KANE |Luke Skywalker|

The truth

Luke and I fly side by side as we talk over the comm system and to the others on the falcon. "We'll meet you back at the fleet" Luke tells them once again and Leia comes over the system "Hurry. The Alliance should be assembled by now." I nod even though they can't see "We will" I say. "Hey, Luke, Beth, thanks. Thanks for comin' after me. Now I owe you one." Han tells us as a message from Artoo appears on the small monitor screen in front of Luke and I. Glancing over at him I see him pull on a glove over his mechanical hand. "That's right, Artoo. We're going to the Dagobah system. We have a promise to keep... to an old friend."

{Kane}

A Super Star Destroyer and several ships of the Imperial Fleet rest in space above the half-completed Death Star and its green neighbor, Endor. Four squads of TIE fighters escort an Imperial shuttle toward the Death Star. Lord Vader strides down the hallway, accompanied by a very nervous Death Star commander and his apprentice. Thousands of Imperial troops in tight formation fill the mammoth docking bay. Vader, the officer and the apprentice walk to the landing platform, where the shuttle is coming to rest. The shuttle's ramp lowers and the Emperor's Royal Guards come out and create a lethal perimeter. The assembled troops move to rigid attention with a momentous snap. Then, in the huge silence which follows, the emperor appears. He is a rather small, shriveled old man. His bent frame slowly makes its way down the ramp with the aid of a gnarled cane. He wears a hooded cloak similar to the one Ben wore, except that it is black. The Emperor's face is shrouded and difficult to see, except for his piercing yellow eyes. Commander Jerjerrod, Darth Vader and the dark apprentice kneel to him. The Supreme Ruler of the galaxy beckons to the Dark Lord. "Rise, my friend." Vader rises and falls in next to the Emperor as he slowly makes his way along the rows of troops. His apprentice follows half a step behind the dark lord and Jerjerrod and the other commanders stay kneeling until the Supreme Ruler and Vader, followed by several Imperial dignitaries, pass by; only then do they join in the procession. "The Death Star will be completed on schedule." The emperor nods his approval "You have done well, Lord Vader. And now I sense you wish to continue your search for the young Skywalker and Kane." Vader nods slightly "Yes, my Master." The emperor looks behind Vader at his apprentice. "Patience, my friend. In time he will seek you out. And when he does, you must bring him before me. He has grown strong. Only together can we turn him to the dark side of the force." Marcus stiffens slightly at the attention of the emperor. "And what of the girl" Vader muses. "If she will not join us, she will perish." The emperor says plainly. "As you wish." Vader says after taking in a deep breath. "Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen." He laughs to himself as they pass along the vast line of Imperial troops.

{Kane}

Once again, Artoo finds himself waiting around in the damp environs of the swamp planet, and he's none too happy about it but at least he's not alone this time. He beeps disconsolately at Read and turns to look at Yoda's cottage. Warm yellow light escapes the oddly shaped windows to fight the gloom. "Hmm. That face you make. Look I so old to young eyes?" Luke is sitting in a corner of the cramped space and, indeed, his look has been woeful. Caught, he tries to hide it. "No... of course not." Luke tells the Jedi master. "I do, yes, I do! Sick have I become. Old and weak." He Points a crooked finger at him "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" Yoda chuckles at this, coughs, and hobbles over toward his bed. "Soon will I rest. Yes, forever sleep. Earned it, I have." Yoda sits himself on his bed, with great effort. "Master allow me to help" I plead but he simply shakes his head. "Master Yoda, you can't die." Luke says and I lay a hand on his shoulder. "Strong am I with the Force... but not that strong! Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall. That is the way of things... the way of the Force" Yoda tells us wisely and I look down at my lap. "But I need your help. I've come back to complete the training." Luke says as if he could convince Yoda to stay in this life. "No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need." Yoda sighs, and lies back on his bed. "Then I am a Jedi?" Luke asks and I look at him. Yoda shakes his head "Ohhh. Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will." Luke is in agony. He is silent for a long moment, screwing up his courage. Finally he is able to ask. "Master Yoda... is Darth Vader my father?" Yoda's eyes are full of weariness and compassion. An odd, sad smile creases his face. He turns painfully on his side, away from Luke. "Mmm... rest I need. Yes... rest." Luke watches him, each moment an eternity. "Yoda, I must know." He states hoping that it isn't true. "Your father he is." Yoda says and Luke reacts as if cut. "Told you, did he?" Yoda asks looking at me. "Yes master" Luke says and a new look of concern crosses Yoda's face. He closes his eyes. "Unexpected this is, and unfortunate..." Luke's eyes widened in surprise "Unfortunate that I know the truth?" Yoda opens his eyes again and studies the youth. "No. Unfortunate that you rushed to face him... that incomplete was your training. Not ready for the burden were you." Yoda says thoughtfully "Well, I'm sorry." Luke tells the old jedi master. "Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." He beckons the young Jedi closer to him. "Luke...Luke...Do not...Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you will. Luke, Elizabeth, when gone am I the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned, Luke... There is...another...Sky...Sky...walker." He catches his breath. A shiver runs through the ancient green creature, and he dies. Luke stares at his dead master as he disappears in front of his eyes. I reach up and wipe a small tear from my eye. Luke turns to me and we both silently get up and walk out to our ships. Artoo and Read beeps a greeting, but are ignored by their depressed masters.

