CHAPTER 10
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Han Solo kicked a box aboard the Millenium Falcon. Stupid, stupid, Han. Why'd you offer to take this guy halfway across the galaxy? Look what he's done? He's gone and left you without telling you where he went. And now you've still got no money and barely any gas.
The young pilot turned from his ship, and, pausing only to grab a blaster pistol from a drawer, strode off his beloved ship and towards where had last seen his client.
--
5-year-old Leia Organa had no idea who the two men standing before her were. A tall and handsome man, save for a nasty gash on his left cheek, and a slightly shorter bearded man. Both were robed. But in the little voice that she possessed, she spoke confidently, "May I help you?"
"Leia?" The taller man's face looked in awe at her. Then that face split into a wide grin. "Leia!"
"Who are you?"
The man feigned hurt, then grinned brightly, turning to his friend, "She's already brilliant. Senator Organa has raised her well for me." Then he turned to Leia, still grinning. "Leia, young one ... I am your father."
Something in Leia's chest dropped, and her knees buckled. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Her father couldn't have not been with her for the past five years. Her father was Senator Bail Organa, representative of Alderaan.
But it was true. It had to be. It felt right. Her intuition told her that the man was not lying.
"What's your name?" she inquired.
The man fought back a laugh. "I'm Anakin. Anakin Skywalker."
"Oh. I read about you."
"Did you?" Anakin's face was smug. "I guess I'm a superstar now, huh, Obi-Wan?"
"Calm yourself," the older man said quietly.
"Yes, master."
The older man turned to Leia. "Leia, where is Senator Organa?"
Somehow, for some reason, Leia trusted the men standing before her. Turning, yet never taking her eyes off the two men, she called out, "Dad!"
--
"Master Kenobi!"
Obi-Wan looked up, grinning at the Senator. "It is so good to see you again. And ... Anakin Skywalker?"
Anakin nodded curtly. There was no need to speak.
"I ... I thought you died."
"I did ... from a certain point of view."
The Senator was confused, but did not press the point.
"Can I ..."
Bail Organa nodded. He knew that even if he resisted, he wouldn't be able to keep Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One of the Force, away from his child.
--
For the next two weeks, Anakin was at peace. He played and talked with Leia everyday, helping her with her lessons, and in general, having a lovely father-daughter time with her.
It was this time, then, when the beginning of the end began.
--
Han Solo walked tentatively to the Senator's home. Raising a shaking hand, he knocked.
The door opened, and a golden droid poked his head out.
"Hello, I am See-Threepio .. I am ..."
"My ship is out of fuel ... I need some credits and fuel to last me until my next stop ... I need to see Senator Organa... could you –" Han Solo froze. "Anakin Skywalker?"
"Force, you are a celebrity."
Han's eyes were as big as dinner plates. "Master Kenobi? Master Skywalker? S-such an honor to ..."
Obi-Wan Kenobi looked around hastily, then ushered the boy in. "Are you trying to get us shot? Jedi are enemies of the empire!"
"S-sorry, sir ..." Han paused to offer an apology, then continued to oggle at the two Jedi.
Suddenly, a comlink buzzed. Anakin rushed to it, and pressed it. "Captain Ozzle?"
"Sir ... the Death Star is within range!"
"What?" Anakin could not hide his surprise.
"Yes, it appears that they are heading on course straight ... to the planet of Alderaan, sir. What are your orders, sir?"
Anakin's eyes were wide with fear. "He's here ..." he turned a frightened eye to Obi-Wan, who instantly understood. Anakin Skywalker would go through hell and back again to keep his daughter away from the clutches of the emperor. His life was secondary to his daughter's.
Anakin turned back to Captain Ozzle. "Stand by, remain under the cloaking shadow. I will join you shortly. I am on planet."
"You're on Alderaan, sir?" there was an obvious edge in Captain Ozzle's voice.
"Yes. How long until the Death Star is within striking distance of Alderaan?"
Bail Organa, who had decided to come down the stairs at this time, had to interrupt. "Death Star? Why would the Emperor attack Alderaan? We are ..."
"In times like these, when the Empire is breaking apart, the Emperor feels the need to destroy a few things here and there to demonstrate his power."
Captain Ozzle's hologram spoke. "He has perfected a new laser weapon, which can and will instantly destroy the entire planet within a minute. You don't have much time, the Death Star will reach planet in less than ten minutes, at best.
"Sithspawn ..." Obi-Wan breathed.
