DISCLAIMER: The following story contains characters that do not belong to me. LucasFilm owns all characters in the Star Wars Trilogy, as well as the characters in the game: Star Wars Revenge of the Sith.

Chapter One - Breakaway

Darth Vader strode towards the command center aboard the Death Star. Each step was heavy; even after two years, his robotic suit felt stiff and uncomfortable. He was pleased that his dark powers had grown, but was dismayed at his obviously regressed lightsaber combat skills. He could no longer jump and spin, but resorted to quick stabs and slashes that, when successful, were devastating nonetheless.

To his master's chagrin, however, Vader had stubbornly held on to his knowledge of the Light Side. Vader knew that there would be a time when he would have to make the most of his skills, every ounce of Force in his veins – or robotic circuits, for that matter – to destroy Emperor Palpatine. To destroy his master. To destroy the one who had promised him Padme's life, and failed to hold up that vow.

That time was now.

In the quietest voice the half-robot could muster, he growled "I hate him." Then he strode forward and the automatic doors opened for him.

"You called for me, my master," he said, hating his robotic voice after every syllable.

Emperor Palpatine turned. "Yes, Lord Vader, I did. I want to check on the progress of the TIE fighters."

Darth Vader was confused. "Why did you not simply call up the engineers? They know of the progress as much as I do."

The Emperor smiled, the smile that only the wizened Sith Lord could make. "Because," he began slowly, "if I were to call upon the engineers, I wouldn't have been able to do THIS!" With that, he raised his hands, and Force lightning began to pour out of them. Darth Vader, alarmed, reached for his lightsaber, but it was too late. The electric current tore through what was left of his body, and the fact that he had prosthetic arms and legs as well as the circuits on his chest did not help the matter.

Then Palpatine lowered his hands and the pain subsided. "Let that be a lesson to you, Lord Vader. Do not think about destroying me again."

Vader cursed silently at himself. He had not bothered to hide his emotions before stepping through the door. He had neglected his Jedi training. He would do better to meditate, he thought, when all this was over.

The half-human half-robot slowly pulled himself off the floor, groaning mechanically. "Yes, master." Hatred surged through his veins, and he didn't bother to stop himself. Pulling out his lightsaber, he ignited it, its red blade humming to life.

In a flash, Darth Sidious' identical blade was out, and the two Sith, master and apprentice, prepared to do battle.

"You will not control the galaxy anymore, Sidious," spoke Vader. At this, Emperor Palpatine emitted a laugh, low and menacing at first, then developing into a high, evil shriek.

Vader's mask showed no emotion, but if it could, it would be furious. With a cry, he pushed off from where he stood and lunged at his former master, raining blows upon Darth Sidious that not even Master Yoda could have outdone.

--

Darth Sidious couldn't help but be impressed as he saw his apprentice draw energy from the Dark Side and unleash it through his lightsaber. He knew that Vader was nowhere near his full strength – he had yet to recover from his devastating defeat to Master Kenobi at Mustafar – but he knew that his power must have been overwhelming. As he fought to keep his lightsaber between Vader's and his body, however, he sensed that Vader was completely disciplined. Maybe it was the mask, but Darth Vader was seeming almost ... calm. He seemed completely in control, without giving in to his emotions. His vast reservoir of Dark energy was being doled out in controlled bursts.

It must have been Jedi training. But how could that be? Sidious had wiped out Vader's past influence from the Light side long ago. Unless ...

--

Sidious' lightsaber flashed left and right, and suddenly, Vader began to sense something new in the man. Fear. He grinned underneath his mask, he knew that Sidious' skills with a lightsaber were subpar at best. And although he had been weakened at Mustafar, he still possessed some level of skill to do battle with a lightsaber.

The two lightsabers crossed once more, and locked. Vader and Sidious began a battle of strength, both physically and of the Force. Vader reached his hand back, and performed a quick Force shove, not hard enough to shove him away, and therefore out of striking distance, but just far enough so that Sidious could be out of balance when he came in again. But before he could deliver the final blow, Sidious leapt out of the way, and shut off his lightsaber.

"You have been lying to me, Vader."

Darth Vader scowled. Now was not the time to talk. It was the time for battle. "You are still too much of a politician, Sidious."

"The Light side, I sense in you."

Vader's mind suddenly filled with confusion. "What are you talking about?" he said incredulously.

"You have been training."

Vader's face split into a grin under his emotionless mask. "Yes, Sidious. I have. And I will become more powerful than you can ever dream to be."

The two Sith fell into battle again, lightsabers igniting and flashing in brilliant crimson light. Footsteps, Vader's heavy breathing, and Palpatine's panting were the only sounds that resounded in the room other than the zap and slashes of the lightsabers.

Then the hatches and doors opened to the room, and Storm troopers poured in. Vader flashed Palpatine a look and the Sith Lord's smug look told him that during their battle he had somehow used the Force to call for assistance.

"Weakling," Vader spat, and, resolved to take that smile off Palpatine's face once and for all. Again the two saber's locked, and Vader and Palpatine pushed with all their respective mights.

"KILL HIM!" Palpatine shrieked. He couldn't hold on much longer. The Storm troopers looked at each other uncertainly, knowing that if they fired they were more likely to kill the Emperor than the Sith Apprentice.

With a deft twist and flick of his wrist. Vader sent Palpatine's lightsaber bouncing across the floor. Then he stabbed Palpatine's left thigh, retracted his blade, raised his lightsaber up high, and prepared to slice the elder Sith in half.

But the Force told him that a laser bolt was headed towards him, and he instinctively blocked the blast. Vader knew at once that he had lost the initiative and the advantage. With Palpatine moaning on the ground, the Storm troopers had a clean look at him, and opened fire. Vader worked his lightsaber quickly, sending bolts back at the Storm troopers while making his way to the nearest exit. He choked one Storm tooper, and flung him into the mass of other Storm troopers, causing four or five of them to stumble and fall. Vader, upon reaching the door, backed through it, then used the Force to slam the door shut.

One unlucky Storm trooper's arm was trapped under the door. Just to humor himself, Vader reached out into the Force, and broke every bone in that Storm trooper's hand. "That's better," he said, then strode to the flight testing centers.

No time to pick and choose. Vader jumped into the nearest fighter, which happened to be the prototype TIE fighter, and proceeded to lift off.

Storm troopers entered the docking bay. "Damn," Vader said. He activated his shields, and blasted away, slamming over Storm troopers as he attempted to get out of there.

In about thirty seconds, it was done. He was away from the Death Star. He was gone, leaving the pure darkness behind.

Vader sighed in his seat in relief, then punched in the codes to get into hyperspace.