Lot of fics try to marry the good parts of the Disney canon with the EU. This is my take.
Something that could fit between the movies without causing any issues...
Luke Skywalker had gotten his hand cut off, lost his best friend to a bounty hunter, and he'd learned his dad was the second biggest monster in the galaxy. He'd also lost his X-Wing.
So yeah. Overall, this was a terrible week.
It was at least looking a bit better, after his medical droid told him that the rest of Rogue Squadron was coming to see him. Hopefully that meant he could leave the medical frigate in the Rebel Fleet soon. The sterilized recycled air and bland nutrition packs alone were enough to drive a man mad, but his droid's insistence on making absurd comments had him wishing for his lightsaber. Even getting a private berth wasn't good, because it just left him more isolated.
He turned his new cyborg hand in front of his face, studying the artificial skin. It was a very good artificial hand, at least: He could tell the mods he would need to make would be minimal.
"I advise against any strenuous activity involving sensitive parts of your anatomy," the medical droid suggested. Luke flushed.
"What do you think I do with this hand?!" He demanded. The droid stared back, its emotionless gaze giving nothing away. Luke couldn't help but think it would be smiling though. He sighed, as the first of his squadmates shuffled into the medical bay. Derek "Hobbie" Klivian walked up to the right side of his squadron commander's bed, while Wedge Antilles took the left. Wes Janson and Tycho Celchu stood at the foot of the bed, Wes already playing with the leftovers of Luke's lunch.
After the rather tense greetings, it was Hobbie who addressed the Bantha in the room.
"Hey, look on the bright side Skipper. Most people who fought Vader one on one ended up about a foot shorter," he pointed out. Luke shrugged, unable to keep himself from smiling just a bit. The tension in the room dropped significantly among the pilots at least.
"There's that," Luke admitted. Wedge nodded, crossing his arms.
"Seriously... That was crazy! I mean, I get that you're like a Jedi and all but your dad didn't do THAT crazy of shit," Wedge said earnestly. Tycho snorted, as Wedge looked over at him in bewilderment.
"You have read about the Clone Wars, right Wedge?" Tycho asked. "Skywalker and crazy might as well go together!"
Luke nodded, as Wedge rubbed the back of his head. Wedge wasn't the student of history the former Imperial pilot was. Nor did he have that personal connection Luke had.
"Yeah, my Dad basically grew up doing crazy," Luke said, staring off into the distance. Those words. Those terrible words. Everything he'd ever known and heard about his father felt twisted in a funhouse mirror.
No… I am your father…
"Ah... Boss? You okay?" Wes snapped his fingers in front of Luke's eyes. Luke blinked rapidly, and shook his head. His squadmates all stared at him intently. He shut his eyes. That tension from before was still there. It was stronger, and hidden… And not familiar.
"I'm… Fine," he lied. "I just need some rest."
"Are you sure, Skipper?" Wes asked plaintively. The older pilots stayed silent, but the same question was on their minds. He didn't need the Force to tell that. The Force was telling him that there was someone else here though. Someone hidden. Luke nodded again, sucking in a deep breath.
"I need a bit, guys," he said, with utter finality. "To sort this out."
His squadron mates slowly filtered out, a few uncertain goodbyes and encouraging words tossed back at him. The droid departed after, off to see to other patients. The hatch to the cabin slid shut behind it with a hiss, and the lights dimmed. Luke focused on staying calm. The Force warned him he wasn't alone, but the presence wasn't inherently threatening. Still...
"Who's there?" Luke demanded. A cloaked figure emerged from a maintenance hatch, dropping down and landing with grace on the deck. They stood up and stared at Luke, and he sensed this visitor was strong in the Force. They must have been with how they were probing his mental defenses.
"You sensed me. Impressive," said the figure in a woman's voice. Luke narrowed his eyes.
"It's not hard to sense you," he retorted. The figure was silent for a moment, before she resumed speaking.
"Heard you faced Vader. You gave a report on the encounter to the Alliance High Command. I'm pretty sure you left a few things out."
Luke was silent, glaring defiantly. The figure continued.
"He tempted you to the Darkside, didn't he?" She asked. Luke slowly nodded.
"He asked me to join him, yes. That was in the report," he said. The figure nodded.
"He said something else. Something you're not sure of. Something you can't believe, but are afraid that it's true."
Luke grimaced, his artificial hand closing into a tight fist.
"... Yes," he responded tightly.
The figure sighed softly.
"He told you... He was your father, didn't he?"
She said it almost pityingly.
Luke tensed up. He licked his lips.
"How do you know?" Luke asked, trying to remain neutral but failing in his shuddering tone. The figure pulled off her hood, revealing a beautiful, older Torgruta woman with deep blue eyes.
"Because I was his apprentice. When he was Anakin Skywalker," she said simply. Luke blinked in disbelief, his jaw dropping.
"You were…?"
"Yes," the woman said. She sat next to Luke in the visitor's chair, smiling gently. "You know me as Fulcrum. My real name? Is Ahsoka Tano. It's nice to meet you at last."
For a time there was no sound in the air save the recycling system and the heartbeat monitor. Luke opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say. All he could do was gape in shock at her. She let him get his thoughts together, silent and patient. Luke took a few deep breaths, shook his head, and looked right into her eyes.
"You're a Jedi?!"
"Technically, no," Ahsoka said quietly, "I was a padawan. Then I quit the Order. Because a friend of mine framed me for a terrorist bombing, and I got all the blame. Your dad proved I was innocent, but by that point…" She trailed off and sighed as Luke continued to stare.
Ahsoka shrugged. "The Jedi Order wasn't all nobility and good, kid. For instance, your dad had to hide his marriage to your mom."
Luke blinked, his thoughts tumbling over themselves like stampeding bantha. He shook his head, only one thing coming to mind to speak.
"Ben didn't tell me that," Luke said.
"Well... Ben didn't have a lot of time, did he?" Ahsoka asked, looking sad and frustrated. Luke couldn't blame her as he glowered at his knees.
"No, but he also chose to omit a few important details," Luke sighed. "He even does it now."
"To be fair, he would have probably preferred it if you'd lived your life peacefully. Until you 'needed' to know," Ahsoka said. She sighed and rubbed her montrals with a sad smile.
