Chapter 9:

"How long has it been since we left the ship?" Padme asked, her voice pitched high due to nervousness.

"I don't know." Captain Typho answered, trying to steady himself as the ship tilted more to the left.

"It's been longer than 30 minutes M'lady." Captain Panaka piped in, and received a harsh look from his nephew.

Typho sighed. "Amidala, M'lady it's time to go." He hesitated as he spoke.

"No." Padme shook her head. "Give him more time."

"We don't have time." Panaka stated, glancing out one of the viewpoints. "I'd say we have less than 10 minutes till we enter the atmosphere.

"I hate to say it, but he's right." Typho put a hand on Padme's shoulder.

To their right two of the ship's crew were rushing around a grand escape pod. "Where is the Emperor?" One of the men, a tall, gangly man asked the other that had approached him.

"His Excellency said he had unfinished business, but would be here shortly." The shorter man answered, with a bow.

"We don't have time for this." The officer huffed.

Tears began to well up in the former senator's eyes. "I'm going to find him." Both her body guards shared a look of annoyance.

"M'lady, we don't have time. Besides he gave us orders. . ."

"He isn't in charge of this mission!" Padme snapped, losing her usual cool. She then regrouped, but still had a few stray tears streaming down her face. "I already lost one man I loved to that monster, I refuse to lose another." With that she took off in a dead run, with Captain Typho on her heels.

****

Beads of sweat began to trace down her brow, she began to realize that with the lack of power also meant lack of air ventilation, and it was unseasonably warm this night. Siri stared into what she assumed were the eyes of her opponent. The black mask was very disconcerting, she hated not being able to read a persons face. The two circled each other for a moment, gauging how to proceed. Vader stood emotionless, his red light saber activated, yet held at his side. Siri held her violet blade in front of her in a defensive stance. "Why do you fight the inevitable master Tachi?" Vader asked in a voice that sent chills up her spine. "You have seen the end of the Jedi, count yourself lucky as being one of the last to die."

"Don't you ever fight without opening your mouth Vader?" Siri said, twirling her blade as she circled Vader again.

"You are a traitor to the Empire, your sentence is death." Vader hissed, with a hint of pleasure in his voice.

"You are a traitor to the force." Siri rebuttled, Vader said nothing. "A traitor to your master."

"I serve my true master, and I now know the true power of the force." Vader in turn twirled his light saber.

"You are a traitor to your wife." With that Vader lunged at Siri, their blades hissing, intertwining. "I guess I found a way under the armor." Siri commented as she duck under a powerful swing given by Vader and backed away.

Siri blocked every blow as Vader drove her back towards a corner. She swung at him and flipped over the tall figure, and barley made it. She then began to head up the stairs, and Vader was right behind her, slashing at everything, including the stairs. He swung at her midsection, and she blocked. Their blades hissed again as he pressed down with all his strength, causing the woman to go to one knee. Suddenly the stairs buckled under their weight and the slashes that Vader had caused and the two opponents crashed to the floor. As the dust settled, Siri ducked into the shadows to catch her breath. She felt a throbbing pain shooting through her left arm. She looked down and noticed a large cauterized gash that ran down her arm from her shoulder to her elbow. She winced in pain, and cursed the irony of how she happened to be left handed. She sat in the dark listening for signs of her opponent, it came in the eerie sound of mechanic breathing. She closed her eyes and tried to call upon the force to mask her presence.

"You can hide for the moment master Tachi, but the dark side is much stronger, and I will find you." Vader held out his saber to light his way. "You can be saved you know, if you give up this fight and join us."

"You never quit do you?" Siri answered, using the force to throw her voice so Vader couldn't find her. "I am a Jedi, I will always be a Jedi."

"With a power like yours you could be of much use to my master." Vader continued. "Tell me, what does this life hold for you? Other than pain, and misery?" Siri closed her eyes, trying not to listen to Vader's taunts. "What could possibly keep someone like you running from place to place, when the Jedi order is no more?" Vader stopped for a moment, and you could almost sense him smiling behind the mask. "That's it isn't it? You don't stay because of your loyalty to the code, you stay for him."