Luke kneels down, begins to help Artoo with the ship, then stops and shakes his head dejectedly "I can't do it. I can't go on alone." I turn away from my ship to look at him. "Yoda will always be with you." I hear it ring out and suddenly we are looking at an image of Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan! Why didn't you tell me?" Luke asks as the ghost of Ben Kenobi approaches him through the swamp. "You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father." Luke says and I shuddered slightly at the memory. "You father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true... from a certain point of view." Ben says looking past Luke to me. Luke turns away slightly irritated "A certain point of view!" He scoffs. "It's true Luke" I say quietly "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." Luke is unresponsive. Ben studies him in silence for a moment. "I don't blame you for being angry. If I was wrong in what I did, it certainly wouldn't have been for the first time. You see, what happened to your father was my fault." Ben pauses sadly. "Obi-Wan it was not your fault, you had no idea that would happen." I say moving away from my ship. "Anakin was a good friend." Luke turns with interest at this. As Ben speaks, Luke settles on a stump, making room for me to join him mesmerized. Artoo comes over to offer his comforting presence. "When I first knew him, your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong. My pride has had terrible consequences for the galaxy."

Luke is entranced. "Whenever I saw master Skywalker in the temple he was always in a rush but he never failed to say hello to me even though I was just a youngling and he didn't to any others." Obi-Wan smiles faintly at the memory having seen it several times. "There's still good in him." Luke says determined. "I also thought he could be turned back to the good side. It couldn't be done. He is more machine now than man. Twisted and evil." I nod my head sadly in agreement. "I can't do it, Ben." Luke says. "You cannot escape your destiny." Ben tells him sternly. "I tried to stop him once. I couldn't do it." Luke says remembering cloud city. "You didn't have me to help you" I tell him and he shoots me a grateful look. "Vader humbled you when first you met him, Luke... but that experience was part of your training. It taught you, among other things, the value of patience. Had you not been so impatient to defeat Vader then, you could have finished your training here with Yoda. You would have been prepared. And make no mistake his apprentice will still be around Elizabeth." Luke and I in unison say "But we had to help our friends." Ben smiles at us "And did you help them? It was they who had to save you. You achieved little by rushing back prematurely, I fear." Luke looks down at his hands sadly but I take a hold of one giving it a small squeeze. "I found out Darth Vader was my father." I look away with a frown. "To be a Jedi, Luke, Elizabeth, you must confront and then go beyond the dark side. The side your father Luke, couldn't get past. Impatience is the easiest door for you, like your father. Only, your father was seduced by what he found on the other side of the door, and you have held firm. You're no longer so reckless now, Luke. You are strong and patient. And now, you must face Darth Vader again!" Ben says with emphasis. "I can't kill my own father." Ben looks down "Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope." I roll my eyes, it's like he completely forgot about me. "Yoda spoke of another." Luke says confused. "The other he spoke of is your twin sister." Ben informs him "But I have no sister." Luke insists but I shake my head. "Hmm. To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous." I gasped at the realization slightly mad that I didn't realize it sooner. "Leia! Leia's my sister." Luke says catching on. "Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit.But they could be made to serve the Emperor." Luke looks into the distance, trying to comprehend all this and I rub small circles in his hand. "When your father left, he didn't know your mother was pregnant. Your mother and I knew he would find out eventually, but we wanted to keep You two as safe as possible, for as long as possible. So I took you to live with your father's brother Owen on Tatooine" Ben pauses "and Bail Organa took Leia to live as the daughter of Senator Organa, on Alderaan." I glance up "and you left Marcus and I on Lothal." Ben nods sadly "I should have split you and Marcus up and brought you with me, you have so much potential and things would have been better for the both of us." Luke is overwhelmed by the truth, and is suddenly protective of his sister and the girl sitting next to him. "But you can't let her get involved now, Ben. Vader will destroy her." Luke exclaims jumping up. "She hasn't been trained in the ways of the Jedi the way you have, Luke... but the Force is strong with her, as it is with all of your family. There is no avoiding the battle. You must face and destroy Vader!"