The enemy chased Anakin all the way to the tower's throne room.
"You are the same weakling who failed to save his poor pathetic mother." His enemy gloated.
Anakin snarled, a blast of rage urged him upward. The other's lightsaber countered his blade with a block. The other spun back with a blast of Force lightning. Anakin countered and for an instant the creature merged in his mind, his shadows blending with those of the tusken raiders.
"Father no!" Anakin felt his son crying out at his blast of fury. Ahsoka's cry of warning was closer.
Anakin felt their combined blast of light searing through his mind and leaped away, forcing calm and shifting into the defensive moves of soresu form. His mother would not want him to fall again.
"My Mother was strong, made strong by her love. Strong enough to let me go to a better home. Strong enough to hold onto life long enough to say goodbye!" It was time he learned from her strength.
"And once, you were strong enough to make those who took her pay." The other reminded him, sliding into a stalking motion.
Anakin shook his head, keeping his lightsaber on guard and his mind shielded. "No. I was weak enough to lash out. I was a child. It takes strength to grieve."
"It takes a fool, who can't admit when his attachments hold him back." The other leaped, lightsaber colliding with Anakin's and he was suddenly heartily grateful for Obi-Wan's fresh training in the defensive forms. The other leaped forward in an ataru hawk bat swoop. Anakin slid sideways from under it and Force shoved from behind, the other flipped completely around and landed with a niman push and slash. As Anakin riposted, the other used a vornskyr's ferocity attack.
"But your strength in the Force is weak!" The other snarled, lightsaber a flashing blur that took all of Anakin's concentration to counter. The other leaped and Anakin sidestepped aside, blade rising to counter the blow. But the other shifted in midair, deactivated the blade while Anakin was still out of position and hit him with a blast of Force lightning that slammed him into the wall. He gasped, wheezing. Before he could recover the other reactivated the lightsaber inside his defenses and swung it.
The blade slammed into Anakin, but just as Anakin shied aside and the enemy swung, a loud scream rang out and a jet propelled white and silver blur slammed into his foe. Anakin gasped, falling away from the lightsaber. The cut burned like fire and he knew he nearly had been killed or incapacitated. He coughed, wheezing, fighting to breathe past the combined pain of the Force lightning and the shiim saber cuts he'd received. Some would've been incapacitating were his limbs not prosthetics. He scrambled up, fighting past the pain and spun to see the enemy, furious, spinning the sword straight at Artoo.
"Artoo!" He gasped, Force yanking the droid, who couldn't move fast enough to avoid the blow. He propelled the droid to the door. The other sent a blast of Force lightning at the droid and Anakin heard the droid scream as the blue fire writhed whirled around him. Anakin reacted with his blade becoming a flashing barrier which he turned into a shien deflection, a fast weapons deflection ending in a leap. He slammed the blade down hard enough to count as a hawk bat swoop but as his enemy brought his blade up to counter, Anakin hung in mid air, used the momentum to flip over and kick off the wall, whirl sideways and catch the other's swinging blade on his. Anakin gave him a fierce, taunting grin. "You really don't have room to knock me, you know. At least I had a mother, you were just a science experiment!"
Rage broiled from the other. His counterpart gave a fang like grin. "If I had one I would slay them. As you murdered your beloved. Like so..."
Anakin countered the swinging sword and verbal thrust easily, a brief relief hitting him. This amalgam of him and Palpatine didn't know everything. Didn't know Padme lived…suddenly he couldn't breathe, the other had him in a Force choke. Anakin battled for air as the other shook him until his brain seemed to rattle.
