Classic Star Wars Quotes

Just above our terror, the stars painted this story in perfect silver calligraphy. And our souls, too often abused by ignorance, covered our eyes with mercy.

I am called a great swordsman because I invented a lethal style; but who is greater, the creator of a killing form—or the master of the classic form?" "I'm very flattered that you would consider me a master but really—" "Not a master. The master.

Well, I’ve been a musician my whole life. When I was two, I would sing the theme from Star Wars in my crib; my mom taped it for proof. Then, when I was five, I asked for a violin. No one knew why I would want one, but my wish was granted and I ended up a classically trained fiddler by age 12. The only problem with that was, when you’re a classical violinist, everybody expects you to be satisfied with playing Tchaikovsky for the rest of your life, and saying you want to play jazz, rock, write songs, sing your songs, hook up your fiddle to a guitar amp, sleep with your 4-track recorder, mess around with synths, dress like Tinkerbell in combat boots, AND play Tchaikovsky is equivalent to spitting on the Pope.

What are the dead, anyway, but waves and energy? Light shining from a dead star? That, by the way, is a phrase of Julian's. I remember it from a lecture of his on the Iliad, when Patroklos appears to Achilles in a dream. There is a very moving passage where Achilles overjoyed at the sight of the apparition – tries to throw his arms around the ghost of his old friend, and it vanishes. The dead appear to us in dreams, said Julian, because that's the only way they can make us see them; what we see is only a projection, beamed from a great distance, light shining at us from a dead star… Which reminds me, by the way, of a dream I had a couple of weeks ago. I found myself in a strange deserted city – an old city, like London – underpopulated by war or disease. It was night; the streets were dark, bombed-out, abandoned. For a long time, I wandered aimlessly – past ruined parks, blasted statuary, vacant lots overgrown with weeds and collapsed apartment houses with rusted girders poking out of their sides like ribs. But here and there, interspersed among the desolate shells of the heavy old public buildings, I began to see new buildings, too, which were connected by futuristic walkways lit from beneath. Long, cool perspectives of modern architecture, rising phosphorescent and eerie from the rubble. I went inside one of these new buildings. It was like a laboratory, maybe, or a museum. My footsteps echoed on the tile floors.There was a cluster of men, all smoking pipes, gathered around an exhibit in a glass case that gleamed in the dim light and lit their faces ghoulishly from below. I drew nearer. In the case was a machine revolving slowly on a turntable, a machine with metal parts that slid in and out and collapsed in upon themselves to form new images. An Inca temple… click click click… the Pyramids… the Parthenon. History passing beneath my very eyes, changing every moment. 'I thought I'd find you here,' said a voice at my elbow. It was Henry. His gaze was steady and impassive in the dim light. Above his ear, beneath the wire stem of his spectacles, I could just make out the powder burn and the dark hole in his right temple. I was glad to see him, though not exactly surprised. 'You know,' I said to him, 'everybody is saying that you're dead.' He stared down at the machine. The Colosseum… click click click… the Pantheon. 'I'm not dead,' he said. 'I'm only having a bit of trouble with my passport.' 'What?' He cleared his throat. 'My movements are restricted,' he said. 'I no longer have the ability to travel as freely as I would like.' Hagia Sophia. St. Mark's, in Venice. 'What is this place?' I asked him. 'That information is classified, I'm afraid.' 1 looked around curiously. It seemed that I was the only visitor. 'Is it open to the public?' I said. 'Not generally, no.' I looked at him. There was so much I wanted to ask him, so much I wanted to say; but somehow I knew there wasn't time and even if there was, that it was all, somehow, beside the point. 'Are you happy here?' I said at last. He considered this for a moment. 'Not particularly,' he said. 'But you're not very happy where you are, either.' St. Basil's, in Moscow. Chartres. Salisbury and Amiens. He glanced at his watch. 'I hope you'll excuse me,' he said, 'but I'm late for an appointment.' He turned from me and walked away. I watched his back receding down the long, gleaming hall.

[Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.

His in-house intercom greeted him with a cheery 'Welcome home, Bart,' and his server droid - custom-made to replicate Princess Leia, classic 'Star Wars,' slave-girl mode (he was a nerd, but he was still a guy) - strolled out to offer him his favorite orange fizzy with crushed ice.

