Walk of Nightmares

Chapter 1 - Visions

Author's Note: This fanfic was inspired one day when I wondered how Luke would have reacted if he saw a vision of how his father would die. It's not very long, but I hope you enjoy it! :D This is a collab between me and my sisters and our youngest sister/bestest friend who goes by the name RexaTheCuteTiger here on Wattpad. :P

~ Amina Gila

Exhaustion threatens to pull Luke Skywalker under until he finally gives up, succumbing to the darkness and letting his eyes fall closed. It's late at night, and they have so much to do in the morning, not least of which includes handing himself over to Darth Vader who also happens to be his father. Part of Luke can't even believe that his father - the Jedi hero the entire galaxy seems to worship - could have become someone the galaxy universally loathes.

Despite the common beliefs to the contrary, Luke is certain that Vader isn't completely lost. He refuses to give up the hope that his true father is still in there somewhere. What happened to him - he wonders - what caused a good man, someone who old Ben Kenobi called a friend, to turn into something like that? Maybe it doesn't matter anyways. The end result will hopefully be the same. He'll surrender himself to the Empire and trust in the Force that he'll succeed in saving Vader along with himself.

Luke suddenly finds himself standing in a dimly lit room, clouded by fog. Just beyond him is another presence. Dark. Menacing. Familiar. Vader. He somehow instinctively knows that while his body is resting, the Force has guided him here to show him something.

The rasp of the respirator greets his ears next as he peers anxiously, searching for the first sight of his father. It's been so long since they've last met, and Luke would be lying if he said he wasn't anxious. And excited.

"My son." Vader steps through the fog, standing in front of Luke and looking down at him. Unlike for so many others, the mask does not inspire unaltered fear. Rather, it ignites something else: a burning yearning to know the man behind the mask, to know something - anything - about the man Vader used to be, the man he'll always be, though he'll likely deny it.

"Father." The word slips free before Luke can censure it, and he finds that he doesn't really care. "Where are we? What's going on?" Under normal circumstances, he'd probably never direct those questions to the Sith Lord, but this is different. In matters of the Force, Vader is definitely superior. Besides, Luke trusts that his father won't willfully hurt him.

"We are in the Force, young one," Vader rumbles, vocoder concealing any emotions which could be gleaned from his normal voice. What does he sound like for real anyways? "I believe it is trying to show us something,"

"What?" Luke wonders, turning to glance around them.

"Watch." The single word reply is as much a command as it is a suggestion. Luke obediently falls silent, directing his full attention away from the man at his side to the unknown in front of them. Slowly, the landscape changes, giving rise to something entirely different. Though it's not completely vivid, Luke can still make out the most important features.

In the center of a dark room, sitting atop a fancy-looking chair perched at the top of sturdy-looking stairs, a decrepit elderly man, his yellow eyes glowing menacingly, gazes steadily in Luke's general direction — though something tells him it's not him or Vader the man is looking at.

Turning, Luke can see himself standing next to a towering window near the throne. Vader is standing on the other side of the Emperor. "Good," the old man encourages with a cackle. "I can feel your anger. I am unarmed. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete."

The vision Luke clearly can resist no longer. With a flash of darkness, the lightsaber flies into his hand. The vision Luke ignites it in an instant and swings it towards the Emperor, but vision Vader's own red lightsaber intersects it midway, the two clashing blades gleaming a dangerous red-blue only inches away from the Emperor, who never flinches.