Jedi Princess

STAR WARS - ROTJ Infinities: Jedi Princess

By The Great Shaggy





Chapter Four: Dark Lord’s Fury





The music was all but mute to the raucous that filled the smoke haze atmosphere of the nightclub. The Bright Nebula, a dance club by nature but also a front for the local underworld in the capital city of Kuat, was bustling with business. Women of various species circulated around the numerous booths and tables, courting the dock and shipbuilders of the orbital spaceyards above with promises of whatever they fantasized about for a fix price of credits. Sitting in a darken booth on the far side of the establishment, Jix shook his head as another one of those girls approached him. He paid her no attention as she muttered under her breath as she move on to the next potential patron. It wasn’t that he didn’t mind the occasional companionship of a female, human or otherwise, but it was his creed of business before pleasure.



And he was here tonight strictly on business.



It hadn’t been more than a few weeks after making his offer to the Guild that he gotten word from the agents that he ‘acquired’ from the regional Imperial Intelligence office that his target was indeed on his trail. A smirked appeared as he remembered the look upon the commanding officer’s face when he showed him a holographic recording that Vader had given to him to use to ‘justify’ his covert mission to stubborn Imperial bureaucrats, officials, or officers. So he assume his false identity as Khmaid Gwen and played the role of the unsuspecting prey, but making sure to stay one step ahead of the bounty hunter for the past few months to coordinate his eventual ‘blunder’ to draw his query to him for entrapment.



Now, here he sat, waiting for him. He knew that he was on planet, thanks to the tip by the commanding officer of the Kuat Shipyard Defense Fleet, and that he made sure, through an informant that he placed, that he knew he would be here at a certain time. Of course he’d been here the day prior setting up the ‘blunder’. Mingling in the crowd were over a dozen Imperial commandoes as well as bunch of hired spies that were strategically placed at all possible entrances into the nightclub. Upon spotting his arrival, all they had to do was key his comlink once to notify him. Jix had also made sure that it would be impossible for the bounty hunter to try and capture him outside by using a private security firm to hire bodyguards for his character. They were now also stationed outside, watching for his arrival.



With all the angles covered, all Jix had to do was sit back and wait. His eyes swept the crowd, noting all the dancing patrons currently on the dance floor intermingling to the beat of the music, his eyes falling on a particular dancer: a white-skin, Twi’lek female. He’d been watching her most of the night and thought that she was a bit too highly skilled in the art of dancing to be just club hopping with friends for the fun of it.

**********



Keeping her body synchronized with the beat of the music, Lyn Me allowed her eyes to make contact with the human that was staring at her from the booth on the opposite end of the dance floor. She noticed a flicker of a smile cross his lips as his eyes made contact with hers. He winked at her and she just smiled and kept dancing. Smile while you can, Khmaid. For soon it’ll be all over for you, she thought. She felt the warm palms of someone grabbing her waist from behind, causing her to be startled for a split second as she felt his crotch grind up against her ass and sway in motion with her own hips. Although she was disgusted by this provocative type of dancing that she had to endure all night, she didn’t allow herself to show it as she kept in step with her ‘partner’.



She could feel the bulge growing through the fabric of his trousers as she grinded her well-shaped buttocks against her pelvic region. Then she broke away, to his utter disappointment, across the floor and through the swarm of dancing beings. Walking off across the nightclub, she step up and stop next to one of the emergency exits. She grinned as the Falleen that had been her unexpected partner on the floor appeared through the crowd, spotted her, and came towards her. She waited until he was right in front of her before reaching behind and slip in the data card that she hid in the small top that she wore into the control panel terminal. The device clicked once announcing it had a secured connection that only Lyn Me heard. Smiling, she allowed herself to be pulled away from the door and towards the bar, knowing that phase one of her part of the plan was accomplished.

**********



The alleyway that ran along the exterior of The Bright Nebula was like any other one in the city; cluttered with trash and shipping containers from the nightclub, puddles of water that was still left over from a seasonal rain storm three days ago, scurrying rodents in search of food, and the foreboding shroud of darkness. It was here, in the dark looming shadows of an abyss, that Boba Fett waited.



It had been a long hunt, more than he expected it would. Khmaid Gwen always seemed to be one step ahead of him, always seeming to slip away at the last second just before he arrived. This aggravated him as bad as his lame leg was feeling these days, but it also earned Gwen some respect as well. Beneath his helmet, his face tighten as a stabbing pain shot through his entire body. He had to take a dozen, long breaths before the pain receded into his subconscious. No matter how much bacta treatment he’d undergone since that fateful day at the Great Pit of Carkoon, the nerves had failed to heal properly as well as the knee ligaments. The credits he would earn from this job would secure the funds that he needed to flesh clone a new replacement leg as well as take some time off to heal completely from his wounds. All he had to do was take his quarry alive.



Then his internal helmet comlink came to life, clicked once, and then fell silent. He allowed himself a brief flicker of a grin as he approached the emergency door that ran from the main floor of the nightclub directly into the alleyway. Due to planetary building code regulations, all emergency doors were program to activate an alarm that would sound in the club as well as notify nearby law enforcement and fire suppression units of a potential emergency within the establishment. That was where his apprentice came in.



When Lyn was a young girl on her home planet, Ryloth, her village was ravaged by a band of ruthless slavers. The village elders managed to scrape together enough credits to hire the renowned Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett to exterminate the raiders. Fett's mission was successful, though several villagers were caught in the crossfire of the battle, and the village school was set ablaze. Lyn Me was one of the many children the Mandalorian rescued from the inferno. From that day on, Lyn Me worshiped Boba Fett as a heroic figure, and followed his exploits in the HoloNet news broadcasts.



As Lyn Me grew up, she studied traditional Twi'lek dance, hoping to become a professional entertainer and find work off Ryloth. Her chance came when Max Rebo talked her into becoming a dancer and backup singer for his band. As they toured the galaxy, she constantly searched her audiences for her hero, hoping to reunite with him and impress him with her talent. She nearly left the band when they began their extended engagement at Jabba's Palace, due to her disgust with the uncouth, lascivious rabble the crime lord attracted. Nevertheless, she stayed with the band when she learned that Boba Fett frequently handled bounties for Jabba. As the engagement grew on, Lyn Me had to abandon some of her principles and started to actively get involve in more of the ignominious numbers and later activities on behest of the band's other women; the Pa'lowick singer Sy Snootles, the green-skin Rodian Greeata Jendowanian, and the Theelin/Human hybrid Rystall Sant. Lyn Me tolerated this at first but soon to find that she actually enjoyed the wild harem orgies, although she did have to suffer from time to time the advances of some of Jabba's minions whether she wanted too or not.