I am always drawn back to places where I have lived, the houses and their neighborhoods. For instance, there is a brownstone in the East Seventies where, during the early years of the war, I had my first New York apartment.

...while epic fantasy is based on the fairy tale of the just war, that’s not one you’ll find in Grimm or Disney, and most will never recognize the shape of it. I think the fantasy genre pitches its tent in the medieval campground for the very reason that we even bother to write stories about things that never happened in the first place: because it says something subtle and true about our own world, something it is difficult to say straight out, with a straight face. Something you need tools to say, you need cheat codes for the human brain--a candy princess or a sugar-coated unicorn to wash down the sour taste of how bad things can really get. See, I think our culture has a slash running through the middle of it, too. Past/Future, Conservative/Liberal, Online/Offline. Virgin/Whore. And yes: Classical/Medieval. I think we’re torn between the Classical Narrative of Self and the Medieval Narrative of Self, between the choice of Achilles and Keep Calm and Carry On. The Classical internal monologue goes like this: do anything, anything, only don’t be forgotten. Yes, this one sacrificed his daughter on a slab at Aulis, that one married his mother and tore out his eyes, and oh that guy ate his kids in a pie. But you remember their names, don’t you? So it’s all good in the end. Give a Greek soul a choice between a short life full of glory and a name echoing down the halls of time and a long, gentle life full of children and a quiet sort of virtue, and he’ll always go down in flames. That’s what the Iliad is all about, and the Odyssey too. When you get to Hades, you gotta have a story to tell, because the rest of eternity is just forgetting and hoping some mortal shows up on a quest and lets you drink blood from a bowl so you can remember who you were for one hour. And every bit of cultural narrative in America says that we are all Odysseus, we are all Agamemnon, all Atreus, all Achilles. That we as a nation made that choice and chose glory and personal valor, and woe betide any inconvenient “other people” who get in our way. We tell the tales around the campfire of men who came from nothing to run dotcom empires, of a million dollars made overnight, of an actress marrying a prince from Monaco, of athletes and stars and artists and cowboys and gangsters and bootleggers and talk show hosts who hitched up their bootstraps and bent the world to their will. Whose names you all know. And we say: that can be each and every one of us and if it isn’t, it’s your fault. You didn’t have the excellence for it. You didn’t work hard enough. The story wasn’t about you, and the only good stories are the kind that have big, unignorable, undeniable heroes.

Deanna Durbin's movies are about innocence and sweetness. They're from a different time and a different place. Outside the movie house, there was Depression, poverty, war, death, and loss. Audiences then were willing to pretend, to enter into a game of escape. No one really thought that the world was like a Deanna Durbin movie, they just wanted to pretend it was for about an hour and a half.

You don't want some tacky Vegas fly-by. You're serious. You're serious about friendships, about your work, your family. You're serious about Star Wars, and you active dislike of Jar Jar Binks---" "Well, God. Come on, anyone who---" "You're serious," she continued before he went on a Jar Jar rant, "about living your life on your terms, and being easygoing doesn't negate that one bit. You're serious about what kind of kryptonite is more lethal to Superman." "You have to go with the classic green. I told you, the gold can strip Kryptonians' powers permanently, but---"... ..."Mkae all the lists you want, Cilla. Love? It's green kryptonite. it powers out all the rest.

I lift my chin and let myself stare into his eyes. “One of these days it’s all going to catch up with you.” “Not today, though,” he rasps, nailing the line, then trapping my hips against his, pinning me in place. It’s like the erotic version of the Star Wars trash compactor scene. Don’t judge my metaphors. It’s a classic