Siri closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep Vader from reading her thoughts. "What do you know of loyalty?" She screamed.

Vader chuckled. "So, after all those lectures about the code, all those harsh looks of my feelings for another, making me feel so inferior to him. . ." Vader trailed off for a moment. "He is no better than me after all."

Siri stood up and faced Vader, her saber burning brightly in the darkness. "He is ten times the Jedi you'll ever be Darth."

Vader walked up to the woman. "Then where is he? If he is ten times the Jedi I am, then why won't he face me?"

Siri clutched her saber in her right hand, waiting for the next onslaught. Suddenly she heard faint cries and blaster fire. A wave of panic shot through her. "No." She muttered under her breath.

"Now you are alone." Vader taunted. "The Jedi are dead."

"No, the Jedi are not dead, not yet. As long as I have a breath in my body I will fight the dark side." She quickly resolved.

"So be it." Two lights clashed in the darkness once again.

****

Obi Wan silently made his way into the private quarters of Emperor Palpatine, he could feel the tides of his emotions crashing against eachother at the thought of facing the Sith Lord. In the back of his mind he knew the ship was crashing and that he probably would die, but as long as he could make up for his mistakes it would be worth the sacrifice. He could feel the presence of pure evil as he walked further into the room. He then heard a low cackling. Obi Wan found Palpatine sitting on a chair, with his back turned towards him.

"You are a thorn in my side Kenobi." Palpatine hissed in his slimy accent. "I suppose you are to blame for my ship's current position."

"None other your Excellency." Obi Wan answered, with a mock bow.

The aging man slowly rose to his feet and faced Obi Wan. "I have always underestimated you Kenobi. I figured you would be no more than a notch on my first apprentice's light saber." Palpatine sighed. "But I apparently was mistaken. No matter, your inexperience was just what my protégé needed to begin his training." Palpatine smiled. "I guess both of us can take pride in what we created." Obi Wan could feel his jaw clentch, he tried desperately to ignore the old man. "Do you think your master would be proud of the promise you kept?"

Obi Wan flicked on his light saber, his sanity couldn't take much more abuse. "Enough."

Palpatine's eyes brightened when he saw the laser sword. "Now what do you plan to do with that Master Kenobi? Strike me down? You don't have time for that."

"Oh I'll make time." Obi Wan held his saber tightly. "I'll make time for you."

Palpatine nodded and began to walk towards Obi Wan who held his light saber above his head, prepared for anything. Palpatine stopped about ten feet in front of the Jedi and stared at him. "Tell me master Kenobi, how are you sleeping theses days?"

Obi Wan stopped short, but kept his weapon at ready, and tried to clear his mind. "No Sith tricks Sidious, this is just you, me and our abilities in the force."

Palpatine smiled a wicked smile. "You may have defeated a Sith once boy, but that was the apprentice you are now dealing with the master."

"You've said it before, you always underestimate me." Obi Wan rushed the Emperor who quickly activated his own crimson saber in time to block. It surprised Obi Wan how powerful the seemingly feeble old man was, how talented he was with the blade.

The two men fought back and forth for a while until Palpatine began to tire. He stood back from Obi Wan. "You're right, I still underestimate you Kenobi. . .a mistake I will not make again." He smiled again. "How is your wife by the way?" Obi Wan stopped, he felt anger rising inside him. "It's a shame you won't get to say goodbye to her." Obi Wan stared hard at the man, trying to ignore his taunts. The Emperor sighed. "I grow weary of you Jedi."

"Then let's finish this." Obi Wan swung his saber at the Emperor, only to be struck by powerful force lightning. Obi Wan staggered from the onslaught of power coursing through his body. It felt like a million small needles were piercing his skin over and over. He doubled over in pain. He tried to hold in his anguished cries, he wouldn't give Palpatine the satisfaction of hearing him beg for mercy, that isn't the Jedi way; a Jedi is prepared for pain, and death. He could feel the electricity coursing through his bones, even through his teeth.

