Who Are You?

The Hero With No Fear

"I'm sure this all must seem quite familiar to you Lord Vader," his master's voice began to fill the air.  "And just like last time, I have to finish the job."

He never knew what Luke had been told about her by Obi-Wan, though it always seemed that any conversations had been mainly focused on himself based on what lies Luke had repeated back to him in their earliest encounters.  So the confused look Luke sent his way was unsurprising.  However, he couldn't shake the last part of his master's words.

Finish the job...like last time?

It was the Emperor himself who originally informed him of his wife's ultimate fate.  Yet, why was he in such denial over the truth?  He remembered angrily lashing out at the nearby droids and medical equipment that day, proclaiming that she had been alive, that he had FELT it.  Just as he feels it now, she is unconscious, but the final blow had yet to be dealt.  The Emperor was obviously stalling, probably hopeful Luke would regain the lightsaber he had cast aside and strike.  But he knew that wasn't going to happen, Luke was better than that, better than him. Though, that still didn't relate to his other question. His mental defenses must have weakened at some point, because his master's voice cropped up again.

"She had survived, on Mustafar, but just barely."

"...What?"

It had honestly just slipped out, but he didn't care, he needed to know.

"Oh yes," the Emperor turned to him, "that blasted Jedi you let get away managed to get the Senator to a hospital, but it was too late for her. After my men found you, mutilated and burned to a crisp, there was no doubt in any of their feeble minds that you were done for. You should be thanking me, Lord Vader, I managed to influence your midichlorians and you survived to stand at my side even today. The Senator, on the other hand, she had seen too much. Your unfortunate failure had been a wrench in my plans, but she was more akin to...a thermal detonator."

No, that was simply impossible. There was no way. HE had killed her, the Emperor had told him so! He was responsible, it was his brash anger that killed her and their-

Luke is our son...and he lived...

There were absolutely no words to describe the amalgamation of feelings that had suddenly engulfed his mind. Rage, betrayal, and grief happened to come to the forefront, though regret managed to wedge itself in there as well. He wanted to carve Palpatine into several pieces with his lightsaber, but he also desired to make the pain last as horrifically long as possible. The mental walls he had so delicately crafted to hold back his doubts dissolved instantaneously, and he lost any lingering bonds with his "master". A green blade ignited in his hand, he didn't even remember activating the saber.

"Oh come now, Lord Vader. I only did what you asked of me, Senator Amidala would have kept you from reaching your full power. I did what was best for you."

Tension filled the silence between the two, though it was probably the first time in so long that he noticed the sound of his breathing. The machine that filtered air through his ruined lungs, the one that supplied his body with nutrients because he could no longer eat, his false limbs that ached worse than real ones ever could, he was a corpse trapped inside a walking coffin. His body was gone, and he should have been the one to die that day! "Full power" was nothing more than a myth, a failed dream that cost him everything.

"She wanted what was best for me!" He took a fighting stance as he glared behind his mask.

The Emperor sighed, "This is exactly why you're being replaced. I always knew the day would come when you would turn on me, after all, you turned on the Jedi easily enough. Your stubborn resentment, it shall be the death of you!"

Palpatine immediately shot lightning at him, but he just barely managed to block it with the lightsaber. He cried out in frustration as he could feel his limbs beginning to bend. Minor wires began snapping and the cheap metal wasn't faring much better.

"Father!"

Luke was at his side, deflecting lighting with the red saber. Father and son, fighting against the Emperor, it seemed almost like destiny. The attack soon stopped, but he knew they had to stay alert.

"So boy," the Emperor spat out, "I take it you have made your decision."

Luke stood tall and nodded. "You have failed your majesty. I am a Jedi." Turning his head, Luke smiled proudly in his direction. "Like my father before me."

"So be it," Palpatine's expression turned dark. "Then die, Jedi!"

The lighting was more intense this time, but they still managed to hold it back. The stalemate showed no signs of ending, and it was obvious something drastic was going to have to break it. He watched nervously as Palpatine's eyes darted between him and Luke.

"You might be able to protect yourself, Jedi, but I don't believe the Senator has the same ability."

"No!"

He watched as Luke dropped his lightsaber and dove in front of his unconscious mother, shielding her from Palpatine's lighting. Luke's body spasmed violently as he cried out in agony. He, on the other hand, was petrified.  One stray bolt and he was done for. A permanent weakness to electricity, Palpatine had practically demanded it be made a feature of his suit. There were few things he feared more than death, and after watching it take everyone he ever cared for, he was never eager to confront the finality of life.

"Father...please..."

Luke was begging, begging for him to make the right choice. He steeled himself. Sith were selfish, and worked to preserve their own interests. It was Luke's own fault, the boy had been brash, and acted reckless, and had decided to risk his life...to save someone else, someone he loved. There was no reason to pretend anymore, he had made his choice. Palpatine was too busy barbecuing Luke to notice him. Approaching from the side, and with one quick slice, he had managed to take off one of Palpatine's hands. Unfortunately, the Emperor, despite obviously in shock and pain, managed to turn the still attached hand in his direction. Right up close, the force of the attack was too much. A loud snap, accompanied by a spray of sparks, signaled the destruction of his right hand.

The darn thing had last since the Clone Wars, and it chose NOW to explode?! It would be impossible to deflect properly with only one arm, but just to add insult to injury, the explosion of his hand damaged Luke's lightsaber. The blade disappeared, leaving him vulnerable.  There was no escape, and no rescue.  Luke lied on the floor, smoke still escaping off his burn clothes and flesh.  She was just behind their son, but didn't appear any worse off than before.  Time froze as he made one last bold move, desperate to save his family.  As the lightning came his way, he powered through with a determination unseen since his time as a Jedi.  His legs were already starting to malfunction, but he channeled what amount of the Force he could into keeping them moving.  Grabbing hold of the much shorter man, he lifted high into the air and trudged towards the nearby elevator shaft.  Palpatine shouted at him, cursed at him, and never stopped shocking him.  Finally as he reached the edge, he unceremoniously flung the Emperor down into the hole.  In his younger days, he might have even said some semi-clever one liner as a send off, but now, he just didn't want to fall as well.  Leaning on the railing, his body couldn't move.  The computerized lenses of his mask had never ending error messages, and he could hear the damage to his respirator.  Yep, he wasn't going to make it out of this one...but at least he was a master now.