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When Luke was young, a red zabrak came to Mos Eisley looking for Ben Kenobi. Biggs had seen the zabrak, and said he was huge, and wore black robes, like some kind of dark wizard.
After that day, the zabrak came and went at strange times, but always returned to old Ben's hut. People said he must have been as crazy as Kenobi, but never where the zabrak might hear them.
“You fought in the Clone Wars?” Luke asked. His question was directed at Ben - Obi-Wan - but half his attention was on the zabrak looming in the background, who had yet to be introduced. He’d stood silently, glowering from his spot near the door while Obi-Wan spoke. He wasn’t as big as Luke had expected him to be, barely any taller than Obi-Wan, and he had wrinkles that suggested he spent a lot of his time frowning.
“Yes,” Obi-Wan chuckled, stroking his beard. “I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father.”
The zabrak snorted out a laugh, but said nothing.
“I wish I’d known him,” Luke said ruefully, thinking of the stories his father could have told him of his adventures, and of the battles he’d seen. He must have been a great man.
“He was the best starpilot in the galaxy,” Obi-Wan told him, “and a cunning warrior. I understand you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.”
Luke smiled. Flying had helped him feel connected to his father, even when he’d thought the man was just a navigator on a spice freighter.
“And he was a good friend,” Obi-Wan added, looking as though he’d become lost in his memories.
The zabrak grunted. “The blade, Kenobi,” he growled.
Obi-Wan nodded, standing. “Thank you, Maul,” he said, smiling at his previously-silent companion as he made his way over to a chest. “Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough,” he said, directing his attention to Luke once more. “But your uncle wouldn’t allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damn-fool idealistic crusade, like your father did.”
The zabrak - Maul, presumably - laughed again, a sharp bark of noise that startled Luke out of the solemnity of the moment.
“I don’t seem to recall Skywalker following you anywhere,” Maul said, shaking his head. “The brat might have been the most hard-headed sentient in the galaxy.”
Obi-Wan chuckled, eyes filled with warmth as he looked to Maul. “Oh, I know of one more stubborn than Anakin.”
Maul sneered, but even Luke could see the way it morphed into a tiny smile at the end, almost hidden by the dark tattoos that covered large portions of Maul’s face.
Obi-Wan carried over the object he’d taken from the chest, held with something close to reverence. Luke couldn’t tell what it was, though he was desperate to know.
“This,” Obi-Wan said, holding it out to him, “was your father’s lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi knight.”
“The Jedi were not the only ones to use lightsabers,” Maul cut in. “The Sith also carried these weapons.”
Obi-Wan sighed, rolling his eyes a little, and Luke had to rein in the urge to laugh. Instead, he activated the lightsaber, watching in awe as the glowing blue blade sprang into existence, humming softly with energy.
“They are not as clumsy or random as a blaster,” Obi-Wan continued, ignoring Maul’s input. “An elegant weapon for a more civilised age.”
It was Maul’s turn to roll his eyes. “Perhaps you were more civilised then, Kenobi, but the galaxy has always harboured chaos and darkness. Pretending otherwise does nothing but create false hope.” He turned to Luke then, pinning him in place with his strange yellow and red eyes. “The Jedi and the Sith battled each other for control of the galaxy for over a thousand generations, until the Sith - whose brutal ways and constant backstabbing caused their numbers to dwindle more swiftly than the Jedi - appeared to have been wiped out. The Jedi claimed themselves to be protectors of the Republic, until the day the Empire began.”
His voice was solemn as he spoke, and Luke knew without a doubt that he must have served during the Clone Wars, likely alongside Obi-Wan and Luke’s father. Luke wondered if Maul had been as close to his father as Obi-Wan had been. He deactivated the lightsaber, suddenly finding less joy in watching the glowing blade dance through the air.
“How did my father die?” The question slipped out unbidden. He hadn’t even known he was going to ask until the words were already in the air. From the pained look in Obi-Wan’s eyes, he almost wished he hadn’t asked.
“A young Jedi named Darth Vader,” Obi-Wan began, only for Maul to cut in, a sneer on his face.
“The Emperor’s lackey,” Maul hissed. His tone suggested a personal grievance. Whether against this Darth Vader, or the Emperor, Luke wasn’t sure.
“My old apprentice,” Obi-Wan added, shooting Maul a reproachful glance. “He fell to the Dark Side, and betrayed us. It was Vader who killed Anakin Skywalker.”
Maul scowled at Obi-Wan’s words, but said nothing more.
“Vader helped to hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights,” Obi-Wan said, eyes turning sad. “Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force.”
Maul snorted again, arms folded over his chest. Obi-Wan shot him a more amused glance this time, but neither elaborated.
“The Force?” Luke prompted. He’d never heard of such a thing.
“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power,” Obi-Wan explained patiently, as though he’d given this exact lesson many times. Perhaps he’d even given it to Darth Vader, once upon a time. “It’s an energy field created by all living things,” Obi-Wan went on. “It surrounds us, and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”
“Or at least the Jedi believed so,” Maul said, nodding. “And indeed, there is an energy to the galaxy, and to all creatures within the galaxy, that can be controlled, or even manipulated, by those sensitive to this energy. Those who are strong in the Force are capable of pushing beyond their natural limits, simply by tapping into this energy.”
It was Obi-Wan’s turn to frown, though R2-D2’s beeping interrupted whatever bickering Luke sensed was about to begin.
“Alright, let’s see if we can’t figure out what’s happening with you, my little friend,” Obi-Wan chuckled, turning to the little R2 unit. “And where you’ve come from.”
Luke glanced up from where he’d continued his repairs on C-3PO. “I saw part of a message, it…”
“It appears we’ve found it,” Maul interrupted, nodding toward the holomessage that had materialised in the middle of the room.
Luke watched in awe as the woman in the holomessage begged for help from Obi-Wan, asking him to deliver the R2 unit to Alderaan in order to help the Rebel Alliance. There was something about her that had caught his attention in a way no one had before.
Obi-Wan turned to Luke with shrewd eyes, assessing him.
“You must learn the ways of the Force if you’re to come with us to Alderaan,” he said, speaking as though the decision had already been made.
Luke could barely believe what he was hearing. Him, running off to help the Rebel Alliance? Leaving home?