"That was kind of how he was, back in the old days. Trying to protect people. By keeping things to himself. He cared deeply for your father... And when he turned to the Darkside, he," Ahsoka looked down in sorrow, "I think he blamed himself."
"Yeah, that's what my Uncle Owen got from that," Luke said. He looked directly at Ahsoka, and the older Jedi looked back. "But what I really want to know is-"
"Why haven't I shown up?" Ahsoka cut him off. Luke nodded, his artificial hand squeezing into a fist again.
"Yeah," he said. Ahsoka took another deep breath. She closed her eyes, focusing through the turmoil of emotions he could feel from her in the Force. Ahsoka opened them, and locked her gaze into Luke's eyes. She spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Well... Truth be told, Luke... I was... Afraid," she admitted.
"Afraid of what?" Luke asked, his fear rising in his throat. "That I'd be like… My Dad?"
"Luke, you have to understand," Ahsoka said gently, her eyes still locked on his but her sight far away. "Your father killed everyone in the Jedi Order. Single handedly. He went to the Darkside because he was afraid if he didn't... He would lose your mother, and you too."
She looked aside. Her hands were hidden by her cloak, but Luke was sure they were clenched.
"Forming romantic attachments was forbidden. And it seemed like such a stupid, stupid thing back then. But in hindsight, it was that love that your father had for your mother that drove him to become…" She shuddered. "That. Despite everything he did, he lost her. He destroyed the one thing he wanted to save."
"Well," Luke retorted, "I don't have much of anything to get attached to."
Ahsoka snorted.
" Your smuggler friend. His Wookie buddy. The princess. Rogue Squadron," she listed. Luke nodded slowly.
"Yeah. They're all my friends, and I'd die for them. But fall to the Darkside?"
"I didn't know. I was afraid that you were a time bomb. And I thought that the only time I would meet you... Is if I needed to kill you. I didn't want to get too close." She shook her head. "I guess I screwed that up."
"That's kind of a theme with Jedi, isn't it?" Luke asked bitterly. His thoughts went to Ben, to Yoda; To his father, and to the woman in front of him. Ahsoka nodded, the bitterness reflected in her eyes and her sad, humorless chuckle.
"It is, isn't it? The Sith teach that the weak must be destroyed for the strong to flourish... And I suppose the Jedi Order seemed plenty weak. We forgot ourselves. What it means to be guardians of truth and justice. And the galaxy paid for it."
They sat in a still, dead silence. It was as though Luke could feel the weight of years of grief and regret in the air. He looked down at Ahsoka's lap, where her hands were exposed from under the robes. He could see the faint gleam of a lightsaber at her side. He took a deep breath, and looked into Ahsoka's eyes.
"So, are you going to kill me, now?" Luke asked.
Ahsoka jerked up, and stared at Luke with her jaw dropped. Then she began to shake as she bowed her head. Luke, despite the potential danger, reached out to her.
"Ahsoka? Are-Are you okay-?"
Ahsoka threw her head back and laughed hard. So hard she was crying. Luke pulled back, thoroughly put off and disturbed. Ahsoka saw this, and managed to calm herself. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him in a comforting way.
"Why would I do that?" She asked. Luke blinked.
"Well… You said we'd only meet if you-"
"Originally, yes. I considered it Luke. If I couldn't stop you peacefully," Ahsoka explained. "But... Your dad went through some similar things as you did. Got his arm chopped off. His loved ones in peril. He was the only hope of the galaxy. All that pressure... And he was offered the chance to go to the Darkside, at his weakest... And he said "Yes"." She looked at him intently, her smile much warmer. "What'd you say?"
Luke shrugged, feeling a little more at ease.
"I almost killed myself jumping to get away from him," he said. Ahsoka reached out for his real hand, and squeezed it. Despite the previous awkwardness, Luke squeezed her hand back. He could feel her genuine happiness and relief. The feeling of hope she had.
"You're not your father, Luke," Ahsoka said. Luke smiled back softly.
"Yeah…"
"You can win this thing where we couldn't," Ahsoka said, "and maybe... You can make the Jedi what they're supposed to be. If you want." She sighed. "Besides, Yoda knows a lot more about the Force than I ever will; But your lightsaber technique needs some…" She trailed off, trying to be polite, "work."
"I did well enough against Vader," Luke hummed. Ahsoka scowled, and pinched the skin of his artificial hand, hard. "NNGH! Hey!"
"Yeah. Great," Ahsoka snorted. "Just because you survived doesn't mean sithspit, kid. He wasn't trying to kill you. If he was? You'd be dead. Period."
"Yeah, I know that," Luke grumbled, cradling his new hand. He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "Next time, he won't be trying to either."
The more distance he had from the incident, the more information he had… The less he lingered on the pain and betrayal, the more he saw, he felt that there was something more. Ahsoka shook her head, sensing the direction of his thoughts.
"Luke… He's not your father anymore. He wanted you as a tool against the Emperor, nothing more," she said. Luke scowled.
"You don't think I know that? But I think there was something else," he insisted.
"Oh really?" Ahsoka asked, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Did you sense that before or after he cut off your hand?"
"It was when I let go," Luke said, shaking his head. "I sensed… Fear."
"That's the Darkside for you," Ahsoka replied. Luke's eyes narrowed.
"No, no… I sensed fear from him, but it wasn't that his plans were falling away. It was like... he was watching me die and he felt helpless to stop it." He looked directly into Ahsoka's eyes, defiant. "Just like he probably felt for my mother."
Ahsoka took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself. Luke scowled, still stubborn.
"Luke... I have been where you were," Ahsoka said tiredly. "I tried to reach out to him... And I nearly got killed for it. There is nothing left of Anakin Skywalker in that monster. Darth Vader killed him."
Luke shook his head, both his hands clenched. He knew what he felt, and Ahsoka's information helped put it into context.
"I think that my Father is still in there. It's small and it's wrapped up in all of that mess, but Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi, is still there."
Ahsoka glared, her calm slipping.
"What makes you think you actually sensed it? You barely know how to handle a lightsaber! I knew him for years! And I couldn't reach him!"
