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The speeder bike turned around to attack him again. Luke ignited his lightsaber, cutting off the blaster cannon of the speeder bike.
The speeder bike spun out of control carrying itself and the scout trooper into a tree with an explosion accompanying the collision.
Luke held his lightsaber ignited for a moment longer when it suddenly sputtered and turned off on its own.
He blinked a few times, surprised and confused. As he softly reached out through the Force he got a soft murmur, the kyber crystal whispering to him. …please recharge the battery…
Lightsabers need charging?! Luke is befuddled. Why did Ben or Yoda not teach him that?! And why did his old lightsaber never need charging? Irritated, he looked upwards, the second Death Star dominating the sky. Why did it have to happen now?
Well, it seems like he would have to make do without it.
He simply had to hope- no, believe, that Vader wouldn't want another fight.
With that he set out to return to Han and the other rebels.
Luke tried everything he could. Keeping it out in the sunlight, putting it into the heat of a campfire, even shaking it. Nothing helped, it was still out of battery. He stalled too long. He should tell Leia and go after Vader.
Vader stared at Luke for a moment before he opened his palm looking at his son's lightsaber.
Luke was watching him intently, his gaze piercing.
“I see you have constructed a new lightsaber.” Vader said as he brought it before him and clicked the switch to ignite it.
It didn’t react.
What?
He checked it over through the Force and… it's battery was dead?!
An awkward silence ensued between them before Vader finally shook himself out of his stupor.
“Son.” He started.
Luke actually looked nervous for once when Vader glanced at him.
“Did you forget to charge your lightsaber.”
Luke fidgeted nervously before replying. “To be fair no one told me they needed charging.”
The vocoder distorts the following sigh, so Vader hopes Luke didn't register it.
Well, what now? He can't drag him to the Emperor with an uncharged lightsaber. That would be embarrassing. He would die from the embarrassment of his son's incompetence. How could his son of all people be this incompetent? He quickly considered being wrong about this being his son, but the Force quickly denied that concept. Obi-Wan. This had to be Obi-Wan's fault. And as always, it's up to him to fix it.
His son refuses to join him, and he can't bring him to the Emperor. That leaves only one option.
“I am joining you son.”
“Ne-What?” Luke sputteres.
“You heard me.”
He sees hope light up in his sons eyes.
“So will you help us…”
“No,” he answered uncompromisingly: “I said I would join you, my son, not your rebellion. And as your ally, the first thing I am going to do is assure your safety.”
Yes it's best that way.
Vader grabbed him, and proceeded to drag him to a shuttle. Luke was confused. Vader just told him he joined him but refused to help the rebellion. But all in all, the confrontation went better than Luke expected. Maybe Yoda was right that not all problems can be solved with a lightsaber, even though he insisted Vader would require a lightsaber. And Luke could say he wasn’t slightly excited to fly away with his father, like he dreamed back on Tatooine. His friends could handle this without him, the plan was pretty good.
He was put into the copilot seat, and a moment later the ship lifted off. Hopefully towards adventure.