"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 shield generator, a four-sided pyramidal tower that supported a wide focus dish that projected a deflector shield 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 shield 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 ships, Vader sensed his son"s increased anxiety. The s.p.a.ce battle progressed, and it was obvious that the Rebel ships 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. Crashing 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."
Shifting 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."
"No!" Luke screamed, igniting his lightsaber as he rushed from his hiding place to attack Vader. Sparks flew as they traded blows in the dark, cramped area, and Vader was forced to retreat out from under the platform until they arrived at the edge of a short bridge beside a deep, open elevator shaft.
A glancing blow ruptured Vader"s life-support system, and as he fell back against the bridge"s railing he was unable to stop Luke"s blade from severing his right wrist. Metal and electronic parts flew from Vader"s shattered stump, and his lightsaber clattered over the edge of the bridge and into the apparently bottomless shaft. Badly wounded and utterly exhausted, Vader looked up to see Luke"s lightsaber angled to deliver a killing stroke.
The Emperor had risen from his throne to stand on the stairway behind Luke. "Good!" the Emperor said. "Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father"s place at my side!"
So this is how it all ends, Vader thought.
But then Luke deactivated his lightsaber and said, "Never!" Flinging the weapon aside, he declared, "I"ll never turn to the dark side. You" ve failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
The Emperor scowled. With immeasurable displeasure, he said, "So be it... Jedi. If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed."
Still lying against the bridge railing beside the elevator shaft, Vader watched the Emperor extend his gnarled fingers and unleash blinding bolts of blue lightning from his fingertips. The lightning struck Luke, who tried to deflect the crackling bands of energy, but was so overwhelmed that his body crumpled to the floor.
No, Vader thought. No. Not like this.
As the Emperor continued to strike Luke with his barrage of Sith lightning, Vader struggled to his feet. One leg was broken, and the other wasn"t working right. Moving awkwardly, he shifted his bulk to stand beside his Master. On the floor, Luke writhed in agony, and was on the verge of death as he groaned, "Father, please. Help me."
Vader watched Luke curl into a fetal position as the Emperor hurled an even more staggering wave of lightning at his victim. Vader had no doubt that Luke was about to die. His son screamed.
Not just my son . . .
The Emperor unleashed another round of lightning.
. . . or Padme"s son . . .
Luke screamed louder.
. . . but my son . . . who loves me.
Luke"s clothes began to smolder as his body involuntarily spasmed. Suddenly, Vader realized that he was no longer concerned about his own personal future. Despite all the terrible, unspeakable things he"d done in his life, he knew he could not stand by and allow the Emperor to kill Luke. And in that moment of awareness, he was Darth Vader no more.
He was Anakin Sky walker.
It took all of his remaining strength to seize the Emperor from behind, lift him off his feet, and carry him to the open elevator shaft. The wretched Emperor continued to release lightning bolts, but they veered away from Luke and arced back to crash down upon him and his insurgent apprentice. The lightning penetrated Vader"s life-support suit and electrified Anakin"s organic remains, but he lurched forward until he could throw the Emperor into the elevator shaft.
Palpatine screamed as his body plummeted down the shaft. Still trapped within Darth Vader"s armor, Anakin collapsed at the shaft"s edge, but heard the explosion of dark energy that consumed the falling Emperor.
Hearing his own breathing as a rasping rattle, Anakin knew that Vader"s helmet"s respiratory apparatus was broken. He felt something tug at his shoulders, and realized Luke had crawled beside him and was pulling him away from the edge of the abyss.
Despite his own injuries, Luke managed to haul his father to the hangar that contained Vader"s shuttle. The journey was made even more difficult by the fact that the Rebels had disabled the energy shield projector on the Sanctuary Moon, and the Death Star was now under heavy attack. Trying to keep his own legs steady as the battle station was wracked by explosions, Luke dragged his father to the shuttle"s landing ramp before he collapsed from the effort.
He"s not going to make it, Anakin thought. Not with me.
"Luke," he gasped, "help me take this mask off."
Luke knelt beside him and said, "But you"ll die."
"Nothing can stop that now," Anakin said. "Just for once ... let me look on you ... with my own eyes."
Slowly, carefully, Luke lifted Vader"s angular helmet, then removed the faceplate from the black durasteel sh.e.l.l that wrapped around his neck. As Anakin"s scarred features were exposed, he was surprised to feel tears welling in his eyes.
It"s over, he thought. The nightmare is over.
He smiled weakly, then said, "Now ... go, my son. Leave me."
"No," Luke insisted. "You"re coming with me. I"ll not leave you here. I"ve got to save you."
Anakin smiled again. "You already have, Luke. You were right." Choking his last breaths, he said, "You were right about me. Tell your sister . . . you were right."
Closing his eyes as he slumped back against the shuttle ramp, Anakin Skywalker had every reason to believe that he was finally about to embrace perpetual darkness.
Not for the first time, he was wrong.
EPILOGUE.
Initially, there was darkness for Anakin Skywalker, a boundless shadowy realm, like a universe without stars. But then, from somewhere at the edge of his awareness, he perceived a distant, shimmering light, then heard a voice say, Anakin.
The voice was familiar.
Although Anakin no longer had a body or a mouth with which to speak, he somehow answered, Obi-Wan? Master, I"m so sorry. So very, very - Anakin, listen carefully, Obi-Wan interrupted, and Anakin was aware that the distant light was either growing brighter or closer, or perhaps both. You are in the netherworld of the Force, but if you ever wish to revisit corporeal s.p.a.ce, then I still have one thing left to teach you. A way to become one with the Force. If you choose this path to immortality, then you must listen now, before your consciousness fades.
Knowing he was beyond redemption, Anakin said, But, Master. . . why me?
Because you ended the horror, Anakin, Obi-Wan said. Because you fulfilled the prophecy.
The light was very bright now.
Anakin"s first thought was that he might be able to see his children again. He said, Thank you, Master.
Taking the Imperial shuttle, Luke Skywalker had escaped with his father"s remains from the Death Star only a moment before the battle station exploded. After landing on the Sanctuary Moon, Luke prepared a very private funeral in a forest clearing.
Night had fallen by the time Luke placed Anakin Sky walker"s armor-clad body atop a pile of gathered wood. As he ignited the pyre, Luke said, "I burn his armor and with it the name of Darth Vader. May the name of Anakin Skywalker be a light that guides the Jedi for generations to come."
Luke was unaware of the spirits who watched him from the shadows of the lambent woods. But later, when he rejoined his allies for their victory celebration in the treetop village that was home to the Ewoks, Luke saw three shimmering apparitions materialize in the darkness. They were Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, Yoda . . . and his father, Anakin Skywalker.
The Jedi had returned.