“I can’t go to Alderaan!” he cried, shaking his head. This was all far too much in one day. First, he learned that old Ben Kenobi had known his father, had fought by his side in the Clone Wars, where they had both been because they were Jedi, and then Kenobi wanted him to ditch his responsibilities to run off to Alderaan?. “I’ve gotta get home. It’s late, and I’m in for it as it is.”
“I need your help, Luke. She needs your help,” Obi-Wan protested. “Maul and I are getting too old for this sort of thing.”
Luke eyed them both up. They were getting on in years, sure, but neither of them looked frail or incapable.
“I can’t get involved. I’ve got work to do,” Luke said. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help. He did, more than anything. He wanted to get off this dusty rock and see the galaxy, and do great things, like his father had. But he couldn’t. Uncle Owen still needed him. Aunt Beru would worry. “It’s not that I like the Empire; I hate it! But there’s nothing I can do about it right now.”
Maul scoffed. “If the boy wishes to hide like a coward until the end is decided for him, then let him. Our efforts are better focussed elsewhere.”
That stung. Luke wasn’t a coward, he just had obligations to his family. “And how am I gonna explain all this to Uncle Owen anyway?”
“Learn about the Force, Luke,” Obi-Wan persisted.
“His lack of focus would be his downfall,” Maul growled. “I had hoped for better, but we will simply have to deliver the droid ourselves, and then set our sights on saving the Princess.”
Luke sighed, looking down at the lightsaber hilt in his hands. It felt heavy and warm. It felt like a legacy he wasn’t sure he was ready for.
“Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead,” he said, shrugging. “You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley, or wherever you’re going.”
Obi-Wan sighed and nodded, gesturing for Maul to join him. “You must do what you feel is right, of course,” he said, though his voice was laden with disappointment.
Luke felt as though he’d failed some great test, but there was nothing he could do. There was no way he could leave his aunt and uncle behind to go running off across the galaxy. It was no wonder Uncle Owen had wanted to keep him so close, if that was how his father had died.
“It is unlikely that Kenobi and I will return to Tatooine,” Maul said, his growling voice solemn. “Whatever we leave here is yours to return for as you please.”
Listening to Obi-Wan and Maul pointing out the signs that Imperial Stormtroopers had attacked the Jawas and framed the Tuskens for it, Luke felt a pit of dread growing in his gut. Something was terribly wrong. Something awful had happened.
As he raced home, finding the smoking remains of their house, his instincts were confirmed. The Empire wanted the droids, and were more than willing to destroy anyone in their way. His aunt and uncle had paid the price for having only seen the droids, and now, Luke was in danger too. If the Imperial Stormtroopers knew that he had seen the droids, seen the message the R2 unit carried, they wouldn’t stop hunting him until he was dead.
It seemed he’d found the focus Maul had hoped for.
He returned to where he’d left the others, firm in his resolve. The Empire would not be allowed to continue to hurt people like this.
Obi-Wan and Maul were bickering when he arrived.
“He must learn the truth!” Maul hissed. “Tell him, Kenobi, or I will.”
They turned to face Luke, and he was sure they could read on his face the news he brought. The despair and heartache he felt must have been plain to see.
“There’s nothing you could have done, had you been there,” Obi-Wan assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“They would have killed you too,” Maul added, directing his scowl out at the horizon, toward Luke’s still-smouldering home. “The droids would now be in the Empire’s hands, and the Rebel Alliance would have no hope of defeating them.”
Luke looked into Obi-Wan’s eyes, resolute in his decision. “I want to come with you to Alderaan. There’s nothing here for me now,” he said, jaw set. “I want to learn the ways of the Force, and become a Jedi like my father.”
Obi-Wan and Maul both nodded, approving. They hadn’t changed their minds about him, then.
“You will become better than your father,” Maul assured him, his lips curling into a sharp grin. Luke shuddered, and wondered if he’d made a mistake, but Obi-Wan’s hand was warm on his shoulder, and whatever malice Luke felt in Maul’s smile, it was not directed at him. "The Emperor will pay for the suffering he has caused."
Tatooine’s most wretched hive of scum and villainy, as Maul described it with a wry smile, was a busy spaceport, filled with strange and dubious individuals. When they were stopped by Stormtroopers, Luke was sure that they were done for, but Maul just snarled menacingly at them while Obi-Wan lied with ease. Astoundingly, it worked, and they were allowed to go on their way without issue.
Obi-Wan’s explanation of what he’d done made little sense, but Luke was sure it would make more sense once Obi-Wan started teaching him more about the Force.
“The droids will have to stay outside,” Maul said as they approached the cantina. “Do not wander far, but stay out of sight,” he added, turning his unnerving gaze on the droids. “And remember that we only require the R2 unit. Get yourselves into any trouble, and he will be the one we prioritise.”
C-3PO began to splutter, but Maul ignored him.
“You really think we’re gonna find a pilot here that’ll take us to Alderaan?” Luke asked, eyeing up the dingy exterior of the cantina.
“Most of the best freighter pilots are to be found here,” Obi-Wan assured him, smiling kindly. “Only watch your step, this place can be a little rough.”
“I’m ready for anything,” Luke replied, lying through his teeth. He didn’t know what to expect in the cantina, and that made him nervous.
Maul scoffed. “I will keep the boy out of trouble, Kenobi,” he said, baring his sharp teeth in something close to a smile. “You, Negotiator, should focus on getting us a ship to Alderaan.”
The inside joke flew over Luke’s head, but it was clear that Obi-Wan was being teased.
Inside the cantina, Luke was met with a riot of sound. The band was playing something upbeat, and the patrons spoke in a low buzz. He’d never been anywhere quite like it, and he wasn’t quite sure how to act, but Maul strode right up to the bar and demanded two drinks, motioning for Luke to join him. Further down the bar, Obi-Wan had struck up a conversation with a wookiee.
After a moment, Maul was pulled into Obi-Wan’s conversation, turning his back to Luke, while Luke glanced around the room, drinking in the unfamiliar atmosphere. He felt an itch along his spine, and got the feeling he was being observed by far more beings than he was strictly comfortable with.
Someone shoved Luke’s shoulder, and he turned, finding an alien speaking an unfamiliar language. He didn’t like to assume, but the tone felt aggressive, and keeping his head down seemed the safest course of action, so he shuffled over a little and returned to his drink, only for a second hand to tap on his shoulder.
