I...usually get impressions, from most people, unless I actively pay attention. Some people are harder to read than others."

"But what about my feelings?"

Another hesitation. "Yeah. Not consciously," he rushed to add. "You're always so...natural, to me. I don't know if that makes sense."

She nodded. "It does." She didn't know how else to explain it either. "So that explains why you always seem to know when I need you."

Luke laughed a little. "And you, too."

She made a face. "Vader says it's our bond."

"Yeah, but...but you feel different to me."

So it wasn't just her. "Because I'm not a psychotic Sith Lord?"

She succeeded in getting another laugh from him. "I'm sure that helps."

She smiled back, then reached up to wipe her own tears away. "If I'd known you were my twin, I'd never have let you go."

"You did what you thought best. You have nothing to be sorry for."

She had everything to be sorry for. "I almost lost you, Luke. You wouldn't be in this situation at all if it weren't for me."

He glanced down at their hands, and ran a thumb over her skin. "If I hadn't offered myself up as a slave-"

"I am upset about that," she agreed, giving him another pointed look. "But it's also such a you thing to do...I can't blame you for being you."

But Luke shook his head. "No. I should have found another way. I disobeyed you not as my sister, but as my commander, and...I mean I didn't know Father had issues with slavery, so now he's taking it personally, I'm sure."

She snorted. "Please. He's part of the reason slavery is so rampant in the galaxy. Tell him to get over it."

Luke shot her a strange look. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Act so...unterrified."

"Oh I am terrified of him. But that's not going to change anything. I'm not going to let him rule my life, or the lives of those I care about. If I die for that…" She shrugged. "Then I die. It's no different than the other risks I've taken throughout this entire war."

"I see." He continued to give her that strange look, and she was about to ask before he continued. "How did you even find out we were siblings?"

Oh.

Oh.

It occurred to her just how much he'd missed.

"I went looking for you. I knew you'd planned on going to Dagobah, so I went there first. Artoo showed me a recording of our parents-"

"He what?!" Luke straightened, his widening. "How long has he had that?!"

"Probably the whole time." How different would things have been if Artoo had shown them that footage earlier? She felt like seeing that footage right after Yavin IV would have been the perfect time, not when she was desperately looking for Luke. "You know how independent he is."

"I know but he knew I was looking…" Luke trailed off, gaze sliding to his mechanical hand. She didn't need to be his sister to know what he was thinking.

"I had my suspicions after that. I mean why else would I have Anakin Skywalker's droids?"

"Wait, what?" He looked so lost, and she was again struck by how little he knew. She'd wanted nothing to do with her birth parents. Luke had always wanted to know his, and here she was, with far more information on them, and not enough time to go into all of it.

"When I find you, I'll tell you everything," she promised fiercely. "So don't you dare die."

"I'm pretty sure Vader wouldn't let me," Luke remarked dryly, "But I'll see what I can do. At least tell me the basics."

Basics. He said it like it was so easy. Nothing about either of their lives had been basic since...well, she supposed since they joined the Rebellion. Where to even start? How to keep it short?

"Well," she tilted her head, "I met your Master Jedi, Yoda. He's dying, by the way."

"What?"

Basics. She didn't have time to stop and explain, even with the pained look on her brother's face.

Her brother. Now that he was here...it felt good to think it while looking at him.

"He wanted me to train. I said no. Then I ran into Vader. You know how that turned out."

"Okay, but...Yoda's dying?"

She nodded sadly. "He might already be dead. He...wasn't doing good. I got the feeling he was trying to hold out for you, but…" She trailed off at the intense guilt she sensed from him. "I'm sorry, Luke."

She took his hand again, his flesh one. She reveled in its warmth, especially as his tightened over hers.

Force, she missed him. Dearly.

"Go on," he encouraged, through a strained voice.

She wanted to comfort him more...but they didn't have time.

"Right. Vader." She cleared her throat. "He rescued Han for me. Oh...and you should probably also know he killed Jabba and his entire inner court-"

"What?!" Luke shook his head. "Why is it that every new bit of information is somehow more shocking than the last?!"

"Well...we are related. Must be in our genes."

