Star Wars: The Emperor's Apprentices

Chapter 1: Rise of the Sith

Mustafar

Anakin's rage boiled like the magma all around them. The heat was nearly unbearable, but his hatred was so focused, he was only dully aware of it. He guided the broken platform he was standing on with the Force, bringing it around so he could face Obi-Wan, standing up on the blackened rock bank. Only a few feet up and not far back. Anakin knew he could easily jump the distance.

"It's over, Anakin," Obi-Wan shouted, "I have the high ground." Anakin could see he was tired, see he didn't want to keep fighting. Obi-Wan still thought he could talk him down, win him back to the side of the traitorous Jedi. He was a fool, then. The Jedi were destroyed. There was no going back.

"You underestimate my power!" Anakin called back. He glared up at his former master, pitiful on the ridge. Staring down at him, a true Jedi. His hatred rose. He immense power of the Dark Side flowed through him. He felt invincible. He would kill Obi-Wan, and his mission would be complete.

"Don't try it," said Obi-Wan. But Anakin's mind was already made up. He kicked off the platform, launching high into the air. Spun over Obi-Wan's head, ready to lash out with his lightsaber. Then he felt a sudden surge of pain, and he hit the ground. He didn't realize what'd happened at first, but as he started sliding down the rocky hill and tried to dig his feet in to stop himself, he found his legs were gone. He reached up with his hands, but his left arm was missing. He struggled with his cybernetic right hand, overwhelmed with anger and fear.

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, who yelled, "You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!" Memories of all the adventures they'd had together invaded Anakin's mind, and he felt a pang of sadness that this was what he and his master had come to. This thought soured, though, and he felt even more enraged when the thought of how after all that, Obi-Wan had sided against him, had refused to help him save Padme, and had now come to kill him. Obi-Wan must die.

"I hate you!" Anakin snarled.

Obi-Wan was silent for a moment. "You were my brother, Anakin," he finally said. "I loved you."

Anakin tried his best to climb with the stumps of his severed limbs, but it was no use. He slid back, and he felt the magma's fiery touch. Flames spread up his body, and he screamed in agony. Obi-Wan looked away, then turned back to look again. Anakin thought he might come back. Might try to save him. Why would he want that, though?

Then Obi-Wan turned, walked off up the hill, and didn't look back. Anakin's anger spiked. He reached out with his remaining hand, trying to summon the Force. He wanted to pull Obi-Wan into the magma. Wanted to destroy him. Show him his true power. But he was too weak. His vision faded, and exhaustion overtook him. He rested his head on the ground. His whole body seared with pain. And as he lost consciousness, he thought again how he was surprised Obi-Wan hadn't come back.

Polis Massa

"Medically, she's completely healthy," the medical droid told Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Senator Organa. "For reasons we can't explain, we are losing her."

"She's dying?" said Obi-Wan, surprised.

"We don't know why. She has lost the will to live," was all the droid could offer. "We need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies."

"Babies?" asked Senator Organa.

"She's carrying twins," the droid explained.

Obi-Wan glanced over at Master Yoda, who lowered his head, deep in thought. Crossing to the operating room window, Obi-Wan wondered what this would mean. What role would the children of the supposed Chosen One have in the dark times to come? When he leaned on the glass and looked at Padme, dying on the table, he could only feel sadness and guilt. Her death, he thought, was another consequence of his failure with Anakin.

Mustafar

"Your majesty, this way!" Anakin heard a clone trooper call. With effort, he looked up and saw Palpatine, flanked by two troopers, appear on a ridge above him.

"There he is," said Palpatine. "He's still alive." Even though Anakin could only faintly hear the Emperor, he could hear the relief in his voice. He rolled onto his back, and he felt himself slipping out of consciousness again.

Up on the ridge, Palpatine turned to his guards. "Get a medical capsule immediately," he told them.

"Yes, sir. Right away," replied one of them. They both started running up the hill.

Palpatine walked down to Anakin's charred body and knelt beside him. He placed his hand on his forehead and sensed his faint life force. He was nearly dead. They could rebuild him, and then he would be completely Palpatine's, but what would the cost be to his power? Palpatine feared his apprentice might never reach the potential he'd once had.

He sensed someone behind him and turned. One of the clone troopers was coming back. "Your majesty," he said, "We have an exit vector on the Jedi Kenobi's ship."

"Tell the captain to make ready to pursue them as soon as we are on board."

"Yes, sir."

The Emperor laughed. Obi-Wan was nothing up against the full might of the new Empire, but now he could make it completely certain.

Polis Massa

Padme was struggling to breathe. She couldn't keep her eyes open. "Obi-Wan…" she said softly. "There's good in him… I know… I know there's… still…" That was all she could get out. Her head rolled to the side, gently, and she fell still.

