Chapter 16 - Duel
Kshhhhhh
"Deal with them," Vader ordered his team. The two clones on either side of Sheyvan moved in a wide circle, spreading out on either side of Black Squadron. "This one is mine," he added and took a step towards the Emperor's Hand.
"Bold, Vader. Very bold. But can you afford the luxury of fighting me alone?"
Both Dark Side users kept a distance, right at the edge of each others reach. For all his bravado, Sheyvan was no fool. Darth Vader, nearly two heads taller, had the advantage of reach. However, that alone wouldn't be enough to secure victory. The Hand launched himself forward into a twisting, spinning strike at Vader's legs. The first blow blocked, Sheyvan flowed into a cut to the midsection, then a thrust towards the head. Always moving, always slicing, twirling, cutting, thrusting, and dodging.
Another slash came and Vader parried, nearly disemboweling Sheyvan with the counter, but only managing to singe a bit of armor as the Hand backpedaled.
"The last thing you'll see, Vader, is my clones slaughtering your little friends," Sheyvan said with glee.
Vader took a powerful swing. Although the Hand managed to block the attack, the strength behind it sent him reeling backwards.
Kshhhhhh
###
The control room was a massive, multi-level chamber. Walkways extended towards the center of the room, from multiple pathways which lead elsewhere throughout the incomplete Death Star. Somewhere, far, far below, the central core powered the entire station. If they wanted to shut down the beam weapon and disable the shields, it would need to be here.
Towards the center of the enormous room, Vader fought Sheyvan. Meanwhile, Black Squadron dealt with the two lightsaber wielding clones.
Ceezee drew the vibro-blade in one hand, slug thrower in the other. Mithel lead the others in a slow retreat, trying to deal with the troublesome clones and their ability to reflect blaster fire. As he did, the droid leveled its gun and fired a single shot. Raising the saber in defense, the first clone tried to block the metal munition, but the bullet passed through the blade, red hot and just as deadly, striking a glancing blow to the shoulder.
"Gaahhh! Damned droid!" An angry Force push sent Ceezee end over end and sliding across the floor. But it was enough. Several bolts of laser fire came the injured clone's way, and despite a connection to the Force, it couldn't deal with all of them. One hit burned into the left leg, another straight through the forearm.
The other clone stepped up and deflected everything else, forcing Black Squadron further back to avoid reflected fire.
"I liked it better when only the boss had one of those!" Ada complained.
Mithel peeked around the cover they'd fallen back to at the edge of the room and fired a few shots at the clone heading towards Ceezee. "Back up Lord Vader's droid, dammit! That thing is the only one with a weapon we can use against those swords!"
As the rest of his team peppered the general area with blind fire, the other clone closed in on them.
For its part, Ceezee was back upright and opening fire on the closest clone, who was now forced to dodge the slugs. The other clone, trying to cover itself and its compatriot from the barrage of fire Black Squadron launched, steadily gave up ground until they found themselves back to back. There, the battle reached an unhappy equilibrium. The clones, depending on each other, where able to weather the storm. Vader's team and Ceezee managed to hold their ground, but no more than that. Pushing harder would expose them to the danger of return fire and charging meant getting within range of those lightsabers.
"Ammunition depleted," Ceezee said as it held up the slug thrower, sending a chill down Mithel's spine.
"Shit! Forgot how little ammo those things hold," Rosh shouted.
Predatory grins spreading across their faces, the clones charged.
"Vibro-blades out!" Mithel ordered and his team prepared for the inevitable losses.
The clone challenging Ceezee stalked forward, saber held high.
"Sith tactical data: deception is a powerful ally," Ceezee said and pointed its modified vibro-blade at the ground. Pressing a recessed button on the hilt, the blade shot out, skewering the clone's foot in place. In that moment of distraction, he looked down, too shocked to even register the pain.
He glanced up when the cold metal barrel made contact with the underside of his jaw.
Ceezee fired.
The sensation through the Force distracted the other clone. As he looked back at the falling body of his identical brother, Black Squadron reacted, sensing the momentary advantage and taking it. Three vibro-blades and multiple blaster bolts hit home.
The clone's lightsaber fell, rolling across the floor before the final shot struck him between the eyes.