That got a true, real smile out of Luke, and he leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree he sat against. And he laughed.

Truly, laughed.

She'd forgotten how much that smile lit up his face-how much it lit up the galaxy. It was a smile she could feel in her very bones.

"I miss you. So much," she said, automatically, and Luke's smile dropped some and there was that guilt again. "Han misses you. Hell, Vader misses you. He…" She hesitated. Should she say it? Did he already know? "He missed you before. When he thought you were really dead. I didn't think it was possible but…"

Our baby is a blessing.

Luke deserved to know.

"In the recording Artoo showed of our parents, Vader...Anakin said we were a blessing. He told our mother that. He meant it." She looked down at their entwined hands. "I don't...know what to do with that information. But you should know that."

She was right to have told him. The guilt washed away, replaced by a deep warmth that could thaw even Vader's cold presence. When Luke spoke, he sounded choked. "He...told me finding out we were coming was the happiest day of his life. He was willing to deal with the consequences. He didn't say what those were, though."

Like their mother probably dying in childbirth. She had a feeling it wasn't a topic Vader would ever willingly discuss.

"What did she look like?" Luke asked, and when she looked up she found his piercing blue eyes on her. "Do I...look like her?"

"You have her softness, and her nose...and her stature."

She felt each word land deep within Luke's very soul. He treasured every detail, even as he jokingly said, "Are you calling me short?"

"I'm shorter than you, too. We both owe it to her." She rolled her eyes. "But...other than that, you look like...like Anakin. Before he became Vader. You have his hair, his eyes...even some of the expressions on his face are definitely yours."

Naturally, he both cherished that information...and felt uncomfortable by it. She understood far too well.

"So. I look more like Father. And you look more like Mother," he surmised after a silence.

"Yes." She didn't mention her suspicions on their personalities. She...wasn't quite ready to admit that herself, let alone say it aloud. When they found him, he'd probably see for himself. "And there's a lot more I can tell you...there's probably more you could probably force out of Vader. So as much as I could spend all day talking to you...I do actually need information from you, or Vader might kill me."

"We wouldn't want that." Luke rolled his eyes. "What do you need to know that I haven't already told him?"

"We've narrowed down a list of planets. Some are within one hyper jump from Taris. You...don't have much time, so we'd rather start in the right search area." She winced as she said it, even as she felt it to be true. He didn't look injured here, but somehow she could feel there was an underlying pain beneath the surface.

He needed to be home. He needed to be resting.

Even if home was with Vader.

"Do you remember how many hyperspace jumps were taken? Did you take more than one hyperspace jump?"

Luke's brows furrowed, and again that sense of pain strengthened...specifically in his head. Likely, he was concussed...she swallowed her panic, and waited. Panicking wouldn't help, she reminded herself.

But he thought about it so long, she began to worry. Finally, he replied, "No. I don't think so. I was in a cargo hold with no windows, though. I might have missed feeling the second jump."

It wasn't as reliable as she was hoping...but she didn't think he was holding anything back. In fact, she felt his frustration with himself clearly. "Hey. It's alright. That's good information for us to know. Hopefully we choose the right area first."

But he scowled. "I'm useless like this. I'm sorry."

"Hey." She reached up and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "You are not useless."

"You can't even see the sorry state I'm in." That alone was a terrifying statement; he already looked terrible. "I probably smell horrible, too. I can't remember the last time I've showered."

"I don't care, Luke. I just want you home." She hesitated, hating that she felt it necessary to say, but she added, "And Vader doesn't care either."

Actually, if his reaction to her being shot was any indication, he'd probably become completely insufferable with his hovering and overprotectiveness. She made a mental note to keep Han far out of his way when that happened.

Luke let out a breath. "I want to be home too."

She brushed a thumb over his cheek. "When I find you, I'll tell you everything I learned. Then we'll tackle Vader together and get more answers out of him."

That made him smile. "He won't know what hit him."

"No, he won't, and too bad. Then once you're healed...we'll figure out the rest of everything else. Together. So hold on. Do whatever it takes...but hold on."

This time, it was Luke whose eyes filled with tears. "I will. I promise, Leia."