“He doesn’t like you,” the newcomer said, pointing to his companion.
“I’m sorry,” Luke replied, unsure what other answer he could give.
“I don’t like you either,” the second man said, grabbing Luke by the shoulder. A jolt of fear shot through him like a blaster bolt. “You just watch yourself. We’re wanted men. I have the death sentence on 12 systems.”
“Then perhaps you would do better to keep your head down, like the boy was trying to do,” Maul growled, looming over Luke’s shoulder to stare down the man who’d grabbed him. Something about Maul’s presence had changed, becoming heavy and dark in a way that left Luke gasping. He couldn’t see Maul’s face, but he was sure that the zabrak’s expression was thunderous.
“This little one’s not worth the effort,” Obi-Wan said, his voice warm and friendly as it ever was. It was such a stark contrast to the oppressive weight of Maul’s anger that Luke’s head reeled, and he missed the exact nature of what happened next.
He thought he’d heard Obi-Wan offer the men a drink, and then there were hands on his arms, and he had hit the wall. The sound of a blaster shot firing far too close almost masked the sound of a lightsaber activating, and for a heart stopping moment, Luke was sure he’d somehow activated the lightsaber hanging from his belt.
The cantina fell into silence around him, making the gentle humming of two lightsabers sound all the louder. Luke’s attacker was dead on the floor, his arm separated from his body, and a neat, round burn in the centre of his chest.
Obi-Wan and Maul shared a grim look, and deactivated their lightsabers, the red and blue glows extinguished as quickly as they’d been lit. Luke had never even noticed the lightsaber hilt that Maul carried, and he quickly realised why, as the zabrak clipped it back into place, hidden in the folds of his dark outer robe.
The rest of the cantina patrons quickly found other things to turn their attention to, pointedly looking away from Maul’s snarling face as the band began to play once more. Obi-Wan helped Luke up while Maul tossed the bartender what Luke was sure must be a sizeable amount of credits.
“Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us,” Obi-Wan said, leading Luke away from the bar and toward a table hidden from easy view. Still, Luke did not relax until he heard Maul’s heavy, stomping steps follow after them.
The pilot that met them there was a human man, and introduced himself as Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon.
“Chewie here tells me you’re looking for passage to the Alderaan system,” Han said, leaning forward in his seat as he spoke.
“Yes, indeed, if it’s a fast ship,” Obi-Wan confirmed.
“Fast ship?” Han sounded offended at the implication that his ship might be slow, and Luke could only watch, fascinated, as the pilot focussed his attention entirely on Obi-Wan. “You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?”
“No,” Maul replied bluntly, face devoid of any emotion. Had Luke not known better, he might have said this Maul was an entirely different man from the one who’d put a lightsaber through someone’s chest just a few moments ago. It made him wonder how many times Maul had killed, to be able to brush it off so quickly.
“Should we have heard of it?” Obi-Wan asked, his tone far more personable than Maul’s.
“It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs,” Han explained, scowling at Maul now.
Maul raised a brow, unblinking as he met Han’s stare. Luke knew without a doubt that Han would be the first to break, but it was interesting to see that he had yet to flinch from those unnerving yellow and red eyes.
“And we are to assume that you were at the helm, during that run?” Maul asked, receiving a nod in return. “Then I suppose you are adequate for our purposes.”
“Adequate?” Han snapped, breaking Maul’s stare to turn an incredulous look on Obi-Wan. “I’ve outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you, I’m talking about the big Corellian ships now. She’s fast enough for you, old man,” he added, shooting Maul a glare.
Obi-Wan chuckled. “Forgive my old friend,” he said, patting Maul’s arm. “He is not prone to flattery, or even compliments. I’m afraid ‘adequate’ is the best you’ll get out of him.”
Han huffed, but let it pass. “What’s the cargo?” he asked, eyeing Luke as though he could get any clues from him.
“Only passengers,” Obi-Wan replied, gesturing between the three of them. “Myself, my friend, the boy, and two droids.”
“And no questions asked,” Maul added in a growl.
Han laughed. “What is it, some kind of local trouble?”
Luke wished it were that simple.
“Let’s just say we’d like to avoid any Imperial entanglements,” Obi-Wan said when Maul remained silent.
“Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it?” Han said, and Luke recognised his tone immediately. That was the sound of a man mentally increasing his prices. “It’s gonna cost you something extra.”
Maul raised a brow again, waiting to hear Han’s price.
“Ten thousand, all in advance.”
Luke scoffed. That was a ridiculous amount. Han was clearly trying to scam them, thinking Obi-Wan and Maul were senile old men, and Luke was just some fresh off the farm hick. And while he might have been fresh off the farm, he wasn’t stupid. He knew that kind of money was far more than what Han should reasonably be asking. But when he raised a fuss over it, Obi-Wan quelled him with a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Maul shot him a dark look.
“We can pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan,” Obi-Wan offered. Luke boggled. The ten that Han had asked for was already extreme. But then, they were fugitives from the Empire, and carrying incredibly important information. He supposed it made sense, in a way, for Obi-Wan to promise a huge reward.
“Seventeen?” Han seemed almost suspicious of the high offer, glancing between Obi-Wan and Maul. When both simply nodded, he chuckled nervously. “Okay, you guys got yourselves a ship. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Docking bay ninety-four.”
“We will meet you there within the hour,” Maul confirmed.
Han glanced out at the cantina over Luke’s shoulder and frowned. “Looks like somebody’s beginning to take an interest in your handiwork,” he said, and Luke turned to see what he meant, catching sight of a pair of Stormtroopers in conversation with the bartender, who seemed reluctant to speak with them.
Maul gave Han a sharp grin and stood. “Don’t let them scare you off, boy,” he said, motioning for Obi-Wan and Luke to follow him to a side door.
Maul led them on a fast-paced, winding route to the docking bay after the speeder was sold, taking sharp turns and doubling back on himself multiple times. Luke was starting to think that they were being followed, but Maul said nothing on the matter, and eventually they made it to the place Han had told them to meet him.
The Millennium Falcon was… unimpressive, to say the least.