"You were relieved….why?" Anakin slammed his shields up, air or no air. He glimpsed Artoo peeking around the corner and suddenly smiled. The other glanced sharply toward Artoo and Anakin grabbed the others lightsaber with the Force and flipped it back up so it sliced his face. The other caught the hilt before it sank in, but he'd lost his grip on Anakin's throat. He collapsed to the ground, barely landing upright. He sucked in deep gasps of air before lunging at the other like a falling avalanche. The other blocked but Anakin grabbed one wrist and put every ounce of his prosthetics power into twisting it. The other snarled, lifting a knee to slam into his stomach. Anakin lunged upward without letting go and they tumbled over each other before getting up. Anakin still refused to let go. Force lightning crackled around the fingertips. Anakin reached into the Force, letting go of everything else, fear and hope, putting every ounce into breaking that wrist.
The other screamed, as the bone started to crack. He slid his lightsaber around on Anakin's, red blade seeking to counter the blue. It crept toward Anakin's hilt but Anakin shifted it back. The other's Force shoved him hard and Anakin slid back, He took advantage of the prosthetic limbs power, ignoring the warning signs that the rest of his body was in danger. He felt the other blast him in hate, they were in a deadlock. One sheer youth and power, the other older, experienced and stubborn as a wild bantha.
The would be Emperor lunged forward and bit him. Anakin jolted free of the bind in shock, gaping at the other. His mouth hung open as he stared, blood on the other's mouth and his own hair in it's teeth. His head's throbbing was suddenly overridden by sharp pain and a wet stream of blood from his head.
"What kind of cheap shot is that?"
"Is it not in a Sith tradition to consume the heart of the foe in ceremony?" It smiled, licked it's lips. "I think I'll consume yours. Right after I have your son's right before your eyes."
Anakin blinked rapidly, raising his lightsaber again and shaking his head in absolute disgust. Somewhere, somewhen, he did know of that tradition. Han had reminded him when he'd asked him about the Rakatan eating their foes. He, however, had never done it, nor witnessed it. Now he realized that Palpatine probably had, that had Anakin not been trapped in the suit as Vader, it would've been demanded. It was one of the few moments he acknowledged that Obi-Wan's crippling of him may have saved him from doing even worse evil.
The other smiled. "Had you not fallen in battle against Kenobi, no doubt you'd have feasted on those younglings you slaughtered."
Anakin felt sick. His anger rose and his sword with it, but he didn't attack. He was battling his own memories. Images of the younglings, "Master Skywalker, what do we do?" They had trusted him right before he cut them down. Artoo's warning screech snapped him to the present as the red lightsaber cleaved like a spear for his chest. Anakin leaped over it in a flip, but his enemy hit him with Force lightning and it turned into an uncontrolled tumble. His personal antagonizer spun, grabbed Artoo with the Force and hurled him out the window. Anakin yelled as Artoo screamed. He couldn't see if Artoo got his jets activated, he was too busy crashing head first into the wall, eliciting a further stream of blood from the bite.
"I hope you get a hairball." Anakin staggered up dizzily in determined fury. He fought the urge to take it out on his foe. He had no reason to believe Artoo had not survived the throw. And he would not give this creature more power by calling on the dark side and feeding it's strength.
"Friend of yours?" The enemy asked. The smile was wicked. "Tell me what you love that I can destroy it. What you fear that I may throw you into it. What you hope for that I may teach you despair."
"I don't think so. I think my fears and loves and hopes are all my own. And I will not share them or give them up to you."
"I already know. Destroy those you love and you break. I will feast on your very soul this day."
"Keep dreaming." Anakin countered, refusing to heed the shudder that went through him.
Ahsoka screamed as her own blade slammed back, slicing her lekku. The scout walker had taken her off guard, rounding the tower to get to entrance. The sheer force of blocking the laser blast had thrown her back. She would've gone down except Luke charged up. They had found another bridge further off and he'd force sprinted to get here in time. He leaped up on the scout walker and tore the pilot out, reflecting the copilot's hand blaster shot back into him. But the battles were taking a heavy toll. Leia and Han were further back but Mara was right behind Luke. She was hesitating, unsure of her beliefs now. She had seen the would be Emperor's face and it did not match the voice.
Leia shot past her, kneeling by Ahsoka. "Are you….Han! Give me your vest!"