Obi-Wan looked down at the infant boy in his arms. Luke. On his right, a medical droid held the baby's twin sister, Leia. He felt the weight of the galaxy crushing him. What would they do now? The Jedi Order had always been aware of the threat of the Sith, but together they were strong in their defense. That turned out to be wrong, though. The first thing was obvious. They had to take the children somewhere where the Sith would not sense their presence. But where?

Suddenly, the door to the ward slid open, and an Alderaanian soldier raced in. An alarm was sounding out in the hall. "Senator!" he called to Organa. "The base is under attack!"

Obi-Wan handed off the infant Luke to one of the nearby droids, which bleeped at him frustratedly, and he ran for the door. There was a large window in the corridor, and he could see, past the dense inner ring of the asteroid field, a heavy cruiser. Imperial starfighters swarmed the sky, pummeling the base's defensive weapons.

"A dark presence, I sense," said Yoda. Obi-Wan turned to the Jedi Master, who grimaced with his eyes closed.

"Darth Sidious?" asked Obi-Wan.

"No. Great suffering, I sense."

A squad of Alderaanian soldiers, with their distinctive white helmets, barreled past the Jedi. "Senator, we've got to get you out of here," said their leader.

"Who will take the children?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Split up, they should be," said Yoda.

"I will take the girl," said Organa. "My wife and I have always talked of adopting a baby girl."

Yoda nodded and turned to Obi-Wan. "To Tatooine, you must take the boy. To his family." Obi-Wan agreed. Just then, an explosion rocked the base. Ceiling panels fell in, and medical equipment was sent careening off the walls. "Now, you must go!" Yoda commanded. "Until the time is right, disappear, we must!"

Obi-Wan scooped up the baby Luke in both arms and ran out the door. Padme's ship wasn't far, but he'd be exposed, so he had to take off fast. Luke was crying loudly, panicked by the jarring noises of the base being ripped apart. Obi-Wan brought his comlink to his hand with the aid of the Force and yelled over the chaos, "R2, I'm coming back to the ship! Prepare to take off!"

R2 bleeped affirmatively. Faintly, he could hear C-3PO add, unhelpfully, "Oh dear, we're done for!"

Meanwhile, Bail Organa, flanked by the squad of soldiers, made his way to their ship with Leia in his arms. They raced down a flight of stairs and came to a large closed door. "Get that open!" Organa yelled. A soldier dashed ahead and pressed the keypad. The Tantive III was on the other side. They were almost there.

The door slid open, and a blaster shot rang out. The soldier who'd opened it fell back, dead. The group stopped short, and Organa was pushed back, out of the way. He caught a glimpse of what was waiting for them on the other side: a squad of clone troopers, outnumbering them two to one. Both sides opened fire, but it was only a matter of seconds before the Alderaanians were all gunned down.

"Hold your fire!" the clone trooper commander yelled. He stepped forward. "Senator Organa, you're under arrest for treason to the Empire."

Organa staggered back, looking behind him. At the top of the stairs, several more troopers appeared. He looked down at baby Leia in his arms. "I'm sorry," he told her.

On the other side of the facility, Obi-Wan had reached the landing platform where Padme's ship was still docked. Blaster fire lanced back and forth above it. He shushed Luke and stroked his head, but he couldn't calm him. He sensed someone approaching on the left and ducked into an archway. A squad of clones rushed by. When they were past, he took off sprinting at for the sleek silver ship.

3PO waddled out onto the loading ramp. "Master Kenobi! We're ready to take off!" he called.

"Get on the ship!" Obi-Wan yelled back. He dashed past 3P0 and raced into the cockpit. He set Luke down in the copilot's seat, unsure how to secure him.

Suddenly, a blue bolt of energy hit the nose of the craft, and a glowing wave passed over the whole cockpit. "R2!" Obi-Wan said to the astromech droid, rolling up beside him. "We've been hit by an ion blast. See what you can do." R2 bleeped affirmatively and connected to a port in the main console.

A powerful disturbance in the Force washed over Obi-Wan. He looked up and saw a large group of troopers race around from the side of the ship to the front, encircling it. He felt the presence behind him and ran for the back, drawing his lightsaber. A powerful contortion shook the tail of the ship and tore the closed ramp straight down, taking shreds of the hull with it.

Immediately, clone troopers rushed under the opening, firing heavy blasters up at Obi-Wan. He was able to keep up, deflecting the barrage of fire, but his fight with Anakin had seriously worn him out. He breathed slowly, letting go of his thoughts. He would have to rely on the Force to survive. He saw each blaster bolt coming a split second before it was fired, and his lightsaber connected in time, sending them spraying back down onto the platform. Within a few seconds, most of the troopers had been hit, and then the rest retreated to safety.

As soon as the troopers were clear, though, Obi-Wan felt the ship tremor again. The floor dropped out from under him, and he slid down. Landing on his feet, he faced his attacker: Sheev Palpatine, dressed in a black robe, his face disfigured so badly he was almost unrecognizable to the Jedi Master at first.

