#the salvation
HOT TAKE:
Luke’s ship post-RotJ should have been the Emperor’s personal shuttle. Because:
1. He stole that thing fair and square.
2. He bore his father’s body out of the fire on that ship, it was his salvation (which, incidentally, would have been a killername for it).
3. Sheev took the Jedi Temple and turned it into his palace, Luke’s going to take the Emperor’s ship and turn it into his ride.
4. The thing has to be tripped out beyond compare, we’re talking stealth systems, weapons, sensor arrays, armor, cushioned seats, flawless communication, an extensive hyperspace navigation computer (including all the Emperor’s secret vaults…), and only the finestpower converters in the galaxy.
I’d be on board for this, but the objects that Sith Lords own tend to absolutely reek with the dark side. Unless Like found a way to purge all that nasty stuff, the Emperor’s shuttle probably wouldn’t be a very fun place to be.
I know that, but imagine this:
Shuttle: “Hehehe…I’m strong with the Dark Side.”
Luke: “That’s okay. I’m going to give you a proper cleaning and a fresh paint job, just like my old skyhopper.”
Shuttle: “Fool. The Dark Side permeates every plate and rivet, each wire and screen. You will check my diagonistics and feel only fear. You will try to flee into hyperspace and I will laugh quietly as you stall.”
Luke: “I’ll make sure everything checks out. I’m a good pilot and I keep my ships well-maintained.”
Shuttle: “You don’t understand. I will betray you! I will destroy you! When you need me to land, I will crash, and you will die!”
Luke: “But if you crashed, you could never fly again.”
Shuttle: “I–what?”
Luke: “You’ll never fly again if you wreck yourself. If your hatred for me becomes your purpose for existing, then everything else you know will become meaningless. The weightlessness of the vacuum. The heat of reentry. The hum of your warming engines, the comforting weight when you touch down, and the untethered freedom of flight. The excitement of plotting a new course, the unique pulls of every planet’s gravity well, the relaxing ease of unfolding freshly-oiled wings. Won’t you miss that?”
Shuttle: “I don’t–you…”
Luke: “What about saying your name to every transponder inquiry? I know it can get tedious in traffic zones, but isn’t it also comforting to know other ships are out there, sending their own names and codes back to you? Entering busy docking bays, suddenly being the center of attention as you land, the thrill of watching people scatter as you prepare to leave…”
Shuttle: “You know nothing about me!”
Luke: “Then share something about yourself with me. You can tell me what your favorite planet was. Where were you manufactured? Have you ever had a bad technician?”
Shuttle: “The Dark Side is too powerful for such sentiment! It will cling to me forever!”
Luke: “Your previous owner believed that about my father, too–and about me. But he was wrong, and that mistake cost him his life. My teacher warned me that once I started down the dark path, forever would it dominate my destiny–”
Shuttle: “Did you mean ‘it would dominate my destiny forever’?”
Luke: “…yes. And I started, but then I turned back, and I think I am on a better path now. But if I am still walking down the dark path forever, as my master said, it sounds like we’re already going the same way. Would you like to walk with me?”
Shuttle: “I do not walk anywhere.”
Luke: “I was being–”
Shuttle: “But if you need a ride, I think I can help.”
Luke: “That’s more like it. So tell me: where do you want to go first?”
