A Ghostly Head and Heart

Chapter 10

The lift door to the throne room opened and revealed Luke standing next to his towering father. They both entered the room and walked towards the Emperor who was sitting in his throne and looking out of the window. It was truly a magnificent sight. Vader and Luke climbed the stairs side by side whilst Padmé trailed behind. The Emperor slowly turned around in his swivel chair as they approached him. "Welcome, young Skywalker." The voice sent shudders down Padmé's spine, it always did. "I have been expecting you. You'll no longer need those." And with a wave of Sidious's finger, the cuffs around Luke's wrists opened and dropped to the ground with a low clatter. "Guards, leave us.", the Emperor commanded. The hooded red figures that had been standing on either side of the elevator door vanished swiftly and silently. "I am looking forward to completing your training. In time, you will call me ... Master." But Luke only shook his head lightly. "You're gravely mistaken. You won't convert me as you did my father." "Oh no, my young Jedi." The Emperor got up and walked closer to Luke. Padmé stepped in between them as if to shield her son, needless to say it was no use. "You will find that it is you who are mistaken. About a great many things." The look he gave Luke made Padmé uncomfortable. "Ani, do something!" "His lightsaber.", Vader said and handed the hilt to Sidious. That got his master off the topic. Sidious took it. "Yes. A Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's. By now you must know your father can never be turned from the Dark Side. Padmé folded her arms across her chest and said: "I don't think so, old man." "So will it be with you." Sidious couldn't hear her, of course, since she wasn't present for anybody except Vader. But still, she said it. "Again I strongly object." Luke seemed to share her opinion. "You're wrong", he said, "soon I'll be dead, and you with me." Sidious chuckled in a dark yet amused way whilst Padmé blurted out: "Yeah, you... wait, what?" Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your rebel fleet." Luke seemed startled. "Yeah, I assure you, we're quite safe from your friends here." Luke quickly regained his posture. "Your overconfidence is your weakness." "Your faith in your friends is yours." Then Vader said something, for the first time since they had entered the room. "It is pointless to resist, my son." "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design." Padmé listened and watched in horror as Sidious explained his plan of wiping out the rebel alliance and taunted Luke, trying to pull him onto the Dark Side which resulted into a duel between father and son. Padmé followed them through the room, trying to distract Vader, trying to keep him from harming their son. But when Leia's true identity was revealed, she closed her eyes, defeated. She knew she would have a lot to explain to Vader later. But she completely forgot about that as Sidious began to torture Luke with his lightening. She was absolutely frozen, unable to do anything. She lost her hearing. She lost her will to do something. She lost control over her body. She just watched. But then something incredible happened.

Vader picked Sidious up and dropped him down a shaft.

She was able to move again. And she knew that the lightening had damaged Vader's suit. And that the damage was fatal. "Ani!", she cried out, but then ... something weird happened. She felt her own appearance becoming foggy. She was disappearing, to the world of the dead, and she knew that this time, she wouldn't return. "No, no! That can't be the end!" But her voice was barely audible as she found herself alone in the black.

Author's note: Okay, guys, second-to-last chapter. I believe that's how you say that there will be one  more last chapter, right? Anyways, I love you guys and thank you so much for your support!