She's a Rebel [Star Wars | Luke Skywalker] *EDITING*

Revelations

My brother takes another step towards me, and he undoes the cuffs that bind my wrists, releasing me. I back away from him, frowning in both horror and confusion as I rub my chafed skin. My eyes dart around the room, scanning the walls, the floor and the ceiling, wondering if there is some other secret opening that he might've used. But, surely, if there were, wouldn't I have heard it? 

My eyes move back to my brother, who remains stood still in the centre of the room, his face almost blank. 

"What the hell is this?!" I shout at him, shrinking back into the wall. "This is impossible!"

"It's a nice little trick Vader taught me," he begins to explain calmly, as if this is somehow expected, as if this is some sort of dramatic facade to keep himself safe from suspicion. "Taught to me by none other than Emperor Palpatine himself. It's a technique, favoured, of course, by the users of the dark side of the Force, which involves the manipulation of your opponent's mind. It can extend so deeply that they will see you as an entirely different person, and even the most skilled Jedi will not sense a thing."

He tilts his head to the side, and I watch as his blonde hair turns black, and his eyes turn green, his presence leaving the room. I can't comprehend what's happening, and a sick feeling rises in my stomach and chest. I feel as if I'm about to throw up.

"You see?" he questions, his face morphing back to his usual self, but with something else clearly present. A darkness. "Palpatine made great use of this technique during his time rising to power within the Old Republic. It aided him in becoming the Supreme Chancellor in the Old Republic and bring about the Empire. He was surrounded by some of the most esteemed and powerful Jedi the galaxy has ever known, and they didn't suspect a thing. How incredible is that?"

I shake my head at him. Surely this is all a dream, or rather, some sick nightmare. "That can't be," I whisper out loud. 

"Oh, you are mistaken," he replies, raising his eyebrows at me, as if this is common knowledge. "The dark side is a path to many abilities that those on the light consider unnatural."

The way he speaks about Emperor Palpatine, as if he's someone that should be idolised and adored, only adds to the sickness I'm feeling. 

"Palpatine would have taught you too, if you were willing enough."

I can't think of anything to say to him, not really. Only one word comes out of my mouth. "Why?"

"To keep you safe," he says, stepping towards me. I back away from him. He may have the same brown eyes and the same blonde hair as the boy I grew up with, but it's not him anymore. He's merely an empty vessel, his features the only thing remaining of who he once was. He scoffs as he continues to talk. "I mean, who else is going to protect you from Vader and the Emperor? Zach? Luke? They can't, Nat! They're not strong enough!"

My heart sinks in my chest, the realisation of what's happened to him hitting me, and it's now that the hallucinations back on Dagobah make sense. This isn't some elaborate facade to keep the Empire off his back. No, it's much more than that.

"I'm not losing you the way we lost our parents. The way I... The way I lost Luci," he continues, coming ever closer, his hands grasping my forearms desperately. "I've become more powerful than you or any other Jedi could ever dream of being, and I've done it all to protect you."

His words imply that he means well, but his face is displaying something else. Anger. Hate. Aggression. He's gone. He's turned, and I didn't even notice. 

There's a loud bang, a fist on the door, and the noise is so sudden that it startles me and I jump. Evan turns and looks to the door, the noise echoing throughout the chamber, and punches the keypad with his fist. The door slides open, revealing Luke's face.