E I G H T E E N
"Clary."
Clary opens her eyes, but she doesn't recognize where she is. Blinking away the sleep, she squints. The area is foggy and dark — her first thought is the Dagobah system, but she feels uncertain.
Rising slowly to her feet, Clary glances around warily. She hears the voice again, short of a whisper, softly calling her name.
"Luke?" she asks slowly with hesitation. She begins to grow vulnerable, being by herself, and he's the first thing that comes to her mind. She needs him to be here with her, she needs to see his glittering blue eyes, she needs to be comforted.
Taking a breath, Clary dares to start walking. It's foggy, and she can barely see a damned thing; everything is so reminiscent of Dagobah, but something aches in her chest, making her feel vulnerable and uneasy.
And then she sees him. She rushes through the foliage, completely unaware of everything else, as she attempts to make her way towards the boy who's beginning to matter the most to her.
"Luke," she sighs with relief, barely inches away from him. He turns and his eyes are dark and glaring, startling Clary, and her smile soon fades at the look on his face.
There's a heavy silence that grows, making Clary feel more uneasy than ever. She finally looks at where she is, and she's reminded of the spot in Dagobah, the place that made her feel most vulnerable; Master Yoda had said that it was the Dark Side of Dagobah, to keep balance between the Light. Clary recalls how she had felt in that moment, afraid and weak. Her uneasiness almost seems to grow as she meets Luke's gaze again. The darkness in his eyes hasn't faltered.
"Luke?" Clary inhales sharply, reaching out to him, but he flinches away from her. Although he doesn't say a word, it's as if he's saying everything with the look in his eyes. Clary lowers her hand, confused and more vulnerable than ever.
The darkness glowering in Luke's eyes doesn't go away. Clary's never seen him look so cold and unforgiving. She doesn't know what to do. She stares helplessly, unable to figure out what's wrong.
And before she knows it, he begins to fade away. Eyes wide, Clary watches as the boy she's grown to love slowly disappears from him, and she starts forward, reaching out for him again.
"No, Luke!" The desperation in Clary's voice is evident as she attempts to grab him by the hand, but it falls through. He's transparent, disappearing with ease. Clary's heart begins to ache as she attempts to grab at him desperately. "Please, don't leave me."
Her attention is diverted as something moves behind her. She turns to see Han, his expression unreadable as he meets her gaze. She stares, unable to move, and watches as she sees a shadow of herself make its way towards him.
"Han!" Clary exclaims, starting forward, but stops almost instantly as the ghost of herself gets to him quicker. The gleam in their eyes is evil and malicious, and Clary screams in agony when the same scene is played over again; Han falls to the ground, unmoving, at the hands of his own sister. The tears stream down Clary's face, staining her cheeks, unable to look at her brother lying on the ground in front of her. The only sound that can be heard is the gentle hum of the lightsaber, echoing softly within the system.
Clary falls backwards, suddenly, eyes wide when the sound of the lightsaber grows louder, right at her ears. She stares, unable to comprehend what's happening as Luke stands in front of her once more. The darkness in his eyes doesn't fade, and Clary soon recognizes it as disgust. She feels her heart breaking, and she inhales sharply as he holds his lightsaber to her, just a few inches away from her face.
For a moment, everything is quiet. Nothing can be heard aside from the hum of the lightsaber and Clary's gasping breaths. And then, Luke finally speaks.
"This is all your fault."
Clary's brow furrows, and she stares at him hopelessly, her heart aching.
"Luke —" Clary starts, but she's unable to finish her sentence as Luke suddenly collapses to his knees in front of her. He staggers, then finally looks up, the darkness in his eyes gone, but instead, the look of vulnerability shines.
"Clary —" He manages to gasp, and Clary looks down to see that he's no longer holding the lightsaber. It rests in Clary's hands, ignited through Luke, and Clary lets go immediately, eyes watering.
She opens her mouth, in the beginning of a strangled scream of anguish and despair, but the minute she blinks her tears away, the vision is gone. Luke is gone, Han is gone, and the dreaded lightsaber is gone.
Clary is left alone, with the guilt of what she had just seen. The tears don't stop and she blinks again, eyes burning.
"Destroy what destroys you, Clary."
The whisper is back, and Clary looks around sharply. The dark figure is nowhere to be seen, but Clary can sense them. She clenches her fists, enraged.
