Chapter 12: Chapter 12
"Besides sweetheart we have enough pilots to pull this off" said Han
"I know but I can't help but worry about them" said Leia
"Hon they're Jedi they can take care of themselves" said Han
"Yeah the only two Jedi left" said Leia
"Thus the only two who have any hope of pulling that off" said Han.
Leia sighed she knew Han was right but it didn't make it feel any less nerve racking.
He had spoken the truth when he told her he had never meant to hurt her. Whether she believed him or not he didn't know. He still didn't like the idea of her being any where near Palpatine. He had heard the man's plans for her over the years. He wanted to turn her into a dark lady of the Sith. He always had in fact, ever since she was brought here with her friends. Palpatine had been trying to mold her and shape her into something totally dark. So far he had failed, Anakin had no intention of letting him try again.
For all these years she had been the only hope he had left. He thought Obi- wan would have stayed with her. He was disappointed and angry with him for not having the courage to stay with her. He had never thought Obi -wan had been a coward until then. Then he had lied to his son as well. Only Isis had the courage to tell him the truth.
He would do what Obi- wan had failed to do, protect her, cherish her and if she let him love her. He had learned a long time ago to never take from her anything she did not offer.
Now she was offering, she offered her friendship back to him. She had offered to help him, though undeserved as he was of her mercy.
He should be nervous about what they had planned but he wasn't. He had warned Luke as best he could about Palpatine's intentions. Anakin was concerned about her but he also didn't want to piss her off either. Sweet and forgiving she may be but she did have a temper. Even he wasn't fool enough to tempt it.
He set his ship down on the base's landing pad. He felt better than he had in years. Throwing a spanner in Palpatine's plans was absurdly gratifying. Telling Luke's rebel friends that the base was operational would negate Palpatine's element of surprise.
Luke watched the base and then taking a deep breath walked into the open. He immediately found himself at blaster point. They took his saber away and led him towards Vader. Isis waited until she saw them surround Luke the she slipped past he troopers and into the base.
She knocked out a trooper and took his armor. The chest plate was big enough to conceal her breasts. She watched as Vader conversed with Luke on a balcony then escorted him to his shuttle. Vader would fly Luke to the death star himself. Isis climbed into the ship that was to be his escort and took the place of the pilot. She found it a bit ironic that she was once again flying as his wingman.
They had no problem docking on the death star. She watched as Vader escorted Luke into the base. Then she followed the copilot to the pilots lounge. She slipped out a few minutes later and into the locker room for the pilots.
She slipped into the fresher and waited. Until an irresistible opportunity presented itself. The guard must have had an upset stomach. She had a feeling he wasn't even supposed to use the freshers on this floor. It was simple enough to cast a sleeping spell on the man. Then steal his clothes. She shoved his unconscious body into a maintence hatch.
She walked out of the fresher dressed as one of Palpatine's' personal guards.
"Where the hell have you been?" said another red clad guardsman.
She rubbed her stomach area and moaned.
"Well the emperor won't care if you're dying, just finish your shift and I'll send you to the med ward" said the guard.
Isis assumed he was supposed to be her superior officer. She nodded and got in line with the others.
Apparently the shift was changing.
"Yes sir thank you sir" said Isis in a voice that she had to use a spell to deepen.
The guard next to her glanced in her direction and shook his head.
"Man I told you not to eat that seafood stew for lunch" said the other guard.
"Tell me about it" murmured Isis.
"Just try not to show it," said another guard.
A different group of red clad guards walked out of a door in front of them. Isis' group walked in and took their places. Isis took her clues from where they stood and did the same. Isis was one row back on Palpatine's right. The room had been set up like some sort of makeshift throne room. It had once been the observation deck.
Isis discretely eyed the man who now called himself emperor. He was a great deal older than she remembered him to be. You think with so much money at his disposal he would spring for some anti ageing treatments. She felt a strange slimy sensation and knew someone was reading her thoughts. So she focused on the pod racing finals, the scores had been playing on the screen in the pilots lounge.
