"Both Lamdba ships have docked. Trooper's prepare for docking procedure."

Alarms and sounds were firing in all directions, echoing off the metal plating and giving a large, open presence. Carbon mist hissed off of the Lamdba's as their docking feet gripped the metal floor. Automatically, the docking ramps both descended on both vessels; a coded procedure that was written in the ship's computer.

Bollocks… if only I had time to tweak that out.

It didn't matter now. The element of surprise was still their's.

The first group of troops disembarked their ship, one by one. They listened to the footsteps march, then come to a halt.

There was a long and heavy pause.

…

"Lamdba T4A891, begin docking procedure, immediately."

Still no movement from the craft. "Lamdba T4A891, do you copy?"

The docking bay seemed to have all eyes on the vessel now, holding its breath. It was very unheard of for any troops of the Empire to be out of line. The Empire demanded it run tightly, formally and precisely… something like this was obscene, and whoever fell out of line would see to severe punishment.

"Lamdba-"

PEEEEOM!

Several of the troopers from the other shuttle were knocked into the air by a crackling plasma cannon. The heat immediately swept the room. All troops that were not already on their knees were armed and ready in an instant, firing back towards the attacker's direction. With an erie whistle, another plasma shot escaped the Lambda's doors, wiping out the rest of the troops in the docking bay. A handful were incinerated on direct impact. Alarms were ringing, the com was screaming: "ALERT. WE HAVE AN INFILTRATED ATTACK ON BAY 30. ALL TROOPS TO BAY 30, IMMEDIATELY!"

Several more troops came in through exit doors, firing heavily on the Lamdba, aiming to hit a weak point and ignite the engines.

"Aim at the vessel's exhaust ports!" A captain shouted.

Before the troops advancing towards the shuttle could obey their orders, a bolt of quicksilver lunged out of the ship. Two troopers' cries rattled the room, as a large, metal creature came down on them and began to rip them in pieces. "Fire, fire!" came the frantic cries from all around. The metal creature was already advancing, a plasma turret firing on them from its back.

"WHAT KIND OF DROID IS THAT!" Someone yelled from the com, watching the attack from a safe distance. They watched in horror as the beastly droid slaughtered the troops.

...

A perfect distraction.

With so much chaos, the troops could only focus on the mechanical hound. Just when Mech had pushed the fight back into the corridors of the docking bay, a black shadow sprinted in the opposite direction. Up the elevator shaft, through the empty halls towards its target.

Raven held tight to Vader has he sprinted at an alarming and unexpected speed through the hallways. For someone of such a huge and heavy size, the distance they were gaining was impressive.

"Just a bit further…" He gasped, the amount of work he was forcing on his imperfect body showing effect.

"Don't tire yourself!" Raven pleaded.

"We need to get far enough, out of range… give your droid enough time to steer them in the opposite direction."

Finally his footfalls became slower and heavier. This distance felt secure to him now. He hunched over, allowing Raven to jump off his back and out from under his cape. She scanned the room cautiously while her master regained his composure.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Straight ahead."

Raven turned to see that this hallway seemed to go on forever. But several meters away, a large set of metal doors awaited. She felt herself tense, her fingers touching the butt of her lightsaber.

"No." Vader said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I must go alone."

"Wot!" Raven exclaimed, but a little bit more hushed incase they were overheard. 'I thought the whole point of all this was you needed my help to overcome him.'

'Yes… But I need to face him first. And you need to catch him off guard. Do you understand?' His connection to her mind was faint but she still understood him clearly. She nodded, even though she didn't like being told to hang back last minute.

…

Soft wheezes echoed against the steel walls, traveling diagonal motions down the hall. Boots heavily marched, clattering loudly in the vacant, silent space. His tall shadow loomed over the tall doors. It was in there… There.

In there, was his former master. In there was treachery. In there was an ever-growing hate.

His gloved hand waved over the doors and the metal clamps released, opening them wide. All felt very still, and unsettling.

"Welcome back… Lord Vader."