So this is what a black pepper pork bun really tastes like!" The bun is flaky, and crispy, like a piecrust! The juicy pork filling is seasoned with just enough black pepper to give it a good bite! All the minced green onion mixed in with it makes it even better! The whole thing is overflowing with the mellow and meaty umami goodness of ground pork! "IT'S SOOO GOOD!" "Look! There it is! That's Soma Yukihira's booth!" "Really? Interesting! Wasn't he one of the finalists in this year's Classic?" "Hmm. This meat filling is way too weak as is. Juiciness, richness, umami... it's way short on all of those. The bun itself is probably good enough. Maybe I should up the ratio of rib meat..." "Yo. How're the test recipes going? There are a whole lot of other exclusively Chinese seasonings you can try, y'know. Oyster sauce, Xo spicy seafood sauce and a whole mountain of spices. I did a Dongpo Pork Bowl for the Classic, so I know all too well how deep that particular subject gets." "Oh, right! Now I see it. Chinese "Ma-La" flavor is just another combination of spices! Everything I learned about spices from my curry dish for the Prelims... ... I should be able to use in this too! Thanks, Nikumi!" "H-hey! Don't grab my hand like that!" How about this? Fresh-ground black pepper... ... and some mellow, fragrant sesame oil! When you're making anything Chinese, you can't forget the five-spice powder. I'll also knead in some star anise to enhance the flavor of the pork! Then add sliced green onions and finish by wrapping the mixture in the dough

Give the Audience Something to Cheer For Austin Madison is an animator and story artist for such Pixar movies as Ratatouille, WALL-E, Toy Story 3, Brave, and others. In a revealing presentation Madison outlined the 7-step process that all Pixar movies follow. 1. Once there was a ___. 3 [A protagonist/ hero with a goal is the most important element of a story.] 2. Every day he ___. [The hero’s world must be in balance in the first act.] 3. Until one day ___. [A compelling story introduces conflict. The hero’s goal faces a challenge.] 4. Because of that ___. [This step is critical and separates a blockbuster from an average story. A compelling story isn’t made up of random scenes that are loosely tied together. Each scene has one nugget of information that compels the next scene.] 5. Because of that ___. 6. Until finally ____. [The climax reveals the triumph of good over evil.] 7. Ever since then ___. [The moral of the story.] The steps are meant to immerse an audience into a hero’s journey and give the audience someone to cheer for. This process is used in all forms of storytelling: journalism, screenplays, books, presentations, speeches. Madison uses a classic hero/ villain movie to show how the process plays out—Star Wars. Here’s the story of Luke Skywalker. Once there was a farm boy who wanted to be a pilot. Every day he helped on the farm. Until one day his family is killed. Because of that he joins legendary Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. Because of that he hires the smuggler Han Solo to take him to Alderaan. Until finally Luke reaches his goal and becomes a starfighter pilot and saves the day. Ever since then Luke’s been on the path to be a Jedi knight. Like millions of others, I was impressed with Malala’s Nobel Peace prize–winning acceptance speech. While I appreciated the beauty and power of her words, it wasn’t until I did the research for this book that I fully understood why Malala’s words inspired me. Malala’s speech perfectly follows Pixar’s 7-step storytelling process. I doubt that she did this intentionally, but it demonstrates once again the theme in this book—there’s a difference between a story, a good story, and a story that sparks movements.

El dolor era una carga demasiado pesada para arrastrarla en un viaje a través de las estrellas.

In July, Lin Piao, China’s Minister of Defense, publishes a declaration, “Long Live the Victory of the People’s War!” which calls upon the underdeveloped nations, likened to the “rural areas of the world,” to join forces against American and Western imperialism, the “cities of the world.

be funny nor attempt to deal analytically with social ills.4 Even the original title (Gangway!) and the original setting (warring Catholics and Jews in a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story) held little promise for commercial or artistic success. In addition, the show would feature no stars, and the cast—consisting primarily of dancers—might be inexperienced kids pulled from the streets of New York (if the New York press was to be believed), not from dance rehearsal halls. The score, written by a classical music conductor, would be dissonant and fiendishly difficult to play and sing and would include—of all things—a fugue. The teenagers, whose dialogue was written by a middle-aged Jewish playwright, would speak in an invented street slang, uttering lines like “womb to tomb” and “cracko Jacko.” The backers’ meetings continually and repeatedly failed to attract investors for producer Cheryl Crawford, who finally dumped the project shortly before rehearsals were to begin. It is no surprise that no one thought this show would succeed.

On the shuttle, Darth Vader peered through a window at the monstrous assemblage. He thought, Even if it succeeds where the previous Death Star failed, it is an infant’s trinket compared to the power of the Force.