"I sensed it! I know I did!" Luke insisted. Ahsoka again took deep breaths, centering herself. Luke let her do so. Getting angry with her wasn't going to help, with how much this subject hurt her. How much rage and hate she felt over Vader. It didn't feel any better to him, but he had to say it. He wouldn't back down.
"Whatever you think you sensed, Luke," Ahsoka said slowly, "put it out of your mind. Because the only thing he'll see in you... Is a weakness. And I didn't just reveal myself like this so you'd fall to the Darkside like him." She fixed him with a deadly serious glare. "Got it?"
"Yeah, I know," Luke said. Ahsoka nodded, and stood up.
"Good. Come with me," she said tersely. Luke narrowed his eyes.
"But, with all due respect-" he started, but Ahsoka glared back.
"Zip it," she shot back. Luke gritted his teeth, standing up off the medical bed. He was taller than Ahsoka and used every bit of his height to stand up to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"No!" He growled. "I'm going to tell you right out. I am not my Father. Nor am I going to be the tool you can use for revenge!"
Ahsoka's jaw dropped, and she shrank back.
"I-I am not-!" She stammered, but Luke cut her off this time as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I can sense your anger and hatred," he stated firmly. Ahsoka glanced aside, feeling shame. Luke sucked in a deep breath, calming himself.
"I'll train under you, to be better with the Lightsaber," he said gently. Her eyes rose to meet his, and he tried to be gentle but firm. "But I'm not going to kill him because you couldn't bring yourself to."
They stared at one another in silence. Ahsoka's emotions became unreadable through the Force as she regained her calm. She smiled, looking almost nostalgic.
"All right," she said. "Would you come with me to train… Please?" She added. Luke was confused, but hid it as best he could. He didn't sense any deception, but she wasn't giving anything else away. Still, he nodded back to her.
"Lead the way," he said. Ahsoka turned and headed out the hatch. Luke followed, rubbing his artificial hand again. If Ahsoka noticed this nervous tic, she didn't comment on it.
He supposed there would be time enough for that later.
They took a shuttle over to Home One, the flagship of the fleet, and Luke followed Ahsoka through the corridors. They passed the outer levels and reached the central sections after taking a rather long route. Finally, they reached the cargo bays. Ahsoka stopped at one hatch, and entered a code in the datapad. The hatch opened up, and Luke looked in on numerous crates and containers. Ahsoka walked over to one in particular, and opened it up. She withdrew a box, no bigger than a shoe container, and opened it. She smiled and pulled out a very old, clunky looking lightsaber. She tossed it to Luke, who caught it easily.
"That's a training saber. You can't hurt anyone with it," Ahsoka said. "My saber has a training mode, so this will be pretty safe." She raised her hands and closed her eyes. She used the Force and moved the boxes and crates to the bulkheads of the cargo bay, with loud creaks and rattles. This opened up a wide space for them.
Luke found the ignition switch on the training saber, and turned it on. A yellow blade roared to life, as the weapon hummed in the cargo bay. He twirled it around a bit, getting used to the feel of the weapon.
"Now," Ahsoka said, igniting her own white bladed saber. The two blades hummed in the stillness of the cargo bay, "how much did Yoda cover with you on the Forms?"
"Not much," Luke admitted with a shrug. "He was more focused on getting in touch with the Force, how to use it, and conditioning. He did teach me a few basic stances but he didn't have a spare to spar with."
"All right then," Ahsoka said. She held her blade up and assumed a relatively simple fighting stance. "Let's see where you are then. Attack me."
Luke struck hard, thrusting forward. Ahsoka parried the thrust and deflected his next few strikes. She moved carefully, returning the strikes after parrying them and forcing Luke back. Luke was put on the defensive, stepping backwards, but he was able to slowly set the pace and drive her back.
"This is Form 1, Shii-Cho," Ahsoka explained. "You're already familiar with the basics from deflection training. This is using the lightsaber like a sword, and is the oldest style we know."
Luke nodded, taking in her strikes and movements. Every time he shifted the momentum of the fight, she took it back within moments. Even so, it was obvious she was pushing to keep up with him.
Eventually, she stepped back and raised her lightsaber in an odd salute. She then began to attack with precise, measured thrusts and swings, forcing Luke to move and defend more. He tried striking back, but she was able to avoid his blows or simply parry them as her feet moved her in a sort of graceful dance.
"This is Makashi, Form II. It's a very old style, but good for fighting a single opponent," she kept up her commentary as she dueled him. "Count Dooku, formally a Jedi Master, used it. It's very formal, made for duelling…"
She feinted, luring Luke into overextending. He took the bait and lost his footing briefly. It was enough for her to get a strike to the back of his head, which buzzed annoying.
"Gah!" He cried. Ahsoka gave him a smile, lifting her lightsaber back up.
"It's also very good for luring opponents into traps," she said. Luke nodded, and stepped back. He then swung for her head, quickly. Again, her style changed: She gave ground but never let him past her defenses, her lightsaber barely moving as she deflected and parried every blow he tried to land. It was tightly controlled and focused.
"Soresu... Form III," Ahsoka explained, as she made him chase her around the cargo bay. "Good for use against ranged weaponry, and for tiring out an opponent."
"Ben used this one," Luke realized. Ahsoka nodded with a smile.
"He was considered the master of it," she said. "The more tired you become, the greater a chance you have of-" She flicked her wrist, and knocked the lightsaber out of his hand. "-making a mistake."
Luke looked over at the training saber, and then back at Ahsoka. She stood there with her own saber pointed at his throat. He slowly nodded.
"Oh," he said softly. Luke held out his hand, and summoned the saber again. He reignited it, and nodded to her. "What's next?"
"Form IV, Ataru," Ahsoka said. She immediately struck with a fast swing, and Luke barely blocked it. She followed it up with several more quick, fast strikes, before she flipped over his head and tried to flank him. He spun around and parried these strikes a bit more easily, and as they locked blades she breathed deeply.
"This form is aggressive and relies heavily on Force assisted acrobatics and movements to keep your opponent off balance. Every Jedi uses a little of it. Master Yoda especially."
That explained the diminuitive Jedi Master's emphasis on speed and agility, Luke thought to himself. He pulled back, and asked the question that had been on his mind from the start.
"What's my father's style?"
Ahsoka stiffened, but slowly nodded in understand.
