A/N: This chapter introduces Lord Vader! Yay. Anyway, I really don't have that much to say except: If you like this story, review it! Hell, if you hate it review it! Tell me what you think of the story and what I can fix and what not. Constructive criticism is certainly welcome, as is any suggestions on the story. Anyway, lets begin!
The Terror Of Lord Vader
Two
Space.
A silent, cold, dead void of near nothingness that existed just outside the atmosphere of all the galaxy's planets. This void stretched far out into infinity, an infinity that was punctured only now and again by the occasional planet or moon… or something else.
Something the pale color of death. This something was cold, inorganic and stretched almost as far as the eye could see and resembled that of a primitive spearhead, lolling through the blackness of space almost as if in slow motion.
This something's name was the Executor, the flagship Super Star Destroyer of Lord Vader and it was heading straight for the planet below, Coruscant.
"Lord Vader." An intimidated voice echoed against the contrasting black and gray walls of the Executor's interior, reaching the synthetic audio receptors built into the other's helmet.
There was a moment of silence, cut short by the mechanical respirator breathing that carried an eerie tone throughout the area. Soon, those black eyes of the helmet turned to fall upon the man who had spoken. "Yes, Lieutenant?"
The Lieutenant's words seemed choked at first, but then came in steady reply. "L-Lord Vader, we have received word from Tatooine."
"What is the news?" Vader bellowed, powerful arms crossed in front of his chest, just above the control unit that monitored his life support.
"Sir, Commander Fett has confirmed Obi-Wan to be on Tatooine."
"Good. Very good, Lieutenant." Vader's gaze slowly turned to face the large window that overlooked the strangely metallic-appearing surface of Coruscant.
"That is not all, Lord Vader." The lieutenant looked up to the towering Vader much like a child looks up to it's parent.
Vader's eyes turned slowly back towards the lieutenant, he did not say a word.
"Fett has also confirmed Anakin Skywalker to be with Kenobi as well, sir."
A long moment of silence, Lord Vader and the lieutenant stood with their gazes locked for what seemed like an eternity before Vader quickly turned back towards Coruscant. "Halt our approach on Coruscant. Reroute course to Tatooine on the double."
"But sir." The lieutenant took a slight step backwards.
"You will do as I say, lieutenant, or face the same fate as your predecessor."
"Y-Yes sir." The man gulped, turned, and left Vader's sight.
Once Vader was alone he returned to his previous stance in front of the window. His towering presence faltering only for a barely-noticeable second as the thought of the two Jedi Masters crossed his mind…
VRR! VTZ!
It took only a split second after Anakin and Obi-Wan burst out of the darkness of the next room to take out two of the three storm troopers. The troopers cut literally in half by two half-circle waves of blue.
"Ah.." The third, who had been standing roughly a foot away from the first two storm troopers, flinched at the sudden, violent onslaught brought on by the previously hidden Jedi. Flashes of blue light and brown robes filling him with absolute dread.
Sneering at the third soldier's fear, Anakin twirled his saber once, stepped over the body of the third's fallen comrade and was almost instantly on him. He then brought his shimmering blue blade up in a faux attempt at hitting him…
"Ah!" The clatter of the soldier's blaster rifle echoed in the relative silence in the area as he turned on his heel to run--
Only to collide right into the cold, sharp steel of a battle knife.
"Wh..a..?" The third groaned, the cold heat of a death blow filling his senses. He looked up sluggishly, the image of a green and red helmet coming into view.
"T-team leader?"
"Cowards die like the dogs they are." Boba Fett said with the cold efficiency of a droid, not even giving the man the curtsey of looking at him as he shoved the last storm trooper to the ground in a heap.
Thump.
Upon seeing this display Obi-Wan shook his head, gave his blade a twirl of it's own and repositioned his stance along side Anakin's. "You should have let him go, Boba."
"Kenobi." Boba Fett nonchalantly grabbed a handful of his own cloak and used it to wipe the blood off the knife. "Your Jedi ways failed to help me fifteen years ago. I doubt I'll be listening to them now."
Obi-Wan titled his head with the flash of a small, sad smile. "Your loss."
The three wasted no time as they all burst into simultaneous movement. As Anakin and Obi-Wan moved as one, turning to flank Boba Fett on either side; Fett withdrew his knife, unholstered his blaster pistol and made an unprecedented drop to the floor.
At the time the two Jedi made a dual-sweep with their sabers at the area where Boba Fett had been standing a second earlier. Now, however, he was on the floor and already rolling on his back to fire a bolt of heated plasma-- aimed right at Anakin's face.
Without even flinching Anakin spun his blade and deflected the bolt away from him. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan took the opportunity to make a slash at Fett's legs, an attack that proved futile as the ex-bounty hunter drew a grappling hook from his belt and fired a line at the far wall. Pressing a button on the side, the line retracted-- and pulled Fett away from the two Jedi.
"He's rather fast." Anakin said, shifting his footing to face Fett, who was already back on his feet.
"Not fast, Anakin… resourceful." Obi-Wan corrected him, and the two charged towards Fett again.
Both blades raised, the two Jedi lunged at Fett. Their weapons came down with full force and struck--
Nothing.
When they came close enough Boba Fett leaped back onto the wall he was facing away from and literally sprung off of it, landing in a full frontal flip behind Anakin and Obi-Wan, who's blades missed entirely and instead made two rather long cuts in the living room wall.