The Jedi master stumbled, and fell to the ground, Palpatine did not let up the onslaught. He smiled as he watched the Jedi writhe in pain. He stopped for a moment to let the Jedi catch his breath which meant he just wanted to taunt him more. "Tell me Obi Wan, how does it feel to know you failed everyone you ever loved?"

Obi Wan tried to rise to his knees, but fell back to the floor. His skin burned when it touched the hard metal beneath him.

"When I first saw you I would've never imagined that you would be the last of the Jedi to fall." Palpatine continued and Obi Wan managed to stare at the old man, his eyes showing his realization. "Oh you had no idea that you were the last one did you? You see I sent my apprentice to take care of the others on Alderaan." Palpatine's words oozed from his lips.

Obi Wan's eyes snapped to attention, then suddenly closed in sorrow. After a moment the Jedi stumbled to his feet and faced the Emperor. "The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end."

Palpatine stared coldly at the bearded Jedi. He then shot the Jedi again with powerful force lightning, so powerful that it pushed Obi Wan against the wall. Obi Wan groaned through the white hot pain that was coursing through his body. Burns and blisters were emerging on his skin. He knew he couldn't take much more. Suddenly he felt the lightning cease and he fell limply to the ground.

Palpatine smiled as he continued to ransack the Jedi. Suddenly he felt a pain run through his back which caused him to stop the force lightning and fall to the ground. He turned and looked up at the figure of Padme Amidala staring down at him, he then realized she had kicked him.

"That was for Naboo." She said with a smile. She then kicked the Emperor again in the stomach. "That was for the Republic." Kicked again. "For the Jedi, but most of all for my husband." She kicked one more time and Palpatine coughed as he struggled to his feet. She pulled out her vibro blade as he got to his feet. "You disgust me, all those people dead and for what? For your selfish quest for power!" Padme raised her blade above her head, ready to strike.

Obi Wan winced in pain as he tried to get to his feet, he had to use the wall for support.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Senator." Palpatine said, whipping blood off his lips.

"No, I really think I should." Padme answered.

"Then you won't have time to save yourselves." Palpatine stated.

"Then we don't."

"Then you won't have time to save Alderaan." The Emperor smiled when he saw the woman lower her blade.

"Alderaan?"

"Your late husband is paying the fair people of Alderaan a surprise visit." The wicked grin widened when he saw the look of distress on her face.

Padme turned to Obi Wan and noticed he needed medical attention. She quickly ran to him and put his arm around her shoulder. "Fine, but you're coming with. . ." When they looked back the Sith lord had disappeared into the shadows. The two friends then slowly headed towards their ship.

****

Siri blocked another blow and realized that she was exhausted. She tried to push her physical well being out of her mind and focus on the moment. She knew she was fighting for her life, and her battle tactic was set on survival mode. Suddenly Vader knocked her light saber from her hand and grabbed her by the throat and held her up against a wall. Siri felt his powerful mechanic fingers dig into her neck, and she felt her vocal cords being squeezed. She struggled for breath.

"I'll give you one last chance." Vader told her in a stern tone. "Where is Kenobi." Siri shook her head, her face turning blue from lack of oxygen. "It doesn't matter whether you tell me or not, Kenobi's blood will be spilt by my blade this night."

Siri felt anger rise inside of her as well as desperation. Suddenly Vader felt himself being force pushed very hard into an opposite wall. Siri collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. She felt her neck already starting to bruise from where his fingers had held her. She finally called her light saber to her just as Vader was heading towards her very quickly.

She didn't even have time to block as Vader thrust his saber into her midsection. Siri felt white hot pain shoot through her body. Her eyes began to water as she looked down at the blade still being twisted inside her. She looked up at Vader as a tear escaped down her cheek.

"I told you I Kenobi's blood would be spilt by my blade tonight, I just never specified that it would be Obi Wan's." Vader hissed as her removed the blade from her, and she slipped down to the floor, clutching her torso.

*TBC.Please review! I know evil cliff hanger.