Chapter 20: Showdown
Note: my dear followers, I will always appreciate your comments and reviews, do not forget to leave your comments my loves. P.S: I'm not good at writing fight and combat scenes so don't expect a great development of confrontations.
He has no idea how to approach this, so he finally decides at the last minute what's easiest: kneel as soon as Sidious descends the ramp, flanked by Red Guards.
There is a long, almost agonizing pause of silence. "Don't play with me, Vader." Sidious saw Engel next to Vader, with an expression that showed disgust. "What's wrong? Why are you guys staying quiet? Am I interrupting something?"
"Yes, master," Vader said seriously and courageously.
"Can you tell what they were talking about?"
"About you…" Engel said with complete sincerity.
Sidious gave a cynical smile "I'm used to people talking about me in front of me or behind my back. No one can lie to me, I would know." His tone of voice was sinister and threatening. Are you hoping to deceive me? I am the master of deception, Sidious thought sinisterly.
Engel felt Sidious' thoughts transmitted to him and it hurt him: "You deceived me, you made fun of me… I loved you, because you were my brother, but not anymore. For a long time you looked like an idiot on my face, let it be clear to you that I am not another of your puppets, Sidious," Engel said seriously. "You tried to kill me! To fulfill your own selfish ends."
"Engel!" Sidious angry and indignant pointed at Vader "That's what Vader made up about me! And you believed it."
"Master I…" but he was abruptly interrupted by Sidious.
"Crazy! Your feelings have betrayed you! And me too!" Sidious' tone of voice was still a furious growl. "You blame me for all your misfortunes. You should be upset with yourself. It's not my fault you're so stupid."
"Hey, don't insult him!" Engel raised his voice, seeing how Sidious treated Anakin so badly with that hurtful comment… now he was angry with him.
"You shut up, you filthy beggar! Raggedy ones like you don't talk!" Sidious insulted Engel.
But before Engel could defend himself, Vader interrupted him, "Enough, Palpatine! Don't treat Engel that way! After everything he did for you! Is that how you thank him!?" Vader said, defending Engel just as he was, he was angry at Sidious's petty attitude towards the two of them.
"How nice, they even defend themselves! And apparently they also ganged up against me!"
"I didn't invent anything Palpatine, Engel already knows all your lies and deceptions!" Vader said with a sharp voice despite the fear he felt about Sidious's reaction.
"Engel… are you going to believe him? "After all the time he's deceived you, you can't deny that Vader was playing with both of you the entire time."
Engel gave a serious and annoyed expression "I don't expect you to be able to understand me, but after everything that has happened. "Right now I trust Anakin more than you."
Sidious looked at Vader again with a deep hatred that dripped from his bright yellow eyes. "Now after a long three years, away from me" Sidious angry and supposedly hurt and wounded pointed to Engel "And being a perfect stranger, you preferred him over me Over me! "That I shared years of my life with you."
"And do you know why? Why in a few months Engel has given me more understanding and affection than you have in my entire life?
"You are a fucking traitor!" Sidious said furiously about to attack Anakin but Engel stops him by pushing him back.
"Don't even think about touching it!" Engel said angrily.
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"It's not like I'm going to complain about us doing well Luke... But isn't it a little strange that there aren't any guards?" Han said worriedly as they entered the secret passageways of Vader's castle.
Luke felt it through the force "They know we are here. "They want us here"
"So? Since when do we do what they want."
"We find Engel and we're out of here," Luke said as he ignited his lightsaber. "I can feel Engel's presence, but I have difficulties."
There were sounds in the hallways and it was the red guard coming to confront the intruders.
"We have company and I suspect that they are not coming on a diplomatic mission"
"Luke…what does it mean when someone wears red cloaks?" Han asked as he pulled out his blaster.
"It means trouble… Taking care of Han!"
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"Listen to me! Anakin is no longer alone and I will no longer allow you to continue abusing him!" Engel's expression was one of anger.
"Now he turns out to be pathetic, weak and miserable. He's going to tell me what to do" Sidious's tone was just as sinister and furious.
Engel let out a mocking smile mixed with his anger, "Look, you can say anything to me, insult me however you want. "I could be many things, but what I will never be is a murderer like you."
Sidious raised his hand about to hit Engel in the face but this time Engel blocked his blow.
"Hey, calm down, calm down! I already realized that you are very used to doing whatever you want without anyone putting you in your place! But you won't be able to Palpatine with me!" Engel said with a serious and angry tone.
"You don't know me Engel…" Sidious threatened with his sinister voice "But don't worry, you will soon…"
"You have failed master, Engel is a Jedi…" Anakin said firmly.
Sidious let out a sinister and evil smile and looked at Engel. "So be it… Jedi."
Sidious used the force to push Engel against the wall, the impact damage was too great to knock him unconscious. A burst of lightning erupts from Sidious's fingers and Vader barely activates his lightsaber in time to block it. Anyway, he's creaking through his arms, into his armor, but he fights it, crawling shakily to his feet.
