Consequences

Chapter 7 - Escaping

I manage to catch a grip on the railing outside and pull myself up. As soon as I'm safe, I reach back to help Luke up after me. Seriously, if we would have left, this could have been avoided. Now I don't know how we're ever going to get back to the Falcon in time. In fact, it might be a better idea if they'd leave rather than waiting for us to attempt to get back inside the building and then fight our way there. I am going to have a serious talk with Luke once we get out of here. If we get out of here. Because I'm beginning to have great doubts.

We pause for a moment to collect ourselves before standing up. "If he's too close by, there's not going to be any way of escape," I remark, glancing around. The only thing on either side of the structure we're standing on is a bottomless shaft. Otherwise, our only escape would be the doorway nearby, leading to a similar type of place we just came out of.

"We're not here to escape. We're here to defeat him."

"Well, we haven't been having any such luck so far," I nearly snap, about ready to lose control. There's nothing I can do to stop the agony slowly tearing me apart. I can't hurt my master. I can't. But if I don't, he'll kill me. He already proved as much.

Luke bravely sets off towards the door although I can clearly see his fear. He's not sure we can defeat Vader, but he's going to try anyway. Hesitantly, I follow. I know this is the only hope we have in getting back to the Falcon or even our X-wing fighter, for that matter. I'd much rather have to sit in Luke's lap again than stay here even a fraction of a second longer. I cautiously peer around the corner, and seeing nothing, step inside with Luke close behind.

Danger suddenly screams through the Force and I activate my lightsaber just as Vader's blade swings towards us. I didn't even register him standing there until now, not that it's surprising. Luke hastily activates his as well and joins the fight.

From the intensity at which Vader's swinging his lightsaber now, I'm pretty sure he's done playing. He quickly forces both of us onto the defensive, and soon we've backed out of the structure all together, and we're on the relatively narrow reactor shaft that's over nothing but a very long fall into oblivion. Sparks fly as an occasional stray lightsaber blow strikes the railing.

He throws a sudden powerful Force-shove my direction, that sends me flying backwards. I drop my lightsaber somewhere during the flight. Panic surges through me, and I barely manage to catch onto the edge of the railing at the end. If I hadn't, I'd be falling down the shaft right below me now. Maybe... maybe it's a good thing I'm all the way out here. At least I won't have to fight anymore.

The same moment, he knocks Luke off balance, who falls onto the ground. Vader holds his lightsaber only a foot away from him. "You are beaten. It is useless to resist."

With a bit more clamoring, I finally manage to drag myself back onto the shaft in a position that I won't fall from. There's no way I'll be able to intervene, though, without risking being thrown right off the shaft. Considering it seemed like that's exactly what he was going for, he'll probably try again if I get close enough.

Luke edges along the ground away from the lightsaber. The moment he's far enough, he swings his lightsaber into Vader's before scrambling back to his feet. A few seconds – and swings later – Luke hits Vader on the shoulder with his lightsaber, which only serves to increase the intensity of the battle. Clearly, he's had more than enough playing. Please don't kill Luke.

Luke hastily backs up further onto the last part of the shaft, the same part that I'm on now. A stray swing of Vader's lightsaber cuts through some part of the complex and sends it flying. Luke attempts to parry the next blow, but Vader swings higher, cutting off his hand. My eyes widen in horror. It's not that I haven't seen people lose hands before, but it's just... this is Anakin doing this to his own son. Never ever could I have guessed he'd fall this far.