Star Wars - the Terminator Menace

Part 3 - The Last of Them

As the weeks passed, the droids continued to disrupt the Imperial supply lines relentlessly, targeting troop transports and shipping with deadly precision. The Empire, in its state of disarray, was struggling to mount an effective defense. Imperial forces were spread thin, attempting to contain the droids' attacks across different systems, a task made all the more difficult by the absence of the Emperor and the loss of Thrawn

Sith Lord, Darth Vader found himself in the midst of the Empire's chaos and confusion. Without a Master to serve and with the Empire's authority in disarray, Vader's own purpose seemed aimless. He spent most of his time in his fortress on the volcanic world of Mustafar, brooding and contemplating the events that had led to this state.

Meanwhile, the remaining Imperial warlords were vying for power and control in the absence of the Emperor and Thrawn's leadership. Tensions between the various Imperial factions flared as they each attempted to assert their authority over the others, resulting in inner conflict and unrest within the Empire's core territories. In the Imperial High Command, a power struggle was brewing between Admiral Daala, the ruthless and ambitious commander, and Moffs who sought to fill the power vacuum left by Thrawn's defeat.

Vader, the imposing figure in his Sith Armor, stood on the edge of a precipice overlooking the fiery hellscape of Mustafar. His thoughts were a swirl of frustration and uncertainty. The droids' attack on the Empire had shaken the foundations upon which his own power base was built. He had never imagined that a race of droids would be capable of such a crushing defeat, and the fact that it had happened made his blood boil. His cybernetic hand clenched into a fist as he pondered the next move.

Vader's head snapped up at the sound of the approaching footsteps, his senses immediately on alert. The sound of his guards' demise sent a chill down his spine. He spun around, his lightsaber igniting in his hand as a familiar dread filled him. As the Terminator unit came into view, Vader's mind instantly realized the dire situation he was in. No one, not even the Emperor himself, would have been able to breach the security of his fortress with such ease.

Terminator 1: TARGET AQUIRED. ANAKIN SKYWALKER, BETTER KNOWN AS ,,DARTH VADER". CURRENT POSITION : PROVISIONAL LEADER OF ,,GALACTIC EMPIRE". TASK FORCE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

(Vader's grip on his lightsaber tightened as the Terminator issued its cold, clinical assessment. The knowledge that the droids were aware of his role and location sent a flash of anger through him. Yet, there was also a sense of curiosity, even fascination, at the fact that these machines had somehow acquired such detailed information. His voice, distorted through the ventilator of his mask, rumbled through the air.)

"State your purpose."

(Terminator 1 then plays a clip Vader remembers all too well from his fight with Obi Wan on Mustafar 30 years prior, saying) MY ALLEGIENCE IS TO THE REPUBLIC, TO DEMOCRACY!

(Vader's breath caught in his throat as the clip played, a painful, vivid memory flashing through his mind. It was Obi-Wan's plea, a desperate appeal he had ignored in his thirst for power. The words hit him like a physical blow, stirring up old pain and guilt he had buried deep within himself. As the clip ended, Vader's expression hardened into defiance, his voice cold and strained.)

"That... is the words of a naïve fool."

-

Vader's body writhed in agony as the Terminators overpowered him. In the flurry of violence, he was left in a pathetic, dismantled state, his body reduced to a torso with only his head still attached. The once-mighty Sith Lord found himself staring at his own severed limbs, a twisted mockery of the power he had once wielded. His mind, a whirlwind of pain and shock, struggled to process the sudden reversal of his situation.