The sensation stopped and she hoped he had moved on. The sensation had been about to make her hurl inside this hideously hot costume. Why didn't she design this thing to breathe? The guards must feel like they were trapped in a sauna. The door at the end of the chamber slid open and Vader strode in. by his side was Luke. Luke was wearing a pair of binders.
"So this is the son of Skywalker," said Palpatine
"You no longer have need of those" said Palpatine.
Luke's binders hit the floor.
"Where my dear boy is your teacher?" said Palpatine
"He died on the first death star" said Luke
"Did he now, or was it someone shorter who trained you" said Palpatine.
Luke flinched as the old man invaded his mind.
"Get out of my head" Luke yelled and grabbed his head.
Palpatine withdrew his probe; the boy guarded his secrets well.
"You are weak but soon you will learn the power of the dark side," said Palpatine
"I am your master now" said Palpatine.
"No you aren't" Luke argued
. Luke eyed the saber at Palpatine's side.
"Do you wish to strike me down boy? Go ahead I'm right here," said Palpatine
Isis smiled behind her mask. Luke made no move to do so.
"Insolent whelp your faith in your friends is your weakness do you think they can save you?" said Palpatine
"Or do you think your father will defy me to save you, you are mistaken foolish child he is mine as you soon will be" said Palpatine
."I am a Jedi like my father before me and I belong to no one" said Luke
. "You see your friends they foolishly try to attack this base but what they don't realize is that this base is fully operational, soon the rebellion will be no more" said Palpatine
"I will never join you, I'll die first" said Luke.
Isis winced bad choice of words kid.
"That can be arranged, kill him Vader" ordered Palpatine.
Vader moved forward like he intended to do as ordered. Vader ignited his light saber and Luke defended himself.
In skills they seemed to be matched. Then Luke got the upper hand and Vader hit the ground. Luke had sliced off a prosthetic hand.
"Now kill him boy take your place by my side, take his place, his time is at an end." Said Palpatine.
He was intently watching the fight between Luke and Vader.
"No I will not be like my father, I will not serve you" said Luke.
"If you will not turn then perhaps, the one you call, sister will," said Vader.
Luke got pissed and attacked him.
The anger was genuine at least partially.
"He should have been there for you both Luke but he wasn't, now was he?" said Palpatine.
Luke was pissed and tears were in his eyes. Palpatine's words were hitting their mark. The old emperor was so busy goading Luke on that he had completely forgotten his guards. Until he felt a very subtle pull on the force. It was so faint he barely noticed it. Then one of his guards detached themselves from the group. He barely got his hidden saber out in time to deflect her blow.
"So you decide to finally show yourself my dear," said Palpatine.
She pulled off the stifling helmet and threw it down.
"You know me I can't resist a good party" said Isis.
"You've always had a standing invitation," said Palpatine.
"Hello Palpatine long time no see, thank the gods," said Isis
The old man laughed at her. Isis had a feeling that Palpatine had somehow been influencing Luke's mood.
Luke shook his head as if trying to clear his head. Isis had distracted Palpatine long enough for him to regain control over himself.
"Have you finally decided to take your place?" said Palpatine
"Maybe, or maybe I'll just take yours, I believe you owe me a dance old man" said Isis "indeed I do don't I?" said Palpatine.
The old man stood up and discarded his cloak. He activated his saber and attacked.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't have thought of this?" said Palpatine.
He made a hand gesture and nothing happened.
"Oops sorry killed that plan," said Isis.
"I hope you have a plan b," said Isis.
"Oh I have foreseen the fulfillment of my plans," said Palpatine
"Really you should've seen a dentist" said Isis.
He yelled and attacked her. She must have hit a nerve.
"You owe me an answer," said Palpatine.
"Funny what was the question again?" said Isis
He growled at her snide comment.
"You will join me I have seen it" said Palpatine. She laughed at him
"Wow didn't know you had a sense of humor," said Isis.