Finally, after months of waiting, she was reunited with Boba Fett when he return to Jabba's Palace to present to him the carbonite form of a Corellian smuggler. She was greatly honored to perform for him, and even more honored when he told her how much he enjoyed her performance. Fett promised to meet up with her again, but their plans were almost derailed when Luke Skywalker arrived in the palace. Before leaving, Lyn Me cornered the bounty hunter and thanked him more than generously, savoring each moment as he filled her again and again. After the Skirmish at Carkoon, she took it upon herself to care for the injured Mandalorian, slowly nursing him back to health to the point where he could leave Jabba’s employment. Of course, the Hutt didn’t take too well to his refusal to become a personal bodyguard for the gangster, but he didn’t care. The slug’s overzealous nature to rid himself of the Jedi and his friends had been the cause of his wounds and Fett would never forget that for as long as he live. Not to mention the fury of the Dark Lord of the Sith should he ever find out it was Jabba who killed Skywalker. And he had seen firsthand what Lord Vader did to those that warranted his anger and wanted no part in it. So with Lyn Me as his new apprentice, he departed Tatooine to continue his recovery elsewhere and to begin training the Twi’lek as a bounty hunter as payment for nursing him back to health.



This was her first real test of her new skills. Upon learning of where Gwen was going to be spending his evening from an informer, Lyn Me had checked out the establishment thorough and reported back to him. Apparently Gwen was a regular at the nightclub every other night, but always had an army of bodyguards with him that always remain outside guarding his repulsorcar. It seemed that Gwen thought that if anyone would try anything to capture him it would be outside the establishment. That would be his first mistake during this long hunt and it would also be his only mistake as well.



The plan was a simply one; poising as a patron of the club, Lyn Me would confirm that Gwen was indeed sitting in the same booth he always sat regularly at. Once that had been accomplished, she would deactivate the alarm system on the rear emergency exit thus allowing him access to the main floor of the nightclub. She would then approach the query and distract him while Fett moved around for a clear shot at his exposed backside with a tranquilizer dart. She would therefore be there to collect his unconscious form saying that he had a bit too much to drink if anyone tried to interfere. He would met her back by the refresher and then move their query back through the emergency exit.



Clean and simple, he thought as he moved towards the door. Now all that had to happen with the plan was to finish up without any interference. But as he came to learn, even the most well thought out plan could disappear to one unexpected encounter or mistake.

**********



“The rear emergency backdoor alarm has been deactivated. Sensors show one humanoid life form moving, heavily armed and armored.”



The report caused Jix to take a deep breath and slowly let it out, but other than that he showed no outward sign of distress. Instead he focused his attention on the white skin Twi’lek who was laughing at the bar with a Falleen with a drink in her hand. He figured it would be her to try and draw his attention away so Fett could get a clean shot at him, possibly with a stun dart since a stun beam would be too loud and might cause a panic to ensue in the club. Sure enough, the Falleen reached out and stroked one of the girl’s sensitive lekkus causing her to give a startled look before dousing his face with her drink before moving away from the bar. And right towards him.



He double tapped his comlink that hung from his belt, alerting his men to hold their positions and await his order to move in. With that down, he withdrew the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol from the underside of his jacket that was concealed by the table and set it gently on his lap as he smiled at the approaching Twi’lek.



“Hey there, stud,” she said seductively, sliding into the cushion seat that half encircled the booth table.



Jix grinned, playing the part. “Been watching you dance out there. You can sure move that body of yours.”



“That’s not all I can move,” she replied back with a wink off towards the crowd.



“Really? What else can you move with that lush form of yours?”



She leaned closer towards him. “I like to move something that is long and hard between my spread legs.” She licked her lips. “That’s after I’m done moving it with my mouth.”



“You can sure talk dirty, girl.”



“And I can play dirty, too,” she said as she wrapped her arms over his head, leaning closer to his mouth. “How about I let you get a sample taste of what to expect.”

**********



Fett, having move around in the shadows of the club, was in perfect position for his shot. Slowly, he raised his arm gauntlet dart launcher and took aim as Lyn Me drew closer to the query’s mouth. All he had to do was just wait until she embraced him.

**********



“I got a visual, far left corner in the shadows by the rear most pillar. He’s taking aim with one of his arm gauntlets.”



Lyn Me’s mouth was just a mere inch from Jix’s mouth when he reacted. Shifting his weight, he pushed the body of the Twi’lek female directly into the line of fire as he fired a stun beam directly into her stomach just at the same time the stun dart slammed into her back. Her eyes went wide for a brief second before half closing as her brain neural pathways overloaded and shutdown. He clicked his comlink once as he raised his blaster in the direction of the rear pillar. He fired three shots, causing all the patrons on the dance floor to stop momentarily before diving for cover as tables started to flip over and crash to the ground.



The beams slammed into the smooth marble finish of the pillar, showering the surrounding area in pieces of marble fragments and sparks. Fett cursed as he whirled his exposed body behind the safety of the support beam. Raising his E-11 blaster carbine, he ducked to the left when four more blaster shots slammed into the area he just vacated. It was then he noticed in his Heads-Up Display a dozen armed individuals moving in a flanking-covering maneuver towards his position, never exposing themselves for more than a few seconds while their comrades kept a steady stream of suppressive fire on the bounty hunter. The tactics being employed were well synchronize and militarist in execution which meant they were something else than merely local hired muscle.



Jumping out of the booth, Jix rolled to his left to a flipped over table as a line of screaming and terrified club patrons rushed pass him towards the establishment’s exits. He figured at this rate the club would be completely empty with the exception of the armed parties within a matter of a minute. Sure enough, by the time the club was empty with the exception of his men, they had effectively boxed the bounty hunter in.



Time to talk, Jix thought as he motion to his men to hold their position. “Fett, I know that you’re a professional as I am and we both know that your situation isn’t looking to tactically sound. Therefore I'll make an offer that nothing will happen to you if you lay down your weapons and come out. All I want is some information from you concerning a certain individual for my employer.”



There was a brief second before Fett responded. “I make no deals with those that I’m hired to bring in, Gwen”



Jix sighed. “Fett, there is no Khmaid Gwen as there is no Mr. Shesh either. They were both me. I offered the bounty to set up this 'meeting' between you and I so I can retrieve some information for my employer. I’m know you did some jobs for him as well in the past. If we can talk about it, the money for the bounty that you’ve been hired for I’m authorized to reward you with plus extra if I get all the information I need from you.”



“And why should I believe a criminal like you, Gwen?”



Time to play to the Pure Sabacc hand. “Because I don’t wish to anger Lord Vader anymore than you do. He’s not the most patient person to work for, as you well know, and he is growing most tiresome of this chase.”



Fett took this time to asset his situation. Whoever this person was talking wasn’t lying about his position. At the start of the firefight he counted approximately a dozen gunmen converging on his position. That number had now grown to almost two dozen, all of whom had taken cover behind over turned tables, pillars, enclaves, booths, and even the bar. His helmet computer brought up the specs of their weaponry, all of which were Imperial military-issued heavy blaster pistols or repeating carbines.



Whoever they were, they were also well informed of a complex operation. They had formed a tight, converging fire pattern on his position, thus allowing them to bring the maximum amount of fire to bare in either direction he might move. He thought for a second of possibly using his anti-personal rocket he carried on his jet pack on the wall behind him to open an escape route, but quickly dismissed the thought. He didn’t know the thickness of the wall and it was too close to his proximity that the back blast and pressure could cause possible serious injury to him. So he only had two options: Take this man up on his offer or fight it out.



Deciding his best course of action, he flick the safety on his blaster and slid the weapon out from his cover. He showed his hands before moving out. Standing, Jix motioned to Fett towards the booth that he just vacated. One of his men had removed the unconscious form of Lyn Me and placed her in the booth next to them. Checking her vitals, he nodded to Jix before taking up a cover position a few feet away.