He held his ground. The cold voice did not cut through him like it did many years ago. His mind was clear. He felt ready to face this darkness.

"You've done well getting this far… Just as I had foreseen."

Darth Vader sneered beneath his respirator. He's trying to intimate me. I won't let that happen. Vader finally took several slow steps into the vast room. The large window leaked in small amounts of light from the stars. The ocean of space made the room a dark cave that seemed to echo its own deep and cold presence. Within this cave stirred a beast… and what a powerful and unpredictable beast this was. Vader's red lenses focused for a moment on the large throne in front of the gaping window. Too predictable… he would not sit there and make himself so vulnerable. The beast was lurking somewhere else in the shadows…

"Why do you come alone? Why is your little friend not with you?"

"That is none of your concern." Vader shouted coldly into the darkness.

"So you say… but I know she is here. I felt her presence with you once you boarded the station."

Vader glanced around, waiting for any signs of movement. All was still, and it unsettled him. His power with the Force was so strong, he could not sense him… nor tell where his voice echoed from.

"So touching… You've become so dependent on this girl for confidence."

The Dark Lord felt his fists tighten. The insults did not effect him… but he did note the Emperor's keen focus on the subject matter of Raven. Vader felt himself becoming more impatient and he tried to submerge himself in The Force to keep his focus steady. It's what he wants…. don't let him get to you. He's trying to test your patience. Keep focused. Let him make the first move.

"I can wait here all day and all night." Came the response in the shadows, as if he had heard Vader's thoughts. "I can wait forever. I can certainly out wait you." He paused as Vader released a low raspy breath of air. "You have always been so impatient. So angry and temperamental. It's what gave you strength, you know. But it has always kept you below me. Never would you have reached my level of power still stuck in the mind of a child on the verge of a tantrum."

Vader felt his blood getting hot. He breathed deeper trying to cool off.

"Anakin."

Don't you dare call me that…!

"Anakin, oh Anakin. Temperamental children need to-" A shiver now ran up Vader's spin. He was getting closer. "be put—" Vader tensed, bracing himself. Here it comes… "in their PLACE!"

Abolt of lightning hurtled towards him from the side, as the wicked beast finally emerged and made his first strike. Vader was ready and his lightsaber blade darted up in front of him. With one gloved hand arching around his weapon, he focused tightly with the Force to direct the sparks of electricity to fall into the blade and redirect away from him. He tensed, a small amount of panic rising in his stomach. That lightning could not hit him, not even once. If it did, he would be down in seconds. Damn you…

Darth Sidious cackled with glee as he darted away and vanished into the shadows once again. "Oh good! GOOD! I taught you so well, Lord Vader."

Vader quickly recovered from the blow and returned to a focused stance, waiting and listening. "Does my power scare you, Dark Lord? I know it does… you are so vulnerable to the true power of the Dark Side of the Force. Wasn't it clever of me? To slave you in that suit of yours so that you could never learn this power? For if you did, you would surely destroy yourself… your robotic half could not take such an energy surge."

Vader growled a disgusted snarl through his respirator, ignoring the burn it sent through his scarred throat.

"This power also helped me keep you in check for so many years. Turned against me at any time, and I would have killed you on the spot. You were smart to wait so long and plan… But still, it will never be enough."

"Don't get too confident, Master." Vader spat back. "It could be your undoing."

"I could say the same to you, my apprentice." The room suddenly felt heavier, a terrible weight was pressing down on his body. His control of the Force, no doubt. "Did you really think you and a mere child, whose abilities with the Force are a tiny fragment of our own, could stop me?"

The hum of his lightsaber kept him calm as he waited, trying to ignore the blunt stabs of The Emperor's insults.

"She is so weak. So frail compared to what we have, what we have experienced! Any moment now, my troops will find her."

There's no way they could… he told himself. Raven was too keen for that.

"Do you know what I told them specifically to do when they caught her?"

Vader felt his breathing sharpen.

