Part 5

Palaptine's private prison
Imperial Palace
Imperial Center (Coruscant)

Leia leaned over Han's body.
"Han? Can you hear me?" her hand stroke through his hair. Suddenly he
started blinking.
"W-Where am I?" Leia smiled relieved.
"In a prison, inside the imperial palace to be exact. Palatine is holding us
as hostages to break Luke."
"To break Luke?" Han asked still a bit dizzy.
"Luke will never surrender to Palpatine. You know him."
Han grinned. "I guess I got the point. Ouch!" He cried as he tried walking,
then falling back to his bunk again.
"Let me guess. I got stunned right?" Leia grinned.
"So snivelling my great smuggler?"
Han glared at the princess. "Snivelling? Who's the snivelling one here? If I
wasn't jumping into the stun-shot you would be laying here!"
"I didn't asked you to do so." Now Han stood again, repressing his heartache
and yelled back at Leia.
"That's enough your highness! I did everything I could for you! I saved you
from the Death Star, I saved you from Hoth, I flew with you through a damn
asteroid field, with the whole Imperial fleet after me, I followed you to
this suicide rescue mission, I saved you from that stun-shot and now I'm
sitting here in Palatine's private prison! So why can't you be a bit, just a
little bit, polite to me. Me. Han Solo. I know I'm not a prince, just a
smuggler with dirty clothes and I know I can't turn up Luke, who is not only
a Jedi, but also the son of one of the most wealthy men in the damn
universe. But please stop acting like that!"
Leia stood in front of Han still not saying anything. She hadn't known that
she had hurt him this much. She hadn't known that Han was jealous at Luke.
That hadn't been her intention at all.
"Han. I'm so sorry." She felt the tears in her eyes, knowing that she might
very well have lost her best and only remaining friend (besides Luke),
after the destruction of Alderaan. She had been hurt far too often. She had
been betrayed so many times during her time in the senate, while she was
still nothing more than a child, so that her heart had hardened, without her
knowledge.
"Han I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just the way I am. I'm not like other
women. In my past there…Even if never tell you, believe me that I love you
for everything you did for me."
Han couldn't see her cry. Of all the women in the galaxy, she was the one
who caught his heart the minute he first laid eyes on her. He never saw her
cry before. Not after her torment from Vader, nor after the destruction of
her homeworld nor at Bespin. That his words had caused her more pain than
that, was more than he could bear. She deserved better than that.
He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her small body.
"I love you." He heard her saying into his shoulder.
"I know." Was all that he could manage to answer, as his head lowered
finally into a shy kiss.

(Anne that's only for you!)

 
~

Castle Base
Imperial Center (Coruscant)


The glider stopped in front of the gate of Castle Base. After a second the
security let them pass. Luke didn't have to be a Jedi to know that his
father must be an extremely wealthy man to own this castle and the very rare
landscape around them. Imperial Center was one big city. The whole planet
was. Luke couldn't draw his eyes away from the view spot of the gilder since
they reached Coruscant. Like a little child he absorbed every detail, not
unlikely for a boy that came from a planet like Tatooine.
Lord Vader lead him inside a noble lounge with several big, leathern,
old-fashioned armchairs, which were gathered a around a round table with a
table top out of glass. Luke could see some expensive pictures and a big
chimney near the armchairs.
"So this is how you live?" Luke asked feeling uncomfortable and misplaced in
the room.
"Yes and no." his father answered. "I live here but this part of the castle
has a more formal character. My private area is the right wing of the
castle."
"Wow." Luke turned around observing the room once more. "Is this to impress
your visitors?"
"No, but sometimes it leads to that side effect." Luke grinned.

"I'm beginning to see why." He laughed.
Suddenly a man Luke didn't know walked in.
"My Lord, Captain Needa from the Executor wishes to speak you." The man
bowed his head lightly.
"Send it to the station from right here, Derlin. That will be all."
"Yes, My Lord." Shortly after Derlin left the room Lord Vader walked towards
a little com. station, which was built within the wall inconspicuously.
"Captain Needa. I said I didn't wish to be interrupted."
"I know, Sir. But I got very important information concerning the Rebel
Alliance. I chose to follow them, unfortunately there was an unknown
asteroid field."
Vader waved with one hand and stopped Needa.

"Asteroid fields do not concern me, Captain!"
Needa got obviously nervous.

