Chapter 15
Review Responses:
darth mojo the spork – thanks for the reviews again. Yes, palpatine wanted them to find the data disk – meaning he does have something in store for them. Just what it is ... we'll find out.
Hieiko – I loved that lightsaber battle between Grievous and Obi-Wan. I tried to capture Obi-Wan's demeanor during the fight – calm, almost joking, but serious at the same time.
Kal's Gal – Here's a rule for your next review – don't use the words "keep going" Get creative! Haha thanks for the reviews by the way.
Anwinn – Darth Vader's stuck in his suit because he can't breathe, he has spinal injuries, is burned beyond recognition, and just looks friggin menacing in that suit. Luke just got a hand sliced off. Remember Anakin had that prosthetic arm as well after his first duel with Count Dooku.
On to the story!
--
Gripping his training lightsaber tightly, Anakin swung his blade through the air in crisp, precise motions. Each step haunted him. Every second he was alone hinted of the ultimate decision. His ultimate decision. His Padme.
"Don't you ever get bored of fighting thin air?" came a voice from the door. Anakin mentally chastised himself for losing focus.
"No – yes."
Two training lightsabers hummed to life. "Would you like company? Just like the old days?"
Anakin turned, a grin on his face. The thought of Padme disappeared. "You're on, Tarra. Best out of three. Loser treats the winner to lunch tomorrow."
"We live on a blasted Star Destroyer, how many kitchens are there?"
Anakin grinned all the wider. "One."
The two humans went into a dance, then, Tarra performing leaps and whirls over Anakin's head, and Anakin constantly slashing away.
Tarra knew Anakin was holding back. He had so much power that it was surprising to her that she had lasted thus far. "Stop going easy on me, Anakin, I'll never get better that way."
"Very well," Anakin's short reply was followed by a flurry of slashes. His blade went left, then right, then he spun in a circle, knocking Tarra's blades aside. An overhead chop followed the attack, catching Tarra at the right shoulder. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, leaping backwards.
"One-nothing," Anakin said, launching into another attack, his blade managing to counter both of Tarra's, ending with a backwards stab that, surprising Tarra, would have burned a hole in her chest, if it had been a real lightsaber.
"You owe me lunch tomorrow."
"That wasn't fair! You attacked when I wasn't ready!" Tarra yelled indignantly. Anakin laughed.
"Well then you should have been – whoa!" Anakin's remark was cut short with a flash of light, as Tarra's lightsabers whirled, one after the other, towards him. Only a desperately leap backwards allowed Anakin to escape Tarra's blades.
"What the –"
Tarra's blade continued to whirl, slashing this way and that in unpredictable patterns. Anakin's blade managed to meet all of them. Tarra stopped her advance, and Anakin, almost on inpulse, reacted, launching himself at Tarra.
Big mistake.
Tarra stabbed straight forward, and Anakin's momentum carried him forward, almost ramming himself into the lightsabers. He howled in pain, and fell back.
"Fine," he said, grimacing. "You win one. You still owe me lunch."
Tarra laughed, pointing at Anakin. "But I got you twice. We're even."
Anakin broke into a grin. "Fine. Next time I won't go so easy on you."
"Bring it on, big guy."
And Anakin Skywalker was happier than he had been for a long time, his mind finally somewhere other than where Padme was.
--
In the company of others, Anakin Skywalker was the epitome of greatness. Of power. Of confidence.
In his own quarters, in solitude, he was a pool of sadness.
Of darkness.
Obi-Wan felt this sadness, and he went to confront Anakin about it numerous times, but was waved off each time.
But this time it was important. The fate of the rebellion was placed on this decision. For Anakin Skywalker, his fate was placed on this decision.
Obi-Wan was determined to make the right choice.
"Anakin," he began, "do you think you are ready to kill the Emperor?"
"No," came the short, blunt reply, "It's ... it's not the Jedi way."
"You're not even truly a Jedi," Obi-Wan reminded him.
"Don't remind me."
"Anakin, I can't do it alone. I need your help to stop the Empire!"
"Ask Yoda to help you."
"Anakin—"
"I can't kill him! I need him alive!"
What?
"I need him to save Padme!"
"Anakin, Padme's gone –"
"No! I mean yes, she is! But I can bring her back!"
"Anakin—"
"The Emperor has that power!"
"He's lying!"
Anakin's mind whirled. "What?"
"Anakin, can't you see? That's what he wants! He wants you to go back to him!"
"I'm not going to kill him, Obi-Wan,"
"Very well," Obi-Wan stood up. "I'm going to have to keep you in the battle then. You'll be commander of Squadron Alpha."
Anakin's eyes burned in fury. "The entire fleet is at my command!"
"Anakin, I'm sorry, I really am. But you can't command if you have second thoughts about destroying the Empire. We voted that you have to step down. Temporarily, of course," he added quickly, seeing the fury in Anakin's eyes, the power of his aura.
"We? Who's we?"
"Well, Master Yoda and I. The remnants of the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan said, turning. "I'll leave you alone, now. Report to bridge at 0900 hours tomorrow, we're making the jump into hyperspace. All rebel forces have been alerted and are going to meet us."
He left, leaving Anakin seething in his quarters.
Obi-Wan didn't know it, but those words, Jedi Council, decided for Anakin. It was easy, really. Just a blast from the past. It was how it used to be.
"They fear my power," Anakin growled, to nobody in particular. He felt the darkness rising in him, and he reveled in the power. "The Jedi Council," he spat, "are against me. Have been against me from the very start. They want to keep Padme from me!"
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
His irises burned yellow.
