Consequences

Chapter 22 - Battle

My eyes flick to the window behind his throne. Far up in the sky, explosions ring out. The space battle is underway. I can only hope this is a battle we're going to win.

"Come. See for yourself," he offers. Hesitantly, I follow Luke over to the window and look out. Vader walks forward to stand at Sidious' side, a movement which painfully reminds me of the situation at hand.

"From here, you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance, and the end of your insignificant Rebellion," he laughs, his yellow eyes practically glowing in the darkness. Considering the Alliance won't exist to begin with in my universe... I flinch as I watch the battle, sensing ships blowing up and lives ending. As many times as I've seen it, it never got easier.

Luke turns, his eyes focused on the lightsaber on the armrest of the throne. Sidious smiles smugly. "You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger." Struggling to control himself, Luke turns back to the window as more explosions ring out high in the sky. "With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant."

"No!" Luke cries.

"We are not – and never will be – your servants," I growl, "And neither will Anakin."

"It is unavoidable," he insists, "It is their destiny." He then turns back to Luke, "You, like your father, are now mine." No. Never. I won't let either of them Fall. Not now, not ever. Maybe I should kill him just to prevent Luke from doing it. I shouldn't. The Force is telling me not to, but I want to, so badly. My fists clench and I struggle to keep my gaze riveted on the window. If I turn around, I just might snap.

Another ship – a Rebel one – explodes out the window. I can't just stand here and watch as they die. I can't. We need to do something, but there's nothing we can do. I... I need to get home. Now. Except I can't send myself back, Leia's not even trained, and Luke doesn't know how. And Vader obviously won't be doing it, so... I just have to stand here and watch. I can't, I can't, I can't –

"As you can see, my young apprentice, your friends have failed." You're getting over two decades and one apprentice ahead of yourself, Sidious. "Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station." I stubbornly refuse to move, even though every inch of me is screaming at me to spin around and grab my lightsaber and – It wouldn't matter, though, would it? I'm not a Jedi anymore. It's only justice to kill him, and a Sith Lord is never truly unarmed.

"Fire at will, Commander," he orders into a commlink. The intensity and quantity of explosions up in the sky intensify. Luke looks like he's about to explode.

"Your fleet has lost," the Emperor decides, "And your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young apprentice. The Alliance will die, as will your friends."

"Good," he gloats, "I can feel your anger. I am defenseless. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all your hatred, and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete." Don't do it, Ahsoka! I yell at myself mentally. It's all I can do not to move. Killing him now won't change anything! He'll still be alive in your time. Stop it. The Force is telling you not to, trust the Force.

Luke turns around to face the window again and I can sense him in just as much turmoil as I am. The anger which I'd previously been able to suppress comes back in a rush, screaming at me to avenge their deaths. I can't just let him do this and get away with it. I won't. There is no good without evil, though, but it must not be allowed to flourish. Just do it. And then, just as I'm thinking I won't be able to stand here one more second like this, Luke snaps. Whirling around, he calls his lightsaber to his hand, igniting it and swinging it towards Sidious – but it's promptly intercepted by Vader's red blade.