This is the second to last chapter. I have a name for the sequel now and it is obvious about what it will be about. Here it is Master and Apprentice 2: Lady of Betrayal, like it? Hope so, Luke & Leia will be born then/

Chapter 19: The Last Stand of the Empire

Vader's shuttle swooped down towards a jutting landing pad of the mushroom shaped Imperial palace. He was surprises that they encountered no resistance so far, though he had seen a small fleet of Tie fighters headed to space. Not much of a problem, but still no resistance. What was Sidious doing? Just then several alarms in the ships cockpit went crazy and dozens of hidden panels on the smooth roof of the Imperial palace pulled back and out from each rose an auto turret.

"Never fails." Vader said. "Just when you think there going to be no resistance."

The auto turrets opened fire without a seconds hesitation. Padmé who doubled as Vader's co pilot switched the shields on to maximum power. All the lights flickered off as power was rerouted. Vader dodged through the lines of spraying fire but it was impossible for all to miss and Lambda class shuttle's weren't the most maneuverable but Vader had his specially armored so if the shields failed they'd have to score a very direct shot to puncture it but even then the vital systems of the ship were covered in armor. To bad protection minimized maneuverability. Sever shots nicked at the shield.

Vader glanced at a control panel, it said the shields were still functioning better than ninety eight percent. This was easy, he neared the landing pad and if he could just get onto it the turrets would not reach him. He was so close, taking a wild chance he flew directly into the firing line of one of the cannons and it score at least three direct hits. Vader glanced at the shield controls again, it was now only just functioning over seventy percent. Still very good. Finally he was over the landing platform. He kicked down the landing gear and folded the shuttle's wings but just as it came down an alarm roared at him. He could see what was wrong. A few yards away, above the door to the Imperial palace another panel pulled back and out came not a turbo laser or auto turret but an automated proton torpedo launcher which had just locked onto him.

Quickly he banged the a button on the control panel and the ramp lowered.

"MISSILE!" He yelled. He, Qui-gon, Yoda, and Padmé sprang out of their chairs and headed to the ramp. They leaped out with the team of twenty dark troopers at their heels just as three proton torpedoes ignited and flew at the ship. Vader leaped down on the landing platform and fell flat, he put his hands on his head and Padmé and the two Jedi did the same. Several dark troopers fell next to him and others used their jump packs to get high enough away from the immanent explosion. Then it happened, with a bang that felt like it would pop Vader's eardrums the ship exploded sending chunks of molten metal everywhere and sending burning gases and particles into the sky. Vader stood up as did the dark troopers Padmé, Qui-gon, and Yoda.

Vader looked behind him. His Lambda class shuttle had been reduced to a giant scorch mark, half of a wing, a melting pilot's seat and a few landing struts. Everything else was indistinguishable or had either been vaporized or fell off the plat form.

"Everyone alright?" Vader asked.

"We lost one sir." Said a dark trooper from behind him. He was previously an arc trooper in the clone wars and he still had the voice of Jango Fett. "I was second to last out, the last didn't make it, I watched him burn."

"It doesn't matter lets just get in."

Vader took one step forward and another proton torpedo shot out at him. He smiled and extended his hand, catching to projectile with the Force and sending it spiraling backwards right into the gun that shot it. The thing exploded as all the unfired proton torpedoes ignited into a blue fire.

"And that my friends is what happens when somebody shoots my ship." Vader said. He ignited his lightsaber and strode into the door of the palace.

XxX

As soon as Vader stepped into the hall of the palace he was fired upon. Three laser bolts sizzled his way, he raised his lightsaber and hit them back at three storm trooper's who fired them, each went down groaning. The dark troopers came in and took strategic positions behind the columns that decorated the hall. Vader, Padmé, and the two Jedi remained right in the middle of the hall and charged forward to cut down the trooper opposing them.

The trooper that Vader was headed for began to panic and emptied all of the shots on his blaster. Vader either deflected or dodged them all. He came for the trooper who raised his useless gun and hurled it at him. Vader chopped the blaster in two mere inches away from his face, so close he could smell to ozone from his lightsaber, and both pieces hit the ground with a clang followed by the hum of the lightsaber and the plastic hitting stone sound of a headless storm trooper's body. All off the storm troopers in the hall were now sprawled about on the floor, either with scorched holes in their chest from blaster fire of scorched slashes in the stomachs from a lightsaber.

Vader led his company down the hall a little more quietly this time and right when he reached the end a huge durasteel blast door shot down and nearly crushed his foot. He jumped back and plunged his lightsaber at it. It was merely thrown away, the door was magnetically sealed. The Emperor must have one of these in every hallway, but if he cut through the floor….

He plunged his lightsaber into the black stoned floor and carved a hole. The chunk of stone fell down when he was done and crushed a patrolling storm trooper's head in but before Vader or his team could jump down a blue transparent shield activated and covered the hole from below. Vader's blade was nearly knocked out of his hands when the saber hit it.

"Ray shields." He said. "I guess I didn't give Sidious enough credit. He had this place sealed. Although…"

Vader looked up. There revealing the dark Coruscanti sky was a huge transparisteel skylight. Vader smiled and tossed his saber up at it. The blood red blade hissed as it hit the stuff and chunks of it came down. Everyone dodged it and Vader caught his saber.

"Up through there." Vader said. The dark troopers ignited their jump packs and shot upward like laser blasts. The Jedi and Sith followed them using the Force to carry them. Each landed on the sloped roof. Thankfully no turbo lasers were out. Vader could clearly see the huge boxlike room jutting out of the mushroom shaped building. The Emperor's throne room.