It was a dangerous thing to promise...so much could happen. Leia's heart swelled anyway, and she wanted nothing but to stay with him until they found him. But Vader was right-he needed to wake up. He couldn't survive in this dream world.

So, trembling, she made herself lean forward and press a tender kiss on his forehead. "Come home, Luke."

He sensed her emerge from her meditation, and he immediately tugged on their bond. Demanding and furious.

Be nice, Artoo, who had occupied his time by re-showing him the star map, chided. He'd made a few more modifications-anything to keep himself from storming into Leia's bedroom to shake her out and demand to know how the hell she'd accomplished meditation with zero instruction.

"I will do as I wish," he snarled at the droid, pointing at him...which earned him a raspberry.

If the droid wasn't so useful….

He was interrupted by the door opening. Leia stood there, blinking, staring at him like she'd forgotten he was there. He stood, hooking his thumbs in his belt, about to give her a piece of his mind…

The words died on his tongue.

Tears.

She was crying.

Instantly, he shifted awkwardly. Tears. He was always terrible with knowing what to do with them, even as Skywalker. As a Sith he'd made plenty of people cry, usually as he was killing them, but Leia…

Somehow, they were different.

But she evidently didn't want him to do anything, because she quickly brushed them away, sniffling, then in her best attempt at a normal voice, blurted, "He doesn't think they made another hyperspace jump."

"That's...good."

That is all you have to say? Artoo gave the droid equivalent of a snort.

He opened his mouth, wracking his brain for anything...but nothing felt genuine. He doubted she'd appreciate it.

She didn't seem to expect it, either. She approached them, looking at the star map still illuminated around them. "So? Where to?"

His gaze hadn't left her. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it still felt wrong to just...ignore the pained feelings he could sense in their bond. She refused to look at him, staring resolutely at the highlighted planets.

"I see you worked on it more."

"Yes." He truly was a failure of a father. He couldn't even figure out the right words to say to make her stop hurting. The source of her pain wasn't even him this time-it was Luke. And perhaps the actions she'd taken to put Luke in that position, a position that required immediate resolution due to injuries, a monster...and now lack of food.

But he still felt...wrong.

"You meditated."

"Like I said. It wasn't hard." A spike of resentment that he didn't miss, not when her feelings were so openly displayed before him.

Why? What would she be resentful about?

"How?"

She let out a sharp, annoyed breath. She still refused to look at him. "I just crossed my legs, closed my eyes, relaxed and thought about Luke."

An unease settled over him. "It shouldn't have been that easy. There must be more."

Now she finally glared at him. "Well maybe I did more. I don't know. It's not like you're eager to tell me for some reason."

And there it was. The source of her resentment.

"You are upset about that." Honestly, he hadn't expected her to even want to train with him. Not seriously. Luke absolutely refused, and he'd done far less to the boy. Leia…

He wasn't going to even begin thinking about that long list.

"No. It's clear who you want to train. I'll just ask Luke later."

"What?" He couldn't help it. He was so surprised by the admission, he actually backed up a step.

Leia followed the movement with her eyes, a delicate brow raising. "Are you having trouble hearing now?" she asked dryly. "I'm not repeating myself."

No, he'd heard fine, it was just…

Leia was...jealous of Luke?

No. Even as he wondered, he didn't feel that from her at all. The feeling she had for her brother was much too pure for him to examine for long. But that resentment...that was solely reserved for him.

"My decision to not train you has nothing to do with your brother."

He hoped she'd take that as a good enough answer and leave it be, but of course he didn't get his way. He was starting to realize Leia was just as hyper focused and demanding as he was.

Her eyes, so like her mothers, met his and he felt as though she were staring straight into the pit of what little was left of his soul. "Then why? Do you think I'm not capable?"

"No." Hell, she'd figured out meditation on her own, just by guessing. Meditation had been one of the most difficult parts of his training, both as a Jedi and as a Sith. The fact that she'd simply decided to do it and then...did it…

The twins were equal in their power. But it was clear Leia was a natural.

Under different circumstances, he would have been pleased, but that vision replayed in his head…

"It is too dangerous for you to train." He tried to turn back to the star map, hoping that would end it…

But of course not. She moved right in front of him, hands on her hips, glaring as though she dared him to ignore her.