Palpatine cracked a faint smile as he asked, "Where is the other child?" Obi-Wan stared silently at the Sith Lord, trying to block out his mind. The infant, helpless in the cockpit with blaster fire and ruined chunks of ships and buildings tumbling down… but he couldn't let his concern betray Luke. "Commander, board the ship," Palpatine said to one of the troopers, with red markings on his armor, "Bring the infant to my shuttle with the other. Protect it at all costs."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the commander replied, and he motioned for two of his men to follow him. Obi-Wan turned towards them, but then he suddenly felt a powerful distortion in the Force. He turned back just as the Emperor, his arms outstretched, launched a stream of blue lightning from his fingertips. The lightning swarmed around Obi-Wan, and the pain was excruciating. He fell to his knees, and the Emperor stopped.

"You're no match for my power," the Emperor said, approaching him slowly. His eyes glowed yellow under his wide black hood. "Your failure is nothing to me. The Jedi are no more." Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and rose back to his feet, staring the Emperor down. The Sith Lord just smiled and said, "You want to die like the rest… then so be it."

Obi-Wan dashed to the side and reached out with the Force, pulling the broken off loading ramp towards the Emperor. He merely batted it away with a flick of his hand and unleashed another stream of lightning, catching Obi-Wan again. This time, the Jedi couldn't fight it. He collapsed. He felt faint. Behind him, he heard young Luke's cries as the troopers took him from the cockpit. Master Yoda's words echoed in his foggy mind: "To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough you are not." But even Yoda hadn't defeated him on Coruscant. Where was Yoda now?

"Enough of this…" the Emperor sneered, and Obi-Wan knew he had to act immediately or be killed. He summoned all the strength the Force could give him and leapt forward, aiming to land beside Palpatine. The forks of lightning missed him, and he landed with his lightsaber drawn and ready. He swung at the Emperor, but he suddenly had his own crimson blade ignited, and he deflected the blow. Still, he'd just barely reacted in time. Obi-Wan felt a surge of confidence. Perhaps Master Yoda had overestimated the Sith Lord.

Obi-Wan kept up, but Palpatine was relentless and hard to predict. He tried to let go of his feelings and let the Force tell him what to expect, but he was so angry. Palpatine had turned Anakin against the Jedi, warped his mind and made him a monster. And he was the reason he'd had to fight him and leave him to die. As he glared at those sickly yellow eyes and heard the Emperor's mocking laughter as he deflected every swing of his lightsaber, he felt hatred like he'd never felt before. He swung harder and harder, battering the old man towards the edge of the platform.

Palpatine glanced over his shoulder, seeing the edge so close. He sensed Obi-Wan's fury, but it was weak. He was a well-trained Jedi. His hate could never be harnessed like Anakin's. "I feel it…" he said, feigning a grin, "Your hatred. You would destroy me, even at the expense of the Skywalker children."

Obi-Wan hesitated, and his next swing was weak and misdirected. Palpatine took his chance. He batted the Jedi's lightsaber away then quickly plunged his own downward into Obi-Wan's right shoulder. Then he pulled it straight up, severing his whole arm. Obi-Wan screamed in pain and fell back, and the Emperor fired a blast of lightning again, sending him flying to the ground.

As Obi-Wan lay on his back, losing consciousness, he felt ashamed. The troopers were gone, and with them the child. Darth Sidious approached him, lightsaber raised to finish him.

Coruscant

After the destruction of the insurrectionists' base, the Emperor went straight to Coruscant, where Darth Vader's life-saving operations were just coming to an end. He found his apprentice strapped to an operating table in the shiny black suit he'd specified, and his new mask was being lowered onto his face by a droid. He went in when it was over, and the droids raised Vader's table up so he could face his master.

"Lord Vader… can you hear me?" the Emperor asked.

Vader's breathing echoed from his breathing apparatus. He was still a moment, then he answered, "Yes, Master." He awkwardly turned his head and asked, "Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she alright?"

"It seems in your anger you killed her."

"I… I couldn't have. She was alive! I felt it!" Things in the room started to shake, and the Emperor felt the tremors in the Force and in the floor. Vader's anguish was boiling. Good, his power was still strong. Vader made a choked crying sound that came out very strangely through his helmet. He ripped free of his restraints and lurched off the table. The Emperor couldn't help but smile behind his back. Vader opened his arms wide and yelled helplessly, "Noooo!"

The Emperor exited the chamber, leaving Vader to his anger and grief. A short walk down the corridor and he came to the twins, who were being examined by a medical droid. "They are quite healthy," it declared. The Emperor placed his pale, gnarled hand gently on baby Leia's forehead, then Luke's, caressing them. They were so small and fragile, but they were destined for immense power. He laughed lowly.