“What a piece of junk,” Luke cried. There was no way such a run down, junky old ship would ever get them to Alderaan. They were more likely to shake apart just jumping to hyperspace.
“She’ll make .5 past light speed,” Han said, emerging from under the ship to greet them. “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid. I’ve made a lot of special modifications myself.”
That did nothing to boost Luke’s confidence. He was starting to wonder if they’d even get into the air.
“But we’re a little rushed, so if you’ll just get on board, we’ll get outta here,” Han added, gesturing to the ramp.
Maul fell back as the rest of them made their way inside, waiting for Han. When the Stormtroopers arrived and began shooting, Maul’s blaster was out in a flash, taking out one of the ‘troopers before Han even had time to react.
“Inside, boy, and show us what this ship is capable of,” Maul shouted, while Luke and Obi-Wan scrambled to strap themselves in.
“Chewie, get us outta here,” Han yelled, rushing aboard.
Getting off-planet was a strange experience. Luke wondered if it was always so… bumpy. Maul seemed not to mind it, grinning strangely as they took off, and unbuckling his seatbelt almost before they’d finally settled into a smoother flight.
“It’s been far too long since your last jaunt off-planet, if you’re having so much fun right now, my old friend,” Obi-Wan said with a chuckle, joining Maul as he made his way toward the cockpit. Luke scrambled to catch up.
“Stay sharp,” he heard Han say to Chewbacca. “There’s two more comin’ in. They’re gonna try and cut us off.”
“Why don’t you outrun ‘em?” Luke demanded. Imperial cruisers catching up to them was the worst possible outcome, and yet Han seemed to barely find it concerning. “I thought you said this thing was fast.”
“Watch your mouth, kid, or you’re gonna find yourself floating home,” Han snapped. “We’ll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few manoeuvres. We’ll lose ‘em.”
Maul chuckled at Han’s confidence, eyes alight with something strange as the cruisers began firing on them. Luke was beginning to wonder if perhaps his time serving in the Clone Wars hadn’t left Maul a little… off.
“Here’s where the fun begins,” Han said when the ship was rocked by something hitting the shields. Maul grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, the friendliest he’d been since Luke had met him.
“How long before you can jump to lightspeed?” Obi-Wan asked, rolling his eyes fondly at Maul.
“It’ll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer,” Han said, sounding a little too relaxed for Luke’s tastes.
“Are you kidding?” he spluttered. “At the rate they’re gaining?”
“Travelling through hyperspace ain’t like dustin’ crops, boy,” Han shot back. “Without precise calculations, we’d fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova, and that would end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?”
He had a point, but with Imperial cruisers gaining on them, Luke wasn’t placated, especially not when something started flashing red.
“Seems we’re losing a deflector shield,” Maul said, still grinning. Luke was sure of it now; whether during the Clone Wars, or sometime in his years in the desert, Maul had lost it.
“Go strap yourselves in,” Han ordered, waving them off. “I’m gonna make the jump to light speed.”
Luke rushed to do as he’d been told. He really didn’t want to be standing when they made the jump.
“So how long did you two work with my father anyway?” Luke asked, watching Obi-Wan programming a small floating droid.
Maul furrowed his brow in confusion. “I never worked with your father,” he said bluntly. “I never met him.”
That wasn’t quite what he’d expected. “I thought all the Jedi worked together in the Clone Wars,” he confessed, shrugging as he inspected his father’s lightsaber.
“I was not a Jedi,” Maul said, sneering a little as he spoke. He seemed offended by the mere idea, in spite of the lightsaber he carried, and his relationship with Obi-Wan, though Luke still could not figure out the exact nature of it.
“Is this truly the best time for this?” Obi-Wan asked, throwing Maul an aggrieved look. “Can it not wait until we have more time?”
“If not now, then when?” Maul snapped.
Luke could feel the air grow tense. There was a sudden weight to the room that made him want to shrink into the background, or flee.
“We have time,” Maul continued. “The Sith wield truth as a weapon, meant to pierce the weak points in armour. Would you rather he meet Vader on the battlefield and learn the truth when it will break him? You’re a fool, Kenobi, and you will have the boy’s blood on your hands.”
Luke watched as Obi-Wan flinched away from Maul’s accusations, grief filling his eyes. Luke could feel the pain and anguish pouring from Obi-Wan like blood from a wound.
“I told you that I would not interfere in his training, but I will not allow you to jeopardise this chance to destroy Sidious,” Maul added, looming over Obi-Wan. “I told you before that I would tell him if you would not. Keeping these things from him will doom us all.”
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and Luke felt the tension disperse.
“You are right, my old friend,” Obi-Wan said, shaking his head with a wry smile. “You’re right. I apologise. Knowledge is never wasted.”
Luke startled when both Obi-Wan and Maul turned to him wearing intense expressions. He felt a sense of dread at the thought of what they might say. If it was something important enough for them to have hidden it, to have argued over hiding it, then it must have been something terrible.
“There are things you must know, Luke,” Obi-Wan said gravely. “It is a long tale, and I will answer all of your questions when we get to Alderaan, but for now, I will keep it brief.”
Maul nodded. “What you must understand is that Sidious preys on insecurities. He picks out that which makes you vulnerable, and exploits it to his advantage. Your father first met him when he was young, and had faced a great loss. Sidious knew he could use that to his advantage.”
His father? Luke felt his heart stutter. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what they had to say.
“I am ashamed to say that I did not see the truth of things until it was far too late,” Obi-Wan said, shaking his head sadly. “One of my closest friends, a man I saw as a brother, was being turned against the Jedi Order.”
Luke was missing something. His father and Vader both had been exploited by Sidious?
“Your father had fallen in love,” Obi-Wan explained. “He and Senator Amidala of Naboo began a relationship in secret. Attachment is forbidden to the Jedi, you see, and he could not bear to be parted from her. He began to fear she would be taken from him, and had terrible nightmares of her death.”
“I can only assume the lies Sidious told him,” Maul said, lips curling into a snarl. “Promising safety, protection, power. And from there, all it would have taken was a little push. Just the slightest nudge to have him turn from simply distrusting the Order to fearing it.”
There was sorrow, under the rage in Maul’s voice. He claimed not to have known Luke’s father, but he had lost something.