"What? Why?"
"Han!"
He tore off his vest rather than argue and threw it to her, gun still drawn and one eye on Mara. Jade was staring up at the tower. "Hey!"
A silver white object crashed out a top floor window and fell amidst a heap of glass and transparisteel. A high pitched wail identified it as Artoo. The droid's jets tried to fire but that didn't help as he was falling dome downward. Leia reached out, focusing on the Force trying to slow the fall. Ahsoka reached out to help, giving the droid a nudge to point him up. Jets pointed in the right direction he rocketed up. They sputtered and he started to fall. Reactivated them and aimed for a rough landing nearby. He let out a shaky whimper. Leia spun back to Ahsoka and wrapped her injured lekku in the vest.
"That is one intense fight." Mara said softly. Her eyes gazed skyward, flickering blue lights, blurs of red and blue sparkled through the window. The dark side of the Force was strong on the whole planet. But up there, it boiled with unmatched ferocity.
"Mara, I need you, child." The voice called through the Force.
Mara scowled and darted in.
Leia chased her, Luke leaped down and ran after and Ahsoka finally staggered up and ran in with Han and the pursuing noghri.
"Help me, child. Prove you are stronger than this used up, worthless traitor." The voice echoed in the air. Luke yelled as he realized it was influencing her but she was half up the stairs.
Mara leaped for Anakin's back, blade falling from above. Anakin didn't look back, just threw himself backward and rolled so she overbalanced and hit the floor in front of his opponent, who literally climbed over her in pursuit. "Hey!" She leaped upright, charged in again. Anakin again ducked back, making sure the two got in each other's way.
"Who are you? Where's the Emperor?"
"I am the Emperor! Kill Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade! I will deal with Vader!" The voice was the Emperor's voice. But Anakin gave him a Force kick that sent him back. He landed, crouched...and Mara got a good look at the face.
Mara glared sideways. "You aren't Palpatine! I do this for me, and him!"
"You know my voice, child. Appearance does not reveal the being within."
"He's a science experiment!" Anakin countered. "A combination of my DNA and Palpatine's, yanked out a lab so those bickering officers would have someone to follow."
"No!" Mara glared at him. She unexpectedly lunged, trying to break Anakin's defense. Besieged on two sides, Anakin's lightsaber formed a circle of shelter. "Mara! This is Palpatine's legacy! A government built on lies that can't hold up when the lier is gone!"
"It will hold up! I am the legacy! The heir apparent. I am the Emperor. Listen child, the Sith have power to switch bodies, to leap into a new host when dying. It is an ancient power. Prove you can conquer Vader and you will replace him!"
"It is a lost power!" Anakin retorted. "And it required being near the host, not half a galaxy away!"
"It doesn't matter! He gave me everything! He was your master and you betrayed him!" Mara cried.
"I betrayed him? He promised me to power to save the ones I loved, instead he tried to kill them! He promised peace but he was the one behind the war, both of the wars! He promised the justice but twisted it so corruption would flourish."
"I don't believe you!"
"You know the truth. Search your feelings! You had parents, Mara! The Jedi of the old Republic would never have forced them to give you up. They might have asked but never forced! But Palpatine just took you!" Anakin found his back to the wall. The good news was that blocked some of their blows. The bad news was, it blocked his as well. Mara's blade slammed down in frustration, striking the wall as he ducked it – his lightsaber was busy with the other attacker - and sending molten streaks down to scorch him.
"You stole my life! My future!"
"No! He did that! And now you can have it back! Mara! Please, you could be a brilliant Jedi, really serve justice!"
She was wavering. Even as he noticed the other aimed another blast of Force lightning, followed by a force punch that stole his breath. Anakin blocked a blow to his throat but gasped as the other pinched his fist together. He felt his heart stutter as an invisible hand squeezed it. He tried to counter and suddenly collapsed as the other turned to the door. The elevator shot open. He tried to warn Luke, but the Force blast landed on the young man's lightsaber. Anakin leaped up, reached out and slammed the want to be Emperor violently backward.
