Chance Encounter

Chapter 37

Location: Death Star, throne room

"Ah, Master Siri Tachi. I see that Lord Blackswan as resurrected you," said Sidious.

Siri ignited her lightsaber and used the Force to leap off the mangled doors and onto the polished black floor of the throne room. She kept her sights on the Emperor and circled him cautiously. She sensed that Lord Blackswan had not been exaggerating. The Emperor was powerful. It was almost painful to be in front of his evil presence, but she held firm and readied her blade.

"I have come to kill you, Sith."

Amused, Sidious said, "Well, perhaps not, but you are a true Jedi at the very least. Unlike Obi-Wan who formed an attachment. Tell me, my dear, how does it feel to know that your former best friend—the man you love—is now married to a woman no better than a Sith? How does it feel to know that he willing gives her the love that you really deserve?"

"You don't know anything."

Sidious smiled. He knew his words were affecting her. "How does it feel to know that he does not love you?"

"Shut up!"

The blonde-Jedi then rushed forward and began to battle the Sith. Sidious reached for his red lightsaber and the two began to duel. The room was filled with the sound of their lightsabers humming and clashing with sparks, but Siri wasn't completely focus. Deep down, she was heartbroken that Obi-Wan—her best friend—had fallen in love. She could no longer deny it. She still loved him and no Code or creed could make her heart keep silent. She remembered back when they were still Padawan-learners that they shared a forbidden kiss. It was one of the most bittersweet moments in her life.

It stung to know that he had grown attached to someone else. She envied their love. She secretly wished she didn't feel so alone. She wished that she was stronger, but it was not meant to be. She was a Jedi. She had given her life up to the people. It was no longer hers to live.

Siri then pulled out from her robes a capsule. It was a special capsule given to her by Lord Blackswan. He told her that it could be very useful, but didn't explain how. She just hoped that the madman knew what he was talking about.

Siri managed to shove Sidious back and decided that it was now or never. She held out the capsule in her left hand and opened the seal with a flick of her thumb and prayed. But to her horror she saw that all it did was emit a small flame. It was a lighter.

Darth Sidious laughed at Siri's pitiful device and smacked it out of her hand and onto the floor before slashing her fatally with his lightsaber across her stomach. She cried out in pain and fell. She watched as the capsule sped across the floor and into Thrice's hand.

Thrice instantly knew what the capsule contained. It held the Sacred Fire the Blackswan Clan had been using for ritual for over a thousand years. It was no ordinary fire. Thrice struggle to rise up her knees even though her body still ached from the Emperor's attack. She held it above her head and opened the seal, but to her dismay nothing happened.

"No, the collar!"

Thrice needed to channel the Living Force in order to activate the flame. She was practically human with the Force-collar around her neck. She needed somebody else to open the seal instead, but everyone else was still unconscious. She was only spared because Obi-Wan had protected her again. And for the first time, Thrice was afraid, but not of dying. Thrice had never feared death. She had died at least 7 times already. She didn't care if this life would be her last. All that mattered to her was her family. She was afraid that they would all die and she was unable to prevent it.

However, just then Leia emerged from underneath Han. He had saved the Princess from the lightening blast.

"Han! Luke?" cried out the bewildered Princess, but Thrice rushed to her and placed the capsule between her hands.

"Here, open the capsule with the Force, Leia. Do it, now!"

Shocked, Leia said, "What? I can't!"

Frantically, Thrice shouted, "Yes, you can! Open it with the Force!"

"You do it. I'm not a Jedi."

Thrice began to cry and silently tears began to streak down her cheeks. "I can't. You must try. You must believ—aaaaaaaaah!"

The she-warrior was suddenly blasted back by the Emperor's Force-lightening. He laughed wickedly as she struggled to rise up on her unsteady feet.

"You are weaker than I remember, Lady Thrice. Placing your faith in the hands of a child."

Thrice shook her head and raised her hand to call her sword. "Come!" she commanded, but her midnight blade only shifted a few inches away from her unconscious son's side. Her powers were blocked by the Force-collar. She was defenseless against the Sith and barely strong enough to remain standing. She would be an easy kill and one Sidious would savor.

