by Forcechild
Undeniable evil reeked from the shadows. Evil so powerful it took Ben’s breath away. The voice that spoke made him cringe. Every hair on his body stood on end. The young man shivered in fear before the Sith Lord.
“Impressive. Most impressive. You’ve fight very well considering you’re a mere padawan learner, but you aren’t skilled enough yet. You’ve much more to learn my boy.”
*
The Admiral spoke into the comlink that fit snugly around his head, “You all know what to do men. You were given your orders at the briefing. This is going to be the toughest battle of your lives. It’ll be nearly impossible to get all of them to follow us, but it’s our best and only shot. Good luck. Now, let’s get at them.”
Lando flew his X-Wing head on towards the TIE’s as the fighters closed on each other. It only took him a few seconds to get the feel of the small craft as he soared through space. He never felt more alive.
As the fighters converged, three TIE’s immediately flew up on his tail. He pushed the stick forward until it strained under the pressure. They gave chase. He looked out the canopy and noted that the rest of the X-Wings were leading the TIE’s in the same direction. Maybe this insane plan was going to work after all. Lando let his instincts take over and kept his thoughts on the task at hand, knowing that the enemy could read his mind. He piloted his X-Wing away from Geonosis.
*
Luke, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Mace Windu, as well as the rest of the Jedi waited for the X-Wings to reach their destination. The tremendous disturbance felt by the Jedi was almost visible as the Dark and the Light Side of the Force embraced in a struggle between good and evil. The incredible amount of energy surged and swelled as if a great tidal wave were rushing towards a distant shore to engulf all in its path. The Jedi’s role in this battle was about to begin.
*
Ben fought feelings of utter fear as he stood next to this evil being who sat on his right. He held out his lightsaber towards him. The man laughed. “Come now Ben. You really don’t expect me to fight you. The idea is totally absurd. I’d much rather watch as you and your sister compete against each other. It’s very amusing.”
“It’s not funny to me Vader,” Ben spat his name out as if it were poison upon his tongue. “Why are you doing this? I know you want to control the galaxy, but why did you abduct Padmay and turn her to the Dark Side? Why are you forcing her to fight me? I know you want to turn me too. I’m aware you’ll gain more power if we both pledge ourselves to the Sith. What I don’t understand is why it’s so damned important for you to turn the Skywalker line? Is it because my uncle rejected you?”
“Ah yes. Luke. It’s such a pity my son was such a weakling. He couldn’t envision the immensity of power we could’ve achieved if he became a Sith Lord, but your sister has. Estrus has willingly embraced the Dark Side. She understands my true power and you can too Ben.”
“You’ll never get me to join you.”
Lord Vader chuckled and then smugly replied, “You do realize that you can never defeat me. You’re not strong enough and never will be, even with all the Jedi’s assistance. Don’t you understand why they fear the Dark Side of the Force? They know they’re not able to control such power with their meager knowledge. Nonetheless, they crave ultimate power, just as we do. That is why they want you on their side Ben. They know you’ve inherited my abilities.”
The Sith Lord continued, “Padmay wasn’t lying to you when she told you that the Jedi deceived you. They told you that we Sith are evil when all we really want is order. The Jedi say the Sith use the Force in an unnatural way. There is no unnatural way to use our powers Ben. The Force is what it is. Nothing more, nothing less. The midi-chlorians understood this. That’s why they’ve never intervened. They leave it up to each individual which path to follow.”
“Only we Sith hold true knowledge of the Dark Side. Only we know just how powerful the Force can be. The Jedi only hold a limited amount of power. They fear full knowledge. If you reconsider and willingly join us, the full knowledge of the Dark Side, as well as the gift of absolute power is within your reach. We can destroy all our enemies. We can live in complete peace and finally bring order to our Empire. We can rule not only this mere galaxy, but the entire universe. It is your destiny Ben. Pledge your alliance to the Sith. Pledge your soul to me. Know the absolute power I possess within me.” Vader suddenly reached out and grabbed Ben’s arm.