"And yet it's not dangerous for Luke to train? That makes zero sense."

She's got you there. Artoo sounded too much like he was enjoying this.

If he didn't have the star map…

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not upset that you clearly favor my brother more. That works out just fine for me, but at least be honest about it."

"I told you, I don't favor him."

"It's only natural. You found out about him first. He looks like you did-"

"Do not mention my past!" Damn Artoo and his stupid recordings. The moment Luke was safe, he was wiping his memory-

"Clearly it has to do with the situation, so I'll mention what I want. Besides, it probably isn't great that I look like my mother-"

She continued, but he no longer listened. He simply stared.

Surely….surely she didn't think he resented her for looking like her mother?

He actually wasn't sure he even knew the answer to that. He hadn't dared to think about it...but if her appearance bothered him, it wasn't what kept him from training her-

"I saw a vision."

The words were out before he could stop them, and Leia cut off.

An awkward silence passed between them. Even Artoo dared not intervene. He cursed himself, and the fact that she seemed to have a way of getting him to talk without him wanting to.

Just like Padme.

Maybe...maybe there was something to what she'd said.

But he wouldn't deal with it then. Or ever. What mattered was that she understood why he didn't want to train her. And given the fact that their views on Luke were largely similar, she'd likely agree with his decision anyway.

What did he have to lose?

"Luke was with me in the vision. He wanted me to help him save someone."

"Sounds like Luke." Leia rolled her eyes.

"Yes." Which was why it likely was real, and he had to prevent that future. "The person he wanted me to save was you."

"Was this before or after you knew who I was?"

"Before." Right before. He'd literally exited the Dark Side cave and walked in on her trying to escape. "You...you were a Sith. And you and I were clearly enemies."

"I would never," she replied hotly, that righteous fire that reminded him so much of her mother lighting in her eyes. "That goes against everything I've worked so hard towards."

"But you were. And when we began to fight, Luke...he got in the way." He paused, remembering her tears earlier. "We kill Luke."

The words weighed heavily between them. Leia stared and her disbelief, her denial screamed at him. "I would never."

"If I were to train you, it would to be a Sith. It is the nature of the Sith to kill their master."

"I'm not asking to be trained as a Sith!" She stepped away, breathing hard. "Did you even bother asking me what I wanted?! No, you're still protecting him over me!"

He opened his mouth to object...then closed it.

Hadn't that been his exact reason? To protect Luke? To keep her from becoming a threat?

"I need to know how to protect myself so I don't get shot! I need to know how to communicate with my brother-hell, with you if I need to, though don't get me wrong I definitely don't want to. I clearly need to know how to shield my emotions and thoughts so you stop reading them...there are plenty of things I could be taught that have nothing to do with Jedi or Sith and are just pragmatic abilities!"

"If you haven't noticed, you and I are far too much alike. If I train you, especially as you are now, you will fall, and that vision will come true." He pointed at her. She needed to understand, now more than ever. He knew she didn't want to think about their similarities, no more than he wanted to think about her looking so much like her mother… but it was imperative for her to realize she was the perfect candidate to become a Sith.

If he turned her and she still hated him…

No, worse, if Palpatine got hold of her...especially if he'd done training with her…

Her lips tightened at that reminder, but this time she didn't argue. Either because she was accepting their similarities, or something else, Vader didn't know. But when she spoke, it was low and even. "I know who I am, Lord Vader. I am not a Jedi. I am not a Sith. But I'm tired of being left out in the dark. So either trust me enough to teach me, or get the hell out of my way and I'll do it myself."

Trust?

When was the last time he'd trusted anyone?

He knew that answer. He refused to think about it, even with her spitting image standing directly in front of him.

But...he'd been wrong. She'd never betrayed him. He'd broken his trust in her because of a lie...because Kenobi had betrayed her trust in him. And everything had fallen apart because of that.

What if the answer to avoiding the vision was simply to...trust his daughter?

It was a foreign concept. He didn't know where to begin. It wasn't even something a Sith should do...but lately, he'd been doing a lot of things contrary to who he was supposed to be. All because...because he needed to be a father first.

