•••••

"It's best we not attract too much attention. I'll go in and see what these people have to say. Just in case it's some trap be ready."

Han exited the ship and walked down the rich colored platform that awaited him. Even if it was a trap, he admitted they were out numbered.

"Captain Solo."

"What's the big news?"

Tahn seemed to appreciate secrecy just as much as Han did and they dwelled away from center of the large gardens.

"We've received conformation that the General will be in Corusant acompanied by Vader and ...the emperor tomorrow. I would like to volunteer, along with two other men."

"Three is a crowd, we need to get going, but we do need landing codes."

"I'll take care of it."

"Then let's get going."

The two men jogged back to the landing platform. Tahn stopped before arriving to the ship, "You came in that? Allow us to help you."

•••••

Father, will you return with me?

Vader was quiet.

Leia didn't even know what her question asked.

Father, he might not be that later, perhaps he wasn't even that now. Return? Where? To Mustafar? She certainly wasn't going back there. To the rebel base? Even less probable, everyone would shoot both of them down at the sight of him.

While the question asked nothing but rather said more of her than of the caped man, she waited. She wanted him to return, wherever that maybe, to whomever he once used to be.

There was no logic in trying to bring him back to the light, he was Darth Vader, enemy to the rebellion, and once the empire was taken down, to the renewed republic. There'd be no place for him.

Leia was a great many things, Vader had learned this with recurrent proximity to her. Though her appearance was very much like her mothers, her rash decisions and short temperament were of Anakin Skywalker.

Return with her? Who said either of them were to get out alive? Who could ever reassure that even one was getting out alive?

And yet something beyond those eyes reminded him of Padme. The hope. Almost senseless.

There were presences Vader knew were of Leia's companions, presences he realized Leia could feel too but was unwilling to tell him of.

Your friends are here. The emperor-

Leia stayed still in the ship, not oblivious to the lingering threat that her actions could produce.

We made a deal. You can not defeat the emperor alone. His attention must be on us.

Upon landing the two were greeted by an army of imperial troopers, that instead of threatening to all those around them was meant to order sub ordinance from the two arrivals. Neither lost composure and stood out the platform awaiting for the troopers to move away. The two figures, both in dark robes moved along seemingly unbothered by the armarda sent to subdue them as they were lead through the platform of the Imperial Palace.

Suddenly a ship started to shoot randomly at the crowd of guards and arrivals, all the troopers lost formation as they intended to shoot the faulty ship and remove themselves from the random targeting.

Vader stepped in front of Leia and deflected the blasts that came their way with his sabre. Suddenly the hundreds of stormtroopers were pushed to the ground, their blasts frozen in the air. Now, Leia too ignited her lightsabre and removed herself from behind Vader's shadow, revealing her extended hand that seemed to swiftly redirected the blasts to the ship and in a second release them. When the ship did not seize she extended her hand out to the ship and crumbled it as her fist took form.

All the troopers froze terrified and in awe. All suddenly seemed incapable to stand or even move.

The green of Leia's sabre disappeared and and she tucked it away in her dark garment as she and Vader continued their route to the palace.

Two troopers that had been pushed back were the first to hesitantly get up. Trembling, they rushed into a ship, inside Han and Tahn removed their helmets to reveal their face full of horror and confusion.

"That was our plan. We don't have anything else. Leia's in there."

"We'll have to wait for her to come back out. We could guard her-"

"what if she doesn't want to be saved anymore?"

"That princess has never needed saving. Let's just be ready for when she needs us."

•••••

"Ahh... yes. Lord Vader." Palpatine watched from his throne, "And Princess Leia. That was quite a demostration of power."

Leia inhaled as she stared forward into the deformed face of the emperor. Her fists curled under her robes.

"Such hate, great hate, boiling."

There was enthusiasm in the mans voice before he continued and ordered his guards to leave them.

Leia ignited her lightsabre and raced towards the emperor, his laugh echoed with the sound of their sabres clashing.

The emperor pushed Leia back onto Vader as he spoke through his grin, "Fight!"

Leia got up and rushed away from Vader, "No, my fight is with you."

The sinister laugh returned, and Vader had now ignited his sabre. Leia shook her head, "I cannot fight you."

Vader's fingers came together as Leia felt the air missing in her lungs. She held onto her sabre tightly in her lose arm and with her free hand she tossed the large metal desk at Vader, making him release her and fall to the ground.

Both got up, their sabres still ignited. Leia made sure they kept a fair distance but Vader was reluctant to it. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and hate, a foreign yellow.

"I will do what I must..."

The threat did not make Vader fear as he lashed forward at Leia. She moved away from his strikes and made her own, the green of her sabre slashing through the Dark Lord´s prosthetic arm and legs. The mechanic voice growled in pain before Leia pushed him to the wall.

There was a great laugh before the emperor seemed to choke on his blood, the reason being the red sabre that had pierced him at the neck. Vader barely managed to keep his arm up as his own lungs failed him.

Leia rushed to Vader, glaring back at Palpatine from across the room, "You, have lost."

The sinister laugh grew again and the sabre that had pierced him was tossed aside.

Leia left Vader's side to stand before the emperor, her eyes gleaming a gold color that seemed to reflect his.

"You know nothing, you have always deceived the weaker end."

Before the emperor could speak, he gasped for air desperately, and Leia turned back to realize it was Vader.

Father, save your strength!

"No," the voice was weak but firm. Grasping to the air it still had, not even asking for more, "this is why I am here."

Finally the emperor's body gave out and he did not move or breath any longer.