"Form V. The original was called Shien, but he specialized in the Djem Sho variant. He refined it to an almost insane level."
Luke nodded. Ahsoka continued, looking sad but focused.
"Aggressive, powerful, and with offense in mind. But also well suited to defense. You're like a krayt dragon: Taking the hits and returning them to your opponent."
The image of Vader advancing like an unstoppable juggernaut came instantly to his mind, and Luke nodded again. That wasn't very surprising, he supposed.
"It's the most physically demanding of all the Lightsaber combat forms," Ahsoka continued, "and ot works well against multiple opponents, or one. Ready?"
Luke nodded, holding his saber up. "Ready," he stated.
Ahsoka lifted her blade up high over her head, and she was on him in an instant. Her blows fell on him like a rain of blaster fire. Every attempt at an attack she stopped cold or deflected, and immediately returned in a ferocious counterattack.
It was very much like his Father's style. Mercifully, it was a little slower than his Father's. Even so, every blow shook him as Ahsoka pushed him back.
"Ugh! Nngh!" He grunted, as Ahsoka continued her lecture.
"You bend the Force with your blows! And dominate your opponent!" Luke launched a hard counterblow to her strike, which she parried. The parry transitioned to a heavy counterstrike that nearly took Luke off his feet. He dropped back slightly, and now it was Ahsoka who overextended. While surprised, she was able to turn in time to deflect his follow up slash.
Luke was breathing hard, but he shook his head at the concern in her eyes. "Let's continue," he said. Ahsoka nodded, and resumed her strikes in Form V.
It took Luke a bit, but he figured out that the Djem Sho form had a weakness: A lack of mobility compared to the other forms. When her strongest strikes come again, he quickly and perceptively turned her offense against her, causing her to stagger past him. It was as simple as turning his body, or letting her moves flow against his.
"Good, but you're not gaining an advantage," Ahsoka commented as they locked blades once again. "Now then… Form VI... Niman."
Her stance changed: Far more relaxed, she moved with an easy surety as she dodged or gently parried his strikes. Luke realized it didn't seem to have any obvious power attacks or methods... It was simply a generalized fighting form, no advantages or disadvantages.
"This is a good style," he commented. " I mean, it's unremarkable, but-"
"This form was made for Jedi Masters," Ahsoka said, flicking her wrist. Luke tripped over his own feet, and slammed into a cargo container with a grunt. "Because it emphasizes using Force abilities," she finished. Luke panted for breath, and got back to his feet.
"Haa... haa... of all the things… That I didn't have a good grasp of," Luke said.
"I think you'll do well in it," Ahsoka said with a smile, "once you're more experienced. Remember: Niman emphasizes your creativity in combat more than form. Try attacking me again."
Luke quickly up his hands and used a force push. Ahsoka was blown off her feet by the sheer strength, flipping over and landing on her feet. Luke charged, thrusting his blade for her head. She immediately flung a box at him, which he ducked. She spun herself along the floor, barely evading his slash, and thrust her blade into his belly. He yelped at the shock, and fell back.
Ahsoka stood up, breathing hard with an impressed smile. "You could have gotten me... But you got a little too eager."
"Sorry," Luke mumbled. Ahsoka paused for a long moment.
"There's one final form," she began, "called Form VII. Juyo. I only learned a little of Juyo. It's more than forms and stances, it's channeling your inner passion, through the Force and your movements. And maintaining control over it. It is pure chaos, designed to inflict maximum damage," Ahsoka explained.
Luke nodded, still catching his breath. Ahsoka sighed.
"Sith use it liberally. But Jedi rarely used it because it was easy to slip to the darkside."
"A Jedi could purge themselves of the Dark Side with it, though," Luke pointed out.
"If you could master it," Ahsoka retorted, a bit on edge. She shook her head. "I won't teach you it-"
"Show me," Luke insisted. Ahsoka sighed.
"You can barely stand as it is."
"Vader used it on me. So I want to learn," Luke said again, eyes narrowed. Ahsoka took a few deep breaths, and nodded. She adopted a more off balance stance… And then moved.
Luke was barely able to withstand her strikes from the right, the left, above, below-! She was like a storm! Every time he tried to counter, she parried and spun away to flank him again!
"Amazing," Luke gasped. He found himself focusing on what Ahsoka had shown him of Form V, tanking the hits and trying to turn them back against her with counterstrikes. He was able to maintain his ground, even make up some… When she swung wildly and knocked the training saber right out of his hands. In the next instant, Luke was slammed into the nearest bulkhead by the Force. Ahsoka filled his gaze, her hot breath on his face, as she held her buzzing, angry lightsaber against his throat. He stared back at her, shocked.
"Haaaa... Haaa…" She was huffing, staring intently into his eyes as she held him against the bulkhead. Her own eyes were filled with fury… Then regret. A moment more, she let him go and pulled away. She doused her lightsaber, then turned to face the other side of the cargo bay as though it was the most interesting thing in the galaxy.
"Are... Are you all right?" She asked tentatively. Luke rubbed his throat, still warm from the training saber.
"...You really hate my father, don't you?" He said quietly, his throat dry. Ahsoka stiffened again. She shook her head, looking at the deck.
"It's okay if you do," Luke said gently. "I… I want to hate him too."
"It's... Complicated," Ahsoka said tightly. "It's not really something I want to talk about-"
"That's something else Jedi do to me, a lot," Luke snapped, sharper than he intended. He winced at the wounded look on Ahsoka's face, and quickly tempered his anger. "What I mean is… There's a lot of lying by omission. A lot of hidden, suppressed things. Things that… That haunt and gnaw at you if you let them stay inside."
Ahsoka sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. "You might be right," she said. She slowly turned to face him, but her eyes didn't meet his. "Some hurts… Just don't go away," she admitted. "Some things never get talked about."
Luke frowned. "Maybe now is the time to talk about them," he insisted. Ahsoka met his eyes. She heaved a great breath, and smiled at him.
"Yeah." She slowly nodded again. "We'll talk… Just…" She took a few more deep breaths, "let's do it after we've had some time to calm down, all right?"
Luke nodded. "Yeah. I understand."
He paused.
"Also, I think I need to go back to the medbay," he said. Ahsoka winced.
"Yeah, you probably do," she said apologetically.