To Luke, and to Leia.

"Look at the star map," he ordered, and when Leia blinked at him, he repeated impatiently, "Look at the star map!"

She frowned, but did as told.

"Now." He came to stand directly behind her. "I want you to look at the highlighted hyperspace lanes, and I want you to think about Luke exactly like you did earlier."

She tensed in disbelief...but then her shoulders relaxed, and her thoughts turned away from him. Instead, she focused on Luke, projecting those thoughts so strongly into the Force that he was tempted to back away.

Images. Luke's smile...a smile that Vader hadn't ever seen on his son's face, a smile that lit up the entire galaxy…

His laugh. It rang in Vader's ears even as it did in Leia's mind. Then there was a smell...a smell he knew too well. Dust and earth, sage, mixed with the smell of engine oil.

And even though they were separated...he could practically see that bond between Leia and Luke flaring to life, calling to her…

"What hyperlane should we explore first?" It was an effort to speak. The images, sounds and smells were so intimate, something he as his father should have known, but didn't. He felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn't have...but he was his son and he should have known too…

Leia hesitated, but only for a brief moment. He felt her clarity in the Force just as she did. "That one." She pointed to the hyperspace lane Solo had highlighted earlier. "That's the lane we need to check first."

Of course. Of course Solo had given them a good lead. He wished the source had come from literally anyone but him but...he had to admit, the Force wasn't wrong, and it had been a good lead.

Maybe Solo had a use, after all.

"Excellent."

She turned around, blinking skeptically, completely unaware of the feat she'd pulled. "That's it? It's that easy?"

Easy. He stared at her, amazed and...dare he admit it, proud of the girl who had once been such a thorn in his side.

She was strong. So, so strong.

"Go get the smuggler," he said instead, crossing his arms. "We have planets to search."

Come home, Luke.

That was the new chant in his head, the one he whispered under his breath when he stumbled and exacerbated his injuries further. When he was covered in so much sweat, his clothes were completely drenched. When he wanted to give up.

Home.

With Han. With Leia. With Vader.

A...really strange home he never would have dreamed about, and he doubted it would be without serious problems when this was all over.

But he'd keep going. He'd keep fighting.

For Han.

Absolutely for Leia.

And...for some insane reason, for his father.

It was late at night, and it was eerily...quiet. There were no roars. There were no thundering footsteps. All that was left was the sound of nightlife in the trees, of stupid beek monkeys calling to one another...and the howls of those dog things in the distance.

He made sure his blaster was within quick drawing distance. Just in case.

When he'd woken up, he'd once more reached out towards sentient life. He was much closer now, though still far enough away that it would likely take him another day or two before he reached it, given his agonizingly slow pace. But when he'd reached out, he was certain he felt that the...settlement? Maybe? Whatever it was, he was certain it had grown larger.

Strange.

He'd need to be careful before he approached, assuming Vader didn't find him first. But if they were friendly, he could borrow a comm link…

He still had Vader's personal comm number memorized. It would be much faster, and maybe he could eat and get medical attention before he showed up and was disappointed by the state he was in.

He didn't care what Leia said. Vader was definitely the type to value strength over weakness. Sure, he'd told him his injuries...but to actually see them, or worse, smell him…

He just couldn't shake the thought that he looked pretty pathetic, and he'd probably get a lecture at the very least about it.

So. He was hoping these people were friendly, and that they'd provide some medical care and maybe a shower before his father showed up.

He tried not to dwell on it too much, though. Especially as the night grew darker and darker, and thoughts of being rescued turned to thoughts of fluffy, luxurious, soft, rock-free beds. He pictured it so vividly in his mind, his eyes began to droop and he stumbled, barely managing to catch himself in time.

He braced against the tree with his good shoulder, then reached up and flicked himself in the face a few times. "Wake up," he muttered, wishing he could make the heaviness in his eyelids go away. "Wake…"

He stopped short.

And listened.

For a moment, he heard nothing out of the usual. Adrenaline began to pump through his veins, and his hand again lowered to the blaster at his side…

Especially as he heard the unmistakable sound of a speeder bike engine zooming in the distance.

And coming closer.

