Chapter 80

Imperial Residence- Coruscant

Sarith Kallos usually enjoyed his position. Being the Emperor's personal assistant meant a great amount of prestige, not to mention money. But today was one time when money meant nothing. Indeed, he was quite certain that there was not enough money in the galaxy to make what he had to do any easier.

Palpatine was not an easy man to get along with at the best of times, but when he was in a foul mood, he was positively terrifying. Kallos had checked and rechecked the report he held in his hand. It cannot be, he thought in desperation; it simply cannot be!

"Enter!" a malevolent voice bellowed from behind the large heavy doors. Kallos took a deep breath and activated the doors. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimness of the enormous room as he walked toward the large throne on the far side.

"I have the report from the Endor System, your majesty," Kollos began as he bowed before the galactic emperor.

Palpatine looked at the man before him. He waited wordlessly, knowing that his silence was far more intimidating than any threat he could utter.

Kollos swallowed hard and glanced down nervously at the datapad in his hands. "The scouts we dispatched have sent word. They…they, uh, have reported that the Death Star is…that is to say," he coughed nervously, "it is gone, sir."

Palpatine frowned and leaned forward in his throne to give the man a withering stare. "Gone?"

Kollos nodded, his mouth having gone completely dry. "Yes," he croaked, and then cleared his throat. "Yes, your majesty. It is not there, nor is the Vengeance. The scouts did a check of the Sanctuary Moon and found a large amount of debris and," he paused to cough again, "devastation that would indicate a large, uh…a large explosion."

Palpatine did not reply, his mind starting to churn with anger. "Explosion?" he said at last. "Are you telling me that the Death Star has been destroyed??"

Kollos nodded. "It does appear that way, yes, yes sir," he stammered as perspiration started to stand out upon his forehead.

The windows in the room began trembling as room was filled with Dark power. Glass began to shatter as the windows imploded under the tremendous pressure. Kollos ducked and covered his head with his arms, in an attempt to protect himself from the deadly projectiles flying through the room.

After a few moments, the room fell silent once again. Kollos slowly uncovered his head and looked around, astonished to be still alive. He looked up at the emperor and was unnerved by the look of sheer malevolence on his face.

"What is the status of the blockade?" Palpatine asked.

"We have not heard from any of our ships since the report of Rebel ships entering the system," Kollos replied. "We have made several attempts to contact them, but so far they have gone unanswered."

Palpatine nodded the growing feeling of uneasiness within him growing stronger. "Send a ship to the Alderaan System at once," he commanded. "And have a squadron go to the surface. I want that traitor Organa in this room within twenty four hours."

"I will see to it at once, Sire," Kollos said with an elaborate bow. He scurried out of the room, relieved beyond measure that he had surveyed his audience with the emperor.

Palpatine stood up from his throne and walked slowly across the room, seemingly obvious to the glass crunching beneath his boots. Skywalker, he thought with a cold feeling deep inside of him, Skywalker has returned…

Star Destroyer Executor

Anakin and Padmé stood greeting the TIE fighter pilots as they filed out of the hangar. Many had been lost, but such was the cost of war.

"Do you see him?" Padmé asked as she tried to see beyond the waves of pilots.

Anakin shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "He's here, Padmé," he told her with certainty. "Don't worry."

Padmé looked up at him, knowing that he was undoubtedly right. His insight was above question.

"Solo is far too resourceful to be killed in a dogfight," he added for good measure.

Padmé smiled. "It almost sounds as though you admire the man," she commented.

Anakin smiled. "Let's not get carried away, shall we?"

It was at this point that the very man they were looking for appeared. "You see?" Anakin said, "I'm always right."

Padmé shook her head with a smile as she waved at Han, relieved to see him for herself.

"So the blockade has been lifted?" Han asked as he, Padmé and Anakin stepped into the turbolift.

"More like obliterated," Anakin replied.

"They tried to self-destruct, but we prevented it," Padmé explained.

"By destroying them ourselves," Anakin put in.

