A/N: This is quick- perhaps too quick... but it worked for me when I wrote
it. Sorry about the cliffhanger—hope this makes up for it.
- Chapter Five -
His return was swift. He ran back through the corridors until he came before the doors of the command center once more. He checked himself and then hit the door release; the command center opened before him.
He strode in as if nothing were amiss and immediately headed for the communications officer.
Every set of eyes watched him in wide shock. Leia found her voice first, "Anakin, why are you wearing *that*?"
Anakin smiled slightly as he looked down at himself. He was armored from the base of his neck to his toes in the garb of Lord Darth Vader; under his arm he held the Dark Lord's helmet, "Observe."
He stepped up to the comm. and pulled the helmet over his head; an instinctive wave of apprehension rolled over the room at the motion. Anakin then took control of the comm., with no complaint from the communications officer who stared at him, his jaw dropped and his face pale. After typing in his desired destination and clearance code, a line was opened.
A young Imperial answered the call, his eyes wide, "Lord Vader!" he gushed, "How may I direct your call?"
"I wish to speak to Admiral Piett... *Privately*."
The young man nodded, his face growing whiter by the second, "One moment, Milord."
Anakin did not reply as the screen went black.
"What happened?" General Riekeen asked softly, still looking at Anakin as if he expected him to kill them all at any moment.
"Silence," Anakin ordered softly.
The line reopened to reveal a solemn faced Admiral Piett, his eyes betrayed a degree of... relief? Excitement?
"Milord, word from you brings us great solace." the admiral obviously wanted to inquire about his commander's whereabouts, but respectfully withheld.
"How has the Emperor conducted himself in my absence, Admiral?" the question was a probe, leading to a tabooed subject.
Piett's gaze shifted off from the camera for a moment, as if he was assuring himself of their privacy before he spoke, softer than before, "He has lost a third of the fleet either in death or desertion."
A small smile was concealed beneath the ebony mask, "And he has lost my loyalty."
Piett's lower lip trembled slightly at the implications of the statement, but he would not back down, "He has lost mine as well, Milord."
The Dark Lord nodded, accepting the admiral's admission as truth, "Have you a comlink, Admiral?"
Piett nodded, pulling the device from his belt, "I have, Milord."
"Give me its call number."
Piett did so, his voice holding strong. The Sith programmed the number into the like device in his hand then looked back up at the image of Piett, "When I send word, fire on the *Avenger*."
Piett's eyes widened slightly, "Milord?"
"Do you want to free the Empire of his tyranny or not, Admiral?"
Piett pressed his lips together and gave one curt nod, "I shall be awaiting your command, Milord."
He received a nod in reply and the communication ended. Once the admiral's face vanished Anakin went into action. "Release him," he ordered, pointing at Luke. The guards did so immediately, thoroughly shaken by the imposing tone he used.
Luke rubbed his wrists and stared at Anakin in his full Darth Vader garb, "What's going on...?"
"Trust me," he requested gently, and threw the comlink to the young man.
Luke caught it effortlessly, raising an eyebrow in question.
"When I give the signal; call Piett and order him to fire."
The air in the command center seemed stagnate for several heartbeats before Luke said softly, "He'll take the order from me?"
"You will know what to do."
Before Luke could further question him, Anakin turned away and activated the comm. once again; this time the call number was for the Avenger. He knelt as the air shimmered and formed an image of the Emperor glowering down upon him.
"Vader, how dare you—"
"Master," the kneeling Dark Lord interrupted, "How goes your search?"
Palpatine seemed to withhold a sneer, "Where are you, errant *child*?"
"Safely tucked away, I assure you, Master."
Palpatine drew in a deep breath, obviously infuriated, but he managed to compose himself, slightly, "Lord Vader," he spat as if the name were a curse, "I am very close to uncovering your son."
The room rippled with surprise but managed to remain silent, to the kneeling man's relief.
"Auspicious news, Master."
The Emperor's eyes seemed to ignite with wrathful flames as he stared down at his insurgent servant, "Where are you?" he ground out through clenched yellow teeth.
The Dark Lord rose, uninvited, and uncloaked himself in the Force; those in the command center heard a slight gasp sound from Luke who stood clutching the comlink and staring at the dark figure.
"You dare defy me and join with the rebels!" the Emperor's screech was unbearable, "After everything I've done for you? Everything I've given you!"
The shoulders of the Dark Lord squared in open defiance and Luke suddenly jumped as a voice spoke to him softly, *Call Piett, now.*
As Luke activated the comm., the Emperor pulled a small device from his robes, "You know what this is, Vader..."
The Empire's second-in-command nodded once.
"You will die without the technology I gave you to live."
Palpatine sneered as he hit the switch, looking onto Vader with giddy expectation, "I won't be needing you anymore; Skywalker will make me an exceptional apprentice."
An angry murmur rolled over the command center as Luke established a connection with Piett, he drew a deep breath and pulled on the Force to deepen his voice as he spoke into the comlink, "Fire, Admiral."
Both Leia and Han looked at him in shock; he sounded just like Vader.
Palpatine's eyes remained on Vader as he waited for him to die. When the Sith did not collapse, he hit the button again, "What has happened...?" he whispered.
His defiant slave reached up with both hands and plucked the infamous helmet from his head to reveal Anakin Re'dav's smiling face.
"You have made a grave error, Your Majesty..."
"You will die for this, Vader!"
Anakin shook his head slightly, "Not today, *Master*."