“Your father… we pushed him too far. I pushed him too far,” Obi-Wan said, and Luke could feel the depth of his grief. “Instead of trying to understand, I just urged him to adhere to a code that even I failed to uphold. I should have listened!”
Maul placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, lending him strength as he recounted his weakness. Luke knew the words that would come next, though he could hardly bear to hear them.
“Anakin Skywalker fell to the Dark, and Darth Vader rose in his place,” Maul told him. “And your mother gave birth in a world where the man she loved had become a monster.”
Obi-Wan reached up to place his hand over Maul’s, taking a deep breath. “Your mother begged me to hide you, when you were born. Barely a minute old, and she knew that the Emperor would hunt you, if he knew of your existence. So, I took you, and your sister -”
“Sister?” Luke gasped, eyes flying wide. No one had ever told him he had a sister.
“Yes, your twin sister,” Obi-Wan said, eyeing R2-D2. “You would be safest apart, I thought, so I gave your sister to a good friend of your mother to raise, Bail and Breha Organa, of Alderaan, while I took you to be raised by your Uncle Owen.”
Luke’s mind raced. If all of that were true then…
“The princess!”
Maul’s lip twitched upward into a smile. “Clever boy. Yes, Princess Leia is your twin.”
His sister was a princess! His mother had been a senator! His father… Oh, kriff!
“My father…” Luke’s voice was strangled, and he cleared his throat to try again. “My father was… is...”
“Darth Vader,” Obi-Wan confirmed, hanging his head. “He was meant to be the best of us, but we failed him, and now he is lost to us. I am sorry, Luke. Your life might have been very different, had I tried harder to reach him.”
Maul scoffed. “Such a martyr, Kenobi,” he said, shaking his head. “You take the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. The Jedi Council bears equal responsibility for driving Skywalker toward Sidious. My former Master is an expert in manipulation; there was little you alone could have done.”
Luke glanced at Maul, confused. If Sidious was Maul’s former master, then how had Maul come to join Obi-Wan?
“Ah, now that is a long tale indeed,” Obi-Wan said, when Luke asked. “And it begins on Tatooine, where I first met your father.”
Maul rolled his eyes, reaching up to tug sharply on Obi-Wan’s beard. “No time to tell him about his father, but you’ll recount the whole of our past together?” he chided. “To keep it concise, I was raised in the ways of the Sith,” he said, turning again to Luke. “I was Sidious’s apprentice, from the time I was a small child. An assassin to be used against his enemies. I was sent to put his plans into motion by killing the Jedi assigned to protect the Queen of Naboo.”
Obi-Wan sighed. “I was still a padawan at the time, and Maul killed my Master,” he said. Luke could feel the old, faded grief. “We fought, and I was able to defeat Maul.”
“You cut me in half and knocked me down a reactor shaft,” Maul growled. “I survived, and swore my revenge. Then I spent most of the Clone Wars trying to exact that revenge. Kenobi is infuriatingly hard to kill.”
“As are you, my old friend,” Obi-Wan chuckled. “Suffice to say, the two of us have fought each other enough for it to be tiring now.”
Luke eyed Maul suspiciously. Such animosity must have been difficult to set aside. Though the heaviness of his steps now made a lot more sense, if his entire lower half was comprised of cybernetics. But surely boredom couldn’t have been his only motive for living with the man who’d done that to him. It made no sense.
“Had it not been for Sidious stealing more from me than Kenobi ever could, I might have kept chasing him until one of us died,” Maul said. The words were accompanied by the strongest wave of rage and sorrow Luke had ever felt. Even finding his aunt and uncle dead had not stirred up such intensity of emotion in him. “Sidious killed my brother. For that, I would make allies of even my most hated of foes. When I found Kenobi hiding you on Tatooine, I swore to help him protect you, in order to ensure you would one day be able to destroy Sidious and all he worked for.”
The gravity of Maul’s oath settled on Luke’s shoulders, a destiny chosen for him by those who came before. Such high expectations for him, when he had never even been off-planet before. How was he ever meant to usher in the Emperor’s doom when he didn’t even know how to use the lightsaber his father had once wielded expertly.
“I don’t know how to do any of that,” he confessed, shoulders slumped. It was all so much responsibility, and the thought of failure was overwhelming.
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly, holding up the little droid he’d been programming before their conversation began.
“This will be the first step in your training,” he said. “Ordinarily, there would be a lot more theory, and a great deal of time spent on meditation, and learning to reach out into the Force. However, we are somewhat pressed for time, and as I am unsure what the situation will be on Alderaan, I feel it might be best to start with blocking.”
Maul chuckled. “Practicality prevails,” he said smugly. “Don’t worry, the droid will only give you a little sting. Real blaster bolts do more than tickle.”
Luke swallowed down his trepidation and copied the stance Maul demonstrated for him. He followed the zabrak through the forms, watching carefully to ensure he matched Maul’s movements exactly.
Maul cuffed him around the ear for it.
“You’re holding yourself too stiffly,” he growled. “Your movements should be fluid. If you’re too busy thinking about your form, you’ll be too busy to block.”
His words were punctuated by the sting of the droid shooting him in the leg. There was no heat to it, but Maul had understated how much it would hurt.
Maul stepped away, leaving him to practice without assistance for a time, occasionally giving pointers, or calling out warnings. When Chewbacca began a game of dejarik against the droids, Maul seemed to take far more interest in that than in Luke, leaving Obi-Wan to give more encouraging instruction.
All seemed to be going well, until suddenly Luke felt a tug in his gut, a dread with no source, and Obi-Wan and Maul both faltered, hands shooting out to steady each other. Obi-Wan put a hand to his chest, his expression pained, while Maul snarled.
Luke deactivated his lightsaber as the pair staggered to the nearest seats, slumping into them. Both wore expressions of pain and exhaustion.
“Are you alright?” Luke fretted. “What’s wrong?”
Obi-Wan shook his head. “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.”
Maul bared his teeth, snarling the Emperor’s name under his breath.
“I fear something terrible has happened,” Obi-Wan said, his voice heavy with the terrible implications of what he had felt. He swiped a hand over his brow, clasping Maul’s arm tightly with the other.
“Keep up your practice,” Maul snapped. “Whatever has happened, we have less time now than before.”
Luke nodded, and moved back to the open floor space to begin again as Han strolled into the room.
“Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs,” Han boasted, sitting down beside Maul, who simply scowled at him. “I told you I’d outrun ‘em.”
Luke ignored him, his focus on the training droid. He was getting better at blocking the stinging bolts.
“Don’t everybody thank me at once,” Han griped, aggrieved. “Anyway, we should be at Alderaan about 0200 hours.”
That wasn’t long, Luke thought. He wanted to have perfected his block by then.
The dejarik game in the background, and C-3PO’s chatter, threatened to distract him; but Luke was determined not to disappoint Obi-Wan and Maul. They were watching him intently, and he wanted to show that he was capable.
“Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him,” Obi-Wan said. Luke was sure Maul rolled his eyes at that, as he had every other time Obi-Wan had referred to Luke as a Jedi.
“You mean it controls your actions?” he asked. It would certainly make fighting a lot easier, if that was the case.
Maul’s impatient sigh suggested that it didn’t quite work like that.
“Partially,” Obi-Wan hedged. “But it also obeys your commands.”
“You cannot simply assume that the Force will do everything for you,” Maul said. “You must have intent, or it will not help you. Passivity will earn you nothing. Tell the Force what you want, and it can help to guide you, but you must take the action.”
The droid shot a stinging bolt into Luke’s hip, and he yelped. Han laughed, shaking his head.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster at your side, kid,” he said, wearing a grin that screamed of dismissiveness.
Luke sighed, deactivating his lightsaber. “You don’t believe in the Force, do you?” he asked. It was clear in everything Han had said and done since first hearing the word ‘Jedi’.
“Kid, I’ve flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe there’s one all-powerful force controlling everything,” Han told him. “There’s no mystical energy field controls my destiny. It’s all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense.”
Obi-Wan chuckled.
“You may dismiss thousands upon thousands of years of history and research, but it changes nothing,” Maul scoffed. “Sidious is a master of the Dark Side of the Force, and he uses it to bend the galaxy to his whims.”
“I suggest you try it again, Luke,” Obi-Wan said, turning to take a helmet down from its rack. He sounded more amused than anything else, and Luke wondered what he was up to. “This time, let go your conscious self, and act on instinct,” he added, placing the helmet on Luke’s head.
The blast shield of the helmet cut off Luke’s vision, but his protests were waved off.
“Your eyes can deceive you,” Obi-Wan said.
“Take a deep breath, open your mind, and feel,” Maul instructed. “Your instincts will guide you. Trust them.”
Luke tried to obey, but the lack of sight made him nervous, and a bolt hit his arm.
“It’s alright,” Obi-Wan said patiently. “Stretch out with your feelings.”
Luke tried again, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Then another. Stretch out with his feelings. He could do that. Another deep breath, and he pictured the room around him, and the training droid. He felt his lightsaber humming gently, as well as hearing it. Obi-Wan and Maul to one side, their presences warm, though opposite in all other respects. Han watching with amusement. Chewbacca and the droids, still playing dejarik.
He took a ready stance, lightsaber up. The training droid was moving. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but it felt obvious. He followed it with his lightsaber, waiting.
In a rush, he moved to block. Three quick movements, each absorbing the impact of a bolt.
“You see?” Obi-Wan said, his tone… no, his presence radiating amusement and pride. “You can do it.”
Luke pulled the helmet off, grinning at his success.
“I call it luck,” Han scoffed.
“No such thing,” Maul shot back, arms folded across his chest as he surveyed the scene. “This was the Force.”
“Look,” Han said, shaking his head, “Good against remotes is one thing. Good against the living, that’s something else.”
The console beeped before the argument could devolve any further, and Han announced their imminent approach to Alderaan, moving back to the cockpit to ensure a smooth transition out of hyperspace.
“You know, I did feel something,” Luke said to Obi-Wan. “I could almost see the remote.”
“Thats good!” Obi-Wan praised, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ve taken your first step into a larger world.”
Maul gave him an approving nod. “You may yet learn.”
The ship began to rock wildly, and Luke had to brace himself against the wall to avoid being thrown to the floor. Maul began racing to the cockpit, and Luke and Obi-Wan hurried to follow him.
“What’s going on?” Luke demanded, pushing to the front so that he could see outside of the ship.
“Our position’s correct, except no Alderaan,” Han said, brow furrowed.
“What do you mean? Where is it?” Luke was puzzled. Han had been so adamant about putting in the coordinates correctly, and yet they weren’t at their destination.
He felt Maul’s hand on his shoulder, gripping just a little too tight.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, kid,” Han snapped. “It ain’t there. It’s been blown away.”
A glance at Obi-Wan showed a grave expression on his face, staring out at the debris surrounding the ship. He seemed frozen, and the grip on Luke’s shoulder tightened for a moment, then relaxed as Maul moved his hand to Obi-Wan’s elbow.
“What? How?” Luke spluttered. An entire planet couldn’t just disappear. It was impossible.
“Destroyed,” Obi-Wan said, sounding distant. “By the Empire.”
Han shook his head. “The entire starfleet couldn’t destroy the whole planet,” he insisted. “It’d take a thousand ships with more firepower than I’ve…”
An alert on the console cut him off. Another ship was approaching.
“Maybe they know what happened,” Luke suggested, desperate for anything about this situation to make sense. They were meant to deliver Artoo to Alderaan, and he had no idea what to do if they couldn’t.
“Imperial fighter,” Maul said, shaking his head.
“It followed us!” Luke cried. Han had been so smug about losing their tail, and yet here was proof that he wasn’t as great as he claimed.
“No. It’s a short-range fighter,” Obi-Wan explained.
“There aren’t any bases around here,” Han noted. “Where did it come from?”
“Sure is leaving in a big hurry,” Luke said, watching it fly ahead of them. “If they identify us, we’re in trouble.” The last thing they needed was more Imperial forces knowing where they were.
Han waved off his concerns and had Chewbacca jam the fighter’s transmissions.
“You’d be as well to let it go,” Obi-Wan suggested. “It’s too far out of range.”
“Not for long,” Han retorted, increasing the speed.
Maul hummed thoughtfully, eyes narrowed as he watched the fighter’s course. “A fighter of that size couldn’t get out here without help.”
“He must have gotten lost,” Luke said, shrugging. “Been part of a convoy or something.”