Something that could fit between the movies without causing any issues...
- - -
Luke Skywalker had gotten his hand cut off, lost his best friend to a bounty hunter, and he'd learned his dad was the second biggest monster in the galaxy. He'd also lost his X-Wing.
So yeah. Overall, this was a terrible week.
It was at least looking a bit better, after his medical droid told him that the rest of Rogue Squadron was coming to see him. Hopefully that meant he could leave the medical frigate in the Rebel Fleet soon. The sterilized recycled air and bland nutrition packs alone were enough to drive a man mad, but his droid's insistence on making absurd comments had him wishing for his lightsaber. Even getting a private berth wasn't good, because it just left him more isolated.
He turned his new cyborg hand in front of his face, studying the artificial skin. It was a very good artificial hand, at least: He could tell the mods he would need to make would be minimal.
"I advise against any strenuous activity involving sensitive parts of your anatomy," the medical droid suggested. Luke flushed.
"What do you think I do with this hand?!" He demanded. The droid stared back, its emotionless gaze giving nothing away. Luke couldn't help but think it would be smiling though. He sighed, as the first of his squadmates shuffled into the medical bay. Derek "Hobbie" Klivian walked up to the right side of his squadron commander's bed, while Wedge Antilles took the left. Wes Janson and Tycho Celchu stood at the foot of the bed, Wes already playing with the leftovers of Luke's lunch.
After the rather tense greetings, it was Hobbie who addressed the Bantha in the room.
"Hey, look on the bright side Skipper. Most people who fought Vader one on one ended up about a foot shorter," he pointed out. Luke shrugged, unable to keep himself from smiling just a bit. The tension in the room dropped significantly among the pilots at least.
"There's that," Luke admitted. Wedge nodded, crossing his arms.
"Seriously... That was crazy! I mean, I get that you're like a Jedi and all but your dad didn't do THAT crazy of shit," Wedge said earnestly. Tycho snorted, as Wedge looked over at him in bewilderment.
"You have read about the Clone Wars, right Wedge?" Tycho asked. "Skywalker and crazy might as well go together!"
Luke nodded, as Wedge rubbed the back of his head. Wedge wasn't the student of history the former Imperial pilot was. Nor did he have that personal connection Luke had.
"Yeah, my Dad basically grew up doing crazy," Luke said, staring off into the distance. Those words. Those terrible words. Everything he'd ever known and heard about his father felt twisted in a funhouse mirror.
No… I am your father…
"Ah... Boss? You okay?" Wes snapped his fingers in front of Luke's eyes. Luke blinked rapidly, and shook his head. His squadmates all stared at him intently. He shut his eyes. That tension from before was still there. It was stronger, and hidden… And not familiar.
"I'm… Fine," he lied. "I just need some rest."
"Are you sure, Skipper?" Wes asked plaintively. The older pilots stayed silent, but the same question was on their minds. He didn't need the Force to tell that. The Force was telling him that there was someone else here though. Someone hidden. Luke nodded again, sucking in a deep breath.
"I need a bit, guys," he said, with utter finality. "To sort this out."
His squadron mates slowly filtered out, a few uncertain goodbyes and encouraging words tossed back at him. The droid departed after, off to see to other patients. The hatch to the cabin slid shut behind it with a hiss, and the lights dimmed. Luke focused on staying calm. The Force warned him he wasn't alone, but the presence wasn't inherently threatening. Still...
"Who's there?" Luke demanded. A cloaked figure emerged from a maintenance hatch, dropping down and landing with grace on the deck. They stood up and stared at Luke, and he sensed this visitor was strong in the Force. They must have been with how they were probing his mental defenses.
"You sensed me. Impressive," said the figure in a woman's voice. Luke narrowed his eyes.
"It's not hard to sense you," he retorted. The figure was silent for a moment, before she resumed speaking.
"Heard you faced Vader. You gave a report on the encounter to the Alliance High Command. I'm pretty sure you left a few things out."
Luke was silent, glaring defiantly. The figure continued.
"He tempted you to the Darkside, didn't he?" She asked. Luke slowly nodded.
"He asked me to join him, yes. That was in the report," he said. The figure nodded.
"He said something else. Something you're not sure of. Something you can't believe, but are afraid that it's true."
Luke grimaced, his artificial hand closing into a tight fist.
"... Yes," he responded tightly.
The figure sighed softly.
"He told you... He was your father, didn't he?"
She said it almost pityingly.
Luke tensed up. He licked his lips.
"How do you know?" Luke asked, trying to remain neutral but failing in his shuddering tone. The figure pulled off her hood, revealing a beautiful, older Torgruta woman with deep blue eyes.
"Because I was his apprentice. When he was Anakin Skywalker," she said simply. Luke blinked in disbelief, his jaw dropping.
"You were…?"
"Yes," the woman said. She sat next to Luke in the visitor's chair, smiling gently. "You know me as Fulcrum. My real name? Is Ahsoka Tano. It's nice to meet you at last."
For a time there was no sound in the air save the recycling system and the heartbeat monitor. Luke opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say. All he could do was gape in shock at her. She let him get his thoughts together, silent and patient. Luke took a few deep breaths, shook his head, and looked right into her eyes.
"You're a Jedi?!"
"Technically, no," Ahsoka said quietly, "I was a padawan. Then I quit the Order. Because a friend of mine framed me for a terrorist bombing, and I got all the blame. Your dad proved I was innocent, but by that point…" She trailed off and sighed as Luke continued to stare.
Ahsoka shrugged. "The Jedi Order wasn't all nobility and good, kid. For instance, your dad had to hide his marriage to your mom."
Luke blinked, his thoughts tumbling over themselves like stampeding bantha. He shook his head, only one thing coming to mind to speak.
"Ben didn't tell me that," Luke said.
"Well... Ben didn't have a lot of time, did he?" Ahsoka asked, looking sad and frustrated. Luke couldn't blame her as he glowered at his knees.
"No, but he also chose to omit a few important details," Luke sighed. "He even does it now."
"To be fair, he would have probably preferred it if you'd lived your life peacefully. Until you 'needed' to know," Ahsoka said. She sighed and rubbed her montrals with a sad smile.
