This was just too easy.
They approached from behind. The Imperial troopers kept watch in pairs. Vader only had a small group of rebels and one Jedi with him, but it was enough to pin down each trooper, pull off the helmets, and shove death sticks in their mouths. No killing required for the sake of his peaceful friends, and minimal noise in comparison to blasters and lightsabers. These troopers would be out for days.
They entered the palace and circled through the hallways that Vader knew all too well, facing minimal resistance. He occasionally glanced at his companions, still in disbelief that he was working with the Alliance.
The group approached the next set of troopers, pinning them down. Except this time when they pulled the helmets off, Vader said, "Wait!"
The rebels that were referred to as "Red" and "Harley" kept their hands over the troopers' mouths.
"What is it?" asked Mon Mothma. "We're on a time limit here – he'll know we're coming."
"He already knows, I can sense it," Vader replied, and it was true. He did his best to block Sidious out, but they were too close in proximity. The old man knew he was there. And Vader knew that he would not send his guard to strike him down – he had too much pride and would want to do it himself.
"Put a stick in that one," Vader instructed, nodding to Red's trooper. "Harley, remove your hands."
Harley shot him a glance, as if he expected Vader to betray them this late in the game. "Are you sure?..."
Vader had no patience left and pulled Harley's arms off the man.
"Good to see you, Kurt," Vader said with a smirk that he supposed could pass as a smile.
The trooper appeared confused for a moment, not used to Vader's appearance without his concealing robes, then smirked himself. "Lord Vader, is that really you?"
"Yes, and there's no time to explain," Vader responded.
"One thing," Kurt interjected. "The girl?"
"She's fine," Vader replied. "And now my wife."
Kurt responded with a genuine smile. "I knew it!"
Vader helped him to his feet.
"Do the other troopers' loyalties still lie with me?" Vader asked.
"Of course, my Lord," Kurt answered. "You've showed more compassion toward us than the Emperor ever did, and that's saying something because you never were the most gentle being."
Vader grimaced. "I need you to move ahead and tell them to clear a path. It's time."
Kurt nodded and saluted. "Wait here, my Lord. I will return."
Kurt ran ahead to the next hallway. Vader turned back to the party he now knew as allies.
"The troopers will serve as backup for myself and Master Kenobi," Vader stated. "The rest of you will serve as guards. Station yourselves at various points on the path we cleared. Make sure Sidious doesn't call for reinforcements. If he does, hold them off as best as you can."
Mon Mothma narrowed her eyebrows. "I still don't trust you, Vader."
"Right now, you have no choice," Vader responded. Mon grunted and proceeded backwards on their path with the rest of the team.
They waited a few minutes longer in awkward silence, Master and former Padawan still not knowing how to communicate with one another. Now was not the time to work on rebuilding relationships.
Kurt returned after a few moments.
"The troopers are ready," Kurt said. "We've radioed the entire palace. They're converging on the throne room as we speak. The Emperor's guards will remain loyal to him and are likely already in position, but they are outnumbered. Allow us to take care of them before you proceed."
"Thank you, Kurt," Vader replied. "If we do not meet again, it's been a pleasure."
Kurt's face responded with a reaction that appeared almost like blushing. "You are too kind, my Lord. I never thought I'd see the day."
"Neither did I," said Vader with a sigh. Kurt hurried forward once more.
As Vader and Obi-Wan rose to follow him, Vader sensed a strong presence approaching from behind. Hand on his saber, he spun around…and saw nothing. Then, he looked down.
"Again, we meet, young Skywalker," said Master Yoda. He sounded and appeared frail, relying on his cane more than Vader remembered.
"Vader," Vader corrected.
"Vader in name, you may be," Master Yoda replied, "but Vader in spirit, you are no longer."
Vader stopped for a moment. He hated to admit it, but Master Yoda's words made sense. This is the moment he was waiting for, the revelation he needed in order to understand who he was. Darth Vader was not a person, just a name. The name "Darth Vader" did not define who he was or who he did or didn't or could or couldn't love. These were decisions he made himself. Sidious no longer controlled him. He had….free will. He could be Vader and still love.
And he loved Padmé. He would kill the man who had enslaved him for her. He had more motivation than ever. He had to live, if only for long enough to profess his love.
Vader heard the sounds of blasters ahead and bodies hitting the ground. Bodies on which side, he was not sure. He pressed forward with the two Jedi, running straight into a guard clad in all red. Vader reacted quickly, drawing his saber and slashing through him.
The others appeared to be dead, masked bodies in red and white suits littering the hall ahead. Some of the troopers in white stirred, crawling away or grasping at injuries. He glanced at Obi-Wan and saw the pain on his face. The Jedi wanted to help them, but they didn't have time.
The three stepped forward and paused at the entrance to the throne room. One door was cracked open.
"Come, Lord Vader," a raspy voice shouted. "It is time!"
Obi-Wan watched as Vader pushed the door open and stepped through. He followed with Master Yoda, sabers drawn and ready.
"I see you have brought the Jedi," Sidious growled. "What possesses you to bring the enemy into our midst?"
"They are not the enemy," Vader responded, beginning to pace back and forth. He was fearful, Obi-Wan could sense it, yet he appeared confident.
"Yet they are not your friends, either," the dark Emperor replied. "You are alone in your endeavors, my apprentice. You may think you have made allies in the Jedi, in their rebel friends, and in the Imperial troops. But you are wrong. They are all hesitant to trust you, you feel it. They will turn on you at any point."
"Don't listen to him, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered, using his Jedi name in desperate attempt to keep him connected to the light. He could feel Vader's anger building. "We're here for you. We serve a common cause."