The lightning abruptly ceases, only for the Force to snatch the lightsaber from him. A pressure wraps around his neck, lifting him off the ground. "How do you feel, Lord Vader?" Sidious scoffs, "To be so weak? To know such fear?"
"I could ask you the same thing," a familiar voice calls and he hears a lightsaber activate.
The pressure on his neck drops just as quickly and he goes flying. He lands on the ground, muffling a scream at the angle he lands at, to see Luke with his blue lightsaber.
Sidious let out an evil laugh upon seeing young Skywalker in person after three years. "Greetings, young Skywalker, I have waited a long time to meet you. How fitting that you come to me as a Jedi. Too bad it's for the last time!"
Vader forces himself to get up, his heart racing, while Luke and Han go towards the other guards who are activating electro batons.
Vader attacks before Sidious can interfere, throwing him across the room. The attack was unexpected enough that the Sith was unable to counter it in time, but he instantly stood up, unleashing another blast of lightning at Vader.
Luke takes down the last guard while Han approaches Engel who was on the ground.
Luke attacks Sidious and Vader joins him. He loses track of time as he fights concentrating on nothing more than taking down Sidious before he can hurt anyone else. They don't gain ground, but they don't lose either. But it's not enough.
Sidious finally Force jumps across the hangar, electrocuting Luke before Vader can turn to face him. They are thrown to the other side of the hangar, just before Sidious lifts Vader back up with a Force choke.
He tries to attack, to break the Sith Master's control, but it is not enough. He's not functioning and can barely concentrate on anything right now anyway moment.
The words filter in from a mile away, as he struggles and can't breathe. Sidious is going to kill him. Or he won't and will make Vader wish he had. There is no way out, nothing he can do.
Engel begins to open his eyes, he felt a sharp pain in his neck from the blow he received.
"You were the Chosen One, weren't you?" Sidious asks mockingly"
He can barely breathe, but still enough to register the words, the meaning of which cuts deep into his heart. He knows he's nothing more than Sidious's tool, but that doesn't stop how much it hurts him and the burning betrayal that he means nothing to him. Not that anyone has ever chosen it…
"Anakin!" Engel shouted, scared and running towards them.
Sidious threw Vader away and looked at Engel with a wicked smile. "You are no match for the power in me."
Sith rays came out of Sidious's fingers attacking Engel, however they were blocked by Engel's blue lightsaber.
Engel let out a few light growls as he blocked Sidious's Sith bolts. With a dark laugh Sidious drew his lightsaber from his sleeve.
The two lightsabers collided in battle, starting the confrontation between Engel and Palpatine. The Sith and the Jedi fought to prevail, with Engel using the light side and Palpatine the dark side.
"I've been waiting a long time for this moment. My dear little brother Ha! Ha! Ha!" Sidious let out a sinister laugh and Engel saw him annoyed and serious. "Soon, the last traces of the Jedi will disappear and the Sith will rule the galaxy forever."
"I won't allow it… I can't go back home, because I'll be too busy trying to save the galaxy from you!"
Engel's attacks were refined and elegant. While Sidious's attacks were brutal and controlled. Everything was chaos and order in a terrifying mix.
"We both know it Engel, admit it every time Anakin sees you... he will see my face and remember me every time he sees your face" Sidious laughed maliciously causing Engel's anger.
"I'm not the same as you, no!" Engel blocked another lightsaber attack. "I'll help Anakin. "I'll keep him away from you." Engel lunged downwards, angling his sword in a steep hook that could have cleaved the Sith Lord in two.
But Palpatine's sword came to life again and he blocked it easily. Over the static noise of locked swords, Engel heard a chuckle coming from the Dark Lord. "You still don't get it. I'm not one to give up when things get tough. In fact, I enjoy a challenge from time to time, but in the end the results are always the same. I get what I want."
"You're right… we are equal, but different at the same time!" Engel was determined to take down his brother for all the damage Palpatine caused to his loved ones.
"Do it, give yourself over to your hatred, it's the only way you can destroy me" Sidious let out a sinister laugh.
Suddenly Engel realized what he was doing, for a moment he was carried away by the emotions of hatred and anger. Sidious took advantage of his distraction to knock Engel to the ground, his lightsaber rolling away from his reach.
"It is clear that you lack the power to defeat me… even if you have my power and my face, you are nothing like me. I am the dark side!" Sidious let out a wicked and sinister smile as he held up his lightsaber to kill Engel. "Goodbye Jedi!"
However, Engel did not feel afraid, with a look full of calm and serenity he closed his eyes accepting his fate. However, the long-awaited blow of Sidious's saber did not come...
When Engel opened his eyes again, he saw Vader holding Sidious by the arms while an angry Sidious tries to break free from Vader's grip using the dark side of the force.
Sidious tried to get out of Vader's grip but Vader clung to him. "Have you gone crazy?"