"I told them to BEAT her…" Vader's grip on his weapon tightened. "I told them to RAPE her…" He let out an enraged hiss. "I told them to TORTURE her until she begged for the mercy of death! But she wouldn't be allowed it. She would be our prisoner forever. The troops can do whatever they want to her for the rest of her pathetic-" He was suddenly caught off as a loud explosion shattered the tension building in the room with an abrupt boom. In the hazy smoke and dark, Vader could see stirring and hear the loud movements of dual figures. Just as it cleared, Sidious was now visible from the slight glow of Raven's lightsaber. She had taken him by surprise and he was forced to retreat back so that he could recover from her unexpected snare. Vader now lunged in to engage too, ready for a bloodthirsty, vengeful strike.

"You fools!" Sidious screeched, working hard to regain control of the fight. He danced craftily from their swipes but remain pinned down from their steady teamwork.

"Don't take me-" Raven shouted, as she managed to snag a bit of his dark cloak with the hissing blade. "For granted!" She huffed angrily, but surprisingly accurate and precise.

Finally, the Emperor had enough and his lightsaber had come out, sending his own swings out to prevent any more of his ground from being lost. He roared loudly, pushing back against both their frontal force, and the two now moved to a more defense stance. "You are still not strong enough to take me!" He sneered, leaping high in the air. Both Vader and Raven darted in opposite directions to avoid the plummeting blow Sidious had sent down. The area crackled and sparked from the heatwave, the energy overwhelming even at a safe range.

Raven felt her heart thump unsettling in her chest as she recovered from his attack. This guy is unreal… she thought. Never had she felt so much power. She had thought Vader was powerful, but this… His presence was burning her just being in the same space. Sidious chuckled his hoarse laugh, has he had regained control of the fight once again. He held one talon-like hand towards Vader in defense, holding him off as he turned to look upon Raven. She felt his cold, fiendish eyes dissecting her, hungrily prodding at her mind.

No… She felt herself weakening. I can't let him in.

"Raven…" He hummed, amused. "Tell me… what made you want to help this man? After all, it was his forces and his influenced that made you suffer."

She grimaced, feeling the vapor of his Force trying to penetrate her thoughts. It began to hurt…. sting like a scorching flame. Had he already gotten in?

"Was it not the combination of his and my decisions to advance on your tiny, little planet? Was it not our decisions that led to its destruction?"

Raven gasped, anxiously. Flashes of images were coming to her unwillingly. Her legs began to shake as Earth spun rapidly in her mind. She felt a rush of movement over her body and now she saw her small place in the United States and with her dear friends.

No…

England came hurtling next to her. She saw her high school chums and Psycho.

No, no, no.

She saw her mother. Please no… Her mother's head now split slowly in two and blood came dripping down all around her. Still she smiled her warming smile at Raven as her face became drenched in a deep scarlet.

Stop it!

"Raven!" Vader shouted, trying to snap her back in place. He continued to eye the Emperor's hand wearily, wanting so badly to aide her. "Don't let him control you! Fight back!"

Austin's face now flooded her mind. He could hear him humming those silly songs that he always hummed to himself. He looked up at her and smiled, waving her forward.

I don't want to see this…

His arms were outstretched now, as if to embrace her.

You don't know what it's like.

Pieces of his face were beginning to burn away as a light of fire at an incredible temperature began to consume him. His body began to rapidly evaporate as his singing steadily grew into a scream that was climbing to an unbearable pitch. The flesh was gone, the muscle was gone and the screaming skeleton was gone in an instant as the explosion of the world took away his life and the lives of the many.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!" Raven shrieked, charging unsteadily towards Darth Sidious. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Vader cursed under his breath and also made a quick bolt to aid her irrational attack. The Emperor laughed away as he took her blind rage to his advantaged, knocking her off her feet with an easy counter, allowing him enough time to strike down a hard blow before Vader could ready his defense.

"WEAK!" He screeched with delight. "You are both so WEAK!"