###
Vader slowly, but surely drove Sheyvan back. Closer and closer to the controls. It was obvious the Emperor's Hand lacked the stamina to withstand the Lord of the Sith. Hammer blows rained down, never letting up for a moment. Even wielding his saber in one hand, it became obvious who the stronger duelist was.
"I can feel it," Sheyvan wheezed as he backed up. "Are you even really human anymore? How much of you is flesh? Half? A third?" the Hand mocked. "And if you don't even have a single limb of flesh and blood? You can't make use of the Master's favorite technique!" Jumping back, Sheyvan let loose a blast of Force Lighting with his off hand. The blue sparks arced across the room and converged on Vader. Much of his body dependent on machines and technology, he was uniquely vulnerable to Palpatine's preferred method of torture and domination.
Reaching out with his left, Darth Vader met the blast head on, grabbing at it and ripping the energy straight out of the air, letting it flow through his hand, down his forearm, and into the capacitor and battery hidden within. Sheyvan pushed his connection to the Force, but it was useless. Within moments, the flashing glow of electricity faded and Vader remained standing.
Kshhhhhh
"Useless," he mocked. The motors within his limbs whirred and he shot forward faster than the Hand expected. They locked blades, but with his size, speed, and strength, Vader needed only one arm to match his foe. The other hand slammed into Sheyvan's chest and the built up charge from Sith Lightning exploded outward in all directions.
Unlike the Force power, Vader's mechanical facsimile could not be directed. It was a gamble, and the Sith felt electricity arc across him, but Sheyvan took the brunt of the attack. His convulsing body hit the control panel, electricity burning his skin and coursing through him and into the shield and weapon systems. The entire console smoked and sparked until the circuit breakers gave out, blowing the screen and frying the controls.
Sheyvan's body fell, hit the railing and tumbled over the edge to the platforms below. Vader looked down. Through the Force, he knew his foe yet lived. Watching, he saw the Hand slowly begin to move.
"Lord Vader!" Mithel shouted as Black Squadron ran towards him.
Kshhhhhh
"Deal with the controls on this level, then retreat to your Interceptors and return to the battlefield," the Sith said. Turning, he swung his saber, cutting the railing and took a step into empty space. The last his allies saw, Vader dropped down to continue his fight.
"We cannot fully disable shield and weapon systems from this server," Ceezee said approaching the still smoking console. "However, I am capable of slowing down the beam charge and granting us more time."
"What about the Emperor!?" Rosh asked from where he was keeping an eye out for new enemies.
"Lord Vader's orders were clear."
###
"Not looking forward to heading back outside," Cive Rashon grimaced as they approached the hatch that allowed them access to the control room in the first place.
"Unnecessary," Ceezee said and produced one of the lightsaber's it took from the bodies of the clones. Activating the blade, it quickly and efficiently carved a hole in a section of floor that appeared no different than any other. As the perfect circle of metal fell away, Mithel took a peek and found himself looking down into the lift shaft. Halfway down, he saw the very elevator that stalled on their way up.
"Nice work," he said as he unwound the grapple from his belt. Hooking it to a conduit pipe, he ran the line out and prepared to rappel down.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll be happier when I'm back in the cockpit," he said and lowered himself down the shaft. "Let's go."
###
Vader hit the lower platform with a shuddering impact. Metal rang as the black lenses of his helmet met Sheyvan's eyes. Breathing heavily, the Hand's smile remained and he said, "I was waiting."
Kshhhhhh
"Brave. But foolish."
Vader and Sheyvan swung their saber's in unison, blades activating just in time to meet in a clash of sparking plasma. Vying for leverage, they circled each other, pushing only to break away and trade blows again. Never gaining or losing round, their deadly stalemate continued. The Hand held the advantage in speed and agility, but not enough to overcome Vader's strength and mastery of the Force.
"You're good, I'll give you that," Sheyvan admitted. "And when I'm done here, everyone you care about will burn. Coruscant, The Outer Rim, I don't care where they are, I'll find them!" he shouted, and punctuated the threat with a flurry of strikes against Vader, the final blow managing to snake around and strike the cyborg across the shoulder.
"Graagh!" Vader roared in anger and swung, forcing his opponent back. "Too late, assassin! Far too late!"
"No, Vader. I sense it you have…" the smile returned to Sheyvan's face, spreading slowly across his cheeks. "A wife? Yes I feel your connection to her," he sneered. I'll be sure to pay her a visit when I arrive on the capital. She will make a fine sacrifice to be offered up to Master Sidious." Sheyvan did indeed sense the remnant of Anakin Skywalker's connection to his deceased wife, Padme Amadala.