Anakin turned to the frightened young teenager. "You have a ship, you say, boy?"
"Yes, sir. The Millenium Falcon, at your service, sir."
"Good. Take me to her. First, Senator, you should alert the people to evacuate the planet immediately."
--
"People of Alderaan, this is Bail Organa. The Empire is coming down upon Alderaan with a giant weapon. This is an emergency, all citizens are urged to head to shuttle transports immediately. Follow emergency procedure. I repeat, evacuate the planet. Head to shuttle transports immediately!"
The message blared throughout the planet. The entire system was in chaos, and left people wondering just how loyal the empire was to them.
Screams could be heard from the apartment complex, but Bail Organa tried to disregard the pain of his citizens. He had more important business to attend to ...
... like his life, for instance.
Senator Organa wondered if he was fit to be a senator, saving his own life before his people. He consoled himself by saying that there wasn't enough time to save his people now.
--
"Hurry!" Han Solo yelled, fear evident in his voice. Obi-Wan clambered aboard the ship, and Artoo-Detoo wheeled his way in just as the doors closed, and Han Solo began to pilot the Millenium Falcon away from the doomed planet.
--
"Hey, the planet didn't blow up! We're gone! We're safe!" Han Solo whooped.
Obi-Wan frowned, concentrating, and shook his head. "No ... something isn't right ... it's like we're not ..."
Anakin cut in, "I feel it too ..." then was a whirl of motion. He spun quickly, screaming at Han Solo. "Turn right! Hard right! Or we'll all be toast!"
"Wha ..." Han Solo began to argue, but Anakin Skywalker was already moving, shoving poor Han onto the ground, taking the pilot's seat. Pressing frantically at the controls, Anakin sent the Millenium Falcon in a wild spin, turning it hastily away from their current course.
Not a second later, a green laser beam, probably the size of a large cruiser in diameter, burst through the sky, barely missing the spinning cargo ship, and slamming into the ground. Explosions sounded all around the ship.
Han Solo was grabbing onto a handhold on the side wall to keep from crashing around his own ship, his mouth somewhat slack, shocked by how close to death he had just been.
"Next time I tell you to do something, you do it." Anakin growled as he struggled with the controls, managing to steady the craft as it burst through atmosphere, or what was left of it, and into the vast space, dodging debris and rock.
Han Solo managed a whimper and his eyes whirled, resting finally on the fuel gauge, which was now completely pointed to "Empty". "Well," he commented. "We're basically dead weight. Out here in space."
Oh ... oh this is bad, Obi-Wan thought to himself. Suddenly Anakin cursed.
"I'm sorry?"
Anakin cursed again, then pointed out the forward viewscreen. "That ..." he croaked. "Oh ..." Anakin cursed again, then said grimly, "We're being pulled in by a tractor beam."
"A tractor beam?"
"Another one of the 'Secret Empire Projects'," Anakin explained. "Increases the power of gravity, which draws you in. Resistance to the beam is futile."
"Especially since we have no fuel," Han shot out.
Anakin narrowed his eyes. This Han Solo was being irritable. So, captain, do you have anywhere we can stay hidden?"
Han's eyes lit up. "Yeah. Yeah. The smuggling compartment. Follow me."
Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged glances. They weren't going to ask about the smuggling compartment just yet. Leia, R2, and threepio followed.
--
"Daddy, are you sure they won't find us?" Leia's small voice said.
"Yes, I'm sure. Threepio isn't stupid."
For outside of their little compartment, See-threepio and his companion Artoo-detoo stood in the cockpit. Four stormtroopers burst in the room. "Everyone put your hands up! Surrender and die!"
Threepio instantly put his hands up, R2 had no hands to put up anyway.
"Excuse me, sir, but don't you mean "surrender or die"?" (A/N: Took that off Jak II, I don't own that line either)
The guns swivelled around and pointed at the golden droid.
"Oh dear," said C-3PO.
"Are the two of you the only ones here?"
"Yes, sir."
"You fan pilot a cargo ship?"
"Ah .. yes, sir. Oh, no Artoo, I hope we don't get in too much trouble!"
R2-D2 whistled something distinctly like "Shut up and stick to the plan."
"How rude!"
"What is your purpose of this voyage!"
"We had to get off of Alderaan, sir, since His Majesty decided to destroy it. We grabbed a spare ship and took off."
The lead stormtrooper looked at his men. "You two, take these droids into Cell 4-A." The two men hurried off, grabbing the two droids, emitting a loud "No! Wait!" from C-3PO.