"Who are you?" she demands. "Why are you doing this!"
"I haven't done a thing." The figure stands in front of Clary, and she looks up at it, breathing heavily. "This is all your potential."
"Potential?" Clary exclaims, nearly spitting the word. Her heart is still aching and she feels as if she'll burst with the pain of it.
The dark figure lifts their head ever-so slightly, and the dark glittering eyes that have haunted Clary ever since she was a small child stare back at her, taunting her mercilessly.
"Love will destroy you, Clary," they whisper. Clary is shaking as they step towards her. "Destroy it before it can get to you."
Clary opens her mouth to bite a stinging retort at them, but like always, her voice is closed off as the figure raises their hand. Gasping for breath, Clary feels her airways shut off instantly, the pressure on her throat unbearable. She attempts to struggle against the force the figure is pushing on her, but she's unable to move. She's as vulnerable as ever, but she can't do a thing about it.
The pain doesn't seem to stop. Clary feels herself growing weaker and weaker by the second, and the pressure on her throat doesn't go away. She can't breathe, she can't move, she can't speak. Her vision grows blurry as she chokes on the words she can't form, the figure still standing before her, their eyes dark yet smiling.
And, finally, everything goes black.
Clary sits up, gasping for breath, her hands making their way to her throat. She inhales sharply, coughing, as she touches it lightly. She looks around, and through the windows of the Rebel base, the faint light of morning shines in, lighting the room.
Glancing around the room, Clary sighs loudly, falling back on the bed. She stares up at the ceiling, unable to concentrate. It's been nearly a year since Luke has returned to the Dagobah system to complete his Jedi training. Once he returns, however, the rescue party for Han will commence once and for all.
As if on cue, there's movement at the door, and it opens instantly to reveal the two droids R2-D2 and C-3P0. Clary jumps to her feet almost instantly, and the bronze droid turns in her direction, with R2 making excited beeps at the sight of her.
"Miss Clary! We didn't wake you, I hope?"
She ignores his question. "Is Luke back?"
"Y-Yes, him and R2 returned this morning —" Clary doesn't allow him to finish as she races past him. She hears R2-D2 beeping loudly behind her as he attempts to follow after her as she races down the hall.
"Miss Clary, R2! Wait for me," C-3P0 exclaims, slowly attempting to catch up with the younger Solo and the droid.
Clary ignores his protests; the only thing on her mind is seeing Luke again. She needs to see him again. She needs to make sure that he's okay, that everything is okay. That her dream was only just that — a dream, and nothing more.
Once she turns the corner, she spots him almost instantly. He's leaning against the wall, eyes closed. He looks different, almost as if he's no longer the young, naïve boy Clary had met in the Cantina of Tatooine, but instead, he looks mature and lost in thought, almost reminiscent of Ben.
Clary opens her mouth, and his name has barely left her lips before he turns around, eyes opening almost instantly. He meets her gaze, and Clary feels a rush of emotions, hitting her harshly. She inhales sharply, looking into his all-familiar blue eyes, and she feels a rush of relief now, seeing that they aren't dark and glowering like in her dream, but they're warm and bright, beautiful and intoxicating as always.
"Clary —" Luke starts, but he's cut off almost instantly as she runs towards him, hugging him as tightly as possible. He laughs at the sudden impact, and Clary smiles into the embrace, holding him close. He wraps his arms around her, hugging her back just as tightly. "I missed you, too," he murmurs. He then pulls away, looking into Clary's eyes as he adds, "I missed you more than anything."
It's only the two of them, like it always is, like it always feels like. Clary feels herself growing lost in Luke's eyes. He leans closer, but is stopped almost instantly as the talkative, bronze droid finally makes his way around the corner.
"Oh, Master Luke! It's so good to see you again."
Luke sighs, glancing back at the droid.
"Hello, 3P0."
Clary smiles, and Luke looks back at her, the look in his eyes changing. The concern is evident as he searches her face, and he brings a hand up to touch the side of Clary's face.
"What's wrong, Clary?"
She blinks, startled by his sudden question, but continues smiling nonetheless. "I'm fine, Luke." Moments of her dream flash in her mind, but she pushes them away.
Luke is silent, watching her for a moment longer, obviously not convinced. Clary lifts her hand, grabbing a hold of Luke's.