Darth Vader's mind went blank in a white hot fury.
###
The still infant Luke and Leia, along with young Galen Marek, burst into wailing, sobbing tears and howls of terror. It took Obi-Wan, along with Kento and Millie Marek to begin calming them down.
"What riled them up?" Kento asked. Certainly nothing outside seemed wrong, and the Jedi sensed nothing amiss.
Kenobi stood up, holding Luke and Leia, and looked out the window. Furrowing his brow, he tried to place the vague unease he felt for only the briefest moment, but it was gone as fast as it came, leaving the Jedi Master to ponder as he watched over the children.
###
Sheyvan flew backwards and hit a wall of conduit pipes. It was the only thing that kept the Hand from sailing over the edge of this platform and further down. He'd managed to block Vader's blow, but even then the strength was enough to send him flying.
Lights sparked and went dark, broken pipes spilled oily, black smoke, and although he couldn't see, Sheyvan heard. Heard the hum of a lightsaber as it came closer.
"Impressive Vader, but this isn't enough to let you escape," he said as a red saber spun through the smoke. He deflected it easily enough, but it was only a distraction.
"Escape!?" Vader roared from the left as his hand shot out of the darkness. Sheyvan had just enough time to see it before the hand was around his throat, choking the life from him. "There is no escape!" With one hand he throttled the assassin while the other knocked the lightsaber aside, sending it clattering to the floor.
Before Darth Vader could break his neck, Sheyvan grabbed the prosthetic wrist with both hands and sent Force Lightning coursing through the mechanical limb.
"Useless! Useless! Useless!" and with each bellow Vader slammed Sheyvan into a wall, denting metal, cracking bones, and pulping flesh. But the Hand didn't let up. He feed off the pain and poured more crackling electricity into the mechanical limb.
"Let's stress test this little toy of yours," he mocked, coughing up blood.
As the fog of rage cleared, Vader realized what was happening. "You fool!"
The capacitor and battery in his left arm exploded in an overloaded electric discharge, sending Vader flying backwards. Bolts of lightning arced across the room, frying controls and melting circuits, fusing wires and burning data chips. Explosions rocked the room, visiting ruin upon the control systems.
###
-sssssst
Vader drew in a long ragged breath.
-sssssst
His eyes opened, slowly. Even that much racked his body with pain.
-sssssst
But he knew pain. Levering himself upright, he discovered he'd been half embedded in this level's main control panel. Sparks jumped from circuitry to the ragged remains of his left forearm. The explosion took everything below the elbow. On his shoulders, the remains of his cape still burned and smoldered, small tongues of fire flickering. His armor, cracked and splintering, wouldn't hold up to much more abuse.
As Vader stood up, he realized he was seeing two different views. One, a damaged HUD on a cracked lens, the other, his own eye, unimpeded by the mask. The fingers of his right glove traced the jagged edge. Then he let the hand drop and looked out into the darkness.
"I sense you, assassin. I know the power of the Dark Side. How it can sustain even the dying."
A red saber ignited, casting a crimson glow upon Sheyvan. Around his throat, the skeletal remains of Vader's metal fingers were partially melted into the flesh. His armor and shirt, now little more than charred rags, hung loose from his shoulders and the mark of electric burns ran back and forth across his chest.
-sssssst
"Overloading my gauntlet gave you a few minutes, but nothing more."
Taking in a long, sick breath that rattled in his chest, Sheyvan managed to say, "Die."
The Dark Lord of the Sith reached out and his lightsaber shot across the room and into his hand. He lifted it high, igniting the blade, and brought it straight down on his foe. Sheyvan managed to lift his own lightsaber to guard, but even with only one hand, the Sith was too strong, and the Hand too injured. Over, and over and over, Vader hammered onto the other blade, until finally his enemy faltered, left leg giving out and sliding from underneath him.
The last blow came faster, harder. Sheyvan tried to block, but the strike knocked his weapon aside and Vader's red saber cut into the floor, taking Sheyvan's left shoulder, several ribs, part of a lung, and his left leg on the way down. Sheyvan's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell.
-sssssst
Vader limped towards the least damaged power console.
Author Notes:
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