Jix kept his blaster on the Mandalorian as he took his seat. “Just keep those gauntlets pointed in a safe direction, Fett.”



“So what is that you want to know?” Fett asked coldly.



“You were under Jabba’s employment approximately a year ago after delivering the carbonite form of the smuggler turned rebel hero Han Solo. At any time did a rebel name Luke Skywalker appear at the palace?”



Fett’s visor fixated directly at Jix’s eyes. “Is that all this is about? To make me confirm that Skywalker is dead? You could've saved yourself a lot of time and trouble by just leaving him a holo-message instead.”



Upon hearing those words, Jix felt his blood go cold. He knew how important this Skywalker fella was to Lord Vader. In fact, the last person who tried to kill Skywalker was Prince Xixor, the head of the Black Sun criminal organization. When Vader found out, not only did he order the strike on the Prince’s orbital skyhook, but personally delivered the death sentence via communications to him mere minutes before he was killed. If Skywalker was truly dead, then he needed to know more of the circumstances surrounding it. He didn’t owe the Dark Lord anything, but he’d always been loyal about his word. And that was what he owed him, his loyalty to complete the mission.



“Tell me everything,” he said as he laid down a holorecorder on the table.

**********



Vader stood unmoving, his hands clenched into fist as he watched attentively to the holo recording that surrounded his son’s death. He couldn’t fathom it, his son so strong in the Force, taken in by pure circumstances at the hands of that vile slug. When the recording ended, he called the recorder to his hands and crushed it. Standing off to the side with his arms folded across his chest, Jix watched as his master vented his rage. Of course he knew it wouldn’t end there, Jabba’s days were numbered for Vader's wrath was unequal and would soon be coming for him and possibly his entire Desilijic clan. But it was the other bit of information that actually worried him.



During Fett’s explanation of the battle, he cued in on a slight detail that the bounty hunter briefly described. The part was when he went up on deck and said he saw a red-hair female laughing at the edge of the railing on the sail barge. He knew without a reasonable doubt that she had to be the key person that lead to Skywalker’s death. Spending time with the Hutt at his palace during one mission, he knew that the Hutt would never take dancing girls on such a ride as an execution unless it was his current favorite pet chained to his side. She was more out of place then a wampa in a forest would be.



“My Lord,” Jix said as he unfolded his arms and took a step towards the menacing dark form. “I have some other information about the death of Skywalker that I wanted to deliver in person.”



Vader glared at his agent and said coldly, “Then say it and don’t try to cover up for anyone, Jix.”



“According to Fett, when he went up on deck of Jabba’s barge to use his jet pack, he commented that he saw a red-hair dancing girl standing at the edge of the railing laughing at Skywalker’s struggles.”



Jix couldn’t tell be the mask, but Vader’s narrowed upon hearing this bit of information. “Who was she?”



“A dancing girl employed by Jabba, my Lord. Her name was Arica, human with red hair and emerald eyes. Fett couldn’t-“



Jix suddenly ceased his report when he heard the familiar snap-hiss of Vader’s lightsaber. He watched as the Dark Lord threw the weapon into the air, guiding it with the Force, towards a statue of the Emperor. The weapon sliced cleanly through the base of the statue’s neck, causing it to slid off the rest of the marble figure, and tumble to the ground.



“Mara Jade,” Vader said coldly as he caught his lightsaber. “One of the Emperor’s Hands.”



“My Lord?”



“Leave me, Jix.”



Bowing, Jix took his leave as Vader stood stewing in his own anger. He had been betrayed, betrayed by his own mentor that had exposed the lies of the Jedi to him. But if he'd lied to him now, then he began to wonder on how many other occasions had he twisted the facts to suite his own needs? He promised him that he could turn his son to the dark side of the Force, of course he failed to tell him it would be to overthrow him. Somehow the Emperor learned of his plot and sent his most trusted assassin to eliminate his son. She had succeeded and the Emperor hoped he would never learn of the truth.



But he had and now he was going to do something about it. But what?



Vader whirled, strolling to the balcony that overlooked Imperial Center. He fixated his glare at the Imperial Palace off in the far distance, a monument to the power wield by that of the Emperor. The Emperor was extremely powerful in the Force, was more cunning than the corrupted bureaucrats of the Old Republic, and as ruthless as any of Vader’s former advisories. Could he overthrow the Emperor and claim the Empire as his own or had his master all ready foreseen it and taken the proper precautions?



Always in motion is the future.



He'd heard that phrase mentioned many of times by Master Yoda whenever he asked for his guidance pertaining to the visions that he had which ultimately led to the deaths of those he cared the most about. His attention was distracted by the reflection of the bright rays of the setting sun as it slowly disappeared between the towering urbanscape of Imperial City. The sunset brought back a painful memory that Vader had thought he buried forever. It was of that painful night that his life changed forever. He remembered it all; thinking of Padme as he waited for word from Master Mace Windu, his speedy haste to help the Jedi Master that later contribute to the Jedi’s demise, his assault on the Jedi Temple, and his final farewell to his wife before she too had betrayed him.



Then a thought occurred to him. What had if all that the Emperor had told him was nothing more than a lie; a lie to gain him as his student, to manipulate and control for his own ends only to be discarded when no longer needed. To use his powers for his own gain no matter what the cost to him? No, he will not be used by someone else ever again. Whirling, Vader strolled away from the balcony to his private chamber. He could feel the Force in motion around him, propelling him towards this future confrontation with his master. It was time for the master to be replaced by the apprentice.



It was time for the Emperor to die!

**********



Built just north of Main Imperial Royal City and nestled in a former industrialized sector, the main Imperial Military compound was a sprawling city district itself. Housing more than forty thousand of the Emperor’s elite Shock Troops, the Defenders of Imperial Center, it also maintained the control centers for Imperial Center's planetary and orbital defensives, including the massive planetary shields and orbital gun platform grids. The perimeter of the compound was heavily fortified, rating a Class V, the highest standing for a Imperial installation for defensive measures. It was rumored that it could never be taken by direct ground assault.



Vader knew this to be true since it was he who ordered its construction to house the stormtrooper legions assign personally to him during the early days of the Empire. But for his plan to succeed, he needed not take the entire installation, but merely its main control rooms for the planetary shields and defense grids to be seized and held for the duration of his confrontation with the Emperor. Silently for the following months he plotted his overthrow, stealthy rotating units that were completely loyal to him to Imperial Center to replace forces he knew to be loyal to the Emperor. One such unit was his personal legion, the 501st Stormtrooper Legion or known simply as 'Vader's Fist'.



The 501st Legion first started out as an elite division of clone troopers that was commissioned by then Supreme Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars. Made up of units like the famous Torrent Company, the 501st fought in many battles, such as the Battle of Teth and the Battle of Coruscant, becoming one of the most well-known legions. At the end of the Clone Wars, the 501st became Lord Vader's personal unit as he led them during Operation: Knightfall, in which the clones assaulted the Jedi Temple and help take down the Order, whom they believed to be traitors to the Republic. Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, the 501st transitioned into a stormtrooper unit, like all other clone units. Given new armor and weapons, the 501st faithfully served the Empire, operating under the direct command of the Dark Lord of the Sith. After the Battle of Kamino, the 501st became the last remnant of the Grand Army of the Republic fully composed of clones of the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, as opposed to the ever-growing and more diverse Stormtrooper Corps, where the Fett clones became a minority with the inclusion of a pool of clones from different templates and birth-born recruits. The legion fought in a number of battles during the struggle against the rebellion in an effort to defeat the Rebel Alliance and bring peace to the galaxy and were there during the final battle above the forest moon of Endor when the Alliance was ultimately defeated.