He then aggressively grabbed her by the throat, underneath the Force-collar and began to squeeze. He grinned at her evilly and watched her struggle to break free. Thrice dug her nails into his arm and pierced his skin. She tried to claw at his fingers, but he was unrelenting.

He whispered, "Foolish warrior. Did you really think you could keep a secret from me? I know you are with child. And when you die, so does your spawn."

"N—No!"

Sidious laughed and released her throat a little until she gasped and said, "Yes, I want to hear it. I want to hear you beg. I want to hear the proud warrior—the Clan General—the wife of the Great Obi-Wan Kenobi beg for her life and the life of her unborn child."

"Never!"

The Emperor's face contorted with hate as he seethed, "You will yield! Beg!"

Thrice cried out as he tightened his grip around her neck. She knew that even if she did beg for her life the dog would never change his mind. He would still kill her, but with satisfaction. Thrice refused to submit. She was a warrior. She believed in death before defeat. Her only regret was that she could not kill Sidious along with her.

However, just before she blacked out she thought she saw a strange light over Sidious' shoulder. The Emperor dropped her like a stone and shielded his eyes as he turned to look at the light. He saw that standing beside Princess Leia was Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan had his hand over Leia's and together they had opened the seal on the capsule with the Force and small flame inside was now a raging inferno. The blinding blaze was unnaturally bright and bathed the entire room with its aura. It radiated the Living Force like a sun and with a fiery beam it shot directly into Darth Sidious' chest and sucked the energy right out from his body like a straw.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Darth Sidious cried out in pain and his eye-sockets and mouth emitted a strange glow as the beam drained him dry. Yet, in an act of desperation, he knocked the capsule free from Obi-Wan's and Leia's hand and the device instantly re-sealed. The room was thrown back into darkness and the clearest sound that was heard was the Emperor shallow breathing.

Weakly, he leaned against the stairs of his throne and said, "What have you done to me?"

Leia helped Obi-Wan to stand by supporting his back. The Jedi Master approached the Emperor and said, "I've drained you, Darth Sidious. I have taken away your god-hood. I've stolen it with the Clan's Sacred Fire."

"What!"

"It is an eternal flame that has been kept safe for over a thousand years. It is the Clan's most sacred item."

Sidious sneered at him and said, "So, you think you can defeat me with some old trinket? Haha, I am still more power than you are, Jedi."

Then, in the blink of an eye, Sidious drew his lightsaber and was about to run Obi-Wan through the heart and kill him. Leia shouted and shut her eyes, but the blow never came. Instead, she looked up and saw that Luke had deflected it with his blade.

"You! You cannot defeat me."

Luke grinned and replied, "Yeah, well who said I had to do it alone?"

Suddenly, Jinn rose up and tackled the Sith. The Emperor growled in rage at the amber-eyed teen and shoved him away. He then tried slicing him down across his shoulder, but Luke block him. Jinn then summoned his mother's sword and together the two brothers dueled Sidious as a team.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan rushed to Thrice's side. He checked her pulse and saw that she was alive. Obi-Wan was overwhelmed with relief. He used his powers to remove the Force-collar around her neck and took off their cuffs. He then moved on to free Leia and Han.

He turned to the Princess and said, "Leia, take Han and Siri and escape."

"No way. I'm not going to run."

"No arguments, Leia. You have to contact the remaining Rebel fleet. We have to destroy the Death Star while we still can. Now, go."

"Ok, but what about you?"

"Never mind me. Just get the Death Star to lower its weapons so the others can get on board."

XXX

Obi-Wan watched Leia go with Siri and Han and silently wished them luck. He didn't know how well they would manage without R2 to hack the Death Star's security systems, but it was the fleet's only hope. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan left his wife to rest on the floor. He didn't have time to secure her because he had to go help Luke and Jinn fight Sidious. He gave his sleeping love one last look before summoning his lightsaber and joined his boys in combat.