"I really am fine," she insists. She feels her cheeks flush as she admits softly, "Especially now since you're here."
He smiles warmly, bringing her hands up and kissing them gently. Clary watches him in awe; it's only been a year, but so much about him as changed. He's mature, calm and reserved — he has become the Jedi he has always sought out to be. Clary feels her heart swell with a sense of pride, and she wants nothing more than to hold on to him and never let go. Her feelings overcome her, and she feels the same as she always has whenever she looks at him: sad. But now, there's a sense of earnest, a rush of desire that makes Clary need Luke with her more than anything.
He starts laughing suddenly, lightly under his breath, and Clary stares at him, confused.
"What?"
He doesn't answer her, his laughter only grows. He avoids Clary's accusing gaze, and she gawks at him, unsure of whether or not she should be flustered or confused.
"Luke," Clary says pointedly, feeling her ears redden. Luke finally dares to meet her gaze, blue eyes shining. He brings his hand up to brush his fingers against her cheek, a delicate yet loving gesture that makes Clary's heart rate spike considerably.
"It seems like you missed me more than I missed you," he jokes, and Clary feels a rush of embarrassment cloud over.
"Y...You read my mind with the Force?" she exclaims, cheeks red. Luke starts laughing again, and Clary turns away. She hears R2-D2 beeping hysterically, but she doesn't dare look the droid's way.
Before she can leave in her heavy state of fluster, Luke wraps his arms around her, pulling her close once more as he hugs her from behind. He rests his chin on her shoulder, tilting his head, allowing his lips to brush against her cheek softly.
"I felt your emotions," he says. Clary grows more embarrassed under his touch, and she wants nothing more than to distract herself from this moment altogether, but Luke holds onto her tightly, as if sensing her desire to run away. "Clary, it's okay," he reassures. He still sounds as if he's teasing her, but that soon turns into sincerity as he adds, "I feel the same way."
Clary finally manages to turn, facing the boy standing in front of her. She brings her hand up, lightly hitting the side of his face; not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to make him flinch.
"Stop making fun of me, pretty boy," she says. Luke's grin doesn't fade, and he opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut off as C-3P0 returns to the scene, turning around.
"Princess Leia!" he exclaims, getting both Clary and Luke's attention. The two glance in the direction of the princess, and the look of relief is evident on her face.
"Luke," she says.
He smiles, stepping away from Clary for a few minutes to greet her. She hugs him tightly, and something about the way Leia smiles is reminiscent to Clary, although she can't quite pinpoint why.
"We've been trying to track Jabba the Hutt's recent location since you've been gone," Leia informs him after they pull away. "We thought he would have tried to move somewhere, but he's remained on Tatooine."
Luke nods, glancing back at Clary. The concern is evident in his blue eyes, but Clary doesn't meet his gaze. Although it's been a year, the empty ache she feels in her chest every time Han's situation is mentioned doesn't seem to go away. She can't help but feel the guilt; it's overpowering, and it makes her chest hurt more and more. She should be with him. It should always be her over Han, always.
"Clary," Luke says, voice soft, and he's beside her once again. She looks at him and the determination is evident in his glittering blue gaze. "We're going to get him back. I promise."
Clary nods, unsure of what to say. Luke looks back at Leia.
"I have a plan." His eyes flicker towards the droids in front of them, and he steps towards R2. The droid beeps with familiarity at the sight of him, and he smiles, crouching down in front of it. He retrieves a small memory code from his pocket, and looking back at R2-D2, he inputs it into the droid. "Play this for Jabba once you and 3P0 get to Tatooine."
"I beg your pardon?" C-3P0 says suddenly at the mention of his name. "We're going to Jabba the Hutt first?"
Luke doesn't answer him, he merely looks back at Clary and Leia.
"Is Lando still here?" Leia nods, ushering to his post, and Luke follows after her. Clary watches as they disappears down the corridor, and R2 lets out a string of beeps pointed at C-3P0, gaining her attention. She glances at the droids, watching them quietly.
"Oh dear," 3P0 says. R2 beeps at him and he snaps, "No I trust Master Luke, R2. I just hope his plan will work."
Clary glances away, her heart growing heavy. It seems C-3P0 has voiced out the concerns she had kept hidden deep down. From everything that's happened, Han getting frozen in carbonate to the dream Clary had, she can't help but worry.
She can only hope that they aren't too late.