"My Lord as I already said this asteroid field was unknown to the Empire and so I…

we lost the Bloodprice, Sir."
Suddenly an invisible hand griped his throat and Needa fell to his knees.
"My - My Lord." He gasped in horror and his eyes became bloodshot, slowly
Luke saw the life vanishing in the Force until it had disappeared completely.
Than the screen showed another Imperial officer, also suited in green.
"Captain Piet. You will replace Needa till I get back. Until than I would
propose you not to follow unidentified information without my permission."
Piet became pale and stared at his Lord. "I won't. Thank you my Lord." He
managed to replay.
Vader turn off the station and walked over to his son again.

Luke was still too confused to realize what he had seen just a few minutes
ago. His father had choked that man to death! Everyone could have fallen
into that trap. If it had been one.
He had just begun to trust Vader. He had thought that he could get along
with him, but than his father taught him other wise.
"How could you? That's inhuman! How can you be so ."
"Cruel? Bad? Evil??" Vader suggested.
"Yes!" Luke answered still shocked and angry at the same time.
"So you think I'm evil because I killed that man." Luke angrily nodded his
head.
"Yes! No, not just that man because of everything. Because of the Jedi for
example!"
"2526 Jedi were killed by my hand. And you say that I'm evil. But you killed
thousands with only one shot. You killed all those men. Men with family,
with children and mothers who cared for them. Did they do anything to you
that would explain your action? I doubt it. You just don't care. So you're
much more evil than me, because I had a reason. Now answer my question: Are
you evil?"
Luke was shocked as he looked up at his father. He was right. He really
hadn't cared as he destroyed the Death Star. Surly, he had killed before.
But was he evil?
"No." he answered simply. "We were at war."
"Correct." His father answered dryly. And Luke knew he had reached a dead
end. Damn.
"You will learn that there's not only black and white in life, Luke. There
are many levels of gray in between. There's no intelligent lifeform
completely evil nor completely good."
Luke smiled. "Do you admit that there's still a small part of Anakin alive
in you."
"To small for you to risk asking any more of those questions."
Luke thought of that for a second but chose not to believe in his warning.
Not even the Dark Lord would lose his temper, if he would destroy with it
his chance to rule the galaxy.
"Why did you chase and hunt down the Jedi?"
Luke heard his father breathing irregularly for a second. Maybe he had gone
to far.
"Revenge."
Now Luke couldn't stop it. He had to know why his father had become the man
he was now.
"Revenge for what?" Vader turned around, his back to his son, and laid his
hands on the deposit above the chimney, staring into the fire.
"The Jedi took everything from me. Everything I ever loved. They feared my
power so they decided to kill me. Obi-Wan my own master, the man I trusted,
he betrayed me and tried to kill me. We fought; I fell into a lava pit. He
left me there to burn alive. But he failed. As he found out that I survived
the 'accident', the Jedi council decided to catch your mother. As the Jedi
had found out that Amidala was pregnant with you." He shook his head,
turning around again to face his pale son. "The Jedi killed your mother,
Luke. She was forceblind, she had no chance to fight them." There was a
little pause. Than he continued. "Obi-Wan took you with him and hide you
with Owen and Beru Lars. He knew I would never return to Tatooine. The only
reason he didn't kill you like he did your mother, was the fact that there
were no Jedi left, to defeat me. At lease no one with enough potential. The
plan of the Jedi was to tell you I had killed your father, Anakin Skywalker,
and to teach you everything you need to kill me. You know the rest of the
story."
Luke took a step back, searching for an armchair to sit in.

"I simply can't believe it. Ben Kenobi? That wasn't what the Jedi Master Yoda told me
about."
Vader stepped to his son, now sitting in one of the big armchairs.
"Luke the Jedi were warriors. Warriors of the Old Republic, which died
slowly from within. They were never as prefect as you might imagine then.
There were Jedi but above that they were still human."
Luke stared for a while and stayed calm. "Ben told me how to destroy the
death star… and… he lied to me."
"I know his favorite "special kind of view" speech. This was always his way
to say: I lied."
Luke felt a warm hand resting on his arm.
"Luke the Old Republic was corrupt and uncontrollable. The senate could talk
for a month about a solution, and when they found one it was already too
late. The Republic and the Jedi got their change. The Rebel Alliance would
find out that I'm right if they saw what I have seen. If you want to change
something you must change the system and the only way to do so, is to
control the system. To fight it, to fight the Empire, is pointless. You were
fighting for years for this goal, Luke. Now I give you this chance. Stop
worrying and everything will be as I have foreseen it."
Luke closed his eyes. "What about Han and Leia?"
"You can't help them now, maybe later, if your don't let your weakness be
the reason Palaptine needs to destroy you."
Luke's head leaned against the soft cushion.
"There are so many things I would like to change. The laws of smugglers,
turning against the Empire, the self-defiance of the planets, slavery laws,
the taxes of the outer rim planets, more military security for space
cruisers inside the outer rim. Harder laws for drugs and criminals. Maybe
even a new senate with limited power. I could go on for hours."
"I know son and I promise you that if we're successful I'll give you the
chance to fulfill some of your plans. Together we could bring the galaxy
peace again."
Everything seemed so clear now for Luke. His father was right. The Rebel
Alliance was fighting without success and with great losses. And his place
was here. At his fathers side. The decision was made.