The three Jedi fought Darth Sidious with all their might, but even though the Dark Lord was drained he was still strong.

Sidious laughed at Obi-Wan and his apprentices and said, "Hahaha, you can't defeat me. The Darkness makes me strong. Stronger than all of you combine."

Then, unexpectedly he raised his lightsaber and slashed Jinn across his face and seared his eyes in his sockets leaving him blind. His beautiful amber eyes were no more.

"AAAAAAAAA!" screamed the young warrior as he fell to the ground.

"Jinn!" cried Obi-Wan.

"Ben! Look out!" shouted Luke, but it was too late.

Sidious saw that Obi-Wan was too distracted by his son. The Emperor saw an opening and prepared to run Obi-Wan Kenobi through. Yet, before he could reach him Luke stood between them in his adopted-father's defense.

"No, Sith. If you want to kill them then you're going to have to kill me first."

Sidious' mouth twisted into a grotesque grin. Amused, he said, "Than so be it, Jedi."

The Emperor thrusted forward. He did not care about Luke. As far as he was concerned he was already tainted by the purity of the Light. He was no doubt trained by Lady Thrice to resist him. She and her horde were stubborn, willful creatures. Sidious read these same traits in Luke. He knew it would be a waste to train him.

Yet, as he reached him he was stunned to see Vader. Vader had gotten in the way and ran him through. Together they had stabbed each other in the gut. Sidious could hardly believe his betrayal. He let go of his lightsaber and it deactivated on the floor as he reached out and grabbed Vader's shoulder in a desperate grip. A pool of dark blood began to gather at their feet and drip down from the concern his mouth.

"You?" Sidious asked as he crawled at his armor. "You—would kill your own master?"

Vader seized the Dark Lord by the throat and said, "You would have killed my son. I—I won't allow it."

In response, the Emperor sneered at Vader's betrayal and slowly released his hold and died. He fell to the ground like a dead weight the moment Vader shut off his lightsaber. He stumbled a few steps forward towards the throne and collapsed. Luke quickly went to his father's side and turned him onto his back.

"Father, no!"

Vader coughed up blood and replied, "No, Luke. It's all right."

"But you can't die. Lord Swan can save you."

"No, this is it. This is the end for me, but I'm glad we met, Luke. I'm glad I could do you one good deed before I die."

Luke held Vader's hand and began to cry. "Father…no."

Yet, Luke's words could not save Vader's life. Slowly, he drew his last breath and died. Luke mournfully held his father's body and carefully laid it on the ground to rest. He closed his eyes and then went back to check on Jinn.

Though, just as he was about to reach them an army of warriors marched in along with Lord Blackswan. The mad scientist eyed the scene and approached Obi-Wan who was holding Jinn.

"Ah, Obi-Wan. I see you are alive. Thank the stars!"

"Yes, Lord Swan, it is good to see you too, but Jinn needs medical attention."

Lord Blackswan narrowed his brow at the burns on Jinn's face said, "Of course, but I came here to inform you that the Death Star is secure. Princess Leia was able to knock out the defense system and we were able to seize control."

"That's excellent news, Lord Swan."

"My eyes. I can't see," stated Jinn fearfully. "What if I can't ever see?"

The scientist replied, "Nonsense, my boy. If I can grow a new body from scratch then I can make you a new pair of eyes. Now, where is Lady Thrice?"

"Over there," answered Luke.

Obi-Wan left Jinn to Luke's care and rushed to his wife's side. She was still unconscious on the floor, but Obi-Wan was finally able to wake her.

"Darling, are you alright?"

"O—Obi-Wan?"

He smiled and said, "Yes, Thrice. It's me."

"What happened? Did we win?"

"Yes, Milady. Sidious is dead. Vader killed him."

"Oh, thank the Force."

Obi-Wan gathered into his arms and hugged her tight and said, "Yes. It's over. We can now live in peace at last."

XXX

The End.

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Ya! It's over, but I hoped you enjoyed. Special thanks to my chapterly review RKF22 and my many silent readers. Please keep reading and reviewing.