Never had they failed Lord Vader or their mission. Completely loyal to him, Vader had unshakable confidence that two companies of elite commandoes from the 501st he would be sending to the compound to gain control of the control rooms would either accomplish their assigned mission or die in the attempt.



Lowering his helmet’s macrobinculors visor over the polarized lens, Colonel Deviss ST 65/91-6210 focused in on the two southern guard towers. Within each structure he counted approximately five personal and a duty officer in each, none appearing armed with anything more powerful than a standard issued sidearm. He noted that the soldiers’ bodies were relaxed and their attentions seemed fixated more on a conversation than their monitors. So much the better, he thought as he raised the optics. Motioning with his armored hand, two platoons of troopers moved up next to him and immediately set upon their assigned task. The troopers all wore the same standard issued armor for Imperial stormtroopers, but had been modified extensively to fit their needs. A blue pauldron as well as streaks of blue paint streaked down the center of their helmets and armor chest plate as well as the knee pads and arm plates, thus providing proper identification as friendly when and if their communications became jammed. All of them were armed with either DC-20 rifles or E-11 repeating carbines, BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistols, Merr-Sonn MKIII Thermal Detonators, stun and gas grenades, and a field aid kit containing synthflesh and bacta patches.



Getting a thumbs up from the section officer, Deviss gave the towers a quick glance once more before giving the order. Four troops raised launchers to their shoulders and fired two projectiles towards each tower. Once they were about half way to the target, the computer detonated the explosive bolts surrounding the warhead, releasing ten BlasTech ECD grenades. Produced during the Clone Wars for primary use against droid infantry, the ECD when detonated created a ionized charge that disrupted droid neural networks. However it was also discovered when a bunch of them were detonated simultaneously, the ionize field created was compared to that of a ion bolt from a portable ion field gun turret. The grenades hit their mark and exploded, shutting down all communications and the defensive force grid to that section of the perimeter.



Jumping up, he led his men down with all due haste towards the perimeter fencing, splitting up so half of his forces were at the base of one guard tower and the rest at the other. According to the intelligence he viewed, they had approximately one minute to enter the perimeter before emergency power could be rerouted to restore that section of the perimeter’s defensive force field. All they needed was a fraction of that. Using self-disintegrating repealing lines, the commando troopers scurried over the top of the three meter tall fencing and dropped into the compound. Deviss took a brief moment to make sure all the grapples had reduced themselves to ionized dust and the fence line was clear. Satisfied, he and the platoon he lead headed for their objective while the other platoons moved out towards theirs.

**********



Staring out the bridge viewports of the Super-class Star Destroyer Executor, Admiral Firmus Piett took a deep breath and slowly withdrew it out from his lungs, wishing he could do so with the fear and tension that he felt in his body. A native of Axxila, Piett gained experience with the Imperial Navy by begin posted to his homeworld’s anti-pirate fleet. He gained promotions and respect despite the fact that he was born in the Outer Rim, and not from the Core Worlds. His leadership was evident even then, as Axxila’s sector was quickly free of illegal activity. He was promoted to the rank of Captain, and after serving under both Admirals Griff and Ozzel, had taken command of the Executor and the fleet after Ozzel had failed to meet the mission objectives as defined by Vader during the Battle of Hoth.



Now, here he stood in silence. Months ago Lord Vader confine it to him that he would assembly the entire fleet that was under his command and stage them from the Mid Rim to Ralltiir at the edge of the Core Worlds. There they would wait until receiving a coded transmission from him to move the fleet down the Perlemiant Trade Run to Grizmallt and await for further orders. Piett didn't why the Dark Lord was ordering him to move a sizable force from the Mid Rim Regions core ward, but he hadn't survived as long as he had being the Admiral of Vader's Fleet by questioning his motives. The fleet held its position at Ralltiir for a month when he received the coded transmission from the Dark Lord that also contain his orders.



It had now been nearly twelve standard hours since receiving Lord Vader’s coded transmission and, yet, he still couldn’t believe what he’d been ordered to do. How could it have come to this, he wondered to himself. The fleet that he commanded at Endor had dealt the rebellion a fatal blow, mopping up actions were almost completed against the openly rebellious planets, and most of the rebellion’s senior leadership had either been killed during the Battle of Endor or soon captured after that. Peace should’ve been on the forefront of the galaxy.



But now this had to happen.



“This is treason, Admiral,” one of his ship captains had exclaimed upon hearing their orders.



“Lord Vader is our commanding officer of this fleet. If what he told us is true than the Empire will surely fall if we don’t act now,” was his response.



Yet he still couldn’t believe those orders, but he had no choice. If he didn’t obey, Lord Vader would ‘retire’ him and find someone else to carry out his bidding. And he had served under Vader long enough to know what it took to survive and advance under the command of the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader’s personal fleet, the Death Squadron, was now stationed at the edge of the Grizmallt system, only a quick jump to its intended destination. The fleet, that once only started off with a Super-class and eight Mark II Imperial¬-class Star Destroyers now numbered close to one hundred destroyers and approximately three times that number of support ships. Even the fleet that had engaged the Rebel Fleet above Endor had nowhere near been that gigantic.



Around him, the bridge crew was silent, the only voices filtering up from the crew pits were that of reports to their section officers. I wonder what their thinking, he thought. He had personally broadcasted Lord Vader’s message to the entire fleet once all ships reported in as having rendezvous with the armada. He then added that any crewmember, officer, pilot, or soldier who did not think they could perform their duties in light of these orders could be excused from their position and confined to quarters for the duration of the mission. None had done so, which Piett quietly thanked. The loyalty to the Dark Lord was unwavering in his fleet for all knew not to upset or fail him in anyway.



“My men are ready,” a voice said not too loud behind the Admiral.



Turning, Piett nodded. “As I assume they would be, Max.”



General Maximillian Veers allowed a small grin to appear. “As they should be.”



Veers had been an Imperial soldier nearly his entire life. Trained as the commander of an All-Terrain Armored Transport walker, he was part of General Irrv’s mission to subdue the planet Culroon III, and was nearly court-martial for telling Irrv that the ruse of a peaceful ceremony would be less effective than an all-out assault on the Culroon people. When Veers was proven correct, Irrv was executed by Commander Grath, who then promoted Veers to Major. Veers learned that mistakes were not to be tolerated by the Empire, which he kept in mind throughout the rest of his career, especially while serving as Imperial Army General of Vader’s Fleet.



“Between you and me, I’m still having trouble believing this,” Veers quietly said. “If Vader’s information is wrong to us, then this is a treasonable act. If we commit, its either victory or death for us.”



“I know, Max. But what choice do we have here? Its either standing besides Vader or the Emperor now. We’re pawns, my old friend, and we have nothing else then to obey our orders.”