“Well, he ain’t gonna be around long enough to tell anybody about us,” Han said, eyes locked on the fighter as he gave chase.
“He’s heading for that small moon,” Luke said, pointing toward the body that had become visible as they drew closer to the fighter.
Han muttered something about range, and stopping the fighter before it got there, but Luke barely heard him, too caught up in the growing sense of dread that was beginning to fill the cockpit.
“That’s no moon,” Obi-Wan said, and Luke’s stomach dropped. It felt like he’d realised something, but he hadn’t had any kind of realisation.
“It’s a space station,” Maul said, the hand on Obi-Wan’s arm sliding downward to grasp his hand.
Han shook his head. “It’s too big to be a space station,” he protested. He sounded less sure than Luke would have liked.
“I have a very bad feeling about this,” he said, watching the space station grow ever closer.
“Turn the ship around,” Obi-Wan commanded, his voice level and calm in spite of the anxiety Luke could feel pouring from him.
“Yeah. I think you’re right,” Han said, almost distractedly. He was still staring at the space station.
In a split second, Han shook himself out of his stupor and began giving orders, moving to reverse away from the space station that undoubtedly held a staggering number of Imperial forces.
The ship shook, and they continued forward. Han’s orders began to take on a frantic edge, even as he and Chewbacca both worked to get them moving in the other direction.
“We’re caught in a tractor beam,” he said, panic tingeing his voice. “It’s pulling us in.”
The panic began to infect Luke, making his heart race.
“There’s gotta be something you can do!” he insisted, clinging to the back of Chewbacca’s chair.
Han shook his head again. “There’s nothing I can do, kid. I’m at full power. I’m gonna have to shut down. They’re not gonna get me without a fight.”
The space station loomed before them, impossibly huge.
“You can’t win,” Obi-Wan said, his presence growing calm, while Maul’s still roiled with anger and anxiety. “But there are alternatives to fighting.”
Maul drew in a sharp breath, teeth bared as though ready to argue, but a moment passed, and the tension drained from him, and he nodded. “A wise proposal,” he allowed.
Han nodded too, eyes fixed on the space station that only seemed to grow larger and larger.
“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.”
Hiding while stormtroopers marched overhead, combing the ship for signs of their whereabouts, was nerve wracking. The struggle to keep quiet had Luke biting his lip so hard he tasted blood. If they were caught, they’d be killed. Probably tortured first, too. He couldn’t afford to make a sound. Han’s grimly determined face as he silently drew his blaster didn’t give Luke much hope. With the logs changed and everyone crammed into the hidden compartments under the floor, all they could do was wait to see if the ruse worked.
The stormtroopers declared the ship empty, and Luke could hear them march off down the ramp. He felt his heart stutter, finally able to slow from its anxious, racing pace.
Still, Han was cautious in peeking out from their hiding place, careful not to make any noise as he glanced around.
“Boy, it’s lucky you have these compartments,” Luke said, breathing a sigh of relief when Han set the cover aside, confident that they were alone.
“I use them for smuggling,” Han explained, lifting himself out of the compartment. “I never thought I’d be smuggling myself in ‘em.” He glanced over to where Maul and Obi-Wan had appeared. “This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I’d never get past the tractor beam.”
In essence, they were stuck, Luke surmised.
“Leave that to me,” Obi-Wan said, earning himself a scowl from Maul.
“Damn fool,” Han said, shaking his head. “I knew that you were gonna say that.”
“As did I,” Maul growled, his expression thunderous.
“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?” Obi-Wan retorted with a chuckle, shooting Maul a wink that spoke to their long history.
Chewbacca roared in protest. Luke was inclined to agree.
Getting off the Falcon was easier than Luke had expected, though the level of noise was not appreciated. If they were caught because Han wasn’t careful enough…
“You know, between his howling, and your blasting everything in sight, it’s a wonder the whole station doesn’t know we’re here,” Luke snapped, tearing his helmet off.
“Bring ‘em on,” Han shot back with a scoff. “I prefer a straight fight to all this sneakin’ around.”
Luke was gearing up to show Han a straight fight when R2-D2’s beeping interrupted.
“We’ve found the computer outlet, sir,” C-3PO announced.
“Plug in,” Obi-Wan instructed him. “He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial network.”
Artoo was quick to find the controls they needed to get the ship back in the air. There was just one problem. They needed to cause a power loss at one of the terminals, which meant getting to one of the terminals.
“I don’t think you boys can help,” Obi-Wan said, turning for the door. “I must go alone.”
“You’re not going alone, Kenobi,” Maul said, scowling. “Do not forget that I have claimed the right to your death. I’ll not have you steal that from me by acting the fool and getting caught. You can feel him. You know he’s here. Just as he knows that you are here.”
Obi-Wan hesitated, then gave Maul a single nod. “Very well, both of us will go. You boys wait here.”
“Whatever you say,” Han shrugged. “I’ve done more than I bargained for on this trip already.”
“I want to go with you!” Luke protested. Getting left behind felt a lot like doing nothing, while Obi-Wan and Maul did all the hard work.
“Be patient, Luke,” Obi-Wan said, shaking his head.
“Stay with the droids,” Maul added, shedding his outer robe. His ‘saber hilt hung at his belt, ready to his hand. “If any harm comes to them, this will have all been for nothing.”
Luke knew it was true, knew that keeping the droids safe would make the difference between the Rebel Alliance succeeding, and more systems being destroyed. But it stung to be left behind when he could be doing something more proactive than just sitting in a room, waiting for Obi-Wan and Maul to return. If they made it back.
“Your destiny lies along a different path from ours,” Obi-Wan told him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. He sounded as though he knew already how this would end. Sounded as though he was saying goodbye.
“Come, Kenobi,” Maul said, opening the door. “While there is time.”
Obi-Wan nodded, then turned back to Luke one last time. “The Force will be with you. Always.”
Luke swallowed past the lump in his throat. He had to believe that they would return, but when Obi-Wan spoke like that, it was difficult to believe he would ever see them again.
He closed the door behind them when the pair raced off down the hall, fighting back the tears that threatened to spring forth. He could only wait for them to return, now.
Chewbacca roared something to Han, and Han shook his head.