Raven jumped back to her feet and shot for a low attack, but the Emperor had been ready for her. Forcing a palm towards the center of her chest just before she made contact, he blasted her with a lightning force. The energy burned her instantly and sent her flying back. A shriek escaped her mouth and then cut out as she made impact to the floor, knocking the air out of her body. She was now in a daze, faintly hearing the hissing crackles of the lightsabers behind her. Slowly, she got to her feet, taking in a painfully deep gasp and holding the spot on her chest that stung from the blast. Another blast of electricity filled the room, and Vader blocked the attack with his blade, barely being able to recover from it.

Damnit… she gasped again. This isn't good… at this rate we don't stand a chance.

The lighting shot at Vader again, and this time he had to dodge awkwardly away. He was not allowing it to touch him even a little bit.

It can't hit him… she dreadfully realized. It would fry his entire system… not to mention, impact his mechanical body worse than it would flesh. I need to think of a plan.

Just as her focus returned, she ran to join Vader's side in the fight. She fought cautiously, attempting to protect Vader from being hit with the lightning, as her mind wildly tried throwing scenarios around to help them win this fight. But he's so strong… so fast.

'We only need to stall him longer.' Vader whispered in her mind.

Raven then understood… of course!

"When will you pathetic fools give up!" Sidious twisted his arms together and thrusted forward, allowing a huge wall of electricity to push them back. Both of them had to leap a considerable distance to avoid the high range attack from brushing them. Before Raven could fully recover from her leap and summersault dodge, the Emperor had rushed her and grabbed a fistfull of her locks. She yelped and she lurched her head up as far as it could go to take away some of the pain now burning in the back of her head. Vader's wheeze blasted out of his vent with such force that it popped a spark. He attempted to rush Sidious from behind but was kept at bay with several warning strikes of lightning.

"Open your eyes, girl!" He spat into her face. Wincing she slowly opened them, seeing the hideous beast of a man leering into her face, and Vader tensing anxiously at several feet away.

"Do you see him?" He had now lifted her feet off the ground and dangled her there by her hair. She winced again, letting out another cry. "Do you see that man?" Raven looked again towards Vader. She felt his aura pulsing wildly, and it brushed hers slightly, as if trying to reach her and pull her to safety.

"Wot…" She hissed, "are you getting at?"

At that moment she thought she heard clanging softly from above. To anyone, it would have been mere settling of the ventilation system, but it stood out to her briefly.

"Do you see him for what he really is?"

"I don't understand you!" Raven growled, starting to get frustrated by his strange questions.

"You think he really cares about you, don't you? You think if somehow you both get through this, he will actually keep you around."

Raven narrowed her eyes at Vader. The Emperor's words had hit a nerve. These were conscious thoughts she had before several times. But this could be another one of his tricks… to distract me… She was almost certain she saw the white vapors coming off of Vader's body were turning a deep red. Rage was filling him from his Master's words. But was it because it was a horrible lie? Or was it because he was revealing the truth?

The familiar clanking was heard again, this time in walls around them.

"I see you are starting to see now!" Sidious cackled another disgusting laugh. "Vader can be just as misguiding as I can. After all, he learned everything from me."

No, Sidious had to be messing with her now. Vader couldn't have twisted her that well for that long. Could he…?

"Just think how the poor thing feels," Sidious cooed towards the Dark Lord now. "You really had her fooled with all the lustful dreams and intimate moments you casted on her."

A pulse echoed off Vader and he attempted another angry attack towards Sidious, but again was held off with several more lightning strikes. "You vile filth!" Vader growled deeply, growing more and more impatient.

The Emperor turned back to Raven now, his rancid smile looming into her eyes. "Such a tragedy that you have to die with a breaking heart. Its so…" He inhaled slowly, as if tasting the moment like a fine drink. "delightful."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Raven spat. "But my heart broke a long time ago."

"How poetic! I really do like you…" Sidious squinted, looking into her wide red eyes. "If only you had come to me sooner, I could have made you another of my pupils. I could have taught you so many wonderful things."

"Fuck you." Raven sneered. "I learned more from him," She looked back to Vader. "than I would have from you."