He glanced at Mara as he re raised his weapon. Her lightsaber was up but she was frowning. "Mara." He pleaded. "He promised me power to save my wife from dying. And do you know what he ordered me to do to get it? Murder younglings. Not just the Jedi warriors or masters or knights. But the younglings barely old enough to walk. And Force forgive me...I did it. Is that a man who was after justice? Is that creature there, a creature he created, after justice?"
Mara stared at him.
Royal guards were battling to the tower. Noghri were tangling with them. They could feel them hot on the trail of Anakin's were trying to get up the elevator. Luke's lightsaber was blocking the attack of the enemy. Ahsoka's lightsaber sang too, shifting to cover the opponents side. Suddenly a door on the other side of the tower opened and the Royal guards charged in. Ahsoka spun, battling the black and red clad guards. The force pike's deflected the lightsaber and threatened to short it. She yelled a warning. "Look out, cortosis on the pikes!"
"What?" Leia yelped. Her training lightsaber shorted at the first blow and she whipped up her blaster. Shooting persistently, She took out one, two, three, managed a Force blow that knocked one back, not killing him, but slamming it into Ahsoka's lightsaber. Luke spun just in time to block the blow of another force pike disengaging as his lightsaber sputtered by a side kick.
Anakin shook his head at Mara. "Don't follow us into the dark, Mara. I'll never wash all the blood off my hands, no matter what I do."
Luke ducked as a force pike fell from above, catching on his blade.
Focused on Mara, he didn't see the enemy spin from his attack on Luke. He saw it coming too late, the red blade slammed to his chest, knocking his own lightsaber back into him. Anakin gasped wheezed and gaped as he realized Mara's blade was the one shoving his own. But only because it was knocked into him by the red lightsaber of his half clone. The three blades sparked so close it scorched his clothes. The enemy glared at her with fury. "You betray me, Jade."
"You aren't my master."
A blast of Force lightning struck and sent her flying, it's fringes caught Anakin too, but he brought his own lightsaber up and slashed the clone through one hand and the lightsaber hilt. The other howled in rage and pain as the hilt exploded in a shower of sparks. His other hand increased the output of lightning. Anakin caught it on the blade. Mara writhed on the floor in pain. Leia shoved a royal guard at the enemy as Artoo and Han, followed by Kabarakh burst in. The noghri leaped for the would be Emperor and landed on his back. The other Force threw him clean into the ceiling so he dropped and lay still in shock. A noghri blade was buried in his back though. A royal guard, slammed Han half down the stairs and Han's blaster kept pumping into the incredibly tough armor until he fell. Ahsoka's lightsaber cut her a path to the enemy and she stood over Mara, giving Anakin time to advance.
The other laughed. "Kill me and reclaim your own, Sith."
Anakin froze, staring back at him. He was knocked flat by a blow from the force pike behind him, Luke leaped to his side and knocked the guard back and Anakin slammed up, lightsaber swinging at the enemy that once more poured force lightning into his friends. His lightsaber slammed home, going up in a diagonal shreik. The other fell, eyes wide with shock and rage. For a few, intense moments the battle fell to guards and the Rebels. Anakin wheezed, swearing silently in agreement with Obi-Wan's diagnosis that they were getting old for this. He felt the other's force energy leap. The body seemed to shrink in but the force signature was still there, energy questing. Anakin focused on the Force, the power of life, the need to stop the Empire. He pressed that light around the other's darkness. Luke had a moment to stagger back, breathing hard and realized what he was doing. Luke slid his eyes half shut and helped hold the other back, the other's body filled again. It battled. But it had only one place to go, with Luke and Anakin blocking it from the dark side. It's own dying form. It had barely shuddered and it's energy faded away and dispersed when Mara leaped up, swinging her lightsaber. They both ducked aside, weapons still active, but her blade cut into the royal guard charging behind them.
to be continued