"Go away! "Son, Engel, leave!" Vader pleaded as he clung to Sidious's arms.
Luke helps Engel stand up "Engel we have to get out of here."
"Anakin!" Engel shouted, desperate to go to Vader to help him but was stopped by Luke.
"Engel, please, we must go now!" Luke insisted, accompanied by Han.
"Chewie! Go Chewie! Where are you mate?" Han tried to contact Chewie and saw the Millennium Falcon land.
When Vader saw the ship leave Mustafar he felt Sidious use his lightning bolt on him to remove his arms.
"Idiot… did you really think this was going to change anything?" Palpatine, who suddenly raises a hand and lifts Vader into a Force choke. "You have betrayed me," Sidious growls. "It doesn't matter… I'll have other uses for you."
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Engel returned with the rebellion, several of the rebels were happy to have him back... Leia receives him with a hug and Engel reciprocates.
"Engel, I promise you that we are going to save my father," Luke promised Engel.
"I don't want to leave him alone… I should be next to him," Engel said, feeling bad for leaving Anakin alone with Sidious.
"No matter how much time I spent, we are not going to leave my dad with the Emperor. I promise you Engel." Leia said with a soft voice.
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The look in Sidious's eyes is dark, furious and… "You betrayed me," he hisses, with ur Fire burning in his eyes. Sidious's voice is a dark and sinister note.
"The only traitor in this room is you," Anakin replies. "And the others have been tricked into following you."
"Very well," he decides, a glint of dark joy in his eyes. "If you don't cooperate I will be forced to take further action"
"Do your worst," Anakin replies. "Nothing you can do to me will make me betray my family."
"Did I say you would be the one to feel it?" he sings. "You forget, I know your greatest weaknesses."
No. A jolt of all-consuming panic washes over him, erasing any last semblance of calm he's been trying to cling to. He'll use Luke against him. Of course he would. Of course, he... No, he can't let this happen. But what else can he do? He will endanger the rest of his family, including Engel. And he's seen enough of what Sidious does. He can't let her get close to his son.
"You can't!" He protests sharply, even if he knows it's useless. Sidious will never listen to him. "You can't hurt them."
"Only you can decide that." Sidious said probing Vader's feelings, with an evil laugh he decided it was time to tell him about his little game. "No one can harm you while I am here, my child," said Sidious, adopting a soft and gentle voice.
"Don't make fun of your brother," Anakin said with revulsion.
"You can't stand an innocent joke, my apprentice, or do you really think I'm doing it out of malice?" Sidious asked with mockery in his voice. "You can't deny that I imitate Engel perfectly, if he groomed me and dressed like him, you wouldn't notice the difference, you wouldn't realize who you were really with." Sidious let out a malicious smile.
"You're wrong, you and Engel may be identical twins, but there are differences between the two of you that make you unmistakable," Anakin said with a serious tone.
Sidious let out a sinister and mocking laugh. "So you tell me I could fool everyone... except you."
"Exactly," Anakin said, sure of his answer.
"Do you really believe it?" Sidious asked with a wicked, mocking smile.
Anakin nodded determinedly, but Sidious with a suspicious voice "you should have asked my little brother about our latest prank…"
"What are you talking about?" Anakin asked suspecting what he feared.
"I want you to guess which of the two of us was with you this whole time. Was it your sweet and tender Engel or was it me?" Sidious licked his lips with a malicious smile. "A track! My brother never left his chambers the entire time you went to meet him…" Sidious laughed as he sensed Vader's emotions.
"It's not possible…" I should have suspected, Engel would never have spoken to me in such a despicable and horrible way. Anakin thought horrified, feeling guilty for having distrusted Engel and furious for being deceived again by Sidious. "Because? Why did you pretend to be Engel? "It was you who said all those horrible things to me, not him."
"Yes, it's possible, I deceived you, Vader... you didn't want to face me and I needed answers."
"I'm going to protect Engel from you, be very careful with what he does master." Anakin warned.
Sidious's gaze darkened "No... you must take care of yourself, you forget it very quickly... you are still in my hands. You are mine! And I'd rather see you dead than in my brother's arms. "I'm going to destroy all that love that Engel feels for you and believe me, I'm going to tear it to pieces."
Anakin noticed something about Sidious, he couldn't believe it if he hadn't been so scared he was sure he would have laughed. Sidious is jealous of Engel... well that would explain his petty attitude toward Engel.
"But now the only thing that interests me is your son, he, like you... will be mine." Sidious sentenced
"Luke will never join you Sidious," Anakin said defiantly.
"Then he will be destroyed… if he managed to convert him he will be a powerful ally, a great acquisition. He will join me or die. His compassion for you will be his undoing, he will come to you and you must bring him before me…" Sidious ordered Vader.
Waiting for a response Vader knew that he had no way out, if his son did not accept to convert to the dark side he could be destroyed... Determined to save and protect his son, he only did it for Luke. "Yes, my master."