R2-D2 was more optimistic about the fate of their friends. For one thing, Lando could take care of himself pretty well. Also, the droid knew that Chewbacca hadn’t even arrived yet at Jabba’s palace, although he didn’t bother mentioning this detail to C-3PO. Sometimes, the less C-3PO knew, the better. The

Artoo, look!” C-3PO said. “Captain Solo. And he’s still frozen in carbonite.

The smelting droid lowered the branding irons again on the upside-down power droid’s feet, and again the power droid screeched. R2-D2, who’d visited many inhospitable places in his long lifetime, decided that Jabba’s palace was the absolute worst.

You weak-minded fool!” Jabba scowled. “He’s using an old Jedi mind trick.” Bib yelped as Jabba shoved him off the dais.

On the skiff, the captive trio stood close to one another behind a guard who was acting as lead lookout on the prow. Han squinted at the desert sky and said, “I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blue, I see a big light blur.” “There’s nothing to see,” Luke said. “I used to live here, you know.” “You’re gonna die here, you know,” Han said. “Convenient.” “Just stick close to Chewie and Lando,” Luke said, scanning the desert before them. “I’ve taken care of everything.” Sounding very unconvinced, Han said, “Oh…great!

Luke lifted his gaze to R2-D2 on the barge’s deck, then gave the droid a jaunty salute. It was the signal R2-D2 had been waiting for. A panel slid back from the astromech’s domed head, revealing Luke’s concealed lightsaber. Luke’s original lightsaber had been lost during his duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City, but he’d constructed a new one on Tatooine. He’d already used it, and knew that it worked.

But I need your help. I’ve come back to complete the training.” “No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need,” Yoda sighed and settled back against his pillow. Luke looked away. “Then I am a Jedi.” “Ohhh,” Yoda said, then shook his head. “Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will.

Approaching Ben’s spirit, Luke asked, “Why didn’t you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.” “Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force,” Ben answered. “He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told was true…from a certain point of view.” “A certain point of view!” Luke repeated derisively. “Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” Ben’s spirit eased himself down to sit upon the length of a fallen tree. “Anakin was a good friend.

Maybe not, Luke thought. He said, “Yoda spoke of another.” Ben returned his gaze to Luke, studying him, trying to decide whether the young man was ready for another revelation, or if it were best for everyone if Luke remained ignorant. Ben made a decision, and said, “The other he spoke of is your twin sister.” Bewildered, Luke said, “But I have no sister.” “To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remains safely anonymous.” Incredibly, Luke was suddenly aware of his sister’s identity. “Leia! Leia’s my sister.” “Your insight serves you well,” Ben said. “Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit. But they could be made to serve the Emperor.

While on Jabba’s barge, the astromech droid had penetrated the Hutt’s data system, and alerted the goons who’d remained in Jabba’s palace that the Imperials were coming for them with death warrants. The Imperial ships could hardly ignore the flotilla of smuggler ships, corsair gunboats, and slave transports that lifted off from the Hutt’s compound en masse; and in the battle that followed, they failed to notice the single X-wing starfighter and Corellian freighter that rose away from Tatooine by a more discreet route.

Vader’s on that ship,” Luke said. “Now don’t get jittery, Luke,” Han told him. “There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance, though, Chewie, but don’t look like you’re trying to keep your distance.” Wondering how he should accomplish this tactic, Chewbacca barked a question to Han. “I don’t know,” Han replied. “Fly casual.

Remembering Han’s inclination to shoot first and ask questions later, Luke glared at his friend and stressed, “Quietly. There might be more of them out there.” Apparently surprised by Luke’s concern, Han grinned confidently and said, “Hey…it’s me.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about Ben, the Jedi Knight, who had served so briefly as Luke’s mentor in the ways of the Force. I still miss him, Luke thought. I wish I’d gotten to know him better on Tatooine, even though Uncle Owen would have tried to stop me. I could have learned so much.…

Don’t try to blame me,” C-3PO replied testily. “I didn’t ask you to turn on the thermal heater. I merely commented that it was freezing in the princess’s chamber.” R2-D2 rotated his domed head and responded with a defensive beep, prompting C-3PO to exclaim, “But it’s supposed to be freezing. How are we going to dry out all her clothes? I really don’t know.