"That was kind of how he was, back in the old days. Trying to protect people. By keeping things to himself. He cared deeply for your father... And when he turned to the Darkside, he," Ahsoka looked down in sorrow, "I think he blamed himself."
"Yeah, that's what my Uncle Owen got from that," Luke said. He looked directly at Ahsoka, and the older Jedi looked back. "But what I really want to know is-"
"Why haven't I shown up?" Ahsoka cut him off. Luke nodded, his artificial hand squeezing into a fist again.
"Yeah," he said. Ahsoka took another deep breath. She closed her eyes, focusing through the turmoil of emotions he could feel from her in the Force. Ahsoka opened them, and locked her gaze into Luke's eyes. She spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Well... Truth be told, Luke... I was... Afraid," she admitted.
"Afraid of what?" Luke asked, his fear rising in his throat. "That I'd be like… My Dad?"
"Luke, you have to understand," Ahsoka said gently, her eyes still locked on his but her sight far away. "Your father killed everyone in the Jedi Order. Single handedly. He went to the Darkside because he was afraid if he didn't... He would lose your mother, and you too."
She looked aside. Her hands were hidden by her cloak, but Luke was sure they were clenched.
"Forming romantic attachments was forbidden. And it seemed like such a stupid, stupid thing back then. But in hindsight, it was that love that your father had for your mother that drove him to become…" She shuddered. "That. Despite everything he did, he lost her. He destroyed the one thing he wanted to save."
"Well," Luke retorted, "I don't have much of anything to get attached to."
Ahsoka snorted.
" Your smuggler friend. His Wookie buddy. The princess. Rogue Squadron," she listed. Luke nodded slowly.
"Yeah. They're all my friends, and I'd die for them. But fall to the Darkside?"
"I didn't know. I was afraid that you were a time bomb. And I thought that the only time I would meet you... Is if I needed to kill you. I didn't want to get too close." She shook her head. "I guess I screwed that up."
"That's kind of a theme with Jedi, isn't it?" Luke asked bitterly. His thoughts went to Ben, to Yoda; To his father, and to the woman in front of him. Ahsoka nodded, the bitterness reflected in her eyes and her sad, humorless chuckle.
"It is, isn't it? The Sith teach that the weak must be destroyed for the strong to flourish... And I suppose the Jedi Order seemed plenty weak. We forgot ourselves. What it means to be guardians of truth and justice. And the galaxy paid for it."
They sat in a still, dead silence. It was as though Luke could feel the weight of years of grief and regret in the air. He looked down at Ahsoka's lap, where her hands were exposed from under the robes. He could see the faint gleam of a lightsaber at her side. He took a deep breath, and looked into Ahsoka's eyes.
"So, are you going to kill me, now?" Luke asked.
Ahsoka jerked up, and stared at Luke with her jaw dropped. Then she began to shake as she bowed her head. Luke, despite the potential danger, reached out to her.
"Ahsoka? Are-Are you okay-?"
Ahsoka threw her head back and laughed hard. So hard she was crying. Luke pulled back, thoroughly put off and disturbed. Ahsoka saw this, and managed to calm herself. She wiped her eyes and smiled at him in a comforting way.
"Why would I do that?" She asked. Luke blinked.
"Well… You said we'd only meet if you-"
"Originally, yes. I considered it Luke. If I couldn't stop you peacefully," Ahsoka explained. "But... Your dad went through some similar things as you did. Got his arm chopped off. His loved ones in peril. He was the only hope of the galaxy. All that pressure... And he was offered the chance to go to the Darkside, at his weakest... And he said "Yes"." She looked at him intently, her smile much warmer. "What'd you say?"
Luke shrugged, feeling a little more at ease.
"I almost killed myself jumping to get away from him," he said. Ahsoka reached out for his real hand, and squeezed it. Despite the previous awkwardness, Luke squeezed her hand back. He could feel her genuine happiness and relief. The feeling of hope she had.
"You're not your father, Luke," Ahsoka said. Luke smiled back softly.
"Yeah…"
"You can win this thing where we couldn't," Ahsoka said, "and maybe... You can make the Jedi what they're supposed to be. If you want." She sighed. "Besides, Yoda knows a lot more about the Force than I ever will; But your lightsaber technique needs some…" She trailed off, trying to be polite, "work."
"I did well enough against Vader," Luke hummed. Ahsoka scowled, and pinched the skin of his artificial hand, hard. "NNGH! Hey!"
"Yeah. Great," Ahsoka snorted. "Just because you survived doesn't mean sithspit, kid. He wasn't trying to kill you. If he was? You'd be dead. Period."
"Yeah, I know that," Luke grumbled, cradling his new hand. He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "Next time, he won't be trying to either."
The more distance he had from the incident, the more information he had… The less he lingered on the pain and betrayal, the more he saw, he felt that there was something more. Ahsoka shook her head, sensing the direction of his thoughts.
"Luke… He's not your father anymore. He wanted you as a tool against the Emperor, nothing more," she said. Luke scowled.
"You don't think I know that? But I think there was something else," he insisted.
"Oh really?" Ahsoka asked, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Did you sense that before or after he cut off your hand?"
"It was when I let go," Luke said, shaking his head. "I sensed… Fear."
"That's the Darkside for you," Ahsoka replied. Luke's eyes narrowed.
"No, no… I sensed fear from him, but it wasn't that his plans were falling away. It was like... he was watching me die and he felt helpless to stop it." He looked directly into Ahsoka's eyes, defiant. "Just like he probably felt for my mother."
Ahsoka took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm herself. Luke scowled, still stubborn.
"Luke... I have been where you were," Ahsoka said tiredly. "I tried to reach out to him... And I nearly got killed for it. There is nothing left of Anakin Skywalker in that monster. Darth Vader killed him."
Luke shook his head, both his hands clenched. He knew what he felt, and Ahsoka's information helped put it into context.
"I think that my Father is still in there. It's small and it's wrapped up in all of that mess, but Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi, is still there."
Ahsoka glared, her calm slipping.
"What makes you think you actually sensed it? You barely know how to handle a lightsaber! I knew him for years! And I couldn't reach him!"
"I sensed it! I know I did!" Luke insisted. Ahsoka again took deep breaths, centering herself. Luke let her do so. Getting angry with her wasn't going to help, with how much this subject hurt her. How much rage and hate she felt over Vader. It didn't feel any better to him, but he had to say it. He wouldn't back down.