The lead officer turned back to the remaining trooper "You, do a standard search of the –"
He never finished, as a blade of blue plasma sliced through his helmet. The other trooper was similarly dispatched.
"Quick, Obi-Wan, let's get these into the main cargo hold." When the job was completed Anakin and Obi-Wan pulled their hoods up, then strode off the ship, Obi-Wan to try and deactivate the tractor beam, and Anakin to save his droids. Artoo he wasn't too worried about, but Threepio ...
Anakin broke into a run.
--
Obi-Wan cautiously walked along the catwalk, when the alarm went off. "JEDI IN CORRIDOR 3" The alarm blared.
Obi-Wan grumbled and pulled out his lightsaber. "Anakin what did you do?"
--
Anakin hadn't meant to do it, he really hadn't. But when he caught up with the two guards escorting his droids to their cell, he recklessly brought his lightsaber crashing down on both helmets, instantly killing the two men. "Go back to the ship," he ordered his droids, before bringing his lightsaber in a defensive position. He couldn't let the troopers know he was affiliated with the droids, or he would have placed his daughter in danger.
The troopers arrived, and the battle was on. Anakin's blade turned back blaster bolt after blaster bolt, decimating scores of Storm troopers ... but they kept coming. Anakin knew he would have to buy some time.
--
Obi-Wan walked slowly, then, using the Force, he opened a panel halfway across the room. Letting the Force guide him, he flicked a few switches, and the tractor beam, he knew, was disabled. Sighing, he turned to move when he felt a dark presence enter the room.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi ... I was wondering when you would try to face me again."
It was Darth Petra, clad in her dark robes and armor, her jet black hair enhanced by the twin sith blades she held. Her thin attractive figure did a few cartwheels until she stood 10 meters away from the Jedi Master.
"Darth Petra ..." Obi-Wan said, the uncertainty in his voice. The sith lady's power, he sensed, was considerable. It would not be easy to best her in single combat.
Just as he thought that, a blue blade appeared on the high ceiling, carving a small, makeshift circle at an unbelievable speed. The large metal floor hit the ground on the lower level with a loud CLANG, yet nobody had come down. Obi-Wan looked up and had to stifle a laugh. Anakin's lower body dangled from the ceiling, his legs kicking furiously. Finally, after a moment of struggle, the rest of Anakin popped free of his self-made trap, and dumped the Chosen one unceremoniously on the ground. If Anakin hadn't been able to use a Force push to cushion his fall, he may have very well broken his tailbone.
"You're just in time Anakin, I was just about to –" Obi-Wan began, but was cut off by blaster bolts. He began to deflect them, until Darth Petra called out "Hold your fire! I will deal with them myself!"
The stormtroopers were silent, and they backed, continuing their routine patrols.
"Now," Darth Petra smiled. "Where were we?" Igniting her twin sabers, she said, "Oh, yes, I believe I was about to kill you."
Two bars of azure light shot out from the two men she faced.
"We do it together, just as we did against Dooku," Obi-Wan said.
"I still ended up fighting Dooku myself," Anakin replied, a grin on his face.
"Oh, very well. But let's do it together this time." Obi-Wan held his blade at his chest, angling it straight forward. Anakin brought his lightsaber cocked high at his head, angling downward in the Djem So ready stance.
Darth Petra got in fighting position as well, her blades and arms working together to form an 'S' shape angled diagonally.
Then she exploded into motion.
Tarra Havanis was a warrior of the Ataro form, performing leaps and jumps that, coupled with her twin blades, allowed her to become a whirlwind of destruction. Working her two lightsabers in perfect unison, she handled Anakin Skywalker with one hand, and Obi-Wan in the other, jumping over their heads to keep them off their guard.
"Really, Jedi, this is too easy."
Obi-Wan only gave her a knowing smile. "Really? Well I guess we'll have to raise the odds."
He dashed to the right so quickly Darth Petra barely saw him. As she turned to locate the Jedi master, the Force told her in her subconscious that a blade was stabbing where Obi-Wan had stood less than a second ago. Leaping back desperately, she barely avoided the tip of the blue blade.
Anakin pressed on the attack, fully immersed into the battle, his furnace heart doling out his energy in controlled bursts. He consistently drove Darth Petra into corners, and only with desperate whirls was she able to get out from a certain death situation.
