Blue Moon

Chapter 30

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Mary was unconscious until that moment, she woke up, put a hand on her head and saw blood. The blow was quite strong. She rose slowly and with the Force pulled her lightsaber back into her grasp. She walked to the reactor room and found pieces of machinery on the floor and a broken window.
She passed through the window and saw her brother and her nephew.

"You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Don't let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did." Vader said.

Luke answered by rolling sideways and thrusting his sword at Vader so viciously that he nicked Vader on the shoulder. The black armour sparked and smoked and Vader seemed to be hurt, but immediately recovered.
Luke backed off along the narrow end of the gantry as Vader came at him, slashing at the young Jedi with his sword. Luke made a quick move around the instrument complex attached to the end of the gantry. 

Vader's sword came slashing down, cutting the complex loose; it began to fall, then was caught by the rising wind and blown upward.

Luke glanced at the instrument complex floating away. At that instant, Vader's sword came down across Luke's right forearm, cutting off his hand and sending his sword flying.
In great pain, Luke squeezed his forearm under his left armpit and moved back along the gantry to its extreme end.

Vader followed. The wind subsided. Luke held on. There was nowhere else to go.

"There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. You do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy." Vader said.
"I'll never join you!" Luke yelled.
"If you only knew the power of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan and Mary never told you what happened to your father."
"They told me enough! It was you who killed him." Luke replied.
"No. I am your father."

Mary and Luke were shocked, Luke looked at Vader in utter disbelief.

"No! What did you do?!" Mary yelled at her brother.
"No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!" Luke shouted in disbelief.
"Search your feelings. You know it to be true."
"No! No! No!" Luke kept on screaming.
"Luke. You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son. Come with me. It is the only way." Vader added.

Vader put away his sword and held his hand out to Luke.

Mary ran towards them and yelled, "Luke... get out of here! Trust yourself and go. I'll hold him!"
"I can't leave you!" Luke yelled.
"Go, don't worry. I can handle it."

In the next instant he stepped off the gantry platform into space. The Dark Lord looked over the platform and saw Luke falling far below. The wind began to blow at Vader's cape and the torrent finally forced him back, away from the edge.
The wind soon faded and the wounded Jedi began to drop fast, unable to grab onto anything to break his fall. Suddenly Luke was sucked into an exhaust pipe in the side of the shaft. 

☾☼

Mary sighed a little in relief, her nephew was safe for the moment.
Vader still incredulous and hurt by the scene he had just witnessed, he turned to his sister.
She felt his disappointment and sadness.
"I hope you're happy now. Your son knows the truth." Mary said.
"He had to know." Vader replied.
"You're right he had to know, but not like this. He has just discovered that his father is his worst enemy. How do you think a kid should feel? Definitely not well." Mary continued,
"So do I. Even worse. I lost everyone I cared about, including you. My brother, my twin, who hugged me to keep me warm and to comfort me when I cried. Who made me smile, who protected me from everyone and everything, who loved me. And now I have no one. Because of you, Vader."