Chapter 55

Ferreus stood in the doorway sizing up his opponent. He'd heard the princess call him Obi-Wan; could this be Obi-Wan Kenobi? The great hero of the Clone Wars? Surely he was dead by now, killed in the purges along with all the other traitors.

"You'll be sorry you interfered, old man," Ferreus warned as he took his own weapon from his belt.

Obi-Wan was not intimidated by the younger man's attempts to bully him. "I was about to say the same thing," he replied at last. "How curious."

Ferreus frowned and ignited his saber. "You Jedi think you're so superior," he sneered, approaching Kenobi slowly. "So self-righteous, so noble. So why is it there are none of you left, save a pathetic few like you?"

"I think you know very well why," Obi-Wan countered. "We were betrayed by that thing you call your master. The time of the Sith is about to end, though. You and your master will be destroyed, bringing an end to the Sith's reign of terror forever."

Ferreus laughed and lunged hard at Obi-Wan. "I don't think so, old man," he said over their crossed blades.

Obi-Wan had not been involved in a duel in many years; age and lack of practice had taken their toll on him. He did his utmost to fend off the crude moves of the Sith, using his superior Force abilities to make up for Ferreus' superior physical strength. However, it wasn't long before he began to tire under the younger man's unrelenting attack. Ferreus saw this, and pushed harder, sensing that victory was near.

"The Sith shall never die, you old fool," Ferreus gloated. "Today will mark the end of the Jedi, not the Sith. You and your pathetic Skywalker twins will all be destroyed, and the Sith shall rule forever!"

"You're gravely mistaken, Sith."

Ferreus and Obi-Wan turned to see Anakin Skywalker standing before them, lightsaber held out in front of him.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, seeing him.

"Looks like I'm saving your skin again, doesn't it?" Anakin said, not taking his eyes from Ferreus.

"Well isn't this charming," Ferreus said, trying to hide his alarm at seeing a very healthy and strong Anakin Skywalker rather than his predecessor, Darth Vader. "A reunion of old friends," he sneered. "So sorry to have to end it so soon," he added, taking Obi-Wan's moment of distraction and thrusting him against the far wall. Kenobi hit the wall hard, and landed unconscious.

Anakin sensed that Obi-Wan was alive, but the sight of his old master injured only added to his fury, which he was doing his best to keep in check. He looked over at Ferreus, his blue eyes cold as Hoth. He could sense the man's shock and fear at seeing him, and it almost made him smile. "You were expecting someone else," he said simply, startling Ferreus with the ease with which he read his thoughts. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Ferreus snorted derisively. "Disappointed? Quite the contrary, Skywalker," he said. "I've been looking forward to telling you how much I enjoyed your daughter."

For a moment Anakin went utterly still, his mind bombarded with images too horrible to speak of. "You're lying," he said at last, his voice low and full of anger. "You're lying!"

It was Ferreus' turn to smile. "Do you know I don't believe I've ever bedded a princess before," he goaded. "Not that there was a bed involved, actually…"
With a shout of blind fury, Anakin attacked, lunging furiously at Ferreus who had no choice but to back pedal. Anakin forced Ferreus down the corridor, striking his blade furiously, with more aggression than Ferreus could have imagined him possible of. Anakin's strength and mastery of the Force both astounded and terrified Ferreus, who was beginning to think that he was in over his head. This was no crippled old man he was fighting; Skywalker was still young, incredibly strong and perfectly healthy. More than that, he was lethal.

Anakin could see the terror in Ferreus' eyes, who was too untrained to hide it, and he pressed him harder. "You are a liar," he spat. "I can see it in your mind, you pathetic fool!"

Ferreus tried to respond, but Anakin leapt over his head, confusing and disorienting him momentarily. But it was enough to give Anakin the second he needed to disarm his vastly inferior foe, who could only stand and look in shock at his opponent who now stood poised to kill him.

"Don't kill me," Ferreus implored, losing all shred of pride in the face of his own demise. "Please! I'll do anything you want! I'm begging you!"

Flashes from the past, to a duel on a separatist ship with Count Dooku came to Anakin's mind. He had Dooku's life in his hands, but what had he done? Had he done the right thing? Or had he taken the first step on the path that eventually led him to utter darkness? But he deserves to die! A voice inside of him protested. For even daring to think of doing such a thing to Leia! Surely that alone is worthy of death!

Ferreus could see the indecision in Anakin's eyes, and it confused him. But more than that, it gave him an opportunity. Pulling his sleeve back, he withdrew a lethal set of lightclaws hidden in the folds of his cloak. Moving faster than Anakin would have given him credit for, he lunged at Anakin, the deadly short blades packing just as much lethal power as a lightsaber.

As is often the case, however, Ferreus vastly underestimated his opponent, who saw the move coming in his mind seconds before Ferreus' executed it. With one blade, Anakin sliced through the wrist that held the claws, the other he held to Ferreus' throat.

"Foolish mistake," he said, shaking his head. "Don't you realize it is the destiny of the Chosen One to destroy the Sith?"