The young man instantaneously felt an incredible shock wave race through his body. Energy raged within him, building up a tremendous amount of pressure. Ben felt as if his blood were boiling. His nerve endings tingled and writhed. He was filled with a feeling of undeniable power. Ben felt as if he could destroy this weakling that sat beside him by mere thought alone. Yes. He could absorb all of Vader’s dark knowledge and kill him by a simple wave of his hand. He could rule the entire universe!
Ben suddenly heard a weak voice calling to him. It slowly grew louder with each passing second. He soon heard the voice clearly. “Listen to me Ben. Heed my warning. Don’t let yourself to give in to temptation. If you do, your soul will be damned forever. Don’t surrender yourself to this Dark Lord. Do not weaken. You have the strength to reject him. You didn’t come here to seek ultimate power. You came here to save your sister. Resist him Ben. I beg you. Deny him.”
“I can’t grandfather. He’s too strong.”
“Yes you can. Pull away Ben. Do it now!”
Ben wrenched his arm free from Vader’s grasp. He fell to his knees, struggling to catch his breath. He shook his head to free himself from the intoxicating fever that still lingered. He’d never felt anything so powerful in his life. The urge to give in to it was irresistible. How could he defeat such an overwhelming force? Did he really want to?”
“Yes Ben. Surrender yourself to the Dark Side,” Lord Vader said still trying to tempt him. “Let yourself be absorbed fully as I was. Feel the tremendous power inside you again my boy. You can’t deny that you still want to. Don’t reject me as my son did. Join me Ben. Join me on the Dark Side of the Force. You’ll only achieve ultimate power through me, and me alone.”
Ben could feel Vader’s evil tendrils reaching out trying to ensnare his entire soul, but strength was building inside him to resist the haunting urge to yield. He stayed on his knees and let the Force engulf him fully. He finally responded, “I’ll give you the same answer my uncle gave Darth Sidious. I’ll never join you. I wasn’t born to serve the Dark Side.” That said, Ben rose unsteadily to his feet.
“Then you will be destroyed,” the Supreme Ruler spat out in disgust.
“Or I’ll destroy you,” Ben replied with false bravado.
Malicious laughter burst from the Sith Lord. When his laughter finally abated he said snidely, “You’ll have to kill Estrus first. Can you do that Ben? Can you terminate your own sister?”
Ben looked across the table at Padmay. She was eagerly awaiting his reply. Her eyes glowed bright yellow. He knew he’d never be able to convince her that her Master was using her. Padmay looked at her Master with adoration and complete loyalty. And yes. Ben saw it now. Padmay loved this abomination. He knew with certainty that he would have to kill his sister in order to defeat the Sith Lord. His beloved twin would fight to the death in order to protect him.
“Please join us Ben,” Padmay pleaded. “Learn the full powers of the Dark Side. You’ll see why I surrendered my soul to it, and to my Supreme Ruler. You’ve no idea of the pleasures the Dark Side can bring you. You’ve only sipped from the cup. If you join us, there’s no limit to the power it will bring you.”
“Are you speaking from your heart Padmay? You’ll do anything he asks, won’t you? You’ll kill for him and even give your life for him. Please don’t misinterpret my love for you as weakness Padmay. I’ll do what I must to defeat this vile creation. You would’ve too at one time. You swore an oath to protect the innocent from the likes of him. Don’t you remember what Darth
Sidious did to Uncle Luke? Don’t you remember all the lives that were lost, as well as the suffering Darth Vader caused while a puppet to Palpatine? Think Padmay! Think! I know you still remember. There’s still good inside you, just like our grandfather had good inside him. Use that to fight his influence over you. I will fight you if you force it upon me. There’s no question of that, but I implore you Padmay. Please don’t make me kill you. Renounce the Sith.”
“Enough,” Vader roared. He’s made his decision Estrus. Kill him.”
Padmay hesitated. Ben thought he saw the yellow glow in her eyes dim for a second. Was that a tear escaping down her cheek?
“I said kill him Estrus. Kill him now!” Lord Vader demanded.
Ben could feel the Sith Lord's influence recapture his sister’s full attention. He saw the glow in his twin’s eyes turn a brighter yellow as she bowed before her Supreme Ruler.
