STAR WARS

Rise of the Empire

NOTE: This is set in between eps 3 and 4, and it probably won't fit in with the story at all-oh yeah-i dont own star wars-if i did, I would not be here now would I?

II

The People of Naboo watched the skies in fear as hundred of Imperial Starships arrived beyond the clouds of their republic. They had known this was coming for eight years. One by One, the Republican States of Alderaan had perished in Civil warfare, weak with no weapons to defend themselves.

The Naboo soldiers patrolled the streets and ushered the civilians inside. They had a grey tinge of hopelessness set deep into their eyes. When their job was done, the vast majority of them rushed back to the Palace to defend the Queen where they were aided by Jar Jar Binx and his army.

Commander Typho stood in the middle of the confusion, commanding his offices to secure all weak points. He knew his blaster would serve him well, but could never stop the onslaught of the storm-troopers.

Captain Antilles, young and proud but with the age in him of a wise old Jedi. He appeared at Typho's side and eyed the Starships as they cast horrific shadows across the beautiful planet.

"Sir." He adressed Typho. "The starfighters are ready to follow the Rogue Squadron into battle straight away."

"Then off to battle with you Antilles." Typho ordered, not in the mood to waste time. Children and mothers were waiting, fear eating at their hearts. He had not time for chit chat with a legendary pilot.

"But sir, it will make it look like we delivered the first blow." Antilles protested. "You know how the Empire are-they'll twist it into a story that we are at war, and eliminate the Republican States!"

Typho sighed. It was his call.

"Ok, ok." Typho gave in. "Take your troops into the forests. Fly low and slow. Strike from behind when you think the time is right. I know I ca trust you, Captain."

"Yessir." Antilles turned and ran out of sight. A strong warrior willing o die for a planet that wasn't even his own. A true man, Typho thought. Then he sighed to himself once more, as he was faced with the ugly maul that was the face of Jar Jar Binx.

"Commander, Mesa bring you moi moi important newsa!" He cried in a rather annoying screechy voice.

"What is it, General Binx?" Jar Jar really got on Typho's nerves, but he was a fellow comrade at war, and was a hero on Naboo."

Jar Jar grasped at his throat.

"Itsa who is on that ship sir." Jar Jar exclaimed, pointing to the largest ship, a sillhouette in the sunlight. "The Emperor himself isa on theresa sir! And Vader!"

The commander's face fell. It lost all its hardness and courage. He took another look at the starship with a white face and keyed in on his radio mike.

Captain Antilles' voice crackled in his ear.

"We are ready, Commander sir."

"Good." Typho said. "Listen, I need you to destroy that large Starship-that one only. Can you do it?"

"Yes, of course." Antilles laughed. "Why the change of state."

"Antilles, the Emperor is aboard that ship." Typho told him. A long, cold, shuddering beath fell acorss the mike. "With Lord Vader. You must take it down at all costs-even your own life, Do you copy? We can end this here."

"Yessir."

Good. Typho thought to himself, smiling weakly. A brave warrior indeed.

He turned to see the Rogue Squadron roar over the Palace fooled by the golden Air Force of Naboo. Red, White, and Gold-they streaked towards the Starship, lead by Captain Antilles. The ship remained dormant, grey and silent. Almost dead.

In the cabin of his X-wing, Captain Antilles watched as the desert of metal folded out before him. He passed once over the control bridges and saw two dark figures with his keen eyes. One turned-the taller one, and exited the viewing balcony.

Nothing happened for quite sometime. The fighters just aimlessly wandered around the ships surface. Then it happened.

A flash of green, and then an explosion. A Naboo fighter hit the ship dead. The captain looked through his rear-view periscope.

A lone TIE fighter. There was no doubt who was in it. The best pilot in the galaxy- Darth Vader.

Antilles jerked his X-wing out over the side of the vast Starship an slid underneath. The TIE fighter followed. At least his men were safe. He switched his radio to all stations.

"Comrades, return to the city, now." Typho shouted to make it clear. "I am engaged in an open dogfight with Vader."

"You can't!" Shouted a woman's voice. It was small and compassionate-the Queen's. "Wedge-you cannot beat him. He will destroy you. Run. I can talk our way out if this."

"Your Majesty," Antilles, laughed. "i think I can get this guy-"

Typho's voice bursted in sharply over the wavelength.

"M'lady, get to the bunker. It is not safe in the Palace!"

"She won't listen to reason." Sio Bibble's voice bubbled from the background.