“You said it, Chewie. Where did you dig up that old fossil?” he asked, his attention on Luke. He seemed dumbfounded, and Luke felt his irritation rise. Han just had to be dismissive of everything he didn’t understand. It was infuriating.
“Ben is a great man,” Luke said, whirling on Han.
“Yeah, great at getting us into trouble,” Han scoffed.
“I didn’t hear you give any ideas,” Luke shot back.
“Well anything’s better than just hangin’ around waiting for ‘em to pick us up.”
“Who do you think-”
Artoo’s beeping cut their argument off once again. Luke was starting to think that little droid knew exactly what he was doing when he interrupted them. This time, at least, the interruption brought news that Luke was ecstatic to hear.
His sister was on board the station, and she was scheduled for execution.
Luke was sure she’d forgive him for promising she would pay Han well for her rescue, but he had no idea how else to motivate the mercenary bastard. His sister was on the line, and Han wanted to leave her to her fate!
He hadn’t quite expected his plan to go quite so smoothly, but before he knew it, he was in Leia’s cell. Even knowing that they only had a little time before reinforcements arrived, Luke was pretty proud of himself for getting them that far.
Seeing his sister, though, he could only stare.
“Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” Leia asked, wearing a smirk.
It took a moment for Luke’s brain to catch up, and he sheepishly removed his helmet.
“I’m Luke Skywalker,” He said, surging forward to greet her. “I’m here to rescue you.”
Leia seemed confused. “You’re who?”
“I’m here with Ben Kenobi,” Luke explained. “We’ve got your R2 unit, and the message you left.”
“Ben Kenobi?” Leia asked, jumping to her feet. “Where is he?”
They raced out of the cell, Luke explaining about the tractor beam as they went.
That was when everything went wrong. Reinforcements had arrived, and they couldn’t get out the way they’d come. Leia seemed distinctly unimpressed, most of all with Han. Luke was almost happy to have someone else on his side against Han’s snark.
The garbage chute might have been their only option, but that didn’t make it a good one, and Luke didn’t particularly appreciate the near-drowning and subsequent near-crushing. If R2-D2 had taken any longer, they’d have been dead.
After that, getting back to the Millennium Falcon almost seemed easy. Just a little running from stormtroopers, almost getting shot, swinging over an endless chasm, and then they were within sight of the ship. Leia seemed just as unimpressed by the ship as she was with Han.
“I just hope the old man got the tractor beam outta commission,” Han said, eyeing the stormtroopers milling around the Falcon.
Barely a moment later, the stormtroopers took off, away from the ship. Something had caught their attention, though Luke couldn’t yet tell what. Still, he was thankful for the chance to get back aboard the ship unseen, and Han seemed to agree, urging them on in a whisper.
Rushing out, a light caught Luke’s eye, and when he turned, he saw Obi-Wan crossing his lightsaber with a tall, black-clad figure. Darth Vader. Luke’s father.
Maul was close by, cutting through stormtroopers with ease as he made his way toward the duelling pair.
Obi-Wan’s eyes locked with Luke’s, and Luke knew that something terrible was about to happen.
The old Jedi took a step back, smiling serenely as he raised his lightsaber, making no move to block Vader’s attack. A flash of Vader’s blood red ‘saber, and Obi-Wan’s robes crumpled to the ground, empty, his lightsaber hilt landing atop them with a dull thunk that seemed to echo through the cavernous hangar.
“NO!” Luke cried, and all eyes turned to him. He could see Maul snarling, though all he could hear was his own heartbeat, thundering in his ears.
The few remaining stormtroopers began to fire on them as Vader turned in their direction, stalking toward them. Luke fired back, but Maul had already cut the ‘troopers down, his red blade slicing through the air with a fury that made Luke believe he had truly once been a terror to behold on the battlefield.
“Go, Luke!” Maul called out to him, turning his attention to Vader.
His sentiments were echoed by Leia, and Han, and Chewbacca, and the phantom voice of Obi-Wan. Yes. Obi-Wan wouldn’t want him to throw his life away now, not when they had rescued Leia and were so close to escape.
The last thing he saw before racing up the ramp was Maul’s blade slashing against the control panel, cutting off access from the hallway to the hangar, trapping Maul there with Vader, each of them holding their lightsabers to the ready.
“Vader,” Maul hissed, prowling toward the towering creature who had once been Obi-Wan’s beloved brother.
“Maul,” Vader replied in his rasping, choking, robotic voice. “How pathetic. All these years later, and still you’re chasing after Kenobi. You weren’t even strong enough to kill him yourself.” He struck out with his lightsaber, and Maul parried easily.
“I have witnessed Kenobi’s death,” Maul said, shaking his head. “My revenge against him is satisfied. Now, I have sent forth the tools of my revenge against Sidious. He will regret what he has done.”
Another strike, and Maul blocked it. Another, and another, driving him deeper into the bowels of the station. He cared not.
“You are a fool, Maul, and you will die for it,” Vader sneered. “I do not think you will survive so easily as you did on Naboo if I take your head off your shoulders.”
Maul threw his arms wide, deactivating his lightsaber as he welcomed Vader’s next strike. His vengeance was secured. He would have peace.
It had been a hard won battle, but they had won. The Death Star was destroyed, and the Rebel Alliance was standing strong.
Grinning at Leia as she awarded them their medals, Luke felt the joy of the crowd around them echoing through the Force. The war might not yet have been won, but they’d gained an important victory, and with it had earned some breathing room.
He felt a giddy sort of pride swelling in Han, and saw the way he smiled at Leia. That promised to be entertaining to watch unfold, and Luke couldn’t wait to be there for it.
Turning to face the crowd, their cheers washing over him like a cool breeze, Luke felt sure that, together, they could take on the Emperor. He would make Obi-Wan and Maul proud.
There, to the back of the room, Luke saw a blue flicker, a translucent shadow made of light, as little sense as that made. Two figures, standing shoulder to shoulder, watching him, exuding a serene satisfaction. For a moment, Luke was sure that Obi-Wan and Maul were there, witnessing this moment of triumphant joy. Then, almost as soon as he’d made sense of their shapes in the blue haze, they were gone.
Whether a figment of his imagination, or a manifestation of the Force, Luke felt peace, knowing that they would be proud of what he’d accomplished.