"Alright, troopers find a way into the control room and call for reinforcements; we are going to go to the Emperor's throne room."

"Yes sir." They all said in unison and they took off running in a closely packed group. Vader, Padmé, and the Jedi however used the Force and sprinted toward the box. When they reached it Vader led them to the Emperor's huge window and slashed his lightsaber at it. The plasteel blew inward and took out half the window. Vader and his companions leapt in and found themselves right next to the Emperor's throne. He was nowhere to be found. Though they could hear faint clashes of lightsabers coming from behind the door to their left and seconds later it shot open. Sidious and Mara Jade were locked in lightsaber combat.

"You betrayed me to side with Vader!"

"I would get killed otherwise because Vader is going to kill you all!"

Just then both Sith sensed the four and Sidious's head snapped towards them. He cackled evilly and Mara and he locked sabers.

"Welcome to the celebration." He said extending his hand. Yoda immediately flew towards him and right past his hooded head slamming into the wall. It cracked with the little master's impact and he fell to the ground, unmoving. Sidious turned his attention back to Mara. Quickly he broke the saber locked and kneed her. She bent down and he Force pushed her at the door they had just come out of. If at all possible she moved so fast the she hit the door just as it was halfway pulled up causing it to break and the pieces to fly off. Mara hit something in the room, it fell over and the door closed with somewhat of a jagged dog door in it. Sidious laughed.

"Well if I ever get a pet…"

"You wont live long enough." Padmé spat. Her eyes were so red now they were black and anger rolled off her like waves of heat.

"And who will kill me?" Sidious asked. "Certainly not a woman pregnant with Vader's child."

"Don't you dare speak about my children!" Padmé cried. "Don't even mention them!"

"Please, children are nothing to me. Good only to torture and turn to the dark side."

"You are sick." Vader hissed. "I don't know why I ever turned on the Jedi and help you, you made me kill them! You made me kill Obi-wan! My master's first pupil and I will kill you and avenge every death you have caused."

"Come then Lord Vader. Kill me."

Vader leaped at Sidious with his foot extended and Padmé and Qui-gon ran at him too. Sidious leaped even higher than Vader and soared over him behind Qui-gon. He swung his lightsaber as though he were intending to chop down a tree put Qui-gon raised his blade and blocked his back. Both sabers smacked into each other and hissed. Qui-gon broke the lock and turned rapidly beginning to launch a few predictable attacks. Padmé came up beside Qui-gon. Sidious charged at him so he was force to leap over Padmé. And she began a ferocious Makashi assault

Vader had just recovered from his kick at Sidious. He ran up next to Qui-gon but could not get into the duel, Sidious had Padmé fighting in such a way Qui-gon and Vader could not get in. Their tactic were painfully predictable. Each tried to charge at him at the same time. All he had to do was drive on back so another could attack but they would get in the way. There was no way they could defeat him which was pathetic.

Padmé's anger made her strong yes, but she just could not focus. Qui-gon was the stupidly calm Jedi striking whenever the need presented itself. Vader was entirely different. He was all anger like Padmé but he could focus and was finding ways around Sidious's little strategy. Perhaps it was now time to alter tactics.

Just as Qui-gon charged at him from one way Vader struck from behind. Sidious whipped around and parries so fast he was a blur. By the time Vader's and his blade met Qui-gon had his raised for the kill. Sidious turned and Force pushed him right into Padmé. The two hit the wall next to the window and scrambled to get up. Sidious turned back to Vader and swung his blade up, breaking the lock. Vader pulled his saber back and plunged it forward to stab Sidious. Sadly he leaped out of the way and took this excellent opportunity.

So fast that it was a red blur he brought his saber up, then down through Vader's right arm. It fell away trying to take the lightsaber with it but Vader held onto it tightly with his left hand. He screamed in pain as his arm fell away. Sidious snarled and breathed in deeply as though he smelled something pleasant. He extended both hands and Force pushed Vader into his desk. It snapped in half under his weight.

This actually seemed to anger Qui-gon and the Jedi charged at him. He struck once right at Sidious's chest. A move a Padawan might clumsily. Sidious's blood red blade came up and both sabers hit each other forming an X. Sidious grinned and extended his free hand. He Force pushed Qui-gon right over his desk and sent him rolling down the stairs and crashing into a chair of the situation table. It snapped and fell onto him knocking him out cold.

Sidious could not enjoy it. Padmé was all over him, she was striking fast but clumsily. Sidious shook his head and the sabers locked.

"You must learn to control you hatred, only then can you use it to destroy me. Otherwise…" Sidious broke the lock and ducked down so quickly Padmé wondered for a moment what happened. But then Sidious extended his booted foot a spun in a sweep kick which knocked her off her feet. She hit the ground hard and it knocked the air out of her lungs. She blinked and tried to catch her breath, when she opened her eyes Sidious was over her saber raised and ready to kill.

He closed his eyes and breathed in a huge lungful of air. In triumph he brought his blade down and Padmé. It never hit her. Vader's leapt up and parried with his saber. Sidious looked at him but before he could say a thing Vader plunged the saber into his heart. He sputtered.

"You are… now a true… Sith… Lord Vader."

"My name," Vader growled twisting the saber and ripping Sidious's black heart from the blood lines. "Is Anakin."

Sidious's eyes flashed yellow and rolled upward. He fell down onto the black marble floor. Dead. The Empire was no more.