Han nodded. "War stinks," he commented.

"It does indeed," Anakin replied. "I…." he stopped as he was shaken by a disturbance in the Force. He put a hand against the wall of the turbolift for a moment as the tremendous surge shook him.

"Ani, what is it?" Padmé asked, taking a hold of his arm. "What's wrong?"

Anakin turned his eyes to hers, unable to voice for a moment just what it was he was feeling.

"Anakin, what is it!?" she cried, alarmed by the expression in his eyes.

"Something has happened," he said at last. "Obi-Wan…"

Padmé and Han exchanged a look of concern, both knowing Anakin well enough to realize that he was more than capable of sensing the distress of those he loved even at great distances.

"Let's get to the bridge and find out what is going on," Padmé suggested as the turbolift came to a stop.

"Lord Vader, we've received a priority message from the Alliance ship Raven Star," Piett announced as he saw Anakin. Anakin knew just by the look in Piett's eyes that the news was not good.

"Relay it," Anakin said simply.

"It's General Kenobi," Piett said. "He's been seriously injured."

Anakin nodded. "Bring us to the Raven Star," he said quietly. "Maximum speed."

"We're already on our way, sir," Piett replied.

"Ani," Padmé said softly, taking his hand.

Anakin looked down at his wife, his eyes reflecting the depth of the pain he felt. "He can't die, Padmé," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "Not now, not after everything we've gone through!"

Padmé did not know what to say, her own emotions too great for her to speak. Instead she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close, praying that the Maker would not take their friend from them.

Anakin and Padmé were met in the hangar of the Raven Star by Yoda and a young rebel officer.

"Where is he, Master Yoda?" Anakin asked. "Where is Obi-Wan?"

"Come," Yoda said simply, and then turned to leave the hangar.

Anakin started after the diminutive Jedi Master, part of him not wanting to come with him, for he knew deep in his heart that coming with him might mean learning the horrible truth that his Master, his brother, his best friend was gone. "Master Yoda," he said softly as tears sprang to his eyes.

"Come," Yoda said again, and started walking out of the hangar. Anakin turned to Padmé, who squeezed his hand tightly. Then they followed him.

Anakin walked through the Rebel ship as though in a dream, the voices around him heard merely as whispers in the distance. He felt his heart rate accelerating with each meter they covered on the long journey to the medical wing; part of him wishing they would never get there, part of him wanting to get the excruciating wait over.

Finally they reached the medical wing, and Yoda stopped. He turned and looked up at Anakin. "Go to him, Anakin," he said simply.

Anakin looked down at Yoda, and then back at Padmé. She nodded, releasing his hand. Anakin took a deep breath to steady himself, and then entered the room. His eyes searched the room briefly, only half noticing the medical droids who were busily attending to other injured members of the ship's crew. And then he saw Obi-Wan.

Slowly he walked over to the medical gurney where his life long friend lay. Until that moment Anakin had not wanted to believe that Obi-Wan was truly hurt; but now there was no denying it.

"Obi-Wan, can you hear me?" he asked, looking down intently at his friend's face.

Obi-Wan was very weak, too weak to even open his eyes. His body was connected to life support equipment and a monitor that kept a close check of his vital signs.

"This can't happen, not to you," Anakin said, looking down at the face of his friend, so still and pale. "You can't leave me now! I can't do this without you, Master! I need you!" he cried, clenching his fists in frustration and anger. He reproached himself bitterly for putting his elderly friend in such danger. "I never should have involved you in this," he said aloud. "What was I thinking?" A surge of anger flooded Anakin, the sight of Obi-Wan clinging to life reminding him all too vividly of the last moments of his mother's life. I lost her….and now I will lose Obi-Wan too…the closest thing I ever had to a father….

"I failed you, Master," he said, looking down at Obi-Wan again, as tears pricked his eyes. "I should have protected you, but I didn't! I let those Imperial bastards do this to you! But they will pay, I won't let them get away with this, Obi-Wan. I swear to you, they will pay for what they have done!"