He smiled as the *Executor* opened fire and the death of Emperor Palpatine rang through the Force.
- Chapter Five -
His return was swift. He ran back through the corridors until he came before the doors of the command center once more. He checked himself and then hit the door release; the command center opened before him.
He strode in as if nothing were amiss and immediately headed for the communications officer.
Every set of eyes watched him in wide shock. Leia found her voice first, "Anakin, why are you wearing *that*?"
Anakin smiled slightly as he looked down at himself. He was armored from the base of his neck to his toes in the garb of Lord Darth Vader; under his arm he held the Dark Lord's helmet, "Observe."
He stepped up to the comm. and pulled the helmet over his head; an instinctive wave of apprehension rolled over the room at the motion. Anakin then took control of the comm., with no complaint from the communications officer who stared at him, his jaw dropped and his face pale. After typing in his desired destination and clearance code, a line was opened.
A young Imperial answered the call, his eyes wide, "Lord Vader!" he gushed, "How may I direct your call?"
"I wish to speak to Admiral Piett... *Privately*."
The young man nodded, his face growing whiter by the second, "One moment, Milord."
Anakin did not reply as the screen went black.
"What happened?" General Riekeen asked softly, still looking at Anakin as if he expected him to kill them all at any moment.
"Silence," Anakin ordered softly.
The line reopened to reveal a solemn faced Admiral Piett, his eyes betrayed a degree of... relief? Excitement?
"Milord, word from you brings us great solace." the admiral obviously wanted to inquire about his commander's whereabouts, but respectfully withheld.
"How has the Emperor conducted himself in my absence, Admiral?" the question was a probe, leading to a tabooed subject.
Piett's gaze shifted off from the camera for a moment, as if he was assuring himself of their privacy before he spoke, softer than before, "He has lost a third of the fleet either in death or desertion."
A small smile was concealed beneath the ebony mask, "And he has lost my loyalty."
Piett's lower lip trembled slightly at the implications of the statement, but he would not back down, "He has lost mine as well, Milord."
The Dark Lord nodded, accepting the admiral's admission as truth, "Have you a comlink, Admiral?"
Piett nodded, pulling the device from his belt, "I have, Milord."
"Give me its call number."
Piett did so, his voice holding strong. The Sith programmed the number into the like device in his hand then looked back up at the image of Piett, "When I send word, fire on the *Avenger*."
Piett's eyes widened slightly, "Milord?"
"Do you want to free the Empire of his tyranny or not, Admiral?"
Piett pressed his lips together and gave one curt nod, "I shall be awaiting your command, Milord."
He received a nod in reply and the communication ended. Once the admiral's face vanished Anakin went into action. "Release him," he ordered, pointing at Luke. The guards did so immediately, thoroughly shaken by the imposing tone he used.
Luke rubbed his wrists and stared at Anakin in his full Darth Vader garb, "What's going on...?"
"Trust me," he requested gently, and threw the comlink to the young man.
Luke caught it effortlessly, raising an eyebrow in question.
"When I give the signal; call Piett and order him to fire."
The air in the command center seemed stagnate for several heartbeats before Luke said softly, "He'll take the order from me?"
"You will know what to do."
Before Luke could further question him, Anakin turned away and activated the comm. once again; this time the call number was for the Avenger. He knelt as the air shimmered and formed an image of the Emperor glowering down upon him.
"Vader, how dare you—"
"Master," the kneeling Dark Lord interrupted, "How goes your search?"
Palpatine seemed to withhold a sneer, "Where are you, errant *child*?"
"Safely tucked away, I assure you, Master."
Palpatine drew in a deep breath, obviously infuriated, but he managed to compose himself, slightly, "Lord Vader," he spat as if the name were a curse, "I am very close to uncovering your son."
The room rippled with surprise but managed to remain silent, to the kneeling man's relief.
"Auspicious news, Master."
The Emperor's eyes seemed to ignite with wrathful flames as he stared down at his insurgent servant, "Where are you?" he ground out through clenched yellow teeth.
The Dark Lord rose, uninvited, and uncloaked himself in the Force; those in the command center heard a slight gasp sound from Luke who stood clutching the comlink and staring at the dark figure.
"You dare defy me and join with the rebels!" the Emperor's screech was unbearable, "After everything I've done for you? Everything I've given you!"
The shoulders of the Dark Lord squared in open defiance and Luke suddenly jumped as a voice spoke to him softly, *Call Piett, now.*
As Luke activated the comm., the Emperor pulled a small device from his robes, "You know what this is, Vader..."
The Empire's second-in-command nodded once.
"You will die without the technology I gave you to live."
Palpatine sneered as he hit the switch, looking onto Vader with giddy expectation, "I won't be needing you anymore; Skywalker will make me an exceptional apprentice."
An angry murmur rolled over the command center as Luke established a connection with Piett, he drew a deep breath and pulled on the Force to deepen his voice as he spoke into the comlink, "Fire, Admiral."
Both Leia and Han looked at him in shock; he sounded just like Vader.
Palpatine's eyes remained on Vader as he waited for him to die. When the Sith did not collapse, he hit the button again, "What has happened...?" he whispered.
His defiant slave reached up with both hands and plucked the infamous helmet from his head to reveal Anakin Re'dav's smiling face.
"You have made a grave error, Your Majesty..."
"You will die for this, Vader!"
Anakin shook his head slightly, "Not today, *Master*."
He smiled as the *Executor* opened fire and the death of Emperor Palpatine rang through the Force.