A short distance away from him stood the shimmering, spectral form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. To make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, Luke said aloud, “Ben?” “You will go to the Dagobah system,” Ben said. “Dagobah system?” Luke repeated. I’m not hallucinating. I’m sure of it. “There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me.” Luke groaned as he tried not to go into shock. “Ben…Ben.

C-3PO ran as fast as he could. Han turned and shouted, “Hurry up, Goldenrod, or you’re going to be a permanent resident!

The Falcon’s engines fired. Han flashed a grin at Leia and said, “See?” Not impressed, Leia leaned forward in her seat and said, “Someday you’re going to be wrong, and I just hope I’m there to see it.

Han gave Leia a quick look. “You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake; well, this could be it, sweetheart.” “I take it back,” Leia gasped. More asteroids raced past the cockpit. “We’re going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer.

Darth Vader was not wearing his helmet. He sat facing away from Piett, who shivered at the sight of the back of Vader’s head; it was pale, hairless, and heavily scarred.

I’m not looking for a friend,” Luke said. “I’m looking for a Jedi Master.” The creature’s eyes went wide and his tapered ears dipped. “Oohhh, Jedi Master. Yoda. You seek Yoda.

From light-years away, on the planet Coruscant, the Emperor said, “There is a great disturbance in the Force.” “I have felt it,” Vader said. The Emperor continued, “We have a new enemy. The young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.” “How is that possible?” Darth Vader managed to ask through his shock. Could it be…true? “Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You will know it to be true. He could destroy us.

Ready, are you?” Yoda said, fixing Luke with a severe glare. “What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind.

He is too old,” Yoda replied. Before the fall of the Old Republic, Jedi began their training as infants— before they could know about fear and anger— and were raised at the Jedi Temple on the planet Coruscant. One rare exception had been Luke’s father, who’d been nine years of age when he’d arrived at the Jedi Temple. Yoda had been extremely reluctant to allow Luke’s father to become a Jedi, and given everything that had transpired, he was even more hesitant to teach Luke. Yoda added, “Yes, too old to begin the training.

Run!” Yoda said as he clung to Luke’s shoulders. “Yes. A Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger…fear…aggression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan’s apprentice.

All the bounty hunters listened as Darth Vader said, “There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millennium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive.” Vader extended a black-gloved finger at Boba Fett and stressed, “No disintegrations.

All right,” Luke said. “I’ll give it a try.” “No!” Yoda protested fiercely. “Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.

Size matters not,” Yoda said. “Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Mm?” Luke shook his head. “Mmmm,” Yoda murmured. “And well you should not. For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we…” He pinched Luke’s shoulder. “…not this crude matter.

As Han kept his eyes on the departing Star Destroyer, Leia touched his shoulder and said, “You do have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.” She kissed his cheek, then settled back into her seat.

Go on. Activate your lightsaber. The blue blade still looks so pure. Do you know I’m familiar with that particular weapon? The very one you’re holding? The one that Obi-Wan must have given you. No, I don’t believe you know that. Not yet.

If only you knew the power of the dark side,” Vader said, reaching out to clutch the air with his black-gloved fist. “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.” “He told me enough!” Luke said as he wrapped his arms around the sensor array and lowered his feet to a metal ring. Wincing, he added, “He told me you killed him.” “No,” Vader said, his fist still clenched. “I am your father.” Luke’s eyes went wide. My father? But Ben told me… “No,” Luke whimpered. “No. That’s not true! That’s impossible!” “Search your feelings,” Vader said. “You know it to be true.” “No!” Luke shouted. “No!

Even though Leia had already expressed her mistrust for Lando, and heard his talk of deals that would keep the Empire out of Cloud City, it was only upon seeing Lobot with the stormtroopers that she realized…Lando set us up! She looked at Lando, as did Han and Chewbacca. Lando looked Han square in the eye and said grimly, “I had no choice. They arrived right before you did. I’m sorry.

Leia called out, “I love you!” To which Han said, “I know.

The Force is with you, young Skywalker,” a deep voice rumbled from behind him, causing Luke to turn fast. “But you are not a Jedi yet.” It was Darth Vader.