The smile on Sidious's face vanished for a moment. "Pity you feel that way." then the smile returned as he glanced over to Vader. "I'm afraid my dear, your time is up." His gaze remained on Vader, as if waiting to see if he would challenge this decision. Vader remained where he was, still tense.

Clank…. Clank…

"Actually, I have more time than you think." Raven whispered.

Sidious gave her a look; his face did not budge but his eyes had reflected some confusion. "Oh you think so? Your weak friend," He dramatically thrashed his hand in Vader's direction. "Can't possibly save you now. Even if he were to take a chance at being hit by lightning, he wouldn't make it far enough to reach you. He would die. So he won't even try." Sidious cackled loudly, his laughter echoing around the vast room. "Why would he even consider such a dangerous chance? It's not like he'd waste an effort to save your life! You are just his pawn! As he had been mine!" He was now raising Raven even higher in the air, ignoring her whining of pain. "I know all this because you are all too predictable!"

"People are predictable." Raven said softly.

"Yes!" Sidious shouted. "All living things are connected to the Force! And the Force has given me foreseeing eyes. The Force shows me all. I can see anything that tries to appose me!"

"So wot about a droid then?" Raven asked, smiling widely.

Just then, the wall had blasted behind them. Mech was charging in at full speed, his extra extendable limbs retracted from his shoulders and lunging toward the Emperor. The Emperor had turned to face this unexpected surprise, but could not possibly have time to react. Raven saw the white in his eyes for the first time as Mech instantly snared The Emperor's outstretched arm in one of the extended blades and the other plunging tightly through his stomach. Raven felt herself falling out of his grasp and she quickly rolled out of the way as Mech continued to speed forward, Sidious now speared onto him in the front. Sidious let out a ear splitting shriek, filled with wrath and disbelief. His arms went wild as he spewed bolts of lightning that ricocheted blindly around the room. Raven made another role and retreated behind a vent shaft to avoid the heat of the attack. Mech did not stop, he charged straight for Vader now. Vader was ready and he raised his lightsaber high above his head. He thrusted it forward with all his might just as Mech reached him and it cleanly drilled through the Emperor's right eye.

The scream abruptly stopped. All was quiet again.

Raven let out a huge gasp of air, as if a powerful restrain had released her; a presence she had just now realized was there, had gone. Did this mean…? She slowly stood up, limping slightly from the awkward fall and trample of Mech's attack. She made her away to her hound's side and looked down to see for sure. There, the Emperor's body lay, still firmly pinned by Mech's limbs. Sidious looked different now, powerless and empty. She gasped as his body appeared to quickly shrivel up into a husk, being consumed by the large cloak that still bound around it.

She turned to Vader's raspy breaths, which seemed to have returned to normal. She looked up at him to find he too had been gazing deeply down at his old Master's withering body; almost in complete disbelief.

"You can let go now, Mech." Raven instructed after the long silence continued to linger.

Mech retracted his limbs from the crisped husk and returned them to his outer shell. He glanced up at Raven eagerly. "Good boy," she said. Before she realized it, she had fallen to her knees and wrapped her arms around her droid's neck, burying her face into his cool, metal plating. "You are a good dog, Mech." She sniffled.

The hound rested his head on her shoulder, slightly wagging his tail from the approval, but allowed his master to relieve herself of stress. Stressful… That couldn't quite explain the feeling that had rushed over her. She had been so sure she was going to die, almost from the very beginning of the fight. She was so glad her hound had decided to return to them. She hadn't even ordered Mech to come back to her once he had been sure the troops had been led astray.

She looked up quickly, realizing the troops were still looking for them. "Master…" she began. Vader held up a gloved hand to calm her. "They will have no need to detain us now." He reassured her. "We have slain their ruler. That makes us the rightful rulers now."

Us…? Raven felt a smile creep up her face.

"Thank you." He said softly. It was very out of character, but she didn't expect anything more or less. "Thank you for helping me."

"You are welcome." She responded, standing now and patting Mech on the back.

