KANE |Luke Skywalker|

The Final

Luke stands still, as the Emperor reaches the bottom of the stairs. The Emperor's laughter has turned to anger. He raises his arms toward Luke and Luke pushes me behind him. "If you will not be turned, you will be destroyed." Blinding bolts of energy, evil lightning, shoot from the Emperor's hands at Luke. Even in his surprise, the young Jedi tries to use the Force to deflect them. At first he is half successful, but after a moment the bolts of energy are coming with such speed and power the young Jedi shrinks before them, his knees buckling. The wounded Vader struggles to his feet, and moves to stand at his master's side. "Young fool...only now, at the end, do you understand." Luke is almost unconscious beneath the continuing assault of the Emperor's lightning. I've had enough of watching Luke writhe in pain but before I can do anything he directs lightning at me. Luke clutches a canister to keep from falling into the bottomless shaft as the bolts tear through him and I am now on the ground not far from him as the electricity tears through me I reach for his hand. "Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side. You have paid the price for your lack of vision." Luke writhes on the floor in unbearable pain, reaching weakly up toward where Vader stands watching. He groans "Father, please. Help me." Again Vader stands, watching Luke. He looks at his master, the Emperor, then back to Luke on the floor. "Now, young Skywalker...you will die." Although it would not have seemed possible, the outpouring of bolts from the Emperor's fingers actually increases in intensity, the sound screaming through the room. Our bodies writhed in more pain.

Vader grabs the Emperor from behind, fighting for control of the robed figure despite the Dark Lord's weakened body and gravely weakened arm. The Emperor struggles in his embrace, his bolt-shooting hands now lifted high, away from Luke and I. Now the white lightning arcs back to strike at Vader. He stumbles with his load as the sparks rain off his helmet and flow down over his black cape. He holds his evil master high over his head and walks to the edge of the abyss at the central core of the throne room. With one final burst of his once awesome strength, Darth Vader hurls the Emperor's body into the bottomless shaft. The Emperor's body spins helplessly into the void, arcing as it falls into the abyss. Finally, when the body is far down the shaft, it explodes, creating a rush of air through the room. Vader's cape is whipped by the wind and he staggers, and collapses toward the bottomless hole. Luke crawls to his father's side as I lay where I was and pulls him away from the edge of the abyss to safety. Both the young Jedi and the giant Warrior are too weak to move for a moment.

I finally make my way to them slowly and together as Chaos enfolds around us for the first time, the Death Star is rocked by explosions as the Rebel fleet, no longer backed against a wall, zooms over, unloading a heavy barrage. Imperial troops run in all directions, confused and desperate to escape. In the midst of this uproar, we are trying to carry the enormous deadweight of his father's weakening body toward an Imperial shuttle. Finally, Luke and I collapses from the strain. The explosions grow louder as Vader draws him closer. "Luke, help me take this mask off." Luke glances at me "But you'll die." I look down at the man who has caused me so much pain. "Nothing can stop that now. Just for once... let me look on you with my own eyes."

Slowly, hesitantly, Luke removes the mask from his father's face. There beneath the scars is an elderly man. His eyes do not focus. But the dying man smiles at the sight before him. "Now...go, my son. Leave me." Luke looks to me with tears in his eyes. "No. You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you." Anakin smiles "You already have, Luke. You were right about me." He glances at me and says "Keep her." He says quietly to the point where I barely catch it. "Tell your sister...you were right." He finishes. "Father...I won't leave you." Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker...Luke's father, dies. A huge explosion rocks the docking bay. "We need to leave!" Slowly, Luke rises and, half carrying, half dragging the body of his father, stumbles toward a shuttle as I start up the engines. The Imperial shuttle, with Luke and I in the cockpit, rockets out of the main docking bay as that entire section of the Death Star is blown away.

{Kane}

Han and Leia, Chewie, the droids, the Rebel troops, and the Ewoks all look to the sky as the Death Star reveals itself in a final flash of self-destruction. They all cheer. "They did it!" Han looks down from the sky to Leia, a look of concern on his face. Leia continues to look at the sky as though listening for a silent voice. "I'm sure Luke or Elizabeth weren't on that thing when it blew." Leia looks at him "they weren't I can feel it." Han sighs "You love him, don't you?"

Leia smiles, puzzled. "Yes." Han frowns "All right. I understand. Fine. When he comes back, I won't get in the way." She realizes his misunderstanding. "Oh. No, it's not like that at all. He's my brother." Han is stunned by this news. She smiles, and they embrace. She lightly smacks his shoulder "besides Elizabeth's had a crush on him for years." She says with a laugh.

{Kane}

Luke sets a torch to the logs stacked under a funeral pyre where his father's body lies, again dressed in black mask and helmet. He stands next to me as we watch sadly, the flames leap higher to consume Darth Vader -- Anakin Skywalker. In the sky above, fireworks explode and Rebel fighters zoom above the forest and cheers can be heard in the distance. A huge bonfire is the centerpiece of a wild celebration. Rebels and Ewoks rejoice in the warm glow of firelight, drums beating, singing, dancing, and laughing in the communal language of victory and liberation. Lando runs in and is enthusiastically hugged by Han and Chewie. Then, finally, we arrive and the friends rush to greet and embrace him. We stand close, this hardy group, taking comfort in each other's touch, together to the end. Rebels and Ewoks join together in dancing and celebration. The original group of adventurers watch from the sidelines. Luke seems distracted, his thoughts elsewhere. He looks off to the side and I catch his gaze and look as well and see three shimmering, smiling figures at the edge of the shadows: Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker. I smile and wave at them before Luke takes my hand. I turn my attention on him completely. He smiles and moves my side bangs out of my face revealing my other colored eye that usually hides. "I Love You Elizabeth Kane" he tells me and if possible my smile gets even wider. "Will you officially be my girlfriend?" He asks and I place my hand gently on his face as I lean in and gently kiss him. "Does that answer your question?" I ask with a laugh and he shakes his head "Nah I want you to say it." He says with a smirk. "Yes."

The End