Veers slowly nodded as he stared off into the blackness of space beyond the viewports. “Hail, Empress Teta, for we who are about to die salute you,” he said, stating an ancient ritual slogan spoken by gladiators in the Empress Teta system



Looking back at his old friend, he offered his hand which Piett quickly accepted and pulled him into a backslapping hug. It could possible been a scene being repeated throughout the entire fleet for all they knew as friends said goodbye to face an uncertain future.



“Take care of yourself, Max.”



“Just get me and my men close enough to the atmosphere and we’ll do the rest.”



“Count on it, my friend.”



He shook his hand one more time before taking a deep breath and stepping up onto the bridge’s holoprojector. Within moments, the black and blue outline of Lord Vader appeared before him. “My Lord, your fleet is assembled and awaiting your orders.”



“The fleet is now under your command to commence the assault, Admiral.”



Then the holographic image of the Dark Lord vanished. Taking a deep breath, Piett opened the Fleet channel and spoke clearly. “All ships, this is the Admiral speaking. Set course for galactic coordinates Triple Zero. Designation: Imperial Center!”

**********



Towering above the masses of skyscrapers, Imperial Palace was the center governmental building on Coruscant where the galaxy’s leaders have convened for thousands of generations. Situated within a short hovercar ride of the gigantic senate rhodium, the palace, known as the Presidential Palace orthe Palace of the Republic when it was used by the President of the Galactic Republic before the rise of the Empire, it had been added onto by each successive administration. Like Coruscant itself, the Palace sprawls across the face of Imperial City, dominating the skyline with its huge, pyramidal outline. Surrounding the area around the palace was a lush complex that catered to the Imperial elite; finely furnished apartments and townhouses, expansive dining and entertainment theaters, lavish nightclubs, and shopping centers that seemed to stretch forever with ever form of legal merchandise that could be found across the vastness of the Galactic Empire.



This evening wasn’t so different as the others. Imperial bureaucrats, highly appointed officials of various Imperial services, and military leaders dressed in their best to treat whomever their choice of companionship would be for that evening. Although the Emperor’s New Order had a strict non-alien laws, those seemed to evaporate amongst the elite as a mixture of the prettiest of alien females hung loosely on the elbows of their human companion. All of which were wearing the most elegant gowns and dresses that credits could purchase.



The atmosphere was filled with laughs and clanking of expansive glasses that contained some of the galaxy’s best brand of liquor. Dressed in her usual red uniform, the black haired, green and blue eyed Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanna Isard laughed as she stood near a balcony that overlooked the impressive plaza ten levels below. Off in the distance, she could hear the slight audible of thunder, marking the approach of a storm. She paid it no mind at first, but as it slowly increased in volume and pitch as the closer it approached, she started to pay closer attention to it. For what she assume to be thunder started to sound more like the falls of armored boot heels.



Soon the crashing nose overpowered that of the laughter and voices of the ballroom, causing some of the patrons to complain to themselves about it. Then she heard excited cries from below. Turning, she joined some of the other patrons on the balcony to see what the commotion was all about. Her eyes went wide when off at the bend in the plaza she could only see an endless stream of stormtroopers with freshly painted blue markings on their armor, their rifles held aloft in the ready position, moving down the street towards the Imperial Palace. Judging by the columns and their depth, Isard figured there had to be thousands, if not tens of thousands, of troopers. And at the head of the sea of blue and white was a figure clad completely in black that she immediately recognized.



Darth Vader.



“Reminds me of that night long ago when the Jedi attempt to overthrow Palpatine,” remarked an older official. “Magnificent, aren’t they, my dear?”



Isard felt her blood go cold at the mention of that battle and to the stark contrast to the scene that he eyes had befell on below. What was Vader doing to use such similarities as such, she wondered. Imperial doctrine stated that no sizable force other than that of Imperial Center Shock Troops, Royal Guards, or the Emperor’s personal legion of stormtroopers were permitted in or near the Imperial Palace. She watched attentively as Vader and led column of troops approached the security checkpoint that had been established at the beginning of the Palace courtyard. Two of the red armored Shock Troops of a squad that manned the position raised their arms for Vader to halt, but the Dark Lord didn’t even break his stride as he activated his lightsaber and beheaded the two troopers while the troopers around him cut down the rest.



With the those shots the led column started to disintegrate into platoons and began rushing into the Plaza, firing at any and all Imperial troops that weren't clad in color coded armor. Some officers and officials rushed out building, screaming for the troopers to stand down and return to their barracks immediately. The response from the blue-clad stormtroopers were excessively lethal to those that voice their opinion. The woman standing next to Isard scream as a stray, or maybe a purposely aimed, blaster shots slammed into the duracrete above and below the balcony as more and more of Vader's troops poured into Imperial Plaza and the buildings within. Even now dozens were entering the building that she was in.



“Frequencies are jammed,” cried out a General as he lowered his comlink uselessly to his side.



“What the hell is going on?” cried another.



Turning on her own comlink, she too was rewarded with the familiar sound of static. Cursing, she turned and hurried towards the exit. Whatever Vader was up too she knew that she had to warn the Emperor and possibly get him into orbit to the safety of the Imperial Center Defense Fleet. Jumping into her hovercar, that was berth on a hoverpad two stories down, she powered it up and sped off into the lanes above before angling back towards the Imperial Palace. She was trying to raise her office on her secured comlink when the craft exploded into flames, sending the wreckage to spiral downwards where it came to rest at the entrance of the Imperial Palace.



“Gamma to Alpha, target neutralized,” a blue armored trooper announced as he watched the flaming wreckage fall.



“Acknowledge. Continue clearing your Target Bravo and proceed to next objective.”



“Copy that. Gamma out.”



Motioning with his armored glove, the troopers of his section fell in around him and proceed to move up to the next level to eliminate the remainder of their targets before moving on. It was a scene being played out continuously throughout the governmental district as Vader's forces killed various Imperial officers and officials that might pose a problem later on when Vader assumed control of the Empire.

**********



Cursing under his breath, Grand Admiral Nial Declann ran as fast as he could through the corridors towards the bridge of his flagship, the Imperial-class Star Destroyer II Chimaera. One of the twelve Grand Admirals of the Empire, Declann was a man known for his threatening demeanor, morose personality, and ability to use the Force to create a telepathic connection to his troops to merge them into a unified force, the later only a few selected individuals knew about. He’d been trained to increase his powers over the past decade by the Emperor, having sense the raw potential in him when he was a TIE Fighter pilot. Because of this and his unshakable loyalty to the Emperor, he’d been put in command of the Imperial Center Defense Fleet after taking part in the Empire’s victory at Endor the year prior.



Stepping onto the bridge, he immediately saw it was a scene of control chaos as controllers shouted reports over each other to be heard as officers bustled about, trying to move from one station to the other in a frenzy. Spotting the Grand Admiral, Captain Gilad Pallaeon made a straight course to his superior’s side.



“Give me a situation report, Captain,” Declann ordered.



“We don’t know much of what is happening planetside due to our communication frequencies being jammed, Grand Admiral, but I can report that the entire defensive grid has been deactivated and the planetary shield above the Imperial District has failed.”