Vader went silent for a moment, watching the Emperor's body again. Now it had vanished into nothing, leaving a dark, tattered cloak in its place. Before he could speak again, the sound of marching feet was quickly approaching. They all turned to see several troopers rushing towards the open doors, their guns raised and ready for a fight.

"Don't move!" The captain in the front of the platoon shouted at them.

"He is dead." Vader's deep voice boomed back.

There was a pause as the troops shifted slightly, eyeing the surroundings.

"This," Vader began, slowly picking up the empty cloak at his feet. The troops tensed up, watching him carefully as he did so. "This is all that remains of him!" He held out the cloak with a triumphant confidence. The display was as if Vader held out the severed head of a king to its peasants. "I am your Emperor now." Vader growled. He waited to see if any of the troopers would appose his declaration. To Raven's relief, one by one, they fell to their knees and bowed to him. "My Lord!" They all saluted at once.

Vader dropped the cloak again and turned to Raven. "Come," he commanded, and they both strode past the troops and back through the hall with Mech following closely behind. Raven felt a huge sigh escape her lips as they all marched formally after Vader. She felt easy and content for the first time in several years. It felt like a huge journey had reached its end.

…

The Storm Troopers accompanied them to the control deck of the station. The men stationed there had already been informed of the news and solitude Vader and Raven as they entered the giant room. There, a man dressed in a heavily marked uniform stood, with his hands behind his back. His old face held a look of dislike and concern as they approached him. "Lord Vader." He said with as much forced enthusiasm as he could muster. "I've just been told that you are now the new Emperor." The slight off-tone in his voice was obvious to Raven, as she was sure it was to her master. Clearly, he was on the side of Darth Sidious and had wanted the removal of Vader from the Empire.

"You are correct," Vader wheezed, with a hint of aggression. It reminded Raven of an alpha wolf warning a lower ranked pack member to remain in their place. "There will be several changes made to protocol in this Empire," he began, watching Tarkin's lower jaw tense up. "As well as new objectives to be changed." Raven looked up to him as he turned his attention to her for a moment. "If you will excuse us, Tarkin, I have business to discuss with my apprentice."

Raven felt her face get warm, but she fought back any obvious signs of fluster as she tried to hold a formal poster. Tarkin bowed stiffly to them and walked away from his command post to attend to other matters on the station.

Vader turned and walked closer to the looming window in the control center. Raven followed him and stopped at his side. She looked up to see that he was intently gazing out at the stars.

"Wot is it you want to discuss, Master?" Raven asked hesitantly when Vader did not comment for a while.

Vader's breathing remained calm and collected. He seemed to be contemplating his words very carefully. Finally, "Young one."

Raven waited, listening intently.

"I ask one more thing of you… Will you be my right hand in ruling this Empire?"

She held her breath for a second. A smile was creeping up her face. The image of that beautiful marble castle came to her from the back of her mind once again. She could feel its overwhelming presence as her mind lingered there. And she saw the beautiful, grand chair that sat in the middle of the vast room. She imagined Vader sitting there for a second… she saw herself standing by his side. Her body had become engulfed in flames… a soft, warm flame that burned passionately.

She gasped when she felt the side of Vader's arm brush her shoulder. He was leaning into her, waiting…. and listening to her thoughts. "I need someone like you to keep me in check." He added softly.

"Yes, Master." She whispered, glancing up at him.

Now I will be able to spread love like a wildfire…

Vader peered down at her, and it seemed he was almost grinning through his mask. Raven reached out with the Force and touched his own for a moment. Oh, how it felt different now. He felt so calm and so relieved. As if a sickness has suddenly vanished within him. Raven chuckled softly, putting two fingers to her lips. It felt good… his presence felt so good to stand in.

"First…" Vader spoke up. "There is one thing that must be done." He turned from the window and gazed out upon the control deck; upon all the busy soldiers running the controls. He reached out to all of them with the Force and immediately they all stopped what they were doing and turned to him. The room fell silent.

"Admirals." Vader announced. "Please prepare the whole station to disembark and leave to the nearest planet."

