Luke and Leia - Rebels [2]

14: Enlightening

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Lord Vader kneeled on one knee as Darth Sideous's head appeared in a blue haze in front of him.

"Lord Vader." The Emperor greeted. "Was the trip to Yaris enlightening?"

"Yes, Master. The Skywalker twins are both powerful in the Force but oblivious to its uses; they require a teacher."

"Can they be turned?"

Vader took a moment to think. "Yes; the girl is strong-willed but vulnerable, and the boy is impulsive and his emotions control his motives."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "How can you be sure of this?"

"I could sense the turmoil within the boy and the darkness within the girl; I believe the boy will be easier to turn due to his lack of discipline, but the girl will be another matter. She is extremely strong in her convictions."

"Well done, Lord Vader. I will continue to think on this matter." The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "As for the Rebels, continue to hunt them down and constrict them. It is only a matter of time before they suffocate under our might."

"Yes, my Master."

The hologram fizzled out, leaving Vader alone with only silence and his own thoughts as a companion. He reflected on what he'd told the Emperor; Luke would definitely be easier to turn, he had sensed that much immediately. He was stubborn and righteous, but that conviction had been cracked and a bit rusted. It also helped that Leia was a sensitive spot for him; if anything happened to her the Sith Lord sensed the boy would do nearly anything to keep her safe.

Leia, on the other hand, was another matter. She was strong willed and fiery, not necessarily angry but willing to do what needed to be done with a firm hand. If she was to be turned she could be a great ally simply because she would never turn back and her strength would be used to vanquish enemies across the galaxy.

It was hard to say which twin was more powerful in the Force. Luke was certainly more in tune with it, but Vader had sensed Leia almost as strongly as her brother, meaning that the two were almost equal in ability but the sister was less aware of her power and how to use it than the brother.

The Sith Lord stood up and strode out of the room, watching with mild amusement how everyone around him stiffened just a bit. The man had a presence that was hard to ignore, even if one's back was turned to him. Hopefully, Vader thought, he could use his intimidating presence to sway the Skywalker twins. He rested his hands on the handrails overlooking the bridge. Yes, it was only a matter of time. He turned swiftly, his cape twisting behind him.

:-:-:-:

Leia, Luke, and Han were all deathly silent on their entire journey back. As soon as they landed on Hesk Leia popped out of the cockpit, brushing her oddly sweaty palms against her pants and blowing a strand of hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face. She heard a similar landing next to her and saw Luke brush himself off, then wince slightly and look down at his hand. "What's wrong?" She inquired hesitantly, those being the first words they'd spoken to each other in at least an hour.

He wordlessly showed her his hand, the bruise that was almost black starting at the palm under his thumb and slowly spreading. Her eyes widened at the sight. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, it'll only take a few days to heal completely I think." He shrugged, but Leia noticed his shoulders didn't go down back quite to normal. She could also feel some sort of electric tension from him, which didn't help her own case. But in response she just nodded, and both twins diverted their attention to Han and Threepio as they dropped down from their own Y-Wing. Threepio made his way over to Artoo and started a conversation while Han approached the twins somewhat hesitantly, one hand in his pocket.

"Are you two okay?" He asked with a mild frown. They both nodded, but Leia was the one to answer.

"We're fine, he didn't hurt us."

"Then what's that?" He gestured to Luke's hand.

Luke gave Han a halfhearted smirk. "Freak accident."

Han's lips twitched up at the sight of Luke's attempt at a smile, but like her brother's his was tinged by something else. The trio just stood silently for a moment before Luke shook himself back to the present and sighed. "We should probably go report to the general what we found."

"We didn't really find anything, though." Han frowned. "What exactly was he expecting us to find to begin with?"

"Nothing specific, just an update on the status of the base." Leia grimaced. "We'll just have to tell him there's no update because there's nothing left."

Luke nodded solemnly, seemingly lost in thought again. But Leia didn't shake him out of it this time, instead choosing to watch him for a moment. The almost scowl on his face made him look practically a decade older than his 21 years, an expression that almost reminded her of Han. It wasn't one she was used to seeing on Luke, though.

"I'll go debrief him." She declared suddenly. "You two go get some rest."

Luke glanced at her and, noticing her critical stare, cleared his expression of anything suspicious. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and cast a look at Han. The smuggler shrugged. "Fine by me. I'll go check on Chewie and the Falcon, make sure nothing's happened to her."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Han, she's been here the whole time."

"That's what they want you to think, kid." Han started walking away, resisting the sudden and strange urge to turn and give the twins another glance.

Luke and Leia watched him leave, then Leia turned to Threepio. "Threepio, you come with me to give the debriefing." She commanded gently.

"Are you sure you don't want me coming with you?" Luke inquired again, crossing his arms.

"No, it's fine. Go take a nap or something, you look tired."

"So do you."

Leia sighed. "I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?"

Luke held his hands up in a mock surrender. "Fine, fine."

His sister chuckled lightly at that, but the humor vanished almost immediately from her face. "I'll be back soon." She stated quietly, then started off with Threepio.

Artoo warbled a question, one Luke didn't have a concrete answer to. He just sighed. "I don't know, Artoo. It definitely seems like she's not, but she's always been good at holding herself together." He glanced down at the droid and gave his head a little pat. "We'll just talk to her later."

The astromech now directed the question to Luke, and the same question he felt had an even less concrete answer in regards to himself. But he shrugged nevertheless. "Me? I'm fine, Artoo. We didn't get hurt."

In response Artoo just lapsed into silence, and the two ventured back to Luke's quarters quietly. The base was buzzing with activity around them, but it all faded into background noise as Luke walked with a frown. He couldn't get the image of the lightsaber at Leia's neck out of his head, and because of it his chest tightened anxiously. What if he hadn't been there? Leia definitely couldn't have handled herself against him, but then again Luke was positive he couldn't have either.

What matters is that both of you are safe. He thought firmly, sighing and plopping onto his bed. After taking off his belt and tossing it onto the chair next to him, he shimmied his shoes off.

I can teach you the ways of the Force, show you how it is meant to be utilized. It is clear that both of your destinies are to become powerful Force wielders, perhaps more powerful and noteworthy than your father before you. The Sith's promise echoed in his mind.

Luke laid down and crossed his arms over his chest, staring up at the ceiling with a small scowl. It was clear Vader knew a vast amount about the Force, but even the idea of him sent a flash of defiance through his body. "Never." He mouthed the words to himself with a small snarl. Never.

Nevertheless, a small, secret part of him wavered.