He watched as Vader continued to pace, and listened as Sidious continued to speak.
"You are wrong to trust the Jedi," the Emperor sneered. "You know this. They betrayed you, Vader. They never believed in you and never allowed you to embrace your true power. But I believed in you. I believed in your power and taught you how to grow it and now you are stronger than ever. You just have to give into it. Give into what you are feeling."
Obi-Wan was beginning to grow concerned. He knew just being in the presence of Sidious triggered Vader's anger, but the effect of his words was stronger. He could feel Vader slipping back into his old ways, the Light in him beginning to fade.
They didn't have any more time to spare.
Obi-Wan held out his saber, the blue a stark contrast to the red and green of the colleagues beside him.
"You're wrong, Sidious," said Obi-Wan, stepping forward. "I searched for Anakin for years, and he knows the truth now. I believed in him and the goodness in him. Since he has been away from your Darkness, he has learned to feel love and friendship. The Jedi do not preach the value of attachment, which is why Vader will never truly be a Jedi. But he has earned our trust. He has used his capability to love to connect with family and with a woman and that is stronger than any power you could offer him. If you want to get to him, you'll have to go through me."
Vader looked at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan felt some of the anger within him fading. His look was one of confusion, as if he believed his words but was unable to comprehend or fully process them. It would take him time, but Obi-Wan did truly believe.
Sidious cackled. "Very well, Jedi. I will slaughter you first!"
He flipped off his throne with surprising agility for his age and just as Obi-Wan was about to raise his saber to defend himself, a second beam of red light protected him.
"No, Master Kenobi," said Vader, his saber holding off the Emperor's. "We fight together."
Obi-Wan let his mind enter a meditative-like state, his body and his saber moving without thinking. Defense, block, protect. That was his job. His colleagues would attack. The Sith Lord responded with alarming force for a 3-against-1 fight. He didn't appear to hesitate once. Obi-Wan lost his concentration for less than a second as he glanced into the Sith's burning eyes and before he knew it, he was slammed against a wall. He collapsed to the ground, coughing, and lost grip on his saber. The last thing he remembered was seeing his blue blade in the hand of the enemy and a large cracking sound before he blacked out.
"No!" shouted Vader as he watched Sidious collapse a portion of the ceiling on top of Obi-Wan.
His vision was coming true.
"Save him!" he shouted to Master Yoda. "I'll handle this."
Master Yoda blocked one last blow from Sidious before backflipping away. Vader saw the collapsed ceiling pieces begin to rise from the body of the Jedi out of the corner of his eye, but he needed to maintain his focus.
"You have grown weak, my apprentice," Sidious shouted, spinning one lightsaber in each hand, the dark of his own and the light of Obi-Wan's. "You haven't kept up with your training. You've let yourself stray from the Dark Side, the only source of your power. Look how easily I was able to take down your Jedi colleague! You will NEVER have that sort of strength again without me. You cannot defeat me, this you know."
Vader struggled to block out his words. Sidious was trying to break his mind.
"You're wrong, old man. You're wrong!" Vader shouted, pushing back with equal strength. He could feel rage growing within him. It was making him stronger. If he had to use Darkness to fight Darkness, he would.
Sidious cackled again. "Put down your blade, young one. Join me once again. We can move on from this and rule together. I will treat you as my equal…that's what you've always wanted, wasn't it?"
It was what Vader had always wanted. He wanted the power to rule the Empire without being a slave. But he could do that with Sidious gone. He continued to strike and dodge.
"You can bring her with you, you know," Sidious yelled over the noise of clashing sabers. "The Alliance does not approve of your relationship with the woman, but I do. Bring her here and she will rule alongside you."
Vader's eyes burned at his former Master's mention of his wife. He didn't want this monster anywhere near Padmé.
Master Yoda rejoined the battle, his small green body an impressive match against the Emperor. And then he heard it…the part of his vision he'd forgotten. He'd blocked it out because he thought there was no possible way it could come true. How was she here? Why was she here? She couldn't be! He turned.
"He doesn't need to bring me," said his angel, "because I'm already here."
Padmé pointed her blaster at the Emperor, fear and adrenaline rushing through her. She'd been afraid she wouldn't make it in time. Her friends tried to convince her to remain outside with them, but she'd refused, pushing past each one until she found the throne room they'd been guarding. She shot her blaster, which was immediately blocked by one of the Emperor's lightsabers. He chuckled, an eerie and unnerving sound. Then, she looked at Vader.
His eyes glowed yellow, the traces of blue fading. No, she couldn't let this happen.
"Vader!" she yelled, stepping forward, just as a blue blade plunged into his side. He collapsed on the ground and she screamed in horror. In that moment, she didn't care what else was happening. She rushed toward him, needing to be at his side.
Sidious howled with laughter and flung Master Yoda across the room. Sidious took a step back and Padmé looked up at him.
"Now, my darling," he began, "it is time for you to die alongside your husband."
The Emperor raised his sabers above him in a cross formation, preparing to strike her down…and then stopped. Both blades fell to the ground on either side of him. A single red blade…Vader's blade…had plunged through his heart from behind. The Emperor collapsed and there stood Obi-Wan, on his face a mixture of pain and relief. Then, he too, collapsed in a state of exhaustion.
Well, it's been a long couple years, but I figured I might as well finish this at some point, right? Sorry for the long delays and 5+ years this has taken me. There will be one more chapter posted later today (I promise, for real this time) to wrap this up. Huge thanks to any of you who may still be around after 5 years and to any new readers who have joined since. I am thrilled to have been a part of this website and hope you have enjoyed the story. Perhaps I'll be back some day. -Lyanna