~

Imperial Palace
Imperial Center (Coruscant)
One day later

The door slid open and Lord Vader entered with his son, climbing up the
stairs, leading to the emperor. The chair inside Palpatine's impressive
throne room was turned around, so that neither Vader nor his son could see
the old man sitting on it.
Vader knelt in front of his Master, as did Luke.
"My master." For some seconds there was only the sound of Vader's breathing
that felt like an eternity. Than slowly the emperor turned around, facing
his new toy.
"Rise." He said and walked up to Luke studying him with concentration.
"He is very strong indeed. Maybe even stronger than his father."
He lifted Luke's chin meeting the young one's eyes.
"Now your destiny will be fulfilled Skywalker. Both of you will be MINE."
Luke looked quickly away, freeing himself from the Emperor's grip.
"I will never serve you Palpatine. Nor will my father."
Horror filled Palatine's eyes looking back and forth between father and son
now realizing.
Luke and his father activated their lightsabers in exactly the same second.
"Only two there are. A master and an apprentice." Luke started quoting
master Yoda.
"No more no less." Vader finished for his son.
The first flash of lighting sprang out of Palpatine's fingers, right into
his former apprentice's heart.
"Vader you will pay for your betrayal. You will die." But against two
Skywalkers even Emperor Palpatine had no chance. Luke began to attack him,
helping his father after he took care of the Emperor's personal bodyguard.
Vader took advantage of the Emperor's struggle to fight against Luke now.
Luke took all of Palatine's attention as Lord Vader's sword burned right
into the tyrant's heart.
Palpatine cried out in agony and fell back into his throne, trying to hold
tight to his power. "You will pay." Were the last words he said, then his
yellow eyes closed and a wild storm, caused by the dark side, filled the
room and Palatine's body disappeared.
"All too easy." A dark voice said, as Luke felt his hands shaking.

He had killed the Emperor! Well not literally but without him his father couldn't
have done it. It was a strange feeling. A powerful, dangerous feeling.
"Welcome to the dark side." Vader said to his son, deactivating his
lightsaber.
"You just made your first steep into a new, glorious life." He promised and
walked up to the Emperor's throne. His throne.
Slowly he sat down and smiled behind his mask.
"You aren't all powerful, Ani."
"I should be! It's all Obi-Wan's fault! One day I will be the most powerful
Jedi in the universe!"
Vader looked down at his son. It was strange that he remembered that right
now. But he always kept his word, even to himself.
"Luke I promised you something before, remember?"
Luke nodded. "I remember, father."
"And I remember quite well all the things you told me you want to change.
May I ask you were you would like to start?"
Luke smiled. "I would like to have permission to free Han and Leia, my
Emperor."
"Permission guaranted, Lord Skywalker."



                                           ~*2 Years Later*~


"We just got information from the Imperial Navy that - Ladies and Gentleman
that I call NEWS! THE WAR IS OVER! It's absolutly unbelievable after
twenty two years, but Lord Skywalker just struck down the last remaining
Rebel base in the Endor System. Mon Mothma herself is one of captured rebel
leaders now imprisoned and waiting for their trial. Mothers your sons will
come home again! Congratulations! And hail the Empire! ICN the biggest News
Company across the universe!"

Emperor Vader switched off the Holo-TV and for the first time in twenty
years he leaned back in his seat. Without worry. Now finally he had
fulfilled his destiny.

The Alliance was dead. Long live the Empire!




                                                                                               THE END

A/N: Yeah, I finally finished it! This is not my best chapter. I'll admit that.

Everything went on a bit fast.  Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyway. 

And thank you again for all the nice reviews!

To Anne "The-biggest-Han-Solo-Fan-an-earth": Han and Leia get married and had

a long and happy life together with their three children, because they were wise

enough not to rejoin the Allianz. I would never forget about them ;-)

To Shannon B: Thanks a lot for beta reading the last two chapters!