Declann didn’t show his alarm at the reports. To show uncertainty and confusion would admit to weakness. And he was neither weak or uncertain of himself or the situation. “There has been an uprising on the planet below. It seems Vader has taken into his mind to attempt to overthrow the Emperor.”



“Sir, how do you know that? Our communications are down. It could be a number of-“



”Its Vader, Captain,” Declann stressed in a calm voice that silenced the elderly officer. “Helm, bring us about on a course to a lower orbit. Captain, deploy the fleet to make sure we can provide able enough orbital firepower to bombard the Imperial Plaza.”



Pallaeon’s eyes went wide. “Imperial Plaza, sir. But millions of innocent Imperial citizens live there.”



“Do as ordered, Captain, or I’ll have you placed under arrest for treason.”



“Yes, Grand Admiral. At once, sir.”



Pallaeon turned to issue the order when the sensor controller cried out in alarm. “Admiral, new contacts coming out of hyperspace in sector eight through ten.”



“Transponders?”



It took a second for the sensor controller to gather the information from his control panel to report. “All Imperial transponder identifications.”



“How many?” asked Pallaeon.



“Over four hundred and fifty, sir.”



Declann and Pallaeon looked at the viewports at the arrival of the armada. There it was, just above the Galactic Plain, over fifty dagger-shape outlines of Star Destroyers with numerous others around them. All of them were formed in a protective wedge around a Super-class Star Destroyer.



“That’s the Executor,” exclaimed Declann. “What is Piett doing here?”

**********



“The fleet’s reversion has been successful, Admiral.”



Nodding his head to his Executive Officer, Piett glanced out the viewport and took a deep breath. In front of him hung Imperial Center, its darken surface ablaze with billions of lights that marked the outlines of the city clusters on the urban sprawl. Above it he could see the pride of the Imperial Navy in a high protective orbit above the world and above them was the defensive grid. Comprised of twenty-six sectors, each sector was broken down into ten sub-sectors, each of which contained either a orbital gun platform or a highly dense anti-starship minefield. The planet surface was equally well protected by a powerful shield that made the one used for the construction of the Second Death Star a mere ray shield in comparison.



“Sensors, give me a reading on the status of the planetary shields as well as that of the defensive grid.”



Piett knew that Vader’s plan depended on both the defensive grid and planetary shields being offline when his fleet arrived. If not, well, he didn’t want to dwell on that thought for the moment.



“Admiral, sensors read the planetary shield is still up with the exception of a portion directly above Imperial District. Readings on the Defensive Grid show that its offline.”



Letting out the breath he was holding, he nodded his head. “Thank you. All hands to battle stations. Shields up, charge all turbolaser batteries and ion cannons, ready torpedo launchers, and launch all fighters,” he ordered before turning to his Executive Officer. “Drop ships will launch as soon as we’re clear through the Defensive Fleet.”

**********



“Admiral, their powering up their shields and charging their weapon batteries.”



“Fighters launching. Too many to count.”

“The fleet is breaking into line of battle formations, sir. Skirmish lines approaching.”



Declann turned to Pallaeon to see the captain staring wide-eyed at the incoming fleet, his skin paling in hue. “Order the fleet to engage the enemy, Captain.”



Blinking his eyes, the elderly officer glanced back at his superior. “But those are our ships, Grand Admiral. Why would they attack us?”



“Because they are traitors to the Emperor and must be dealt with.” He turned to look at the incoming armada as well as he opened himself to the Force. “We must save the Empire.”

**********



Nestled into the ball cockpit of his Twin Ion Engine Interceptor, Colonel Soontir Fel slowed his breathing and allowed his instincts to take over. As the commanding officer of the Empire’s elite 181st Imperial Fighter Group, he called up the situational awareness on his Heads-Up Display and digested what he saw. The Imperial Center Defensive Fleet was following standard Imperial Doctrine in protecting the capital world; by keeping themselves out of the Defensive Grid and between that and the planet’s surface. Of course, the DG was non-operational thus eliminating the first defensive zone without even a shot fired.



Keying his helmet’s comlink, he spoke clearly and slowly. “Okay, people, listen up. Our orders are to engage any fighters that attempt to get in the way. We are to keep casualties at a minimal, but don’t jeopardize yourself trying to keep them alive. Listen to your flight leaders and stick with your wingman. Good hunting, gentlemen.”



By now he could see the gray swarms of other Imperial fighters streaming out and away from underneath the belly’s of the approaching Star Destroyers. Lining his aiming reticules just above the lead fighters, he squeezed off a pair of shots followed by the rest of his flight. The green lances of coherent light slashed through open space into the gray swarm, melting transparent plexisteel, and burning through cockpits and fuselages. A dozen angry fiery balls marked the deaths of twelve fighters as both fighter groups raced paced each other, firing wildly at one another, and then were clear.



Bringing his Interceptor around, Fel fell in behind a fighter that had either gotten separated from his wingman or had been destroyed in the initial pass. The pilot of the other fighter attempted to juke left and right, trying in vain to avoid Fel’s concentrating fire. Finally, a beam connected with the right support strut for the solar wing panel, blowing it cleanly off. The fighter immediately went into a uncontrollable spin as it slowly dropped towards the surface and its eventually death. Pulling away, he sent his sights on another pair of hostile TIEs and went after them. The heavens were literally thick with them.

**********



Even although many of the military frequencies were being jammed, reports were still flooding in from all parts of Imperial Center and from the starfleet above to the Emperor’s throne room on secret frequencies. Vader’s loyal forces composing mostly of the elite 501st Legion and special commando units were storming selected targets all throughout Imperial Center including the offices of Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, the Imperial Security Headquarters, the Regional Governors’ Offices, and the Imperial Palace. Above in orbit it was more of the same with a sizable fleet led by Admiral Piett engaging the Emperor’s personal protective fleet while dropping reinforcements planetside. All ready Imperial walkers were lumbering towards the palace. And the last report from the Death Star out in the Mid Rims was that the control center was being assaulted and in danger of falling to a small army of gray-skinned alien being he knew to be Noghri, an alien species that had sworn loyalty to his apprentice years ago that Vader used as expandable assassins.



In all the turmoil, Emperor Palpatine sat quietly on his throne, his gaze focused on the burning buildings, the racing TIE fighters that dog fought in the darken sky above, and blaser fire lighting up the darken city scape that marked his apprentice’s attempt to seize power from him. Arrogant fool Lord Vader was for commencing an all out attack, but he knew that this night would not be decided by military might, but the battle that would be raged inside this very room. All ready he could sense his student’s blind rage at the betrayal that he’d suffered at his master’s hands. If he only knew the whole truth, the Emperor thought with a grin.



The doors to chamber suddenly buckled and Palpatine could sense the desperate battle being waged to protect him by his loyal Imperial Royal Guard and Shock Troopers in the corridor beyond. But it was futile so the Emperor made sure to send only the minimal amount of forces to make it look like he was trying desperately to hold off Vader’s onslaught. After what seemed like eternity, the doors to his chambers departed and in stepped Lord Vader, his ruby-bladed lightsaber reflecting off his seemingly dark armor.



“My Master,” his mechanical voice announced lowly as he approached.



Standing up from his throne, Palpatine stared back at the man encased in life saving machinery. “Lord Vader,” he answered.



