Rebel {Luke Skywalker}

"never been more ready in my entire life."

Okay, forget every negative thing I said about the Han Solo trailer, I have literally watched it so many times and I am slowly becoming obsessed! I'm trying to figure out how to wriggle Ace into that movie as a sort of prequel to this, so let me know if you'd be interested in reading that!!!
Alright, now that the highly important PSA is over, let's get on with the chapter :)))

The bright lights of the fighter plane pierced through the darkness of the Dagobah night, casting a sharp, vibrant, bright white on everything nearby. Huffing and puffing as she waded through the muddied grass, Ace's arms were wrapped around a large packing crate. Handing it to Luke, who had his arms outstretched expectantly, Ace took a deep breath of relief, shaking her arms out as Luke loaded the heavy case into the belly of the ship. Artoo sat on top of the X-Wing, settling down into his cubbyhole comfortably while Yoda stood atop a log, watching it all happen.

"Luke! You must complete the training." Yoda insisted.

"I can't keep the vision out of my head." Luke told him, glancing sideways at Ace who looked scared out of her mind for her brother and friend, "They're my friends. That's her brother. I've got to-we've got to go help them."

"You must not go!" Cried out Yoda.

A horrible feeling of guilt seeped through Ace's body. She had tried to tell Luke she could go alone, that she would come back for him once she ensured Han and Leia's safety, but the Jedi in training had been adamant of going along with her, about not being left alone.

"I've seen what will happen," Luke had told her, "You can't handle it all by yourself, otherwise I'll lose you too-it's got to be both of us or neither of us."

"But Han and Leia-" Luke's voice cracked, "Han and Leia will die if I don't."

"You don't know that."

If the time she had spent on Dagobah hadn't convinced Ace of the Force's existence, this certainly would have. There stood Ben Kenobi, in a shimmery blue projection of himself, a sort of Force ghost. Even Ace, who had no connection to the Force whatsoever, could feel the pure power radiating off of him, an aura that shimmered in the darkness.

"Even Yoda cannot see their fate." Continued Ben.

"But I can help them!" Luke told him, his voice crackling slightly as he stood, "I can feel the Force!"

"But you cannot control it." Ben said, his words strong but not harsh as he spoke with Luke. "This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force."

"Yes, yes!" Said Yoda, "To Obi-Wan you listen. The cave! Remember your failure at the cave!"

Luke had told Ace about what happened at the cave one night when neither of them had been able to fall asleep and instead they lay, staring up at the distant stars on their backs. He had been in great distress and Ace had taken on the hardship of comforting him, the cave had deeply affected him and now Ace was even more so doubtful about leaving-if what his mentors were saying was true, if he was going to be tempted by the Dark Side... was Luke strong enough to refuse it?

Of course he is, Ace mentally scolded herself, Don't worry about that, Luke can handle himself-its Han and Leia you ought to freak out for.

"But I've learned so much since then." Luke insisted, looking up at his two mentors appealingly, "Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word."

"It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants." Said Ben, "This is why your friends are made to suffer."

"And that is why I have to go."

"Luke," pleaded Ben, his voice suddenly vulnerable as it wavered, rather then the strong and constant it had been just moments ago, "I don't want to lose you the way I lost Vader."

At this, Ace momentarily frowned. How had he lost Vader? As far as Ace was concerned, Vader had always been Vader, a monster who tore through the galaxy, destroying anything and everything in his path. Never someone who had perhaps been good, someone who was lost to the dark side.

"You won't."

"Stopped they must be." Yoda told them. "On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil."

"Patience." Added Ben pleadingly.

"And sacrifice Han and Leia?" Demanded Luke.

"If you honor what they fight for..." Yoda trailed off, "Yes!"

Ace was shaken after Yoda's words. She did honor what her brother fought for, she was the one who had convinced him to fight for it... and now she was supposed to let him die for it?

No, she wouldn't. She couldn't.

Han could not die.

"If you choose to fight Vader, you will face him alone." Ben told Luke, "I cannot interfere."

Finally, after a lengthy moment, Luke bowed his head. "I understand." He moved towards the X-Wing. "Artoo, fire up the power converters. Ace-you coming?"

"Of course." Ace nodded quickly and Luke helped her into her spot, grabbing her hand and giving her a slight boost before climbing into the cockpit while Ace whistled happily.

"Luke-don't give into the hate!" Cried out Ben as the engines roared, "That leads to the dark side!"

"Strong is Vader." Added Yoda loudly, "Mind what you have learned. Save you it can."

"I will. And I'll return. I promise."

With that, the cockpit windshield slid over Luke, the gunner's position windshield encasing Ace into her own seat and the X-Wing began to hover. The com-link crackled to life as she pushed her helmet over her head.

"You ready?" Luke asked her.

"I've never been more ready in my entire life."

This part is very short, but the next one will be worth it I promise. Just wait until the next chapter, it's got something that we've all been waiting for for a very long time

;)))))

-HotDoNotTouch