Darth Vader sensed the change that swept over the pilot in the remaining X-wing. As Vader tried to lock onto the Rebel starfighter with his targeting computer, he said, “The Force is strong in this one!

The Falcon pulled out of its steep dive and Han said into his comm, “You’re all clear, kid. Now let’s blow this thing up and go home!

Great shot, kid,” Han said into his comm. “That was one in a million.” Luke let out a deep breath and relaxed. Then Ben’s voice said, “Remember, the Force will be with you…always.

You must make a friend of horror. The phrase, ad-libbed by a problematic star from a vanished era of cinema classics, came from a Vietnam war movie, but it was true anywhere and Germany was the place where Brando’s words became inescapable to me.

Our life force bioenergy has been known by a multitude of names around the world. For instance: Ki is the Japanese equivalent of chi or life energy; Prana is the Hindu term for Life force, or Life energy. Lung is a Tibetan word meaning inner ‘winds’ of life force; Ruach Ha Kodesh is Hebrew for Breath of God; Nafs and Ruh is the Islamic terms for a kind of ‘soul breath’; Spiritus Sancti is the Latin (Catholic) term meaning 'Holy Spirit’; Pneuma is Greek for 'vital breath’; Élan vital is the term for 'vital life-force' in classical European Vitalism; Orgone was the revolutionary psycho-biologist Wilhelm Reich's term for vital life force; nilch'i is the Navajo term for ‘sacred life-giving wind or life-force’; ni is the Lakota Sioux term for life-force; Mana is an Oceanic-Polynesian term (and more recently also adopted as the term for life-force by several fantasy role-playing games); ha, or the more-specifically Hawaiian (Huna), is the term for ‘breath’ or sacred life force; Ka is the Ancient Egyptian idea of a vital essence or life energy; and, of course, the classic term for bio-energy that George Lucas adopted for his modern classic Star Wars is ‘the Force.

Luke had never seen the Emperor before. The Emperor’s hooded visage was disfigured: flesh sagged from his bulging forehead and around his piercing yellow eyes—even his voice sounded ravaged by the evil that flowed through his veins. Luke gazed at him defiantly and thought, He looks like a corpse.

By now you must know your father can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you.” “You’re wrong,” Luke said. “Soon I’ll be dead…and you with me.” The Emperor laughed. “Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel fleet.” Luke looked up sharply. He knows. “Yes,” hissed the Emperor, “I assure you we are quite safe from your friends here.” He turned to walk back to his throne. “Your overconfidence is your weakness,” Luke stated. The Emperor stopped and glanced back at Luke. With a sneer, he replied, “Your faith in your friends is yours.

Luke glanced at Darth Vader. He thought, If there’s even a trace of Anakin Skywalker left, he wouldn’t stand by and allow this to continue. But all Darth Vader did was return Luke’s gaze.

Luke closed his eyes. I’m sorry, Leia and Han. I’d do anything to save you, but I must resist the dark side. Suddenly, Luke felt a dull ache in his head, and sensed that Vader was using the Force to probe his mind. “Yes, your thoughts betray you,” Vader spoke, confirming Luke’s suspicion. “Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for…” Luke tried to block his thoughts—and failed. “Sister!” Vader said. “So…you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will.

On the stairway behind Luke, the Emperor was unable to contain himself. “Good! Your hate has made you powerful. Now, fulfill your destiny and take your father’s place at my side!

I’ll never turn to the dark side,” Luke vowed. “You’ve failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” With immeasurable displeasure, the Emperor said, “So be it…Jedi.

Using the last of his strength, Luke lifted his arm, and reached out toward Vader. “Father, please,” Luke groaned. “Help me.

The flames rose high into the night. Fireworks exploded overhead, and then starfighters streaked across the sky. Luke realized his allies were celebrating. And not just on Endor’s moon, for news of the Rebel victory had spread quickly across the galaxy. Later, Luke would learn there had been fireworks over Cloud City, parades on Tatooine, and joyous public rallies on Naboo and Coruscant.

Then you must go to the Sanctuary Moon and wait for him.” Vader was skeptical. “He will come to me?” “I have foreseen it,” the Emperor said as he eased back into his chair. “His compassion for you will be his undoing. He will come to you, and then you will bring him before me.