He hardly breathed, suddenly wide awake, bile rising in his throat as he quickly weighed his options. Unmistakable civilization was right there and...and he had no idea if they were friendly or not. He could reach out into the Force and find out immediately. But that would send up a signal in the Force, and if that Creature was looking for him, it would be like waving a neon "Here's dinner, come and eat me!" sign.

But they were coming closer. And the thought of being rescued, of being able to sleep in a real bed, of getting medical treatment and finally contacting someone who could help…

It was tantalizing.

It could be a trap, though. They could have evil intent. And what if they recognized him? Sure, his hair was still dyed and he was certain he'd lost even more weight, plus he hadn't shaved in weeks, but still. It was a risk-and one he shouldn't take.

He should stick with the plan and keep going until he reached the settlement. Then he could wait until daylight and safely use the Force.

But what if they were friendly? He'd wait days, and who knew what other horrors could happen to him in that time? He was hungry, injured, exhausted and he wanted nothing more than an honest, uninterrupted nap.

Besides, the galaxy thought he was dead. The pirates were all dead, too. So it wasn't like they were looking for him.

A risk. Such a risk.

I'm not going to do it. I'm going to wait. I...I can keep going…

But his hand was pulling out his blaster, shaking uncontrollably.

I'm not going to. I'll follow the plan. Vader might even find me before I get there. Leia will be with him. Maybe Han. I can rest on the Executor…

But even as he thought it, he knew the risks of staying on his own were far too great.

He sucked in a breath.

"Hey!" he shouted, pointing the blaster up into the treetops and firing a few times. "Over here! Help!"

Force, he hoped this paid off.

The sound of the engines swerved, coming even closer. He continued to shout, leaning heavily against the tree. Soon enough, headlights appeared, blinding him. Then…

A speeder bike pulled up. An ordinary, albeit a little run down, speeder bike. An old man sat on it, wearing camo gear with a green helmet and goggles over his eyes. On the back of the bike, where his supplies were tied down, was a fresh deer carcass.

A hunter.

"What the hell are you doin all the way out here?" The man demanded, then frowned at him as he got a better look at the sorry state he was in. "Bloody hell, what happened to you?"

Luke wanted to relax his guard...but he didn't dare. "The ship I was on crashed. I was the only survivor and I've...I've been stranded for a while."

His voice broke. This was the first time he'd actually, really talked to another human being. He'd only communicated with Vader, and only in his mind. To actually use his vocal cords to talk to someone…

"I need help."

He was begging. Tears began streaking down his face. This was a stranger, one whose intent he didn't know, but he just needed help.

The old man frowned, eyes narrowing as he took him in. "Well...alright. I s'pose I could at least take you back."

He was desperate, but… "Back where, exactly?"

"My farm."

That made sense. He clearly looked like a hunter, bringing home food. Except...Except…

"Why are you going deeper into the forest?"

He already had a kill. Why keep going when he could go home with it and be done for the night?

But the man had an answer for that, as well. "Oh, I was gunna hunt some bigger game and use this as bait."

Luke still hesitated. It seemed logical enough. Considering the size of the Creature, who knew what else large enough to want an entire deer lived out there?

"Look, I don't got all night. You want help, or not, boy?"

"I do." Then, stronger, he repeated, "I do."

"Well, climb aboard, then." He scooted forward, making room for Luke on the back of the bike. "Be careful with your leg. That looks nasty."

Luke could have cried just over how fast the speeder carried them. What would have taken him days, took only a few hours. Something as simple as a speeder bike seemed like a miracle, passing over rocks and roots that had slowed him down, stuck into his sides while he slept, and tripped him. Over and over, he thanked the man, not caring that he sounded like a babbling idiot.

"I already told you, it's fine. You got lucky, boy." The man paused. "What's your name, anyway?"

He was so happy, he almost answered with his real name, but he stopped himself. "Lars."

It wasn't technically a lie. His uncle had tried repeatedly to get Luke to use their last name, but the moment he'd learned his father's last name, he'd refused to give it up. If his uncle was there now, he'd probably grumble about how he'd finally learned.

"Well, Lars. The name's Recheer." The man said. "Glad I found you when I did. This forest is dangerous if you don't know it."

