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?
III
Jabba the Hutt had seen many a thing in his long life as the Kingpin of all Mos Eisley tradings, but a mad Jedi that spoke to himself was something quite unfamiliar.
Most of those who oppose the crime lord ended up in the pit and begged for their worthless lives. This one didn't seem to care. He went along and talked to himself, or the wall, or whatever it was as if nothing else existed.
His ugly pug face twisted into a smile, his wide laugh bringing life to his many chins.
"Ho ho ho ho, he he he he, ha ha ha ha."
"The Jedi talks to himself!" Screeched a Tri'lek dancer in a peircing voice that croaked like a frog.
Obi-wan Kenobi could not hear them. All his concentration was focused on the wise teachings of Qui-Gon.
"Release all of your feelings." Qui-Gon instructed him calmly. "Let it all go. The boy is safe. No harm may come to him."
"I must know where he is!" Obi-wan insisted.
"In the upper levels, cleaning Jabba's resting chamber." Qui-Gon aswered patiently. "He will be safe."
Obi-wan calmed himself. Yes. He felt the boys presence, for it was a strong presence indeed. He had only felt this presence in his old apprentice, but that was an age ago. He was beginning to forget...
"We will talk again."
"Wait!" Cried Obi-wan, but his old Master was already gone, replaced by two of Jabba's ugly squat guards. They grabbed him and he went along with them. They lead him up a narrow ramp to Jabba's main hall.
The Mob villain looked through froggish eyes at the Jedi. Then they turned and focused behind him. Obi-wan turned to see Beru and Owen Lars pushed to the floor by the lone Bounty Hunter, Boba Fett, son of the legend, Jango.
Jabba spoke to his translator who in turn passed on he message.
"Jabba would like to know why moist farmers would be sneaking around his Palace," The translator barked in a deep voice. "And also why a Jedi would accompany two such people?"
"We come for our child!" Beru spat. "Please Jabba! He is all we have!"
Jabba laughed that heartless laugh. He gave another message to his translator.
"You may have your child back then." The translator nodded. Beru relaxed and stood as one with her husband. "But!" The two stopped.
"Jabba would like to trade." The translator continued. He was enjoying this. That was te scum tha surrounded Jabba. "The boy for the Jedi."
"The Jedi is not ours to trade." Beru stuttered, eyeing Obi-wan anxiously.
"Ah..." Gurgled Jabba.
Obi-wan smiled at Jabba, and then saw out of the corner of his eyes the glint of his lightsabre on one of Jabba's dancers.
"He wants his sword, the Knight does." Laughed the dancer.
She clumsily activated it and drunkedly to a swing,taking off her own hand in a violent scream. Obi-wan summoned the weapon to his hands, and within seconds, the guards behind him were on the ground in pieces.
Boba Fett blasted at Obi-wan from behind a column, but the Jedi simply deflected the bolt into the throat of the ever-screaming translator. That shut him up.
Jabba garbled, and silence fell. Obi-wan deactivated his lightsabre. Beru and Owen back into the shadows away from the guards.
"This knight has had just about enough, Jabba." Obi-wan stepped forward. "Hand over the boy."
Jabba sighed and twisted his ugly little hands, ushering for his major domo, Bib Fortuna, who pushed forward from behind his billowing black robes a small, squirming boy with long blonde locks and large, penetrating eyes. Fortuna threw Luke Skywalker to the jedi's feet. He scrambled up close to Obi-wan before they were joined by Owen and Beru.
"We are free to leave." Obi-wan told a guard as he began to lead the others out of the hall. The guard grunted, stepped aside, and let the close group exit.
After a few moments, Jabba spoke into Bib Fortuna's ear, silence blanketing the crowd around them. Fortuna turned to the Bounty Hunter, Fett.
"Boba," Fortuna adressed him. "Follow the Jedi. Jabba wishes to strengthen our relationship with the Empire."
"Yes sir."
"Alderaan will not surrender to this terrorism!" Bail Organa snapped from his platform, looking with eyes full of hatred and fury upon the Emperor. "Alderaan has done nothing to harm, the Empire!"
The Emperor laughed, and then barked in return:
"I think not, Senator Organa! I believe you are familiar with the performance on Naboo? From my recollection, Naboo delivered the first strike. Join the Empire, and disband your weak Republic. The Empire does not and will not tolerate rebellion."
The audience shouted and applauded in heavy agreement.
"You must not fall victim to this propaganda!" Organa cried desperately. He had, as always, the best interest of his people in mind. If he could switch enough minds, the Empire may fall shortly, and the old ways may return.
