Chapter 16
Yoda followed Apostas to the Rebel base. It seemed there was one Imperial intent on not giving that ground. He never expected Vader's daughter to grow so strong in the Force so quickly. Her rise even rivaled Luke's. The boy was quickly approaching the path to mastery, but Yoda was not prepared to pass on that title so quickly.
Apostas, on the other hand, considered herself a master of the Force. Everything in her movements betrayed her arrogance. For many, it would be a fatal error. But for Apostas, her thoughts were backed with enough power to achieve her ambitions.
For Yoda, it was his responsibility to end the threat.
The Jedi Master probed the Force for any signs of the Sith Lord. "Sith Assassin," Yoda told himself. Sith Assassins were masters of stealth, an ability Apostas was using to gain an advantage over Yoda.
Apostas emerged in front of Yoda, swinging her activated blade for his head. The Jedi Master quickly moved out of the way and rolled along the ground. His glowing green sword returned to action.
"You have troubled me for the last time, Yoda," Apostas said coldly.
Yoda allowed the Force to flow directly through him before he leapt at Apostas. His rapid strikes were easily met by her swift parries. Apostas employed Makashi with the skill of a Jedi Master, a feat achieved by very few.
Yoda struggled to gain the advantage, striking for every opening he could reach. But the red blade was there like a dagger through the Force. On the open ground, Yoda's acrobatics were blunted. Only his skill with the lightsaber sufficed to keep him alive.
Attempting to dance around her, Yoda struck swiftly to turn her attention away from him. Moving faster than usual, Yoda attempted to sweep the Sith's legs.
Apostas leapt over Yoda's blade and swung down again. She was now using two hands instead of one to drive her weapon.
Yoda parried the blow and turned it aside to strike again. Apostas sidestepped, but not fast enough. Her armor was singed by green plasma and her flesh exposed to the burn.
Apostas howled, using the pain to drive her deeper into the dark side. Her movements surged like lightning as her single blade seemed like three gliding through the air.
An upstart Sith Lord was overwhelming Yoda, the great Jedi Master and last living member of the Jedi Council. And he did not know how much longer he could last.
A third lightsaber igniting drew the attention of both combatants. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, Apostas?" Kyle asked. He twirled his new cyan blade in his right hand before he assumed a Vaapad stance.
"It seems you have not learned your lesson," Apostas said before breaking away from Yoda.
Yoda walked to Kyle's side, standing beside his Padawan. "Took you long enough, it did," he said.
"Well, there's a lot of traffic out there in case you haven't noticed," Kyle remarked.
"What a touching reunion," Apostas stated sarcastically. "But do not think that an extra sword will give you the advantage."
The Sith Lord soared towards the Jedi, eager to end the contest once and for all.
The turbolift doors for the Executor's bridge opened. No one was visible manning the darkened bridge as the battle raged around the ship. Luke and Mara stepped onto the bridge, calling on their master-apprentice bond through the Force to stay focused.
Harsh mechanical breathing cut through the air. "I expected you to come to me, Luke," Vader said. "But I did not expect you to bring an apprentice."
The Dark Lord of the Sith stepped out of the shadows and a shred of illumination returned to the bridge.
"Father, we don't have to fight," Luke said. "Come with us and we can end this war!"
"You don't know the power of the dark side," Vader said. "The galaxy is broken and it must be mended. If you choose to stand in my way, I will have no choice but to break you."
Luke and Mara drew their lightsabers. Vader removed his lightsaber from his belt.
"You won't kill me," Luke said, pleading to the light he knew existed within his father.
"If that is your destiny, then I will do what I must," Vader said.
"Let's end this," Mara said. She ignited her violet energy blade.
Luke sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable battle that was to come. Green plasma erupted from Luke's hand.
Vader produced a weapon of synthetic bloodshine.
Luke and Mara rushed towards Vader. Three blades met with a clash of fire.
The sound of battle was more distant than a trip to Coruscant. Lightsaber blades swept through the air and crashed loudly on Dantooine. Yoda, the ancient Jedi Master, was remaining low in an attempt to confuse his opponent with speed and his mastery of Ataru. Kyle, the young Padawan, employed Vaapad with deadly efficiency against the Sith Lord.
And Apostas could barely keep up with them. No advantage could be taken of a single parry. She was giving ground to the furious assault, but she was by no means defenseless. Her scarlet blade flew like a cyclone around her body as she kept her target zones from falling prey to the Jedi.
In one instant, three blades met in loud roar and the Sith Lord broke away. The Jedi took a break from the confrontation, for Apostas made no moves against them.
The Sith Lord grinned and said, "You've gotten better, Kyle. It is a shame I have to kill you."
"No one has to die today," Kyle said. "Surrender and you will face a fair trial."
"A trial?" Apostas amusingly asked. "I've done nothing wrong."
"If believe right you are, then truly lost you have become," Yoda said. "Betrayed the spirit of your mother, you have."
"You and Obi-Wan convinced her to betray my father, turning him into the shell of a man he has become," said Apostas. "You will not pollute me with your lies!"
"Vader betrayed your mother for his own selfish reasons," Kyle said. "He turned to the dark side to save her life, but turning is what killed her."
"You have no way of knowing such things, Kyle," Apostas told him. "You were in diapers during the Clone Wars."
"Maybe if you weren't on such a mad quest for power, you would have seen your mother in the Promised Land and she would have explained everything to you," Kyle said.
