[Short Stories] - Dark Emperor 3(11)

Palpatine stood and crossed the dais, looking down mockingly at Luke despite his smaller stature. “Your father can never be turned, my young apprentice. As for your fleet, it will never penetrate Coruscant’s planetary shield.” The Emperor’s voice went sickeningly soft. “You think I am mistaken, don’t you.” Palpatine laughed mirthlessly. “In fact, the Imperial fleet is poised to arrive via hyperspace at any moment, trapping your Rebel fleet and destroying it. We are in no danger, boy.” Palpatine leaned in very close to Luke, speaking in a low voice. “Perhaps you are counting on your friends to disable the shields.” He was pleased to see Luke begin to sweat. Smiling, the Emperor reached to trigger a control on the arm of his throne. Luke was startled as an enormous wall screen lit up. On it was the security camera transmission from deep in the bowels of the Palace. Luke could see the furtive shapes of Rebel commandos scurrying for cover as a patrol of security guards passed by. The image moved into a tight focus, and Luke gasped audibly as the faces of Han Solo and Princess Leia came clearly into view. “Oh, yes, my young apprentice. I know of your friends’ mission. I lured them here, after all. They have been a thorn in my side, and now I shall enjoy torturing them. Perhaps I shall let you listen to their screams.” Palpatine laughed again, and Luke’s hands clenched.

Suddenly, on the screen, two dozen heavily armed stormtroopers came up behind the commandos. Han Solo spun and fired, blindingly fast, but he wasn’t able to stop several troopers from wounding him terribly in the arms and legs. He dropped to the floor, his heavy blaster spinning into the shadows. Leia screamed and fired frantically, but she, too, was swiftly taken down. Luke couldn’t tell if either of them was still alive. Then the screen image changed to a view of the space around Coruscant. Rebel ships were careening madly away from the dimly visible planetary shield as dozens of Star Destroyers came screaming out of hyperspace to array themselves like a giant net around the Rebel fleet. Without warning, hundreds of turbolasers spoke fiery death into the void as swarms of TIE interceptors descended upon the Rebels. Luke watched helplessly as the Alliance ships were cut to pieces. Explosions bloomed in the darkness, and the dying began in earnest.

“It is the end for the Alliance, my young apprentice,” The Emperor told Luke. “There is no hope left for you. Your friends are now in my power. I will see that they are a long time dying. You may beg me for their lives. Perhaps I will give them to you, If you serve me… if they survive.”

Luke could stand no more. He ignited his lightsaber and shouted, “Father, stay back, this isn’t your fight.” He moved up onto the dais, menacing the Emperor. “Maybe you’ll trade your own life for the lives of Han and Leia,” Luke said fiercely. But Vader was already moving. Igniting his own weapon, he chased after Luke and drove him away from the Emperor.

Luke defended himself easily, his green blade blurring in the air. “I’m not here to fight you, Father,” Luke grated. “You don’t have to fight me. Together we can defeat the Emperor, you know that.”

But the man playing Vader would hear none of it. “The Emperor is my Master. Now he is yours, too. The only chance for you is to serve him.” He attacked, more aggressively. “I tortured your friends on Cloud City, and now they will be mine again. Leia Organa will scream a dozen times for every minute that you deny your destiny. I will kill Han Solo before your eyes. The Rebel Alliance is dead and soon, your friends will die, too!”

Luke was hard pressed to fend off Vader’s attacks, but his anger had been growing. His rage began to show on his face as the room seemed to spin before his eyes. Vader pressed the attack, his blade flashing blindingly against Luke’s again and again. The wall screen showed a huge Rebel cruiser annihilated in a billowing fireball. The image shifted, and Han and Leia appeared again, screaming as they were shot over and over. The Emperor laughed, long and loud in Luke’s ears.

Luke’s anger was suddenly alive in him, a clamoring thing writhing in its desire for destruction. And the dark side answered its call. Luke felt strength pour into him, and he easily beat Vader’s blade aside. He had been so wrong about his father. There was no good left in him. If Vader now stood between him and the Emperor, then he would have to fall. Look at him! The Dark Lord of the Sith, retreating before me. You won’t escape, Vader—you die now! You didn’t deserve the power you had. Now, mine is greater! My father…I hate the day I ever learned I was your son! No—don’t try to run—it ends here! Yes! On your knees! Down! Down on the floor! A fitting place for you to DIE! Luke suddenly found himself with no one between Palpatine and himself. The hate was singing in his ears, a red haze was before his eyes, and a bloody taste was in his mouth.