Darth Petra blocked high, and stabbed straight ahead. Anakin Skywalker leaped over her blade and her head, and suddenly Darth Petra found herself in a narrow corridor with two Jedi pressing the attack on both sides.
She suddenly had a horribly bad feeling about this ...
Working her blades as quick as she possibly could, spinning, and whirling, she managed to extricate herself from the horrible situation, and now, with two blades flashing, managed to hold off an attacking Obi-Wan Kenobi as she gave ground, retreating along the corridor.
--
"Artoo! You made it!" Leia cried.
A stormtrooper jerked his head in the Millenium Falcon's direction. He was certain he had heard something. He turned on his comlink. "I've got something on the captured ship in Hangar Bay 17. Going to investigate now."
--
Han Solo had grabbed Leia's mouth and held it shut, but he knew it was too late. They had been found out – the stupid kid wanted to get out of the compartment, and was sure they were safe but ... guess not. "Here, take this," he said, giving a small blaster pistol to Leia. Leia fingered the weapon. "How does it work?"
"Just watch me, and copy."
The two young ones ducked behind a corner, and when the Storm trooper turned to walk down the corridor, Han darted out from his hiding place and fired three quick bursts at the trooper. Unfortunately for Han, the trooper managed to duck out of sight, and called on his comlink, "There is someone here. He's armed, I need backup."
Han looked at Leia grimly. He had a bad feeling about this ...
--
Darth Petra had run out of places to back up into. She felt through the Force and felt a solid wall behind her. Still fending off Obi-Wan's pressing, calculated, surprisingly simple yet so difficult to defend against, attack, she realized it was no wall. It was a door.
The door to the Emperor's room. So the Force had led her to her master. He would take care of these pests.
The door opened, and Petra leaped high in the air, deactivated her lightsabers, and landed catlike beside her master.
Darth Sidious stood, rising from his throne, glared at the two Jedi, sensing their confidence, and their pride, and he laughed. A long, cold laugh that sent chills down Obi-Wan's spine and had Anakin rolling his eyes, as if merely bored.
"There is a disturbance in the Force, Lord Vader ... did I not warn you about danger? On Mustafar?"
Anakin growled. Why did he have to bring THAT up now? He gripped his lightsaber tighter, raising in a defensive stance.
"You hate me, don't you? Good ... your hate makes you powerful ... join me again, and I will forgive you."
Obi-Wan stepped forward, "Anakin, don't. We have to wait until the best opportunity."
Eyes of pure malice shifted from Anakin to his former mentor. "Your presence, Kenobi, is becoming very annoying." With that he raised his hands and sent a torrent of lightning at the Jedi Master, who lifted his blade and blocked the blast.
Anakin was furious. "No!" he screamed, and, roaring, leapt at the Emperor, who merely smiled, as the tip of the blade sliced through the air, screaming for his head.
Two red sith blades stopped Anakin's killer blow in a shower of sparks.
Anakin's eyes glared at Darth Petra. "I don't want to fight you... don't make me destroy you ..." he growled menacingly.
Darth Petra returned his glare, lifted her blades, and beckoned.
Anakin, like a raging reek, charged forward, blade flashing. Petra backed up, keeping Anakin occupied and away from her master. She leaped backwards into another room, larger than the throne room, and devoid of obstacles, in case Anakin would force her into a corner again.
But she did not know that, away from his master, Anakin Skywalker revealed his true power. His power that had been enclosed by an fragile glass fist of Jedi training.
Anakin Skywalker was a manifestation of fury. The fury had burned through the walls of his training, and leaked out. With nothing to hold him back, Anakin Skywalker was ...
... invincible.
Darth Petra knew at once she had made a mistake. Parrying madly, she whirled around the room, desperately trying to get away from the obviously infuriated Chosen One. Anakin was a wall, none of her strikes were getting through.
And Anakin Skywalker was fighting with one hand.
Just as Darth Petra realized, in this blazing moment, that Anakin Skywalker was truly the most powerful Jedi ever to have lived, Anakin placed his other hand on his blade as well.
That spelled doom.
If that was possible, Anakin's blade whirled even faster than before, and in one graceful move, the hilt of her lightsaber was sliced, rendering it useless.
Darth Petra gripped her remaining Sith blade. Not good, not good, she repeated in her head.
--
Darth Sidious' voice rang out in the nearly empty throne room. "For too long, Kenobi, have you interfered with my plans. Now ... you will feel the power of the dark side." The Sith Lord ignited his crimson lightsaber.