“Yes my Master,” she replied. Padmay then raised her hand and stretched her arm out. Her lightsaber flew from behind Ben and returned to her palm. She ignited her weapon once more.
Chapter Twenty Five
- Shielded -
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Lando said to Artoo as his X-Wing entered the asteroid field outside the galaxy’s perimeter. Artoo responded with a series of beeps and buzzes. The man didn’t need to look at the translating screen to know that the droid shared his anxiety. Lando knew he was an accomplished pilot, but thought this sortie was sheer madness.
Artoo shrilled a warning whistle. Lando jerked the joystick a hard left in order to miss a massive boulder that loomed in front of his craft. The X-Wing shook from the near miss. Within a few seconds another asteroid headed straight towards him, bigger than the last. Lando pulled back on the stick in an attempt to avoid it, but it was suddenly yanked from his hands. He’d assumed Artoo had taken control, but the ship responded too quickly. His X-Wing was soaring through the rocky debris with expert precision.
“You nearly collided back there my friend. You always said you were such a hot shot pilot. I didn’t see you using the masterful moves you always claimed to possess.”
“Luke! How the hell are you...? Never mind. I know. The Force.” Lando snorted as he looked out his canopy to see how his squadron was making out. He could see TIE’s slamming into asteroids, but not one X-Wing came close to destruction. Their ships were soaring through the maelstrom as if the asteroids weren’t even there. He asked, “Do the other X-Wings have Jedi controlling their fighters as well?”
“Yes they do. Ben told you that the Jedi would come through for you, and we have.”
“He’s also the one who recommended this plan. How did he know it was going to work? How did he come up with this absurd idea in the first place?”
“Han is the one who suggested it. He and Leia were fleeing from the rebel base on Hoth when the Imperial Forces attacked. They were forced into an asteroid field. When TIE’s pursued the Falcon they were destroyed.”
Lando thought of how irresponsible Han often was, but he always seemed to come out on top of things. He missed him a lot. They’d been through a lot in the old days. “Leave it to Han to try something that crazy.”
“Well, it worked then and it appears to be working now. You’re luring the enemy to their deaths. Now get out there and draw more TIE’s in.”
“How are we supposed to do that? They’ve got to be aware of what we’re doing now.”
“They’re obsessed by the thought of destroying you. The Jedi are encouraging their rage and it’s blinding them to the danger. They’ll keep chasing you Lando. You don’t have to worry about being hit by asteroids, or by the TIE’s. We’ll continue to protect you. Now, do what I said. Get out there and draw more of them in.”
“All right Luke. It’s against my better judgment, but I’ll do what you want. I’m coming about.” Lando was astonished that the Jedi had such abilities and thanked his lucky stars that they weren’t his foes.
Artoo whistled as if in relief as Lando soared away from imminent danger. Though he really wanted to head to Geonosis in order to help Ben, Lando continued on his present course. He’d told Ben that he believed in the Force, and in the Jedi. He dare not lose that faith now. After what he’d just witnessed, Lando knew there was definitely some kind of phenomenal force assisting the X-Wings. Something far greater than he could ever imagine.
*
Alec Brant had his hands full. The Star Destroyers surrounded the Solaris and they were drawing fire from every angle. Brant knew that the deflector shields wouldn’t take much more punishment. It was like being a helpless tauntaun in the clutches of a Wampa Ice Creature, being eaten alive. Reports of shielding failure were coming in from all over the ship. Brant didn’t have a clue how they were going to escape total annihation.
*
Lando couldn’t believe that they’d managing to continue the sortie without a single loss. Every X-Wing was still intact. “I don’t see many more enemy fighters out there Luke.”
“Most of them have been destroyed my friend. I’m sure you can handle the rest without our help. After you eliminate the remaining TIE’s, you’ll have to wait for word that it’s safe before returning to the Solaris. The second phase of our battle is about to begin.”
“Are you going after the destroyers?”
“Yes.”
“Why do we have to stay here? Why can’t we go after them too?”
“It would take too long for your ships to return to the Solaris. Besides, firepower isn’t needed.”
“How are you going to take out the destroyers then?”