A man dressed in many marked ranks saluted immediately, but respectfully countered, "My Lord! What do you mean?"

"We are emptying the station."

A soft gasp seemed to overtake everyone. Raven looked up at Vader questionably, but he glowed with a stern excitement under his black mask. "The Death Star is officially out of commission."

Nobody seemed to move for a moment. Then, as if a switch had just turned everyone back on, people began to busily shuffle around, preparing to turn everything off and gather valuable possessions.

Tarkin, the older Moff was anxiously marching towards them, looking disgruntled more than ever. "My Lord, you aren't serious? The Death Star is by far the strongest vessel in our entire Empire."

Vader nodded to him. "All the more reason to take it offline."

"I don't understand, My Lord," Tarkin said rather harshly through gritted teeth. "Why waste such a powerful weapon? After so much money and time put into it-"

"Because there is going to be a great deal of change happening to this Empire." Vader cut him off with a low growl. "And such a powerful weapon has no place in it."

Tarkin fell silent, absolutely shocked by Vader's decision. He was about to protest again, when Vader continued. "Such as there is no longer a place for someone like you, Tarkin." Vader sneered.

Tarkin's face immediately became washed with fear. Vader had started to raise his gloved hand to the man in a rather threatening gesture… but he was stopped by the small hands of the girl next to him which had reached out and gently grasped his wrist. Raven looked up at Vader, worried that she had already stepped out of place even though what she had done she knew was right. Vader only glanced down at her for a moment and seemed to nod in approval. The bastard finally got what was coming to him. But he deserved nothing more than to be striped of power.

"You are dismissed, Tarkin." Vader said, simply. Tarkin, at such speed, turned on his heels and power-marched out of the room.

Raven couldn't help but smirk then. Goodbye, you sorry bloke…

"Thank you, Raven." Vader breathed contently. "This is what I mean. You will keep me in check."

"You're welcome." She said simply, finally releasing his wrist.

They stood there for a moment, and watched as the people hurried their way around the room, preparing to abandon it for good. Raven couldn't help but notice smiles popping up on everyone's faces. No one seemed to be bothered that they had lost a job… they seemed to sense it too; they sensed a better change was coming, and it had only just begun.

Then Vader had turned again and gazed back to the empty vacuum of space. Raven waited until the last person had left the control deck and they were alone.

"You saved me, you know." Raven said softly.

Vader did not budge but she could tell he was listening. "You saw me from the very beginning and gave me a chance to start over. You could have easily ignored me and achieved this all on your own."

He was silent for a moment. Then he released a deep exhale, "And yet, here we are."

Raven smiled widely. "Yes…. here we are."

She felt cold metal brush her hand gently. Mech had sat himself next to her and rubbed her arm affectionately with his face. She gave him a genuine smile and patted the top of his head.

The three of them stood there, absorbing the beautiful sight of infinite space before them. Here the were, ready for change.

Ready for the new Empire.

(AN: Wow. So yeah, there you guys go. It took me five years- FIVE FUCKING YEARS- to complete this story. I'd like to officially apologize for making so many of you wait over a year for the final update. I'm sure a lot of you have given up on this story by now, so I won't blame you. For those of you who did end up reading this final chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. I wanted to write so much more to this chapter, but it had started to get overcomplicated, leading to me putting it off more and more… and eventually… I had forgotten about it. But now I'm finally done trimming it down and editing it. I realize I didn't get to explaining everything in the end and I'm sure a lot of questions are left open ended… but I prefer it this way to stay simple and left to the reader's interpretation. This story had started off as my first, big project back in high school. It was a total experiment and I never saw it being completed at the time. And now I'm a senior in college and I just wanted to see the first story I ever wrote finished and to meet my level of 'it's good enough'. Haha :'D

So now A World Not Quite My Own is (technically) complete. I know there are several parts of the first set of chapters that need serious editing, but I have no more patient for this story to go back and edit them. It took me this long to finally get the last chapter done. :'D Once again, thank you so much to the few that happened to stick around long enough to see this come to an end.)