"Whatever you think you sensed, Luke," Ahsoka said slowly, "put it out of your mind. Because the only thing he'll see in you... Is a weakness. And I didn't just reveal myself like this so you'd fall to the Darkside like him." She fixed him with a deadly serious glare. "Got it?"
"Yeah, I know," Luke said. Ahsoka nodded, and stood up.
"Good. Come with me," she said tersely. Luke narrowed his eyes.
"But, with all due respect-" he started, but Ahsoka glared back.
"Zip it," she shot back. Luke gritted his teeth, standing up off the medical bed. He was taller than Ahsoka and used every bit of his height to stand up to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"No!" He growled. "I'm going to tell you right out. I am not my Father. Nor am I going to be the tool you can use for revenge!"
Ahsoka's jaw dropped, and she shrank back.
"I-I am not-!" She stammered, but Luke cut her off this time as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I can sense your anger and hatred," he stated firmly. Ahsoka glanced aside, feeling shame. Luke sucked in a deep breath, calming himself.
"I'll train under you, to be better with the Lightsaber," he said gently. Her eyes rose to meet his, and he tried to be gentle but firm. "But I'm not going to kill him because you couldn't bring yourself to."
They stared at one another in silence. Ahsoka's emotions became unreadable through the Force as she regained her calm. She smiled, looking almost nostalgic.
"All right," she said. "Would you come with me to train… Please?" She added. Luke was confused, but hid it as best he could. He didn't sense any deception, but she wasn't giving anything else away. Still, he nodded back to her.
"Lead the way," he said. Ahsoka turned and headed out the hatch. Luke followed, rubbing his artificial hand again. If Ahsoka noticed this nervous tic, she didn't comment on it.
He supposed there would be time enough for that later.
- - -
They took a shuttle over to Home One, the flagship of the fleet, and Luke followed Ahsoka through the corridors. They passed the outer levels and reached the central sections after taking a rather long route. Finally, they reached the cargo bays. Ahsoka stopped at one hatch, and entered a code in the datapad. The hatch opened up, and Luke looked in on numerous crates and containers. Ahsoka walked over to one in particular, and opened it up. She withdrew a box, no bigger than a shoe container, and opened it. She smiled and pulled out a very old, clunky looking lightsaber. She tossed it to Luke, who caught it easily.
"That's a training saber. You can't hurt anyone with it," Ahsoka said. "My saber has a training mode, so this will be pretty safe." She raised her hands and closed her eyes. She used the Force and moved the boxes and crates to the bulkheads of the cargo bay, with loud creaks and rattles. This opened up a wide space for them.
Luke found the ignition switch on the training saber, and turned it on. A yellow blade roared to life, as the weapon hummed in the cargo bay. He twirled it around a bit, getting used to the feel of the weapon.
"Now," Ahsoka said, igniting her own white bladed saber. The two blades hummed in the stillness of the cargo bay, "how much did Yoda cover with you on the Forms?"
"Not much," Luke admitted with a shrug. "He was more focused on getting in touch with the Force, how to use it, and conditioning. He did teach me a few basic stances but he didn't have a spare to spar with."
"All right then," Ahsoka said. She held her blade up and assumed a relatively simple fighting stance. "Let's see where you are then. Attack me."
Luke struck hard, thrusting forward. Ahsoka parried the thrust and deflected his next few strikes. She moved carefully, returning the strikes after parrying them and forcing Luke back. Luke was put on the defensive, stepping backwards, but he was able to slowly set the pace and drive her back.
"This is Form 1, Shii-Cho," Ahsoka explained. "You're already familiar with the basics from deflection training. This is using the lightsaber like a sword, and is the oldest style we know."
Luke nodded, taking in her strikes and movements. Every time he shifted the momentum of the fight, she took it back within moments. Even so, it was obvious she was pushing to keep up with him.
Eventually, she stepped back and raised her lightsaber in an odd salute. She then began to attack with precise, measured thrusts and swings, forcing Luke to move and defend more. He tried striking back, but she was able to avoid his blows or simply parry them as her feet moved her in a sort of graceful dance.
"This is Makashi, Form II. It's a very old style, but good for fighting a single opponent," she kept up her commentary as she dueled him. "Count Dooku, formally a Jedi Master, used it. It's very formal, made for duelling…"
She feinted, luring Luke into overextending. He took the bait and lost his footing briefly. It was enough for her to get a strike to the back of his head, which buzzed annoying.
"Gah!" He cried. Ahsoka gave him a smile, lifting her lightsaber back up.
"It's also very good for luring opponents into traps," she said. Luke nodded, and stepped back. He then swung for her head, quickly. Again, her style changed: She gave ground but never let him past her defenses, her lightsaber barely moving as she deflected and parried every blow he tried to land. It was tightly controlled and focused.
"Soresu... Form III," Ahsoka explained, as she made him chase her around the cargo bay. "Good for use against ranged weaponry, and for tiring out an opponent."
"Ben used this one," Luke realized. Ahsoka nodded with a smile.
"He was considered the master of it," she said. "The more tired you become, the greater a chance you have of-" She flicked her wrist, and knocked the lightsaber out of his hand. "-making a mistake."
Luke looked over at the training saber, and then back at Ahsoka. She stood there with her own saber pointed at his throat. He slowly nodded.
"Oh," he said softly. Luke held out his hand, and summoned the saber again. He reignited it, and nodded to her. "What's next?"
"Form IV, Ataru," Ahsoka said. She immediately struck with a fast swing, and Luke barely blocked it. She followed it up with several more quick, fast strikes, before she flipped over his head and tried to flank him. He spun around and parried these strikes a bit more easily, and as they locked blades she breathed deeply.
"This form is aggressive and relies heavily on Force assisted acrobatics and movements to keep your opponent off balance. Every Jedi uses a little of it. Master Yoda especially."
That explained the diminuitive Jedi Master's emphasis on speed and agility, Luke thought to himself. He pulled back, and asked the question that had been on his mind from the start.
"What's my father's style?"
Ahsoka stiffened, but slowly nodded in understand.