But I do believe they think I am some sort of god.” Chewbacca and R2-D2 found this extremely amusing. Han and Luke exchanged glances, then Han said sarcastically, “Well, why don’t you use your divine influence and get us out of this?” “I beg your pardon, General Solo,” C-3PO said, “but that just wouldn’t be proper.” Getting angry again, Han asked, “Proper?!” “It’s against my programming to impersonate a deity,” C-3PO explained.

Vader and Luke walked slowly toward the turbolift. Vader said, “The Emperor has been expecting you.” “I know, father.” Vader glanced at Luke and said, “So you have accepted the truth.” “I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father.” Vader stopped to face Luke and said menacingly, “That name no longer has any meaning for me.” “It is the name of your true self,” Luke replied. “You’ve only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully.” Looking away from Vader, Luke rested his arms on the gantry’s railing and gazed at the surrounding forest. “That was why you couldn’t destroy me,” he continued. “That’s why you won’t bring me to your Emperor now.

Vader stepped to the railing and tried to collect his thoughts. I must obey my Master. I must deliver Luke to him. But if Luke can kill the Emperor, perhaps…perhaps then I will be free.

Leia moved close beside Han. Looking at the Imperial scouts, Han observed, “It’s only a few guards. This shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Remembering Han’s last encounter with a group of scout troopers, Leia said, “Well, it only takes one to sound the alarm.” Ever confident, Han grinned and said, “Then we’ll do it real quiet-like.

The Emperor continued, “With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant.” “No!” Luke shouted as he spun to glare at the evil wretch. “It is unavoidable,” the Emperor leered. “It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine!

It was all a trap, Leia realized. She thought of the Bothan spies who’d died in their effort to acquire and deliver the secret data regarding the new Death Star to the Alliance. The Bothans were pawns. Everything—the data, the stolen Imperial shuttle, the clearance code for the shield passage—was a scheme to bring the Rebel fleet to Endor.

And then, in a moment, something changed. Perhaps he remembered something heard in his youth a long time ago: an ancient prophecy of the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Perhaps the vague outlines of someone named Shmi and a Jedi named Qui-Gon struggled to the surface of his consciousness. The most powerful, the most repressed thought of all could have emerged from the darkness: Padmé…and her undying love for someone he once knew well. And despite all the terrible, unspeakable things he’d done in his life, he suddenly realized he could not stand by and allow the Emperor to kill their son. And in that moment, he was no longer Darth Vader. He was Anakin Skywalker.

Luke,” Vader gasped, “help me take this mask off.” Luke didn’t have to look at the life systems computer on Vader’s chestplate to know what his father was suggesting. Luke said, “But you’ll die.” “Nothing can stop that now. Just for once…let me look on you…with my own eyes.

Luke tried to conceal his initial shock, then found himself staring into his father’s eyes. They were blue, like his own.

You’re coming with me. I’ll not leave you here. I’ve got to save you.” Anakin smiled again. “You already have, Luke. You were right.” Choking, he gasped, “You were right about me. Tell your sister…you were right.

And then he saw them: two shimmering apparitions that appeared before him in the darkness. Yoda and Ben Kenobi. Then a third apparition materialized beside them—a figure whom he instinctively knew was a younger Anakin Skywalker, from the days before his Jedi father’s fall, his features unscarred and…happy. Luke was right: He was a Jedi like his father before him. The apparitions smiled at Luke, silently telling him that the Force would be with him always.

Leia opened her eyes and lifted her head. She had an uncomprehending look on her face as she said, “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” “Huh?” Luke replied. “Oh…the uniform.” He reached up to pull off the helmet. Shaking his hair free, he said, “I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.

Darth Vader ignored the blasterfight and looked down at the old brown cloak and lightsaber that lay on the floor. Incredibly, Obi-Wan had completely disappeared. Where is he? How could he vanish? What sort of trickery is this? He had assumed Obi-Wan’s study of the Force had ended long ago, and that his powers had diminished over time. But Vader was wrong.

This will be a day long remembered,” Vader said. “It has seen the end of Kenobi. It will soon see the end of the Rebellion.” Tarkin glanced at Vader, then returned his gaze to the monitor. He anticipated with relish delivering the crushing blow to the Rebel Alliance.