Padmé waited outside the door, feeling torn. She knew how much Anakin was suffering, and wanted to be there for him; but she herself had yet to master her own grief. Like Anakin, she had known Obi-Wan since she was a child, he had been a good friend to her, a protector to both her and her children. And now his life was hanging in the balance.

"Mother?"

Padmé turned, startled by the sound of her son's voice. Luke and Leia knew in an instant what had happened.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Luke asked.

Padmé could only nod, her tears streaming down her face.

Luke closed his eyes, the sorrow filling him utterly. Leia stood as though in shock, looking wide eyed at her mother. "He can't die!" she cried. "I won't believe it!"

"Leia, sweetheart," Padmé said, reaching for her daughter, "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know what Obi-Wan means to you, to both of you."

"Where is Dad?" Luke asked at last, his eyes brilliant with tears.

"He's in there, with Obi-Wan," Padmé said, indicating the door.

Leia did not wait another moment and burst through the door and into the room. She looked around the room, brushing the tears from her face, stopping when she saw her father. She ran to him, desperate to comfort him, to seek comfort from him; needing him to help her make sense of the crushing loss that was consuming her.

"Daddy," Leia cried as she reached him.

Anakin looked up. "Leia," he said softly, turning to her. He held open his arms as Leia threw herself into his embrace. Anakin held her tightly, wishing he was strong enough to offer her words of comfort, but knowing somehow that for now all she needed was his warm presence, his reassuring embrace and his unconditional love to support her.

Leia looked up at him. "He's going to be alright, isn't he?" she asked desperately. "Please tell me he's going to be alright!"

"I wish I could," Anakin said quietly. "He's very weak, and has suffered a great deal of trauma." He frowned again as his own sense of guilt reared up again. "I should never have asked him to get involved in this," he said. "If he dies…."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this!" Leia cried. "This is the doing of the Empire, Daddy, not you. Besides, you do really think you could have dissuaded Obi-Wan from getting involved?"

Anakin shook his head. "Not a chance," he said softly, looking back at his friend. "I will make them pay, Leia," he said, his words sending a shiver down her spine. He turned back and looked at her. "The Empire will pay for what they have done here today."

Leia could see the look of determination in her father's eyes; but what was more, she could see the anger. At that moment he reminded her very much of the man he had been when they had first met many months earlier on the Death Star. And that terrified her.

Luke and Padmé looked up as the door opened and Anakin and Leia emerged.

"It's time to end this," Anakin said, his voice steady and strong once again.

"End this?" Padmé asked. "What do you mean, Ani? You don't mean…" she stopped as it dawned on her what he was referring to. "You mean to confront the emperor, don't you?" she asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yes, time to bring this to a head," he said. "I will not risk any more lives," he added.

Yoda watched Anakin closely.

"Great anger I sense in you, Anakin," he said at last. "Do not let your grief over Obi-Wan govern your actions."

Anakin turned to Yoda with a frown. "You can't be serious," he said. "After what they did to Obi-Wan, you expect me to show mercy towards those Imperial monsters?" He shook his head. "No, I will make them pay. I won't allow them to take one more life, I swear it!"

Luke was about to say something but he stopped when his father walked off. Instead he looked at his mother and then at his sister.

"I'm afraid for him," Luke said. "I'm afraid this will drag him back into the Darkness."

Padmé shook her head. "No, it can't," she said. "We can't let this happen. Master Yoda, we have to stop him!"

Yoda sighed deeply, looking for a moment every day of his eight hundred odd years of age. "Anakin's destiny is to destroy the Sith," he said solemnly. "It is the prophecy."

"I don't care about the prophecy," Leia stated hotly. "I'm not going to let my father be destroyed all over again!" she said, and took off down the corridor after Anakin.

Padmé looked at Luke. "Luke, what are we going to do?" she asked softly.

Luke said nothing, but put his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. "We won't lose him again, Mom," he said softly. "I promise you."

Padmé closed her eyes against the tears that filled them, taking comfort in her son's reassuring embrace.