"Form V. The original was called Shien, but he specialized in the Djem Sho variant. He refined it to an almost insane level."
Luke nodded. Ahsoka continued, looking sad but focused.
"Aggressive, powerful, and with offense in mind. But also well suited to defense. You're like a krayt dragon: Taking the hits and returning them to your opponent."
The image of Vader advancing like an unstoppable juggernaut came instantly to his mind, and Luke nodded again. That wasn't very surprising, he supposed.
"It's the most physically demanding of all the Lightsaber combat forms," Ahsoka continued, "and ot works well against multiple opponents, or one. Ready?"
Luke nodded, holding his saber up. "Ready," he stated.
Ahsoka lifted her blade up high over her head, and she was on him in an instant. Her blows fell on him like a rain of blaster fire. Every attempt at an attack she stopped cold or deflected, and immediately returned in a ferocious counterattack.
It was very much like his Father's style. Mercifully, it was a little slower than his Father's. Even so, every blow shook him as Ahsoka pushed him back.
"Ugh! Nngh!" He grunted, as Ahsoka continued her lecture.
"You bend the Force with your blows! And dominate your opponent!" Luke launched a hard counterblow to her strike, which she parried. The parry transitioned to a heavy counterstrike that nearly took Luke off his feet. He dropped back slightly, and now it was Ahsoka who overextended. While surprised, she was able to turn in time to deflect his follow up slash.
Luke was breathing hard, but he shook his head at the concern in her eyes. "Let's continue," he said. Ahsoka nodded, and resumed her strikes in Form V.
It took Luke a bit, but he figured out that the Djem Sho form had a weakness: A lack of mobility compared to the other forms. When her strongest strikes come again, he quickly and perceptively turned her offense against her, causing her to stagger past him. It was as simple as turning his body, or letting her moves flow against his.
"Good, but you're not gaining an advantage," Ahsoka commented as they locked blades once again. "Now then… Form VI... Niman."
Her stance changed: Far more relaxed, she moved with an easy surety as she dodged or gently parried his strikes. Luke realized it didn't seem to have any obvious power attacks or methods... It was simply a generalized fighting form, no advantages or disadvantages.
"This is a good style," he commented. " I mean, it's unremarkable, but-"
"This form was made for Jedi Masters," Ahsoka said, flicking her wrist. Luke tripped over his own feet, and slammed into a cargo container with a grunt. "Because it emphasizes using Force abilities," she finished. Luke panted for breath, and got back to his feet.
"Haa... haa... of all the things… That I didn't have a good grasp of," Luke said.
"I think you'll do well in it," Ahsoka said with a smile, "once you're more experienced. Remember: Niman emphasizes your creativity in combat more than form. Try attacking me again."
Luke quickly up his hands and used a force push. Ahsoka was blown off her feet by the sheer strength, flipping over and landing on her feet. Luke charged, thrusting his blade for her head. She immediately flung a box at him, which he ducked. She spun herself along the floor, barely evading his slash, and thrust her blade into his belly. He yelped at the shock, and fell back.
Ahsoka stood up, breathing hard with an impressed smile. "You could have gotten me... But you got a little too eager."
"Sorry," Luke mumbled. Ahsoka paused for a long moment.
"There's one final form," she began, "called Form VII. Juyo. I only learned a little of Juyo. It's more than forms and stances, it's channeling your inner passion, through the Force and your movements. And maintaining control over it. It is pure chaos, designed to inflict maximum damage," Ahsoka explained.
Luke nodded, still catching his breath. Ahsoka sighed.
"Sith use it liberally. But Jedi rarely used it because it was easy to slip to the darkside."
"A Jedi could purge themselves of the Dark Side with it, though," Luke pointed out.
"If you could master it," Ahsoka retorted, a bit on edge. She shook her head. "I won't teach you it-"
"Show me," Luke insisted. Ahsoka sighed.
"You can barely stand as it is."
"Vader used it on me. So I want to learn," Luke said again, eyes narrowed. Ahsoka took a few deep breaths, and nodded. She adopted a more off balance stance… And then moved.
Luke was barely able to withstand her strikes from the right, the left, above, below-! She was like a storm! Every time he tried to counter, she parried and spun away to flank him again!
"Amazing," Luke gasped. He found himself focusing on what Ahsoka had shown him of Form V, tanking the hits and trying to turn them back against her with counterstrikes. He was able to maintain his ground, even make up some… When she swung wildly and knocked the training saber right out of his hands. In the next instant, Luke was slammed into the nearest bulkhead by the Force. Ahsoka filled his gaze, her hot breath on his face, as she held her buzzing, angry lightsaber against his throat. He stared back at her, shocked.
"Haaaa... Haaa…" She was huffing, staring intently into his eyes as she held him against the bulkhead. Her own eyes were filled with fury… Then regret. A moment more, she let him go and pulled away. She doused her lightsaber, then turned to face the other side of the cargo bay as though it was the most interesting thing in the galaxy.
"Are... Are you all right?" She asked tentatively. Luke rubbed his throat, still warm from the training saber.
"...You really hate my father, don't you?" He said quietly, his throat dry. Ahsoka stiffened again. She shook her head, looking at the deck.
"It's okay if you do," Luke said gently. "I… I want to hate him too."
"It's... Complicated," Ahsoka said tightly. "It's not really something I want to talk about-"
"That's something else Jedi do to me, a lot," Luke snapped, sharper than he intended. He winced at the wounded look on Ahsoka's face, and quickly tempered his anger. "What I mean is… There's a lot of lying by omission. A lot of hidden, suppressed things. Things that… That haunt and gnaw at you if you let them stay inside."
Ahsoka sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. "You might be right," she said. She slowly turned to face him, but her eyes didn't meet his. "Some hurts… Just don't go away," she admitted. "Some things never get talked about."
Luke frowned. "Maybe now is the time to talk about them," he insisted. Ahsoka met his eyes. She heaved a great breath, and smiled at him.
"Yeah." She slowly nodded again. "We'll talk… Just…" She took a few more deep breaths, "let's do it after we've had some time to calm down, all right?"
Luke nodded. "Yeah. I understand."
He paused.
"Also, I think I need to go back to the medbay," he said. Ahsoka winced.
"Yeah, you probably do," she said apologetically.
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