Yoda said, “Stopped they must be. On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and his Emperor.” As Luke stowed the last of his gear onto the X-wing, Yoda continued, “If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil.” “Patience,” Ben said with great emphasis, as if it was the one word Luke should remember. Patience? Luke couldn’t believe anyone would encourage patience right now. Facing Ben, he snapped, “And sacrifice Han and Leia?” Yoda answered, “If you honor what they fight for…yes!

Ben looked to Luke and smiled, then he raised his lightsaber before him and closed his eyes. He looked almost serene.

Darth Vader thought Obi-Wan was surrendering, but the dark lord was without mercy. Vader’s lightsaber swept through the air and sliced through Ben’s form. Ben’s cloak and lightsaber fell to the floor. His body was gone.

It was his former apprentice, Darth Vader. Vader had already activated the red blade of his lightsaber. For a moment, he stood motionless. Then he approached Ben. Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber and stepped slowly forward. He’d fought Vader before. He hadn’t been afraid then either.

Vader said, “Your powers are weak, old man.” “You can’t win, Darth,” Obi-Wan said. “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

Chief Bast said, “We’ve analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have your ship standing by?” “Evacuate?” Tarkin said, outraged. “In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances!

Both R2-D2 and C-3PO had spent time on this same moisture farm before, a long time ago. From the astromech’s perspective, the place hadn’t changed much, but he refused to let old memories distract him from his current mission. As for the protocol droid, his memory was not what it had once been.

An almost identical droid had served on the Lars family farm a few decades back, so Owen recognized the model as a protocol droid. If Owen had had a curious nature or dwelled on the past, he might have wondered if he were looking at the same droid, but on this day, which followed many hard days, his only interest in droids was whether they would be useful to him on the farm.

Obi-Wan Kenobi…” he said. “Obi-Wan? Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time…a long time.” “I think my uncle knows him,” Luke said. “He said he was dead.…” “Oh, he’s not dead,” Ben said, smiling as he glanced at the sky. “Not yet.” “You know him?” “Well, of course I know him. He’s me! I haven’t gone by the name Obi-Wan since, oh, before you were born.

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.

Pinching the air with his fingers, Vader said, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Tarkin eyed Vader, then said, “Enough of this! Vader, release him!” “As you wish,” Vader said. He lowered his hand.

Luke didn’t have time for pity. He said, “I want to come with you to Alderaan. There’s nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.

I felt a great disturbance in the Force,” Ben said. “As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.” He rubbed his eyes. Not wanting to worry Luke, he added, “You’d better get on with your exercises.

Although Luke had not mentioned the astromech’s name, Ben did recognize R2-D2. They’d met decades before, on a starship that had been forced to make an emergency landing on Tatooine, of all places. Ben kept his recollections to himself

An elegant weapon for a more civilized day,” Ben commented as he returned to his chair. “For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.

Vader warned, “Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

Tarkin looked to Vader and said, “Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion.” “What do you mean?” asked Vader. Tarkin said, “I think it is time we demonstrated the full power of this station.” He turned to Motti and commanded, “Set your course for Alderaan.

Governor Tarkin,” Leia said. “I should have expected to find you holding Vader’s leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.

Vader looked up at the ship’s hull and said, “I sense something…a presence I’ve not felt since…” Then it hit him. Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s alive.

Luke stopped Ben at the door and said, “I want to go with you.” “Be patient, Luke,” Ben said. “Stay and watch over the droids.” Luke gestured at Han and said, “But he can—” Ben interrupted, “They must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path from mine.” Ben pressed a button on the doorway, sending the door up into the ceiling. Facing Luke, he added, “The Force will be with you…always!

The officer said, “Holding her is dangerous. If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the Senate.” “I have traced the Rebel spies to her,” Vader said. “Now she is my only link to finding their secret base.

Vader stepped to a viewport and gazed down at the sand planet. From space, it looked just as inhospitable as he knew it was on the surface. To think I lived there once that it was my home before the Jedi came and took me away. My mother breathed her last on this world, and for years I felt such…agonizing loss. Now I feel nothing. This world means as much to me as a speck of dust, and all its inhabitants might as well be dust, too.