Vader stopped at the steps leading up to Palpatine. “Why?”



Palpatine let out a soft chuckle as his lightsaber shot into his waiting palm from the concealed place in the sleeve of his cloak. “Why what, my apprentice? Why did I kill him?”



“I told you I could turn him.”



“Yes, your only offspring the Jedi managed to hide from the both of us. How sneaky and deceptive they are, or should I say were.”



“And you're not or even more so?”



The smile vanished from Palpatine’s face. “Don’t try to compare me with the Jedi. Everything I’ve done as been for the galaxy’s good and your own.”



“He was my only child,” Vader roared as he raised his lightsaber and pointed it at his former master. “And I sense that you’ve taken more than just him away from me as well.” He strolled up the stairs until he was at the top of the raised platform. “What about my mother? Did you kill her as well to make sure I started down the dark path? What about Padme?”



“Don’t try to blame all of your life’s heartaches on me, Lord Vader,” growled Palpatine. “You killed your secret wife with your own blind hatred and your mother’s death was her destiny.”



“Hatred that you taught me. I wondered what might’ve been should I'd cut you down when I had the chance all those years ago or maybe I should’ve listened to Master Windu instead of you.”



“And you would’ve been a Jedi lap dog to their ignorant council soon after that. Or have been expelled from the Order for breaking their illogical laws and codes. I gave you the power you needed to destroy them.”



Vader stopped and glared as a even more powerful rage exploded in him. “For your own ends, that is. So you could use my power for your own gain instead of them.”



“As you have done with your own apprentices. You use them as you use those that blindly follow you, expandable pawns for your own gain.”



That was true enough, but it wasn't his own blood. He wanted to overthrow the Emperor long ago when he first turn, with Padme at his side they could shape the galaxy anyway they wanted, to make the galaxy a better place for their child. It didn't happen like he wanted, and yes he killed her in his rage when he saw Obi-Wan. But she hadn't, she lived long enough afterwards to give birth to his son, a son that came to fight him on the opposite side. If knew he could've turned him to the dark side if only given more time, time his master didn't seem fit to give him.



"He was my son," he said quietly as the two Sith Lords being to circle one another. "He was the only thing I had left of Padme and you took him from me."



"So what if I did? I knew you would eventually use him against me, that is why he was destined to take your place at my side!"



The revelation was too much for Vader to take and he lunged towards his former master, lightsaber raised. Palpatine ignited his own and parried the first blow seemingly less with ease. Vader whirled around, checking the Emperor’s follow up attack with the tip of his sword. Palpatine jumped back and took on a defensive posture as the two Sith combatants circled each other yet again.

**********



The battle wasn’t going too well.


The Imperial Defense Fleet was made up of some of the most powerful warships ever created, crewed by the best in the entire Imperial Navy, and commanded by the brightest fleet commanders the academies had produced in two decades. But all that was pale in comparison to the might of Vader’s assembled fleet, spearheaded by a Super-class Star Destroyer.



Standing by his terminal, Pallaeon held a firm grip on the console as the Chimaera shuddered from another violent explosion marking the destruction of yet another one of their Destroyers to fall under the combined firepower of Vader’s fleet. Destroyers Tyrant, Abolisher, Death’s Head, Hunter, Wrecker, Impervious, Exterminator, and Terminator had already been lost and a dozen more Destroyers were so badly damaged they had to withdraw or been destroyed. The fighter wings and support ships weren’t fairing any better with nearly half their strength already lost. The Chimaera was holding its own, but just barely.



“Captain, Obilirator has reported that its lost its deflector shields and most of their turbolaser batteries. They are requesting to permission to heave too and surrender.”



Before Pallaeon could respond, Declann screamed out, “They shall not. I order them to make a suicide run on the Executor. Their ship might just hold long enough together to take that behemoth out so we can even up the odds.”



Pallaeon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Fighting amongst themselves was one thing, but to order a suicide run on the flagship of the Imperial Navy? “Admiral, this is insanity. Those are our fellow comrades in arms out there, not an enemy that we’re-”



“They are traitors, Captain,” screamed Declann. He could sense the Emperor was in grave danger. “We must deal with them as we dealt with all traitors, with an iron fist and no mercy.”



“We lost main bridge deflector shields,” cried out a controller.



But the aging Captain didn't back down, even although his thirty plus years of military experience was screaming at him to stand down. No, he couldn't for he was now fighting to save not only his ship, but the thirty-two thousand souls aboard her. “This is suicide if we continue the struggle, Admiral.”



Declann slammed his hand on the console he was standing at. “Enough of your traitorous outburst, Captain. I want you-”



“Look out!”



Pallaeon glanced at the viewports to see a flight of TIE Interceptors angling towards the Chimaera’s bridge. Knowing what was coming, he turned and ran as fast as he could along with everyone else except the Grand Admiral towards the concourse that laid just behind the bridge, hoping he could make it in enough of time.

**********



Fel waited until the last possible second before depressing the firing stud on his control yoke. Angry lances of green coherent energy slammed against the Star Destroyer’s bridge viewports, converging with those of his flight’s fighters. Together, the concentrated fire managed to burn clean through the heavy transparent durasteel. Pulling up from his strafing run, his computer shown that they had done minimal of damage, but enough disable the Destroyer’s main bridge and, hopefully, eliminated its command staff.

**********



With his last bit of strength, Pallaeon flung himself to the deck and grasped a bolted down chair as burning beams of laser cannon fire suddenly flew overhead. Then he felt his ears pop as a whirlwind raced throughout the concourse, drawing all those unlucky enough to grab a hold of a piece of equipment that was bolted down back to the breached viewports of the bridge. It only lasted a second before the emergency blast door slammed shut, sealing off the damaged bridge section with the concourse.



Taking a deep breath, Pallaeon turned and glanced back at the blast door as his quaking hand fished his comlink from his tunic’s pocket. Never had he before came close to so certain of a death as that. He took a moment to glance around at the other surviving members of the bridge crew around him but failed to spot Grand Admiral Declann.



“Where’s the Grand Admiral?” he asked, already knowing the obvious answer to it.



“Got hit by the TIEs' fire just as it breached the viewports. I don’t think he knew what hit him, sir.”



Nodding, he key his comlink. “Auxiliary bridge, this is Captain Pallaeon. Transmit our surrender on all frequencies and bands. All fighters are to stand down.” Dropping the comlink, Pallaeon slowly shook his head. “I’m getting too old for this.”

**********



Vader circled Palpatine, his saber raised. Around them laid the ruins of the Emperor’s throne room; consoles rip free from there mounts laid sparking, the throne chair was carved into separate pieces, overhead illumination panels and air ducts littered the ground. The two Sith had tried everything to give them an advantage over their opponent, but it seemed more and more that they were both evenly matched. The only way one was going to loss this match was by making a dreadful mistake. Or by taking a tactical risk to make his opponent lower his guard.



Faking to his right, Vader side swipe his saber to the left, pivoted on the heels of his armored boots to whirl around to the other side of the Sith Master for the killing blow. But Palpatine leapt out of Vader’s strike and landed behind the Dark Lord. Vader turned, the blade of his weapon parrying Palpatine’s follow-up blow. The two combatants were a blur of movement and crashing lightsabers as each tried to probe the other’s defense while defending their own. Landing a blow to Palpatine’s chest with his foot that threw the aging Emperor to the ground, Vader came hard and fast, tending to end the duel.