Making a half circle turn towards Kenobi, Boba Fett lashed out with the butt of his pistol. The handle striking the knuckles of old Ben with enough force to break them. Yelping, the blade fell from Obi-Wan's grasp--
And landed in the palm of Fett's free hand.
Obi-Wan's choice to favor his wound for that split second afterward proved to be a mistake, Boba Fett stepping behind the old master and brutally slammed him into the wall with his shoulder. Ben was down for the time being, allowing Fett to face the other Jedi one-on-one. "Pitiful old man."
Anakin spun at once and came down with all his might on Fett, blue blade crossing blue blade as Fett had to use all his strength to stop Anakin from cutting him in half. However, this made Anakin open for another attack… and with his blade already engaged it would be impossible for him to block a second blaster bolt.
While fending off Anakin's blade, Fett slowly raised his blaster, aimed at Anakin's face… and fired.
The bolt, however, didn't hit his target.
Apparently Jedi's didn't need their lightsaber to block blaster bolts.
Boba Fett learned this lesson too late, the scarlet bolt bouncing off of Anakin's invisible force power at once and went right for Boba Fett's helmet.
CRRAACCK.
The super heated plasma penetrated the visor of his helmet and struck his right eye. Needles to say, it hurt.
"Agh!" Boba Fett shouted, his right eye completely destroyed from the bolt. Taking advantage of the distraction, Anakin wasted no time in bringing his saber down, full force, on Fett. The strength of Anakin and the distraction of his pain forced Fett to relinquish his footing, stumbling completely backwards as Obi-Wan's lightsaber hilt hit the ground.
Boba Fett fell back, and would have hit the ground, but instead landed in the grasp of the fully recovered Obi-Wan, who had recently gotten to his feet. Obi-Wan's arm snaked around Fett's neck at once and held him at bay in a choke-hold of sorts. "Who's pitiful?"
In desperation, Boba Fett reached down to his belt and pulled the pin off a smoke bomb. Within seconds a noxious cloud of dark purple spewed out. Utilizing the slight distraction, Fett slammed his elbow into Obi-Wan's abdomen two times, until the grip on his neck was relinquished. Obi-Wan sunk to his knees, coughing and gasping for air as Fett made a run for it.
In a brief moment he ran out of room to run, already reaching the edge of the hill Obi-Wan's hut was situation on. This didn't stop him, however as he promptly leaped off the side and disappeared from sight.
"Obi-Wan, are you alright?" Anakin extinguished his blade and dropped to one knee, swatting at the cloud of smoke all the while.
"I'm alright, Anakin. I'm alright.." Obi-Wan waved his hand and coughed slightly still in the quickly fading smoke.
"We need to do something about this." Anakin helped Obi-Wan to his feet, who promptly moved to retrieve his lost lightsaber. "He'll tell Vader what he knows."
"He's heading in the direction of Mos Eisley." Obi-Wan said, shaking his head at the absolute mess that had become his living room in the last ten minutes.
"Well, I can't hear the sounds of an engine, he must be traveling on foot." Anakin clipped the hilt back on his belt. "We can take my vehicle. We'll head him off."
"Let's just hope he doesn't have reinforcements." Obi-Wan exchanged a friendly smile with Anakin, still favoring those bruised knuckles of his slightly.
He leapt, and had just remembered how far down the ground was. No matter, he had survived worse falls.
Thunk!
His body hit the side of the hill, bits of rock, dirt and sand rushing up to meet him as he shielded his eye from the debris. He slid down the hill with great speed until the clack of his boots against stable footing told him he had reached the ground.
"Oomph." Fett bellowed as he rolled from the impact, going from a semi-standing position to flat on his back.
Pushing off from the ground, Fett landed on his feet and dropped to one knee. The ex-bounty hunter took the time to raise his right arm to face level where he clicked on the wrist communicator he wore.
"Lord Vader. Lord Vader, come in. This is Commander Fett. Can you read me?"
A brief silence was followed up by a sizzling crack of static on the other end of the communicator. A second later a blue hologram of Lord Vader popped up half an inch above his wrist.
The tiny Lord crossed his arms across his chest, his mechanical breathing eerie even over a communicator. "What is your status, Commander?"
"My Lord." Commander Fett bowed his head for a moment before speaking. "Kenobi and Skywalker managed to get the upper hand. They ambushed us. I am the only survivor."
The blue hologram stood there for a short while before responding. "And?"
"My lord. I need reinforcements for the time being." Boba Fett said rather hastily.
He could feel the hologram's tiny black eyes boring into his skull. It was unnerving, really. "Head to Mos Eisley, Commander. I have already set a course for Tatooine, I shall be there momentarily. If Skywalker and Kenobi attempt to flee stop them."
"Y-yes my lord." Fett nodded his head, the blue hologram fading from sight. "Commander Fett out."
When it was gone Fett clicked the communicator shut and rose to his feet. Above him he could hear the roar of a land speeder getting ready to take off.
How he pitied the fools and what they were about to face…
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Things get interesting as Skywalker, Kenobi, Lord Vader and Boba Fett all clash in the midst of Mos Eisley. Will the Jedi both survive? Will they escape his clutches? What relation does Fett have with Obi-Wan? And will anyone else show up? Find out in Chapter Three!