Kyle could sense the Sith's resolve cracking in the Force. There was still a shred of regret left in Apostas, but it was soon buried under a flood of fury.
"Liar!" Apostas screamed before she closed the distance between them.
Apostas was no longer using Makashi. No longer were her movements controlled and precise. She was using Djem So as her focus disappeared. Only the unrestrained currents of the dark side flowed through her.
Kyle parried the first blow, but was forced to give ground before Yoda could come in from below.
Yoda attempted to remove the Sith Lord's feet, but Apostas leapt over the short green blade and landed on the ground.
Kyle's cyan blade soared through the air as he swung for her neck. Scarlet plasma met the blade with a crash of thunder.
Apostas backed away just in time to avoid being cloven by Yoda's sword. She swept her blade downward to strike at the Jedi Master, only to have him block her attempt to kill him.
Kyle was about to move against Apostas when he felt a tremendous Force push knock him off his feet and propelled him ten meters from his previous position.
It was just Apostas against Yoda.
Apostas focused all her attention on the ancient Jedi. She parried one of his blows for her legs and another for her waist. When Yoda landed on the ground, she attempted to drive her blade through his chest. But Yoda knocked the blade away and tried to make his move.
Then red plasma tore through his chest.
"No!" Kyle screamed as he stood and watched his master die.
Yoda's robes and lightsaber fell to the ground, denying Apostas any proof of her kill.
Kyle leapt into the air, raising his cyan blade over his head with the intent to avenge his master.
The roar of clashing lightsabers filled the bridge of the Executor. Luke struck high, only to have Vader parry his blade. Mara came in next from below with an upward swing. But she only met scarlet plasma.
Luke feinted to allow Mara to continue with her Ataru movements. Mara drew back and thrust for Vader's left side. Luke came in from above with a sharp Djem So attack.
Vader turned his body to allow him to catch both blades with a diagonally upward swing. The Dark Lord turned away their blades and used a Force push to knock the Jedi off balance. Luke was affected slightly, but he recovered. Mara was thrown back a few meters, leaving Luke alone to face Vader.
The Dark Lord surged on the offensive. His red sword flew towards Luke's head, but the Jedi Knight swiftly parried the blow and turned the blade aside using a Soresu technique. He then shifted back into Djem So as he parried another blow aimed for his chest.
Luke pushed Vader's blade back and father and son stared at each other for the first time.
"Obi-Wan has taught you well," Vader commented.
"I can say the same for you," Luke said before they mutually broke away.
Mara rushed back to Luke's side. "What are you waiting for?" she asked.
Vader ignored Mara. "That man was not deserving to be my teacher," he told his son. "Obi-Wan only took the job because the man who was meant to be my master was killed."
"And you killed your last master," Luke said. "You're the master now. You can choose what you want to do now. You can come back with us."
"It is…too late for me, son," Vader admitted painfully. He raised his lightsaber again in preparation to resume the battle.
Mara surged forward first, turning her body and her blade as she moved to attack. Holding her lightsaber in the reverse grip, she swept for Vader's waist.
The Dark Lord leapt impossibly high to avoid being cut in half. He landed on his feet and drove his saber downward, catching Mara by surprise. "Foolish girl!" Vader growled. "I'll deal with you next!" Using a Force push, Vader hurled Mara against the wall.
Mara crashed hard and slid unconscious to the floor.
Luke watched in horror and immediately felt his rage burst free. It was a feeling of frustration he had not felt since he allowed Yoda to convince him to abandon his friends on Bespin or even since his aunt and uncle died. Vader had to pay for what he had done.
An animal roar erupted from Luke's throat as he charged for Vader. A swift kick hit Vader in the chest, throwing him back. The Sith Lord managed to keep his feet on the floor, but he was shaken from the blow.
Luke leapt at him instantly, driving green plasma for Vader's head. Vader blocked the blow, but he was forced to give ground. Luke's strikes flew through the air between them. One parry was by Vader's legs. Then there was one by his head and by his chest. Luke was feeding on his rage to drive him forward.
For the first time in Luke's life, he felt totally alive. Now he knew what his sister felt when she drew on the dark side. It was like a blazing sun, giving him more power than he ever imagined. He knew of Yoda's warnings against the dark side.
Those warnings were like whispers in the wind as Luke forced Vader back towards the forward viewport. Vader, desperate to gain the advantage, used another Force push.
It worked, but only barely. Soon, Luke was at him again. Their blades locked together and the two warriors were trapped in a contest of strength.
Luke managed to push Vader away. The Dark Lord took a few steps back, hoping to gain some sort of edge against his son.
"You killed my aunt and uncle," Luke said as his eyes burned a sulfurous yellow. "You killed Obi-Wan. You killed the Jedi. You turned my sister to the dark side. Your evil ends today, Vader!"
Vader drew his blade towards his body as Luke came at him again. Luke struck with a precision only born of the dark side. Vader struggled to defend himself against the barrage, seeking to find an opening to end the fight. He did not want to damage his son, but Luke was leaving him with no choice.
The Dark Lord drew on hidden reserves of power in an attempt to regain the offensive. His rapid series of thrusts managed to drive Luke away, leaving him open in the process. Vader moved in for the killing blow, but Luke sidestepped him and slashed upward.
Green plasma sheered through Vader's left wrist and then his right wrist. The disarmed Vader fell to his knees, defeated by his own son.
Luke swept his lightsaber forward and held the tip of his blade blade centimeters from Vader's throat.