“The same way we did over Coruscant.”
“And exactly how did you do that?”
“All you need to know is that we are enough in number to accomplish our task without your assistance.”
“What about Ben?”
“There’s no need for you to worry about him Lando. You have my word that he’s in good hands. Everything that can be done to protect him is being done.”
“Can’t I go to Geonosis and give him some support?”
“Not yet. You have to give the Jedi time to complete our current task.”
“I don’t know if I can wait Luke. I’m so worried about Ben and Padmay. I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“All that can be done is being done. The only way you can help Ben and Padmay is to wait.”
“Alright Luke. I’ll do as you ask, but every second will be torture for me.”
“I know Lando, but it can’t be avoided. I’ll get back to you as soon as it’s safe to return to the Solaris. Remember. Keep your faith in the Force and the Jedi high. It will help us to achieve our goal.”
Lando sighed knowing there was no point in arguing. “I will. Good luck.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it Lando. Now get out there and take out the rest of those TIE’s.”
“Aye, aye General Skywalker.” Admiral Calrissian got on the comlink and ordered the X-Wings to follow him once again. There were only about five hundred or so enemy ships left. Lando’s comrades didn’t let that number faze them as they targeted the fighters. It wasn’t very long before all the TIE’S were eliminated.
*
“Captain Brant. One of our fighters has made contact,” the communications officer shouted.
Brant rushed over to the station.
“Can you hear me on the Solaris? I repeat. Can you hear me?”
“We hear you. You’re coming in loud and clear. Go ahead,” Brant answered.
“Is that you Brant?”
“Admiral Calrissian?”
“You sound surprised to hear my voice, but no more than I am.”
“You could say it’s a little unexpected,” Brant replied bluntly, even though shocked to hear Lando’s voice.
“Have you started firing on the destroyers yet?”
“If we lower our shields in order to fire on them they’ll blow us apart.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Yo
u’ll be protected just like we were.”
“How?”
“There’s no time to explain it even if I could. Just take my word for it. Lower your shields and fire on those destroyers. No harm will come to you.”
“You must be mad!”
“Trust me Brant. Would I be able to contact you if we hadn’t won the battle? We should’ve been destroyed, but every X-Wing is still in one piece. Lower your shields and you’ll be protected too. Now divert power to the weapons systems immediately. That’s a direct order.”
“Yes sir.” Brant knew it was nothing short of suicide, but there wasn’t much power left in order to keep the shields functioning much longer anyway. Might as well go out fighting. “Lower shielding number one. Divert all power to the lasers.”
“Sir?”
“You heard me right Lieutenant Gregor. Lower our shields.”
“Yes sir.” Gregor nodded to the officer in charge. When the order had been carried out he reported back. “Shielding lowered captain. All unnecessary power has been diverted to the weapons system.”
Brant held his breath, anticipating the Solaris would be blown to bits, but the cruiser remained intact. What the hell was going on? What was keeping them from being destroyed? The Star Destroyers were still firing on them with shots coming in from every angle, but their lasers were being deflected somehow. Was this what Lando meant by being protected? “Keep firing on the destroyers. Drain all our batteries if need be. We have to do as much damage to those battleships as we can,” the captain shouted.
“Aye Captain Brant,” Gregor replied in awe. He was just as bewildered as his captain.
*
Padmay jumped onto the table and ran towards Ben. He did the same. They met in the center, their lightsabers clashing. Ben didn’t retreat this time. He advanced on his twin with a vengeance. He wasn’t fighting his sister anymore. He was fighting the enemy. He was fighting the Sith.
Padmay wasn’t prepared for Ben’s ferocious offensive and retreated from his vicious blows. Ben didn’t let up, keeping his twin on the defensive. His lightsaber flashed bright blue against Padmay’s deep red. Electrical discharge filled the air around them. They reached the end of the massive table slashing wildly at each other. He forced Padmay back to the very lip of the slab. She lost her footing and fell backwards onto the floor. Hitting hard, the air rushed from her lungs. She couldn’t hold on to her lightsaber and it flew from her hand. Ben leapt from the table and held his weapon to her throat.