"Go to Hell, Skywalker," Ferreus snarled.

"I'll leave that to you," Anakin replied. "But you can go to Hell with the knowledge that your master will soon be joining you."

"No!" Ferreus screamed, but his cry was cut short by his own blade slicing his throat open. He fell to the floor.

Anakin turned off both sabers at once, and then tossed Ferreus' to the floor beside his dead body. He then turned and left the bloodied spectacle and went to find Obi-Wan.

"Step inside if you please," the officer said, indicating the open door from whence Luke had just stepped. Surrounded by clones with their weapons trained on him, he had no choice but to comply.

"Now what!" Leia asked as she saw Luke return with an armed escort.

"Don't be alarmed, Princess Leia," the officer said to her. "I assure you I'm here to help you." He turned to the clones. "Stand down," he instructed them, and at once they lowered their weapons and stood at ease. He turned back to Padmé and her children. "My name is Firmus Piett, I am commander of the Imperial Star Destroyer Executor," he explained. "And for the past several weeks I have had the decided misfortune to serve under the vile, despicable creature known as Darth Ferreus."

"You have my sympathies," Leia said wryly at this point.

Piett looked at her, taking note of the bruises on her face. "I trust he did not harm you too greatly, Princess?"

"He would have if Obi-Wan Kenobi hadn't shown up when he did," Leia told him. "He was about to rape me, I'm certain of it."

Padmé looked at her daughter in horror. "Oh, Leia," she said with a frown, taking Leia's hand. "I had no idea! What a monster!" She turned to Piett. "You served this man and you expect us to trust you?"
Piett smiled. "I can certainly understand your reluctance, milady," he said. "But I assure you that I am finished serving him. In fact, the entire crew of the Executor is finished, and we have decided to mutiny."

Everyone in the room was too shocked to reply. Finally it was Han who spoke up. "Mutiny? An Imperial Star Destroyer? Who do you take us for, idiots?"

"I am the greatest earnest, I assure you," Piett replied, looking at them each in turn. "When I found out what the emperor's plan was, to get revenge on Darth Vader by destroying his children, I was appalled. I know the Empire is corrupt; you don't serve in an intuition as long as I have without learning a few things. But that crossed the line. Darth Vader may have been ruthless in his time, but the fact that he gave up that life to save you, Princess, speaks volumes of the quality of man he is."

"No truer words ever spoken," Padmé said.

"I found it reprehensible that Palpatine would punish such decency, and would use such a disgusting character to see it done," Piett continued. "I think the final straw was the blatant disregard Ferreus showed for the crew of the ship under his command. He abused his power, killing on a whim, parading whores through the vessel like it was his own personal brothel. When he killed my life time friend for something that he could not be faulted for, I decided that I'd had enough. It didn't take much to convince them to join me, for many of them had felt the wrath of Ferreus upon them."

"Your words are very moving, Admiral," Padmé said at last. "But I'm afraid I don't understand what you are proposing. If you wish to mutiny, that is certainly understandable; but why involve my family in your insurrection?"

"Because you are the family of Anakin Skywalker," Piett replied. "The greatest Jedi who ever lived. And you," he added, addressing Luke and Leia, "are heroes of the Rebel Alliance. Who better to join forces with?"

"Let me get this straight," Luke said at this point. "Are you suggesting that you want to join the rebellion against the Empire?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting," Piett replied.

"The alliance with the help of an Imperial Star Destroyer would be…" Leia began.

"A force to be reckoned with."

Everyone turned to the door to see Anakin standing there, an arm around a rather woozy looking Obi-Wan.

"Dad!" Leia cried, running to her father at once. Anakin took Leia into his free arm and held her tightly. Piett watched the exchange between father and daughter, smiling to himself as he realized that he had made the right choice.

"Thank the Maker you're alright," Anakin told his daughter as he kissed the top of her head. "I've been so worried."

Leia only nodded, knowing that if she responded the tears that she was fighting so hard to control would be back at once.

"Come and have a seat, Ben," Luke said as he helped Obi-Wan to the same hard bench where Han had rested earlier. "You okay?" he asked as Obi-Wan sat down.

"I think so," Obi-Wan replied as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly.

"Leia told us what you did for her," Luke said. "I can't thank you enough, none of us can."

Obi-Wan smiled. "What sort of a master would I be if I let harm come to my padawan?" he asked, looking over at Leia who was still hugging her father tightly.

"Anakin Skywalker, I presume?" Piett said, approaching Anakin with a smile and an extended hand.

Anakin nodded at him.

"I'm Firmus Piett, renegade," he replied with a smile.

Anakin laughed and shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Firmus Piett, renegade. I understand we are to be allies."

"That remains to be seen," Piett replied, looking back at the rest of the assemblage.

"What do you think of the admiral's proposal, Anakin?" Padmé asked.

Anakin looked at Piett, studying the man thoroughly. He sensed no deception in his mind, no malice; only honesty, integrity, and a strong sense of honor. This was a man that they could trust and depend upon.

"I say we go for it," Anakin said at last.