But Palpatine had other ideas. Immediately beams of whitish-blue energy bolts leapt from the Emperor’s finger tips. Vader had no choice but to stand his guard and defend himself with the blade of his lightsaber. Palpatine laughed as he concentrated his Force Lighting, knowing it be only a matter of time before he broke through his apprentice’s defense. He would finally rid himself of this mechanical abomination that he help create and take on a new apprentice, someone more appreciated and less ambitious than the Dark Lord. Perhaps maybe even his most trusted Hand, Mara Jade, would take up the mantle of Dark Lady of the Sith, the first since Darth Treya four thousand years ago. The thought cause him to grin as he rose to his feet as Vader sunk to on his.

**********



Towering nearly twenty-three meters in height and heavily armed and armored, the Imperial All-Terrain Armored Transport walkers of the 320th Stormtrooper Legion (SSL-A), back by infantry ground support of the 41st Elite Corps, laid waste to the hastily erected defenses surrounding the approach to the Imperial Palace. General Veers, clad in his battlefield armor, noted the progress of his forces as the two pilots rake another burning tower with the two fire-linked heavy laser cannons mounted underneath the chin of the walker’s command ‘head’.



A console cried out for his attention. “Thunder Lead to Thunder Group. Enemy Fighters coming in. Five marks at one-zero-eight point oh three two.”



Getting their acknowledgments, Veers glanced down at his Situational Awareness Display and saw the TIE flight swooping around skyscrapers to cover their approach. The two rear lumbering war machines opened up with the two side-mounted rapid firing medium blasters, the fire smashing into the faces of the duracrete towers as the fire control computer attempted to predict the fighters’ flight path.



Anticipating the walkers’ responses, the TIEs swung around the edge of the last skyscraper and came shrieking downward, their laser canons firing wildly at the four articulated leg walkers. Working together as they been trained, the walkers formed pairs for covering fire which had worked so effectively against the rebel modified airspeeders during the Battle of Hoth two years prior. Within minutes, all walkers reported all the TIEs had been downed with little damage to their machines. Veers just thanked that his one-time comrades had yet to use the trick the rebels had pioneered so effectively against the walkers by using cables to tie-up the articulating legs to ‘trip’ them. It was the only known weakness outside turbolaser artillery for the walking ground combat machines.



Reaching up, he pulled down the electromagnetic laser-ranger finder and gazed into the targeting optical. In the distance the Imperial Palace was coming into view, but his element was well enough in range. He glanced at mission time and nodded that he was slightly behind his mission time that he was order to make. “Target," he announced to his crew, "two-nine-one point five-five-zero. Maximum firepower.”



Hearing the order, the pilots turned over all motion control to the walker’s sophisticated artificial intelligence as they ready the heavy laser cannons. Linking the firing coordinates with the other walkers through a secure and encrypted laser transmission signal, the walker group fired off a pair of shots at the upper levels of the Imperial Palace as per Lord Vader’s orders. Veers nodded when his computer registered complete hits on all shots.



“Thunder Group, fire at will at previously established coordinates,” Veers ordered before turning his attention back to the battle at hand.

**********



Vader was down on his knees, his arms nearly against his armored chest plate as the Palpatine hovered over him, pouring more of lances of blue lighting from his outstretched finger tips at the Dark Lord of the Sith when the wall and ceiling above the two combatants suddenly exploded and raining dust and debris downwards. The high powered energy fire caused enough of damage to the main support grid that vast portions of the overhead ceiling began to collapse. Palpatine cried out as he dropped his barrage on Vader to raise his hands to ward off the massive pieces of duracrete falling towards him. Vader didn't hesitate and called upon the Force to launched myself away from the Emperor and to the relatively safety of the main entrance.



As he moved into the devastated corridor, he turned back to look at his struggling former master as more explosions overhead caused even more debris to collapse into the Emperor's throne room. He never intended to kill the his master in a duel for me knew the Emperor was still to powerful for him alone to take down. So the plan he devised was a cunning and complex one; by using his forces he would cause such havoc that the Emperor wouldn't be able to sense to the approaching danger causing by General Veers' forces while he concentrated on dispatching the Dark Lord. All Vader had to do was last long enough for the walkers to get within range to collapse the ceiling of the throne room thus ambling Vader the distraction that he needed to seek his revenge.



“Vader, don’t leave me,” Palpatine shouted as another round of concentrated blaster cannon fire struck the ruin throne room. “I command you, Lord Vader.”



Igniting his lightsaber, Vader gazed at his former master and replied coldly, “You don’t command me anymore, master.”



“Vader!!!”



Calling to the Force, Vader threw his lightsaber as hard as he could towards Palpatine. The Sith Master’s eyes opened in complete horror as he watched the ruby-bladed saber twirled towards him. He let out a curse as he sent his last command to his trusted Hand wherever in the galaxy she might be as the lightsaber struck him.

**********



Gritting her teeth, Leia let out a scream as an orgasm shook her entire petite body. Below her, Bib Fortuna dug his pointed fingernails into her cream-color flesh as he pounded his meat harder into her tight pussy, feeling his own climax coming. He let out a groan and the tip of his cock exploded, filling the Alderaani’s cunnie with his hot seed. Leia felt his substances and cried out as it triggered another orgasm.



Then the whole galaxy seem to explode in her head. Her eyes shot wide open, her breathing stopped, and her whole body became rigid. A voice cried out, powerful and intense, then it was suddenly silenced as blackness turned to a brilliant white horizon. She blinked her eyes to adjust her vision when a lone figure appeared in the center of the light coming towards her. Drawing closer, she made it out to be a man approximately almost two meters in height with sandy blond hair and blue eyes.



Luke, she mouthed but no words came out. He smiled at her just as another figure appeared behind him. This one was all black, towering over Luke, with his breathing sounding almost mechanical. She heard a loud snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating and she cried out a warning to Luke as Darth Vader approached. But he didn’t move, instead when Vader got closer, the Dark Lord and Luke appeared to merge into one before moving towards her. Shaking her head, she turned to run but stopped when she saw Jabba and his court blocking her path, laughing not at her, but at a girl that look just like her prostrated nude on the floor, pushing her fingers into her pussy while moaning like a whore.



Turning around, she saw that she was completely surrounded as Vader drew closer. She opened her mouth to let out a scream when two beams of colored light held by two shadowy figures appeared behind Vader. Then they both moved into the light and Leia gasped. They were two women; one with red hair that look like Arica holding the blue beam while the other....Leia couldn’t believe what she was seeing.



The other holding the purple beam was her!



Then the light all around her grew suddenly dark as she heard a new laugh as a green mist suddenly clouded her thoughts. What did this all mean, she thought to herself as she fell into unconscious.

**********



Halfway across Tatooine, in the bowels of Jabba’s Palace, Mara Jade lying naked and moaning underneath the probing tail of the slug gangster had experienced the same vision as had Leia. But unlike Leia, she felt her connection with the Force becoming mute until it was completely silenced with only the Emperor’s voice echoing the same command over and over in her subconscious.



You will kill Darth Vader!





TO BE CONTINUED......