"No kidding." Luke wondered if the man knew what the Creature was. He was a hunter, after all. Surely he knew of its existence, or even how to beat it.

Except Luke didn't want to care anymore. He was going home. In a few short hours, he was sure Vader would show up, and he'd be off this hell hole of a planet. "Do you have a comm I could use?"

"You got someone lookin for you?"

He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah."

"Good. I've got a comm back home. You can use that, then you should shower. You smell as bad as the deer."

He was probably right. He wasn't sure how he'd navigate a shower with his injuries, but he'd make it work. Anything to look somewhat less pathetic.

By the time they cleared the treeline and out into an open field, it was about an hour until sunrise. Luke breathed a sigh of relief, eyes scanning ahead, looking for the farm that would save his life.

But there was no farm.

There was no village.

Sure there were a lot of buildings, but they looked industrial, rather than like what he'd expect for a village.

"I thought you said we were going to your farm?" he asked as Recheer moved the bike towards it.

"Yeah, we are. It's beyond the factory district. I wanted to drop the deer off at the butcher's since I can't use it."

That seemed...like an okay answer. One Luke didn't like, but...this had been his destination in the first place. This is where he'd sensed all those sentient beings. He would have shown up here anyway.

"Maybe you could just leave me here," he suggested. "Is there a doctor? One that has a comm?"

"Oh, I wouldn't mind you comin over. There's plenty of room at my place." Luke didn't like that he was insisting, especially with a town right there, but then the man added, "Though I guess you're pretty injured...maybe I should take you to a doctor."

Luke relaxed a little. "Yeah. You can still drop off your deer… I just need to get home quickly."

"Sure, kid." They were entering the town, and again Luke was tempted to use the Force to gauge the intentions of those around him. But there was still no sunlight, and he didn't want to risk drawing that monster towards town.

"Will they even be awake?" Luke asked, noticing the streets were eerily empty.

"It's a butcher shop." Recheer snorted. "My pal's gotta be up early if he wants to open on time."

That...also made sense. So when Recheer pulled over in front of a building that definitely didn't look like a typical butcher's shop, Luke was only slightly cautious.

Recheer cut the engine, and Luke's ears rang in the sudden, eerie silence.

"Oi!" Recheer yelled, getting off his bike.

Luke stayed put, frowning. It was...odd to yell if most of the town was asleep. Wasn't it? And why did the butcher's shop look so much more like a small office building?

A bad feeling began to settle in his gut, and Luke reached for his blaster.

A door opened, and light spilled out into the street. Luke winced, trying to make out the silhouette in the doorway, shadowed by the light behind him.

There was a bang! And suddenly his entire body went numb, and his world was tilting as he fell, or rather, slid from the bike, collapsing on the cobblestone streets.

Instinctively, he reached for the Force, no longer caring what he drew towards town.

The Force screamed at him, even as someone stepped into his line of vision.

Danger! Danger, danger, danger-!

A man stood over him, a man...a man he thought he recognized, with his mustache…

"Remember me, asshole?!" the man spat, lifting a blaster. "You thought you could escape, after the stunt you pulled?!"

He scrambled to remember. He knew the man's face, but what about a name? Was this the pirate he'd tried to swindle?

Dammit, he couldn't remember and his entire body felt numb-

"Well guess what? I'm in charge now. And you're going to wish you'd died with the rest of the crew when I'm through with you!"

Panicked, Luke reached for the Force, to do something, anything-

But the man pulled the trigger, and blue light once again shot at him-a stun gun-and his vision blackened.

I AM (NOT) SORRY. It started so nice and then it ended with ANGST! AND PAIN! Muahahahahahahaha!
(Why am I so mean to Luke? Idk. I love him so much...but let's be real, he also gets injured consistently in the OT too so...I'm not the only one, here. He's going to want a restraining order from me by the end of this, though)
The songs for this chapter are:
Luke and Leia, by John Williams (THE MASTER)
Will I Make It Out Alive by Tommee Profitt and Jessie Early (WILL HE MAKE IT OUT ALIVE?!)
Leave some love!
Love,
LadyVader23