"You destroyed my planet!" Cried a Naboo senator, her platform detatching. She was joined by her wookie guardians, another race crushed beneath the relentless Empire. "You are unstable and unworthy as a leader Palpatine!"
The Emperor laughed to himself, and wandered to his senate watchdog system. He ran his finger across the platform list until he reached Naboo's.
"I grow tired of Naboo." The Emperor muttered to himself. "The time is now for its end."
He pressed the screen.
Bail Organa's eyes shot wide open as the Naboo platform simply exploded in mid-air. The noise was tremendous, like the greatest thunder. Debris bounced all over the chamber.
Then came the silence.
The silence in which The Republic of Alderaan States was abolished.
The lone TIE fighter shot over the swampy planet of Dagobah.
This was where Vader felt the presence. There was a Jedi on that planet. Vader knew it. A powerful one as well. He brought his ship into the atmosphere. The surface was covered in fog and marshes. A grim and gritty planet if there ever was one.
He shot low over the trees-dense with thick roots. There was no sign of life, but that was just a pretence. A Jedi walked with the hiding insects and swamp-dwelling monsters.
Vader landed his TIE fighter in the first clearing he crossed. He stepped out onto the dirt-ah, there it was. He felt with direction and precision by the Dark side, the existence of his prey. He walked towards it at the shores edge, breathing as silently as possible-almost wheezing.
He came around behind a large tree trunk, sliding across it careful not to touch the foaming water. The sight caused him to nearly fall. He had to clutch the tree to regain himself. A little green creature with pointy years, old and wizened, chewing on a leaf. His ears propped up.
"Found me, you have, Lord Vader." Yoda called into the empty air. "Long enough, you did take."
"I am searching for Obi-wan Kenobi." Vader replied, shaken. "This information could spare your life."
"Vader, you are not." Yoda sighed. "Anakin you were, Anakin you are, Anakin you will always be."
"SILENCE!" Vader bellowed. He drew his lightsabre, the red reflecting on the water's surface.
"The only way to win for a Sith," Yoda chimed. "Violence is."
"You deal with words." Vader cursed. "I deal with dueling. If you refuse to tell me Kenobi's whereabouts..."
Yoda got to his feet and turned, activating his lightsabre.
"Detatched you act." He said. "But longing you are. You return to Obi-wan not out of anger. Realised the error of your ways, you have, I believe."
Vader roared and lunged at Yoda who used the force to throw him into the far corner of the small beach-like clearing. The Sith Lord flew to his feet and the two lightsabres met-red on green.
The hulking black figure came face-to-face with the tiny green adversary and spoke:
"There is no returning from the Dark Side, Jedi."
The two figures clashed, over and over. Left, right, up, down, parry, and so on. Bark flew of trees, mud shifted beneath their dancing feet. Yoda bounced off the trees like a rocket, defending Vader's every strike. Unfortunately for Yoda, he was only toying around.
He swung hard at Yoda, and the lightsabre hit well. Yoda's was the only thing that saved him as he was forced into a strong tree trunk. He crawled to his lightsabre and returned to his feet. Vader was instantly on top of him, forcing him back. Only when Yoda saw a gap over the Sith Lord's shoulder did he summon all his strength to fly high into the dense heaven that was the treetops.
He camouflaged well within the leaves. Below, Vader stared straight up at him. They were using their minds now.
"Joined the Sith to save a loved one," Yoda called. "Yet help save Padme, your Emperor did not."
Vader cursed into the sky.
He braced himself to the ground, and launched himself up onto a high branch. He landed on his stomache, losing all his breath. Yoda stood before him. He looked down with a pity in his worn out eyes. The creature took a seat.
"Strike me now if you will, Skywalker." Yoda said. "But have it in you, you do not. Oppose the Republic, the Jedi Order did not. Oppose the Empire, the Jedi survivors do.Yours to make, the choice is."
Vader swung his lighsabre, but not at Yoda. The branch crashed to the ground, pinning Yoda in the water. Vader wheezed heavily as he slowly got to his feet, placing his lightsabre away. He held out his hand to where the bubbles of Yoda's last breath were omitted.
It was a battle within the force. Vader pushed against Yoda, the power emitting in short bursts. The bubbles slowly died out. Vader felt the creature's life drain to nothing as he sunk to the murky depths. Slowly, so slowly, he disappeared from the force. Vader delivered one final, crushing blow.
He waited by the surface in the cold morning air until he knew, until he was completely sure...
The Jedi leader was dead...