Obi-Wan was completely drained. The fight against Darth Petra, he realized that now that was a ploy to tire him, to weaken him, during this fight. He wasn't strong enough to defeat the Sith Lord alone.
"Strong enough to face Sidious alone you will never be. Die you will, and painfully." Master Yoda's voice rang out in his head. Then he raised his lightsaber, and delivered the first blow. A feint, a stab, then a backstep. The first blows of the two masters, leaving neither opponent injured.
Again the two Masters' blades dances, and impeccable footwork mirrored the opponents, almost as if the entire fight was choreographed by some brilliant artist.
One misstep ...
Obi-Wan's blade flashed right, then swung around in an overhand chop, only to find that he had miscalculated, and Sidious had sidestepped. One massive shove of the Force caught Obi-Wan completely unaware, and he fell to the ground, skidding. Slowly he picked himself up ...
... and was hit with another burst of Sith Lightning. Without his lightsaber to defend himself, Obi-Wan felt the full power of the Dark Lord. The Jedi Master screamed, certain this was the end for him.
--
Anakin felt the pain his friend was feeling, and intensified his attack. The Sith Lady's blade just couldn't parry quickly enough, and most of her blocks simply hit nothing but air. Before she knew in, the Chosen one had spun around in a full circle and stabbed out. She threw herself to the side, and instead of a hole in her chest, she had a gash across her abdomen. She staggered in pain, and Anakin pulled his left hand, and sent a massive Force push to send the Sith Lady flying out of the room, hitting the wall of the throne room, and slumping down, fighting to stay conscious.
--
The Emperor sensed Anakin's presence enter the room. "Good ... Lord Vader, you have done well ... now kill her, and retake your place by my side. It is the only way ... to save your friend," he said, motioning at the heavily breathing Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Darth Petra had heard. Kill me? She thought blankly. What exactly was her master's plan? What was going on? But even as she asked these questions, she knew she could answer it herself.
Treachery was the way of the Sith.
"No. I won't. I won't join you."
Darth Petra, from that moment, died, reverting only to a portion of Tarra Havanis' consciousness. The Jedi, who she had deliberately set up to kill, was granting her mercy.
"Very well then," The Emperor's face had become ugly. "You will watch your friend die." He once again sent a surge of lighting into Obi-Wan's already weakened form.
The Emperor cackled as he intensified his lightning strike. This was the end. The end of the last human Jedi Master, and the final show of force that would have Darth Vader by his side forever.
Then he felt his throat tightening. He couldn't breathe. He looked to his right, and saw Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, his right mechanical hand gripping his lightsaber, his left mechanical hand outstretched and forming a fist.
Darth Sidious released Obi-Wan Kenobi, who fell gracefully back onto the ground, unconscious. He had no choice. He reached into his vast reservoirs of dark energy and focused every ounce of his willpower, into a massive shockwave, that sent The Chosen One stumbling backwards, and releasing his death grip on the Emperor.
The Emperor stood, activating his red Sith lightsaber. Anakin's blue blade met his in midair, and the two began a battle of willpower. Not just good versus evil. Not just The Light versus the Dark. This was Anakin Skywalker versus Emperor Palpatine. This ... was personal.
Anakin whirled around, meeting Palpatine's lightsaber with his own. Crackles and snaps emitted as the two lightsabers struggled to push the other back. Anakin kicked out, hitting Sidious hard in the ribs, spun around and prepared the final slash when ...
... suddenly his blade was gone.
He found it skidding next to Obi-Wan's limp form. What? He thought.
Sidious did not waste any time. He sent a massive shock through the Force, hitting Anakin with the full might of the Dark Side.
... and it stopped, as quickly as it had started.
Anakin blinked. He looked up, and saw Tarra's lightsaber sailing through the air, the Emperor having been forced to dodge the lightsaber, disengaging his attempt to shock Anakin in the process.
Anakin smiled gratefully at Tarra, who slumped back down on the ground. Then he reached into his robes, and pulled out ...
... his Sith blade. Darth Vader's prized weapon.
He activated the blade, watching as the crimson light extended from its temporary hibernation.
Halfway across the room, Another bar of red light mirrored his own.
This was the Chosen One against the Sith Lord.
Justice against Evil.
Winner take all.
--
A/N: Cliffhanger, LOL. I'll leave it up to you guys to try to figure out what will happen to Anakin, Obi-Wan, Tarra, and Sidious. Read and Review!