Star Wars characters belong to George Lucas, I am only playing on his backyard…
Sorry for the delay…in updating this, I intend to finish this (and all other stories)
Blood is Thicker – Chapter 18
Leia sat on the panel observing the readouts of the next Alliance move. Han sat with Chewbacca and Lando discussing the route and strategies. Han noticed Leia acting nervously, she stood up and place her hands over her head.
"What is it?"
"I can't stop thinking about Luke, Han."
" I care about the kid too but if we are to help him we must fight the Empire..."
"I think you are right, Han." Leia started to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Don't worry, I will not leave. I just want to be alone for a little while…"
Leia left the premises and walked outside. She stared at the starry night.
"You must train with the Force, Leia." Obi-Wan's specter appeared.
"Obi-Wan! I have a bad felling about Luke."
"Luke is lost in darkness, you are our only hope."
"How can I be…I am not that strong. What can I have to do to save my brother and…" she paused.
"Vader….he is my biological father…I want to save him too."
"He is gone, Leia," Obi-Wan spoke with sadness.
"No! He let me go, there must be some good in him. He could have killed me."
"The Dark Side took a hold of Anakin, you must not trust him. He will use of subterfuge to lure you as he had done to Luke."
"What must I do?"
"You must become a Jedi to free your brother."
"How can I be a Jedi? I don't have that power."
"You do, Leia. You and Luke were born with the Force. He is trapped by Vader, only you can free him."
"Vader is too strong…I can't fight him."
"He has a weakness."
"Lord Vader, a weakness?"
"You must find the path, Leia. Search your feelings, Leia and find it you will."
Obi-Wan specter's vanished…
Luke was dressed in black imperial uniform and had his light saber hooked on the side. He walked inside Vader's dark chamber and knelt.
"Rise."
Luke stood up.
"You have done well today, my son. You are growing strong," Vader referred to the light saber practice when Luke was showing equal power as him and was fully using the Dark Side.
"Father, when are we going to…do it?" Luke asked with some reluctance.
"When you are ready to fight, my son. You must also work on your shields. He is very clever, he will cloud your mind, as he had done to mine."
"How?"
Vader turned away, but the memories continued to burn within his soul.
"He manipulated me."
"How?"
"He used my weakness to turn me into his slave…I could not survive without his help. Somehow he knew I would be like this…when he sent me to Mustafar."
"Obi-Wan did that to you…" Luke spoke with anger.
"Yes, he did. He already paid with his life."
"He doesn't bother me anymore, father. I don't want him around."
"We must return to Coruscant. The Emperor wants to see you."
"But…" Luke dreaded the last encounter.
"You must not show fear, Luke. Just concentrate into the Dark Side and you will be able to shield your thoughts from him. You must show him strength."
Luke shivered; he dreaded to see Palpatine again.
"What does he want with me, father?"
"What do you think? He wants to replace me with you."
"What?"
"That's the way of the Sith, Luke."
"When he is finished…you will become Emperor…are you going to replace me too?"
Vader felt angered. Luke regretted the remark when he felt his body thrown on the other side of the room and his throat constricting slightly.
"Are you doubting me, Luke? How dare you!" Vader spoke threatening.
Luke turned to his father, fighting for breath.
"S-sorry…father."
"You have been with me for a while to know that I don't like to be defied."
Vader released his son.
"Forgive me, father…It won't happen again," Luke replied hastily.
Luke thought of Leia. Although he accepted the Dark Side he still dreaded his sister to go through the trials he has been through.
"You think of your sister."
"Yes, father," Luke slowly got up, maintaining his eyes on the floor.
"When our work is finished, you will be in charge to bring her back."
"Back? She will not come."
"She is my daughter and your sister…she is our blood Luke, she must be with us."
Luke felt somewhat uneasy."May I be excused, father?"
Vader noticed Luke's nervousness about Leia.
"I sense reluctance in you, Luke. I already told you that you must obey my commands. I don't want an apprentice that doubt my me."
"She will not cooperate, father. I don't want to hurt her."
"I don't want to hurt you either, but you had to endure to learn, or haven't you learned your place yet?"
"I have, father. I will bring her back. I will do whatever you command…master."
Luke felt ashamed of his weakness. He felt the Dark Side coursing through him and giving him power. He held back a few times fearing that he would be consumed by it. Obi-Wan's words still echoed deep inside his mind and he feared the Dark Side as Obi-Wan did.
"You may go, Luke."
Luke bowed and left.
"May the Force give you strength…Luke…" Leia's voice sang within Luke's mind.
Coruscant
Palpatine sat on the throne as the guards stood by the door. Vader and Luke arrived and both knelt.
"Greetings, master."
"Lord Vader, I am not pleased that you let a traitor escape."
"A traitor?"
"Princess Organa. I was told that you let her go."
"I placed a homing beacon on her ship, master."
Palpatine smirked. "You have done well, then." He turned to Luke who remained on his knees and looking down.
"I sense that you have been taming this rebel."
"Yes master, he still has much to learn but he has accept the Dark Side."
"Leave us, Lord Vader. I want to talk to him alone."
"As you wish, my master,"
Luke stiffened and remained on his knees.
"Come closer, young Skylwalker."
Luke stood up and walked towards the throne.
"Your abilities with the Force are outstanding, young one."
"Thank you, master."
"But I sense that you are holding back. You must beware that your father must be holding you back…I can make you very powerful, he is very jealousy of you…"
Luke started to have doubts…the Emperor was so persuasive.
"You were born to become my right hand. Join me, son and together we can hunt down the Rebels and the remaining Jedi plaguing the Galaxy."
"What about…my father?"
"You must learn from him and show me what you learned. I can teach you more Luke, open your mind to me and I will show you my power…and remember…a true Sith show no regrets."
Luke closed his eyes and darkness surrounded him.
Luke started his new red light saber.
"I don't think this suits you," Obi-Wan specter appeared.
Luke turned with full anger on his eyes.
"What are you doing here? I told you not to bother me anymore."
"I see that you fully accept the your father's darkness."
"What do you expect? I can't turn against him. He is my blood."
"That's your father talking…so when have you decided who you intend to destroy?"
Luke frowned. "What are you talking about, old man?"
"The rule of two."
"What rule?"
"There can be only two Sith. A master and an apprentice. You are the third one…you must either destroy Palpatine or your father, there is the rule…"
"You are lying."
"Ask the Emperor, I am sure he will tell you, eventually."
"Even if this is true, if I stay with my father…"
"You will never be a master. You will always be his servant of the dark…bring destruction and chaos."
"You are trying to confuse me…go away!"
Obi-Wan vanished…
Luke's mind was in turmoil…
Vader, his father…was holding him back.
"A true Sith shows no regrets…"
"There can be only two…a master and an apprentice…"
"If I am the master, who could be my apprentice?" Luke thought…
Another memory sparkled and idea…
"She is our blood Luke, she must be with us."
Tbc…