--
Several systems away, the Emperor smiled. "Good, Lord Vader ... good." He cackled. With Darth Vader in his grasp, the rebellion would be swat like flies. It was time to carry out the second phase of his grand scheme.
Turning to an aide, he said, "Pull back ... all troops ... from the Turanis system."
"Sir?"
The Emperor grinned. "Just do it."
--
Obi-Wan and Yoda sat in the conference room. "Master, I just met with Anakin. I'm afraid we parted rather badly," began Obi-Wan.
"Difficult to understand, Anakin is. Unstable, he is. Still, on both sides, he could end up. Darkness, I sense in him," the diminutive Jedi Master said.
"But Master, I'm afraid if we put Anakin in this battle, he may be torn –"
"Told you this, did I not? Rejoin the ways of the Sith, he may, I said. Believe me, you did not. At risk, he is. Have faith he will choose the right path, we must."
Obi-Wan could only nod solemnly.
--
The next day, at 0901 hours, a huge rebel fleet had massed within hyperspace range of the Death Star. "Warm up your ships," Obi-Wan called out, his message blaring throughout the rebel fleet.
"When I give the order to attack, hyperdrive by rank. First line of ships first, until the last. Jump to within 1200 kilometers of the Death Star, but do not engage. Repeat, do not engage."
Anakin turned to his former master. "I hope you have sent Leia and Senator Organa somewhere safe, as I instructed you to.
"Don't worry, she's on Hoth right now, you saw her leave, remember?" Obi-Wan said.
Of course Anakin remembered her leave. It was her destination that he didn't trust. "You're positive she's on Hoth?"
"Yes, Anakin."
"Let me see her," said Anakin, a strange request given the imminence of the battle ahead. Obi-Wan stared. Are you out of your mind? He thought.
He was, however, firm. "You are to stay aboard this ship," he ordered.
Anakin did not respond, staring intently at the wall.
Obi-Wan shrugged, then strode off the bridge.
Anakin watched him go, then turned to the bridge officer. "Ready my fighter," he said, pulling up his hood.
The bridge officer stared.
"Do it, and I will leave you in peace. Resist, and I will leave you in pieces."
The bridge officer, apparently, decided that he liked his body as it was.
--
From the planet of Turanis, several transports, loaded with Storm troopers, launched from the planet surface, towards the giant space station looming over them.
All in plain view of Rebel scouts.
In their haste to inform the Rebellion leadership aboard the Executor, they failed to see a lone transport make it's way back to the planet.
That transport held the newly reconstructed General Grievous and a team of his trusted magna guard droids.
--
"General Kenobi, all troops have evacuated from the planet. Our path to the shield generator is clear," reported the scout.
"Clearly, the time to strike is now," Obi-Wan said. "Master Yoda and I will personally attack the shield generator. The planet is not covered by the shield outside of a 100 foot radius, so we will land outside of that radius, then gain access through one of the entrances. Elite rebel forces will accompany us. The rest of the fleet will engage Imperial cruisers and destroyers until the shield is dropped. When the shield is dropped, Master Yoda and I will board the Death Star, and engage the Emperor. The rest of you, concentrate your fire on the Death Star itself. There is one weakpoint ... fire at will, I have sent you the coordinates for the power generator of the Death Star itself."
"But sir ... what if you are still on the Death Star when we destroy it?"
"Then we will die," Obi-Wan said, a twinkle to his eye. "Simple enough?"
"What about me?" Tarra asked. "I want to fight too!"
"You are to command Fleet Beta in the attack on the Death Star." Tarra turned, sulking. She had really wanted to kill the Emperor, too. She was ready.
"And what of the Falcon?" a young teenager said. Han Solo wanted to be a part of the most epic battle in history as well.
Obi-Wan smiled, "Just kill as many Imperials as you can, young one."
Obi-Wan then spoke into the intercom. "Make the jump to hyperspace now!"
--
The rebel fleet was now within striking distance of the Death Star, which, oddly, seemed as if it had no protection whatsoever. The Emperor cackled. His fleet was on the far side of the planet, safely out of sight. He was confident that the shield would hold up to any blast of the Rebel ships long enough for his fleet to emerge, deploy, and destroy the rebel forces.
He look out the window to see one lone ship approaching. A Jedi fighter.
"Good," he drawled. "Good."
--
"Artoo, request permission for shields to drop," Anakin spoke. Artoo beeped his disapproval, it wasn't right to do this, he whistled. "We've been through this, Artoo, just do it." With a mechanical grumble, the astrodroid sent the message to the Death Star.
"What is your –" the Death Star officer began, but was cut off.
"This is Lord Vader. You are to let me pass and you will drop the shields."
"I will let you pass and I will drop the shields," the officer repeated weakly.
--
Leia tossed in her sleep. "No ... Dad, no!"
Bail Organa went to her immediately, concern etched on every line of his face. He wanted to comfort her, to help her, but he knew he couldn't. He had tried for days to ease her discomfort, but every night the dreams haunted her. Pain, she had told him. Suffering. Darkness.
"You just miss him," Bail had always said.
"No, no," she would always sob. "he's suffering."
And Bail Organa could only hold her, as dearly as a father could.
--
The rebel fleet moved forward, advancing towards the Death Star.
The Imperial fleet emerged from the shadows of the planet to engage.
A lone transport made its way to the rocky planet of Turanis.
Aboard the Death Star, two of the most powerful men in the universe reunited.
Let the battle begin.
--
A/N: Well that's the battle! I don't know how many chapters are left in this thing, but it's starting to wrap up. Keep reviewing!