"Both of you get in the bunker!" Snapped Typho. "Fighters, bring hat ship down-that's an order! Wedge-Wedge, you get out of there-oh!"

The sound of a blaster brought a sudden string of loud noises and then silence.

Antilles checked behind him. Vader had gone.

Then his X-wing was sandwhiched against the Starship's side. The left side was ripped away in a frenzy of sparks and the scream of twisting metal. Beside him, the TIE fighter pushed firmly on the wings. It fell back, before Antilles' fighter spun into a docking bay wall and everything went black.

Typho fell bac into an ally with a fellow Palace Guard. They held their blasters close to their chests, a symbol of protection. The Troopers ran by, continuing on their path-the same thing over and over. Enter, shed blood, exit. Screams echoed across the city, sliced by the blaster-fire that laid wreckage to every corner of the city. Typho knew the civilians were done for. He had to get to the Palace.

He ordered the Guard to salvage the surrounding homes for survivors, and then proceeded to a new hiding spot beneath the ruins of a once breath-taking fountain. How quickly they had wiped away the beauty. The surrounding forests burned, every creature cying out in pain. This was a tragedy.

Typho peered above his temporary safehaven. Storm-troopers were swarming around a TIE fighter that had landed in the square. A ramp extended, and the clear definition of evil stepped from within it.

"Vader..." Typho mouthed silently.

The square seemed to darken and become colder- a mix of fear and hatred, evil and tragedy. But not Naboo's tragedy. Typho sensed a deep longing in Vader as he stood ther and looked upon what his loyal soldiers had done.

"You will take me to the Palace." Vader told them. "I will execute the Queen on the Emperor's orders. Leave none alive. This is an extermination."

Typho lifted his blaster to Vader's back. For some reason, he could not shoot. Perhaps it was the screaming hot pain in his right leg where a burning hole had formed. in the swirling red of his vision, he saw a Storm-Trooper before him. He wore red, and had a very battle-worn look about him. Commander Cody.

He picked Typho's body up with ease, and hurled it as if a bag of trash into a stolen Naboo speeder. He then got in and sped off, but Typho could see nothing, for he had slipped into unconciousness.

Cold marble was beneath him. Typho woke suddenly, an looked around, sight slowly starting to settle in. Bodies everywhere. Gungans, Guards, Senators, civilians, and so on. He tried to ge up, but a heavy foot smacked his stomache to the ground.

Commander Cody stood over him, General Tarkin with his skeletal face and sunken eyes behind him.

"Lovely set-up in here." Tarkin smiled, stepping forward. "We were hoping that you'd help us into the bunker."

"Seems a little pathetic!" Typho wheezed "To destroy a planet on the surface, but not pierce what lies beneath."

"Pathetic?" Tarkin wondered allowed. "I shall tell you what is pathetic, and you shall listen. Joining a weak Republic Coalition of States and not producing any weapons of worth to defend yourself. Sending your own pilots into the enemy's hands, which you have. We killed all those of Naboo. It is the Alderaan's who we value. You know what is most pathetic, Typho? You. A wreck. A failure. A slain body."

"I thought you needed me to find the bunker." Typho chuckled, not caring whether he lived or died"

"Oh, we just found an easier target." Tarkin laughed. High pitched screams and protests of Jar Jar Binx echoed down the halls of the Palace.

"JAR JAR! DON'T TALK! JAR-"

Bang.

Tarkin placed his blaster back in its holster, nodderd to Commander Cody, and the two walked away from the slumped dead body pf Captain Typho.

Darth Vader knelt on his knees before the burial site of Padme Amidala, the one he onced loved. He could feel the emptiness below him. His breath rattled. He did not know what he standed for anymore.

A withered old hand of his Lord closed around his shoulder.

"She was an unnecessary enemy." The Emperor spoke. "She would of gave you a child. A useless burden. We need to focus on building and securing the Empire. She would have opposed to simply the thought. Come now, my friend. We must return to Coruscant. Their are still the senators, and we must now consider Alderaan."

Vader hung his head, and stood. He could kill the Emperor there and then, like he did the queen, Boss Nass, and all the others. It would be so simple. But he didn't. He had never had a father. The Emperor was the only on who ever came close, aside from...

"Kenobi." Vader breathed.

The Emperor tilted his head in miscomprehension.

"I must go after Obi-Wan. He is a menace." Vader sighed. "I must destroy him. Tarkin and Cody will take care of you. Have a safe journey home."

Darth Vader slipped into his fighter, and within a minute, he melted into open space.

The Emperor looked down on the massacred city and gave a smile. No one would oppose him. No one.