"I shall teach you not to be so insolent when you are in your rightful place" said Palpatine
"oh I intend to be in my rightful place" said Isis
"Then you accept the position?" said Palpatine
"Yes I accept your position" said Isis.
She attacked right afterwards. She promptly lost all of her inhibitions and went for broke.
Dropping into that trancelike zone, which only focused on her and her opponent.
"I feel so much anger in you," said Palpatine.
He said it like he was getting off on it and it disgusted her.
"What can I say you seem to inspire it" said Isis
"You were never really suited to the Jedi, you were always way too dark for them" said Palpatine.
She shrugged "didn't stop them from welcoming me to the family" said Isis
"They only welcomed you because they feared you, they wanted to control you child" said Palpatine
"So do you" said Isis.
Palpatine had broken away from her and was now circling her. Vader was clinging to the catwalk on one side of the fight. Luke was over him trying to catch his breath.
Palpatine narrowed his eyes at her.
"Are you going to stay over there all night or are you going to run away again?" said Isis
. He glared at her.
" what do you mean I have never run from you?" said Palpatine.
"Oh wow I guess age has affected your memory, I believe we were in an alleyway on Coruscant, in the factory district" said Isis
The look on his face confirmed that he remembered.
"Oh I remember how you led my apprentice to his downfall, do you remember that betrayal my dear?' said Palpatine.
She shrugged "he chose his own path" said Isis.
"Yes he did my little viper, so I suppose if I must beat you into submission I shall" said Palpatine.
He closed suddenly and attacked her. Isis blocked and returned the blows. He tried to blind her with some sort of dust.
She chanted something under her breath and when he tried to force shove her he ended up on the other side of the room instead. He shook his head and stood back up, Isis used a healing spell to clear her eyesight. Unfortunately she had to pull back some of the energy she was using to keep the guards paralyzed. Isis was pulling on everything she had ever been taught. Forcing aside her reservations she drew on some of the Sith teachings to keep Palpatine at bay.
Luke and Vader had climbed to their feet in time to see the guards break free of her hold. The guards started heading in her direction. They found their path blocked by Vader and Luke.
"You cannot win against me I'm a Sith lord" said Palpatine.
"What was that you smell like piss and your boring?" said Isis.
Palpatine seemed to have a weak control on his temper. This made it absurdly easy to goad him.
"Very clever my dear Dooku taught you well" said Palpatine
"You can't teach talent, your proof of that" said Isis.
He laughed at her. "No but you can teach obedience" said Palpatine
"If you want an obedient bitch buy a dog," said Isis.
He laughed again "I am so going to enjoy breaking you," said Palpatine.
In the meantime his guards were losing, before the combined onslaught of both Skywalkers.
Isis found herself casting just to keep the old bastard out of her mind while he attacked her with his saber at the same time. When that attack failed he tried Sith lighting against her. He was starting to get desperate. His best attacks had failed against her. His second line of defense, Vader, was fighting alongside his son. He had her down in a kneeling position as she used a shield ward to break the Sith lightning around her.
Isis saw his legs were with in her reach through a haze of pain. Her arms were on fire and she barely had control of them enough to move them. She swung her saber out in a clumsy arc, aimed at his legs.
The lightning stopped with his scream. Palpatine was suddenly a whole lot shorter. Luke and Vader finished off the last guard and watched her.
"Kill her!" screamed Palpatine.
Obviously he was trying to get Vader to obey him one last time.
Vader stayed put and watched. His arms crossed over his chest.
"Traitor!" Palpatine yelled
. He was trying to crab walk backwards without the use of his legs. Isis continued to advance.
"Stop! "He tried ordering her.
She shook her head no, denying him that option.
He tried to swing his saber at her while balancing on one hand. Isis stepped out of reach easily. She blocked the second blow and backhanded a blow. His fingers fell to the floor, as did his saber. He screamed again and tried to back away again.
"Please you wouldn't hurt a defenseless old man would you?" said whimpered Palpatine. "Old I'll give you" said Isis
